Original subtitles

They call me Mad Jack.

And if there's anybody in these mountains that knows the real story of

Adams, that'd be me.

So I'm putting it down and writing just the way it happened in hopes of setting

the record straight.

Now, my friend Adams was accused of a crime he didn't commit.

So he escaped into the mountains, leaving behind the only life that he

knew.

Now that wilderness out there ain't no place for a greenhorn, and his chances

surviving were mighty slim.

There was no time at all, for he was beaten down, ragged, and nearly stopped.

Long about then, he come upon a grizzly bear cub, all alone and helpless.

Adams knew that little critter couldn't survive without his help, so he started

right down that cliff, risking his own life to save it.

Now that cub took to Adams right off.

And that was when he discovered he had a special kind of way with animals.

They just come right up to him like he was a natural part of the wilderness.

But that bear cub, he was extra special.

As he grew, he became the best friend Adams ever had. And together, they

a legend.

There's a time we'll call our...

Sometimes the wilderness can seem as peaceful and innocent as a little baby

sleeping in its cradle.

But I seen times when one minute you didn't know what was coming, and the

you was wondering what just hit you.

Why, up in them clouds, there's a whole different world going on.

Thunder kicking up a terrible fuss like some unholy giant stomping on the roof.

And the worst place to be when the sky opens up is out in.

Of course, that's where old Adams always liked it best. Strike, smack, dab in

the middle.

Easy, Ben, easy. It's all right. It's only a storm.

Calm down, Ben.

to be letting up.

Come on, Ben.

Rain's all over.

What is it, Ben?

What's the matter?

a fire lightning must have started it come on let's see what we can do

Get back, Ben. I gotta see if there's any animals in there.

You're okay now.

Go on.

it, little fella.

I got you.

You get out of here and go find your ma.

Can you use your little fella?

I got you.

Well,

that looks like everybody.

You look all right.

Aw, look at them poor beavers, Ben.

That ponder there stopped that fire from spreading.

Now I guess they're out of a home.

Well, I'm sorry your home burned down, little fella.

Now you haven't got any wood to rebuild with.

But don't you worry. There's other pretty places upstream.

There's plenty of wood up there.

Why, in no time, you can rebuild and make a new home for yourself.

Besides, it's all burned out here.

You'd be a lot happier somewhere else.

Nature has a clever kind of way of setting itself right.

and giving life back to everything in the wilderness.

When there's nowhere else to go And you feel

you're all alone Don't be afraid

You're not alone

When the sunlight turns to

darkness And you feel you're all alone

Don't be afraid.

You're not alone.

Even when it's cloudy, there will be a ray of light.

And our hopes and dreams will all take weight in flight.

What's that?

Come on, let's see.

That little cub, he better watch out. He's going to get his nose slapped by

flat tail.

All right, Ben.

You better go in there and break it up before somebody accidentally gets hurt.

Now, be careful. Don't hurt anybody.

That'll do it, Ben.

All right, Ben, that's enough.

I haven't seen beavers in our valley before.

Come on, let's go have a look.

Come on.

This is beavers doing, Ben.

Uh -oh. A brand new beaver dam.

Looks like the same beavers that were at the burned -out pond.

Well, as soon as that dam's done, this whole valley's gonna be flooded.

That means us too, Ben.

Our cabin's right in the path.

We're going to be swept clean away, old -timer.

Oh, Adam!

Hey, Jack, down here!

I'll be with you quicker than a plowsman's week.

Gonna melt you now. Come on.

I'm Sonia.

Come on.

Dadgum you.

You know you keep this up number seven and there's gonna be a number eight real

quick.

Seven ain't exactly partial to you.

I'll just shake.

It's been a long time since I've seen you cross that stream.

Well, the way them beavers are working, another couple of weeks and you're going

to have to be 20 feet tall to get across that stream.

How come you let the beavers build there anyway?

We had a fire up yonder about, I don't know, two, three weeks ago.

I know I crossed the burn on the way down.

Well, I just kind of feel responsible for them. I'm the one that told them to

move and build a new home.

They just followed me to this spot and, well, it just wouldn't be neighborly if

I kicked them out.

