Leave It to Beaver (1957–1963): Season 1, Episode 36 - Beaver and Henry - full transcript
Ward, Wally and Beaver build a live capture trap for the presumed gopher that is eating the tops of June's garden flowers. They are therefore surprised when the trap garners them a white rabbit instead. The boys are enthralled with the rabbit, which they plan on keeping as a pet. Beaver names it Henry, which June soon discovers is not appropriate since the rabbit is a pregnant female about to give birth. Beaver is initially terrified of the six additional rat looking like creatures in Henry's cage, until his parents explain to him the beauty of what has just happened. Ward tells Wally not to pick up any of the babies as Henry, feeling scared, might shun a baby if it smells like a human. By the time Wally passes the information to Beaver, it is too late as Beaver has already picked up one of them. Not wanting to get in trouble with his father, Beaver goes instead to Gus the fireman for advice on the situation.
Hey, Dad! Dad!
Dad! Dad!
Hey, Dad. Hey, Dad.
Get up.
Yeah, we got something.
We got something.
Hurry up, Dad.
It's the trap.
What's going on, boys?
It's not even 6:00 yet.
The trap's sprung, Dad.
We saw it out the window.
[Ward]
All right, but calm down.
We’ll go take a look.
What's going on?
[Announcer]
Leave It To Beaver.
Starring Barbara Billingsley,
Hugh Beaumont, Tony Dow. ..
And Jerry Mathers as the Beaver.
Excuse me, dear.
I just got the kitchen
put back together again.
Must you take it apart?
I'm looking fora piece of string, dear.
[Whistles]
Oh, yeah. Thanks.
If you're flying kites,
I don't think there's enough there.
Wally and the Beaver and I
are building a trap.
For animals or people?
For animals.
We're gonna catch that gopher that's
been nibbling the tops off your flowers.
I thought we had some gopher traps
out in the garage.
Well, we do, but the boys want
to catch this one alive.
They've never seen
a real gopher face—to—face.
Should be quite an experience
for the boys.
And for the gopher.
Wally?
Yeah?
I don't think I ever saw a gopher.
What's it look like?
Well, did you ever see a rat?
Yeah.
Well, if a rat swelled up
and then turned brown,
it'd look like a gopher.
Oh.
Oh, here we are, guys.
Let's see the stick.
See, first of all,
we tie one end around the stick.
Like that.
Tighten it up.
And we put the other end
through this eye.
Oh, uh, hand me
one of those flowers, will ya?
Right through the eye, there...
and we tie the other end
to the flower...
like—
Like so.
There. Now.
We set the trap like this...
and when the gopher
goes after the bait...
he pulls the string,
pulls the stick out,
and springs the trap.
Well, gee, Dad,
with all the flowers out here,
why would he go in there
just to eat that one?
Well, Wally, uh,
gophers are kind of like boys.
They're extremely curious.
We're counting on that.
Oh, hey, Dad, can I set it up?
Yeah, sure.
You know, Beave,
I bet every guy doesn't have
a father that can think like a gopher.
Yeah.
Well, how's
the great white hunter doing?
Oh, well, trap's all set.
Now it's just up to the gopher
to cooperate.
Ward, do you really think
you'll catch anything
in that homemade trap?
Oh, I don't know.
But I think the boys'll get a big kick
out of pretending they're going to.
You know, Ward, sometimes
you're a very understanding father.
Hey, Dad! Dad!
Dad! Dad!
Hey, Dad! Hey, Dad!
Get up.
Yeah, we got something.
We got something.
Hurry up, Dad.
It's the trap.
What's going on, boys?
It's not even 6:00 yet.
The trap's sprung, Dad.
We saw it out the window.
[Ward]
All right, but calm down.
We’ll go take a look.
What's going on?
[Wally] Come on, Dad hurry up
before it gets away.
What's that?
[Wally]
Hurry up, Dad.
In case it bites me.
Wait for me!
Hey, wait for me.
Wait for me.
Well, there's something
in there, all right.
Whatever he is,
he sure wants to get out.
Yes.
If he comes over here,
I'm ready for him.
[Chuckles]
Well, stand back, fellas.
Hey, look.
We caught a white gopher.
Beaver, that’s a white rabbit
Yeah. He looks like he could have
been someone's pet once.
He looks kind of scared.
