Original subtitles

Now, trees are the biggest plants in the world.

Much, much bigger than grass.

And yet, they both belong to the same kingdom.

Now, who can tell me in what way trees are different from other living things?

Buffy? They keep on growing as long as they live.

Correct. And if you look right up there, you'll be able to see a nest.

The father bird builds the nest out of twigs and grass and bits of cloth,

string, anything he can find.

Miss Berry?

Do you think there's some baby birds up in that nest?

Well, it looks like an old nest to me.

The baby birds have probably flown away.

They're big enough to be on their own now.

Soon they'll be building new nests for their own families. The young grow up

go out into the world.

And the older generations stay behind.

Boy, I'm glad it's our turn now.

As Barry says, the baby birds have to grow up and fly away from the nest.

Oh.

What's that got to do with me?

Well, you're grown up and pretty soon you'll be getting married and you'll

to fly away to a nest of your own.

Well, before you know it, you guys will be grown up and getting married too.

Well, that'll leave Uncle Bill and Mr. French all by themselves.

Just like the mother and the father bird.

Well, we could live near each other and visit back and forth.

We could even babysit for each other's kids.

Are we going to have kids?

Sure.

I wonder if mine will look like Greg.

Long hair and all.

I don't think I want to babysit for a bunch of hairy kids.

Oh, sissy.

Greg has arrived.

Oh, good. Tell him I'll be right there, Mr. French.

All right.

I'm making a lot of money now.

My dad says I'm making more money than he did when he got married.

Is that right?

Not that I'm thinking of getting married.

I didn't mean anything like that.

I want to graduate the gas station first.

College. I mean, college.

Sissy wants to finish school, too.

I hope so.

We both want to finish first.

Not that we were planning anything.

I mean, if you were planning anything, you'd be the first to know.

Thank you.

You're welcome, Mr. Davis.

Hello, Fred.

Hi, Sissy.

Where would you rather go, Akafuka or Hawaii?

We're just going to the movies tonight, Mr. Davis.

Honest. Good night, Akafuka.

Good night.

Dinner smells good, Mr. French. Oh, and so it should.

We're having crown roast of lamb.

Pretty soon you won't have to cook so much, Mr. French.

Oh, how's that, Judy?

Well, Sissy's getting married, Buffy and I are getting married, and there'll be

just you and Uncle Bill.

You can send that for pizza then or something.

Children, I consider it unpardonable to mention pizza in the same room with a

crown roast of lamb.

Besides, by the time you get married, I'll be returning to England.

You mean you're not going to live here?

How come, Mr. French?

Well, you know, I have a little cottage in Kent.

And my fondest desire is to retire there and putter a bit in the garden and

dabble a bit with painting.

You mean you'd putter and dabble without Uncle Bill?

Well, you know, nothing remains forever, Jody.

And your uncle's probably got, well, dreams of his own for the future.

But he doesn't even have a cottage anywhere.

He'll be all alone.

Well, you know, there are some very fine establishments in this country nowadays

for citizens.

They have swimming pools, golf courses, arts and crafts, everything.

But that would be like sending Uncle Bill away to camp.

I wouldn't worry about that if I were you.

How about some cookies? Would you like some? It's still time before dinner.

No, thanks, Mr. French.

Oh, I missed a hole in one by that much.

Couldn't you have blown the ball?

Why do you think I got it that far?

Phil, are you going to move in with some senior citizens people?

No, not just yet.

We mean when Sissy gets married and Buffy and I get married and Mr. French

back to England.

To his cottage in Kent.

Boy, what's been happening since I went to play golf.

Good afternoon, sir. I was in the midst of preparing dinner. Oh, I thought maybe

you'd be packing.

Uncle Bill, are you going to move in with the senior citizens when we're

No, I think I'll just stay here. I'm used to it and I know where everything

But you're going to be all alone.

Oh, we were discussing the subject earlier, sir. I told the children not to

worry. Good advice.

