Original subtitles

What's wrong with you?

Nothing, Uncle Bill.

What are you doing that for?

I'm just practicing to scare Sue Jeanette Minter.

What do you want to scare her for?

She likes him.

She follows me around all the time at school.

It's awful.

You think scary faces are going to stop her?

I think she'll like them.

What am I going to do?

Well, it's one of those problems us good -looking guys just have to put up with.

You'll see Sue Jeanette tomorrow night.

Tomorrow? After school open house.

Good. And we'll both put a whammy on her.

Why did she have to pick on me?

You got problems?

No. I have been offered a job.

A job?

Babysitting for the Kingsleys on the ninth floor.

Seventy -five cents an hour and a dollar an hour after midnight.

If you need more allowance, why don't you just tell me?

Well, it's not exactly the money.

Mostly, I just like to prove that I can earn some on my own.

You know, be a little self -sufficient.

Well, you don't have to prove anything to me. You've got plenty of time to be

self -sufficient later.

Oh, please, let me try.

Mrs. Kingsley is counting on me tonight.

All right, you try it once. We'll see how you make out.

Uncle Bill, you're a prince!

The word is pushover.

Is Mr.

Davis in?

Oh, who may I say is calling? Mrs. Greg Parkhurst.

Freddie! Bill!

Freddie!

Oh,

you're the only man who ever called me Freddie.

Well, Frederica just wasn't like you.

Mother used to wince whenever she heard you call me Freddie. She thought it made

me seem unfeminine. Fat chance of that.

Come on in.

Well, how many years has it been?

Well, let's see.

You were about 19 then, and now... Never mind.

You haven't changed at all.

Well, you have. You got pretty.

How's Greg?

Well, he's prosperous.

He had to come to New York on business, so this time I decided to tag along.

There's nothing to keep me in Terre Haute.

Well, good. Maybe three of us can have dinner together, okay?

Well, he'll be tied up in business meetings, but...

Maybe we could Shanghai him one evening later.

Could.

I never pictured you as an internationally famous engineer.

You were always so relaxed.

Greg was the go -getter.

Well, different guys got different ways of going and getting.

Hey, hey, hey, hey, Jody, Jody.

We're just practicing.

Sue Jeanette hates bugs.

I'm with her.

This isn't a real bug.

I phoned Mrs. Kingsley, and she was totally delirious. She wants me to sit

her every Thursday night.

A bachelor with three children?

Wait a minute.

That's Jody, Buffy, Sissy. This is Mrs. Parker.

How do you do?

How do you do?

Beasley. A pleasure.

Mrs. Parker's comes from Terre Haute, too.

Did you know our mother and dad?

Their dad was my brother.

Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't know your parents.

But your Uncle Bill and I were very good friends.

In the olden days?

Exactly.

All three are taking care of me now.

You're lucky.

Are you going to be able to stay for dinner with us?

Well, I... Oh, come on, you can stay, can't you, Freddy?

I'd love to.

Greg's going to a banquet.

I knew somebody named Freddy once, but he was a boy.

Well, my name is really Frederica.

That's pretty.

I like Freddy better.

So do I.

Come on, you guys, and watch out for dinner.

I guess it's next to Freddy.

to call her Mrs.

Parker.

May we offer you some more torte macaroon?

It was delicious, French, but I mustn't.

You may offer me more, Mr. French.

Me too.

Hey, hey, you kids know the rule about too many sweets.

Bill, they did eat all their green vegetables.

Yes, and they did drink their milk right down to the last drop, you know.

Okay, I'm outnumbered.

Seconds this time.

Yippee! Yippee!

Thanks, Mrs.

Carkers. Thanks, Mr. French.

French, we'll have coffee in the living room, I think.

Very good, sir.

What a marvelous dinner.

Well, excuse me. I can't be late for my first job.

Good luck, sissy.

Thank you.

I'd like to volunteer, if you'll tell me what to do.

Don't worry.

Mrs. Beasley and I will help you.

There, okay?

Yes, you smell nice.

Thank you.

Some of Uncle Bill's friends wear perfume that makes me sneeze.

