Original subtitles

("Alfred Hitchcock" theme music)

- Good evening.

As you can see, I'm in training for a pie-eating contest.

I take all athletic matches seriously.

I've been practicing for some weeks now

and have myself honed to a razor-sharp edge.

Furthermore, I do not expect to have any trouble

making the weight.

This evening, in addition to a pie-eating contest,

we are presenting a story entitled

Where the Woodbine Twineth,

or, as our network insists on calling it, WT2.

Where the Woodbine Twineth is about a little girl

who had some imaginary playmates.

This would not seem to be a very serious problem,

but it was.

It was.

We now have a different kind of competition,

an endurance contest.

The question is,

how many of you can endure the next 60 seconds?

(haunting orchestral music)

- To everything, there is a season

and a time to every purpose under the heaven.

A time to be born and a time to die.

A time to plant,

and a time to pluck up that which is planted.

A time to kill, and a time to heal.

A time to break down and a time to build up.

A time to weep and a time to laugh.

A time to mourn and a time to dance.

A time to get and a time to lose.

(somber orchestral music)

- Want to see your room, Eva?

Come on, honey, I'll show it to you.

Jesse, give me a bag.

- I'll carry it, Miss Nell.

- I'll carry it.

- Poor baby.

- Fix me cup of coffee, Suse.

- Yes, Captain King.

- I'm awfully sorry, Captain King.

I sure admired Amos.

- Thank you, Jesse, thank you.

- Well, my room is through there.

Right next door.

This used to be your daddy's room, once upon time.

Do you hear me, Eva?

- [Eva] Yes, Aunt Nell.

He's never coming back, is he?

Even if I pretend, he'll never come back.

- Even if we all pretend.

- Look at all the bumblebees out in the garden.

Do bumblebees die?

- Yes.

- Am I an orphan?

- Who told you that?

- I heard someone at the church say I was an orphan.

That they didn't know what was going to become of me.

What is going to become of me?

Am I going to die?

- Not for a long time.

You're going to live here with me,

and we're going to have a very nice life.

- Is it dark where Daddy is?

- I hope not.

I don't know.

- Mingo knows.

Mingo says it's brighter than day.

They have bumblebees there, too.

- Who's Mingo, honey?

- A friend of mine.

My best friend.

Can I have some iced tea with four spoonfuls of sugar?

- Suse'll make you some.

- But I wanna put the sugars in myself.

Oh, wait!

- [Nell] What is it?

(eerie instrumental music)

Eva, what is it?

- Nothin'.

It's just that I'm expecting someone,

and I thought for a minute, I saw them.

- Should re-roof the front porch, 43.71.

$25 to clear off the back lot.

The funeral'll be at least 750.

- You just make out the checks, I'll sign 'em.

- They're all made out.

- Nell. - Yes?

- I'm just bringin' it up one more time,

and I'll never mention it again, you just listen.

Absolutely sure you want to keep Eva here?

I could take her with me in the morning,

leave her with her mother's people.

- She's Amos's child.

I know he'd have wanted me to take care of her.

- Big job, taking care of a six year old.

Things aren't gonna be as quiet around here.

- I'm aware of that.

I'm even looking forward to it.

It's been too quiet around here for a long time.

- You aren't doing this out of a sense of duty, are you?

- I don't know.

I never thought about it like that.

It'd make no difference if it was.

And I think, well, I suppose we do a lot of things

out of a sense of duty.

- I never asked you to stay here and manage this house.

Never kept you here for one minute.

- I never said you did.

But someone had to stay with Mom until she died.

Amos was so busy going to school, getting married.

- Nell-- - I'm sorry, Father.

I haven't been able to cry about Amos yet.

I need a good cry, I'll be fine.

What time will you be leaving in the morning?

- Nell--

- I have to tell Suse what time to fix breakfast.

What time?

What time?

- Here we are, all washed and ready for bed.

- (chuckles) Come, give your old grandpa

a big hug goodnight.

'Cause he'll be way downriver

before you wake up in the morning.

You wanna come and go to New Orleans with grandpa

on the boat?

- I wanna stay here with Aunt Nell.

- Well, you better get to bed.

Aunt Nell won't want a cranky little girl on her hands.

You'll be cranky if you don't get to bed.

- I'm afraid of the dark.

