Leave It to Beaver (1957–1963): Season 2, Episode 27 - A Horse Named Nick - full transcript

Leave It To Beaver.

Starring Barbara Billingsley,

Hugh Beaumont,

Tony Dow...

and Jerry Mathers...

as the Beaver.

June?

June?

June, I'm home!

Hi. Hi.

Well, anything new at the
office? Well, let me see, um...



Oh, yeah. Fred Rutherford's
percolator boiled over, ruined his desk.

You mean, Fred has a
percolator on his desk?

Yep, he's got it all figured out. He saves
four cents a day by making his own coffee.

Oh. Here are those colored
pencils Beaver wanted.

The boys aren't home. They
went out looking for a job.

Well, that's a worthy project.

Well, I don't know.
There's one of those

traveling carnivals
over at Metzger's Field.

Someone told them
they were hiring boys.

I don't know if that's
the right kind of a job.

I don't think I'd worry
too much about that, dear.

When I was their age, every time
a circus or a carnival came to town,

there were rumors of fascinating
jobs at tremendous pay.

Then when we went over,
they chased us with a stick.



Hey, Mom! Hey, Mom,
where's Dad? In the living room.

Hey, Dad! Beaver!

What's all the excitement?
We got a job! We got a job!

Oh, no. I was afraid you would.

Over at the carnival,
huh? Yeah, Dad.

Yeah, we work today and tomorrow
after school and all day Saturday.

And we get 10 whole dollars
apiece. Yeah, it's real neat, Mom.

We get to carry
water and sweep up,

we get to rub down the horses, and we
get to help the man clean the animal cages.

They're not in the cages when
we clean 'em, but we clean 'em.

Then we get to pick up stuff after
the people leave. Look what I found.

A heel off a lady's shoe.

You can have it, Mom.

Well, thank you,
Beaver. Boys, that smell...

What else did you bring in
with you from that carnival?

Gee, Mom, that's nothin'
we brought home. That's us.

Yeah, we told you we
were rubbin' down horses.

Well, I, uh— I think you
two animal trainers...

better get a quick bath
before supper, huh?

Gee, Dad, we're gonna be working at
the carnival for two whole more days.

Does that mean we're gonna
have to take a bath every night?

Well, I wouldn't worry
too much about it.

I imagine Clyde Beatty has the
same problem to contend with.

Hey, Wally, do you think Clyde
Beatty really takes a bath every night?

Nah, I think Dad's just
givin' us the business.

Ward,

I don't like the idea of those
boys working around a carnival.

Oh, dear.

Rubbing down horses
and cleaning out cages...

and carrying water to animals...

Why, gee, I didn't know
there was anything that

wonderful left in the
world for kids to do.

Hey, Wally, what happened to
all the dirty clothes we took off?

I think Mom threw
'em in the wash.

Gee, whiz. Well, I
wanted to go to school

tomorrow smellin' like
I worked at a carnival.

Well, you can just tell the
guys you worked at the carnival.

They won't believe me, Wally. It
sounds like the kind of stuff kids make up.

Yeah, well... Boys?
Come on in, Dad.

Um, say, fellows, uh,
about the carnival...

Dad, you didn't come up to make
us take another bath, did you?

No. No, but you see,
your mother's a little

worried about you
fellows working over there.

Well, gee, you mean
we gotta give it up?

No. Not if you're very careful.

But, you know, guys, I
was brought up on a farm,

and I know you can get hurt...

working around horses and
animals unless you're careful.

Well, sure, Dad.
We're takin' it easy.

When we first got the job, the guy in
the white hat who owns the carnival...

said not to go near anything dangerous on
account of they don't have any insurance.

Well, I hope you
take his advice.

You, uh— You say you're getting $10 apiece
on Saturday. That's quite a bit of money.

That's what the man said.

Well, I'm not saying this is true
anymore, but, uh, in the old days,

some carnivals were known to
skip town without paying all their bills.

