It's 545 now, the time when you hear all about orphan Annie and all about Ovaltine too. But first, was this one of those days when you came home hungry from school? But then, just as you were making a beeline for the pantry, your mother came along and said, no, you can't have a single thing to eat until supper time. I don't want you to spoil your supper. Well, almost every old friend of Annie's knows what to do when that happens. When they come home from school, they just ask their mothers for some Ovaltine, a big delicious cupful, because it tastes good and it goes just right after school. Besides, their mothers let them have Ovaltine every day after school and they don't worry about it spoiling their suppers either, because Ovaltine is so easy to digest, you're almost bound to get hungry again real soon. What's more, with every cupful of Ovaltine, you not only get important minerals and vitamins to help make you husky, but you also get the special vitamin you may need to develop a bigger and better appetite for all your meals. And so, you just tell your mother about that and ask her to get you a can of Ovaltine at her grocery or drugstore right away. And then, after school tomorrow, you can go right home and treat yourself to a big delicious cupful. You'll be surprised at how good it tastes and how good it is for you. And now, all you club members of Annie's Secret Society, attention please. Right after tonight's adventure is over, we're going to broadcast an important secret message in Annie's mystery radio code. So get your pencils ready and be sure to keep listening. And now, for our adventure. Last time, remember, Mr. Silo received a telegram from his long-lost brother, Jed. It said that Jed was in deep trouble and begged Mr. Silo to come to him at once. And here it is just a short time later. The Annie, Joe, Mr. and Mrs. Silo, and Walter Bloom, who brought the telegram, are in the house. But listen to what Mrs. Silo's saying. My sakes alive, Pa. Just think, a message from your brother, Jed. I am thinking about it, Ma. Thinking of plenty. I declare to goodness, it's been 20 years since we've heard from him. All of that, Ma, all of that. I used to like Jed. I remember he was the best man at our wedding. Stood almost as tall and straight as you did, and he... Never mind about that just now, Ma. Please. This thing has sort of got me upset. Land sakes, I guess I'm upset too, Pa. I'll get you a drink of water, Mrs. Silo. Here, sit down, Ma. Sit down. Thanks, Pa. I declare, this has sort of knocked me all of a heat. Now take it easy, Ma. Take it easy. Everything's all right. Great snakes, the very fact that we got that telegram shows that Jed's alive, he ain't dead. We ought to be happy about it instead of worrying, bothering ourselves the way we are. I'm all right, Pa. I guess we're seeing you get kind of upset that got me that way. Here's a cup of water, Mrs. Silo. Thank you, Joe. Thank you. Oh, that's good. Now then, let's get down to business. Just what did that telegram say again, Annie? It says, if you ever love me, Byron, come to me at Fairhaven on the Mississippi River at once. I'm in deep trouble. Jed Silo. Deep trouble? Land sakes. What kind of trouble can poor Jed be in? Don't know, but I'm glad of one thing, that when he was in trouble, he come to me, his brother. I don't care if it's 20 years or 40 years. I ain't heard from him. Blood's thicker than water and blood's going to hell. What do you mean, Pa? Mean? I'm going to him, just like he asks. Land sakes, Ma. When a brother or a friend calls to you, well, you just got to answer. Course you have, Pa. Of course. Here, take this cup, Annie. I didn't need that water anyhow. There. And I don't need that chair. Reckon I can stand on my own feet as well as anybody. Good for you, Ma. Now then, let's get down to cases. You're going to Jed. But where are you going to him? Why, wherever he is, to a place named... Fairhaven, Mr. Sido. Sure, Fairhaven, on the Mississippi River. But the Mississippi's a big river. Just where is this town of Fairhaven? Why, I... I don't know. Shucks, I got my school geography book here. I can find this place on the map. Good for you, Joe. Get that there book of yours open. Wait till I get the strap off it. Well, while you're looking, I got some