Will you stay in my room?

- Yes, tonight I will.

Yes.

(haunting music)

- 25, 86, 89, 200.

Is that 100 almost, really?

- You getting tired?

- My arm feels like it's about to fall off.

If my arm ever fell off, would I grow another one?

- I don't think we have to worry about that.

- Mingo told me it would.

I'll be glad when Mingo comes, so you can meet her.

- I'd like to meet her very much.

- You would? - Of course.

- She's not very big.

- How big?

- She's big enough to live in a bird cage

but little enough to have a frog for a horse.

- I see.

- Leave it on a little bit more.

- All right.

(eerie music)

- Croak, croak, croak.

You hear the frogs?

- Lots of frogs.

Down by the river.

- Croak, croak, croak.

That means that Mingo's coming.

She'll be here sometime tonight.

- Go to sleep, Eva.

May I turn out the light now?

- No.

Do you believe me about Mingo?

Tell me the truth.

- The truth?

- Mm-hm.

- I think you're a very sweet girl

with a wonderful imagination.

- That means you don't believe me.

I knew you wouldn't believe me

when I tell you things are real.

Daddy didn't believe me, either.

And Daddy's dead.

Turn out the light.

- Eva--

- Turn out the light, I wanna go to sleep.

Croak, croak, croak.

(haunting music)

- What are you doing in there?

- Mingo came.

We're playing hide and seek.

I'm hiding from her, shh.

- Come back into bed, Eva.

You mind me.

- No.

- Eva.

- Oh, all right.

- Eva.

- I don't like you.

I was having fun.

- You mustn't talk back at me.

- Why?

- My mama would've washed my mouth out with soap

if I talked back at her like that.

- You're not my mama.

My mama's dead.

Mingo saw her.

Mingo said her eyes were open.

She said she saw Daddy and Mama dancing together

down in the ground.

- You mustn't make up things like that.

- It's not made up.

What Mingo says is so.

(haunting orchestral music)

Mingo brought her family with her

'cause her house caught on fire.

They didn't save a thing.

Not even a pair of shoes.

Mr. Peppercorn is her father.

He has a beard very much like

the way grandpa used to wear on his chin,

except Mr. Peppercorn's is red.

Same color as his eyes.

Sam and Popo, they work for Mr. Peppercorn.

Suse?

Well, they all live here under the davenport.

No!

No, Suse!

- What is it, honey?

- That's where they all live.

You don't vacuum under there.

Give it to me, 'cause I know how to keep from hitting them.

(Suse giggles)

- It's nice to see you helping, Eva.

Eva?

- What?

- I said it was nice to see you helping.

- Oh, she's lots of help, Miss Nell.

(eerie orchestral music)

- They don't like Aunt Nell.

They always hide when they see her coming.

I keep telling them that she's really very nice down inside

and that they mustn't be afraid of her.

- Mm-hm.

- Is Aunt Nell and old maid?

And what is it?

Is it when you're snippy?

Does loving someone make you not snippy, Suse?

- Some folks says it does.

- I love Mingo.

Mm, and Mr. Peppercorn, Sam, and Popo,

and I don't feel snippy at all.

So there must be some truth in what some folks say.

(Suse clicks)

(giggles) And then I thought it was a mouse,

but it was a long, green, thin lizard.

And the cat came pat, pat, pat,

and jumped up on the bed and put it under my covers, ee!

And I touched it with my toes.

- Eva.

Who were you talking to, Eva?

Now, you heard me.

Tell me the truth.

They're my friends, Mingo, Mr. Peppercorn, Sam.

- Oh, Eva.

- Yes, ma'am?

- There's no one in this parlor but you and me.

- You never believe me when I tell you things are real.

- They aren't real.

- They are!

- They aren't.

It's not the truth.

- They are.

- They are not.

- They are, too, you don't know.

- Eva.

- They are real, they live under the davenport.

- Oh, Eva.

- They're little.

- Well, you just show them to me.

- No, they don't like you.

- Well, that's just too bad, because I want to see them.

- No.

- Why not?

- You just can't.

- Because they aren't there.

- They are, they are.

(haunting orchestral music)

- Well, we'll see about that.

- No, no, leave them alone, no!

No, please leave them alone!

Don't do anything bad, no! - There is nothing!

- No, no.

