starring andy griffith... with ronny howard.

it's nothing serious. we just have to make out these forms. opie got ad" in arithmetic? well, it happens. it just means he probably should study more. i'll get after him. how's he doin' on the other stuff? oh, fine. opie's very bright. yeah. he takes after me a good bit.

( door opens ) hi, paw. andy: speak of the devil. hi, miss crump. i'll see you later. bye-bye. bye, miss crump. i made four touchdowns today during recess. is that a fact? hey, paw, can i get one of those jerseys with the numbers on 'em? they're good for football. you never have to wash 'em. i tell ya what-- let's forget football for a while and talk about arithmetic. miss crump says you're not doin' too well. well, i study. is there something about arithmetic you don't understand? well, we're goin' into long division now. yeah. i hate it. well, why should arithmetic be harder for ya than anything else? i have to erase a lot. sometimes i get a hole in the paper and have to do it all over again. sometimes the bell rings before i'm finished. oh, i see. if they had better paper, i think i could get a good mark. i tell ya what-- tonight after supper we'll have a little session on long division.

oh, hi, everybody. opie: hi, barney. hi, barn. been playin' football, huh, ope? i ought to show you how to handle this thing. i gotta meet the kids. "rifle fife" they used to call me. bullet passes, you know. they still talk about me at the high school. can i have it now, barney? it's all in the way you hold it. you gotta grab it right in the center. johnny unitas of the baltimore colts holds it at the end. oh... well... everybody has his own system, i guess. can i go now? oh, well, sure. okay. so long, paw. bye, barney. i'll see ya, ope. you gotta catch these kids when they're young. yeah. "your son, opie taylor, unsatisfactory"? oh, that's just kind of a form letter. "d"? mm-hmm. he's gonna study some more. well, i'd say he has to study a lot more.

sure. ( sighs ) well, it's none of my business. you're the boy's father. it's unbelievable. what? nothing. ( sighs ) in this day and age... ( clears throat ) ( muttering ) you gonna tell me what you're mumbling about? if your boy is failin' in arithmetic you'd think you'd have him studyin' all the time. oh, he's gonna study. okay, okay. arithmetic's probably the most important subject there is. how do you expect this country to maintain its position in world leadership if our kids are flunkin' arithmetic? he's not flunkin', and i'm gonna work with him. are you qualified? it's just long division. i think i can handle that.

how you doin', ope? oh, hi, paw. i'm workin'. that's good. suppose we take a little turn at that long division we was talkin' about? oh, okay. now, the main thing in studyin' any subject is to understand exactly what you're doin' all the time. i know. just understand it step by step. now, suppose we start with a, with a simple problem. we'll take, say, uh, 14 and we'll divide that into, oh, 169. okay. okay, now, put your 14 down on the left draw ya a line up and over and then put your 169 under there. why do you do that, paw? 'cause that's the way you do it. when we give an answer we have to tell why we do something. miss crump says we'll never be able to do higher mathematics later on unless we know why we do things. well, that makes sense. that certainly makes sense. the reason that you put the 14 down on the left

is-is because, uh... that's the rule. but she'll ask us why you put it on the left. she will? yeah. well, uh... we probably better not tackle too much the first night. just put the 14 down on the left okay, draw ya a line up and over and shove your 169 under there. oh, okay. okay. now, how many times 14 go into 16? once. put your one on top there. okay, now, what you got left over? uh, one times 14 is 14 subtract and, uh, have 2 left over. this... bring down the nine. bring down your nine. now, how many times 14 go into 29? 14 goes into 29... 14... twice. twice. that's it. now whatcha got left over? well, two times four is eight and two times one is two. and you subtract and you have one left over. that's it.

why? what do you mean, why? just, why? well, uh, you put down your decimal point because you're going to put down two zeroes after that. and, well, the reason you put down a decimal point and two zeroes is so's that you can, uh, you can keep dividin', see and-and shove that number on out there and that way you can keep thinkin' about it and-and workin' on it and everything until you finally get it done. you understand? no. well, it'll come to ya. that's probably enough for tonight. these things have a way of of, uh, clearin' up suddenly sometimes. oh.

i wondered where you were. well, we were just goin' over a few things. i'm glad you're starting your homework early. yeah. if you have any problems, you just ask your father. he'll help you. barney: hi, aunt bee. oh, hello, barney. can i drive you home? well, no, thank you. clara edwards is picking me up. looks like a good supper. well, i hope so. did andy work with opie last night? work with opie? yeah, on his arithmetic. well, he was in his room, i know... if he didn't say anything about it, forget it. he's probably tryin' to hush it up. hush up what? well, i suppose you'll hear about it sooner or later that, uh... opie's doin' unsatisfactory in his arithmetic. it's kind of a danger point. oh, dear, i didn't know. he probably didn't want to worry ya. you know, these things can be a shock. arithmetic.