Don't worry.

I'll be fine.

French.

I missed a hole in one on the 17th that much.

Good afternoon, Buffy.

Dodie. Hello, Miss Babisham.

Mr. French is not with you today?

Well, he had some work to do in the house, but he's going to meet us here.

I'm surprised you're not playing with the other children.

We're doing more thinking than playing today.

The park is a good place for thinking.

With all the people passing by and the growing things around, one doesn't feel

quite so alone here.

I often come here when I have a problem to work out. Oh.

Is something wrong, Jody?

No, Miss Fabersham.

Nothing's wrong, Miss Fabersham.

Can we ask you something, Miss Fabersham? Of course, dear.

Have you ever thought of getting married?

Well, um,

it has crossed my mind.

We know a very nice man who's all alone, too.

I see.

You like us, don't you, Miss Falversham?

Very much.

And we like you, so it'll be just perfect.

Well, what would be just perfect?

If you married the gentleman we're thinking about.

Well, you are dear children, and I know you mean well, but... Please, will you

think about it?

Yes.

I'll think about it.

Well, well, well, Miss Fabersham, how nice to see you. And you, Mr. French.

I trust the children haven't been bothering you.

On the contrary.

They have been most enlightening.

We'll go play now, Mr. French.

Splendid, splendid.

Here.

You know, the children have seemed most preoccupied lately.

Preoccupied, perhaps, with the story of John Alden?

I beg your pardon, Miss Fabersham?

Why don't you speak for yourself, Giles?

The children were kind enough to speak on your behalf.

Having a nice lunch?

Yes, ma 'am.

You know, Jody, I've been thinking about Miss Barry.

She's real pretty.

She's okay. For a teacher.

For anybody.

I like her.

I like her, too. But you like her more than I do. She gives you better grades.

Well, if you study more, I bet you'd like her more.

What about Miss Barry and Uncle Bill?

What about them?

She'd be a good mother bird.

He couldn't let Uncle Bill marry a teacher.

They'd go real good together.

But, well, we already asked Miss Faversham.

I've been thinking about Miss Faversham. If Uncle Bill wanted to marry her, he

could have asked her a long time ago. He's known her for a long time.

Gee, Buffy, a teacher in the family.

She'd make you study all the time.

Maybe.

But if you didn't, she wouldn't flunk her own kids.

I guess I wouldn't mind having her for an aunt.

And when we grow up and come back to visit with our kids, she'd be real good

them.

Yes, sir, but I cannot imagine the children speaking to Miss Favisham on

subject. French, the one predictable thing about kids is that you're never

to know what they're going to do next.

Yes, sir, but to tell Miss Favisham that I wanted to marry her...

Well, you explained, didn't you?

In a situation such as this, sir, a gentleman does not explain to a lady and

thereby run the risk of injuring her feelings.

Well, what did you do?

The gentlemanly thing, sir.

I implored her not to be too hasty in her decision and that we would discuss

matter at some future date.

By that time, sir, I should be able to let her down easily.

Good for you.

Yes, sir.

You know, sir, being a gentleman is fraught with perils. Yeah.

I'll talk to the kids about this. Oh, I'd rather you didn't, sir, because, you

know, they might think they should apologize to Miss Favisham, and their

may make things even worse than they are now, if at all possible.

Okay.

All right, children, we'll continue with Hiawatha tomorrow.

Now we'll do our English lesson, and I hope you've all done your homework

exercises on punctuation.

Yes, Jody.

I didn't do my exercises.

Well, why not?

I was watching television.

Do you want to send a note home to my uncle?

He'll come over and talk to you about it.

Well, that won't be necessary, Jody, but just don't let it happen again.

Yes, ma 'am.

Well, we'll go over the exercises now.

All right, one more time.

Now, who threw this?

I did.

Well, Jody, this just doesn't seem to be your day.

No, ma 'am.

I guess you want my uncle to come to school now.

