( whistling sprightly tune ) starring andy griffith... with ronny howard.

boy: i promise i will never reveal any of the secrets of the wildcats. i promise i will never reveal ecrets of the wildcats. i will not even tell anyone there is such a club as the wildcats. i will not even tell anyone there is such a club as the wildcats. not even my paw? not anybody. and if i ever do, i will be struck down by the curse of the claw. come on, you've gotta say it. and if i ever do,

you are now an official member of the wildcats forever and ever. ( all growl ) okay, the ceremony is over. open the door. now that he's a wildcat, we've gotta give him a job. i know. i've got one for him. opie, everybody in the wildcats has gotta have an important office. know what you're going to be? keeper of the flame. .. what's keeper of the flame? you're in charge of the sacred candle. it's your job to bring it to every meeting and you must never lose it because it's a sacred candle. but what happens when the sacred candle gets all used up?

hey, you guys! old man foster's comin'! come on! come on, let's get out of here! remember, this is a secret hiding place. don't ever tell anybody about it or you know what'll happen. i'll get the curse of the claw? that's right. get out of here, now! didn't i tell you to get out of here?! oh, hi, son. hi, ope. how's everything? fine. well, don't you look happy? i declare, i believe if you grinned any wider, your teeth'd fall out. he sure looks pleased. don't he, though? i am. guess where i been? why, i give up. where? i can't tell you, but you know what i did? i joined a club. well, that's fine. what club was that? i can't tell you.

t? no, where? i can't tell you. i got a job in the club, too. you have? know what it is? no, what? i can't tell you. well, doggone it, why can't you tell us? well, i can't tell you why i can't tell you. well, for heaven's sakes, why not? 'cause somethin' would happen to me. what would happen to you? i can't tell you. well, so long. i just thought i'd come by and tell you. got. i'm gonna have to pay dues in this club. how much are the dues? i know, you can't tell me. that's right. could i do a job or somethin' for you so's i can earn some money for dues? oh, well, let's see. yeah, i guess there is one thing you could do. take that wastebasket out there in the back and empty it. thanks, paw. that oughta earn you a few pennies. thanks, barney.

ent through it, though. didn't you belong to a secret club when you was little? i can't tell you. ( both chuckle ) sheriff? i come here to make a complaint. it must be a pretty good-sized one, mr. foster, for you to come tearin' in here like this. what's the trouble? it's them young'uns. you've got to keep them from trespassin' on my property. young'uns? they done any damage? well, no... no damage. ? well, no, nothin' stolen. but there's gonna be stealin' and damage if you don't stop them from comin' on my property. now, you got to keep them off my property, off. you keep 'em off! all right, jubal, we'll keep a eye out. make a note of that, barney. keep an eye out on the jubal foster place, i got it. you can just set your mind at ease, jubal. it'll be taken care of.

why, there's one of 'em right now. that's right. that's one of the bothersome brats i seen on my property. ain't you?! don't be comin' in here scarin' my boy half to death. but he... and i don't appreciate you callin' him a brat. you made your complaint. you can leave. you heard the high sheriff-- out! well, some sheriff's office this is. erable crank, ain't he? he sure is. if he'd a said one more word, i'd a been forced to get physical with him. he would, too. it took long enough to find this place. i think it'd be safer. it's safe as long as no one blabs, right, fellas? right. sure. yeah. then it's settled-- we don't move.

then the meeting is closed. everybody give the growl. ( all growl ) okay, open the door. oh, don't forget the candle. i won't. hey, you guys! old man foster's comin'! hey, you guys, hurry up! you get out of here! get out of here, you kids! didn't i tell you to keep off of here?! doggone you! kids.

i told that sheriff. i says, "keep 'em off my property." he says, "sure. sure." as soon as your back is turned, they're right back here. ...bothering decent, respectable people. i'll fix 'em. don't you worry. i'll fix 'em, all right. a man can't even run a good, honest still without being bothered anymore. yeah, i'd... i'd like to get my hands on just one of them little brats.

not bad. not bad at all. i told him. i told him... ( coughing )

boy, she really burned to the ground. how come you didn't call them volunteer fire brigade? they might have saved somethin'. well, there wasn't time. it was them kids. i tell you, it was them kids. i told you there'd be damage if they was allowed to hang around here. look, i seen 'em. i seen 'em comin' out of this barn and one minute later-- poof! there was a fire. you're sure of that? why, sheriff, are you makin' me out a liar? no. barney, we're gonna have to start an investigation. yeah, full-scale. now, we'll need names. who are these young'uns? well, i don't know their names, but i'd know 'em again if i saw 'em. i was tellin' you about one of 'em in your office just the other day, only you didn't believe me. don't start in on opie again. he's too little to be messin' around with the boys you're talkin' about. i think this calls for a lineup.

