[Ward Narrating] When you were young, you had your own set of values—
values that nothing could change.
An ice-cream (one was a sno-capped mountain of sheer delight.
An autographed baseball was more precious than rubies.
And a note from the teacher meant only one thing— disaster.
And that’s our story tonight on Leave It To Beaver.
[Announcer] Leave It To Beaver.
Starring Barbara Billingsey, Hugh Beaumont, Tony Dow...
and Jerry Mathers as the Beaver.
[Girl] "Mother and Father went to the picnic
“Alice and I...
“went with Mother and Father to the picnic.
“Mother and Father had fun at the picnic.
“Alice and I had fun at the picnic.
We all had fun... at the picnic.”
That's very good, Judy.
Now can anyone tell us What a picnic is?
Harold.
A picnic is where you go out in the country and eat food off the dirt.
Oh, well, that's not bad. What else do we know about picnics?
Theodore?
When we go on a picnic, we eat hot dogs and “hamburglars.”
Hamburglars?
He means hamburgers, Miss Canfield. Beaver always talks that way.
Oh. Thank you,, Theodore.
Now— [Bell Rings]
That's all for today, class.
[Children Chattering]
Oh, Theodore?
Theodore, I — My name's Beaver.
Beaver? Is that your given name?
Yes, ma'am. My brother “given“ it to me.
Well, in the classroom, I'd better call you Theodore.
Yes, Miss Canfield
Theodore, I have a note here to your mother and father.
You'll be sure to give it to them, won't you?
Well, hadn't you better put that in one of your pockets?
Uh—uh. They're full of dirt for my turtle.
Oh.
What did she do to you, Beaver?
Didn't do nothing. She just gave me a note to take home.
For your parents?
Sure. What's wrong with that?
You must have done something really awful.
I don't remember it.
How about the time you hid in the locker during ﬁre drill?
Jackie Pryor took a note home and was expelled.
I'll bet you're gonna get it. They'll throw you right out of school.
Won't they throw him out of school?
Thank you, dear. Mm—hmm.
Well, no dessert, Beaver? No.
No, what?
No, I won't have any.
You have a new teacher— Miss Canfield. What's she like?
Uh, all right, I guess.
What happened at school today?
She called me Theodore.
Can I be “scused”?
Yeah, I guess so.
Well, Wally, uh, what about you?
How you like Mr. Wilkerson? Oh, he tells jokes in class.
Funny jokes? No.
— May I be excused too? — Yeah.
I want you boys to take a bath tonight before you go to bed. Okay, Mom.
Don't forget. Okay.
Wally, weren't we supposed to take a bath before we went to bed?
Oh, yeah.
Hey, Beave, uh— Well, what happened to you in school today?
[Water Running]
Well, they remembered to take their baths.
I'll get that.
You're gonna be expelled, out of the second grade?
What gave you that crazy idea?
Miss Canfield gave me a note to take home.
A note? Well, what's in it? I don't know.
It's a note, all right.
There's a lot of writing in there.
Why didn't you give it to Mom? I'm “a—scared” of what's in it.
But you don't know what's in it. That's why I'm a—scared.
Wally? Yeah?
Did you ever get a note from school?
Yeah, once.
What happened? I had to go to summer school.
—Wally? —What is it now?
Would they “spell“ ya If you hid in a locker during ﬁre drill?
I don’t think so.
One of the big kids from the third grade said they just might “suspender” me.
Well, they did that to a couple of kids last year,
but they're not gonna throw you out unless you done something really bad.
What else did you do?
Well,
me and Billy Andrews hid in the cloak room...
And jumped out at all the girls.
That's kid stuff.
They wouldn't expel you for that They wouldn't even suspend you
Hey, weren't you sent out of the cafeteria on Thursday?
Yes, but that wasn't my fault.
Larry Mondello pushed me, and I bumped into Mr. Thompson's cocoa.
Maybe Miss Canfield just has a grudge against you.
If she's gonna be mean, mustn't she have a reason? Of course not.
When you're an older person, you don't have to have a reason to be mean.
Hey, you know something, Beaver? What, Wally?
You'll be the ﬁrst kid to ever be thrown out of the second grade in the history of the school.
Wally.
couldn't we open the note?
Of course not. That'd be dishonest.
[Plug Pops]
Hey, Beave, can I borrow some of your turtle dirt?
Sure, Wally.
It'll leave a ring.
[Boy] Good—bye, Miss Canfield. Bye.
Bye.
Uh, Theodore.
I found this under your desk at lunch hour.
Uh, somebody must've dropped it there.
Isn't this the note I asked you to give to your parents last night?
I must've “gots” it.
Oh, you mean, forgot it.
I must've “forgots” it.
But, Theodore, you promised me you'd give it to them.
Well, I was gonna, but there was a ﬁre.
What ﬁre?
Our stove blew up.
Oh, dear. Was anyone hurt?
Yea— No. My big brother Wally quick put it out.
He grabbed a “stinguisher.”
It went— [Blowing]
Well, that's a shame,
but, uh, couldn't you have given your mother the note after the ﬁre was out?
