The Waltons (1971–1981): Season 5, Episode 9 - The Cloudburst - full transcript

Don't be afraid.
You're all right.

Just keep thinking
about your baby.

Grandpa, I know I
made a terrible mistake.

I gotta do something about it.

But I don't know what to do.

The only thing I know is I want you
with me. I don't want you against me.

The mountain had been our home

ever since the first Walton
put his ax to a pine tree

and built his cabin on a
plateau near the summit.

Since then, each Walton child

had been instilled with a regard



for the traditions of the
land on which we lived.

Ironically, it was I who
violated those traditions

and exposed our mountain
to a danger unforeseen

and literally unknown in
our sheltered community.

Mr. Carter? Yes.

My name is John Walton Jr.

Walton. Oh, yes,
yes. Nice to see you.

We have your note here,
bought from Mr. Johnson.

Sit down. Thank you.

I wanted to talk to
you about the note.

Well, let's see here.

Looks like you are a couple of
months in arrears with this, John.

I know. I've been trying
to meet my payments.

You see, I just
started a newspaper.



It's called the Blue
Ridge Chronicle.

I don't know, maybe
you've seen it around.

Oh, yes, yes. You're doing
a commendable job with it.

Well, thank you. See, I need a little
more time to make those payments.

'Cause my
advertising is growing.

In about six months I should
have a real solid paper going for me.

Well, I don't doubt that, John.

And I'd like to help
you as much as I can.

But, well, money is hard
to come by these days.

And if the bank
examiner walks in here

and sees that this loan
is two months in arrears,

I'm... I'm going
to be in trouble.

You do understand.

I do.

It's just that, if I had the press,
I could keep making money.

That way I could meet my payments
faster. That'd be good for both of us.

It should be a working press,

and... and I don't see
what good it's gonna do

if somebody just picks it
up and puts it in storage.

Well, if I could show some kind
of collateral along with the press,

we might be able to
work something out.

You got anything you can put up?

I have a car. An old car.

No, I'm afraid we couldn't
do anything with that.

I have a piece of land.

Land's a drug on the market
as far as we're concerned.

Well, I probably
shouldn't sell it anyway.

It's in the family, you know.

I don't know what
I can do for you.

I surely don't want your press.

But come Wednesday, I'm afraid
we'll have to take possession of it.

I'm really sorry.
No, I understand.

Listen, I know you don't
want to part with your land,

but if you change your mind,

there's a new firm just
moved in up the street.

Think it's called the
Interstate Land Company.

Uh, I... I hear that
they're buying land.

About a dollar an acre or what?

Well, I have no idea. Fellow's name
is Shelby if you want to look into it.

Shelby? Yeah.

Thank you very much. Okay.

Be back as soon as I can.

It's gonna be hard to keep
the family going without you.

These days, a man's gotta take
work where he can find it, honey.

I'm just looking for an
excuse to make you stay.

You're reason enough
for any man to stay home.

A houseful of kids, I got to
take that Waynesboro thing.

You know how
long you'll be gone?

Can't say.

Those Waynesboro girls are
kind of hard to get away from.

Well, you just
put your mind to it.

Ah, ah!

That's great. You keep
it up, Mrs. Brimmer.

Well, Mary Ellen,
would you believe

I lost four pounds
in just ten days?

Well, that's wonderful, Mrs.
Brimmer, congratulations.

I stopped sampling at the stove.

Makes all the difference.

Well, you keep
at it now, Mrs. B.

I want you skinny and flirty.

Skinny, I can handle.

Well, I gotta get
back and start lunch.

Bye, Mary Ellen. Bye-bye.

Okay, I'll see you Tuesday.

Thank you, Doctor.
All right. Bye-bye.

This place looks mighty empty.

Where are all the patients?

You probably
cured them all. Yeah.

Uh, listen, while you were at the
post office, Miss Nora sent word

that the Haleys had come down
with something. Could be measles.

I hope not.

Well, I'm going to drive up there
and see. I'll be gone for a while.

You want me to come with you?

No, you'd better stay here
and keep things straight.

Think you can stay out
of trouble while I'm gone?

Well, the world
won't fall apart.

You see that it doesn't.

Doc! Doc! Doc, we need you.

What's happened? Martha
Rose fell off a ladder.

Now that is a dumb thing to do.

She's hurt real bad.
All right. Let's go.

That stings, Mary Ellen.

You've taken some skin
off the side of your face.