Gee, Dad, they wouldn't gyp us.

The same guy that told us they had no
insurance said he's almost a millionaire.

I'm sure he is, Beaver.

Hey, Dad. Hmm?

Um, well, how come
you're lettin' us keep the

job, with Mom bein'
worried and everything?

Well, because I remember when I
was a kid, when circuses came to town,

how much fun it was to go
over and just hang around.

- Good night.
- Good night, Dad.

Good night, Dad.

Hey, Wally,
that's pretty neat...

Dad remembering good stuff that
happened to him when he was a kid.

Yeah, most of the time he's always
tellin' us how tough it was on him.

How he, uh— How he had to walk five miles
to school and only got 10 cents a week.

- All that kind of stuff.
- Yeah.

Hey, Wally, you
don't think the carnival

would really run off
and not pay us, do you?

Heck no, Beaver.

Well, look at that guy Willy who
bosses all the horses around.

He's got an American
flag tattooed on one arm.

On the other arm
it says "Mother."

Gee, whiz. A guy like
that couldn't be a crook.

Yeah.

But, Ward...

Well, June, I couldn't make 'em give
up a job they're so enthusiastic about.

And anyway, it'll just be
tomorrow after school and Saturday.

But— Well, what
if they got ideas...

and ran away with a carnival
or a circus or something?

Dear, I give you my word.
I'll make them promise...

not to do anything like that
until after they finish college.

Well, that certainly
is reassuring.

♪

Boy, Wally, only one more
day, we get 20 whole dollars.

Yeah, that's the most fun
money I've ever earned.

Yeah. They're real
nice guys at the carnival.

The guy who works the scales said if I
brought my mom and dad down tonight,

he'd guess their
weight for nothin'.

Yeah, but I don't think
we ought to tell 'em though.

'Cause if Mom ever saw that
guy they got there eating fire,

she'd never let us go tomorrow.

Dear, supper will be ready soon.

Isn't it about time those boys
were getting home from the carnival?

Oh, well, this is
their last day, June.

They probably stayed
to collect their money.

Twenty dollars— It's the
most they've ever earned.

I hope they don't
spend it at the carnival.

Oh, I think they'll get
home with most of it.

You know, this has been a
great experience for 'em. Maybe.

I'll be glad when they start coming
home smelling like boys again.

Oh, here they are.

Is that you, boys?

Um, yeah, Mom.

Boys, you're late.

Uh, yeah, Mom. Well, we
watched the carnival pack up.

Yeah, we had to say good-bye
to all the guys... and the animals.

Well, uh, did you
fellas get paid your $20?

Um, yeah, Dad. We got a lot
more than that. Yeah, we sure did.

Well, you boys can tell
your father about it at supper.

Uh, yeah. You guys better get
cleaned up. We're almost ready to eat.

Okay, Dad. Come on, Beave.

Well, there you are.

They did their job, they
got paid for it, and they're

probably a little better
off for the experience.

Mm-hmm. And would
you let them do it again?

Oh, no, probably not, but
working for a carnival is the

kind of thing every boy ought
to have a chance to do once.

Come on. I'll help you
put dinner on the table.

Hey, Wally,

how come you didn't tell
him what they paid us?

Well, I was gonna,

but then I figured it would be better
to wait and tell him during supper.

You know, Dad's always
in a better humor then.

Yeah.

You know, Wally, you're pretty
good at figuring out grown people.

Yeah, well, I ought to
be. I'm almost one myself.

Hello?

Oh, yes.

What?

Well, are you sure?

Oh, I see.

Well, uh, thank you very much. We
certainly appreciate it. Who was that?

It was Benjie's mother
from across the street.

What's she want?

She says there's a
horse in our garage.

- A horse?
- A horse.

Boys! Boys!

Boys! Boys!

Boys! Boys, come down here!

Isn't he neat, Dad?
The man gave him to us.

Yeah, Dad, his name is Nicholas.

