Your Coca-Cola Bottler presents, Claudia. Music Claudia, based on the famous play and novels by Rose Franken. Brought to you transcribed by your friendly neighbor who bottles Coca-Cola. Relax, and while you're listening, refresh yourself. Have a Coke. Music And now, Claudia. Music Hmm, it's raining out. Still? Rain, rain, rain. It's been raining all day. April showers. Almost April. Winter's as good as gone. In a month everything will be green. Jungples will be out. Air will smell better than a bakery. Always your stomach. You're certainly in an eating mood tonight. Well, I guess it's all this rain. I hate it during the day, but there's something nice about it at night, isn't there? Nice. Besides, it'll make them yellower this spring. Yeah, much yellower. What? Daffodils, of course. Oh, it makes them jump further, too. What? Daffodils? No, frogs. Oh, oh, frogs. I'd almost forgotten about frogs. They'll be coming up from the bottom of the brook any day. You know, David, I'll bet you frogs think springs made especially for them. They sure do. David? Bobby'll think springs made especially for him, too. I don't know. I don't think he's quite old enough yet. He's only... Nine months, you know perfectly well, Papa. He's getting old, isn't he? You know, actually, he looks years younger than the day he was born. David, you think he'll notice spring? Oh, beyond a doubt, every bud. At first, you know. It's kind of too bad that a first spring comes when you're so young. Our next child will arrange it differently, all right? Oh, look. It's still raining. Yeah, it'll probably rain all night. I don't mind, just so long as it makes spring greener. Oh, David, aren't you glad you're here and not anyplace else in the world? You're certainly in a rhapsodic mood tonight, young woman. Oh, any objections? Well, a man likes to think that he's the cause for his wife rhapsodizing, not a change in the months. The months wouldn't mean a thing without the man. Dope. Especially April. Mrs. Norton, are you professing affection for this poor, dilapidated, unworthy soul? Never. That's much too forward. Much. Kiss me? Begging for a kiss isn't forward, I suppose. Not a bit. It's only human. Oh, it's only wonderful being human. You sleepy? No, not particularly. Good. We can... Hey. What's the matter? Listen, don't reach for that paper. Why not? You don't want to read now. Who says I don't? I says. You don't feel like reading. Nobody else in the whole world is allowed to read. It's about time you found that out. Yeah, I found it out a long time ago. I was trying to forget. Well, I'll even tell you why you don't want to read. All right, go ahead. Because you want to go for a walk. Oh, I do. You want to put on your galoshes and your raincoat, your rain hat and go for a walk. I do. Yes? You want to walk with me in the rain to the top of the hill, across the meadow and down to the brook and back around by the barn. I do. Don't you? Come to think of it, I do. Oh, it feels good. You like the rain drinking down your neck? I love it. It's slush to my knees. The only trouble with rain is the city. I agree. I mean, when you're dressed right and you don't have to look as if you were going to the opera, then walking in the rain is wonderful. I know what you meant. Wouldn't you hate being married to a woman who didn't like it? I would not only hate it, I would abhor it. Abhor? It's a delicious word. You like it? Remind me to use it sometimes. I will. Soon as dark, I will... Stay careful. Don't trip. I never trip. Oh. You tripped this time. That was a stumble. We're here. Say, David, I don't think it's raining as much on top of the hill as it is at the bottom. At least it feels that way. Of course. Why, of course? Well, the drops haven't fallen so far. So they hit less hard, so it feels like less rain. Oh, you're so clever. Come here, under the walnut tree. That old tree? It wouldn't keep a sparrow dry. Well, you're not a sparrow, so come on. David, come on. If I were a sparrow, I would be sparrow-pecked. I love this silly walnut tree. Remember what a fight we had with Mr. Tucker over it? I don't think it's really walnut. Shh. I don't want to hear. It will always be a walnut to me. And you will always be a plain nut to me. I knew you were going to say that. I love this tree like a walnut. More than that, I... I think I love it because fighting over it was the first thing that made me start to feel as if I wanted to own this farm. All you liked was the fight. You didn't want to be jipped. Well, at first, but then it grew. And the tree itself became important. And then the brook itself, and then the lower pasture itself, until the whole farm. Do you know, David? Hmm, I'm not sure. I think I suspected it, but didn't want to know. I was a fraud. Yep, fraud. You still are. You were sweet, darling. You didn't say anything. You just left me to thrash it out with myself. And you won. I, um, I knew you would. Yes, I won, but with your faith, not mine. It was a whole year ago. It was very much, I think, yep. Almost exactly a year. Seems