Does that hurt?

I hurt all over.

I told her to stay
off that ladder

but she wouldn't listen to me.

How far did she fall?

Clear from the
top of the chimney.

Squirrels had
built a nest in it,

and nothing would do
except she had to make sure

they weren't in there
before we built a fire.

You could've called me,
honey, I was right out in back.

Had to do it herself.

You having any
trouble breathing?

Some.

You've broken a few ribs,

and you've got some
bruises right here.

You're lucky you
didn't break your neck.

She gonna be okay,
Doc? Yep. In time.

I've got a couple of
calls I've got to make,

and then I want to take her in
to the hospital. Do some x-rays.

Do I have to?

Well, I, uh, can't put
you back together

until I see where you're broken.

I want you to lie still, no
jumping around, you hear?

Yes.

I'll call the hospital
in Charlottesville

and tell them we're
bringing her in.

Oh, don't go.

If you don't need me, Curt,
I'll stay with Martha Rose.

We'll take her over in my van.

Appreciate that,
Doc. I'll be right back.

Are you sure it's
just broken ribs?

Can't be sure without x-rays,

but keep her quiet, don't let her
move any more than necessary.

And watch her breathing.
Should be no trouble.

I'll get back as soon as I can.

Yes, sir. Carry on.

I'm gonna start Chapter 8
with the fifth grade on Monday.

That's fine, Olivia. I don't
think you'll have any problems

finishing the book
by the end of the term.

How are your fractions
coming, Elizabeth? Better.

Well, if they are, I can't tell.

Ouch! I'll be a...

A little more careful next time.

What are you going
to name the baby?

If it's a little boy, we're
gonna name him Joseph,

after Matthew's father.

And if it's a little girl,

we're gonna name her
Margaret, after my mother.

I am trusting that
with the name Joseph,

he'll be more inclined toward
carpentry than his father.

John'll be glad to help you
with that when he gets back.

Well, thank you,
Olivia, but I intend

to see this project
through to completion.

The instructions inform me that
a child of ten could assemble it.

Do you want me to try?

Well, that's a good
idea, Elizabeth.

Why don't you just sit down
there and read me the instructions?

How are the other children?

Seems like the only time I get to
see them is at church on Sunday

and they usually
rush off so fast,

I don't get a chance
to talk to them.

Jim-Bob isn't
Jim-Bob any longer.

Now it's James Robert.

He's growing up.

They're all getting so big,

rushing off in so many
different directions,

it's hard for me to
keep track of them all.

How does Mary Ellen
like being a doctor's wife?

Well, it was a stormy romance.

I have a feeling the marriage
is going to be the same way.

She loves that wild man.

She's got her nursing. Mmm.

We never thought it'd be like
this when we were in school.

Is your throat getting tight?

A little, but it's all right.

Could I just have
a little water?

Thanks.

You didn't like me too much
when we were in school.

Well, you weren't too
crazy about me, either.

I was jealous of you. Of me?

You were the one
who had everything.

Clothes. A bicycle.

You remember the
time we both tried out

for Pocahontas
in the school play?

I could have wrung your
neck when you showed up

in a real buckskin dress
and a braided black wig.

A lot of good it did.
You got the part.

Only 'cause I could yell louder

and they could
hear me in the back.

You were the worst
Pocahontas I ever saw.

You were going to be
a famous radio actress

and marry a millionaire
and live in New York.

I never got there.

I'm not a bit sorry, though.

I married a good man.

I have everything I'd ever want.

Martha Rose, is it getting
hard for you to breathe?

Russell?

Russell! What is it?

Martha Rose is having trouble
breathing. Go see if you can find Curt.

Well, can I do something
for her? Yes, go find Curt!

Just try to relax.

What happened? She's choking.

Muscle spasms
closing the larynx.

Here, clean the area, quick.

What's wrong, Doc?

I got to do some surgery.
Get out of here, Russell.

Get out!

What are you going
to do? Tracheotomy.

She needs air.

Hold her head, Mary Ellen.

Mary Ellen?

Mary... Russell? Russell!

Mr. Shelby? Huh?

Yeah, yeah. What
can I do for you?

My name is John Walton Jr.

Mr. Carter over at the bank
said I should come see you.

Said you might be
buying some land.

Yeah. Mr. Carter is right.

I'm just moving in, here. I'm
not quite set up for business yet.

You got some land
you want to sell?

