Your Coca-Cola Bottler presents, Claudia, based on the famous play and novels 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. Claudia! Hey, Claudia! I'll be right down, David. What is it? I just thought you could bring my briefcase down with you. Sure, where is it? In the bedroom. I'll bring it down right away. No hurry, no hurry this morning. No hurry at all. Your briefcase, sir? Oh, thank you. My, my, my, you're in a good mood today. You look like a lawyer. I'm in a good mood? I look like a lawyer? Yes. Now let me figure that one out. Idiot. Your briefcase, not your mood. Oh, the briefcase. That makes me a lawyer. The mood makes the man. Oh, I wish there were no more trains in the world. Now there goes another one. Briefcase, mood, train. You know you're obtuse today? Trains I don't like. Trains take you off to work every morning, get it? Trains I like. Trains bring me home from work every night. Still, if there were no trains at all. We wouldn't be living in Eastbrook. You're always looking on the bright side of things, darling. Any objections? Oh, it's so nice when you don't have to go to New York. It's so hungry making, too. If I don't go to New York, I don't bring home the bacon. Well, who wants bacon? What time is it? Oh, I have plenty of time. I'm not making the early train, so I have plenty of time. Hey, how come you're not making the early train? I have to drop by the town hall to see George Reynolds. Oh, George Reynolds. He won't be there until nine o'clock. How wonderful a present. A whole hour. A whole hour. It's just like eating cake and finding it has chocolate inlays. No, I don't mean inlays, do I? I don't think you mean inlays, no. Well, if you're not going to New York, put down that briefcase, stop standing around looking so imminent. Well, just how would you like me to look? Permanent. Hey, Mrs. Knott. Yeah? How high do you have the thermostat turned up this morning? I haven't turned it up. Well, it feels awfully warm in here now. Well, that's because it's warm. Oh, you don't say. Mm, I do. What's the thermostat read, darling? Mm, 68. 68. Should we stifle at 68? I'll turn it down. Good. Save some oil. Oh, what a wonderful morning. David, do you feel different this morning? Different good or different bad? Different good. David, what are you looking for? My matches, of course. Oh, it's too warm for matches today. Say, how about let's open some windows? I've turned the heat down. You know, it's not the heat that makes it warm I've decided. It's the day. What do I do with them? Open the windows, put your head out, tell me what it's like. My head is fine inside the window, thank you. All right. I'll put my head outside. Like a sock in the wind. Or is it a wind sock? Right on your second try. I'm afraid your head is as empty as a sock in the wind. It's a good thing I know better than to believe you when you talk nonsense. Well, now your head's out. What do you find? Hey, you with the matches. Come over here. Come over this instant. I'm lighting my pipe. Oh, you can light your pipe any old day. Come on. I could also put my head out the window any old day. Come on, stop being stoppy. I knew I should have taken that earlier train. Come on out with your head. It looks pretty there. Let me see. Oh boy. See, it is a nice day out. Why didn't you say so? It's not at all like yesterday, is it? Or the day before? Or the day before that? Eris, he's had a completely different feeling about it. Doesn't feel wintery. I'll say that much. Well, I'll say more. It feels almost like standing on the brink of a waterfall. You know how nice that cool spray is? Well, that's what the air feels like today. Aren't we poetic this morning? You have no soul. I do not indulge in sweet sentimentality. Oh, go on, David. Spread yourself. Say it's a nice day. It's a nice day. Say it's a warm day. It's a warm day. I would like to go for a walk with you. You would like to go for a walk with me? Oh, no, no, no. Try it again. Try it again. Come on. All right. Madam, would you like to go for a walk with me? I would love to. Without a coat. I don't think it's that warm. Yes, it is. I couldn't possibly wear a coat today. It would be out of place. I think it would be out of mine not to. You're going to wear a coat? Me? Yes. Of course not. But you would have me wear... That settles it. Neither am I. No coat. David, I can hardly believe it is still the 31st of January. And just what is it that you do believe that it is? Well, I believe it feels like April. All of a sudden, today feels just like April. You don't say. Maybe we went to sleep last night like in fairy tales. We fell asleep for two months. Oh, yes. When we woke, today was all gone. All gone. March was all gone. March gone. April now. April now. Ha! Sheer whimsy. Sheer wistful thinking. But couldn't there be a touch of Rip Van Winkle in all of us? Like salt and pepper. Yes. Come on, let's go for a walk. No coats allowed. David, feel the air. Oh, I'd rather breathe it if you don't mind. It's like, it's like, it's like... I know. It's like standing near a waterfall. Oh, come on, come on. Let's walk up the silent hill. Or let's walk down by the road. It's a thaw, all right? A what? A thaw. T-H-A-W. That's what I thought you said. The ice will break on the pond today and the brook will start running. You know, I'd forgotten what spring was going to be like. But this morning reminds me. I wish it were spring. Really spring. Why bother with spring when you can have this? That's true. It's warm, no more winter, no snow, no more ice, no more old age. David, taste the air. Maybe Fritz will want to let the cow out to pasture. No, no, no. She'll get her feet wet. It's only one month since she had her calf. You didn't let me out to pasture a month after I had the baby. Well, Majesty's a very superior cow. You mean superior to other cows or superior to people? Just superior. I see. All right. David, I think I hear a bird. Oh, that was only our old friend Willie the Crow. Which just goes to show what a little sunshine can do. Just shows you. To me, he sounded like a bird today, a veritable nightingale. Hey, look, look, look, look at him. See, he's flying around as if he just discovered his wings. Say, even his jacket seemed heavy today. David, I'm going