Robbers, Rooftops And Witches

[Music] [Applause] [Music] the way out holding the bag is my nephew first from the city this country cousins have got him chasing all kinds of crazy things I could remember being fooled into chasing twizzle blacks when I was a lad seems like I ran in circles for days until I well excuse me for running on I'm Washington Irving a writer of sorts well actually I've been called the father of the american short-story thanks to Rip Van Winkle little tale I wrote in 1819 it's been called the first American short story why don't we go into my office [Music] of course stories of one kind or another have been around for a very long time tales legends fables but what makes the short story different from other kinds of storytelling is that the writer very carefully chooses every word and incident to create a single sharp impression whether he's talking about a moment in time but the killer feeling special character or just an ordinary place I'll show you what I'm talking about here we are the chaparral Prince the chaperon Prince was written by a fellow named oh Henry one of America's great short story writers and to my way of thinking this is one of his best [Music] just what do you think you're doing out here I I was just taking my break I'm real sorry sorry's don't interest me now get back to work what do you have there nothing really give it to me now what is this Grimm's fairy tales servant girls who work for me don't read understand it gives them ideas makes them forget what they're supposed to be doing give it back you want it back all right fetch it now get back to work there's a whole room full of men they're waiting to have their dinner go on I'll make up stories for you stories about dragons and princesses and we'll tell them together I knew all the stories by heart I always knew where to turn first to the parts about being lost and rescued just when you thought no one will ever save you I know come on Mina we'll think of something your prince is probably on his way right this minute [Applause] [Music] [Applause] dearest mama mrs. maloney slapped me today nothing I do seems to please her and every day it just gets worse mama please I want to come home I've tried but I can't stay if you don't send for me before 2 days pass I'll know daddy won't let you I'll just run away you'll never be heard of again I love you mana Pina jab Lena now you get some sleep you need all you can get you send another letter for me Jeb never turn you down send a sailor your mom will have it by sunset tomorrow huh I caught you before you turned in I got a letter so you've taken up letter writing too huh this here letter is from Lena over at the end she ain't doing well that father of hers ought to be hung sending a little child like that out to work away from her mama for three bucks a week three lousy bucks that he pockets well I'll see if I can't get some treat for her in town she has a real liking for rock candy oh good night good night [Music] well I think the Pony Express boys but say we have a little fun [Music] [Music] putting wool man's pants off give me those reins get on down pants burned by you who are you anyway what's your business well excuse us for not introducing ourselves I'm rattlesnake Rodgers and these are my associates mr. Ben Moody and a mr. Hondo bill the hundo bill gang huh we're just paying you a little social call relieve you of your valuables so what's the matter you haven't got any trains to rob my hang your manners old-timer I hand them over the valuables you say your ears are working real fine anything good me and my horse all we're doing is delivering the u.s. mail so we'll be seeing you the second heir old man you leave my petunia alone I like to see a man like his horse there simmer down we don't mean your your petunia there are no harm mom boys give me a hand big - yes [Applause] they send a lot of money through the mail of that town [Music] hey boys I guess we found what we're looking for let's have it have what what you're talking about nothing except maybe that letter your toes got a crush on now that ain't nothing to you that's just a letter from a little girl to her mama here I'll read it to you Devil's the matter with you old-timer you ain't insinuating that we ain't gents enough to take an interest in the little girl's health are you eres mama this may be them Dara's mom this may be the last letter you ever get from me mrs. maloney slapped me today how old assistant girl 11 worse yet but Eric's fill up at the end you dad burn scam robbing banks is one thing but stealing a little girl's letter is born a man can bear voice time up [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] I just met God wake up Gramps ain't the Sandman handed hood seconds yep there you go yeah here ain't nothing supposed to stop the u.s. mail gone yeah [Music] slow wonder day fritz I'm really sorry Molly but you see the horse and me we was Bush way yesterday by Hondo bill him and that varmint rattlesnake word well here you would have had it last night but said she's gonna run off this is all your fault if you hadn't been so greedy Lane I'd be with us right now you are never sending our children away to work again