Well, not necessarily.
But I do have some

and I... I was curious
what it might bring.

All depends on where it is.

I mean, there's a lot
of ground around here.

Some of it's worth
something. Now, a lot of it's not.

I know.

Uh, right here...

Right here we are in
Charlottesville, right there.

Now, where's your
property located?

We're right up here.
It's Walton's Mountain.

And my... my piece is about
10 acres right up above there.

Oh, yeah.

Yeah, that... that's
marketable land.

Well, there's nothing on
it now. It's just a meadow.

There's not even enough trees
for logging or anything like that.

How much you want for it?

Well, it's not for
sale, but, uh...

See, I was just wondering if... if, in
the future, I should decide to sell it,

I'd like to know
what it's worth.

I'll give you $4 an acre.

$4 an acre?

Well, that's what I'd pay you.

Now somebody else
might give you more.

More?

Mr. Shelby, how long you
been in this part of the country?

Oh, Virginia, a long time.

Blue Ridge
Mountains, not so long.

Well, I...

I tell you, it may not be very smart
business for me to tell you this,

but you can buy land
all over these mountains

for a dollar an acre,
maybe even less.

Hmm.

Well, my offer still stands.

Listen, I'll tell you.

You give me...

Yeah, here we are.
You give me an option

to buy your land in
30 days, $4 an acre,

and I'll give you $5 right now.

Now, if... if... if I don't buy the
land, you get to keep the $5.

Well, $5, uh, that wouldn't
help me out right now.

All right.

I'll pay you $40 cash right now.

Forty dollars cash?
That seems crazy.

I mean, what
would you do with it?

What-What would you do
with a piece of land like that?

Well, Interstate Land
is a diversified company.

We might fatten a
few cattle up there.

It would be part of a
long-range investment program.

Son, I'm not twisting your arm.

Now, you came in here and asked
me what I'd pay, and I told you.

Oh, I know. I know it, uh...

I don't mean this
personally, but, uh,

$4 an acre...

Seems like there's got to be
some catch to it somewhere.

Well, if you feel that
way, you shouldn't sell it.

I mean, if you've got any
reservations at all, don't do it.

Doc, can I see Martha Rose?

Quietly.

Mary Ellen, if there's
anybody to blame, it's me.

I should've known that
you weren't ready for that.

It's nothing to be ashamed of.

I've seen medical
students keel over.

I want to go home, Curt.

I want to be with
my family for a while.

Why don't you just forget it?

Martha Rose is all right.

A couple of days in the
hospital, she'll be fine.

I did such a slick job,
the scar won't even show.

Come on, shake it off.

I wanna go home.

Whoa! Hold steady, old fool!

You know you're about the only mule
in the county that's pampered like this.

Ooh!

You know, eh, my back
has been kicking up.

It's predicting we're
gonna have the biggest rain

since the storm of '93.

Well, I'm sorry
it's bothering you.

Yeah, it's good to have
your old body tell you

what the weather's
gonna be like,

but I'd just as soon
hear about it on the radio.

Hey, what are you
brooding about?

Well,

Mr. Johnson sold my note on the
press to a bank in Charlottesville

and they've given
me till Wednesday

to come up with the $30 I owe.

Oh, dear.

You've been keeping
real close-mouthed about it.

Well, you and Daddy have had
your problems. This one was mine.

It was?

You think maybe you've
come up with an answer?

I have. What's that?

You're not going
to like it, Grandpa.

I sold the meadow.

I had to.

Come down to the
meadow or the newspaper.

You have to understand
something, Grandpa.

I had to set some priorities.

I would've lost that newspaper.

I swear to you,
I would've lost it.

If I thought I could've kept that
land in safekeeping for the future,

you would've been the one
person that I would've trusted.

Grandpa, I know how
much the land means to you,

but you got to understand how
much my newspaper means to me.

We Waltons have kept that land

through the Yankee
soldiers, the carpetbaggers

and the land speculators.

And to think...

To think that you would be
the one to just throw it away.

I'm sorry you feel that way.

But I'll tell you something, that
piece of land is just sitting there,

it's not doing anybody any good.

Except for the squirrels
that are sitting on it.

And the squirrels and the
birds are gonna be sitting on it

when you and me are long gone.

Ben, the land company has
got a new project out on Route 6.

I'm going to take a look.
I'll pick you up at noon.

Okay, just don't
be late. I won't.

Oh, afternoon, folks.

Oh, hello, what
can we do for you?