Thank you, but I'm perfectly capable of handling my own disciplinary problems.

And since you're so fond of aircraft...

For homework tonight, you can make 100 paper airplanes and bring them to school

tomorrow. But, Miss Barry... That will be all, Jody.

Yes, ma 'am.

We're doing my homework.

It's a disciplined reaction, sir, from what I can gather. Jody was somewhat

unruly at school today.

You do throw an airplane?

I bet I did.

It's not like you.

Even if he had a good reason?

There's no such thing as a good reason for being bad in school.

Exactly, sir.

Maybe you ought to talk to his teacher.

Yeah, Uncle Bill, would you talk to Miss Berry about it?

She want to talk to me?

She likes to handle things on her own.

Good for her.

All right, once everybody go, I'll let Jody do his homework by himself.

Uncle Bill, he's got to make a hundred of them.

Well, we can work at it until bedtime, and then I'll send for an engineer.

But it's not fair.

Sorry, Jody.

It's all right.

Oh, Mrs. Habersham. Mr.

French, may I come in? Oh, please do.

Mr.

French, I know you have been awaiting an answer.

Oh, yes. Why don't you sit down, Mrs. Habersham? Thank you.

I've been giving your proposal a great deal of thought.

But I couldn't help wondering why you sent the children as your emissaries.

Oh, well, you see, I...

I didn't exactly send them, Miss Favisham. They took it upon themselves,

aware of my feelings, of course.

At first I said to myself, well, as Priscilla said to John Alden, if I'm

not worth the wooing, I surely am not worth the winning.

Oh, no, no.

Don't ever think that, Miss Favisham.

And then I remembered, what a kind man you are.

And how shy deep down.

And I realized, but for the children, you might have remained silent forever.

Ever, Miss Ravisham.

But for the children?

Oh, please try to understand.

I do like you, and I know you have a sincere affection for me. It's just

well, we're so comfortable with one another, and by now so set

in our ways.

I would not wish to alter our relationship.

You wish to go on as we are?

If we may, Mr. French.

I will respect your wishes, Miss Fafisham.

Excuse me.

Hello, Davies Reddance.

What? Oh, no, Mr. Davies is at the office, Miss Barry.

May I give him a message?

Barry? Oh, Mr. Davis. Hello. How do you do? Please sit down. Thank you.

I assume you've heard about the paper airplane incident.

Yeah, you see, I have to go back to drawing board on that one. Well, a

thing happened this morning. Another boy, Randy Merrill, confessed that he

the paper airplane, not Jody.

Why did Jody say he did it?

I have no idea.

Well, sometimes teachers threaten to punish the whole class unless somebody

speaks up.

I threaten nothing of the sort, Mr. Davis.

Well, I didn't say you did. I just, you know, there's a possibility some people

do that.

Well, we're here to discuss Jody's behavior, which has become undisciplined

erratic.

He's not like that with me.

Well, may I suggest you're not with him as much as I am? You know, I think I

know him better.

I don't think you know him at all if you haven't noticed a change in him.

Miss Barry, I think you're a real fine teacher, but you're way off the mark.

Are you implying that I'm incapable of judging children?

No, I'm just saying that I think you're wrong about Jody.

And if there's something wrong with him, why, the problem must be at school.

Obviously, the problem is at home.

I don't think so.

Then we have nothing further to discuss.

Okay.

I think we do, as soon as I check the facts.

Well, I guess I slunk, Buffy.

Miss Barry isn't going to fail you just on account of a paper airplane.

I don't mean flunked in school.

I mean flunked in getting Miss Barry and Uncle Bill together.

Hi. Hi. I want to talk to you.

Sure.

No, I want to talk to him, but you can stay and be witness.

Like in a courtroom?

Yeah.

Now, I went to see Miss Barry this afternoon.

You did?

That's wonderful, Uncle Bill.

She's very concerned about the way you've been acting up in class.

She's real pretty, isn't she?