Yeah. Look at the way
his nose is going.
Looks like he's got an itch.
So you're the little rascal
who's been nibbling the tops
off our flowers.
What'd you get?
Is it anything dangerous?
Yeah. You better stand back.
It's a man—eating white rabbit.
[Laughs]
Oh, isn't that cute.
Can we keep him?
Huh, Dad?
Yeah, Dad
We never had a rabbit.
Well—Well, uh—
Yeah, I guess we could fix up
that old box you fellas
used to keep your pigeons in.
Well, I guess we can
get started on the cage,
as soon as I change clothes.
Well, what“ we do with it
in the meantime?
That’s okay, Mom.
Me and Wally can
take him up to bed with us...
until Dad gets awake.
Here. Have you got him now?
Yeah.
Hold him tight.
We can feed him
some of Mom's flowers.
There's plenty of them left.
Let me carry him
for a while, Beave.
Well, looks like we have
a little addition to the family.
Well, aren't you happy about it?
Yes, but I was sort of counting
on a gopher.
Maybe next year.
There we are.
Now you boys better get on to school.
I'll put the tools away.
Gee, thanks, Dad.
Gee, look.
He's not twitching so much anymore.
Yeah. I guess after
he gets used to people
his nose slows down.
Did you boys think
of a name for him yet?
Well, gee, Dad, maybe
we oughta call him Ward.
Well, gee, if it wasn't for you,
we never would have caught him.
two Wards in the same family
might be a little confusing?
Why don't we call him Henry?
Henry? Well, why would
we call him Henry?
I don't know. It's a nice name,
and we don't have
any Henrys in the family.
All right, that's settled then.
Henry's his name from now on.
Now, you boys better
get on to school.
Okay, Dad.
So long.
So long.
So long, Dad.
Thanks for catching us
a rabbit.
So long, Henry.
Old Henry.
Yeah, I think you look more like a
Henry than you do a Ward.
[Clears Throat]
Oh.
[Chuckles]
Are we gonna have breakfast,
or are you gonna stay out here
and talk to your friend Harvey?
No, that's Henry.
The boys named him
just before they left.
Henry?
Yeah, Henry.
Mm—hmm.
[Ward]
Now what’s the reason
for this superior attitude?
Well, I was observing your friend
while you were building the cage,
and I believe “Henry“
is hardly the proper name
for a young lady in her condition.
Really?
How soon, do you think?
Soon.
Very soon.
I think you better tell the boys.
Yeah, I guess I better.
No sense having it come
as a surprise to them.
If you wanna be subtle about it,
you could start calling her Henrietta.
I think I wanna go out
and look at Henry again.
Well, Beaver, you've been out there
three times since supper.
If you were a rabbit,
you wouldn't like some kid...
sticking his face in
at you every couple minutes.
Maybe l can look at him
so he doesn't know I'm looking at him.
Well, you can go out
and look at him if you want.
You coming, Wally?
Nah. I wanna get my homework done
so I can mess around
in Study Hall tomorrow.
[Footsteps 0n Stairs]
Who's that?
Nobody. Just me, Mom.
Where you going, Beave?
I thought I’d go out
and see Henry again.
I'll be right back.
[June] Well, I wouldn’t
disturb Henry too much.
Oh, no, Mom.
Ward.
Mm—hmm?
“Henry“?
Oh, uh, well, I got home
kind of late tonight.
There's no big hurry.
I wouldn't wait too long.
I won't.
Why'd you get home late tonight?
I don't know, dear.
There are just some days
when you get home late, that's all.
This was one of them.
You know, sometimes I think
you like working late
down at that office.
Oh, sure. It's a regular
24—hour Mardi Gras
down there.
Mom! Dad!
Wally! Mom! Dad!
What's the matter, Beaver?
The rabbit. Wally!
Beaver, calm down.
Henry— Out there.
What— What—
Wally!
What's the matter?
A bunch of little rats knocked Henry down.
They're out there biting him.
Go get your baseball bat.
Come on, Dad!
Beaver.
Beaver, there's nothing
to be upset about.
But, Mom, you oughta see Henry.
Wally, go get one of Dad's golf clubs.
Beaver.
The only thing that's happened
is that your rabbit has had babies.
You mean they're not rats?
[Ward]
No, Beaver
I was going to tell you this before.
