Original subtitles

That morning, they came to a land far beyond the desert.

And there was water, and trees, and birds singing.

And they were just all very happy.

And the land was called...

You make up the name.

It has to be a happy sounding name.

What's the matter?

Nothing.

You weren't listening to my story.

Yes, I was.

It just that.

Billy, I have to tell you something.

I can't come and listen to your stories anymore.

I got all my chores to do, and all my schoolwork.

You always liked hearing my stories, Annie.

I know.

It's just that, well, Billy, I'm growing up.

If you don't come to see me anymore,

I won't have anybody to tell my stories to.

Everybody's moving out of the valley.

Billy, don't you have any friends outside the valley?

I never been outside the valley.

- Festus. - Festus?

Festus, my friend.

He lives in Dodge City.

And he always comes by to see me

when he comes through the valley.

Goodbye, Billy.

Festus.

Go to Dodge.

Go to Dodge.

Visit Festus.

Hello.

Good morning.

Can I help you, mister?

Help me?

Sometimes I help people for

a place to stay and something to eat.

Oh, well...

Well, I'm sorry, we don't need any help around here.

You know, it's the first town I ever been in.

Ah, is that right?

Yeah, I never seen so many folk all in one place.

The valley I come from,

well, there has to be a funeral

for so many folks to get together.

Real sorry you don't need no help though.

Son, wait a minute, look.

Why don't you take this and buy yourself some breakfast?

You're giving me money?

Well, it's just for breakfast.

I didn't do anything for it.

Look, just take it, it's on me, huh?

No, I don't like to do that.

But, I sure thank you, sir.

And the way the thing don't make no sense.

It just plain old don't make sense.

Make a fist!

Doc, have you went crazy?

I ain't fixing to fight you

over how big the blamed moon is.

Just make a fist

and hold it up in front of your eyes there.

Look at the sun now.

Now that is the same principal as an eclipse.

You see, the moon, now that's your hand,

and that's in between the Earth and the sun.

And the Earth,

well, that's that big cavity between your ears.

All right, don't start to getting nasty now.

I know blame well my fist in front

of my eyeballs has blocked out the sun.

But, shoot, the moon,

it ain't nowhere close to where my face is.

The relative distance is the same.

Don't you understand?

It's simple.

When the large object is millions

of miles further away than the smaller object,

the smaller object can appear to be the same size,

or even larger sometimes.

Maybe sometimes the smaller object can get bigger

if you get further away.

If it gets...

I don't think...

I don't wanna go through this.

I quit!

Well, of course you quit.

The onliest reason you're quittin'

'cause you know blamed well that I'm right.

Well, I'll be... Billy!

Well, I'll be a Sam Hill...

- Hi, there, Festus. - How are ya?

It's good to see you, Billy.

What in the Sam Hill you doing here in Dodge City?

Just came a time to see

the things outside the valley, I guess.

Well, I reckon that's good a reasons as there is.

You telling me that you walked clean over here to Dodge?

I had no money.

Well, I'll bet you something else too,

that you ain't had e'ry a bite

of vittles since you left, have you?

Except for apples I got for helping a farmer pick his.

I ate them yesterday.

Well, we're fixing to remedy that right now.

'Cause I'm gonna take you over to Delmonico's

and I'm gonna get you the best breakfast

that you have ever eaten.

I got no money, Festus.

Oh, fiddle, you don't need it.

You know what you went and did.

You have went and did me the biggest favor

that anybody's ever did for me.

I did?

You blame sure did.

See, now I'm kind of filling in for

the regular livery man whilst he's out of town.

And the very last thing old Hank told me before he left,

he said, "Now, Festus.

"I want you to be sure and get somebody to help you out."

You know something?

I ain't been able to find e'ry a man

that's willing to work for keep.

New boots, that there's what the job pays.

You mean I got here at the right time, Festus?

You blame sure did. Now, look-y...

Keep means three squares a day

and a sleeping place for you and stuff like that.

But right now, what we're fixing to do,

is to go in and get that first square that we got.