never they're gonna have a home mama do you understand what was that mama [Music] a prince our real Brits came and rescued me just like I always knew he would [Music] andö bill just one of the Henry's surprising characters a bad guy who turns out to be a lot nicer than some of the so-called respectable people around what's that nephew of mine getting himself into I think I smell trouble brewing I have another story here about what happens when city kids and country kids meet it was written by Borden deal it's called anteus a name deal borrowed from a Greek god who drew his strength from the earth [Music] [Music] they say like no place I would play before come on you'll see [Music] ah come on rusty you know we don't want strangers appears okay just moved in my building yesterday I said he's okay hang on TJ TJ TJ you heard him TJ what's your real name nobody has just initials doing there TJ that's all the name I got are you from Alabama so I thought you said he's gonna go somewhere and play this is it [Music] well seems to me if I had only this to play and I built me a field what a park to grow something in like watermelons then we try growing watermelons on tar paper ain't fool enough to think of it but you could haul some dirt up here spit out even and water it before you knew it you got yourselves a private park so he wouldn't let us TJ thought you said this is y'all's roof you know he might have something there I could build ourselves a regular roof garden trees grass everything like rich people why not what do you say doesn't sound so great to me we really do it when do we start [Music] I got a worm in half can you fix it okay besides blow deleted nature don't waste nothing [Music] that not sure I'm gonna work don't you know anything square not silly nots gonna hold that bucket give us you okay [Music] [Music] yeah yeah pretty sight I ever saw [Music] [Applause] [Music] eglee sweets huh says the sweetest and easiest growth sure okay thank you as it is and I've been thinking after they melons grow in think about planting some more roots what are you boys doing up here how all this stuff get up here sure is growing good ain't it we planted it bass yes sir grass we toted that or if a parent planet and we was just fixing the planets along I mean putting all this stuff on the roof of my building you want to go to jail well the roof wasn't being used for nothing so we just talked to pretty it up a bit see that all this junk is shoveled off by tomorrow yes sir you can't do that it's ours we planted it and raised it maybe your earth but it's my roof that's gonna be cleared off tomorrow and I don't want to catch you kids up here again you understand you got no right minute can't stop no they own the building come on look II didn't call the cops ain't gonna touch ours they ain't gonna let hand on it we planted it we'll take it down [Music] [Music] I'm packing it up what I'm packing it up getting back to Marion County Marion County my daddy won't take me that I'll find my own way you can rule things there rusty it ain't no crime but you can't go you can't go now not after everything besides we got planning to do you see what could have done us here we'll begin again another move Oh freaking a lot sorry city plan ain't for me you can't go after teaching us how to grow things you're just gonna let some guy come in here who has a plan to see his life come in and cut you down you're gonna learn from a girl like that I'm still counting from boll weevils hay from locusts even spent whole dairies picking caterpillars off in my corn sad all the guts you have but I ain't about to let no city fella keep me from keep us from bringing in a harvest I ain't going back to Alabama we gotta find ourselves a new roof pretty soon laying in the fall crop ain't gonna be easy [Music] dr. J was quite a boy it seems that everything he touched groove including the people around him good girl one minute there boy yeah where are you racing off do you know that I've got a trap to set twizzle blood Oh something like that maybe the lads not so green after all now an author who could write a story on just about anything and usually does is Ray Bradbury and this is one of my favorites the invisible bull [Music] you ain't never catching me only just they ain't up not just check two weeks that's all my folks that I had to visit things are different now I got used to your prattling don't make no difference to me turning you [Music] letting Charlie here let me in you're my son now you're crazy Eddie put together let me in one way to skin a cat I ain't gonna hurt you now you let me in I had enough of this nonsense I never had known enough you treat me this bad I'm warning you Annie Oh open up Charlie or I'll make me a potion little not that door off its hinges I ain't never coming out alright have it your way I thought I had one of these mm-hmm mammy always used to say that was good for almost anything [Music] Charlie I hear you behind there that you got one more chance to let you roll that in real polite like or else I'm gonna magic the door off well don't say I didn't give you an old warning [Music] mammy never didn't know nothing what happened to the door auntie Charlie Charlie