Your Coca-Cola Bottler presents Claudia. Claudia, based on the original stories by Rose Franken. Brought to you transcribed Monday through Friday by your friendly neighbor who bottles Coca-Cola. Relax, and while you're listening, refresh yourself. Have a Coke. And now, Claudia. I finished dining, David. You through working? Not yet. About five minutes more. I haven't seen you all day and now you're busy with work. Hmm? All these things happen. Frequently? Not too. David, the faucet started leaking again. Hmm? Have the superintendent come in and fix it tomorrow. Doesn't it bother you? No. You win. I'll put the work aside. I'll do it after you go to bed. You will not do it at your office. I never get jealous of some paper and a few pencils, Claudia. Rogers probably still hasn't left the office. Does his wife love him as much as I love you? No. Whoever said I loved you? Oh, I just get a general impression every once in a while. Say, David, I have something to show you. What? Maybe I'd better show it to you tomorrow. Show it to me now. Well, I got a letter today. Who from? The bank. The bank? The bank? What did they want? Maybe we'd better fix that faucet again. So far as I know, we have no social acquaintances at the bank. I dislike letters from the bank. They usually want money. Well, this letter was very friendly. Let's have it. I can tell you what it said. It was something about being overdrawn or something. Overdrawn? That's impossible. We haven't been married long enough. Let me see that letter, Claudia. It's a very short one, David. Really, it just said that we were... Let me see the letter. Oh, I thought you'd want to see it. It's in my sewing bag. I'll get it. I'm glad you waited till dinner to buy this. Somehow I knew you'd take it this way. How'd you know? Oh, I just knew. Honestly, I just can't imagine a big bank like that making a mistake. Neither can I. Here, let's have the letter. Here it is. Thanks. That faucet should be fixed. Whenever we stop talking, I can hear it drip. What's it say? What you said it did. You're overdrawn. There's still plenty of checks left in my book. But no money in the bank. Darling, I told you when we were first married that I'd never question you about household expenses. But something seems to have gone wrong, doesn't it? Yes, I just didn't think the money would go so fast. Well, neither did I. I'm sorry, David. It's just that I wanted to save and... Save? Claudia, at this rate, we're lucky if we make ends meet on my salary. Didn't you keep track of the checks? Oh, don't be angry with me, David. I'm not angry. I just wanted to know things. Didn't you keep track of the checks? I drew out twelve checks. I mean the money. How much each check was. Well, I started to. And then I forgot once, and so everything went wrong. And I thought I'd wait for the statement to come at the end of the month. You can't do things like that, Claudia. Look, now, let me show you. Where's your checkbook? In my purse. Well, bring it over here. David, let's not have our first argument over money. There's no argument, my love. I just want to show you how to keep your checkbook. So that something like this doesn't happen again. But you're angry at me. I'm not angry at you. I'm not happy over what's happened, but it shouldn't have happened. And it won't happen again, I promise. Here's my checkbook. I was so thrilled when you gave it to me. I'd never had a checkbook of my own before. Now, sit down next to me, Claudia. We'll go over this together. Yes, David. Uh-huh. And not here. Pull over the hasser. Oh, you are angry. There's always been room for both of us in your chair before. We never get any work done, though. Now, just pull over the hasser like a good girl and stop saying I'm angry. I'm not. All right, David. I'm ready. Can you see? Well, I'll lean over. Now, we'll start with page one. Let's see. This is fine. The man in the bank showed me how to make that one out. Oh. Now, let's look at two. Date, amount, or groceries. Nothing wrong with that one either. I looked at the first one. And your balance checks. Now, let's see. Three. You left the date off this one. That's when things started going wrong. We'll find out. Now, on the next one, you left out everything. No date, no amount, no reason. I know. I must have been in a hurry. I tried thinking what it was, but I just can't remember. In other words, from here on in, we don't know what the balance