Original subtitles

What do you think's in 'em?

I don't know, but they sure are heavy.

- Can't we open just one? - No. They're for your mom.

- What's for me? - All this.

What on Earth?

From your mother.

- Can I open one? - Me too.

I think you'll need Sully to help you.

Look at all these!

Where'd your ma get so many books?

They're from my father's library.

But my mother says the books have been gathering dust

for some time, and she wants us to have them

as an endowment to help civilize the Colorado wilderness.

What are we supposed to do with 'em?

Read 'em, silly.

Where are we gonna keep all these books?

Next to my bed, in the barn?

I don't think that's a very good idea.

- Why not? - Oh, books are too special

to be hidden away in the barn.

Books are meant to be shared.

We should keep them in the house.

I remember when people used to stop by my father's house

to borrow these.

- Like a library? - Yes. That's what it was.

My father loved to help people learn.

We could do something like that.

That's a lovely idea, Brian.

Don't you think that the homestead's a little far

for people to be coming up just to get a book?

Well, we wouldn't have to keep them at the homestead.

We could keep 'em right here,

where people could borrow them whenever they wanted.

But we don't live in town.

Well, we wouldn't have to live in town

to see that these books are used

the way my father would have wanted.

How's that?

We're going to open this town's first public library.

Time was that we had to paint a sign

that said "Library" outside this buildin'

and pretend we had some books inside.

Not anymore.

Now we got us a library as good as any back East.

As mayor --

Huh, why don't you let Dr. Mike speak?

- I'm gettin' to it. - They're her books.

All right. Here's Dr. Mike.

Hear, hear.

A long time ago, when I was little,

my father took a trip to England.

I wrote to tell him how much I missed him,

and in his return letter,

he said that whenever I was thinking of him,

I should go into his library and read,

that he wouldn't seem so far away

so long as I had all of his books around me.

Well, he was right.

He didn't seem so far away back then,

and he doesn't seem so far away right now.

We hereby dedicate this building

the Josef Quinn Memorial Library.

Thank you.

The Josef Quinn Memorial Library is officially open.

I think we all owe our thanks to Colleen,

who's volunteered to be our librarian.

She's gonna be here an hour after school each day

and two hours on Saturday morning.

Who'd ever have thought?

Our very own library.

I'd forgotten how much

I missed having all these books around.

Hey, Ma. I found a great book.

Could I go outside and read it?

Did you have Colleen check it out?

- Do I have to? - Yes.

Everyone does.

Oh, it makes me wish I'd had some books for my boys

when they were his age.

Brian's going to get so much out of this library.

This library's going to be helpful for all the children.

I know. These books helped me a great deal.

Twain, Mark.

"Celebrated...

Jumping Frog...

of Calaveras...County."

Thanks.

For what?

For letting me read your book.

Don't you want to take it home?

I ain't got the money to pay.

You don't have to pay, Charles.

The library'll lend it to you.

How come?

'Cause that's what a library's for --

lendin' out books.

You get to take it home and read it

and then you have to bring it back in three weeks.

- Honest? - But first

I gotta write down your name

next to the name of the author,

the title of the book, and the date it's due back.

Can I take it home now?

Yep.

Leaving already, Jake?

Nothin' else to see.

There could be if you learned how to read.

I ain't got time for readin'.

Ain't got time or ain't got the courage?

Are you sayin' I'm scared?

Sure looks like that to me.

I can learn any time I want.

How 'bout tonight?

Let's say them again.

- A... - I give up.

We just started!

Now, look.

You've got to learn what each letter looks like.

Now, look here. Look.

A. A.

B. Buh. B.

C. C.

What are you doing?

What's it look like I'm doing? I'm dusting.

Can't you dust someplace else?

Dorothy, this is not a schoolhouse.

It's a store.

People expect it to be kept tidy.

What's this letter right here?

D.

Thank you, Loren.

Now, what's this? What's this letter here?

E. E.

This is amazing.

You can really teach a frog how to jump.

Did you know that?

You want to read about how to make a frog jump, Ma?

Perhaps when I finish reading this surgical textbook.

How 'bout you, Sully?

Well, I like the book I got.

I'm gonna do some readin' outside.

I think it's time for you to close your books

and go to sleep.

Just a little longer?

Come on. You can read more tomorrow.

- Good night. - Night.

Good night.

- Good night, Ma. - Good night.

May I join you, or are you keeping your book a secret?

Not keeping it a secret.

What is it?

