Original subtitles

ANNOUNCER: The following program is brought to you in living color on NBC.

BEN: Hey, Hoss, don't forget these.

- Oh, yeah! - [JOE LAUGHS]

- Is that all you're taking? - Yep.

I'll pick up what I need on the way.

You know, Candy, I sure wish I had two months off.

Well, if you'd given up your vacation two years running,

you'd have a long holiday now too.

Hoss, you still haven't told us where you're going.

Well... Candy, I keep telling you.

Just gonna go, that's all. Go where I want to, when I want to.

Little Joe, Candy, I'll be thinking about you

when I fry that first big pan of fresh-caught trout.

- [LAUGHTER] - Have a good time.

Have a good time. Take care.

Howdy, friend. Can I help you? You listen close, now, you hear?

Howdy, friend. Can I help you?

- Yes, sir, you sure can. - Oh, howdy, friend. Can I help you?

Yes, sir. I got a list here.

Well, looks like you're planning to do a little fishing.

Yes, sir. I sure am. It's been a long time.

It'll take me just a minute to get these things together.

I got nothing but time.

Hey, son, what you got there?

Fast little fella, ain't he? Never can catch him.

Yeah, he... He's been in here before?

Oh, yeah. A bunch of times.

Never takes nothing worth nothing, just some little candles, that's all.

Well, here's everything. It comes to a dollar 85 cents.

Oh, thank you. Here.

There's a couple. Keep the change.

Thank you. And good luck with your fishing.

What are you doing?

Hey, wait a minute, wait a minute. Settle down a minute.

- You gonna put me in jail? - Oh, no, I ain't gonna put you in jail.

I just wondered what you was doing, that's all.

I... I was making a wish.

- Huh? - I was making a wish.

You're supposed to light candles and make you a wish and then blow 'em out.

That's why I took them candles, cause I couldn't make no wish without 'em.

Oh, I see.

If you ain't gonna put me in the jailhouse, can I get my candles?

- They ain't hardly used up yet. - Yeah. Go ahead and get 'em.

- You make a lot of wishes? - Yes, sir.

What do you wish for?

I wish my papa was white.

BOY: not put me in no jail.

The best way to stay out of a jail is not to steal.

Yes, sir. But I ain't got no money to buy 'em.

Well, one day, you'll be a big guy, then you can get a job and earn some money.

My papa's big, and he can't earn no money. Is that your horse?

Yeah. Yeah, that's my horse.

- Sure is a big horse. - Well, I need a big horse.

That's the biggest horse I ever seen. Sure would like to ride on that horse.

- Where do you live? - Out-aways.

Well, it just so happens that I'm gonna be riding out-aways.

Would you like to take a ride with me?

- Hey, that'd be fine! - Come on, get aboard.

Now, since we're gonna be riding together,

I reckon we ought to get acquainted. I'm Hoss Cartwright.

- I is John O. Davis. - John O. Davis.

- What does that "O" stand for? - I don't know.

It's just a "O," I think.

Well, it's a pleasure meeting you, John O. Davis.

Johnny, how much further is it to your place?

- It's not far now. - You was sure a long ways from home

for such a little fella. Your mom's probably worried to death about you.

My momma got dead.

Is that a fact? What about your pa?

My pa's trying to make the food grow.

- He's a farmer, huh? - He was one time,

but nothing seems to grow no more. That's why I wished my papa to be white,

so things would go right for him.

You figure things would go right for him if he was white, huh?

- Why, sure they would. - Well, how can you be that sure?

I know. That's all. Why else would I wish for it?

- Oh, a lot of people wish for things. - Did you ever wish your pa was black?

- You gotta meet my papa. - All righty.

There you go.

Hey, Papa, come on out here.

Didn't I tell you about yelling, boy?

- You gotta meet my friend. - Howdy.

- What did you say your name was? - Hoss Cartwright.

Yeah. That's right. This is my papa.

- Go in the house, boy. - But Papa...

Go on inside.

If my boy did something wrong, Mister, I'll whip him. I'll whip him good.

Oh, no, no, he didn't do nothing wrong.

I'm not a runaway. I'm a freed man. I got my papers right here. All legal.

They're all there. I swear we ain't done nothing wrong.

Mr. Davis, I just brought your little boy home, that's all.

Can we come out now?

MR. DAVIS: Yeah.

This is my brother, Jesse, and my sister, Beth.

Howdy, Jesse. Ma'am.

My sister is a girl.

Yeah, that's the way with sisters.

She's a cook. She cooks good.

You wanna eat supper with us?

