Original subtitles

You're traveling through another dimension

a dimension not only of sight and sound, but of mind

a journey into a wondrous land

whose boundaries are that of imagination.

That's the signpost up ahead.

Your next stop, the twilight zone.

There was a village

built of crumbling clay and rotting wood

and it squatted, ugly, under a broiling sun

like a sick and mangy animal wanting to die.

This village had a virus shared by its people.

It was the germ of squalor, of hopelessness

of a loss of faith.

For the faithless, the hopeless, the misery-laden

there is time, ample time

to engage in one of the other pursuits of men.

They begin to destroy themselves.

Ladies and gents, it's me, peter sykes

peter sykes, back from st. Louis

stocked up with everything that's necessary

for kitchen and barn

and the dry throat and the swollen tongue.

Ha, ha!

Young mr. Gallegos, i believe.

Now, this is a very special day, isn't it?

Now, let's see.

What is this special day, eh?

Ah, now i remember.

It has just this moment come back to me.

Today you gonna get hanged.

Today, young mr. Gallegos, killer of children

dances on the gallows.

Well, what will it be for you today, mr. Koch?

Don't need any more rope, do you?

You ought to see the fancy, five-strand hemp

i sold the town for your party, gallegos.

It could lift five of you.

Any more at home like you, gallegos?

Well, what will be your fancy, mr. Koch?

What do i fancy, sykes?

I'll tell you what i fancy.

I'd like you

to take your fat carcass

and your loud mouth

out into the open air.

This is a small room

and it's a hot time of the morning.

Well, what about you, gallegos?

What would your pleasure be?

Nice hacksaw, maybe?

There's going to be a funeral procession

down that street, gallegos.

You better go to the window and watch.

They're burying the little girl

that you mangled under your wagon.

You sobered up now, eh?

You remember the little girl

don't you?

You got stinking drunk

and you raced your wagon down that street

and what you did

to that poor little girl...

uh-uh, gallegos.

Hey...

you'll have plenty of chance

to move around this afternoon.

You'll be able to kick

and kick and kick.

You ought to take a drink of this, sheriff.

It's a good tonic.

Just the thing

to set you up fine for a hanging.

Makes you strong and firm.

Here, feel this.

I don't touch dog meat, sykes.

You talk big behind a badge, koch.

Just sounds big to you because you're a midget, sykes.

You know, i always had a little question about you.

You always had a thing for foreigners and strays

but you're mighty tight-lipped

when it comes to one of your own.

You're not my own, sykes, so don't claim any kinship.

As for that boy in there

he had his trial

and today he's going to swing for it.

There's nothing in his sentence

that says he's got to be tormented

by a pig who sells trinkets at funerals.

Go on, sykes.

Get out of here.

When this day is over, which one will you weep for, koch?

I have tears enough for both.

Mr. And mrs. Canfield, i'm real sorry about this.

My condolences to you.

This afternoon will be

a lot more cheery.

Yes, we going to string up

the dirty little animal

that done this.

She going to be avenged.

You can set your mind to rest

on that score.

We'll string up that mangler of children

if it's the last thing we do.

Some other time, huh, sykes?

Some other time

you act like a man with no brains

but... not now.

Now you keep quiet.

Now, look at that, will you?

Ain't that the most gall

you ever seen in one place?

Gallegos' old man shows his face in town

in broad daylight

and during the funeral procession, too.

Somebody ought to take a horsewhip to that...

that...

my father wishes me

to tell you that...

my father wishes for me

to tell you

that his heart is broken.

That if he could...

if he could give...

his own life in return.

His own life in return, estrelita.

His own life in return, he would.

He would do so with great willingness.

He... he understands...

get out of the way, little girl.

Get out of the way.

Can't you see...

can't you see

that we're burying our daughter today?

Oh, please, please.

My son did not mean to do it.

He... he's a lover of children

as you all are.

He's a lover of children.

Hey, ozzie!

Vayase a la casa.

No se le necesita aqui.

He's not needed here.

Is that what you say to your old father?

Father, take estrelita home.

They will hurt you.

Please, go home now.

Vayase a la casa, por favor.

Luis... luis.

My lucky coin.

It is said one can make a wish on it.

Go home, old man.

Make your prayers and make your wishes.

Luis is right.

You'll do no good here.

You never been drunk, mr. Sheriff?

You never felt such misery rising in you

that salvation seemed to look at you

from only out of a bottle?

You never felt pain?

Such pain that you had to ride through the night

and not look behind you?

My son was hungry and he felt such pain

and he drank too much.

He rode down the street

not looking, not seeing.

And he had a sadness...

deep inside.

Sadness that there was not enough to eat

sadness that he had no work

sadness the earth all around him

was growing barren in the sun.

He did not see the little girl.

He never saw her... for an instant.

Psst, little girl.

Wait.

Now, you stay here.

I won't hurt you.

Don't be afraid.

You go tell your papa- you understand?

Tell your papa i want to help him.