It's, uh, poetry.

Poetry?

You don't like poetry?

Oh, I love poetry.

My father always used to read it to us.

It's been a long time since I heard poetry.

It's because you always got your nose

buried in those medical books.

Well, now is your chance to read me something different.

All right.

"You sea! I resign myself to you also.

I guess what you mean.

I behold from the beach your crooked, inviting fingers.

I believe you refuse to go back without the feeling of me.

We must have a turn together.

I undress, hurry me out of the sight of land.

Cushion me soft. Rock me in a billowy drowse.

Dash me with amorous wet. I can repay you.

Who wrote that?

Walt Whitman.

Walt Whitman wrote that?

Yes.

Well, it's not appropriate.

What's not appropriate about it?

Well, there are certain things

that aren't meant to be written about.

What things?

Well, I -- I think you know what I mean.

You don't like poetry about the ocean?

He's not writing about the ocean, Sully.

No, he's not.

I don't want that book around the house

where the children might find it.

- They won't find it. - Thank you.

Well, it was a nice idea, anyway.

Maybe we can try it again sometime.

You might have a change of heart.

I don't think so.

You never know.

The man in the story has this frog called Daniel Webster,

and he teaches him how to be the best jumping frog in the county.

How come anybody'd want to teach a frog how to jump?

Well, in the story,

the man says it's supposed to win lots of money

in a frog-jumping contest.

We could do that.

Not until we get our own.

Look!

There's another one.

I'll get that one.

Hey!

Hey, look! I got him.

Now what?

Now we teach 'em to jump.

Oh. Sorry, Reverend.

I didn't see you.

No need to apologize.

The way you read's a real example for the other children.

Reading's my favorite thing to do.

Every time I start a book,

it's like going to a whole new place,

meeting lots of interestin' people and --

and doin' all sorts of excitin' things.

What's this one about?

A man who's never happy,

so he sells his soul to the Devil,

but the Devil can never make him say

that he's satisfied with anything.

The Devil?

And the Devil does all these things for him, but the man...

May I see that?

Do you know what book Colleen's reading?

Faust.

I remember reading this when I was around Colleen's age.

You approve of this book?

Approve?

This is a book about a man who sells his soul to the Devil.

It's about more than that, Reverend.

That's what the Devil would like to have us think, Dr. Mike.

That's how he confuses us.

That's how he leads us away from God.

It's just a story.

The Devil's words are never just a story, Dr. Mike.

This is how people start to lose their way --

by reading things that they shouldn't.

I will not allow a book like this in the library.

Forgive me, Reverend, but I don't believe

it's your concern what books we have in this library.

Just as it is your responsibility as a doctor

to look out for the physical well-being of this community,

it is my responsibility

as a minister to look out for their spiritual concerns.

You do a fine job, Reverend,

but confiscating fiction

isn't going to do you or the town any good.

Colleen should be free to read

whatever she chooses from this library!

You're gonna give this back to me.

I do not believe that children

should be allowed to read whatever they wish.

There must be something

you wouldn't want your children to read.

Well, of course there is.

It's a matter of choice.

And whose choice would that be, Dr. Mike?

Thank you, Dorothy.

- Reverend. - Good morning.

What's this?

I want you to publish that as an editorial in The Gazette.

Well, I usually write 'em myself, Reverend.

I think you'll agree with everything I've written.

Something the matter, Reverend?

Yes. Something is the matter.

Yesterday, I found Colleen reading a book

about a man who sold his soul to the Devil.

And I've heard about a lot of other books at that library

that sound just as bad.

An Englishwoman writin' about prostitutes

and a Russian man who writes about nihilists,

which are people that don't believe in anything,

God included.

I tell you, that library's gonna wind up

bein' more trouble than it's worth.

You said you liked the library.

Well, it was before people stopped buying my books.

Why, they come in here

and expect me to lend them to 'em for free!

You sure you want to print this, Reverend?

Yes, I'm sure.

I wouldn't be doing my job if I didn't speak up now.

I agree with the Reverend. Print the editorial.

- Jake, you can't even read it. - I don't have to read it

to know that those books are trouble.

Can you put it in this week's edition?

Well...

I got the best jumpin' frog in town.

We both got the best jumpin' frogs in town.

- Do not. - Do too.

I got frogs 'round my house that jump clear over my head.

- You wanna bet? - Yeah.

Then bring your frogs on Sunday, and we'll see.

All right.

