Original subtitles

The story of Grizzly Adams is big and powerful and beautiful.

They call me Mad Jack.

And me and my burl number seven been traipsing these slopes and valleys for a

long spell. So I know the story from the beginning. 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

of surviving were mighty slim.

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

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

Now, 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 growed, he became the best friend Adams ever had. And together, they

became a legend.

Now, nothing pleases a mountain man more than to greet the morning with the sun

shining out across a carpet of green pines.

No matter how many times he's seen it, the same feeling of comfort and pleasure

comes back over and over again.

Now, the animals ain't much different than humans. They get the same pleasure

and the same comfort being every day in the peaceful surroundings just like us.

But there'll be times, and this was sure one of them, when something new and

different, something that just don't fit, comes along.

Now, since most critters live by their nose, they get mighty upset when they

the scent of something unfamiliar to them.

And when that happens, it can be as confusing as a blizzard in July.

Ben figured it was awful strange seeing him acting this way, and then he got a

whiff of it.

Now, Ben couldn't see nothing, but he could sure smell a strange critter in

trees. And he figured Adams ought to know about it.

Meanwhile, not too far away, Adams and Nekoma was concerning themselves about a

different kind of animal problem.

One they couldn't help but write by a little planning and a lot of hard work.

You having trouble, little fella?

Well, once the comb and I get that dam finished, there'll be plenty of water

you and the rest of the animals.

There you go.

The way Adams knowed animals, it didn't take him long to figure out that

something was making those animals act so strange.

There's something spooking the animals, Nikoma.

What is it, Ben? Is there something wrong?

A gold dust, a cold up.

You're right, Nikoma. There's something strange going on.

Let's go take a look.

Did you see anything?

But, uh, there must be something wrong.

Ben wouldn't be acting this way.

Come on, Nokoma.

What's that?

Instead of talking, you should be walking. Now, just get them feet

You're getting slower and slower.

What's the matter with you?

You're acting as scared as a female's hiding from a bolt of lightning.

There ain't nothing to be afraid of.

Mad Jack's here to protect you.

Now, you see that?

Your knees is knocking so hard, you're shaking the pine cones right off in the

tree.

What tarnation?

Protect yourself, Seven. That's a genuine gorilla.

Come on, Seven, let's get out of here.

Well, come on.

Jack!

Adams!

Adams, am I glad to see you. We've been attacked by gorillas. A whole army of

them. Jack, that just can't be.

Well, did you see them? No. Well, I did, and I tell you, there's ten feet tall

arms as big around as pine trees and blowing smoke and fire.

Well, what are they now? Well, they was... Well,

number seven and me is lucky to be alive, I tell you.

It's a little chimpanzee.

Well, that ain't it. Number seven and me seen his father.

Be careful, Adams. Them gorillas are... As strong as ten men. Now, that and

there will tear you apart.

Well, howdy.

Well,

I never thought I'd see the day I'd see one of these out here, Jack.

Well, wherever you belong to can't be too far away.

Friendly little critter, ain't he? He might be, but his papa sure wasn't.

Where'd you come from, anyways?

Do you think he understood what I was saying?

Well, I don't know, Jack.

But you know what they say?

They say that apes and men, well, they think they came from the same family

tree. You mean me and that gorilla is cousins?

That's all right.

That's just Ben.

He's just trying to be friendly. I think he's saying he likes you.

Look at Jack.

I think he's trying to show us where he belongs.

Well, it may act like a child, but you better hope

we don't run into its papa.

Sally, where are you?

You jumped ship again, did you, Swabby?

Come on, Sally!

I see you brought in some company, too.

Captain Nathaniel Morgan out of Boston Harbor at your service, sir.

Great Scott, look out!

Oh, that's all right, Captain.

I'd like you to meet Benjamin Franklin.

My name's James Adams.

Welcome, mate.

This here's Jack.

Captain the what?

You shipwrecked or something?

I'd like you to meet Nekoma, Captain. Nekoma, is it?

Yes, welcome, mate.

Nekoma, Nekoma.

Wally likes your name, Nekoma.

Adam, look at that.

Why would somebody stick a pole like that up out of a wagon?

That ain't a pole.

That's a mast.

A what?

A mast for rigging my sail.

Come on, come on. I'll show you what I'm doing.

Now, Sally, lead the way.

Come on, Ben.

Funny, Ben. Famed a wild bear, did you?

No, like I was telling you, Captain, Ben and I have been friends for a long

time. Ah, so that, Adams.

People and animals can't be friends anymore, and a fish can swim on land.