Oh, Miss Kitty.

- Hello, Festus. - Matthew

This here's my good friend, Billy.

Billy, this here's Miss Kitty and Marshal Dillon.

How are you, Billy?

Well, I'm just fine, Miss Kitty.

How do, Billy.

Howdy.

I guess you're new in town, huh?

I never been in a real town before.

Billy here's the young feller

I've been telling you about from over in the valley.

Sure, good luck to you, Billy.

Really nice meeting you.

I hope you like it in Dodge.

See you later, Festus.

They real nice people, Festus.

Oh, they is the nicest folks there is.

Wait 'til we get done eating...

Well, I'll say this.

You sure look a might different, all right.

Clothes are sure nice, Festus.

They must've cost a heap, huh?

No, they just come with the job, that's all.

Well, I'll work real hard, Festus.

You just show me what to do.

Well, there's plenty to be did, all right.

Come on.

Well, let's see now.

The horses have done been fed and watered.

The stalls is clean enough.

But they'll be a whole lot of...

Right there.

There's a horse that needs looking after, Billy.

Why don't you go and fetch him?

Check the offside shoes.

What?

The offside shoes, look 'em over.

What are they?

We'll take care of it, mister.

Where'd you get the dummy?

Well, just never you mind, now.

Go on about your business and we'll look after your horse.

Festus.

Look it here, Festus.

What about it?

He's hurt, he's bleeding.

He's a real prize.

Ain't he ever saw spur marks before?

Mister, he's just like the whole lot of us.

Don't like to see no animal getting treated bad.

Now you go on down at the saloon, or

'cause you're liable to be

wearing spur marks your own self.

Yes, sir, Deputy.

Can I take care of him, Festus?

Sure, you can, Billy.

I'll fetch you some salve.

Well, Billy, what have you been working at

over yonder in the valley these days?

Same as when we first met, Festus.

Fix fences, just keep moving around fixing fences.

Well, that fence fixing.

That there's a pretty good job.

I won't reckon you're figuring on giving that up, are you?

Don't get to do too much work anymore.

The valley's getting different.

Festus, everybody's leaving.

There's nobody to hear my stories anymore.

I can sure recollect that, all right.

All them youngins are sitting around there on the ground,

a-listening to your story telling.

I learned how to tell riddles too.

You wanna hear one, Festus?

Well, I ain't too good at them.

But, yeah, go ahead.

Two farmers got one cow.

One half had to be fed, the other half gave milk.

Now, how did they divide the cow?

Whew, that there sure is a hard one.

Now, let me see.

This here feller that done the feeding,

he kind of got the short end of it, didn't he?

That's my favorite riddle, Festus.

Well, I reckon they just went ahead on and killed it.

Why would they wanna do that?

Well, onliest thing I was trying to do

is to divide up the cow for you, Billy.

But that ain't no answer.

Well, I reckon I'll just have to give up on it.

Cow give you milk, and you kill it.

Now that ain't exactly what I meant at all, Billy.

Have you got an answer for it?

Sure, they both took turns feeding,

both took turns milking it.

It's a trick question, Festus, a riddle.

They both took turns getting the milk.

That's how they divided the cow.

Yeah, that there sure is a good one.

It's my favorite riddle.

Hey, I got me an idea.

What if you and me was to go up

and see my old friend, Doc Adams?

And you can explain that one on him, would you?

See, old Doc, he's friends with everybody in Dodge.

And he'd like to get to know anybody that comes into town.

Come on!

They took turns milking it.

That's how they divided the cow.

Nice work.

Well, I'd never guessed that, Billy.

Well, you're tip top, nothing wrong with you at all.

I always feel good, Doctor Adams.

That's about all any of us can hope for.

Billy, why don't you just wait for me downstairs?

I've been having me a little twinge.

I want old Doc to take a look at it.

Sure, Festus.

Doctor Adams, I ain't got any money.

You don't need any.

Nothing wrong with you, Billy.

Oh.

See you directly, Billy.