Are you Mr. Godsey?

That's what they call me.
And this is Mrs. Godsey.

How do you do? I'm Bill
Shelby, Interstate Land Company.

We're interested in
property in this area.

Well, for what
purpose, Mr. Shelby?

Well, for industrial
development, ma'am.

See, my company made
some geological studies,

and we found a vein
of low-grade gold ore

running through here
right near the surface.

Now all it needs is for
somebody to come along

and just kind of coax
it out of the ground

and there'd be a whole
new industry here.

And how do you plan
to do that coaxing?

Well, we call it
hydraulic mining.

See, instead of digging the ore
out, we use water under pressure.

I've heard about
that hydraulic mining,

and I don't think folks
around here are interested in it.

As a matter of
fact, I don't think

folks around here
like mining at all.

Well, we've already bought
some of the Walton land.

I'm astonished to hear that.

Yeah. Yeah. Ten acres.

Ten acres right up here, right
next to your 12 acres, Mr. Godsey.

Sold to us by John Walton Jr.

I didn't think John-Boy would sell
that meadow for a hundred years.

Well, I think he recognized the service
he'd be doing the folks around here

by bringing some jobs in.

Well, now, just what are
you proposing, Mr. Shelby?

Well, I'd like to buy up
a total of about 80 acres.

Now, if folks will cooperate, you'll
see a business boom in this community.

You... You must have the only
general store here in, oh, five miles, huh?

Six. Six!

Well, I tell you,

I see you doubling the size of
this store within a year's time.

Well, any eventuality of that is
certainly worth sober consideration.

Just, uh, how much were you
planning to offer me for my land?

I'm offering $4 an acre.

Oh, well, I... I don't believe we
could consider anything under $4.50.

I... I think you'll have to make us
a bit more of an appealing offer.

I'm sorry, folks, but I'm not authorized
to offer any more than $4 an acre.

Now, I know that won't
make you rich right off,

but it's the long-term
profits you got to think about.

Well, we certainly have
to think about the future.

Now, I have here what
is called an option to buy.

Well, here, just put it
right down here and we'll...

Yeah, see, all it
means, really, is that, uh,

I pay you $5 right now,

if you agree to sell me
your land later, say 30 days,

for the full price of $48.

Now if I don't buy
it, you keep the $5.

It sounds good to me.

Well, all it does,
see, is protect me

in case I can't round
up the full 80 acres.

All right, you just, uh...

You just sign right there.

Prosperity is just
around the corner!

Now here's my check for $5.

I'm afraid you're gonna find

that that 80 acres is divided up

among quite a few people.

Yeah, as a matter of fact, you're
the first I've been able to locate.

I tell you, there are more back
roads around here than limbs on a tree.

Yeah, they're scattered
all over the place.

Now, if you want, Mr. Godsey
could stand up after the services

and announce a
community meeting.

That way, all the
landowners who are interested

could stay and listen
to what you have to say.

Corabeth, that's
a wonderful idea!

I tell you,

folks like you and John Walton
are gonna put this place on the map.

Thank you very much.

Bye, now, Mr. Shelby. Bye.

Well! What a nice surprise!

Is Curt with you?

He dropped me off. He's
going up to the Haleys.

Something wrong?

I had an awful experience, Mama.

Martha Rose Travis got hurt.

Yeah, I know. Erin heard
it at the telephone office.

Curt called the hospital.

Well, I was taking care of
her and she started choking.

Curt had to do a tracheotomy.

I fainted.

Passed out, right on the floor.

How's Martha Rose? Fine.

Curt pulled her through
it, no thanks to me.

I feel just terrible.

The first time I had to
face something serious.

The first time Curt
really needed me.

Mary Ellen, I'm sure that could
happen to anyone who's not experienced.

But it shouldn't have
happened to me.

I've never fainted
in my entire life.

You don't know how I felt,
waking up lying on the floor

like a useless lump while Curt
was saving Martha Rose's life.

Don't blame yourself for
something you couldn't help.

I'm sure Curt understood.

Oh, he was kind and
sorry and blamed himself.

He even said it could
have been emotional

because Martha Rose and
I used to hate each other so.

That made it worse.

I never could stand
weak, spineless people,

and now I find out
that I'm one of them.

Mary Ellen, you are not weak.

You're a human being,
and stronger than most.

I'm sure this will
never happen again.

Well, how do I know it won't?