You see, Henry is a girl rabbit,
and she's had a litter,
and she's nursing her babies.
That's all that's happening.
You see, little rabbits get their first food
from their mother—
just like lambs and calves and—
Oh, all warm—blooded animals do.
Is that true, Wally?
Yeah, I guess so, Beaver.
Well, Beaver.
This is quite an event, isn't it?
Yeah.
We get one rabbit,
and all of a sudden
we got a whole family.
Come on, Wally.
I'll show them to you.
Come on, let's us go look.
One, two, three, four, five, six.
Hey, that's pretty good, Beaver.
Yeah. Dad says pretty soon
they'll start looking
more like rabbits.
And in a couple of days,
their eyes will open.
Boy, I'll bet they'll be surprised
to see where they are.
Hey, Larry, did you ever have
any babies at your house?
Not real ones—
just my little brother.
He yelled an awful lot.
I'm sure glad rabbits don't yell,
'cause we got six of them.
What are you and Wally
gonna do with 'em, Beaver?
I don't know.
just watch 'em, I guess.
Maybe— Maybe you could give 'em
to some of the guys.
— Maybe.
— Maybe when?
After they open their eyes,
and they know who we're
giving them to.
Oh.
Here.
Thanks.
Larry.
I meant give it to the rabbit.
Oh.
Hey. Oh. Hi, Dad.
Hi. What are you up to today?
I guess I'll just mess around
with Eddie and some of the guys.
Oh. Well, where's the Beaver?
I think he's out looking
at the rabbits with Larry Mondello.
Again? You guys are really fond
of those rabbits, aren't you?
Sure, Dad. They're real neat.
Oh, say, that reminds me.
I've been meaning to tell you
something about them.
Yeah, Dad?
Well,just be careful that you don't
pick up any of the babies...
or handle them
while they're this young.
Well, gee, how come?
Well, you see, rabbits are not really
a domestic animal.
And if a human
touches one of the babies,
the mother's apt
to become frightened and reject it.
You know, push it aside.
Oh. You mean, she wouldn't
feed it anymore or anything?
That's right.
So just be careful.
Oh, sure, Dad.
I'll tell the Beaver too.
Okay.
[Larry]
Hey, look One of them’s way in back
of the cage, away fl’om the mother.
That's right.
Well, what do you think
we oughta do?
You better put it back
where it belongs.
Yeah, maybe I'd better.
Hey, Larry, it feels funny.
Yeah. It feels like petting a caterpillar.
We better put him back.
There you go now.
Right over here.
Well, I gotta get home.
Don't forget. If you and Wally
give any of' em away,
I got dibs on one.
Oh, sure, but would your parents
let you keep a rabbit?
If I make enough fuss, they will.
Oh.
So long.
So long.
Okay?
Okay.
Thanks.
Henry.
Oh, hi, Beave.
Hi, Wally.
How are the rabbits?
Fine. Wally, you think it's still okay
to call her Henry?
Sure. I don't think she knows
we're calling her Henry.
Oh, hey, Beave, Eddie and I
are going over to look
at the Anderson's new car.
Wanna come along?
No.
I've seen a lot of new cars,
but I haven't seen
too many new rabbits.
Okay.
Oh, uh, hey, Beave,
don't touch any of them.
How come?
Well, Dad says if a human touches
any of the babies,
the mother won't have
anything to do with it.
Why would Henry do that
to her own babies?
Well, if she smells people
on any of them,
she'll get scared
and kick it out.
You mean she wouldn't
take care of it anymore? Never?
Yeah. It'd probably die.
So just be sure you don't
pick any of them up
while they're babies.
Oh, sure, Wally.
Okay. Well, so long, Beave.
So long.
Gee, Henry. I didn't mean it.
Well, Beaver, looks like
we're lunching alone today.
Yeah.
Wally's off with Eddie,
and your father's out
playing golf.
Mom?
When does a kid
start to be a real human being?
Well, right from the time he's born.
Oh. When does a kid start to smell
like a real kid?
Well, I never thought much about it,
but I guess right from the beginning too.
Beaver, why are you asking
all of these questions?
Dad says asking questions
is the only way to find out stuff.
What are you trying
to find out?
Nothin'.
I was just asking questions.
Oh.
Want some more milk?
No, thanks.
Anything wrong?