it's probably in the genes then. i think if opie applies himself a little more... well, you know easygoing andy. he thinks it's nothing to worry about. he hasn't made a study of dropouts like i have. you don't think opie's going to be a dropout, do you? well, let me put it this way-- if i was the boy's father i'd be going into the situation in some depth. oh, my! i didn't mean to upset you, aunt bee. none of my business. and there's a good chance everything'll work out all right. well, i'm glad you told me. well, what are friends for? andy... hmm? i met barney today. he said something about opie's arithmetic. oh, i wish he'd stop makin' such a big deal out of this. well, he is doing unsatisfactory work isn't he? well, yeah, but he'll get straightened out.

unless we do something about it. he's gonna do more studyin'. i don't want opie to be a dropout. a dropout? is that what barney said? well, barney seems to be very familiar with the problem. he seems familiar with all problems. he thinks he's an expert on everything. actually, i can't think of anybody who knows less about this than he does. hi. hi. how are ya, aunt bee? fine, barney. i heard ya outside the door. who were you talkin' about? what? you were talking about somebody who's an expert on everything. nobody you know. people like that drive me crazy. i make it a point to steer clear of 'em. i happened to see this magazine with an article about the bleak future facin' our next generation. i thought you might like to read it. why? well, you know... opie and everything. i'd like to read it.

really? well, you take your kid today that drops out or only gets a high school diploma-- he's obsolete. a horse-and-buggy man in a jet age. that's how fast things are changin'. that magazine's already a year old. will you forget it? that's a fine attitude to take. i came across some information that i thought any parent of a child preparin' for college would like to know, that's all. who says opie's preparing for college? he sure wasn't when i seen him runnin' down the street. andy, i always thought of opie as going to college. i never said he won't. well, statistics show... we're not talkin' about statistics. we're talkin' about one boy, opie taylor and if opie can't have a little trouble with arithmetic without his whole future goin' down the drain then this country's in trouble. it's the world we live in, ange. have you given any thought to sending him to a vocational school? there's a wonderful school in mt. pilot in meat cuttin'. if i hear one more word about opie's studies... all right, all right.

you might want to know where his abilities lie. barney has a point there, andy. i don't want to hear it. okay, okay. if you want to discuss it some more i'll be over at my place. see ya, aunt bee. bye, barney. ( door closes ) now-now, let me, let me get this straight-- you didn't think it was so all-fired important, did you? well, no. it's-it's just one of those things that should be corrected. let me ask ya this: suppose opie never does get to be great at arithmetic. could that keep him out of college? it's getting more difficult to get in college. the competition's keen.

well, i didn't say that. what about vocational schools? are they hard to get into? no, i don't suppose so. uh-huh. and if he doesn't improve in his arithmetic it is possible that that could keep him out of college? well, i suppose it could. i got to go home. andy... i'll be back. hi, paw. get upstairs. huh? i said get upstairs

(donkey sound) (elephant sound) there's a big difference between making noise, (tapping sound) and making sense. (elephant sound) (donkey sound) when it comes to social security, we need more than lip service. our next president needs a real plan to keep social security strong. (elephant noise) hey candidates. enough talk.

gee, barn, paw asked me to go right home and study. well, this'll only take a few minutes, ope and it might be important to you. well, i guess it'll be okay. now, have you ever heard of a vocational school? no. that's a school where they teach you a trade as opposed to a profession where you have to go to college. see? now, sit down. now, what i have here is an aptitude test. i already had three tests today, barney. well, this one's different. now, you comfortable? yeah. perfectly relaxed? okay, here we go. "if you had a choice, what would you do: read a book or build a boat?" take your time, now.

and read a book when i went to bed. ( clearing throat ) uh, well, suppose you only had time to do just the one thing. well, if it was saturday... one thing, ope. let's narrow this down, now. well, i guess i'd read a book. good. you'd read a book. okay. "if somebody were to present you "with a gift, would you prefer an electric motor..." now, listen carefully. "...or a chemistry set?" now, that's a simple, direct question right on the line. now, think, opie. what size chemistry set? it's a chemistry set! it has chemicals in it! johnny has number-one size and it doesn't have all those chemicals where you can make bombs that smell like rotten eggs. this one makes the bomb. in the red box? what difference does it make?! well, i guess i'd take the electric motor. huh. good. now, you'd take the electric motor? is that motor ac or dc?

what's going on? what are you doing here? taking a test, paw. uh, i was just, uh, giving him a vocational test in case he don't go to college. ( sighing ) i see. uh, ope, why don't you just run on home and get on your homework? i haven't finished. you're finished. come on, ope. okay, paw. ( clearing throat ) barney? uh, i'll handle this, okay? i was just trying to help the boy, andy in case he can't quite... well, you know, in case he don't go to college. he's going to college. oh, well, fine, i'm all for that but, i mean, if he's falling behind... he won't fall behind. well, good, good. no question the boy has potential. you know, if i was in your place i'd recommend... don't recommend anything. fine, fine, well, i'll get out on patrol. do that. i'll see you tonight. tonight? yeah. aunt bee invited me over for supper in case you wanted to talk about it.