And his mother and
father were Russian horses.

Do you mean to tell me
that those men gave you

this horse instead of
the $20 they owe you?

Well, sure, Mom. The man said
it's worth way over a hundred dollars.

Fellas, I'm sorry, but
you can't accept a horse.

We'll have to take it
back to the carnival.

Yes, and get the
$20 they owe you.

Gee, Mom, we can't do that.
The carnival's gone away already.

Gosh, Dad. You don't
think we got gypped, do ya?

Well, Wally, it's not
exactly a question of that.

What good is a horse to you fellas?
Where are you going to ride him?

Well, gee, Dad, we don't
have to ride him anyplace.

We can just come out here and sit
on him. That's as good as ridin' him.

Yeah, Dad. We'll feed him and
take care of him and everything.

Then on weekends, we can take him out in
the country and ride him on the dirt roads.

Boys, you cannot keep a horse.

But, Dad, the man
gave him to us.

Look, we can't discuss it
now. My dinner's on the table.

Dad, where are we gonna get
rid of him now? It's nighttime.

Well, I guess we're
stuck with him for tonight.

Just have to get him some food
and fix the place for him after supper.

Um, I, uh, guess you're gonna
have to leave your car out, huh, Dad?

Yes, I guess I am.

Well, come on, boys. You go
on and finish getting washed.

Hey, Mom, what are we
having for dinner? Meat loaf.

Gee, Wally, I hope
Nicholas likes meat loaf.

Hello, Nick.

Hiya, Nick, old boy. Hi.

Ward, don't you
start going soft.

Well, no.

Hey, Dad, wake up!

Hey, wake up, Dad!

Hey, Dad! Wally,
what's the matter?

Wally, what is it? It's 6:00. Is
something wrong with the Beaver?

Well, no, Mom. It's Nick,
Dad! It's Nick! Nick who?

Nicholas, our horse.
What's the matter with him?

I don't know. We went out to see
him, and something's wrong with him.

Come on. Beaver's
down with him now.

Well, what's the matter
with him? I don't know,

Dad, but it must be
something terrible. Hurry up.

That's all right, Nick.
You're gonna be okay.

Hurry up, Dad.

See, Dad? We came in this
morning, and he was just lying there.

Yeah, he must have had
a dizzy spell and fainted.

He doesn't seem to have a fever.

I don't think that's
the way you tell, dear.

Gee, Dad, what do you
think's wrong with him?

Well, horses have been
known to sleep lying down.

Why don't you all stand back,
and I'll see if I can get him up.

Uh, get up, Nick! Come on!
Get up there, boy! Come on!

Come on! Get up, Nick!
Come on, boy! Get up there!

Uh, well, I don't
know. He might be sick.

Dad, you better
call Dr. Bradley.

Beaver, you don't call a
family doctor for a horse.

Why not? Nick's
part of the family.

Well, I'll tell you, fellas,
uh, I'll look in the phone

book and see if I can find
a veterinarian to come over.

Is there anything we should do, Dad? Uh,
no. Just stand back if he tries to get up.

Well, I'm gonna go
make some coffee.

Gee, Mom. For the horse?

No, for us.

Wally, while you were
upstairs, he made a noise. Yeah?

Yeah, he went...

See, Wally? Do you think
he's tryin' to tell us something?

Ah, Beaver, you're goofy.

Yeah. Yes, I— Yes, I understand.

Thank you very much.
Yes, we'll try them.

What's the matter this time? He
just has a small animal hospital.

He suggests we call
the agricultural college.

Hey, Dad, did you
get a doctor yet?

No, we're having
a little difficulty.

Hey, why don't we
call the riding stable?

- That's a good idea.
- Gee, Dad.

Why don't you call
Gus the fireman?

- The fireman?
- Yeah. He used to have horses
pullin' his fire engine.

And anyway, Gus always
knows somethin' about everything.

All right, we'll try
Gus the fireman.

Hey, Mom, Nick might be cold.