Yours smells like flowers.

It's lilac time.

There, you'll have only nice dreams.

Mmm.

It smells nice.

Mrs. Beasley, may I?

Secrets? Mrs. Beasley likes you.

I'm glad.

I can tell you two are very good friends.

Like you and Uncle Bill?

Mm -hmm.

Tell me some more about how he was in the olden days.

Oh, well, he was very popular.

Really? Mm -hmm.

But he didn't work at it. It was just natural.

He was never in a hurry.

He always had time to stop and talk and...

to be interested.

Yes?

Oh, well, he had an old wreck of a car. And he never had more than 25 cents

worth of gasoline in it at any one time.

But anybody was welcome to ride.

People, dogs, and cats.

There was always room for one more.

I wish I could have ridden in Uncle Bill's old car.

You two ladies had better get to sleep now.

I thought you were in bed.

I wanted to say goodnight to you.

Goodnight.

If you want to practice, you could tuck me in, too.

I thought I lost you.

I was telling the twins about the olden days.

They want to hear all about you.

I hope you just told them the good parts.

Thanks so much.

It's been a perfect evening, Bill.

It's good to see you again, Fay.

Those are wonderful kids.

Oh, I was invited to come back and tell them more stories.

Well, you're welcome here any time, Freddie. You know that.

Thank you, Bill.

Uncle Bill.

Well, I haven't seen him.

Maybe your turtle ate him.

Now I can't scare Sue Jeanette Minter.

Well, there he is.

He's got a sweet tooth just like you.

Thanks, Uncle Bill.

had a better sitter. I've got another job for you tonight.

Two nights in a row?

Well, it's Friday night, Uncle Bill.

And besides, these are friends of the Kingsleys.

Mrs. Kingsley says she can get me all the jobs I want.

Well, one or two nights a week are enough.

But, Uncle Bill, it's such a breeze.

I earned four dollars last night just studying and watching television.

Don't try for your first million overnight.

Well, bring me your badge this afternoon, Uncle Bill.

What badge?

We're making badges for all the first -grade mothers and fathers to wear at

open house tonight.

Oh, that's right, the open house. Okay, see you later.

I knew I forgot something.

A conflict, sir?

I invited Mrs.

Parkhurst to have dinner with me tonight, but the kids' school's having

open house.

I'll be glad to fill in for you, sir, if you like.

No, no, the kids are counting on me, thanks.

Well, maybe Freddy'd like to go along, too.

Reminder of one of those cheap dates we used to have.

Ninety -eight.

One hundred.

Well. Ninety -five.

Thirty.

I goof.

And this are mine.

Well.

Very good, Jody.

Jeanette.

Why don't you try just staring back at her?

She likes me.

Come see our pictures.

Come on.

I did this.

Your own Mona Lisa, huh?

Davises, I'm Ruth Minter.

Oh, you're Sue Jeanette's mother.

Oh, Mrs.

Davis, I don't believe that I have your name on my list. I'm head room mother

this year. Well, with two little ones in this class, you ought to be helping us

with our lunch program.

Mrs. Minter, this isn't Mrs.

Davis. This is Mrs. Parker. She's a friend's guest tonight.

Oh, dear.

Well, excuse me.

Well, when I saw the four of you together, I just thought to... Of

tonight I'm sort of a parent pro tem.

Well, we'd better be going.

Uncle Bill, I hear they have cookies and punch in the auditorium.

Okay, that's a good idea.

Well, listen, when you get back to Terre Haute and people ask you what you did

for excitement in New York, you can just tell them that we went to the first

grade open house.

I hope you weren't embarrassed by Mrs. Minter. It was just kind of a natural

mistake, I guess.

We all make mistakes.

Bill, do you ever play what if?

What's what if?

You know, what if...

I had done this, or what if I hadn't done that?

Not very often.

I do.

Which means, I guess, that you're happy with what you have, and I'm not.

Well, if I remember rightly, you were always the girl that knew just what she

wanted and went after it.

Was I?

That's why the minute Greg Parkhurst moved into Terre Haute, I knew it was

to be the two of you.