( sighing ) opie, you haven't even touched your cake. i don't feel like any, aunt bee. but it's the kind you like. oh, i think i'll go up and study. that's a good idea. go on upstairs and study. okay, paw. i just hope he's all right. he's been studying so hard. no football or anything. oh, that's good for him. can't get grades if your mind's on football. well, i'm wondering is this studying so important? yes. i happened to be talking to mr. foley in the grocery store and you know what he told me? what? he told me einstein was a dropout. well, that was some time back, aunt bee. it was a little easier to get by then. and besides, who knows how far he might have gone if he hadn't been a dropout? it just seems to me there should be a happy medium someplace.

oh, he gets all the play he needs at recess. it's a planned curriculum, aunt bee. i mean, the school board works out a proper balance between mind and body. i suppose so. i think you're on the right track, ange. that's good to know. ange, have you given any thought to when he gets to college? what he's going to study? well, for heaven's sakes let's let him get in college first. well, i didn't mean to upset you. college. people have always said i should have gone. i had a real bent toward chemistry, they said. i got a's almost all the time in high school. and years later, when that movie came out about madame curie well, by that time, it was too late. just think, aunt bee. you might have been madame curie. well, she was exceptional. and french. yeah. well, i blew my chance at the big ball of wax right in high school.

i could sit and stare at the same page for hours. my mind just wandered. wandered toward what? oh, girls, mostly. ( andy chuckling ) i wasted a lot of time. well, not wasted. ( both laughing ) i had a good connection, too-- the f.b.i. yeah, a direct line. my uncle knew a man who used to do a lot of their plumbing in washington. they only took college grads. as plumbers? as f.b.i. men. ( door opening ) oh, hi. hi. what's the matter? it's opie. i want to talk to you about him. what's happened now? well, i'm afraid i'm partly responsible for this. ever since i brought you that message about him-- about his arithmetic-- and we talked about college well, he's been doing worse.

what's the matter with him?! i've made him study harder and cut out football, and everything. well, maybe that's it. what do you mean? you're carrying it a little too far. too far?! if he's not doing well at his schoolwork then he'll have to study harder, that's all. don't be a hysterical parent. i'm not hysterical. if he's not cuttin' the mustard he's gonna have to work harder! but not letting him play football and pressuring him... well, children have nerves, too. i took the liberty of telling him he could go out and play football this afternoon. you shouldn't do that. i'm his father. i'm aware of that. i'm just trying to help the boy. it's wrong when one person tells him to do one thing and another person tells him to do something else. i told him to study. i'm sorry if i'm encroaching on your territory, mr. taylor but do you realize that if you push a child too hard

and anyway, i don't think your way's been too darn successful. hi, ope. hi, paw. how you doing? okay, i guess. i, uh, understand you played football today. miss crump said i could. i know. how'd you do? not too good. we lost. you lost? yeah. i fumbled a lot. oh.

uh... opie, uh, i think that you're probably as good a football player as you ever were. i think the reason that you're not playing too good right now is because you got, uh, you got too much on your mind... and i'm, i'm afraid that i'm to blame for that. so, i'll tell you what we'll do. i'll just quit pushing you so hard, okay? okay. and you go ahead and... be a little boy... and do the best you can. and, uh... try not to fumble so much. okay. okay. paw? hmm?

juanita milstead/sister: "he loved his family. he was very devoted to them all, and his neighbors. he'd do anything to help anyone at any time." now at six: siblings of the man killed in wednesday's tornado tell us about his life and the way it ended. this is wdbj-7. i'm melissa gaona. and i'm jean jadhon. tonight we're learning more about the man who died during wednesday's tornado in appomattox. keith harris came from a big family, and tonight they're

us about his love of farming and his deep faith in god. wdbj7's tim saunders is live in evergreen, where harris lived his entire life. and most of his family lives here too, jean. keith harris was one of 18 children. his siblings say he was the glue that kept the family together. near the end of twin tunnel lane sits a plot of land that was farmed by keith harris for 50 years. macauther harris/brother: "we all grew up on a farm and we all enjoy farming. we all worked hard together." macauther harris was one of keith's 17 brothers and sisters, most of whom live nearby. when he wednesday's tornado, it didn't take party to form. was harris' newphew, ricky. harris/nephew: "i went through the woods seven times looking for him. we went under trees and what not. we went through this brush pile over here and couldn't find him, but he was right in the middle of the field."