to take the baby out today. Poor thing. He hasn't really been out for days. Oh, just look how bright the sun is. Golly, wouldn't it be a terrible world without sun. Now you see why sun-worshipping was one of the earliest forms of religion. I see, all right. Air is so nice and gentle. I can feel it all around my neck. Heaven. Yesterday I thought it would be January for years. I guess we ought to get going on the far pasture. What about the far pasture? I've decided to clear that one too. Oh. Jared Tucker and Fritz are planning to plant a field of corn. Oh, I love corn. It's not corn for you. Corn for who? Corn for Ruby. Well, if the corn is good enough for a pig, it's good enough for me. But is there really a difference between corn for pigs and corn for us? Or is it just that the same corn grows older? No, there really is a difference. What an insult to us. Hey, watch out for that puddle. Oh, I saw it. You act like you saw it. Phew, I should never have worn this sweater. Hey, wait a minute, I'll just take it off. Hey, now keep it on. Do you want to catch a death of coal? Keep it on. Oh, you bully. Oh, David, I wouldn't live any other way, darling. Because the sun is shining and the air is warm? Just because I love you. Mm-hmm. Listen to the little lady. David, there's not a soul around. And it's getting late. Too late for a small token of affection? Hey, that was only the tip of my nose you kissed. Now you ask for a small token of affection. And that's just what I got. Oh, darling, I wish it could be today forever. Because the air tastes like the waterfall. Every time I say something that you wish you'd said, you make fun of it. Yeah, that's what you think. David, look. See over in the field on the slope of the hill? See there, to the right. Jared has his horses out. That's what it looks like to me. Golly, it feels as if the whole countryside's waking up. I wish you'd look. You sure it's still the 31st of January? I am not sure of anything. I never traveled any place, but I'll bet there's no place on earth more beautiful than just here. When you don't have to take a train to New York. If I didn't know you, Mrs. Naughton, you would sound very smug to me. I am smug. I woke up smug this morning. Because the air tasted like the rain. No, no. Now don't say it again. Oh, yes, yes. Come on, we've got to get back home. I haven't all day to walk country roads with you. I wish you had, darling. But today I can pull up with anything. I wouldn't even be surprised if violets came popping up through the slush. No, you wouldn't be. I wouldn't be surprised at anything. I could believe that fish could fly and birds could swim. Then please believe this, that I believe that it's time for me to get going. Oh, well. Come on, let's cut through here, since you're in such a hurry. You'll get your feet wet. Oh, they'll dry. What difference does it make? Listen, if we cut through this field, David, we'll come out just behind the barn. And you can say hello to Majesty and Ruby. How's that for a trip? Don't pretend that you're doing this for me. Can you get over the wall? I'm over it already. Here, give me your hand. You'll trip. I won't trip. I'll have my hand. Can't wait till I get the baby out. And I think I'll call up Mom and tell her what a dope she was to go back to New York last night. Now that will make her feel fine. David, do you know what I think will be nice? What do you think will be nice? We fixed up the terrace behind the dining room so we can have breakfast outside next summer. Now, wait a minute. We'll have plenty of time to decide about that. How do you know summer might be here before you know? Well, I don't know. Hey, darling, why are you stopping? Come on. David, what's happened all of a sudden? What do you mean? Did you feel that cold wind just now? The sun's gone behind the cloud, that's all. Gosh, look, it's practically all clouded up all of a sudden. I guess it won't be a very nice day after all. I feel as chilly now without the sun. Do you want my jacket? No, no, no, no, I'm all right. Oh, David, it's cold. It's January again. January still? I'd almost forgotten what it was like. Well, let's go home before you get a chill. Strangest thing, one minute it was a taste of spring. Now it's all gone like the wind had blown it away. Hey, darling, you're shivering. Let me put my arm around you. No, it's all right. I guess it was only a winter thaw after all, David. Oh, what a dope I am. Winter is winter and it goes on and on and on and on. A little sunshine and everybody wants to think it's summer. Well, I guess that's life. Well, cheer up, darling. Everything comes to he who waits. Well, hurry up and get to the village. Are you trying to get rid of me? I am. I want to start waiting. What for what this time? Well, if you don't get started, how can I wait for you to come home? So goodbye, darling. I love you. When you step up to a soda fountain and ask for a Coke, when you pick up a carton of Coca-Cola in your grocery or drugstore, you know exactly what you're buying. For the quality of Coca-Cola is continuous. It never varies. Always it's delicious. Always it can be depended upon to provide you with the pause that refreshes. Hey, Joe, do you have the time? Sorry, David, my watch is being fixed. Oh, well, that's all right. I guess I'd better hustle along, though. You know, it certainly has turned chilly. Yeah, more is the pity. Say, David, how's the schoolhouse coming along? Pretty well. I think the plans are just about complete. Well, I'd love to be let in on some of them. Let's see, I'm meeting George Reynolds now about the schoolhouse. Why don't you come along? Oh, don't mind if I do. Say, David, I hope this will be one schoolhouse that kids won't mind going to. Maybe I ought to consult one of them. Well, maybe I'll have a chance to tomorrow. You coming, Joe? As soon as I say that 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 tomorrow 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 Coca-Cola makes any pause the pause that refreshes, and ice-cold Coca-Cola is everywhere. These broadcasts are adapted for radio by Manya Starr and the entire production is supervised and directed by William Brown Maloney. And now here's a word from your friendly neighbor who bottles Coca-Cola.