if you come out I'll teach you things I teach you how to make yourself shot proof how dig and stitch mousy a room on Friday during a full moon where it runs your neck and a white silk you're crazy teach you how to stop blood make horses stand frozen make blind horse to see all them things I'll teach you I'll show you how to make yourself invisible [Music] yeah [Music] turn you clear his window glass you're fun and me no I'm not make you clear and book water real invisible real invisible you won't fetch on to me if I walk out won't touch a bristle on your son well alright make me invisible must be 1012 years since I made my last invisible there are twins always fighting Aran's thought the best way to keep him apart I told you this one have a oh I mean you know I love the yeah yeah I thought dressed up a billy goat thought of how to do the rich in your real now I ain't told you that one have I three times last week well then you know how I'm a bet Pickens nearsighted old gold did she was you that's the full real before she [Laughter] ain't no fun there now give me lock your hair now put this in your back pocket and yeah leave it there [Music] Charlie Trey Charlie where are you I can't see you here old lady up here whoa Charlie you went so fast quicker and a hummingbird come back to me Charlie but I'm here oh I can I can hear you but I can't see you Charlie I'm by the fire I'm by the fire and I can see myself I'm not invisible at all well course you can see yourself Invisibles always know themselves I sure did a trick that time wha-wha-wha quickest invisible I ever made Charlie you still there I'm here Annie I'm here oh oh how do you feel like creek water i'll stirred you'll settle what you're gonna do now charlie since you're invisible I'll run across wheat fields and I'll climb snow mountains and I'll steal chickens off in farms snap girls garters in school and other things I'll do I'll do I will don't try nothin with me I'm as brittle as spring ice I don't like handlin don't worry about me Annie I'm fetching myself home by way of some apple pies I know is always cooling on a certain windowsill ain't old miss McCall in for a surprise what about your folks oh yeah fix yourself home like that scared of women straight out of them you might just fall right back like fallen timber you know your paw oh he did shoot at the Nerys thing make this video full of buckshot thinking you was a hill squirrel gosh and girls what about girls they don't like being kissed by a mouth they can't see well I'll stay invisible first bill I'll just have me some fun I'll be pretty careful is all I'll stay invisible for tonight and tomorrow you can fix me back home again if that ain't just like a critter always wanting to be something that can't be what do you mean takes real hard work getting you fixed up an old lady needs a good long rest between making spells I'll make myself visible give you back your old charm will do you no good takes magic to undo magic you you did this to me you make me back make me sable again just simmer down it'll wear off bit by bit like a coat of paint first a hand then a foot how will it look me around the hills with one hand showing five waiting bird hopping on the stones and bramble or a foot showing like a small pink rabbit hopping from stone to stone or my head floatin like a hairy balloon but a carnivore how long before I'm home oh oh maybe a year folks ain't gonna watch you round before that [Music] you can stay with me child they keep me company and I'll teach you plenty of tricks see this on purpose just to keep me here [Music] come back [Music] oh wow you you got to announce yourself charlie you're scared the bejeebers out of me are you gonna make me visible or not I'd like to oblige but I think he'd be better off concentrating on your responsibilities as an invisible [Music] Charlie Charlie where are you I got something to tell you I do wish that board come home auntie Charlie I never thought you'd come back I remembered how to make people visible you did huh you ain't up to no good are you no just a coincidence I remembered take the charm out of your pocket and pour these ashes over it I can see your right toe there it is keep pouring and your left ear hanging in the air like a pink butterfly and your ankles I'm forming in and your feet I'm forming in shaping up fine I'll need my head to go home no no you ain't got no head no head oh lordy yes you got your blamed head I can go home I can go home [Music] healthy having no one to talk to [Music] my fort meant to be lived that way never doing nothing for nobody [Music] nice hot apple pie [Music] see I ain't got no appetite tonight well I'll wrap it up and I'll put it where I usually do patience I'll be right back and then we can tell stories [Music] well it looks like the old lady found a way out of our loneliness after off [Music] [Music] there just might be a story as you can see from the chaperone Prince Antaeus and the invisible boy we could find whole worlds in short stores if you look and I hope you do but better still why don't you try writing your own short story you don't have to wait for a Hondo bill or an old lady or TJ to come along all kinds of interesting [Music]