She had to go bring back Dad. He was in the hospital.
Oh, I'm sorry to hear that. What's the trouble?
I think the doctor said he's got symptoms.
Can I go home now?
I have to help my mother.
Well, of course. I-I know how busy she is,
but do try and bring an answer back from her tomorrow, hmm?
Yes, Miss Canfield.
Isn't that the little Cleaver boy?
Having problem with a note, Mrs. Rayburn. He forgot to give it to his parents.
Well, they have such important things on their minds at that age.
Well, I know he's upset.
It seems they brought his father home from the hospital last night.
Oh, what a shame.
He's on our fathers' committee.
I'll tell you what. Before I drive you home, let me stop at the ofﬁce.
I'll send him some ﬂowers.
Hello, Miss Canfield, Mrs. Rayburn. Oh, Wally.
Quick thinking last night with your father laid up.
Oh, yeah.
Well, that's funny. He looked as though he didn't know what I was talking about.
Well, he's in the eighth grade. It's a stage they go through.
This note you sent home with little Theodore—
He's not getting in trouble in class, is he? Oh, no.
We're having our ﬁre prevention pageant next month.
I want him to play Smokey the Bear. Oh.
J; [Whistling]
Mmm—mm!
Okay, what did you buy? I didn't buy anything, silly.
It's what you did, and right out of the blue.
Oh, darling. I t overwhelmed me!
The new seat covers on the car?
No, silly. The ﬂowers. Oh, the ﬁ—
They just came. Come on. [Mouths Words]
Oh, Ward, they're lovely. You haven't done this in years.
I still haven't done it.
I didn't send 'em. Oh.
Well, then who did? Huh. Maybe you have a secret admirer.
I don't, but you do.
“Hope to see you back on your feet soon. Cornelia Rayburn.”
Who's Cornelia Rayburn?
And when did she see you off your feet?
The only Rayburn I know is Mrs. Rayburn, the grammar school principal.
Well, why would she send you flowers?
How should I know? Maybe it's Arbor Day.
“Hope to see you back on your feet again.”
Why, she intended this for someone who is ill.
Well, I'll call her up tomorrow and let her know.
Ward? Mm—hmm.
Why don't you ever send me flowers?
I'm the kind who says it with seat covers.
Hey, how could you have lost the note in the ﬁrst place?
I don't know. I didn't go anywhere.
I twas in my shoe when I left school.
Then I went to the candy shop,
and then I watched the men change a tire on a bus,
and then I helped johnny Cooper look for four—leafclovers.
I couldn't have lost it. Somebody must've “tooken” it.
Boy, you're in a mess.
If I don't bring an answer to Miss Canfield,
she's gonna send for Mom.
Miss Canfield might even hit me!
Only the coach can hit you.
Wally, they're gonna “spell“ me sure.
If— What are we doin'?
We're writin' an answer to the note, and wipe your nose.
How can we write an answer to the note if we don't know what was in the note?
Look, it's from your teacher, so it has to be something bad.
But I don't remember what bad I did.
I'm writing an answer that'll cover anything bad you ever did.
That's a good idea. Do you think it'll work?
“Dear Miss Canfield,
“I have received your note dated two days ago—
the one you sent home with Beaver.”
She calls me Theodore.
“The—
“O—
“dore.
“I have whipped him. His father has whipped him.
“He is very sorry. We are very sorry.
Your friend, Mrs. Ward Cleaver, the Beaver's mother."
She calls me Theodore.
“I have whipped him.
“His father has whipped him.
“He is very sorry.
“We are very sorry.
“Your friend, Mrs. Ward Cleaver,
Theodore's mother."
I know the household must be upset...
with the ﬁre and Mr. Cleaver in the hospital,
but why would they punish the little boy...
simply because I want him to play Smokey the Bear?
Miss Canfield, this is your ﬁrst term with the second grade.
There's something you should know about little boys and notes.
Yes, Mrs. Rayburn?
I think the best way to clear the situation...
is to have Mrs. Cleaver come in tomorrow for a little talk.
I'll call her this evening.
Hurry up, boys. You're gonna be late for school.
[Door Closes]
Bye, Mom. I'll be home right after school,
and tell Dad to bring home the ﬁsh food.
Beaver!
Bye, Mom! I love you, and I'll pick up my room later!
[Exhales]
[Sighs]
Mom, are you goin' someplace today?
Yes, Beaver. As a matter of fact, I am. I'm going down to your school.
Any idea why your principal would want to talk to me?
Uh, maybe Wally done something bad.
Bye!
Bye.
Mr. Cleaver and I'd be only too happy to let the Beaver be in the pageant.
I'm sorry he misunderstood about the note,
and I'm gonna speak to Wally about his part in it too.
Well, I hope Theodore isn't too upset,
and I hope he'll be back in school tomorrow. Yes, well, good—
Back in school tomorrow?
But he left home this morning. Isn't he here now?
Well, I'm afraid not. Miss Canfield reported him absent.
Gee, that was over two hours ago. Where do you suppose he is?
I wouldn't worry.
They never go far.