How can I ever face
another emergency,

scared to death I'm
gonna pass out again?

Curt needs a wife
he can depend on.

He'll never be able
to depend on me.

You know, sometimes when things
seem a little more than I can manage,

I go down to the church.

I sit there and I think
about my problems.

Doesn't always solve them,

but it does help
lighten the load.

Your grandpa was right.
We're in for a good one.

I'll take care of Myrtle.
You lock up the mill.

Okay.

Jim-Bob, that tree is no place
in a storm! Come on down!

Rover doesn't wanna come down!

Rover's a bird. He
can stay up there.

Now, come on down
and let's close up the mill.

Come on! Where's Grandpa?

I don't know. I haven't seen him. Why
don't you ask Jason? He's in the barn.

Okay.

Jason?

Yeah? Do you know
where Grandpa is?

Grandpa's pretty upset.

He took his wheelbarrow to the upper
meadow to transplant some wildflowers.

I gotta talk to him. Do you know
what Shelby's gonna do with the land?

We all know about it.
How do you know about it?

Ike told Grandpa. See, the agent
bought some of Ike's land, too.

Oh, no! You know
what that guy's doing?

He's sneaking all over the
county, trying to buy land.

He's probably using
my name to do it.

What are you gonna
do about it? I don't know.

Grandpa?

Grandpa, I wanna talk to you.

Grandpa, I know you're angry with
me about this and I don't blame you.

But you don't know
the whole story on it.

You needed the money
and you made your choice.

I made the choice 'cause
I didn't know the facts!

I didn't know they were gonna mine
up here. Shelby never told me that.

If he had told me that, I never
would have sold in a million years.

That's why he didn't tell you.

Grandpa, I made a mistake.
I made a terrible mistake.

I gotta do something about it,
but I don't know what to do about it.

The only thing I know is I want you
with me. I don't want you against me.

This land was yours
to do with as you saw fit.

What's done is done.

We'll talk no more about it.

Could I help you with
this? No, thank you.

Reckless.

Mary Ellen! Mary Ellen!

Mrs. Fordwick, let me help you.

The baby's coming.

Matthew went to get Curtis.

Well, Curt's way
back in the hills.

Oh, thank heaven you're here.

Zeb! Yo!

Now you're just gonna
make your back worse.

Can't be any worse than
what it is right now, Esther.

Well, is it worth it? It is.

Oh, stop that.

What are you going to
do with those wild things?

I'm going to preserve them.

Increase them.

There's a specimen here from
every wildflower in the upper meadow.

Zeb, now, will you stop that?

Now John-Boy selling
that... that land of his

has just got you going
off in all directions.

You help me and give me a hand
here, Esther. I'm gonna make another trip.

Will you try to understand
that, to John-Boy,

that newspaper and his
future mean more to him

than... than a... a hunk of
land on the top of that meadow.

If I don't increase and propagate
them, they'll be lost to future generations

just like the wild
passenger pigeon was.

Will you listen to me?
There's a storm coming.

You know that and you're acting
like you don't have a brain cell worth...

Here's a wild white azalea.

Englishmen had come over to
our mountains over 200 years ago.

They took it back
to the Kew Gardens.

It has adorned the gardens
of royalty ever since.

You haven't heard a
word I've said, have you?

And here's a wild bloodroot.

You know, the Indian squaws, they
used to use it to dye their clothes.

And the warriors would use it to paint
their faces when they went on the warpath.

And here... Here, Esther.

Here's some wild mint from
alongside the splashing streams.

For your tea.

What am I gonna do with you?

I'm gonna plant these right
below your window, Esther,

so you can see
them most everyday.

These are wild bird's-foot
violets, for your hair.

You old fool.

I love you.

That goes both ways, old dear.

Here, come on. Give me
a hand here, would you?

The pains are getting closer.

Mrs. Fordwick, you've got to let
me go get Mom and Grandma. No.

But they'll know what to
do. They've delivered babies.

Don't leave me. It's gonna be...

It's gonna be soon.

Okay, well, I'll need some
scissors and some twine.

It's there, in the drawer.

I am so fortunate you're here.

I hope so, Rosemary.

That's the first time you've
ever called me Rosemary.

I'm sorry, I didn't
realize I did it.

You're not my student
anymore, Mary Ellen.

You're my friend. Ike?

Ike, I wanna talk to you
about this man Shelby.

Do you... Do you
know where Curt is?

No, is somebody sick? Rosemary
Fordwick is about to have her baby.