What do you call Polly and Sally?

Well, they're mascots.

Just like any other beast, you feed them and they'll obey orders.

Well, animals aren't servants, Captain.

Just because they can't speak, that doesn't mean they're dumb. And Sally

she seems like a right smart little critter to me.

Mate, you just don't understand.

I mean, Sally can't think on her own.

She just imitates what she sees. And Polly, well, she's just an echo.

Sally! Sally, get off of that boat!

Thank you, Adams.

Sally, what's the matter? You could have hurt yourself.

And look what you did to my mask.

Look, Captain, Sally didn't know that the mask wasn't anchored down.

Well, she ain't supposed to do nothing without orders.

Trouble is, since we've become landlubbers, she's like a scaredy cat.

Everything's new and fearful to her.

You know, you could help her get over that.

I can't go chasing around with her, Adams. I got work to do.

There's nothing left for me but a... rocking chair at the old sailor's home.

that's why I came out here, see?

I wanted to chart me a new life. And Sally's got to learn to be part of that.

Maybe Ben and I could help you.

How about if we took Sally for a while?

Well, if you could learn her something, I would be beholden to you.

Sally, come on now.

You go get some rations, see?

Go get you a little sweater to put on. There's a chill in these mountains

hey? Come on.

Well,

as soon as I get my old prairie schooner afloat here.

I could use a bit of help navigating these woods myself.

Just a minute.

Did I hear you right?

Did you say you was going to float this here wagon?

Aye, mate.

These folks are having trouble crossing the river, and I'm fixing up the old

barry schooner here to help. Why, he'll even sail on the lakes.

Well, that's the craziest thing I ever heard of. Wagons don't float. Everybody

knows that.

Anything will float if you can make it watertight and seaworthy. I'm going to

cock her up with pine pitch. There's plenty of that around here, ain't there?

Well, we can show you where there's plenty of pine pitch, Captain.

But we got ferries out here to help people across rivers and across lakes.

there's... Tell them about it, Adams.

Well, there's lots of places that don't have ferries, Jack.

Like down there at Rogers Crossing, where the wagons back up for two weeks

the river gets high.

before you break it.

You hear me, Sally? I said stop it.

You heard me. That's an order.

You're supposed to obey your captain, Sally.

She did it again.

Here we are, Captain.

Jack will show you where all the pine pitch is.

Sally, she's going to take a little walk with Ben and I and meet some of our

friends. Sally, you'll be taking orders from your new skipper now.

I don't even have the hands for them.

We'll be fine, Captain.

Let's go, Ben.

Right over here.

Pitch pine.

See that?

You'll find enough of that to...

Caulk your whole wagon.

Thank you, mate.

Now, I know the Indians use this to caulk their canoes, but it ain't gonna

on your wagon. That's different.

Mate, your trouble is you got no imagination.

No imagination?

Let me tell you something. You're gonna get yourself drowned, and that ain't

imagination. That's a fact.

Mate, I've been swamped in a typhoon, capsized in an order.

And beached in a hurricane, but I'd never been drowned yet.

See number seven here?

He's as stubborn as a burrow, but that's what he is. But you're acting like

you're stubborn as a mule, which you ain't.

Come on, number seven.

Let's go help Nekoma build that dam.

While I was out working with Nekoma, Adams was out trying to educate that

ornery little gorilla, and if anybody could do it... Adams was the man.

He was determined to introduce Sally to some of the animals in the forest.

And that rabbit seemed a good one to start with.

Hi, little fella.

How'd you like to make a new friend?

Sally, I bet you that you saw rabbits along the way out here, didn't you?

you like to get to know one?

Well, go ahead and pet him.

Now, Adams figured the best way for Sally to get acquainted was to say howdy

some of the animals on her own.

I think he likes you, Sally.

Well, you made a new friend anyway.

Off you go.

Bye -bye, little rabbit.

Seeing new faces and meeting new friends.

That's how each day of your life should begin.

Somehow you know and the feeling is right.

You're not alone and your future is bright.

Even when things aren't going your way.

You left tomorrow for what happened today.

Now, climbing a tree was second nature to Sally.

But reaching into holes too small for her hand to fit, well, that was new and

mite painful.

Sally!

Sally!

Where are you?

You

got

your hand caught in the hole, Sally.

Bet you got a fistful of nuts, don't you?

Well, the squirrel's been stowing them away for the winter.

I see your hand's too big to get out of that hole.

What you're going to have to do is drop what you got in your hand, and it'll be

small enough to get out.

I know you don't want to let go of what you're holding, but you got to.