Such a shame, such a shame.

Big strapping young man like that

in the mind of a seven or eight year old.

Well, he's been that way ever since I've knowed him, Doc.

How long's that?

Nigh on to five years, I reckon.

Yeah, I used to ride through that there valley,

short cutting to Hayes.

And I got acquainted with him then.

Where's his folks?

Well, they valley people say they died long time ago.

Of course, he's been a might backwards.

So they've been giving him odds jobs

just so's that he could get vittles to eat.

Festus, he might be better off going back there.

Well, Doc, see, that there valley, it's a-changing.

Folks is leaving there in droves

with that land getting so poor.

And I know that he's just been living from hand to mouth.

Sleeping in barns and haystacks.

And the thing about him, Doc,

he's got such a fearsome pride,

why, he wouldn't even take a kernel of corn

unless he paid for it or done a job of work for it.

Shame, I don't know what kind

of advice to give you on it.

I don't know.

Much obliged anyhow, Doc.

Sure is a nice place, Festus.

I should've come to town a long time ago.

Well, they is sure a lot

of different kind of folks, all right.

Billy, I've gotta go over to the depot

and pick up some things.

Why don't you go on back down to the livery?

Sure, Festus.

I'll join up there with ya there directly.

Ain't no way he's gonna make it, Barnett.

That's one.

Two more, then five.

Yeah, and I'll still lay you odds and double a bet.

You're on.

That's two.

Still need one more.

That's right, one more.

What are you gawking at?

That's a good trick he's doing.

Hey, hey, what's that at my leg?

It's only a harmless old bull snake.

No, it's not, it's only a cat.

Who asked you, dummy?

All right, get that cat off my leg or no bet.

You're hurting him, mister.

Oh, oh, it's the cat's fault, bets are off.

Please let him go, mister.

Ain't it strange that cats don't like water?

Please, mister.

Oh, come on, Barnett.

That cat ain't enjoying that none.

Please don't hurt him.

Please, he didn't hurt nobody.

Let's see how many lives this cat's got.

Is he dead?

Who did this?

Him, he just went crazy, Marshal.

Not right to hurt animals.

This might be bad here.

Help get him upstairs.

Pick him up, bring him up to my office.

Be careful, that's right.

Hold him, easy.

Right here, follow me.

Newly, take him over to my office, would you?

I wanna talk to him later.

Yes, sir.

I didn't mean it.

I was just trying to save the cat.

Must be nice.

What's that, Billy?

No hurt's gonna come to that foal

with the mother being there.

Well, that's what mothers are for.

Yeah, I never saw mine.

I mean, I can't remember what she looked like.

I try.

I just can't remember.

You must've been very young when she passed away.

Yeah, but I remember,

she always smelled of fresh baked bread.

And I remember every story she used to tell me.

At night, she'd tell me a story.

Every night before I'd go to bed.

Sometimes I dream.

I dream I see her face.

And I try to wake up so I can remember,

just to see her face.

Must be nice to remember you belong to somebody.

Well, Billy, when we get older,

we belong to a lot of people.

We make friends, good friends.

Is Festus mad at me?

No, of course not.

Well, the marshal was mad at me.

I was afraid he was gonna put me in jail.

Billy, the marshal's a fine man.

He just didn't understand what had happened at first.

Are they still with the judge talking about me?

Yeah, I guess they're still talking.

No permanent injury to that drover?

Evidently not, Judge.

Doc says he'll be in a cast for awhile,

but then he'll be all right.

Now, this boy evidently has never

been involved in anything like this before.

Judge Brooker, I can practical guarantee ya that

Billy, he ain't got a bad thought in his head.

Except that he did almost break a man's back.

Yes, sir, but he didn't know what he was doing.

Don't you see?

Yes, and there was some provocation for it, Judge.

After all, this man was abusing a small animal.

This boy saw it, and he just lost his head.

Judge Brooker, I can promise you

that no such a thing as this is ever gonna happen again.

You realize, of course, that you're in effect

appointing yourself this man's guardian?