The reverend came in here and
he tried to raise Curt on the phone.

He couldn't, and so he
went out looking for him.

Well, is she alone?

I hope not. Well, he
tore out of here so fast

that I couldn't ask
him any questions.

Breathe deep, Rosemary.

Elizabeth, you wanna help
me put things on the table?

Uh, Mommy, I'm...

See, Miss Margaret, she's
scared of the lightning.

So you tell Miss Margaret

there's not a thing in
the world to be afraid of.

At least she's inside.

Lord knows where
the rest of the family is.

Grandma?

Mama?

Rosemary Fordwick's having
her baby. She's all by herself.

Where's Matthew?
He's out looking for Curt.

Elizabeth, you go upstairs and stay
with Erin. We'll be back as soon as we can.

That's it. Don't be
afraid. You're all right.

Just keep thinking
about your baby.

Yeah.

Dear Lord.

It doesn't matter. Don't
worry. I'm right here.

We ought to try
and find Mary Ellen.

I know more about birthing a
baby than Mary Ellen ever will.

Can't this contraption
go any faster?

I'm going as fast
as I can, Grandma.

Do you want me to
run us into a ditch?

Of course I don't.
Just go faster.

This is spooky.

Why don't we tell
ghost stories? Ben!

This is no time to
tell ghost stories.

I hope Rover's all right.

I hope Mrs.
Fordwick's all right!

Well, it looks like you
managed without us.

You and the baby
all right? We're fine.

Rosemary?

Hey.

It's all over.

Our friend helped us.

Thank you, Mary Ellen.

It's a girl.

This is our Margaret.

This is our Mary-Margaret.

Howdy, Reverend. John-Boy.

How's that new
baby of yours doing?

Strong and healthy.
Just like her mama.

You know we're
all so happy for you.

Becoming a father is surely
one of life's most solemn

and moving experiences.

Reverend, I wanna
ask you a favor. Surely.

You know how sometimes
on a special occasion

we have the service
up on the mountain?

Yes.

I think tomorrow is gonna
be one of those times.

Come on inside.

I think what happens tomorrow could
affect every member of your congregation.

Well, I like to think that every
one of my sermons is powerful.

"This morning's service will
be held in Walton's Meadow.

"Let us take advantage of this
glorious day to refresh our spirits

"and stir upon God's land.

"Reverend Fordwick."

Well, I do wish that I had been given
the benefit of some advance notice

so I could have worn
more suitable shoes.

Uh, Mr. Godsey?

Oh, Mr. Shelby.

Morning, folks.

I hope I'm not late.

Oh, no, you're not late at all.

Mr. Shelby, I'm afraid there
has been a change of location.

Our reverend occasionally gets
the urge to commune with nature.

So services will be held on
top of the mountain this morning.

It's in walking distance.

Well, I'll just join
you, if you don't mind.

Fine.

♪ When the roll is called
up yonder, I'll be there

♪ When the roll
is called up yonder

♪ When the roll
is called up yonder

♪ When the roll

♪ When the roll
is called up yonder

♪ When the roll is called
up yonder, I'll be there

♪ When the roll

♪ When the roll is called
up yonder, I'll be there

♪ When the roll

♪ When the roll is called
up yonder, I'll be there

♪ When the roll

♪ When the roll
is called up yonder

♪ When the roll is called
up yonder, I'll be there

♪ Amen ♪

Mr. Walton? Huh?

Would you be kind enough to
lead us in our closing prayer?

Well...

O Heavenly Father,

we thank you for our
gathering together here

in the glory of your universe.

We ask you, Heavenly Father,

to walk with the
people of our community

in good heart
and in good health.

We also ask you, dear Father,
to hold up a protective hand

over all the little wild things,

the birds, the animals,
the trees and the plants,

that live here on
this earth with us

and give us so much joy.

Amen.

Let's go catch butterflies.

Today, before we adjourn,

one of our members wishes
to make an announcement.

John?

Uh, thank you very
much, Reverend.

I think maybe you all
haven't got the word yet,

but there's a man here today who's
going to offer to buy your land from you.

Now, his name is Mr. Shelby,

and he represents
a land company,

and what this land
company of his wants to do

is to destroy everything up here
and turn it into a mining camp.

I'd like to try to keep you all
from doing something that I did.

I made a big mistake.

I was in a pretty
desperate situation

and I found a way here of
making a little money pretty quickly.