It's the only way you're going to get out of that hole.

That's a good girl.

Come on, John.

Yeah.

Well, that's the lesson that you just learned that you better not ever forget.

You could have been caught up there with a blizzard coming on, you know.

That's a bobcat, Sally.

She's just a baby, Sally.

So you play real nice with her.

Give the cub a chance to get to know you.

You're playing too rough with that cub.

That's her mama, Sally.

She's just checking on her cub.

Come here,

Sally.

It's all right.

That mama cougar didn't mean no harm. She was just worried about her cub, was

all. I think you've had enough for one day, don't you?

Let's go.

While Adams was getting Sally used to the ways of the forest, me and Nekoma

working on that dam Adams had started.

That looks like you and Jack are coming along just fine, Nekoma.

Sally's starting to feel a lot more at home.

Aren't you?

There you go, Sally.

Howdy, Jack.

Captain get all the pine pits you needed?

What he needs is some horse sense for that mule's head of his.

It won't work, I tell you.

Wagons don't float and they never will. Get that in there.

Sally, you stay close by now.

That's a good girl.

But staying close by wasn't in Sally's nature, especially when she heard a

familiar sound coming from that bobcat cub.

Sally's instinct told her something was wrong, so she went out looking for that

cub.

The raccoon she met along the way seemed to know something was wrong, too.

And even that skunk she passed knowed things wasn't right.

When Sally got to the tree and started climbing up, she seen what the problem

was. That bobcat cub had got himself treed, and this time no mama bobcat was

coming to run it.

Sally tried to talk that cub down, but it weren't no use.

Being so scared, that cub had all it could do just to hang on.

Now that little gorilla was a fast learner, and she knew there was nothing

she could do excepting to go back and...

Get Adams.

Hoping, of course, that no harm would come to the cub while she was gone.

That cub sure needed its mama.

But all it had was a little gorilla named Sally running through the forest

help.

While that bobcat cub was struggling to keep from falling, Sally raced back to

where we was. The way she carried on, we knew something was wrong somewhere.

The way she was hollering, we knew something was terrible wrong.

Come on, Jack. Nekoma, let's follow her.

This way, Nekoma.

We're coming, Adams. Come on, Salmon.

What is it, Sally? What's wrong?

So that's it. I see her, Sally.

There's the problem, Nokoma.

That little bobcat's got self -treated.

Now, don't be scared, Sally. Don't run off.

Sally!

Sally, come back here.

That's just the cub's mother.

Mama, now you take it easy now.

Sally's the one that brought us out here.

It's all right, Mama.

Just take it easy. We'll get your cub down.

You're going to need a ladder or something to get up there.

Maybe Nicole and I can rig something.

No, that'll take too long, Jack.

Sally.

Sally?

Sally, I want you to go up there and jump on that branch. Do you understand

Go on.

That's a good girl.

All right, Sally.

Now, when you shake the tree, I'll catch the cub.

You ready?

Just take it easy, Mama.

Take it easy.

All right, Sally.

Sally, I want you to jump up and down.

Up and down.

That's it, Sally.

Keep it up. Keep it up.

That's it. That's a good girl.

That's it, Sally. Keep shaking it.

That's a good girl.

Good girl, Sally.

There you go, Mama.

All safe and sound.

You can come down now, Sally.

You did real good, Sally.

I can't figure it, Adams.

That little gorilla acts like she understands everything you say.

You know, I think Sally's got more sense than the captain gives her credit for.

She's smart.

Whether it was just plain gorilla curiosity or wanting to be more human, I

know. But on the way back, the little gorilla decided she was going to, well,

look like a mountain man.

And the mountain man she was going to look like was me.

Why else would she have gotten up on number seven the way she did?

And would you believe number seven acted as if he were happy to have that

gorilla on his back saying, giddy up to him.

Gorilla talk.

Number seven, you get back here.

And give me that hat back, you little gorilla.

See that?

Number seven's beginning to do what I tell him.

What you tell him or what Sally tells him?

You notice I didn't get my hat back.

You're a gorilla, not a mountain man.

We wasn't the only ones in the forest trying to put things in apple pie order.

Why, when we got back to where the captain was, he had got the mast back up

where it belonged, and he was spreading pine pitch all over his boat wagon.

Hello, Captain.

did you get Sally up on that burrow?

That's all Sally's idea.

She's feeling right at home.

Ah, no. That's because you've got a right good hand with animals. That's

that is.

How's the wagon coming?

Well, it's about ready for launch.

Come on.

I'll show you.

See that?

Just about finished.