Oh, Ward. Do you really think he's run away? [Wally Shouting] Beaver!
No, but I'd feel a lot better if we found him.
Beaver! Beaver!
Is he in there, Wally? No, but he's been here. Here's his lunch box.
Oh, wouldn't you know? Didn't eat his tomato again.
Now look, Wally. I want you to take us every place you think he might be.
Okay.
Beaver? Beaver!
[June] Beaver. Beaver.
Well, he was around here the other evening Brought me a mason jar full of ﬁreflies.
Don't believe I've seen him since.
These people looking for your brother 'cause he done something wrong?
We're looking for him because we're his parents.
His parents, huh? Hmm.
You sure don't look like he described you.
Beaver? Beaver!
[Ward] Beaver?
Beaver/
No, Wally, I ain't seen the Beaver in a couple of days.
He was in last Saturday to borrow a can of grease off of me,
but I ain't seen him since.
Yeah, well— well, thanks a lot, Fats.
Yes, much obliged, uh, Fats.
Yeah, they were here. Been looking all over for you.
What've you been up to?
You won't say anything, will ya, Gus? Course not.
I'm running away 'cause I got “spelled“ from school. Oh.
I gotta go now. You won't say anything?
Not a word. Thanks, Gus.
Say, Beaver, that father of yours—
You're sure he's the one that run the whole navy during the war?
I don't know where else he'd be, Dad.
Hey, uh, have— have you fellows seen a little boy?
We just been playing. We ain't seen anybody, mister.
[Sighs] Well— Well, he's about eight years old.
He's my brother. Your brother, huh?
What's he look like?
You know, he looks like a kid.
He was wearing jeans and a blue sweater.
Does he have a baseball cap on, lady? Well, yes!
Would that be him up there?
Beaver, what in the world are you doing up there?
— Sittin' in a tree, Dad. — Well, come down out—
Ward, don't frighten him. He might fall.
Uh, well, Beaver, come on down, boy. Supper's ready.
Uh—uh.
Beaver, please come down out of that tree.
I can't. You'll hit me.
He's been up there an hour, lady.
Well, we've been looking for him all day.
Beaver, come on down here. What's the trouble?
There's a boy up there in that tree.
Oh, I thought it was a cat. Come on, dear.
— Hi,Wally. — Hi, Beave.
— You squealed on me. — I had to.
You know how it is.
Theodore Cleaver, I demand you come down out of that tree this minute and stop this foolishness.
I’m not coming down. You’ll hit me!
Well, you just better bet I—
Oh, why, Beaver, you know we never hit you.
What about the time I spilled the ink on the rug?
Uh, never mind.
I don't think he's coming down. He'll come down, all right.
Beaver, you come on down out of that tree, or I'm coming up there after you.
Uh—uh. I'm gonna stay here until I die, and then you'll be sorry.
All right, I—
Well, all right, Beaver. If you wanna stay up there,
I guess your father and Wally and I'll just have to go home and have supper.
You're gonna leave me here alone?
time} Well, that’s what you want
But if it rains, I'll get all wet.
Yes, I guess you will.
Maybe I better come home and get my raincoat, and then come back up here.
You know, that's a good idea.
Boy, when they get him home, they'll really kill him.
I gave the Beaver a hot bath. He was a little worse for wear.
[Chuckles] I'm not in such good shape myself.
Ward. Uh-huh?
Do you think he would really have stayed up there until he died?
Sure. I would have when I was a kid.
If you said you were going to, you did.
Ward. Uh-huh?
Oh, the note and the Beaver being scared and running away—
You think Miss Canfield will understand all that?
She might. I think there's a pretty good chance she was a kid once herself.
Theodore, you can catch up with the rest of the class tomorrow.
You know now what was in that note I wrote to your mother and father, don't you?
Yeah. You wanted me to play Smokey the Bear.
Well, that's right.
Why did you assume that what I wrote in the note was something bad?
I don't know. Well, you must've had a reason.
Well— Well, what?
I guess it was 'cause you're a teacher.
Well, Theodore, teachers aren't the natural enemies of little boys.
You know, it's very hard to be a good teacher.
Well, someone once said that a good teacher is like a candle.
I t consumes itself to light the way for others.
Do you understand? Kinda, sorta.
You know, this is your ﬁrst year in the second grade,
and it's my ﬁrst year too.
We could learn a lot from one another. Would you help me?
I’ll try.
For one thing,
don't make the boys wear aprons when we do ﬁnger painting.
Well, that's a very good suggestion. I'll remember that, Theodore.
Miss Canfield, will you do me a favor?
Sure. Call me Beaver?
It's a deal, Beaver.
Can I go home now? Of course.
Hurry up, boys. You're gonna be late for school.
[Door Closes]
Bye, Mom. I'll be home right after school, and tell Dad to bring home the ﬁsh food.
Beaver! [Door Closes]
Bye, Mom. I love you, and I'll clean up my room later!
Oh!
Hey!
— What's this? — It's my shrunken head
Oh. So it is.
Why are you taking it to school?
I thought Miss Canfield might like it.
You know, I think she might too.
Here.
Bye.