Original subtitles

Good evening.

So nice of you to join us.

The Count and the Green Giraffe by Raymond Whittingham.

The Count and the Green Giraffe went to India.

Buffy, no prompting, if you please.

The Count and the Green Giraffe went to India in a... blue

-bottomed boat.

Oh, it's no use, Mr. Frenzel. Just never learn it.

Oh, of course you will.

What's the matter? You having a problem?

Yes, sir. The children have been asked to memorize Raymond Whittingham's The

and the Green Giraffe, sir. But, Uncle Bill, why do I have to memorize a poem

about a cow who plays the trombone?

For being educated.

Will this poem help me be a gooder engineer?

Yeah, because, see, there's something called discipline for the mind.

Now, when you memorize something, it helps you to have a disciplined mind,

Okay. I guess I'm still stuck with the green giraffe and the cow.

Come on, I'll help you.

The cow and the green giraffe went to India in a boat whose bottom was blue.

Blue bottom boat.

Uncle Bill, guess what?

What? Russ Brooks called me.

Don't you understand?

Russ Brooks just called me.

Well, is there any reason why you shouldn't? Well, it's just so

I knew Russ back in Indiana.

Oh, you went to school with him, huh?

Mm -hmm. The year before we all came to stay with you.

Well, I was a sophomore and he was a senior.

He was the senior.

Ah.

You worshipped him from afar, I suppose.

I didn't even think he knew I was alive.

Looks like he knows you're alive now.

He's in the Peace Corps. He'll be in New York for a week, and then he'll leave

to go to Chile.

Oh.

That's a long way from Indiana.

It sure is.

And he wants to see me tonight, and so I said yes.

You're going to date with Greg, haven't you?

Well, we can make it a threesome. I'm sure Greg won't mind.

Gosh, I'm going out with Russ Brooks.

I can hardly believe it.

Greg is liable to find a little hard to believe, too.

Maybe this pearl drop.

No. The neckline is all wrong.

I could change my dress.

Again?

He's here.

Oh, I won't wear any jewelry.

Aren't you coming?

Well, suppose it's not Russ.

I mean, suppose it's Greg.

What difference does that make? You're going out with both of them.

Buffy. I have waited three years for this date with Russ Brooks.

Now, what's it going to look like when the first thing he sees is me talking to

another boy?

I'll tell you what. You go out and see who it is, then come back and tell me.

Okay.

Now, this one's Jody.

Hi. Hi, Jody. It's nice to meet you.

And Buffy.

Hey, where are you going?

To tell Susie Russ is here, so it's all right for her to come out.

That was Buffy, and Sissy will be right out.

It's been so long since I've seen her, I wasn't sure she'd remember me.

Oh, she's got a good memory.

Hi, Russ.

Hi, Sissy.

Come sit down.

How's everything back home, Russ?

Oh, pretty much the same, I guess.

Of course, the last few months I haven't been there. The Peace Corps sent me to

New Mexico for training.

It sounds so exciting, going all the way to Chile.

Where are you going to stay down there?

Oh, a little town called Galvarino.

It's got 1 ,200 people, 2 ,000 dogs, and one bathroom.

Oh, only one bathroom.

It's in the town jail.

That's neat. You'd never have to take a bath unless you got arrested.

Oh, that's Greg.

Excuse me.

Gee, I wish I was going with you, Russ.

Hi, Sissy. Hi.

Why so dressed up?

Well, I want you to meet a friend of mine from Indiana.

Russ?

Um, Russ Brooks, this is Greg Bartlett. Greg, it's nice to meet you. Hi.

Hi, Greg.

Yeah, hi, Mr. Davis.

You're from Indiana?

Oh, Sissy and I went to high school together.

If you want to stay and talk a little longer, we could catch the next show.

Greg, Russ is going with us.

He is? Mm -hmm.

Well, if it's okay with you.

Well, of course it's all right with Greg.

Of course.

Oh, thank you.

Have fun.

You too, Greg.

Thanks.

Thank you.

How many were in your training group?

Um, 38 of us started and 24 finished.

Is everybody going to Chile?

Right.

Oh, look, I'm sure Greg's heard enough about me and the Peace Corps.

How'd you like the movie, Greg?

Oh, it was okay, I guess. I get sort of a crick in my neck from sitting so close

to the screen and against the wall.

Oh, that's too bad.

Our seats were perfect.

I'm sorry we couldn't get three together.

You go to college, Gray?

Yeah, I'm a freshman, Zima Sissy.

What kind of work are you going into?

I haven't made up my mind.

I have a part -time job at a gas station.

Oh, that's good.

I pumped over 600 gallons of my shift last night.

That's a lot of gas.

Won't be long before I'll be handling a full lube job of my own, with an oil

change.

Great.

They tell me if I stick with it, I could end up assistant manager.

Such an enormous challenge.

I think I'm up to it.