Like a parent.

Oh, yes, sir.

But then, he ain't got nobody else.

Yeah, well, all right.

Let's consider that young man on probation.

I'm almost done, Festus.

I'm through.

I'll tell you this.

You must've been working like a beaver,

and you've did a mighty good job too.

Old Doc Adams, he's just gonna be tickled to death

with the way that you've fixed up his buggy.

Festus, can we go down to corral to see the foal?

Oh, yeah, that there's a good idea.

We'll do that.

I've been meaning to ask you...

Do you know what probation means?

No, Festus.

Well, that there means that you've did something wrong.

But you ain't gonna get no punishment for it.

You mean you stay friends?

Well, I reckon you could say that.

The most important-est thing is,

that you don't do bad again.

Because if you was to,

then you'd get the punishing

that you didn't get for the first time you was bad.

What I'm trying to tell you is,

Judge Brooker went real light on you.

They're both gone, Festus. What?

The mare and the foal.

Well, they probably out in the pasture.

Now I ain't never talked to you no more...

Can we go, Festus, to the pasture?

Can we go see the mare and the foal?

No, no, we can't!

Now I'm fixing to talk to you

and you're gonna listen to every last word

and you're gonna listen good.

I know you're mad, Festus.

And I'm sorry.

Dang it, Billy, it ain’t that I'm...

You pretty near killed a feller.

Now I aim to see

that you blame sure ain't gonna do it again.

I'm not gonna do that anymore, Festus.

The main-est thing is,

that you know that you've went and did wrong.

Saving the cat?

No, Billy, a hurting that feller.

Now, look-y, we got us a marshal here in town.

And deputies, me and Newly, we're deputies.

And when you see that they is something wrong,

you go and tell them fellers.

You don't just go hauling off

and hitting some feller when you think he's wrong.

You go and get the marshal, don't you see?

But, Festus...

If I had done that, it would've been too late for the cat.

I reckon it would've been, Billy.

You mean you was thinking about that

before you jumped on this feller?

No.

But I ain't gonna hurt nobody again, Festus.

Well, that there is good, Billy.

Real good.

Now you're giving me your promise?

I promise, Festus.

Festus, can you make me a promise?

That there all depends.

What is it?

Well, I ain't never rode a horse before.

Would you teach me to ride?

I'd like that.

Well, of course I will, Billy.

I'll tell you.

We'll just get all of our work did,

and then we can take tomorrow morning off and go riding.

Is that all right?

Hang on, Billy.

That a boy!

How am I doing, Festus?

Oh, you're doing good, Billy.

Keep your feet in the stirrups.

Keep your feet in the stirrups, now.

You all right, Billy?

Yeah, Festus, he just tricked me.

I tell you.

You gotta learn to keep them boots in the stirrups.

Just don't have them flopping around

like a old limber neck chicken.

Well, I'll do better next time.

Oh, of course you will, sure you will.

I'll tell you.

We'll probably find that horse over

that rise there at the waterhole.

Come on now.

Having fun, Festus?

Oh, you bet ya, Billy, a lot of fun.

Festus, can I tell you something?

Sure, go ahead on.

Well, I never had a real grown up friend before.

Oh, fiddle.

I bet you got more friends than

a dog's got a hair on his back.

No, I haven't.

In fact, you're the only friend I got in the whole world.

- Well. - Festus?

Will we always be friends?

You got my darn tea on that, Billy.

Festus, what's blue and always watching us?

I don't reckon I know that, Billy?

The sky, it's blue and it's always watching over us.

You sure got some good riddles, Billy.

Whoa.

Be real still.

Ah, we got us eating for a month, Billy.

Hey, wait, wait, what are you doing?

Quit that, Billy!

Billy, quit it!

Quit it!

What's the matter with you?

Festus, I didn't mean to.

I'm sorry, Festus.

Hold still now, hold still.

The thing is, Doc.

I just know for sure Billy didn't mean to do it.

Well, you mean he said he didn't mean to.

Well, right there's the same thing.