MR. DAVIS: John...

I don't think Mr. Cartwright wants to eat with us.

Oh, please. There's a whole mess of greens.

John, that's enough.

Yes, sir.

Mr. Davis, I ain't one for turning down good home-cooked meals.

That is, if you've got enough.

There's a whole mess. Please, Papa!

All right.

Beth, set another place.

I'll unsaddle my horse and be right with you.

You want some more, Mr. Cartwright?

Yeah, don't mind if I do. That's pretty tasty.

- I told you she's a cook. - You're sure right about that, Johnny.

What sort of vegetables are those?

I don't know. They grow all around here.

On my birthday, we're gonna have stew. Ain't that right, Papa?

Yeah, that's right, son.

If we get some meat.

We're gonna get some meat. I told you.

How you gonna do it, Papa? You ain't got no powder for that old gun of yours.

If you need gunpowder, I got some out there in my saddlebags.

- If that's what you need. - We don't need none, thank you.

- Papa, we need... - I said we don't need it.

Jesse, Papa said he'd get that meat.

Mr. Davis, what sort of farming do you do?

Corn and beans.

Rain didn't come for a long time. Everything got dead.

Well, that's the way of the weather.

But then it changes, and when it does, everything grows again.

Except that we ain't got nothing to plant. No seed.

That's enough. Can't the man eat his supper

without having to listen to you grieving?

What's the matter with Papa? He sure look mad tonight.

It's nothing, John. I'm sorry, Mr. Cartwright.

Oh, it's all right.

My... my pa gets upset over things every once in a while himself.

- Things like what? - Jesse!

I'm just asking a question, that's all.

You know, things like when a job ain't getting done fast enough to suit him,

- that sort of thing upsets him. - Hmm.

What's your pa do then?

He just works harder to make sure the job gets done on time.

I see. Then you wouldn't understand why my pa's mad.

You see, he's mad cause there ain't nothing to work harder at to get done.

If my pa had something to work at...

then he wouldn't have no need to get mad.

Yeah.

Well... what about work in town?

Papa's never even been there.

I tried, but I couldn't get none. Papa, he don't even know I tried.

He don't want us to go to town, neither.

- How come? - He never do say why.

He just says he knows what's right, that's all.

Why do you suppose he don't go to town?

He don't go to town cause he's scared of white folks.

I'd better get these dishes cleaned up.

Hoss, do you think my papa's afraid, like Jesse says?

No.

If he is, it makes my wish that much better a wish.

How do you mean?

Cause he wouldn't have to be a-scared of white folks

if he was white folks, you see?

Yeah.

Yeah... [SIGHS] I see, John.

Look, I... better be running along.

Hoss, don't go yet. I wanna show you something. Please.

It'll only take a minute.

All right, just a minute, but then I got to thank your pa

- and then be on my way. - Come on, then.

Beth, thank you for the supper.

I'm just glad you liked it.

We ain't never had nobody over here for supper before...

and it was nice.

Yes, it was. Thank you.

Come on, Hoss, hurry up.

Hey, John, where are you taking me?

I'll show you. It's not far.

Right through the trees here.

This is it.

- This is what? - My wishing place.

Sometimes I wish other places, but mostly I wish here.

Well, I must say, you picked a mighty pretty place.

I know. But I ain't had much luck with my wishes.

Well, John, you can't expect all your wishes to come true, you know.

I know that. I just wanted one to come true, and I think it has.

- Oh? - Yes, sir.

See, when I wished today, the first thing I seen was you.

John, you didn't wish for me.

I's not so sure.

Maybe my wish was too hard for the Lord,

so he sent me you to help my papa.

Well, it was a pretty hard wish, all right.

That's what I was thinking. So the Lord must've sent me you.

- Well, look, John, I... - You can help him, can't you?

Well, John, even if I could, I'm not so sure that your pa'd let me.

Why not?

Well, he just doesn't seem to be the kind of man

that would look kindly on charity.

- What's that? - Charity?

Well, it's... it's sort of like...

Well... like when you give something to somebody for nothing,

you know, to help them.

There don't seem to be nothing wrong with that.

Well, I... I didn't say there was anything wrong with it, John.

It's just that...

I just don't think it'd work. I'm sorry.

I just don't have no luck with any wishes.

[WIND WHISTLING]

Mr. Davis, I hate to bother you again, but...

well, while I was out there saddling my horse,

I got to thinking over something and I'd like to discuss it with you if I could.

- Sit down. - Thank you.

This is...

This is the thing I've been thinking about.