Could we cover him
with your electric blanket?

Well, not just yet, Beaver.

Gee, Gus, what's the matter with him?
Has he got some kind of horse disease?

No, he's not sick.

Then why is he lying down?

Well, I don't know
why he's lyin' down,

but I'll tell you somethin'.

I never saw a horse that wanted
to lie down that didn't lie down.

Well, gee, Gus.
Will he ever get up?

Oh, he'll get up, all right, when he
wants to, but he'll lie down again.

- Oh?
- Yeah.

Gee, Gus, how come
he wants to lie down?

All I ever saw before
was standin'-up horses.

Well, I'll tell you, Beaver.

Most horses don't know any
better than to stand up all the time.

But once in a while, a horse gets
old enough and smart enough...

to realize that lyin'
down is a heck of a lot

better than standin' on
your feet all day long.

Well, gosh, Gus, how
are we gonna get him up?

Oh, you don't have to
worry about that, Wally.

If he was smart enough to
figure out how to lie down,

he's smart enough to
figure out how to get up.

Gee, Gus, what's the good of
havin' a horse that lies around all day?

Well, Nick here has done
a lot of work in his day.

And he figures, if you
want him to get up,

you must want him to
get up to do some work.

So, the thing to do is
to clear out of here...

and act like you got
nothin' at all for him to do.

Pretty soon he'll get tired
of lyin' down and get up.

Well, you, uh, sure you won't
have a cup of coffee with us, Gus?

No, thanks. I better
be gettin' back.

We certainly appreciate
you coming over.

- Glad to do it.
- Yeah. We don't know anyone else
in the whole town that thinks like a horse.

Yeah.

Oh, you're back. How's Nicholas?

Oh, he's standing up now and, as
they used to say, taking nourishment.

I got him some oats and hay.

Ward, you know, I don't think you
should make Nick feel so much at home.

You know we're gonna
have to get rid of him.

June, you can't just take a
full-grown horse out and lose him.

Anyway there's, uh— There's
probably a law against equine desertion.

Hi. Hi. Nick okay?

Oh, yeah. He finished eatin'.

What's he doing now? Oh, nothin'.
He decided to lie down again.

Beaver's sittin' with him.

Ward, you know, you better...

How do you do?

Well, hello. You're from
the Board of Health?

- Yes. Where is it?
- Where's what?

The dead horse.

Well, I'm sorry to disappoint you,
but we don't have a dead horse.

Well, the neighbors
reported that you did.

Oh, well, that was a misunderstanding.
You see, he wasn't really dead.

He was just, uh, resting.
He's very much alive.

You mean, you have a live
horse right here on the premises?

Well, not right here.
He's out in the garage.

Oh, look, people, you can't stable a
horse in a residential neighborhood.

Well, we know that. We're
trying to find some way to get rid...

Mister, you're leaving yourself
wide open for a violation.

Well, I understand that. Uh,

as long as you're here,
maybe you could take him.

I'm sorry, madam. I can't
touch 'em unless they're dead.

Oh. Thanks anyway.

I'd get rid of him.

I imagine the fine is
rather a substantial one.

Yes, I imagine so.

Well, why couldn't we sell Nick?

At least the boys would
get their money back.

Well, I guess the
boys could try.

But I don't imagine there's much
of a market for a tired old horse...

who likes to loll around
the house all day.

Beaver, let's see how it sounds.

"Genuine circus horse for sale.

"Intelligent. Does not eat much.

"Very cheap, blanket included.

Can do tricks
like playing dead."

Then I'll stick our
address down here.

Yeah, we can put it
under "used horses."

And probably some
millionaire will see it,

and he'll buy it
for his daughter,

and she'll stick Nick in a
horse show, and he'll win,

and he'll get his picture in
the paper and be famous.

Beaver, you're goofy.

Well, but at least
somebody might buy him.

Boy, you know, I'm
gonna really miss Nick.

Yeah, me too.