No, thanks.
Where you going?
I'm just gonna take a walk,
that's all.
Mom?
Yes, Beaver?
Nothing.
I just forgot my hat.
Hi, Mom.
Hi, Wally.
Did you have any lunch?
Oh, sure.
Eddie and I had an ice—cream cone
and two boxes of popcorn.
Can I fix you a sandwich?
Oh, no, Mom. I'm not hungry.
All right.
Well, I guess I could eat something.
Better fix me a couple.
Well, what were you
and Eddie up to?
We went over to look
at the Andersons' new car.
I thought it was pretty neat.
What'd Eddie say?
He said it was a heap.
Hey, Mom, where's Beaver?
Well, he went out somewhere.
If we have an extra rabbit later,
can I give it to Eddie?
I think it would be
easier on the rabbit
if you gave it to Chester.
Gee, Mom,
don't you like Eddie Haskell?
Well, Wally, I'm very fond of him.
That's funny.
Sometimes I think he's a creep.
Hi, Gus.
Oh. Hi, Beaver.
What are you doing?
Nothin'.
just watching you sleep.
Oh, I wasn't sleeping.
just conserving my energy.
Oh.
Gus, do you know anything
about rabbits?
Well, when you get to be my age,
you know a little something
about almost everything.
Uh, if a certain fella had a rabbit...
and this rabbit had other rabbits...
and this certain fella
picked up one of the babies,
would the mother rabbit let it die?
Well, some rabbits are mighty scared
of that man smell.
The mother rabbit
just might do that.
Gee, that'd be awful
if the certain fella did.
Beaver, when did you
pick up this baby rabbit?
just about—
about an hour ago.
Oh, well, then I guess you got
plenty of time to do
something about it.
Is there really something I can do?
Hmm. Well, you can't reason
with a rabbit...
like you can a dog or a horse,
so you gotta outsmart 'em.
How do I do that?
I'm just a kid.
Well, first you get a can
of your mother's talcum powder,
and you sprinkle a little of it
on all the little rabbits.
Will that really do something?
Yep.
That way they all smell the same
to the mother.
They don't smell like rabbits.
They don't smell like people.
So she goes right back
to taking care of all of them.
Golly gee.
That's great, Gus.
I was really scared.
Now there's something else
you can do—
that is, if this rabbit's smarter
than we think she is.
You get a few drops
of vanilla extract—
there must be some
around the kitchen—
and put it right on
the mother's nose.
Then, when she sniffs,
she don't sniff rabbits,
she don't sniff people.
She sniffs vanilla.
You know something, Gus?
You must be the smartest man
in the whole world.
Well, now, it might look that way
to a little feller like you,
but to somebody who's really smart,
I'd look like the bottom of the barrel.
Vanilla extract, huh?
That's right.
Thanks a lot, Gus.
You know, they seem to have grown
just since yesterday, don't they?
You know, Dad, they're almost
beginning to look like rabbits.
Do you notice some kind
of a strange smell?
Strange?
[June]
They don ’t smell like any rabbits
that I used to know
[All Sniffing]
Yeah. It kind of smells like perfume.
Well, I don't smell anything at all.
Well, we better go in.
Supper's almost ready.
What are we having
for supper, Mom?
Roast beef.
You want something, Dad?
Beaver, did you put
something on the rabbits?
Uh-huh.
Some of Mom's talcum powder.
Why would you do that?
'Cause I picked one of them up.
Well, didn't Wally tell you not to?
Yeah, but I picked it up
before Wally told me not to.
Oh.
You're not mad at me, are you, Dad?
No, but, uh, why'd you put
talcum powder on 'em?
Well,
I put talcum powder on all the babies
and vanilla on Henry's nose.
That way they wouldn't smell like people,
and Henry wouldn't be scared.
Beaver, did you think of this
all by yourself?
No. Gus the fireman
thought it up for me.
Oh.
[Chuckles]
Well, that's pretty clever. I—
But why didn't you ask me
what to do?
Well, I guess I was scared to,
'cause l did something bad and, uh—
And what?
Well, I kind of flgured...
you were better at telling us
stuff that we shouldn't do
than stuff that we should do.
Oh.
Well, you know, Beaver,
I hope that today I've learned
as much about children...
as you've learned about rabbits.
Let's see.