Anybody else wants to bet,

bring your frog and bring your money.

Let's see who's got the best jumper in town.

Colleen?

Reverend.

I'll take that.

Dr. Mike said I could read it.

Dr. Mike said you could read it in the library,

but you're at school now.

And as your teacher, I'm telling you to give me that book.

I may not run the library, but I do run this school,

and I will not have a book about the Devil on school grounds.

You can have it back at the end of the day.

Any such book is a threat

to the spiritual well-being of our town

and should not be allowed in our library.

I say he's got a point.

Books like that just ain't decent.

He might have a point,

but we're gonna have to do a whole lot more

than write a bunch of editorials

if we want to keep those books out of town.

That's why we're havin' the town meetin', Jake.

I don't see why we need a town meetin' for a bunch of books.

'Cause books can give folks bad ideas.

Now, whatever we end up doing, I know you're gonna support us.

Right, Horace?

Well,

I don't think Dr. Mike's gonna be so happy about the idea

of folks gettin' rid of her father's books.

I'd say she looks a little more than unhappy.

Do you really mean this?

Oh, Michaela, the Reverend wrote that editorial.

And you printed it!

Well, it's my job to print what I see fit.

Book publishers have the same job, Dorothy.

Oh, no, they don't.

No, they're publishing all sorts of things.

Newspapers print only facts.

They report the truth.

But his isn't the truth. It's an opinion.

It's an opinion based on fact, Michaela --

books in that library that have no business being there.

- They all belong here. - Oh, no.

Not all of them.

You've got a book in there called the -- the Koran

about some strange kind of religion,

and something else called "Civil Disobedience."

Now, what kind of disobedience is civil?

And I've heard that there's even a copy

of those dirty poems by that -- that Whitman fella.

Well, it's... Well, I mean, Walt Whitman

isn't someone that I would care to read,

but I wouldn't stop someone else from reading it.

We can't be legislating morality.

Those books aren't only morally wrong.

They're legally wrong.

What law stops that?

Right here.

Right here, in this article from the Denver paper.

Here, "The question whether a publication is obscene

does not depend upon its being true or false,

but upon its tendency to inflame the passions and --

and de-- debauch society."

May I see that?

We don't need books like Mr. Whitman's

to give people ideas and stir up trouble.

What kind of trouble?

Well, we don't know,

but better safe than sorry.

Books don't start trouble, Dorothy.

Books help stop it.

I hear there's a book all about witchcraft!

It's a history book about a town in Massachusetts.

It teaches about witchcraft!

Time. Simmer down.

The library can be a great addition to our town,

but I think we can all agree

we need to close it down for a while.

I don't agree.

Just so as we can figure out which books to get rid of

- and which ones to keep. - That's right.

Who's gonna do the choosin'?

The Reverend.

How can you allow one man

to decide what an entire town should read?

He's just not anybody. He's a Reverend.

What makes his judgement better than anybody else's?

I'm not gonna do anything rash, Dr. Mike.

I'm gonna use common sense.

So, would you let my father's medical books

stay in the library?

Of course.

Then, according to a story I read in the Denver paper,

you'd be doing something illegal, Reverend.

Settle down!

There's a law that says that even medical textbooks

can be judged obscene.

Oh, we ain't talkin' about medical textbooks, Dr. Mike.

We know what kind of books you've got in that library.

If it's gonna cause so much trouble.

I ain't so sure we need a library after all.

I'm beginning to think that we need a library more than ever.

What makes you think that?

Because a library is a place where you open your mind

to new ideas, different cultures.

We don't want to know about

a bunch of atheists and prostitutes!

There are certain things

that you should not open your mind to, Dr. Mike.

Let's vote already.

Those in favor of closin' the library, raise your hand.

The council votes four to one to close the library.

- Please don't do this. - We voted. It's over.

What are you doing?

We've got the names of all the library books,

and so I'm confiscating them.

Are you going to give that back,

or do I have to take it away?

We took a legal vote.

That's right, Sully.

We're not gonna solve anything this way.

We're going to reopen this library legally

with all the books in it.

Wait, Jake!

What are you gonna do with that ledger?

It's none of your business.

Well, I'd say it's everyone's business

because everyone's name's in that book!

It might have been everybody's business

when this library was open.

This library is now officially closed.

Who is it?

It's Jake. Open up.

Good evening, Horace.

Jake. Reverend.

Sorry to disturb you, Horace,

but, uh, we're looking for a book.

Well, can't it wait till the morning?