Neighborly?

Once that water backs up into your valley, you're going to be the first man

leave it using the cabin for a canoe.

Sound like a man that's been out in the sun too long without his hat.

Now, you stand to lose everything.

I have to move your cabin on top of that.

Now, if somebody has to lose their place, why can't it be them beavers?

You know that ain't right.

They got just as much right to this land as you and me.

You sound just like that young lawyer fella from over the Mississippi in

Illinois, Abe Lincoln.

You told me about him once before.

He sure sounds like a good man.

He's not bad for a rail splitter.

Doubt if he ever moused anything on it.

You won't be smiling when the water's running down the chimney

of your cabin.

Now why don't you just tell them beaver to get?

Now I know he locked it home in the fire.

And all you want to do is build a new one.

But this dam we're building here is going to flood out the whole valley.

And I know you don't want to do that.

So why don't you just take your home to the valley up yonder?

I'd sure appreciate it.

I'll tell you what.

You just think it over and come on and you can make a decision.

And I know you won't feel bad about doing the right thing.

Well... At least I hope you won't.

You know, I think they listen to me.

I'm sure they're going to move. I'll believe that when number seven there

fixing coffee in the morning. And that ain't likely.

Looky under.

They're right back to work. Didn't pay you no mind at all.

Well, James Adams, what are you going to do now?

You got any ideas?

Well, I might have if I had some vittles under my belt.

What are you staying for supper?

You making flapjacks?

Flapjacks for supper? Sure.

I ain't got no flour. I got flour.

Well, I'm out of maple syrup. Got syrup, too.

Well, then I'm making flapjacks. Then I'll stay for supper. All right.

Well, are you coming or do you want me to tote you on my back?

No, I'm still kind of tuckered out.

I think I'll just sit here a spell and rest my weary bones.

Maybe talk to Ben. I haven't talked to Ben in a long time. We've got a lot to

talk about.

We'll be along soon.

Come on, number seven.

One kind of language that... Whoa, whoa, whoa, baby, that's good. One language

that them beavers understand.

Sometimes they can be as stubborn as a burl.

Well, I gotta just save my friend from himself, you know.

gotta be.

It's either you or me.

And it sure ain't gonna be me.

Come on, number seven. You can do it.

Come on.

That's it.

Pull.

Easy.

Come on.

Come on.

That doesn't say move.

I don't know what does.

Steve?

Come on, let's go home. We don't want to be late for supper.

deep in the jungle, and this giant, giant snake comes down out of this tree.

And I mean, he was a big one. He must have weighed 100 pounds or more, and he

comes down, and he wraps himself around my neck, and he starts to squeeze me,

choke me to death. And I, I grab him, and I, I untwist him from me, and

finally I just close the life out of that there python.

I tell you, that was one dead python.

There ain't no pythons in North America.

I know that.

I killed the last one.

I'll look good, you know. I worked myself up an appetite.

You want a pancake, Ben?

Here you go.

want another stack of cakes?

Oh, no, no.

Three helpings of this is enough for any man.

Well, I ain't one to count, but you know, that's the fourth stack you've

You don't mind if I make myself another stack, do you? Oh, no, no. You go right

ahead. Thanks.

You know, I think that snake happened in...

Uh -oh, we got... trouble.

Breathe.

Don't move, Ben.

Don't you move.

I can handle this.

I got a beat on him. Oh, the big python killer.

Afraid of a couple skunks.

That's okay, Jack. I'll save you.

Mary Lou, Daniel.

It's my friend Jack.

Don't be frightened now. We'll just have a little company for dinner.

You stay right there and I'll get yours. Now, don't move.

Stay right there.

I don't think I'll hurt you now, Jack.

Hey.

Would you like a flat, Jack?

With some syrup on it? Come on, Mary Lou.

Dano.

Hi, Mary Lou.

Here, here's your supper.

Here you go.

Dano, you hungry?

Right here.

There you go.

There.

I hope you guys enjoyed that.

Which one's Daniel?

Well, that one right there.

Oh?

I would have thought the other, and he looks more like a Daniel to me.

They'd sure be a lot friendlier if Ben would leave them alone.