longer. Seems shorter, too. You, uh, you sorry? Never. David, all this rain, I can't see the nose on my face. You need a windshield wiper. Cold? Me? Perfect. You? Too. But it's time I think you've had enough rain. Oh, no, no, not yet. Oh, David, I wish I could see the house. All I can see is a little light. If it were on the other side of an ocean. Mm-hmm. Lights downstairs. Mama must have gone to sleep. It's nice to think of her in the house. Nice to think of you in the house, too. Come on. David, you walk so fast. Well, come on, you're dawdling. Of course I'm dawdling. I don't want to go in. The rain's so warm, so sweet. Well, then let's stop by the barn, take a look at the animal. Now, that is a good idea, man. Hey, watch out for the puddle. Ah! I stepped right in. Yeah, you certainly did and splashed it all over me, clumsy. On the contrary, perfect aim. Oh, David, do all barn doors squeak as pretty as ours does. A fatuous remark if I ever heard one. Wasn't it, though? Oh, I'm drenched. David. Hm? Didn't tell me Majesty was back. Well, she came back this afternoon. Nobody told me. Well, is she pregnant? She hasn't told me. Well, you can't wait for that to find out. Guess I'll have to. Well, maybe you can, but I can't. Yeah, well, what do you propose to do? Propose to talk to her like a mother. I see. A good farmer should certainly be able to tell when his own cow is with calf. Come on, quick. She'll be just as with calf in two minutes as she is now. I want to close the door. Oh, I do love the smell of a barn. It ought to be bottled. Ruby, hello, Ruby. You still awake? Oh, such a lovely pig. Well, Ruby is with calf all right. Just look at her. Oh, any day now. Yeah, any. And a good litter, too. Oh, I love it. This barn is getting just like a maternity ward. Without all the pampering and the fuss. Animals really are superior. They go around having babies all the time as if it were perfectly normal. It is. I know. It's just that Ruby and Majesty make me feel as if I weren't doing my fair share. Just Bobby and no prospects. Hey, look, Abner has his head under his wing. Now you woke him up. Oh, I'm sorry, Abner. Sleep later in the morning instead. Here we are, Majesty. Hello there. It's good to have her back in the barn, isn't it? Bet the heifers missed her, too. Yeah. Well, David, what do you think? You mean about... Yes, about... I told you, it's too early to tell. Nonsense. Majesty, you and I are going to have a little chat. So, tell me all. Now, lovely girl, just look at me with those deep brown eyes. David. What? Yes. Yes what? She's going to. You can't tell. I certainly can. I looked her in the eye. The eye has nothing to do with it. Has so. Yes, Majesty's pregnant. I know. You use tea leaves? No, they're not necessary. It's just something one woman knows about another woman. That's all. You're pretty sure of yourself. Very. Sweet dreams, Majesty. Congratulations. Now, how about going back to the house? I'm ready. Really belongs to us. Animals and all. It's almost too much. Not if you know it. Life's very generous. Majesty's going to have a calf. Really? Yes. It goes on and on, doesn't it? It's still raining. Now, this time watch out for the puddles. No, David. In a way, it's not even so terrible about dying. Spring always comes again. Majesty's heifer will have a heifer. She'll go on. It will have been part of it. Our children will have children. They'll go on. Our same trees will stand. The land we walk on will be here for the end of time. It's almost as if a person never died, isn't it? Not if a person really shook hands with life. I really never knew until now. Terrible part must be not being born. I'd hate not to have been born. I'd hate you not to have been born, too. You would. Very much. What a stroke of luck we were born at the same time, darling. We could so easily have missed each other by centuries. Not a chance, darling. David. Oh, darling, there's nothing like a kiss in the rain. The Parts of Claudia and David on this program were played by Catherine Bard and Paul Crabtree, and the entire production is supervised and directed by William Brown Maloney. During the day when you take time out from housework to listen to a radio program, in the evening when the family gathers to hear a show together, you'll find that good entertainment is even better when you listen refreshed with ice-cold Coca-Cola. When there's a case of Coke on hand and plenty of bottles cooling in the refrigerator, the pause that refreshes is only half a minute away at any time. With today's episode, the current series of Claudia presentations on the air come to an end. Claudia and David and all the members of the cast and your friendly neighbor who bottles Coca-Cola, and all of us who've been with the presentation of the show, would like to thank all of you who've listened to it so faithfully. We leave you with sincere regret and with the hope that we shall someday meet again. In the meantime, this is Joe King saying, 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. Thank you.