You see, where I come from,

we got a lot of good farmland, but it ain't in use,

because ain't nobody knows anything about farming. We're all cattle people.

And, well, it so happens at the moment, I got a lot of free time on my hands,

and I thought maybe if I could learn me some farming,

I could kinda surprise folks by going back there

and putting all that land to use, you know what I mean?

No, Mr. Cartwright, I'm afraid I don't.

Well, what I'm trying to say is,

you see, I got the wherewithal, and you got the know-how.

And I thought maybe we could sort of team up, you know.

Team up.

You mean you wanna work this farm with me?

HOSS: Yes, sir, I reckon that's about it.

- Why? - Well, I... I just told you.

It don't make sense.

Why not?

You're a white man.

Well, a white man can be a good farmer, can't he?

Yes, I guess so.

How about it?

Mr. Cartwright... we don't believe in charity.

Oh, don't worry about that. I'll do my share of the work, I'll guarantee you.

There's a lot you could teach Mr. Cartwright, Papa.

BETH: You the best farmer I ever did see.

- We might even grow a chicken! - [HOSS CHUCKLES]

All right. All right.

I sure do hope we grow a chicken.

- John, how come you do that? - I's sorry, Papa.

[HOSS CHUCKLES]

Phew! You know, Sam,

I think I've worked harder the last two weeks than I have the past two years.

It's no easy thing getting a farm going.

But once you do, it's a beautiful sight to see.

Things growing. Something mighty fine about green things growing.

Yeah, you must love it, the way you work at it.

I've been farming since I was no higher than John there.

He's some boy, ain't he?

I declare he loves them chickens just like they was children.

Hey, John! Don't feed them so much.

- Them's chickens, not turkeys. - They look hungry.

Chickens always look hungry. You just watch that feed.

And that's enough. Go and help your sister.

Yes, sir.

[WHISPERING] Papa says that's all you can have.

How old is he?

He's seven. He was born when we was moving west.

How come you decided to move west anyhow, Sam?

The land. Chance to work my own land.

I saved enough money to buy me and my family's freedom.

When I did, we upped and moved.

How long did you work as a slave, Sam?

40 years.

Ah! Well, this old plow

- oughta be ready by now. - Yeah.

Tomorrow that far field'll be ready for planting.

Soon as I get through here, I'll be out there to help you.

There ain't no need for that. I can do that myself.

No, I said I was gonna do my share of the work, and I'm gonna do it.

That's right. But I was kinda thinking of asking you to do something else.

- Well, sure. Like what? - It's the boy John's birthday.

And I was wondering if...

you could do something about some venison or something.

That is, if you don't mind.

[SIGHS] I do mind, Sam. I came here to learn farming, not to go hunting.

Yeah, that's right.

[SIGHS] Sam, if you want venison, you'll have to go get it yourself.

Let me have this plow and I'll finish this job here

and get my rifle from the house, and there are shells in my saddlebag.

Go on. You're the one that promised that boy, not me.

- That's right, I did. - Get with it.

MR. DAVIS: Jesse, you keep working. I'll be back soon.

Where you going, Pa?

To get me some venison, boy. Get me some venison.

My stomach's so full, I'm gonna blow up.

Well, it oughta be full. You ate more than I did, and that's saying something.

If I eat like that all the time, will I get as fat as you?

- [HOSS LAUGHS] - John. Mr. Cartwright ain't fat.

Well, now, Sam, if I ain't fat, what am I?

Well... you're big.

Yeah, I'm big, but I'm also fat.

Papa, this was the best dinner I ever did eat. Thank you, Papa.

Think you ought to thank Mr. Cartwright. It was his gun.

- Yeah, but it was you that shot it. - That's right, and Beth cooked it.

Ain't no need to thank me.

I think we oughta thank the Lord.

That's a good idea, son.

Dear Lord,

we... was all so busy thanking each other,

we almost forgot to thank you.

Lord, we don't talk to you as much as we ought to.

Sometimes we forget.

And when we do, we're so busy asking you for things,

we forget to thank you for what you give us.

So, Lord...

we just want to say...

thank you, Lord. Thank you.

- Amen. - ALL: Amen.

Mr. Titus.

- Mr. Titus. - BIRD: Howdy, friend. Can I help you?

Pretty good, eh? Didn't think she'd learn, did you?

- Well, I had my doubts about it. - [CHUCKLES]

Well, birds are pretty smart. Smarter than some people.

Yeah. Speaking of smart birds, we got a few out there on the farm.

They laid us some pretty eggs.

Good. Good.

Say, don't I know you?

Yes, sir, I think so.