You tell him that his coin is no good-

it's worthless-

but that i have a magic dust

that turns hate into love

but it is very, very precious

very expensive, comprende?

Understand?

Now...

now, you tell your papa

to bring 100 pesos to my room

in one hour

and i will sell him the magic dust

that makes people love and forgive.

You understand, eh?

Tell your papa, comprende?

Good, now you go.

Magic dust.

100 pesos of worth of magic dust.

It should be a good attendance today.

When was it god made people?

Was it the sixth day?

He should have stopped on the fifth.

They're tired of hating this place.

The sun...

the ground that is dead under your feet.

They must go out and find something else to hate.

This isn't a carnival, rogers.

It's a hanging.

You mean the kids?

They ain't never seen a hanging.

I figured it was time.

Why?

Why not?

They'll learn a lesson.

They'll see what happens to drunks that kill kids.

I guess that's pretty vital.

How do you teach them pain, rogers?

Shoot one of them in the arm?

All right, you kids.

Get down and stay together.

Is that the man they're going to put the rope on?

Si, little one.

I am the man.

Will it hurt?

If god wills it.

Go on, boy.

Get ready, luis.

It's about that time.

I'm ready, sheriff.

Come on, let's get it over with.

Yeah, you should've done that in the jail.

Hang him!

What are we waiting for? Let's get to it.

Come on, sheriff, do your duty.

Get it over with.

The little girl told you?

Yes, she told me.

She said that you had the dust.

Dust with magic properties.

That's the idea.

Little of this

sprinkled over the heads in the crowd

will make them feel sympathy for your son.

It's very rare.

Magic, you know.

You brought money with you?

Yes.

Gold pieces?

Where did you get them?

All my friends.

All my friends went into the city.

One sold a wagon, another sold a horse

some borrowed.

We got many pesos and we converted them.

It will work, mr. Sykes?

The magic dust, it will work?

Yes.

You sold the rope to hang my son.

Now you sell me that which will save him?

Well, i'm a businessman, mr. Gallegos.

I sell that which is needed.

I make no distinctions.

This will work.

I told you, it's magic.

Luis!

I'm coming, my son.

I'm coming!

Just throw some in the air over their heads

and then watch the magic.

Yeah, that's right.

Then watch the magic.

String him up.

We waited long enough.

Let's not stall it.

Get it over with.

What are we waiting for?

Hurry it up, sheriff.

Wait!

Wait! Wait!

You must pay heed to the magic now.

You must stop all of this and pay heed to the magic.

Magic.

Magic!

You must pay heed to the magic.

All of you!

Magic...

magic... for love.

For compassion.

Magically so, that my son can live.

As you yourselves... you once used to live.

Magic... magic.

You... you must pay heed to the... to the magic.

It's only for love.

The magic is for love.

The magic is for the love.

Magic...

magic.

You must pay heed to the magic.

Magic...

it is for love.

It is for love.

The magic... is for love.

No!

No...

but it was a new rope.

Five-strand hemp.

Nobody could have broken it.

It couldn't have gotten broken.

What about it, mr. Canfield, mrs. Canfield?

Oh, please, please.

It's the magic.

You cannot try to defeat the magic.

Let's try it again.

There are only two people here

who have the right to ask for an eye for an eye.

What about it, mrs. Canfield?

No more today, john.

No more.

He killed our child.

And part of himself while doing it.

And he's suffered enough.

Sheriff koch, there must be...

there must be another hand in all of this

for the rope to break like that.

Another hand.

Maybe...

maybe the hand of providence.

You want to stop it then, mr. Canfield?

John?

We leave it like this?

We leave it like this.

One victim is enough.

I think we should all go home now.

I...

i'm free.

Are any of us free, luis?

Well, you can go home now.

You have that much freedom.

Luis, it was magic.

It was... magic dust.

It brought back love to the people.

Yes, father, it was magic.

It's time to go home now.

Please, let's go home now.

New rope.

Brand-new rope.

Go ahead. Take 'em.

They're yours.

Why?

Don't understand.

Why?

It must be magic.

That's what she is, magic.

It was a very small, misery-laden village

on the day of a hanging

and of little historical consequence

and if there's any moral to it at all

let's say that in any quest for magic

in any search for sorcery, witchery, legerdemain

first check the human heart.

For inside this deep place there's a wizardry

that costs far more than a few pieces of gold.

Tonight's case in point in the twilight zone.

Rod serling, the creator oftwilight zone

will tell you about next week's story

after this word from our alternate sponsor.

And now, mr. Serling.

In this rather posh club, you'll see a group of men

argue a somewhat metaphysical subject like time travel.

One of them maintains it's possible to go back in time

make a few changes in history, and, as a result

do quite a job on the present

in this case the assassination of one abraham lincoln.

Next week, a story called "back there."

I'd like you all to come with us.

I think you'll find it a most exciting journey.

Thank you and good night.

Captioned by media access group at wgbh access. Wgbh. Org

see the newandy griffith show each week

over most of these stations.

Consult local listings.