- You see, there is nothing there, nothing.

- They're gone.

- They're gone because they were never there.

- You did it.

You made my friends go away, they're gone.

You did it.

You're an awful, old, snippy, old maid.

- I'll rinse your mouth with soap so hard

it'll make your head swim.

- You did it, you made my friends go away.

You did it, you did it, you made them go away!

- Eva?

Eva?

Have you seen Eva?

- Not since breakfast.

- She better come on.

- Have you looked out under the puzzle tree?

- Eva.

Jesse.

- Yes, ma'am?

- [Nell] Have you seen Eva?

- No ma'am, not since breakfast.

- You better get the car outta the garage now.

I don't wanna be late.

- Yes, ma'am.

(door thuds)

- If she comes crying because she didn't get to see the boat

and meet her grandpa, it's her own fault.

I'm not playing hide and seek with her.

- We're going to have raspberry cobbler, baked ham,

corn on the cob, fresh tomatoes, and spoon bread.

Everything the Captain's fond of.

(car honks)

There's Jesse with the car, Miss Nell.

- I hear him.

(door thuds)

- Where'd you put the ham, Jesse?

- [Jesse] What ham?

- I asked you earlier to get me a ham outta the smokehouse.

- Didn't ask me.

- Jesse, I told you the first thing this morning.

- Not me.

- We need anything from town?

- Just about outta cornmeal, Miss Nell.

- You didn't tell me doodly-doo 'bout no ham.

- I told you before I poured you your coffee.

- Come on, come on, we'll be late.

The captain'll be waitin' on the dock.

- I'd remember if you told me, Suse.

- Nevermind, I'll get it myself.

(Eva giggling) (eerie music)

Who's in here?

(Eva giggling)

Is that you, Eva?

- No.

- Your Aunt Nell's been lookin' high and low for you.

- I know.

- You missed going down to the dock

and seeing your grandpa come in on the boat.

- I know.

- Didn't you wanna go?

- Yes.

- Well, why didn't you answer, then,

and make your whereabouts known?

- I couldn't.

- Why not?

- 'Cause Mr. Peppercorn came,

and I couldn't be rude to Mr. Peppercorn.

He came back on a butterfly for just one minute

to tell me somethin'.

- You better come on, get down from there

before you break your neck. (chuckles)

Come on.

Oh, my goodness. (clicks)

Just look, just look at them hands.

Ooh, and that face.

And you smell like a piece of smoked meat.

- I was pretending I was a string of peppers.

- Oh yes?

Well, we're just gonna have to throw you in the tub

and clean you up before they get back.

What are you grinnin' about, young lady?

- I promised not to tell.

* Bum bum, here I come *

* Where you from *

* New Orleans *

* What's your trade, lemonade *

* Get to work and show us something *

* If you're not afraid *

- [Suse] Oh, you better stop that.

You're gonna make yourself dizzy.

Now, come on, come on.

- Captain King, Captain King!

(Captain King laughing)

- How's my girl?

- I'm fine!

- Jesse, hand me the big box on the front seat.

- [Jesse] All right, Captain.

- I got somethin' here for ya.

(Captain King giggling)

- Put me down, Grandpa, put me down!

- Numa.

- What did you say Eva?

Now, don't mumble.

Thank your grandpa nicely, now.

You'd think I haven't taught you one shred of manners.

- Numa.

(gentle orchestral music)

It's Numa.

He told me she'd be coming,

but I wasn't sure it was grandpa bringing her.

Mr. Peppercorn said--

- (laughing) Oh, Eva.

- I don't wanna be a taddle tale, grandpa,

but Aunt Nell made them all go away.

She took an umbrella and poked at them,

but this morning, Mr. Peppercorn came back

for just one minute.

He said when she poked at them,

she broke Sam's foot, and that none of them

would ever come back with her in the house,

no matter how much they loved me,

they were sending me Numa instead.

She's just like he said.

- Take your doll and go to your room, Eva.

Eva, take your doll and go upstairs, you heard me.

- Yes, Aunt Nell.

Thank you, Grandpa, for bringing me Numa.

- [Captain King] You're welcome, I'm sure.

(paper rustling)

- I want to talk to you.

- Talk to me over a nice mint julep.

- I've been almost out of mind all summer long.

It just doesn't stop.