No, it isn't either, and you know it.

There you are.

See, Doc.

I just kind of keep forgetting that Billy,

he can't stand to see no animals getting hurt or killed.

But then, you can't blame him for that, don't you see?

I'm not, I'm not.

Billy didn't know why the deer had been shot.

He didn't understand, that's all.

Well, Doc, I just know for sure

that I can learn Billy the difference.

Festus.

Why don't you try to recognize this problem?

Well, Doc, I'm taking care of him.

And tonight, I'm fixing to give him the powerful-est

talking to that he's ever...

Now quit, quiet!

You're just being dishonest,

with yourself and with me too.

I reckon I know it, Doc.

Bill can't cope in an adult world.

He lives in a world of fantasy.

Now, you shot a deer, and he saw it as murder.

You want me to tell you that I think he'll get better?

I can't tell you that, Festus.

'Cause I don't think he will.

Well, Doc, you just can't throw him

in jail and leave him there.

We have a county home.

Are you talking about that there place for crazy folks?

No, no, I'm talking about a home for sick folks.

Well, Billy.

You can't just put him someplace

like that where he can't be free.

Festus, he's not free now.

Out on the prairie, he came after you.

Now he'll do it again with somebody else, he might.

Somebody who might shoot him, kill him.

We gotta protect him from something like that.

Festus.

I'm sorry.

Obliged, Doc.

Festus.

What's he doing in there?

Well, I think he's just trying to please you.

Make up for things.

Tomorrow morning, commitment papers from Judge Brooker.

I guess you know this means he'll be going...

I know what it means, Newly.

The marshal said that maybe

you'd wanna ride over there with him tomorrow.

I can do it if you'd rather not.

I reckon I'd better do it.

Newly, much obliged anyhow.

I thought I'd save you the trouble, Festus.

Sure looks mighty clean.

Festus, I sure am sorry.

Billy, Billy.

Don't be crying now, it's all right.

I know I made you mad, Festus.

And you're the only friend I got.

Oh, well, you just couldn't help yourself, Billy.

Festus, I won't do it again.

Well, the best thing to do

is just don't think about it no more.

Does this mean you're not gonna take me riding anymore?

Oh, no, it don't mean that at all, Billy.

The fact is, we can go riding tomorrow.

Tomorrow, Festus, you mean it?

Tomorrow.

Festus, how many balls of string

would it take to reach from here to my valley?

I don't reckon I'd know that.

Only one if it was long enough.

Did I do good, Festus?

Oh, you done mighty good, Billy.

But you better just kind of walk him for awhile now.

'Cause we got us a long ways to go.

Probably be dark before we even get there.

You never did say where we're going.

Oh.

Just a place.

Visiting somebody?

Well, I reckon it'd be something like that.

The fact is,

I might just leave you there for a spell, Billy.

Leave me there?

Yeah, for a spell.

See, I got me a whole of deputy-ing things to do,

and, well, of course I'll be riding back that a way, see?

Oh, you're not still mad at me, are you, Festus?

Well, I ain't never been mad at you, Billy.

You can just quit fretting about that.

Festus?

Who lives here?

Oh, it's just kind of a house that the county's got.

Where they look after folks that needs looking after.

Festus.

Festus, I'm afraid.

Oh, there ain't nothing to be feared of, Billy.

The house looks funny.

Oh, well, that there is just 'cause it's dark.

Come on.

Festus, I'm scared.

Please, I'm scared.

Sure is quiet.

What was that, Festus?

It's all right, Billy, it's all right.

Good evening.

You Mister Crooms, are ya?

I am, indeed, what can I do for you?

My name is Festus Haggen, Deputy Marshal.

This here is Billy.

And I got a paper here that was wrote on

and signed by Judge Brooker there in Dodge City.

Festus.

Billy, this here is Mister Crooms.

Him and his wife,

they run this here place.

We'll try to make you comfortable, Billy.

Can't we go, can't we go, Festus?

Please, please?

Obliged anyway, Mister Crooms.