is. Well, I filled in most of the others. Yeah, but that's no good. They've all got to be filled in. That's the purpose of having stubs and a checkbook. So you know how much to spend for what and when. Now, Claudia. Claudia, what's this next check? Hmm? For a hundred dollars. We haven't spent a hundred dollars. I just can't remember where it went. Can't remember? Isn't that silly? I know I didn't buy anything expensive. A piano? No, no, wait, wait. Maybe I do know. I know what's happened to it. I'd like to know. I deposited the hundred dollars in our savings account. I didn't see the sense in leaving the checking account for them to use without interest. What's the matter? You mean, you mean... Yeah, that's just what I mean. Oh, no. What's so funny, David? You are. Now, the first thing tomorrow morning, you go down to the bank and put the hundred dollars back. All right, David. Move over. You move over. Your bones stick out. You've got to put some fat on them. It's not stylish. Would you rather have a fat wife or a stylish wife? A fat one. Oh. Go make us a sandwich before we go to bed. Oh, and a glass of milk. Oh, I'm too comfortable here with you. I think I'll get you a velvet smoking jacket for your birthday. This tweed scratches my face. I'll never wear it. I don't like men with uniforms for doing things. Uniforms? Smoking jackets for men who don't smoke and polo shirts for men who don't play polo. Oh, I see. And saddle shoes for people who aren't even horses. Exactly. Now, that settles it now. How about the sandwiches? No, hey, opera clothes for people who don't like the opera. Or who can't pump. How about the sandwiches? I'm still going to get you a smoking jacket for your birthday. I'm still not going to wear it. Think of all the money we'll save on cleaning bills. Well, that's one way of looking at it. At the rate, the jacket will pay for itself in no time. Are you getting up or will I have to forcibly evict you from this chair? I haven't been forcibly evicted in a long time. Well, get ready. It's going to happen at any moment now. David, David, you wouldn't dare. David, please don't. Do go and make the sandwiches or I'll drop you, Mrs. Noy. I'll go. I bruise too easily. In that case, I'll set you down gently. There. David, you're a bully. I'm not. I'm hungry and a hungry man will do anything. I don't even think you're hungry. You're trying to fatten me up. You just want to keep me company while I eat. Isn't it wonderful we both have such nice appetites? I don't know what I'd do without them. Now, get going, Mrs. Naughton. And listen, while I'm fixing the sandwiches, you can finish your work. I'll go into the kitchen, won't make a sound until I'm through and you're through. It's a deal. Where are those papers I was working on? On the floor next to your chair. Goodbye, David. Goodbye. Have a nice trip. David. What? Would you rather have a ham sandwich or a cold roast beef sandwich? Uh, roast beef. David. Yes, Claudia? There's no roast beef. I'll have ham then. I ate the ham for lunch. There's some cheese, though. I've changed my mind. I'll have cheese. I knew you'd be cleaning this. I won't bother you anymore, David. Oh, I don't mind. I'm getting used to it. In fact, I'm thinking of moving my office to a boiler factory. If it's near the house, you can come home for lunch. You said you weren't going to bother me. I won't, not unless it's important. David. Is it important? Very important. Don't make so much noise. Me? Make noise? Why? Come in here quick. Come on, tiptoeing. My dear Mrs. Naughton, I am not a toe dancer. Well, then take off your shoes and come in the kitchen. I'll leave my shoes on. Thank you. Hurry up. Hurry up. Hurry up. I realize my attempting to do work at home... Oh, David, listen. Stop talking so much and come on here. It was all a big mistake. Come on, tiptoe faster. I'm tiptoeing. What is it? Look. A mouse. Aren't you frightened? Aren't all women supposed to be frightened of mice? I've always loved them. I love them. You know, I don't think this one minds if we talk in our natural voice. Well, I'm glad of that. I'd hate to think of us spending the rest of our time in this apartment whispering because we didn't want to frighten a mouse. He came out when I took the cheese out of the refrigerator. Put it back. Maybe it'll go away. Mice aren't supposed to just stand around and look at you. They're supposed to run away. Oh, not this one. He