I keep warning him about skunks, but he just won't listen.

He probably thinks they're squirrels with white tails.

Where are your flapjacks?

Pa's all out of battery.

Well, here.

Have one of these.

Oh, no, Jack. No. No. Here you go. No, I don't want to short you.

Ben ate all of it there.

Coffee?

That's all gone, too. Take part of mine.

There you go.

Mighty cozy place you and Ben got here.

It's a shame it's...

All going to be washed away.

Maybe another fire would do the trick.

Jack, that ain't funny.

Now, if I can't get them to move peaceable, then there's nothing left for

Ben to do except just to, well, pack up and move out.

I'm glad Ben's here to look after you.

To let a few pesky beavers run you off your own land and flood you out is

dumber than a rock.

Sometimes when I'm up visiting Adams, I kind of get to wishing I'd been born a

bear. They got it pretty easy. Not a care in the world. Of course, a bear

Ben ain't one for sitting around lazing in the sun.

If there's some kind of mischief to get into, he'll find it. Like rabbits, for

instance. He thinks them bunnies is nothing but bears, just like himself,

littler. Why, I think he'd give anything if he could hop around like them.

Ben is friendly to just about every critter there is in the wood. No matter

big they are or if they got fur feathers, he likes them all the same.

He's kind of like Adams that -a -way.

Every animal is just as good as the next.

And if he comes onto some strange -looking feller, he don't tuck his tail

run. Not Ben.

He gets right in there and says, Howdy.

Frisk is the devil wanting to play.

Of course, Sometimes he don't have any idea what he's getting himself into, but

it don't take long for him to find out.

And they like to wrestle around and jump and splash just as much as the next

fella. But Ben, he started getting curious about what that little critter

taste like.

And so he decided he'd, well, just take a little bite.

Now, being bit on ain't one of a beaver's favorite things.

And he'll stand right up and tell you so, just in case there's any doubt.

Ben knows how to take a hint.

And if a critter don't want to play with you, the best thing to do is just move

on.

Ben came upon that beaver dam again.

He decided he'd do us all a favor and help whittle it down to size.

He didn't have nothing personal against the beaver.

I guess he just remembered that I had done it and figured it must be the right

thing to do.

Number seven.

Will you move it?

Get off the pack, will you?

Now, if you mess with me before I have my morning coffee, you ain't gonna get

your morning coffee.

So move it.

Will you get off?

I'm gonna send you to a home for old burros.

Is the coffee ready?

Not yet. Unless number seven made it during the night.

No good.

Don't stir yourself. I'll get the water for the coffee.

This river sure seems like it's getting wider, don't it?

Seems like.

It is.

A little while from now, you want water, you just reach out your cabin window.

It'll be there. Thanks to your beaver friend.

Cold water wash sure feels stimulating.

Ain't you gonna wash?

I, uh... I already did.

Uh -huh.

Well, you can trust them. Just relax your bones.

I've been in the woods long enough to know there's two things you can't trust.

That's a skunk or a rattlesnake.

Uh -oh, here comes Ben.

Ben? Ben, no!

No? Ben, no! Get over here!

ain't their fault he shook on them.

Wonder why he went swimming so early anyhow.

Maybe he was trying to convince the beavers they ought to move.

Boy, I hope he didn't bother them beavers.

I gotta go look.

Come on.

But I haven't had my... No.

Come on, number seven. Let's get ready to go.

How could Ben do this?

Now, uh, hold on.

This, uh, this ain't exactly Ben's doing.

You see, I did this, thinking that that's the only talk that they'd

you see.

And, well, I guess Ben saw me do it and figured I didn't do it good enough.

Jack, you're a good friend.

But you just made these people mad.

They're dead set on staying now. They ain't ever gonna move.

Huh? But make a move.

If we could only make a move to that willow grove upstream, that'd be a

home for them.

There's got to be a way.

I got an idea.

We move into the dam, and they move up to the willow grove.

Huh? No? No.

You go up to the willow grove.

Start cutting me some branches of tender thorns you can find.

Tender. Just get.

Start cutting me the branches. You'll see. I'm going to make them think my

Come on, number seven.