Festus, Festus, what kind of people live there?

Just go and get on your horse, Billy.

Festus, is he a bad man?

No, Doc says he's a good man.

He just works hard, probably harder than most folks.

Now go on, get on your horse.

Good feeling, huh, Festus?

What?

It's a good feeling, you and I being here together.

Oh, yeah, that there's real good.

But, Billy, I've just gotta tell you something.

You know, ain't nobody that ever just

comes right straight out and tells you things.

Now, old Doc, he says

that you ain't growed up in your thinking.

Now that there ain't your fault.

Nobody's saying it is.

But, the truth is, you gotta be took care of, Billy.

Why, Festus?

Well, because.

You see, they is some folks

that just natural take longer a growing up.

Don't you see?

Well, you just do things like growed up folks does.

You mean I shouldn't tell no more stories?

Oh, no, that there ain't bad, Billy.

It's just that...

Well, I sure have got us in a pickle.

They just ain't no place that we can go.

Actual where you go, except back to that valley.

I can't never do that, Festus.

Everybody's leaving.

I just don't know what we're gonna do tomorrow, Billy.

Festus?

I don't mind staying with you.

I'd like that.

Whoa.

Why are we stopping here, Festus?

You getting hungry, are ya, Billy?

Oh, sure.

All right, we're fixing to eat us some vittles.

Festus?

Now, Billy.

The Almighty, he put some living things

on this earth so a man can eat.

Billy, I want you to look at me.

Festus, please.

Now I'm fixing to shoot us

a couple of them rabbits for us to eat.

And when I do, I don't want you

jumping on me and hitting me.

You understand that?

Billy, you understand that?

Yeah.

All right now, Billy.

I want you to go fetch them rabbits.

- No, Festus. - Go on.

I did what you wanted, Festus.

Can we go back to Dodge now?

No, we can't, Billy.

Old Doc, he was right.

You can't never go to no town.

Ever again.

How'd it go?

- I just couldn't do it, Matthew. - What?

I just couldn't leave him out yonder.

Festus, this is very serious. Now where is he?

Well, I was kind of hoping

that you and Doc could ride out yonder with me

and see where he is.

And if you figure that I've went and did wrong,

well, I'm just hoping you won't.

Now the little boy and little girl,

they never heard a tree sing before.

And so, they sat down and began talking to the tree.

"How can a tree sing?,"

asked the little boy and the little girl to the tree.

"Is this a magic forest?"

The tree didn't answer them.

It just went right on singing.

And so, the little boy and the little girl

sat down and began talking to the tree.

"How can a tree talk?,"

asked the little boy and the little girl to the tree.

You see, Matthew.

I thought maybe these here folks

out at the orphans county place

could use a man to help out with the chores and stuff.

And Mister and Missus Whipple said

if you and old Doc thought it was all right,

they could sure use Billy out here,

and, of course, he can live right here.

Once again, they asked the tree,

"How can a tree sing?"

The little boy and the little girl asked the tree.

What do you think, Doc?

Well, I don't know.

And the wind began to sing to them too.

Aaron, why did you throw a rock at that bird?

It was only a bird.

But birds are our friends, animals are our friends.

They're here to give us food when we need it.

But we must never hurt them just for fun.

Just like we must never hurt each other.

Even when somebody does something cruel.

It's just like my friend, Festus, says.

"Two hurts, well, that's twice as wrong as one hurt."

Understand?

Now the little boy and the little girl run the hill.

Festus, sometimes you amaze me.

I'm a little ashamed to admit it, but you do.

You amaze me, you got a good idea here.

The Whipples are good supervisors.

Gonna be children coming in and out of here all the time.

This is be a fine world for Billy, I think.

What's more important, gonna be a world he can handle.

Festus, I'm proud of ya.

Doc and I will talk to Judge Brooker.

And I'm sure he'll give this a chance.

Obliged to you, Matthew.

And they were trying to talk to the wind.

But you know what?

They soon found out that the wind could only sing.

It couldn't talk...