preparations to make. Gee, snakes have been so long since I've been on a trip, I hardly know where to start. Walter, do you want to be help? Sure I do, Mr. Sido. You know I'd do anything to help you. My goodness, I... Thanks, Walter. Well, up in the barn, in the loft, behind the hay, there's an old trunk. You don't want that trunk, Byron. My sakes alive, you ain't going away for the rest of your life. All you want is a suitcase. Yes, you're right, Ma. Of course I'm right. My goodness, what you men would do without us women is more than I know. Now, I'll just you forget all about packing, Pa. I'll do it for you. I'll attend to that and I'll see that everything you need goes into that suitcase. And I won't be forgetting your toothbrush or your night shirt, like you might. I won't be no time at all at it. You just stay calm. All right, Ma, all right. And I'll get it done right now. Here it is, Joe, here it is. It's right, Annie, you got your finger right on it. Fair Haven. And it is on the Mississippi. Sure it is. Have you found it, Annie? You bet, Mr. Silo. Now, ain't them joggity books wonderful? Where is it, Annie? Right here, right where my finger's pointing. Fair Haven. Yeah, that is it, all right. Sure it is. See, this curving black line is the Mississippi. But just where is it? It's in the state of Mississippi, on the Mississippi River, Mr. Silo. Let's see, it's the state of Mississippi. Is it far? Well, it's pretty far from here. It's a lot of miles. Well, I don't care how far it is, I'm going. I got to get to Jed if he needs me. Reckon Frank Thomas, the railroad station, can tell me how to get there on the train. Sure he can, that's his business. I'll call him on telephone a few minutes and find out about it. Let's go in the house and see what Ma's doing. Well, he says, I ain't been separated from Ma in I don't know how many years. That kind of breaks my heart, just thinking about it. But duty is duty, I guess I gotta go. Oh well, Ma, how you coming? Fine, Pa, fine. Say, what's that on your cheek, Ma? On my cheek? Oh, looks a-bright wet to me. Wet? Nonsense, ain't wet at all. Don't be brushing it off, Ma. That was a tear. A tear? Oh, you must be out of your head, Byron. I ain't had any tears on my face since I was a young girl. Just the same that was a tear. Sorry I'm going away. Oh, oh, Pa. There, there, there. We've never been separated, Byron, since the time we were married. Years and years and now... I've got to go, Ma. Of course you have. I'm all right. Don't pay any attention to me. Toothbrush, hairbrush. Though goodness knows you ain't got so much hair to brush anymore. Two night shirts, socks, four pair. Your razor and soap and brush. Three neckties. Ma. What in the world? Well, this woolen underwear. I don't need them. Nah, don't you be telling me what you need. I haven't lived with you all these years without knowing your needs better than you do. But Ma, honest, I'm going south. The winter's over. I'm not going to need any woolens down where I'm going. Pa, you will take what you get. And you'll find these woolen underwear will be good for you. I'll get out from my feet. All of you, how am I going to pack this suitcase with you all standing around? All right, Ma, all right. We're going. Come on, folks. I reckon Mrs. Silo does know what Mr. Silo needs better than he does. Anyhow, she always has. Let's get back to kitchen. Great snakes. That reminds me something. What, Mr. Silo? The farm. Man, she's alive. What's going to happen to the farm while I'm away? Just the planting time, too. Well, I'll do whatever I can, Mr. Silo. Thanks, Walter. Thanks. And so will we, Mr. Silo. Joe and me. You bet. Now, that's awful nice of you. But a farm, well, a farm's like a business. And it has to be run by someone who knows the farm business. It ain't just a matter of feeding the chickens and the stock and milking the cows. There's a lot more to it than that. Well, I guess I got to call on Aaron again. You mean Mr. Wigglesworth, Mr. Silo? That's it, Annie. It's good to have a neighbor you can count on. Wigglesworth is one of the best farmers around these parts. And I know he'll do that for me, because he's done it before, and he knows I'd do the same for him. Now, Annie, will you get him on the phone for me? Of course I will, Mr. Silo. You