If you want tender willow branches, get tender willow branches.

All right, now listen.

I got an idea that's going to make us all happy.

All right?

You fellas are going to love this idea.

Couldn't be easier for brought that willow grove right to your doorstep

Don't

you worry now I ain't gonna hurt you All I want to do is

show you the prettiest place on earth to build your new dam

Much prettier in this place

You'll be real grateful to me.

Plenty of food.

Lots of fresh water.

Everything.

It's a lot nicer in here.

We'll be on our way in no time.

Number seven.

You better hope that this plan works.

Because if it don't...

You and me are liable to have to tear down a perfectly good cabin and tote it

maybe three, four miles.

That.

Jackrabbits, these mosquitoes are on it.

Now, these ain't the onerous mosquitoes that I ever did see.

I remember one time I was suffered up

on the Platte River.

Now, the mosquitoes up there, they were not only ornery, they were big.

Yes, sir.

They were as big as birds and had stingers as long as rifle barrels.

I remember one time one of them mosquitoes took out after me, and I

run away from it, and I just made the cabin in the nick of time, and I slammed

the door on it.

After a bit, A lot of his friends come along.

And they stuck their stingers through that cabin, and I was running around the

inside, clenching them over like horseshoe nails, till I must have had

eight of them stuck to that cabin.

You should have heard the noise that their wings made.

After a while, I began floating.

They lifted that cabin right up off the ground and set it down in one of the

prettiest meadows you ever did want to see.

That's the truth.

Well,

you look like you don't believe me.

We're all going to take a little trip together.

Come on.

Isn't this nice?

Huh?

That's a good boy.

Get your babies in here, Mama.

Come on, little guy.

That's a good boy.

Just swim right up in the back of that.

Come on.

Good.

You looky there.

So ain't this the greatest place you ever seen?

Well, just look at all these trees.

There's good, fresh, clean running water.

I mean, it's the best swimming and drinking water in the whole country.

Well, just look at these hills.

Have you ever seen anything so pretty in your whole life?

Well, I don't know about you, Ben, but he sure convinced me, you know.

I'd like to live here.

I mean, look at it. They're just reaching up, touching those white fleecy

clouds.

And there's plenty of good food.

Lots of wood to use your teeth on.

And just smell this good air.

Makes you feel good to be a man.

I mean a beaver. And it's real quiet. Nobody's going to bother you.

Hey, fellas.

Fellas, where are you going?

I ain't finished yet.

Hey, come on back.

What's the matter?

Sorry, Adam.

Nice try, but like I was telling you, you'll never convince them beavers with

talk.

Water level sure rising fast, Ben.

Well, I guess it's time for us to start packing up and moving out.

Ben, would you get away from them skunks?

Listen to me, Ben. Ain't you been sprayed enough?

When are you going to learn?

They may be little, but they pack a powerful wallet.

Ben, they're going to make you one sorry bear. Now get away.

Ben.

I'm so glad to see you're so happy.

Isn't every day a man gets a chance to tear down his cabin and tote it over a

mountain? Would you quit acting like your sore toe is killing you?

I found a real fine place up yonder, about two or three miles.

And we're just moving the cabin up there.

We are.

Why?

Just... Why?

Wait a minute.

Don't tell me why. I'll tell you why.

Because... You're as stubborn as them beavers. That's why you're a big,

ignorant, bearded glute that's going to let a tassel of beavers flood you off of

your house.

There's only one way to keep them beavers from running us off. We ain't

there and shooting a bunch of helpless animals.

But if the animals... Uh -uh. No.

I'm alive today because of them animals. They saved my life.

And them beavers don't know what they're doing. I mean, it's just a

misunderstanding. Well, let's make them understand. That's what I'm telling you.

Would you pull that rifle on me over a misunderstanding?

Well, no.

Well, it's the same with them beavers, but... I can't reason with you.

I can't reason with the beavers.

I can't reason with Ben.

I'm the only one that makes any sense.

And that goes for you, too.

I want you to watch what you're doing. You almost hit me in the head with that

log. Oh, I wouldn't want to do that. The log's too valuable.