I promised one to Chester...
and one to Johnny
and one to Tooey.
I promised one to Larry,
one to Miss Canfleld
and one to Whitey.
Well, hey, that's six.
We're all out of rabbits.
Yeah, but we still got Henry though.
— Wally?
— Yeah, Beave?
How come Henry wouldn't like
her babies anymore...
if they smelled like people?
I don't know.
I guess people wouldn't like
their babies either,
if they smelled like rabbits.
Yeah, I guess so.
Dad! Dad!
Hey, Dad. Hey, Dad.
Get up.
Yeah, we got something.
We got something.
Hurry up, Dad.
It's the trap.
What's going on, boys?
It's not even 6:00 yet.
The trap's sprung, Dad.
We saw it out the window.
[Ward]
All right, but calm down.
We’ll go take a look.
What's going on?
[Announcer]
Leave It To Beaver.
Starring Barbara Billingsley,
Hugh Beaumont, Tony Dow. ..
And Jerry Mathers as the Beaver.
Excuse me, dear.
I just got the kitchen
put back together again.
Must you take it apart?
I'm looking fora piece of string, dear.
[Whistles]
Oh, yeah. Thanks.
If you're flying kites,
I don't think there's enough there.
Wally and the Beaver and I
are building a trap.
For animals or people?
For animals.
We're gonna catch that gopher that's
been nibbling the tops off your flowers.
I thought we had some gopher traps
out in the garage.
Well, we do, but the boys want
to catch this one alive.
They've never seen
a real gopher face—to—face.
Should be quite an experience
for the boys.
And for the gopher.
Wally?
Yeah?
I don't think I ever saw a gopher.
What's it look like?
Well, did you ever see a rat?
Yeah.
Well, if a rat swelled up
and then turned brown,
it'd look like a gopher.
Oh.
Oh, here we are, guys.
Let's see the stick.
See, first of all,
we tie one end around the stick.
Like that.
Tighten it up.
And we put the other end
through this eye.
Oh, uh, hand me
one of those flowers, will ya?
Right through the eye, there...
and we tie the other end
to the flower...
like—
Like so.
There. Now.
We set the trap like this...
and when the gopher
goes after the bait...
he pulls the string,
pulls the stick out,
and springs the trap.
Well, gee, Dad,
with all the flowers out here,
why would he go in there
just to eat that one?
Well, Wally, uh,
gophers are kind of like boys.
They're extremely curious.
We're counting on that.
Oh, hey, Dad, can I set it up?
Yeah, sure.
You know, Beave,
I bet every guy doesn't have
a father that can think like a gopher.
Yeah.
Well, how's
the great white hunter doing?
Oh, well, trap's all set.
Now it's just up to the gopher
to cooperate.
Ward, do you really think
you'll catch anything
in that homemade trap?
Oh, I don't know.
But I think the boys'll get a big kick
out of pretending they're going to.
You know, Ward, sometimes
you're a very understanding father.
Hey, Dad! Dad!
Dad! Dad!
Hey, Dad! Hey, Dad!
Get up.
Yeah, we got something.
We got something.
Hurry up, Dad.
It's the trap.
What's going on, boys?
It's not even 6:00 yet.
The trap's sprung, Dad.
We saw it out the window.
[Ward]
All right, but calm down.
We’ll go take a look.
What's going on?
[Wally] Come on, Dad hurry up
before it gets away.
What's that?
[Wally]
Hurry up, Dad.
In case it bites me.
Wait for me!
Hey, wait for me.
Wait for me.
Well, there's something
in there, all right.
Whatever he is,
he sure wants to get out.
Yes.
If he comes over here,
I'm ready for him.
[Chuckles]
Well, stand back, fellas.
Hey, look.
We caught a white gopher.
Beaver, that’s a white rabbit
Yeah. He looks like he could have
been someone's pet once.
He looks kind of scared.
Yeah. Look at the way
his nose is going.
Looks like he's got an itch.
So you're the little rascal
who's been nibbling the tops
off our flowers.
What'd you get?
Is it anything dangerous?
Yeah. You better stand back.
It's a man—eating white rabbit.
[Laughs]
Oh, isn't that cute.
Can we keep him?
Huh, Dad?
Yeah, Dad
We never had a rabbit.
Well—Well, uh—
Yeah, I guess we could fix up
that old box you fellas
used to keep your pigeons in.