There's a whole community of 'em livin' under the davenport.

They all rode frogs.

(Captain King laughs)

Well, it's not too funny.

- She's just a baby, Nell.

- I know, but it's all she talks about,

all she thinks about.

She never lifts a finger around the house.

When I was her age, I made myself very useful.

Now, you know I did.

- Yes, you did.

- Mama'd have taken a switch to me

if I'd acted the way she acts.

- You're not sorry you took her in, are you, Nell?

- She's Amos's child.

- You're not answering my question.

- No, I'm not sorry, but I intend to do something about it.

A child must learn to live with the reality of the world.

Sounds like something you said to me

once upon a time, doesn't it?

- Sounds familiar.

- I'll be grateful if you'd brush up

that particular lecture.

It was pretty effective, as I remember.

I'll go get her.

You might also tell her that I'm not a snippy old maid,

impossible ogre.

(door thuds)

(children giggling)

Who was in here with you?

There was someone in here with you.

I distinctly heard two voices.

Who was it, now you answer me.

- You never believe me when I tell you things are real.

- Now, you tell me the truth, you hear me?

- It was just me, just me and Numa.

(playful orchestral music)

- How does one improve each shining hour?

Some say by injecting a station break

in the center of it.

I shall allow you to judge for yourselves

before rejoining us for the second half

of Where the Woodbine Twineth.

* Bum bum here I come *

* Where you from, New Orleans *

* What's your trade, lemonade *

* Get to work and show us something *

* If you're not afraid *

(Suse giggling)

- What does Numa say today, Eva?

- Today, Numa says that she misses Grandpa,

and that she's sorry he had to go away so soon.

And that she'll be glad when he comes back up the river.

- Yes.

- And that summer's just about over.

- Mm-hm.

- And life is very hard.

(Suse clicks)

Oh yes, life I hard, that's what Numa says.

- I'm on my way to choir practice.

Anything we need?

- You look pretty, Miss Nell.

We're just about out of cinnamon.

- Do you want to come into town, Eva?

- Can I bring Numa with me?

- Well, I don't want everyone in town to see my niece

walkin' around talking to a doll.

- Then I'd rather stay here and play.

- Where's Jesse?

- I'll get him.

- (chuckles) You didn't make up your bed this morning.

- I will, I forgot.

- I'll put her to work, Miss Nell.

I'll see that she sweeps the porch,

and she can help me make pie crusts,

and I'll see that she makes her bed.

- Tonight is missionary meeting.

I'd like an early supper.

- Yes, ma'am.

- Aunt Nell doesn't like Numa any more

than she likes Mr. Peppercorn.

Let me sift it some.

- All right.

- Numa says if Aunt Nell ever made her go away

like she did the others, she'd take me with her.

- And where would that be?

- Where the woodbine twineth.

- Where?

- Where the woodbine twineth.

- I don't recollect ever hearin' of that place before.

How far from Creesop's Landing is it?

- I don't know, but I expect it's far away.

So far away, you never come back.

* Never come back where the woodbine twineth *

* Never come back *

- Don't do that, honey.

- We don't just always talk.

Sometimes we get tired of that.

When we do, we just play.

- What do you play?

- Jacks, bum-bum, house, dress-up, doll,

sometimes we just play doll.

- Just plain ol' doll?

- Sometimes Numa gets tired of being doll.

- [Suse] Oh, she does?

- Let me roll some.

- All right.

- Mm-hm, real tired of being doll.

So I play doll, and she puts me in the box

and plays with me.

- She puts you in that box?

- Mm-hm.

- And you're the doll?

- Mm-hm.

Can we go play now?

- You'd better get that bed made up first.

- Oh yeah.

I forgot.

(eerie instrumental music)

* This little piggy went to market *

* This little piggy stayed home *

* This little piggy had roast beef *

* This little piggy had none *

* This little piggy went wee wee wee *

* All the way home *

(children giggling)

- Suse! - Yes ma'am?

- [Nell] Were you sleeping?

- [Suse] Yes, ma'am.

I was just lyin' down for a few minutes to cool off.

- I'm sorry, go back to sleep.

- [Suse] Yes, ma'am.

(children giggling)

* Bum bum, here I come *

* Where you from, New Orleans *

* What's your trade, lemonade *

* Get to work and show us something *

* If you're not afraid *

(children giggling)

- Eva?