Well, that's real funny, Jack.

It reminds me.

What about all your other friends in this valley?

You going to move every nest, cave you're going to move them out to?

Yeah, I didn't even think about that.

They're my friends, too. I just couldn't let them stay here and get flooded out.

Now, just hold it right there.

If you're counting on me to help you, forget it. I'm moving one cabin, and

that's it.

Well, Con found that there's got to be something we can do.

Paul used to say, to figure out a solution, you've got to understand the

problem.

Well, I understand the problem, but I...

Looks like Mary Lou and Daniel are back.

Calm down, Jack.

They're after Ben. They've been chasing him all day.

I warned them. I told them not to mess around with them skunks.

But he just don't... Hey!

Wait a minute. I got an idea.

Go.

That's all we need right now.

You know, you're absolutely, positively, 100 % right.

That's just what we need.

Are you local?

No, I ain't local. Pa was right.

If you understand the problem, the solution will come. It just takes a heap

figuring is all.

Mary Lou?

Dano?

What's your new experience? Okay, look good?

Come on. We're gonna go on a little picnic.

Come on.

Come on.

Come on, here we go.

Come on, Mary Lou. Come on, Dano.

You can come out now, Ben.

Mary Lou and Daniel have gone.

Now listen, you two are going to have to help me with these beavers.

On a picnic?

That boy needs looking after.

Come on, Mary Lou.

Come on, Daniel.

Come on out on the dam.

That's good.

I want you and the beavers to have a nice talk.

Yeah.

Now I'm really counting on you fellas to just step right up and say hello to

them critters.

That beaver's just downright dumb.

If you know what's good for you, beaver, you'll get out while you still smell

good.

You didn't put a wash off that easy.

A couple of skunks take on a few beavers. How's that going to save the

Just a little patience, Jack.

Mary Lou and Dan O 'Neill, we got it all figured out.

You talk to skunks, too?

Yeah. Not like some of my friends. They listen to me.

Hey.

Looky under.

Look at that.

Yeah.

They're all headed back up to the willow grove, upstream.

We're not going to have to move the cabin?

Well, what's more important, the animals in the valley won't be flooded.

We did it.

We did it, Ben.

We did it.

We?

Well, I'm not going to say that you didn't help some, but it was Ben and me

really discouraged them from living here. Why don't we just get on back to

cabin and start rebuilding?

You go ahead. I'm going to tear this dam out.

Let this water go back where it belongs, in the river.

That's the last rock.

I think we can make a real nice garden right here.

Kyle, number seven, come on.

Nobody can be as mean and cantankerous as you are without practice.

Well, I wouldn't mind taking old number seven off your hands, Jack.

No, I think I'll just maybe give him another chance.

Besides, I wouldn't want to be hauling my trade goods up here on my own back.

Well, it's kind of nice to see some dry land around here for a change.

I have to admit, James, you're right.

Old number seven and me came through the willow grove.

Them beavers got it looking all green and lush and beautiful.

And they seemed kind of happy.

Well, I'm grateful it all worked out.

I sure hate seeing anybody put out over a little misunderstanding.

Of course, it's Mary Lou and Dano that we ought to be thanking.

Mary Lou and Dano?

You don't believe those skunks really understood what you were asking them to

do, do you?

Well, of course they understood what I was asking them to do.

Why, you couldn't get them skunks to do that again in two million years.

Thinking a skunk understands what you're saying to him.

Well, you might be right.

But I don't think Mary Lou and Dan are going to like what you're saying.

This is everything you ordered.

I'll see you next trip, James. I got some more trading to do.

Well, I'll see you later, Jack.

Bye.

Hey, ain't you staying for supper?

No, thanks.

Don't you fret, Ben. We're going to have plenty of company for dinner.

Wind's blowing the right way.

You just wait till old Jack gets a whiff of some flying flapjacks. Heard a

buffalo couldn't keep him away.

Deep inside the forest is a door into another land.

Here is our life and home.

We are staying.

We keep on hoping.

Maybe there's a world where we don't have to run. And maybe

there's a time we'll call our own. Living free in harmony

and majesty.

Take me home.