Nope. It's a book called "The Scarlet Letter,"

and we need it now.

Well, I don't think I have that book.

I do.

Yes. That's right.

It says here you took it out of the library last week.

What about it?

Well, Myra, we've heard some things about that book.

It's immoral, and we're confiscating it.

Well, it's not immoral.

Well, maybe not to somebody like you.

You watch what you say, Jake.

Myra, it's about an unwed mother, isn't it?

Well, it's about a lady who doesn't want to tell anybody

her baby's father's the town Reverend.

Yeah.

Well, we -- we -- we just need the book.

Well, you can't have it.

Myra, that book is a danger to our community.

How's it dangerous?

Gives people ideas.

I think you'd be the last person in town

to want to see some little girl get the wrong idea

with the way the world works, if you know what I mean.

No, I don't, Jake.

Now, Myra, Jake is the mayor.

And the Reverend's

always looking out for our best interests.

By sneakin' around in the middle of the night,

takin' people's books away?

The town council voted to close the library,

and you've still got a book out.

That's why we're here.

Well, you -- I like this book.

I like reading about interesting ladies.

Well, Myra, when we reopen the library,

I'm sure you'll find lots of books

about interesting, uh, proper women.

Myra, honey, I thought you was through

with your old way of life.

You know I am, Horace.

Then, how -- how come you're still readin' about it?

All for the best, honey.

We'll take your book, too, Horace.

Well, my book, I'm -- I'm just reading a plain old story.

Well, I think you better let us be the judge

as to whether a book called "The Vampire"

is just a plain old story, Horace.

Oh, well, guess you're right.

Let me go find it.

They're not jumping.

What's the book say about gettin' 'em to leap?

Like I told you, the man in the story holds out a fly

and says "Flies," and the frog jumps.

Flies!

Jump! Flies!

Come on! Jump!

Hey. Look at that.

They ate the flies.

That's 'cause they didn't have to jump for 'em.

Maybe if we feed 'em more,

they'll have more strength for jumpin'.

You think?

Of course they will.

Just like we get more strength after eatin'.

Let's give 'em the flies and the worms.

And another whole jar every day until Sunday.

We'll have these frogs jumpin' over everybody's heads.

Anybody but Loren know you're comin' here?

My goodness, Jake. There's nobody even out there.

Now, shall we pick up where we left off?

That sounds like a fine idea.

I meant with the book.

- Oh, that. - Yes, that.

It's the reason that we're meetin' here.

Now, you were sayin' your letters pretty good

by the end of last time.

So let me hear 'em again.

A.

B.

C.

D.

E.

- E. - Ah, look closer.

That's a different letter.

- This is a waste of time. - No, it's not.

You know that letter.

It's F.

Now, think of a word that begins with F.

Friend. Flower.

How about fool, which is what I feel like?

'Cause I can't do something even little kids know how to do.

You're gonna be reading in no time

as long as you keep learning your letters.

Loren's right. I'm too old for this.

Well, anyone who thinks

they're too old to learn how to read

is too old for me to be keeping company with.

So I guess I better leave.

All right.

I'll keep going.

Start with G.

G.

H.

I.

J. K.

I know a word that starts with K.

Oh! Now you're getting the hang of it.

What starts with K?

This.

How was that?

That was very good.

Now, keep on going.

L.

It's not fair. Those books belong to me.

The building belongs to the town.

What if we moved the books to another building?

Where?

One of the extra rooms at the clinic?

It'd be small, but no one could close it down.

It's still the same library.

It wouldn't be one of the town's buildings anymore.

If someone wanted to borrow a book,

all they'd have to do is borrow it from me personally.

It was what my father used to do in Boston.

It'd be my library,

and anyone could read whatever they want.

Would I be able to read Walt Whitman?

I'd only worry about having it around the children.

Are you worried about the children?

Or are you worried about yourself?

I'm not like you, Sully.

I can't just sit down and read something like that.

I'm not asking you to read it alone.

I'm asking you to let me share it with you.

I don't know if I can.

I'm never read anything so...

Different?

So different.

It's kind of like thinkin' about being married, ain't it?

There are things that still frighten me sometimes.

You're gettin' ahead of yourself.

- What if I can't -- - It's not time yet, Michaela.

Courting's like readin' a book.

You gotta take each chapter in order.

Some chapters are harder to get through than others.

But you read 'em all.

Otherwise, you'd be cheatin' yourself out of the whole book.