must be hungry. I think I'll drop a piece of cheese on the floor. That cheese was supposed to be for my sandwich. Oh, you had a big dinner. That poor little mouse, he probably hasn't even eaten in days. Here you are. Here you are, little fella. Come on. He is hungry. Here, let me have a piece. David! It's not for me. I want to feed him, too. Here, Goliath. Let him know he's welcome. He might be offended if I didn't make at least one gesture of friendship to me. Here you are. Hey, not such big pieces. He'll dislocate his jaw. Oh, hasn't he got beautiful eyes? Gorgeous. Looks just like you. Now, now we've got him. What do we do with him? I don't know if that's a compliment or not to be compared to a mouse. You know, David, I don't think that people usually make pets of mice, do you? Not usually. I think a cat or a dog would be more appropriate. Oh, no, we couldn't get a cat. Now we have a mouse. Look, he's standing on his hind legs. I refuse to stand by and watch you teaching tricks. How about my sandwich? You can't have it. The mouse is between us and the bread box. If we get the bread, he'll run away. If I don't get the bread, I'll run away and I won't have a sandwich. I'll go get it myself. He's running away. You'll frighten him, you big bully. Oh, I'm sorry if I hurt his feelings. You'll forgive me, won't you, old boy? Maybe he's just going to tell his friends he's found a free lunch counter. He'll probably be outnumbered tomorrow. Hey, there's no bread. Well, anyway, no dishes to wash. And no sandwiches to eat. How would you like a glass of milk? No use, no use. What do you mean, no use? Just as I'd be lifting the glass to my lips, a cat would walk into the kitchen, I'm sure. Now how would a cat find his way in here? He'd find a way. He'd find a way. Now let's turn out the lights and go back into the living room. It's funny, I was just going to suggest that myself. Hey, it's dark. That's because the lights are out. Out. What happened? That mouse pushed a chair in front of me in the dark. It was very strong cheese. You've got drugs on it. Where are you going to sit? I ask you first. Well, I'm going to sit and I ask you first. Well, all right, I'll sit in my usual chair. And you? I'll sit in my usual lap. I was afraid of that. All right, I'll brace myself. I'm ready. Come ahead. I love that. You're getting heavy. You'll have to lose some weight, Claudia. You just told me I was bony and I had to put on some weight. I've changed my mind. Your bone's way too much then. David, you're such a fool. David, do you think he'll come back tomorrow? Who? Well, either he... How else you know? Either he will or his brother will, I'm sure. How do you know he has a brother? All mice have brothers. I know them all personally. Lots of brothers. How about sisters? Lots of sisters. That's nice. I was an only mouse. I mean, child. I know your mother told me. She told me lots of things about you, but she left the most wonderful thing out. Oh, David, what's the most wonderful thing about me? That you are not afraid of mice. Well, I'm not afraid of lions or tigers either. Ever meet one? No, but I'm sure I wouldn't be. Hmm. Afraid of a snake? A snake? No. Well, aren't you afraid of anything? Not even a snake? Yes. Hey, what are you afraid of? I'm scared to death of a worm. Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha. What's the matter? Oh, what are you laughing about, you little... David, what are you laughing about? Darling, I'm laughing at you. Ha ha ha ha. Music All story material used on this broadcast of Claudia was under the supervision of Rose Franken and William Brown Maloney. You know, good times and delicious refreshments just naturally go together. That's why it's always a fine idea to keep ice-cold Coca-Cola in the refrigerator, ready to serve at any time. And tomorrow, when you're shopping at the grocery store for a Coke to take home, you'll find it mighty pleasant to pause at the familiar red Coca-Cola cooler, have a bottle of ice-cold Coke, and shop refreshed. Every day, Monday through Friday, Claudia comes to you transcribed with the best wishes of your friendly neighbor who bottles Coca-Cola. So listen again Monday at the same time. And now this is Joe King saying au revoir and remember, whoever you are, whatever you do, wherever you may be, when you think of refreshment, think of Coca-Cola, for ice-cold Coca-Cola makes any pause the pause that refreshes. Music