So I sold this piece of land.

This piece of land
that belonged to me.

But I never would've sold
it, not in a million years,

if I knew what Mr. Shelby
planned to do with it!

Now, wait a minute. All right, now
I'd like to have my say here, now.

This, uh...

This young man here came
to me. I didn't go to him.

He had some property to
sell. I bought it, at a fair price.

I took an option on
the Godsey's land, too.

Now, certainly I stand to
profit. I'm a businessman.

But look what a mining
operation here could do.

It could bring jobs, prosperity,

food on the table,

getting out of debt and
living like human beings again!

Mr. Shelby, you neglected to tell
me something that it would mean.

It would mean a mining town.

It'd mean a company town!

You know what a
company town means?

It means that you blast
everything that lives

off the face of these mountains

and it ends up scarred, and it ends
up dead, just like the dustbowl is!

And it means there's
gonna be trucks rolling

up and down your
roads night and day,

and there'll be rows and rows of
them ugly clap-trap look-alike houses!

Them company houses!

Mrs. Brimmer,

when you wake up in the morning

and you look out of your window,

don't you just like to look
up here at this pine forest?

It's a view I treasure.

Well, I guarantee, if you
sell your land up here,

in a year's time,
you'll be looking at

nothing but slag heaps
and mountains of dirt.

Some of you people had your
families living up here for 100 years.

Some even longer than that.

And how come? What
makes you stay up here?

Is it because of the money
underneath the ground?

Or is it because of the
beautiful things on top of it?

All right, all right.

All this makes
right pretty talk.

Now let's get practical.

When it comes right down
to it, what good is a view

if you don't have any money
to buy food for your kids

or put clothes on their backs?

Hey, you hold on a minute
there, Mr... Whatever.

We here, and our family
and these families here,

we've kept care of our families
and fed and clothed them

for over 100 years,

and I think we could continue to
do so without destroying the land.

This land is given
to us here in trust,

just... just for a little
while, to take care of,

and if you blow it
up and blast it up

and mine it and pour
cement all over it,

it's gone forever!

Mr. Walton, you
can't stand still!

The world is
changing. This is 1937.

We have radios,
we have airplanes.

The days of Daniel
Boone are gone.

America is a highly
civilized, mechanized country.

What we're planning
here is progress!

Whose progress?

Now, I believe in progress, too!

It means working together
with your fellow men

and helping to hold on to
some of the wonders of this world

for our children and our
children's grandchildren to enjoy.

Where will we be? Or our
great-great-grandchildren?

Where will be the
air and the trees?

Clean air for them to breathe?

You'll always have trees and
clean air for people to breathe.

Where? Where will they be?

After you and your kind get through
with it, just where will they be?

Thank you, Grandpa.

Well, I think you, uh,

you heard what my
grandfather had to say about it.

But you all gotta make
up your own minds.

If you want to sell your land,
then Mr. Shelby is right here.

I think you ought to step
right up and talk to him about it.

I guess I could use a
few dollars in my pocket.

Now, that's all I'm saying.

Mr. Shelby's your
man. Just step right up.

I don't wanna raise my
girls around a mining camp.

You ever see country after hydraulic
machines were through with it?

I've been told hydraulic mining
isn't half as bad as strip mining.

Yeah, well, why don't you go over to
the other side of Rockfish and take a look?

Make you sick, mister.

This mountain will never be
the same if we let them in here.

We got to stand
up to these people.

I guess I kind of
went off the deep end.

You were pushed a little.

Ladies and gentlemen, our
service for today has concluded.

I'll see you in church
next Sunday, all right?

Well, I reckon you'd like to sell me back
my land now, wouldn't you, Mr. Shelby?

No.

I think I'll hang on to it.

But why?

I mean, 10 acres, that's
not enough to mine on.

What would you want
with 10 acres of land?

Let's just say I'm
keeping my toehold here.

I'll be back someday,

when all you bird watchers
and flower lovers are gone.

I hope that time never comes.

Although it had been spared,

that piece of land was
never again to belong to us.

Mr. Shelby has never returned,

but the flower lovers and
bird watchers are waiting.

I saw Mrs.
Fordwick's baby today.

How'd she look?

Well, I don't know.

You saw her, didn't you?

Sure.

Well? What do you think?

Not so hot.

Elizabeth, in a few weeks,

little Mary-Margaret
will be a beautiful baby.

That's a relief. Good
night, everybody.