Well, I guess we can
get started on the cage,
as soon as I change clothes.
Well, what“ we do with it
in the meantime?
That’s okay, Mom.
Me and Wally can
take him up to bed with us...
until Dad gets awake.
Here. Have you got him now?
Yeah.
Hold him tight.
We can feed him
some of Mom's flowers.
There's plenty of them left.
Let me carry him
for a while, Beave.
Well, looks like we have
a little addition to the family.
Well, aren't you happy about it?
Yes, but I was sort of counting
on a gopher.
Maybe next year.
There we are.
Now you boys better get on to school.
I'll put the tools away.
Gee, thanks, Dad.
Gee, look.
He's not twitching so much anymore.
Yeah. I guess after
he gets used to people
his nose slows down.
Did you boys think
of a name for him yet?
Well, gee, Dad, maybe
we oughta call him Ward.
Well, gee, if it wasn't for you,
we never would have caught him.
two Wards in the same family
might be a little confusing?
Why don't we call him Henry?
Henry? Well, why would
we call him Henry?
I don't know. It's a nice name,
and we don't have
any Henrys in the family.
All right, that's settled then.
Henry's his name from now on.
Now, you boys better
get on to school.
Okay, Dad.
So long.
So long.
So long, Dad.
Thanks for catching us
a rabbit.
So long, Henry.
Old Henry.
Yeah, I think you look more like a
Henry than you do a Ward.
[Clears Throat]
Oh.
[Chuckles]
Are we gonna have breakfast,
or are you gonna stay out here
and talk to your friend Harvey?
No, that's Henry.
The boys named him
just before they left.
Henry?
Yeah, Henry.
Mm—hmm.
[Ward]
Now what’s the reason
for this superior attitude?
Well, I was observing your friend
while you were building the cage,
and I believe “Henry“
is hardly the proper name
for a young lady in her condition.
Really?
How soon, do you think?
Soon.
Very soon.
I think you better tell the boys.
Yeah, I guess I better.
No sense having it come
as a surprise to them.
If you wanna be subtle about it,
you could start calling her Henrietta.
I think I wanna go out
and look at Henry again.
Well, Beaver, you've been out there
three times since supper.
If you were a rabbit,
you wouldn't like some kid...
sticking his face in
at you every couple minutes.
Maybe l can look at him
so he doesn't know I'm looking at him.
Well, you can go out
and look at him if you want.
You coming, Wally?
Nah. I wanna get my homework done
so I can mess around
in Study Hall tomorrow.
[Footsteps 0n Stairs]
Who's that?
Nobody. Just me, Mom.
Where you going, Beave?
I thought I’d go out
and see Henry again.
I'll be right back.
[June] Well, I wouldn’t
disturb Henry too much.
Oh, no, Mom.
Ward.
Mm—hmm?
“Henry“?
Oh, uh, well, I got home
kind of late tonight.
There's no big hurry.
I wouldn't wait too long.
I won't.
Why'd you get home late tonight?
I don't know, dear.
There are just some days
when you get home late, that's all.
This was one of them.
You know, sometimes I think
you like working late
down at that office.
Oh, sure. It's a regular
24—hour Mardi Gras
down there.
Mom! Dad!
Wally! Mom! Dad!
What's the matter, Beaver?
The rabbit. Wally!
Beaver, calm down.
Henry— Out there.
What— What—
Wally!
What's the matter?
A bunch of little rats knocked Henry down.
They're out there biting him.
Go get your baseball bat.
Come on, Dad!
Beaver.
Beaver, there's nothing
to be upset about.
But, Mom, you oughta see Henry.
Wally, go get one of Dad's golf clubs.
Beaver.
The only thing that's happened
is that your rabbit has had babies.
You mean they're not rats?
[Ward]
No, Beaver
I was going to tell you this before.
You see, Henry is a girl rabbit,
and she's had a litter,
and she's nursing her babies.
That's all that's happening.
You see, little rabbits get their first food
from their mother—
just like lambs and calves and—
Oh, all warm—blooded animals do.
Is that true, Wally?
Yeah, I guess so, Beaver.
Well, Beaver.
This is quite an event, isn't it?
Yeah.
We get one rabbit,
and all of a sudden
we got a whole family.
Come on, Wally.