Cogging her with pitch.

I sure hope it works for you, Captain.

Thank you.

Say, how about you and your mates joining me in a cup of tea?

I'll go brew some up. I'd like that.

Making the boat out of a wagon?

That Captain's going to get his britches wet and drowned all at the same time.

You mark my words.

Come on, let's have some tea.

I don't drink tea. That's a woman's drink. I want to look this thing over.

Ah, Sally, I don't need the glass right now. You take it over to Jack.

All right, show it to Jack.

This thing will never float.

Well, I ain't never been wrong in my life.

I sure ain't wrong now.

Well...

What do I want with that?

Oh.

Yeah.

You know something?

You're as dumb as that captain over yonder if you think this thing's gonna

float.

No way is this thing gonna float.

No, Sally!

No!

Whoa. Now, dang nabbit. Whoa.

Whoa.

Jack. Jack, jump.

I said, whoa.

Where is that little gorilla? Wait, wait.

Whoa.

The ship.

He nearly drowned me.

Why don't you teach that gorilla how to behave?

He made me take my all -over bath six months before I was supposed to.

See, Adams, you couldn't learn her nothing either. I told you she can't.

Think or understand nothing?

What are we going to do with her?

Monkeys from Africa.

Crazy captains from Boston that think wagons can float.

Come on.

Come on, boy.

Sally, I want to talk to you.

Now, I know you didn't mean to hurt Jack, but you got to learn there's just

certain things that you can't do.

That's all the captain's trying to tell you.

And I know you're smart enough to understand what I'm saying to you.

So you gotta prove it to him.

You take it serious.

Captain's got a good right to be upset with you.

And you gotta make it up to him.

Sally!

I wanna talk to you!

Now listen here.

Sally, you come back here before you get in more trouble!

Sally's gonna be just fine, Captain.

She can find either of us whenever she's got the mind to.

Can I make a suggestion to you?

Why don't you try having a little patience with her?

I ain't got time for that foolishness.

My wagon boat's all I got time for.

When we got back to the dam, we was half expecting the little gorilla to be

there.

But Sally was out on her own and looking for trouble as usual.

What Adams had taught her helped her to take to the little critters.

It weren't long before she met a raccoon playing with a bear cub.

Sally wanted to join in the fun them two seemed to be having, but she hadn't

learned yet that sometimes two's company, but three's a crowd.

Leastways, that's how Mama Bear felt about it when she'd come to see what all

that ruckus was about.

After that raccoon skedaddled, Sally took a look at the size and sound of

bear, and being a smart one, she figured maybe it weren't such a good idea to

hang around so...

she scampered up the nearest tree she could find.

Them bear sounds was making Sally more nervous by the minute, so she decided it

was time to move on, jungle style.

Now these woods have seen some mighty strange things, but nothing stranger

a big black bear having a conversation with a gorilla.

Meanwhile, me and the Coleman Adams was working as hard and fast as we could to

finish that dam, since it was the only way the critters in the area would have

enough water.

That's a good boy.

Everyone was pitching in for all he was worth.

Even Ben.

Thank you, Ben.

Are you catching cold from all that dunking?

Us mountain men don't catch cold.

We're made of iron. Well, then that means your joints are going to rust up

you.

It ain't funny, Adams.

That gorilla liked to drown me.

And if that captain ain't smart, it's going to drown him, too.

There she is.

She's all ship -shaped now, Polly. Spare mast and all.

Sally, ahoy. Sally, ahoy.

Oh, Sally.

Oh, Sally.

Sally, it's Robbie.

Hit the deck.

Adams told me to be patient with you, otherwise I'd be off to the brig with

see? Now, you stand, too, because I'll need you to cast off.

Now, I taught you to pull that chalk for me, not that mountain man.

He didn't much appreciate that bath you give him, even though he might have

needed it somehow.

All right?

Anybody now ready to cast off?

Cast off. Cast off.

All right?

Cast off the main line.

It's all right, Sally. I gave you the order this time.

Go ahead.

Here we go, mates.

Ahoy! We did it, mates.

She's watertight and floating fine.

Now then, we'll just set the sail.

For the time being, that there captain was just about the happiest man who ever

set sail in the woods.

But things was going to change because, like I told him, that there wagon he was

using for a boat weren't going to keep the water out for long.

Now, the captain seen the water coming in, but he didn't see the mast swinging

around.

Lying there unconscious with the boat wagon taken on water, well, it seemed

captain's first voyage was going to be his last.

Sally was crying with pain of what she was seeing.

She knew there was only one hope of saving the captain's life.