can count on me, too, Mr. Silo. I'll do everything I can to help you. My, that's just fine, you, Walter. Thanks. Hello, Central? I want one, two, four, F, ring, two. Yeah, that's right. Shugs, you know, Mr. Silo, I'll help, too. I know you will, Joe. You're a good boy. You always have been. Shugs, if you can't help a friend not when he needs it. Hello? Hello, Mrs. Wigglesworth? This is Annie Warbucks. I'm calling for Mr. Silo. Is Mr. Wigglesworth there? Oh, he just came in from the barn? That's fine. Would you put him on the wire, please? Yeah, Mr. Silo wants to talk to him. Thanks. Here he is, Mr. Silo. Oh, it's Annie, Annie. Hello, Aaron? Yeah, this is Byron. Yeah, Byron Silo. Listen, Aaron, I haven't got much time to talk, but this is mighty important to me. I just got a telegram. Yeah, a telegram. It was from my brother Jed, whom I haven't seen in 20 years, and he's in trouble and wants me to come to him. No, I don't know what kind of trouble, but whatever it is, I'm going. Got to start right away, and listen, Aaron, I don't know how long I'll have to be gone, but I wonder if you wouldn't sort of look after the farm while I'm away. Aaron, you're a real friend. Knew you'd feel like that. Huh? Of course I'd do the same for you. Yeah, you talking like that, I can leave with a clear mind, you bet. Thanks, Aaron, and if ever I can do anything for you. And Sage, Aaron, I know we're friends, but just the same, I think, from the bottom of my heart. No, I won't worry. Goodbye, and thanks. My Sage, Aaron was mighty fine about it. He's going to look after the whole farm, no matter how long I have to be away. I guess there's nothing in this whole world as good as a real friend. Pa? Oh, why, Ma? I didn't hear you come in. You got the suitcase all packed? No, I ain't, and I'm not going to pack it, Pa. Least-wise, not the way I have been packing it. Why, what are you talking about, Ma? Talking about? I'm talking about you and me. I've made up my mind to this, Byron. I'm not going to stay here to home and let you go away by yourself. We've never been separated, and we've been married and a part of each other too many years to be starting now. So if you're going off somewhere to the Mississippi River, I'm going with you. Now, don't argue, because that suitcase I was packing is now packed for two. You and me, Pa. You and me. Well, you can always count on good old Mrs. Silo to take care of Pa, can't you? Yes, sir, she and Mr. Silo have been together too many years to begin being apart now. But say, what's going to happen to Annie if both Mr. and Mrs. Silo go away? You certainly want to keep listening every day and see. And before we hear the secret message tonight, I just want to ask, are you drinking your Ovaltine every day? Remember, that's the way you can help keep Annie's adventures going on the radio, and that's the way to help yourself too. Because all those important minerals and vitamins and things that you get in every cupful of Ovaltine are put there to help build up extra strength and energy for you. So ask your mother to be sure and have a big delicious cupful right beside your plate at supper tonight. But now, attention please for an important secret message in Annie's Mystery Radio Code. And all you 1936 members who have your super decoder pins, get your pencils ready to take it down and figure it out. First, here's the special code key. It's L17. Have you got that down? L17 is the special code key for tonight's secret message. So remember that. And now, here's the message itself. First word, 4, 18, 18, 23, 19. Second word, 4, 18, 14. Third word, 21, 1, 19. Fourth word, 5, 1, 23, 18, 5. And now the fifth and last word, 4, 17, 12, 1. That's all. And that was another important secret message in Annie's Mystery Radio Code. And all you 1936 members who have your super decoder pins can figure it out right away. Just set your pin at L17, the way I told you before I read the message. And then your super decoder pin figures the whole thing out for you automatically. And remember, be here right on the dot at orphan Annie time tomorrow, as I have a hunch there's going to be fireworks of some kind. Because Annie's not the sort of a girl who's going to be left behind if she can help it. You'll hear more about that tomorrow. Until then, goodbye.