I'll show them to you.
Come on, let's us go look.
One, two, three, four, five, six.
Hey, that's pretty good, Beaver.
Yeah. Dad says pretty soon
they'll start looking
more like rabbits.
And in a couple of days,
their eyes will open.
Boy, I'll bet they'll be surprised
to see where they are.
Hey, Larry, did you ever have
any babies at your house?
Not real ones—
just my little brother.
He yelled an awful lot.
I'm sure glad rabbits don't yell,
'cause we got six of them.
What are you and Wally
gonna do with 'em, Beaver?
I don't know.
just watch 'em, I guess.
Maybe— Maybe you could give 'em
to some of the guys.
— Maybe.
— Maybe when?
After they open their eyes,
and they know who we're
giving them to.
Oh.
Here.
Thanks.
Larry.
I meant give it to the rabbit.
Oh.
Hey. Oh. Hi, Dad.
Hi. What are you up to today?
I guess I'll just mess around
with Eddie and some of the guys.
Oh. Well, where's the Beaver?
I think he's out looking
at the rabbits with Larry Mondello.
Again? You guys are really fond
of those rabbits, aren't you?
Sure, Dad. They're real neat.
Oh, say, that reminds me.
I've been meaning to tell you
something about them.
Yeah, Dad?
Well,just be careful that you don't
pick up any of the babies...
or handle them
while they're this young.
Well, gee, how come?
Well, you see, rabbits are not really
a domestic animal.
And if a human
touches one of the babies,
the mother's apt
to become frightened and reject it.
You know, push it aside.
Oh. You mean, she wouldn't
feed it anymore or anything?
That's right.
So just be careful.
Oh, sure, Dad.
I'll tell the Beaver too.
Okay.
[Larry]
Hey, look One of them’s way in back
of the cage, away fl’om the mother.
That's right.
Well, what do you think
we oughta do?
You better put it back
where it belongs.
Yeah, maybe I'd better.
Hey, Larry, it feels funny.
Yeah. It feels like petting a caterpillar.
We better put him back.
There you go now.
Right over here.
Well, I gotta get home.
Don't forget. If you and Wally
give any of' em away,
I got dibs on one.
Oh, sure, but would your parents
let you keep a rabbit?
If I make enough fuss, they will.
Oh.
So long.
So long.
Okay?
Okay.
Thanks.
Henry.
Oh, hi, Beave.
Hi, Wally.
How are the rabbits?
Fine. Wally, you think it's still okay
to call her Henry?
Sure. I don't think she knows
we're calling her Henry.
Oh, hey, Beave, Eddie and I
are going over to look
at the Anderson's new car.
Wanna come along?
No.
I've seen a lot of new cars,
but I haven't seen
too many new rabbits.
Okay.
Oh, uh, hey, Beave,
don't touch any of them.
How come?
Well, Dad says if a human touches
any of the babies,
the mother won't have
anything to do with it.
Why would Henry do that
to her own babies?
Well, if she smells people
on any of them,
she'll get scared
and kick it out.
You mean she wouldn't
take care of it anymore? Never?
Yeah. It'd probably die.
So just be sure you don't
pick any of them up
while they're babies.
Oh, sure, Wally.
Okay. Well, so long, Beave.
So long.
Gee, Henry. I didn't mean it.
Well, Beaver, looks like
we're lunching alone today.
Yeah.
Wally's off with Eddie,
and your father's out
playing golf.
Mom?
When does a kid
start to be a real human being?
Well, right from the time he's born.
Oh. When does a kid start to smell
like a real kid?
Well, I never thought much about it,
but I guess right from the beginning too.
Beaver, why are you asking
all of these questions?
Dad says asking questions
is the only way to find out stuff.
What are you trying
to find out?
Nothin'.
I was just asking questions.
Oh.
Want some more milk?
No, thanks.
Anything wrong?
No, thanks.
Where you going?
I'm just gonna take a walk,
that's all.
Mom?
Yes, Beaver?
Nothing.
I just forgot my hat.
Hi, Mom.
Hi, Wally.
Did you have any lunch?
Oh, sure.
Eddie and I had an ice—cream cone
and two boxes of popcorn.
Can I fix you a sandwich?
Oh, no, Mom. I'm not hungry.
All right.
Well, I guess I could eat something.