Who's that with you, Eva?

Eva?

Who were you playing with?

- I'm not going to tell you.

- You were playing with one of those children

from down by the river.

Where does she go?

- There was no one here but me and Numa.

- Now, don't you set out to aggravate me.

I suppose you're going to tell me

that it was Numa I saw.

- You never believe me when I tell you things are real.

- Well, we'll put a little stop to this nonsense right now.

- No, Numa! (haunting music)

Numa, Numa!

- Now, you behave yourself.

- I want Numa!

I want my Numa, no!

(Eva sobbing)

I want my Numa.

- You can have her back when you tell me

who you were playing with just now, not before.

- I hate you!

- [Nell] Don't you talk that way to me.

- Shut up!

- Don't you sass me.

(Nell sobbing)

Oh, Eva.

You better not bite me.

- I'm going to!

- You just do and see what happens, miss lady.

- But Numa said, she said if you ever made her go away

she'd take me with her.

- Oh, Eva.

(Eva screaming)

Stop it, Eva.

Eva, stop that.

- Miss Nell.

Put her to bed.

- But she hasn't had her supper, Miss Nell.

- Put her to bed.

- Yes, ma'am.

Come on, baby, come on.

(lively piano music)

(lively piano music)

- Well, I finally found out what was wrong.

It was just that old spring that needed tightening up

real tight.

- Well thank you, Jesse.

- I'm sure glad it didn't happen when Suse was in here

cleanin' up.

She'd have climbed right up that wall.

- Thank you, Jesse.

- You're welcome, ma'am.

(lock clicking)

(keys clattering)

- Suse! - Yes, ma'am?

- I'm going now.

- You sure you don't want Jesse to drive you?

- It's just over to Nan Foster's.

You taking that up to Eva?

- Yes, ma'am.

It's all right, isn't it?

She didn't have any dinner, either.

- You think I've been too strict, don't you?

- Don't ask me, Miss Nell.

- She talked back to me, that's not to be allowed.

- No ma'am.

- I'll be home early.

- Have a nice evening, Miss Nell.

(Suse knocking)

- Eva.

Eva.

Look what I brought you.

Chicken and dumplings and a glass of milk

and big piece of pie.

- I'm not hungry.

- Well, I'll just leave it anyway in case you get hungry.

I don't want you knockin' on my door

in the middle of the night,

wakin' me up and looking pitiful.

What you mad at me for?

- I'm not.

- You're not?

You sure?

Okay.

Good night, baby.

- Night.

(haunting instrumental music)

(keys clatter)

(door thuds)

(lively piano music)

- Jesse?

Jesse?

- Listen.

- Oh, that old piano,

the spring done got untied again, Mama.

I thought I had it fixed for sure.

I'll see what I can do about it this time.

(haunting instrumental music)

(keys clatter)

- Suse, Jesse?

Suse?

- You home already Miss Nell?

What is it, dear?

- Where's Eva?

- Up in her room, I reckon.

- Well, how'd the parlor door get unlocked?

- Who locked it? - I did.

- When I was in there, it wasn't locked, Miss Nell.

It wasn't locked at all.

- [Nell] It's all right, Suse, I hear her!

- [Child] Where the woodbine twineth

it's summertime all the time.

There's apples and peaches.

You can play anything you want to play

anytime you want to play it.

The jets and the stars and the ball is the sun or the moon.

There's candy canes, and everybody has a dog.

- [Child] Where the woodbine twineth.

* Where the woodbine twineth *

* Where the woodbine twineth *

* Where the woodbine twineth *

(leaves rustling) (crickets chirping)

- So you're the child who's been sneaking up here

to play with Eva.

Now scat!

You go on home, go on!

Go on home, go on! (child whimpering)

Scat!

You go on home where you belong.

And never come back!

(somber instrumental music)

Eva?

Now, don't you hide from me, do you hear me?

If you know what's good for you,

you'll come to me right now.

(Nell screams)

Eva.

Eva.

(dramatic orchestral music)

Come back, come back!

Numa!

Numa, come back!

Numa!

Please, Numa!

Please, come back!

- That concludes tonight's story.

Next week, we shall return with another.

Until then, goodnight.

(playful orchestral music)

(bold orchestral music)