Let's have a look at those eggs before they hatch.

We'll get 'em.

Excuse me, sir.

Well, what have we got here?

Let me carry 'em! Let me carry 'em!

What you got there, boy?

- Eggs. - Our chickens give 'em.

Well, that's nice. Can I look at 'em?

Well, what do you think of these eggs, Mr. Johnson?

- I don't like 'em. - Why not?

I don't like 'em, that's why.

JESSE: All right, you give them eggs back to my brother.

- We gotta sell them eggs. - Well, now, now, take it easy, now.

You might make me nervous and I'll drop all these eggs.

- Give me them! - Get out of here!

Don't you try and grab nothing from me.

Mr. Johnson, how far do you figure you can throw an egg?

Let's go find out.

Hoss, they're hurting Jesse!

Wait here.

[YELLING]

[YELLING, JEERING]

You want to continue this, Mister, you better have yourself a good doctor.

What's this all about, Jesse?

They said they didn't like no food.

Is that a fact?

According to Mr. Titus, those eggs are worth 50 cents a dozen.

How many eggs in that box?

Four dozen.

You owe this man two dollars. Pay him.

You're making a mistake sticking up for the likes of them.

I said you owe this man two dollars. Pay him.

Jesse, get John and get in the wagon.

See you in a minute.

You boys could have saved yourself a lot of trouble.

The hens that laid them eggs is white.

We're gonna see them again, Mr. Johnson.

We are gonna see them again.

You should've been there, Papa. Hoss hit that man so hard,

I thought his whole head gonna come off.

The other man didn't even say nothing.

Yeah, they broke all them eggs too, but Hoss made 'em pay.

He sure did. How much is that? Is that a lot of money?

Yes, son, that is a lot of money. Now, you and Jesse go and get washed up.

- It's almost time for dinner. - Yeah, I'm hungry.

Is you all right, Papa?

Yeah, son, I'm all right. Go and get washed up.

You should've been there.

I unhitched the mules and watered 'em.

I reckon the boys told you what happened in town, huh?

- They told me. - It's over and done with.

Won't happen again. How are things going at the far field?

- You're wrong, Hoss. - Huh?

- You're wrong. - About what?

- Them men. They'll be back. - What makes you say that?

I know 'em.

You've had trouble with them two before?

Not them, but others just like 'em. They're the same everywhere.

It's like they're from the same seed. They think alike. They act alike.

They'll be back. That's why I don't want my boys to go in that town.

Sam, I think you're making a whole lot more out of this than's there.

That's cause you don't know. I do. I know.

Well, you can't live apart forever. They'd have to go to town sometime.

No, they wouldn't. Not if you hadn't come along.

We was doing just fine.

Maybe their stomachs did hurt a little from being hungry sometimes,

but their hearts was fine.

You see, right now, they think that most white folks is like you.

But they gonna learn. Oh, yes, they're gonna learn.

Oh, Sam, no, wait a minute. You're wrong.

Sam, you're wrong about the folks in town.

There's some good folks in town. Come in with me.

- What for? To meet the white folks? - To meet the folks.

Hoss, it's not the same.

Just having folks tolerating you and letting you be around

is not like belonging and being a part of something.

I went into town once, when my wife was sick.

I went to get her a doctor.

He was nice enough to me.

But he said he... didn't doctor no colored folks.

She lay on that bed...

and she died.

So you don't have to take me into town, Hoss.

I've been there.

This is the way we found them all. Dead.

John, he went off crying.

What we gonna do?

So you still think it's all over, Hoss?

No, but it's gonna be.

We'll go into town, file charges against them two.

What you gonna use for proof?

Well, couldn't have been nobody else but them.

The folks in town saw what happened there. They'll testify to that.

They ain't gonna testify to nothing.

And what if they do? So what?

They'll just give 'em a fine, turn 'em loose.

And they'll be back.

Next time, they won't stop at just killing a few chickens.

You gonna let them two get by with that?

You just ain't gonna do nothing about it?

Yeah, I'm gonna do something.

I'm gonna take what few things we got here

and I'm gonna pack that wagon and we gonna get.

Jesse, you get that wagon and start loading.

Beth, you help him.

Papa!

- This is our home. We can't leave. - Jesse, you load that wagon, boy.

You want them to know they scared you off?

You want them to know they scared you off?

So you're just gonna run, huh?

Yes, I'm gonna run.

You're the fella that was telling me

how hard you worked to be a free man,

how you love the farm,

love to put the seeds in the ground and make 'em grow.

You're gonna give all that up, huh?

That's right.