Better fix me a couple.
Well, what were you
and Eddie up to?
We went over to look
at the Andersons' new car.
I thought it was pretty neat.
What'd Eddie say?
He said it was a heap.
Hey, Mom, where's Beaver?
Well, he went out somewhere.
If we have an extra rabbit later,
can I give it to Eddie?
I think it would be
easier on the rabbit
if you gave it to Chester.
Gee, Mom,
don't you like Eddie Haskell?
Well, Wally, I'm very fond of him.
That's funny.
Sometimes I think he's a creep.
Hi, Gus.
Oh. Hi, Beaver.
What are you doing?
Nothin'.
just watching you sleep.
Oh, I wasn't sleeping.
just conserving my energy.
Oh.
Gus, do you know anything
about rabbits?
Well, when you get to be my age,
you know a little something
about almost everything.
Uh, if a certain fella had a rabbit...
and this rabbit had other rabbits...
and this certain fella
picked up one of the babies,
would the mother rabbit let it die?
Well, some rabbits are mighty scared
of that man smell.
The mother rabbit
just might do that.
Gee, that'd be awful
if the certain fella did.
Beaver, when did you
pick up this baby rabbit?
just about—
about an hour ago.
Oh, well, then I guess you got
plenty of time to do
something about it.
Is there really something I can do?
Hmm. Well, you can't reason
with a rabbit...
like you can a dog or a horse,
so you gotta outsmart 'em.
How do I do that?
I'm just a kid.
Well, first you get a can
of your mother's talcum powder,
and you sprinkle a little of it
on all the little rabbits.
Will that really do something?
Yep.
That way they all smell the same
to the mother.
They don't smell like rabbits.
They don't smell like people.
So she goes right back
to taking care of all of them.
Golly gee.
That's great, Gus.
I was really scared.
Now there's something else
you can do—
that is, if this rabbit's smarter
than we think she is.
You get a few drops
of vanilla extract—
there must be some
around the kitchen—
and put it right on
the mother's nose.
Then, when she sniffs,
she don't sniff rabbits,
she don't sniff people.
She sniffs vanilla.
You know something, Gus?
You must be the smartest man
in the whole world.
Well, now, it might look that way
to a little feller like you,
but to somebody who's really smart,
I'd look like the bottom of the barrel.
Vanilla extract, huh?
That's right.
Thanks a lot, Gus.
You know, they seem to have grown
just since yesterday, don't they?
You know, Dad, they're almost
beginning to look like rabbits.
Do you notice some kind
of a strange smell?
Strange?
[June]
They don ’t smell like any rabbits
that I used to know
[All Sniffing]
Yeah. It kind of smells like perfume.
Well, I don't smell anything at all.
Well, we better go in.
Supper's almost ready.
What are we having
for supper, Mom?
Roast beef.
You want something, Dad?
Beaver, did you put
something on the rabbits?
Uh-huh.
Some of Mom's talcum powder.
Why would you do that?
'Cause I picked one of them up.
Well, didn't Wally tell you not to?
Yeah, but I picked it up
before Wally told me not to.
Oh.
You're not mad at me, are you, Dad?
No, but, uh, why'd you put
talcum powder on 'em?
Well,
I put talcum powder on all the babies
and vanilla on Henry's nose.
That way they wouldn't smell like people,
and Henry wouldn't be scared.
Beaver, did you think of this
all by yourself?
No. Gus the fireman
thought it up for me.
Oh.
[Chuckles]
Well, that's pretty clever. I—
But why didn't you ask me
what to do?
Well, I guess I was scared to,
'cause l did something bad and, uh—
And what?
Well, I kind of flgured...
you were better at telling us
stuff that we shouldn't do
than stuff that we should do.
Oh.
Well, you know, Beaver,
I hope that today I've learned
as much about children...
as you've learned about rabbits.
Let's see.
I promised one to Chester...
and one to Johnny
and one to Tooey.
I promised one to Larry,
one to Miss Canfleld
and one to Whitey.
Well, hey, that's six.
We're all out of rabbits.
Yeah, but we still got Henry though.
— Wally?
— Yeah, Beave?
How come Henry wouldn't like
her babies anymore...
if they smelled like people?
I don't know.
I guess people wouldn't like
their babies either,
if they smelled like rabbits.
Yeah, I guess so.