Her friend, James Adams.

But Adams was a long ways off.

Adams, Nokoma 7, Ben and me was just about finished with the dam and...

Looking forward to taking things a mite easier, but it weren't to be.

It's Sally, and she's mighty upset.

What's wrong, Sally?

Huh? There's something wrong, Jack. Come on.

He was running as fast as we could, Adams in particular, but that boat was

taking on water even faster.

When Adams hit that shoreline, it looked like we hadn't run near fast enough.

Now, Colbert seen what was happening, and he jumped in the water to lend a

Adams was a swimming for all he was worth.

When I got there and took me a look, it appeared to me like everything that

Adams and Nakoma was doing was all for naught.

But Adams didn't give up.

I gotta get the rope.

Get it for me, will you, Sally?

I'll need it to haul them out.

That's right.

Now bring it to me. Good girl.

Easy, Captain.

Easy.

Thank you, Sally.

I'll be right back.

Nakuma?

Right there.

We got to him just in time.

Easy, Captain. Easy.

He's all right, Sally.

Oh, no.

The captain's all right.

Well, with the captain out of trouble, Nokoma returned to his village, and

Adams, Ben, Seven, and me got to look at some water that didn't spell trouble.

By damming up the stream like we'd done, we had raised the water level, which

meant the animals wouldn't have to worry none about having enough water to

drink. They all came down to take a drink. A deer, a playful and happy

even a couple of cougar cubs came around to check things out. That raccoon

wasn't about to be left out of the fun.

Now, nothing can give a mountain man more pure pleasure than...

knowing he had a hand in doing something worthwhile.

And in the mountains, there ain't nothing more worthwhile than knowing you

helped give the animals all the water they could need when things turned dry.

Yes, sir.

Seeing all them animals playing and laughing together almost made us forget

the last time we was around water, things wasn't quite so peaceful.

About then, a number of familiar faces showed up.

Whoa, Captain.

Let's stay and look about here.

Hi, Sally.

Well, we just came to say goodbye and to thank you both for what you've done.

Well, the credit goes to Sally.

If she wouldn't have known to come fetch us, we never would have been able to

help you.

I know.

And I ain't forgetting that either.

She sure proved you're right, Adams.

Animals can be friends.

It didn't seem like the natural thing at first, but now it does.

Well, when folks learn that that's the most important thing, we'll all be a lot

better off.

I see you turned your boat back into a wagon. Yeah, it's gonna stay that way,

too.

You were right, matey. Wagons just won't float.

What are you gonna do now, Captain?

Well, I don't know.

I've been addressed before, but the worst part of failing is...

Losing a dream.

I wanted to help those folks make their way across the rivers and lakes, but...

Ah, yes, it just ain't to be.

Well, there's a lot of other ways to help folks.

You know, how about building ships and things like that?

Remember what I was telling you about down at Rogers Cross and how much they

needed a ferry?

Yeah, so you were.

Well, sounds like it might be a snug harbor for an old sea dog and his

Sally, say goodbye to the mountain men.

Goodbye, Sally.

Well, kissed by a gorilla, I'll be a monkey's uncle.

Well,

I'll never forget you, mate.

Likewise, Captain.

You know, if I'd settled for that old rocking chair, I'd have missed meeting

you.

Same goes for you, mate.

If you weren't such a natural -born mountain man, you'd have made one mighty

fine sailor.

Thank you, sir.

Well, here we go.

Watch your step. Come on, baby.

Whoa.

Land lever. Hang on. Here we go.

Come on. Get up in there.

You think you've been down there at Rogers Crossing? Yeah, I may. And look

the captain gave me.

What do you think of that, Nicoma?

How are you doing down there, Jack? Oh, just fine. Just fine. Number seven and

me, we helped the captain build one of the biggest ferry rafts in this part of

the country. Why?

It's big enough to carry two wagons and horses all at the same time.

Well, that was real nice of you, Jack.

Look here what I got.

Have one of them.

These look good.

You know something?

All right, all right. Wait till I get it ready.

This is no tale.

But that little gorilla is taking tolls and making change all by himself.

You know, the captain's a mighty nice man.

I'm glad he finally learned that real animals aren't something that men just

and order around.

Now, that's all you're getting, so eat slow.

And you know what?

He's treating Sally a lot better since she helped rescue him.

He'd have come around anyway, I think.

Even if Sally wouldn't have saved his life.

Deep inside the forest is a door into another land.

Here is our life and home.

We are staying here forever in the beauty

of this place all alone.

We keep on hoping.

There's a time.