Yes. I decided Greg was going places, and I was going with him.

So we went, and here we are.

He's married to his work, and I passed the time playing what -if.

Listen, what if, um... What if I take you back?

The hotel and I head for home. It's after one o 'clock.

Well, French, what are you doing up so late?

Well, I'm afraid Miss Sissy hasn't returned home yet, sir.

She hasn't returned home yet? It's after two o 'clock.

Yes, I'm most concerned, sir. But since she neglected to advise me where she was

sitting, I really didn't know what action to take.

Well, that's just great.

Kid her age out this time of night.

You know, I was against this babysitting business right from the start. Then I

went ahead and let her do it.

Yes, sir.

Well, I wish I'd learned to trust my own instincts about these kids. What was

the name of the people she's sitting for last night?

Oh, Kingsley, sir. They have an apartment on the ninth floor.

Kingsley. Well, maybe they know where she is tonight.

Are you responsible for this girl?

Yes, I am. I picked her up in a curfew violation.

A what?

Well, the people were so much later than they said they'd be.

Well, they didn't offer to drive me home.

You know, it's a dangerous thing for a girl this age to be out at this time of

night. Yes, I know. I'm aware of that, officer.

Look, I promise you this won't happen again.

Thank you.

Good night. Good night. Good night.

I'm sorry, Uncle Bill.

It'll never happen again.

You bet it'll never happen again. Because as of right now, you are a

babysitter. You got that? Oh, but Uncle Bill... Look, I am the one that's

responsible for you, sissy. I am responsible for keeping you safe and

you well. And I am the one who's going to decide what's best for you. Don't

me about how other parents handle a situation.

I don't care if it makes you unhappy either.

Now go on to bed.

Go on. I said go to bed.

I'll go to bed.

Thank you, Prince.

Hi, Freddie.

Hi.

Where's Greg? He promised he'd meet me here.

Hi, Miss Parker.

Hi, Miss Parker. How are you? Fine.

Sissy's babysitting for us tonight.

That's a wonderful idea.

Yeah, you see, that way she can earn some money and be independent.

And also stay out of trouble.

Bill, maybe you don't need help with the children after all.

No, we get along all right. Best we can. One problem at a time.

babysitter before.

Pete Adams has them all the time. He says it's lots of fun.

I have something for you, Pete.

Thanks. Thank you.

Golly bobble. Me too.

This is for all that money you'll be earning. Oh, thank you.

Oh, a purse.

Thank you very much. You're welcome.

I'm afraid they're going to miss you.

Well, I'm going to miss them.

Bill, I... Mrs. Parker, come see our bubble.

Go on, go on. I'll be right out.

Now, let me see these bubbles.

I made a biggest one.

I'd rather make a lot of little ones.

Let me try.

I'll get it, French.

Hi, Greg.

Hello, Bill. Come on in.

Thank you.

Again, I think we'd never get together at all. It's been three hectic days.

Want a drink?

Love one.

Thank you, French. Yes, sir.

We're drinking out here yet?

Right out there.

So those are the children.

No wonder Frederica was enthusiastic.

She made quite a hit, too.

Sir?

Oh, thank you.

Frank, you made it.

Hello, dear.

It's getting chilly out there.

You two look solemn.

No. Now, uh, this is Buffy, this is Sissy, that's Jody, this is Mr. Parsons.

do you do?

some of our bubbles for tomorrow.

Good idea.

They look really pretty in the light.

I just wish they didn't bust.

But they always do.

And they lived happily ever after.

The end.

Read us another one.

Oh, Jody, I've read till I'm hoarse.

yourself. Pete says he just yells and jumps up and down, and the babysitters

always do what he wants.

Hey,

sis, what are you playing back there?

Uncle Bill, I quit as babysitter. You quit? It's terrible. I can't do anything

with the twins, so I am no longer working as babysitter, all right?

Frederica, I'd like to play your game at what if.

When we get back home, what if we contact that adoption agency?

Do you mean that?

Yes, I do, honey.

What do you say?

I'm just your sister, and I'm telling you to settle down and get ready for