No, I mean what Russ is facing.

To try and bring the 20th century to people who are living in the Stone Age,

well... I'll start with the kids and a school garden.

And then an experimental nursery to grow new props in.

I see. You've got it all planned.

I can just gain their confidence.

Then I teach them to vaccinate their stock and organize a co -op, borrow

for tractors and threshers, better breeds of beef and hogs, fertilizers,

You look like you had a good time. Oh, fantastic.

I wish it never had to end.

Russ and Greg hit it off okay there?

How could anybody not like Russ?

He's everything I thought he would be.

He was warm and considerate, kind.

Good. When are you going to see him again?

Tomorrow morning.

Early.

You may go on to bed.

Good night.

I've got a feeling this has been one of the most important days of my entire

life. Sure it was.

Do you know that in Chile, 50 % of the kids die before they're six years old?

That many?

And with the simplest sort of medical attention, better living conditions,

hundreds of them could be saved.

Thank you.

For what?

For remembering me, I guess. For calling up.

For coming into my life and... Waking me.

Green giraffe just had to laugh, but the cow cried all the way home.

You did it, Jody. Word for word.

Excellent work, Jody.

I just hope I can remember it till Monday.

I don't think I'll ever understand poetry.

Hi, Sissy. Do you want to hear me recite my poem?

Maybe later. Is Uncle Bill here?

He's in the den, yeah.

Let's start with the beginning.

Uncle Bill, I need to talk to you about something really important.

Is this a good time?

Good as any. What's so important, Annie?

Well, I want to join the Peace Corps.

Oh, Russ really inspired you, huh?

Well, it's a great way to do something for yourself while you're really doing

something for other people. Sure, I'm all for it.

Oh, thank you, Uncle Bill. Right after you finish college.

No, I mean now.

Right now?

Monday.

You want to quit school?

Uncle Bill, I have been sitting in the classrooms studying books for more than

12 years.

Well, don't you think you'd be a little bit better equipped after you got

through college?

Well... Maybe. But that'll take almost four years.

Please, Uncle Bill, don't say no.

I'm not saying no. I'm not saying yes, either.

I think what we ought to do before we go jumping into this with both feet is

find out what the Peace Corps requires of its volunteers, see?

Okay, but time's really important.

I know. I'll check into it on Monday, first thing.

Okay.

Thank you.

Good afternoon.

I'm afraid Sissy's out.

I didn't come to see her.

I wanted to talk to Mr. Davis.

This is very important, Mr. French.

You could say it was urgent.

Yeah, tell him it's urgent.

Very well, I'll tell him.

said you want to talk to me about something important.

You going to tell me what it is?

Okay, I'll tell you.

You found out about Sissy in the Peace Corps, right?

You've got to stop her, Mr. Davis.

Why? Because I tried and I couldn't.

She said I was immature, uninformed, and jealous.

And I am.

Which, uninformed and immature?

Mostly jealous.

Russ Brooks is the only reason Sissy is joining the Peace Corps.

She sees the two of them side by side, saving the world.

Yeah, that's a picture I got, too.

As her uncle, it's your duty to stop her.

No, I think the Peace Corps is a fine thing, and Russ Brooks is a nice guy,

That's what's so awful.

I can't even hate the guy who's going to ruin my life.

Listen, don't go applying to any monasteries just yet.

Now, Sissy thinks she's all ready for the Peace Corps, but it might just be

Peace Corps is not ready for her. Got it?

Yes, sir.

One percent, less than one percent of the 18 -year -olds are accepted.

But I'm eligible.

Okay, like I say, very few are accepted.

I'll be accepted.

Okay.

The first thing you've got to do is fill out the 12 pages of questions.

And then you mail it, and then you wait.

All right. It's practically done.

Okay. It takes about four to six months for your application to be processed.

Four to six months?

Yep.

Could be longer than that.

And then if they accept you, you have to wait to be assigned to a training

group, and that could be a week or a month or two months or more.

Well, let's say I only had to wait a week.

Okay, then you've got a three - to four -month training period. And if you're

not eliminated during that time, you get all the way through, then you come

home, you've got ten days at home, and off you go.

Six months, three months, and four months. Uncle Bill, that's more than a

It would be longer than that.

Well, by the time that I'm ready to begin, Russ will be finished.

Your

uncle

gave it to you straight, sissy.

I waited six months for my acceptance.

I thought all I had to do was sign up, take my training.

Then be working with you in a couple of months.

Sissy, I... I know we haven't been together very long.

It's only been a few days, but... I've never felt about anyone the way I feel

about you.

Oh, these have been the most wonderful days of my life.

If you feel the same way I do, there is a way we could be together.

In Chile, and for always.

For always?

As Mr. and Mrs. Russ Brooks.

Sissy, I think you're using marriage as a shortcut to get into the Peace Corps.

Oh, no, Uncle Bill.