Well, at first it wasn't like
having a dog or a rabbit...

that you could hold.

But when I was sittin'
with him this morning,

he put his head right in
my lap. Yeah? No foolin'?

Yeah. I never had anything
that big like me before.

There's 10, twenty... and five.

There you are. Now, you kids
sure this is okay with your parents?

Oh, sure. They're out, but it's our
horse, and they said we could sell him.

Good. Good.

Hey, mister, you can have the
blanket. It goes with him free.

Well, thanks a lot. Mister,

if he lies down on the way home,
he's not dead, he's just foolin'.

Thanks, son.

Come on.

Hey, mister, you gonna put
Nicholas in a horse show?

Well, not exactly, son. You
see, I own a rendering plant. Oh.

Bye, Nick. See ya, Nick.

Hey, Wally, what's a
rendering plant? I don't know.

I think it's someplace where
they take old bones and junk,

and they make it into
glue and stuff, and, uh...

Glue! Hey, mister!

Hey, mister, give us our horse back.
Here's your money. Boys, we made a deal.

Yeah, but we didn't know
you're gonna rend him up.

Just a minute, kids— No,
sir. Here's your money.

Come on, Nick, old boy. Come on.

Yeah. And you'll have the horse
van here at 8:00 sharp in the morning.

Right. Oh, uh, now don't
fail me, because I, uh...

Well, I've already had
a notice from the city.

Oh, fine. Fine. All right. Bye.

You mean you finally
got someone to take him?

Yeah, come on upstairs
while I tell the boys.

Hey, Wally, do you
think Dad's mad at us...

for not sellin' the horse
to the rendering man?

Well, I don't know. He said to get
rid of him, and we've still got him.

Yeah.

If we'd have sold
him to that man,

well, I would have never used
glue again for the rest of my life.

Every time I licked a stamp, well,
I would have thought of Nicholas.

Yeah.

Well, fellas, the
problem of Nick is solved.

I found someone to take him.

It's not another
glue man, is it, Dad?

No, nothing like that. I called
Mr. Payton at his farm up at Crystal Falls.

- Billy's father?
- Uh-huh.

He's agreed to take
Nick, and you fellas can go

up and see him and ride
him any time you want.

Boy, that's neat.

Well, I hope the men on Mr. Payton's
farm don't make him work too hard.

Oh, I don't think you need
to worry about that, Beaver.

I think Nicholas is a horse who's,
uh, worked pretty hard all of his life.

If you put him in a stable
someplace, he'd just be miserable.

Yeah, and anyway, if
he gets tired of workin',

he'll be smart enough
just to lie down.

Yeah, sure.

Well, I don't think he'll
be doing very much

lying down up at the
farm with the other horses.

You know, horses
are a little like people.

They're a lot happier
when they feel useful.

Well, it was certainly nice
of the Paytons to take him.

Mom. Hmm?

It's his last night here. Can Wally and I
go out and sleep with him in the garage?

Oh, I don't think so, Beaver. I
think you better stay in your room.

Then could we take our
supper out and eat with him?

Well, now, Beaver— Uh, fellas, I
think that'd be a very nice gesture.

Come on, Wally. Let's go
tell Nick all about the farm.

Dear.

How much did it cost you
to make Nick feel useful?

Oh, Payton was pretty good about it.
Ten dollars a month room and board.

You know something,
Ward? You're a very nice man.

Nah, I'm just a
sentimental, old farm boy.

Okay. Thanks a lot.

I'll call you again
next week. Good-bye.

Well, who were you talking to?

Oh, I was talking to
Nick up at Crystal Falls.

Beaver, you were
talking to a horse?

Well, not exactly.

I talk to Billy Payton,

and Billy talks to Nick for me.

And I told him to tell him
we hope he's happy up there.

Beaver, you really think that
Billy can make him understand?

Oh, sure, Mom.

Billy was brought up on a farm.
He's been talking to horses all his life.