Hey!

They're breakin' into the library!

Hey, what they doin'?

You can't do that! Go get the mayor!

Here.

Be careful putting the books in the crates.

What do you think you're doing?

Moving my books.

The town council voted to close the library.

Keep the building closed.

We're here for the books.

These books belong to the town now!

You donated them, Dr. Mike!

Well, I changed my mind.

I'm taking them back.

I'm starting my own private library.

If anyone wants to read a book, all they have to do is ask me.

This is goin' too far.

I agree! It's gone too far.

I hear you've been sneakin' around in the night,

confiscating books from people?

That's not what we're doin'.

That's exactly what you've been doing, Reverend,

and I expect you to return every one

of those books you've taken.

You are the one who's stealin' the town books.

We've got work to do,

and I'd appreciate it if you let us get to it.

Books ain't nothing but trouble!

- Just put 'em in the back room. - Get rid of them books!

If you don't, we will!

Let's get those books.

Pile 'em up. Come on.

Over there.

Pile 'em up, boys.

What are you doing? You can't do this!

Now set kerosene on 'em.

Don't burn 'em! Don't burn 'em all!

Wait! I never said to do this!

Stand back. Stand back.

Jake! Stop it!

Jake, don't!

Oh, no.

Dr. Mike! Sully!

This library is officially closed!

No!

Sully, no!

Hello.

- Morning. - Morning, Reverend.

Hello.

You comin', Dr. Mike?

No, Reverend. Not this Sunday.

There's no savin' this one.

Aesop's Fables.

These were always my favorite bedtime stories.

Lot of these are worse than that.

How are you gonna replace all these books you lost?

I can't.

Never?

It takes a lifetime to collect so many books.

How can people be so stupid?

You mustn't say that, Colleen.

But it's true. They're stupid!

No, they just don't know better.

That's called ignorance.

Dr. Mike?

And be ye kind, one to another,

tender-hearted, forgiving,

even as God, for Christ's sake, hath forgiven you.

Have you decided to join us, Dr. Mike?

Yes, I have.

I'm glad to hear that.

And I brought you something.

Oh, I think we've had enough to do with those books

for a while.

You're absolutely right, Reverend,

but I brought this because I think we can all agree

on what to do with it.

I'm glad to see you've had a change of heart.

How could I not?

With a book that tells of a father

who sacrificed his own daughter,

a book that tells of a man

who was married to more than one woman at the same time...

Why, this book even has a passage in it

describing how God accepted a bet from the Devil!

You're right, Dr. Mike.

That's a book that we can all agree on,

and handing it over to me is the kind of gesture

that will help heal the spirit of our town.

I thank you for showing so much faith.

Not at all, Reverend.

What is it?

The Holy Bible.

Jump!

Jump! Jump!

Jump!

Our frogs ain't jumpin'!

Flies! Jump!

- Jump! - Flies!

Flies! Come on!

Jump!

Hey, look! I won! I won!

We lost it all, Brian.

What's all the excitement about?

We had a frog-jumping contest.

Sounds like fun.

Not when you lose all your money bettin' on it.

You boys gambled on frogs?

I read about how to make lots of money

havin' frog-jumpin' contests in that book.

It sounded like a real good idea.

Sounds like a real good lesson.

You boys learned something about making your own decisions.

How'd we learn that?

Well, you tried something from a book that didn't work out.

So next time you read about an idea

that sounds like an easy way to make money,

you might say to yourselves,

"Oh, that's not for me."

You mean, not just do it 'cause you read about it.

Exactly.

Now, that's what learning's all about --

reading about lots of different things

and then deciding for yourself what you believe.

Gambling's no good.

Perhaps you'd feel better if you had something to eat.

Nah. I'm not hungry.

Me neither.

Well, if you change your minds...

I'll tell you something else that we know now

that we didn't know before --

Never feed a frog five jars of flies and worms

if you want it to jump.

Reverend?

What are you doing?

Well, we'll have to dry out all these books

if we want to open the library by tomorrow.

With all the books?

With all of 'em.

You look like you could use some help.

Yes. We could.

Come on.

Sometimes...

it helps to spell it out.

S...

I...

N...

G.

S...ing.

Sing...sing!

I sing the body electric.

The armies of those I love engirth me, and I engirth them.

They will not let me off till I go with them,

respond to them and discorrupt them

and charge them full with the charge of the soul.

The bending forward and backward of rowers in rowboats,

of horsemen in the saddle.