We want to get married because of the way we feel about each other.

And as Russ's wife, I can go with him to Chile.

I'll be able to work with him and help him.

There's a special status in the Corps for wives.

Okay, how about when your volunteer service is over? What are you going to

then?

We'll go back to Indiana.

Someday my dad's farm will be mine, and I've proved I can manage it.

It's a good place to live and raise a family, Mr. Davis.

It sure is.

And don't you think you might just be rushing things a little bit?

Well, it's true that... Russ and I really haven't known each other very

but I always felt that he was special, and he says he felt the same way about

me.

I just never admitted it to myself, that's all.

You're both real sure, huh?

Well, I'm not going to stand in your way.

Oh, thank you.

Thank you, Uncle Bill. Pretty brave, taking on a wife in Chile at the same

Frank!

Buffy! Jodi!

Oh, is this really happening?

What is it, Uncle Bill?

Yes, huh?

Sissy's got some big news for you.

Russ and I are going to be married.

Really?

Married?

Congratulations. But I thought Russ was going to Chile.

Well, I am. And Sissy's going with me.

Can I be something at your wedding?

Of course.

You'll be the flower girl.

And I want Peggy and Joanne and Sheila as my bridesmaids. Sissy... Oh, and I

know just the kind of gown I want.

Oh, I've thought about it and dreamed about it a thousand times.

Not a white one, but ivory, with just a simple veil.

And, oh, we've got to make out our guest list and call the printer about the

invitations. Sissy, we haven't got time for a big wedding.

You're going to be going to Chile in four days, remember?

Well, sure.

I don't know what I was thinking about.

It'll be just the family.

Well, maybe I could hold just a few flowers.

And I could send out the announcements after you leave.

But I still have time to register my silver and crystal and china patterns at

the stores.

Silver and crystal and china and Galvarino chili?

Honey, it's going to be tin cups and clay pots for the next two years.

Well, at least I don't have to write all those silly thank you notes for the

wedding gift.

Oh, hi.

I'm making a list of all the things I have to take care of.

There's nothing on the list.

And that's because there's so many things that I've got to take care of

leave that I don't know where to start.

You could put down, say goodbye to Jody and Buffy.

You know I wouldn't forget that.

But this isn't really goodbye.

You're going to be gone for two years.

Well, I'll come to see you on visit.

Uncle Bill said you wouldn't be able to.

Will you come to visit me?

Well, Buffy, you'll have this whole room all to yourself.

It's going to be half empty.

Will you have the telephone?

That'd be okay if we could call Chili.

It's awfully long distance.

It doesn't matter.

I won't have a phone anyway.

When we came to live with Uncle Bill, we thought we'd never be separated again.

But you knew I'd get married someday.

We just didn't think someday would be so soon.

What are you doing up? I couldn't sleep.

Too much excitement for you.

Looks like you couldn't sleep either.

Uncle Bill, I must really be a shallow kind of person.

Who says that?

Oh, I say it.

After all my big idealistic talk about wanting to join the Peace Corps and save

the world and...

And marry Russ and work side by side.

I don't think I can go through with it.

I don't know.

Maybe everything is just happening so fast.

Uncle Bill, I don't want to get married yet.

I'm really ashamed.

No reason for that.

You're 18 years old and you're a big...

Romantic idea about riding off into the sunset with a knight in shining armor.

But I can't think of leaving you and Buffy and Jody.

I've not seen anybody for two years.

That's because you're not ready to get married. You're not ready to join the

Peace Corps either.

There's plenty of time for that.

When the time's right, you'll know it. You'll be ready.

Like a wonderful wife.

Volunteer. Or both, if you want.

But I feel so awful about Russ.

I do care for him, Uncle Bill.

I'm sure he cares about you, too.

But we really don't know each other, do we?

You've got plenty of time to get to know each other.

But you're going to be kind of busy for about two years.

After that, you've got plenty of time.

opener this place is.

No matter how well the training program tries to prepare you, they don't really

believe such, you don't really believe such conditions exist till you see them.

I've been here for two weeks now and the people are friendly.

They seem to believe I want to help.

Tell Jody that he'd really like it here.

Even the one bathroom in the jail doesn't work.

Oh, boy, can I join the Peace Corps?

Russ will probably have the bathroom fixed by then.

Give Buffy and Mr. French and your Uncle Bill my best, and please write.

Even with 1 ,200 people and 2 ,000 dogs, it gets lonely here.

Always Russ.

Oh, that's Greg. I'll get it, Mr. French.

Hi, Sissy. Hi.

Hi, Mr. Davis.

Hi, Greg, Buffy, Jody. Hi.

We better go because I made reservations for 7 .30. Okay.

We're celebrating tonight.

What's the occasion?

Greg performed his first Lou job.

Solo.

It's been very good of you to watch. And we do hope to see you again next week

on Family Affair.