I thought you was a better man than that, Sam.

I'm not just a man, I'm a black man.

And don't you go thinking you know how I feel unless you're black too.

I love this farm.

But I love my children more.

I can plant corn again and make it grow. I can plant beans and make them grow.

But I can't make my children grow again if they're dead.

And that's why we're moving out of here.

Sam, I can understand your being scared.

But there comes a time when a man's got to fight.

They ain't gonna hurt them kids. I promise you that.

I ain't gonna let 'em. I promise you I won't let 'em.

Thank you, boss.

Thank you for taking care of old Sam and his children.

- Oh, Sam, I didn't mean it like... - No, no, you're right, boss.

Go ahead and take care of old Sam.

Show his boys how the big white man always takes care of Papa.

So that when they grow up,

they won't forget that it's the white man who is the man.

MAN: Howdy, boy.

JOHNSON: What you doing?

JOHN: Papa!

John!

They whipped me, Papa. They whipped me.

- Beth, get some water. - What happened?

Just get some water.

It's all right, John. You'll be all right, son.

I tried to get away... but I just couldn't.

- Was it them two men from town? - Yeah. It was them.

I didn't cry, Papa.

I didn't cry.

You're a brave boy, John.

You're a brave boy.

Why my boy?

Why my boy?

Jesse,

go and hitch the team.

Papa, I don't think John's ready to travel yet.

John ain't going nowhere. I am.

I'm going to town.

- Go on, boy. Hitch the team. - Yes, sir.

Beth, you take care of John.

- I'll be back soon. - Sam...

You keep out of this! You ain't taking care of me no more.

Titus, you know them two fellas we had trouble with the other day?

- Yeah, I know 'em. - You got any idea where we can find 'em?

Craig, the big one, owns the livery stable yonder.

You'll probably find him there.

Thanks.

- Who's there? - [DOOR CLOSES]

I said, who's there?

I was talking to you, black man. Are you deaf?

You whipped my boy.

Oh, Mr. Johnson, it's that boy's pappy's come to pay us a visit.

Well, ain't that nice?

You had no call to whip my boy.

Now, that's right. And it ain't the boy's fault he was born.

It's your fault.

HOSS: Drop the bottle.

- I told you to stay out of this. - I will. Just so it's even.

Now, drop the bottle.

You're gonna get yourself in a lot of trouble over this.

You let me worry about that.

Now, get over there. Go on.

They're all yours, Sam.

[GRUNTING]

[GRUNTING]

[PANTING]

Don't you worry about getting some of your friends together

and riding out to my place.

Cause we're not gonna be there.

We're gonna move out. Just like you want us to.

Cause you're right.

We're not the same, you and me.

And I thank the Lord that we're not.

Jesse, go tell John and Beth we're ready to go.

I'm gonna miss this place.

But we got some seed, and we got the makings of another farm somewhere.

[SIGHS] If I hadn't have come along, you wouldn't even have to be leaving now.

No, Hoss, it ain't your fault.

It's them people out there.

The ones that hate you without even knowing you.

Yeah.

And them that... that wanna help and...

and don't know how.

You did help me, Hoss.

Cause them people out there,

they think I'm less than a man.

And for the longest time...

I believed it.

But no more.

And no matter what happens to me, my children are gonna live.

They're gonna make out.

And they're gonna be proud that they're black.

Papa, John doesn't wanna come out. He doesn't wanna say goodbye to Hoss.

[SOBBING]

Hey, little buddy, Beth tells me you don't wanna say goodbye.

How come?

- I don't want to, that's all. - Why?

Cause when you say goodbye, that means you're going.

I don't want you to go, Hoss.

I want you to stay with us.

I can't, John. I'm sorry, I can't.

I knew it. I wished so hard...

but I just ain't no good at wishing.

Hey, hey. Listen.

You know, just because two fellas gotta say goodbye to one another,

that don't mean they ain't gonna see each other again.

You know, a lot of things happen from day to day,

and in the meantime, you're gonna have to help your pa.

He's gonna be starting a new farm.

And you and old Jesse and Beth are gonna have to help him,

like I gotta help my pa.

I too little.

Oh, you ain't too little. What are you talking about?

Why, look how tall you are. You've grown a bunch since I've been here.

- I growing that fast? - You sure are.

Why, I bet you the next time I see you, you'll be as big as I am.

You think so?

Sure you will.

We better get on and help our pas.

Yeah. Come on.

Up you go.

So long, little buddy.

Beth. Jesse.

Sam.

Good luck.

Good luck, friend.

Hyah!

[WIND WHISTLES]