She's all right, but she seems to think that you've got a problem.

She's awfully nice with kids, Uncle Bill.

Yeah, she treated Denny to lunch when he lost his.

Well, there's two conversations here.

Now, Miss Barry and I have had a difference of opinion concerning you.

Do you mean a fight?

No, I mean a difference of opinion.

That's good, because we want you to like her.

It doesn't make any difference whether I like her or not.

Sure it does.

Why should it? Well, if you're going to marry her.

Now, what?

What are you talking about?

Excuse me, sir, but there's a young lady here to see you. Miss Barry, the

children's school teacher.

It worked, Uncle Bill!

Hi,

Miss Barry. Hi, Miss Barry. Children.

Hello. Hello, Mr. Davis. I came to apologize.

Oh, I think the apology's on the other foot, Miss Barry. Come on, sit down.

Thank you.

Jody's one of my favorite pupils, and if I lost my composure, I'm sorry.

Oh, I'm sorry.

Now, you were right, too. A reason for his behavior starts right here in the

home.

Now, you've been acting up in class.

You want to tell us the reason?

Well, we wanted you to have to come to school to meet Miss Berry.

Only no one would cooperate until now.

I'm afraid I don't understand.

You see, we thought you would be real good company for Uncle Bill when we all

leave. You know, Miss Berry, like you told us, the mother and the father bird

have each other when the baby birds fly away.

Only we'll come back and visit you and Uncle Bill with our kids.

Mr. Davis, I had no idea.

Neither did I.

They've been real worried about me being alone when they grow up and get

married. And Mr. French goes to England.

But that puts a long time away.

Uncle Bill always says to plan ahead.

And you're nice and kind and pretty, so we figured you'd be just right for Uncle

Bill.

Well, kids, I really appreciate the thought, but I'll be okay.

You know, you can come and visit and bring me your kids, and Mr. French will

come from England, and I really will be all right.

But it won't be the same as having a mother bird around.

Yeah, you might get lonely between visits.

You know, I might get married before then. You don't know.

Anyway, I'm going to make up my own mind on that, okay?

Okay. We're sorry you and Miss Berry had a fight.

A difference of opinion, Jody.

That's what my uncle called it.

I'm sorry, too.

Well, I think you ought to be proud.

Because your children must love you very much to worry so about your being

lonely.

Well, I ought to be running.

Okay. Uncle Bill, can Miss Barry stay for dinner?

Sure. Would you like to have dinner with us?

Why, I'd be delighted.

French!

Yes, Alan. One more for dinner, please.

Certainly, sir.

Mr. French, do you have Miss Favison's number?

Yes, I have it.

Good, because if we want to call her and tell her, never mind.

Miss Femm... Never mind?

Uh -huh.

We were trying to get her to marry Uncle Bill.

Right.

Well, look, don't bother about calling her. I'll take care of all such calls.

play a game of cards with us? No, I can't. I'm going out.

Buffy, would you please help me?

Greg again?

Mm -hmm.

Have you decided about your honeymoon yet?

Nope. Greg doesn't care whether it's Hawaii or Acapulco. He can bring your

surfboard to either place.

See ya.

Mr. Bunch, could you play cards with us?

Oh, I'm sorry, children, but I'm going out with Miss Favisham to the theater

tonight, and I have to change.

We'll ask Uncle Bill.

Mr. Davis is going out also. I've already arranged a babysitter.

Going out with a lady?

Yes, I am.

Anyone we know?

Yep.

Aren't you going to tell us who?

Miss Barry.

But Uncle Bill, you said... Never mind what I said. I'm going out with Donna

tonight because I want to, not because you want me to, okay?

Okay. Good night. Good night.

Good night.

He called her Donna.

I didn't even know Miss Berry had a first name.

I guess we don't have to worry about Uncle Bill anymore.

Yeah. Only this is the first time I've heard of everyone else flying away from

the nest and leaving the baby birds alone.