no, barney. come on. well, you better catch them kids quick, sheriff. all right. yeah, i mean, because somebody's gotta pay for this damage. i still think that lineup's a good idea. well, if the kids are lined up, he'd have a chance... no, barney. it's still smolderin'. come on. man: celia, let go. i must leave for the airport. celia... celia: you mustn't go! i'll be anything, i'll do anything. just don't go to beverly. don't ever see her again. not see... my wife? ( gasps ) your wife? we were married at gretna green at 4:00 this morning. ( celia wails ) ( dramatic music plays ) oh, celia, celia, celia...

( sighs ) andy: aunt bee! anybody home? andy, i'm sorry. i was upstairs and i just didn't notice the time. oh, that's all right, aunt bee. how is celia today? what? e gonna do about that poor woman and all of her suffering? oh, stop it. do you reckon she'll ever find true happiness? that brighter tomorrow, that stairway to the stars? oh, i just worry so much about her. what's this? hmm? this here. oh, i found that in opie's room. you give him that? what in the world is it?

why, is something the matter? there was a fire out at jubal foster's today. there was? that's right, and he claims he saw opie and some other young'uns foolin' around up there. oh, andy, you don't think...? where's opie? well, he was out in the back playing a while ago. opie, you out there? yeah, paw.

your aunt bee found this candle and these matches in your room. suppose you tell us about 'em. i got an explanation. that's fine. let's hear it.

you know you ain't allowed outside after dark. well... when i am allowed, i want to be ready. uh-huh. how come that candle's half burnt? i been practicing, so when i'm ready... i'll be ready. ( sighs ) well, let's see if we can get at this another way. did you know there was a fire today at jubal foster's? that's right-- his barn burned to the ground and he claims a gang of boys are responsible 'cause they been hangin' around there a lot lately. what i want to know is were you there and did you start that fire? gosh, paw, i didn't start any fire. were you at jubal foster's today? that club you told me you belong to-- is that where they meet? at jubal foster's? and were you there? i can't tell you nothing about that, paw.

's right about what he told me. i sure must've looked foolish standing there defending you. get on up to your room. i didn't start any fire, paw. i didn't. go on. you do believe him, don't you? aunt bee, that boy's been playing with matches say your prayers? mm-hmm. good. you know, i got to go up at jubal foster's tomorrow. you do? yep. you know what i got to go up there for? i got to go up there

see, i'm responsible for any damage that you might've caused. but, paw, i told you-- i didn't start that fire. i know, you told me that. there's one other thing that i want to get clear, though. now, i'm gonna ask you one more time, no beatin' around the bush, and i want a straight answer. were you at jubal foster's the day his barn burned down? were you? yes, paw. you're looking at the man that's gonna have to pay for that barn.

t that started the fire? no, but i'm here to make good on that barn. oh, so you're finally willing to admit that it was your own boy that done it, huh? i didn't say that. you don't have to be so happy about it, jubal. all right... how much you figure the loss to be? you, uh... you're gonna pay for the whole thing yourself, huh? i said i would. how much? well, uh, you know, uh, i, uh, i suffered a big loss here. how much, jubal? well, let's see, i guess it must be like, uh, two, three hundred dollars for materials. yeah. ain't only the lumber. i got to replace the windows and got to get shingles for the roof. then, of course, there's labor. now, come on, jubal, give me a figure, so i can write you a check.

what do you need to build a new barn? it's just the barn i'm paying for, you know, not a house. well, sheriff, i figure about, uh... $450 ought to cover it. all right, jubal, $450 it is. uh, now, just a minute, sheriff. on second thought, maybe, uh, $450 won't cover it. all right, what will? well, i mean, you know, i left out a few items. andy? just a second, barney. what items? it wasn't only the barn that burned down, there was the contents, too. an-andy... just a second, barney. what are the contents, and how much? well, let's see, i had my wheelbarrow in there... yeah. and my tools... yep. and i had quite a bit of hay. hay. must've had about a hundred bushels of corn.

there and i guess maybe, oh, two, three gallons of paint. i figure that ought to come to... about two, three hundred. andy. what is it, barney? hi. i'm trying to tell you something. you're trying to what? i'm trying to tell you something that's very important. wait a minute. maybe you won't have to tell me. jubal foster, you're under arrest. huh? w-what for? running a still and setting fire to your own barn. a still? why, you must be crazy. jubal... look, i told you about them kids. i mean, what still? jubal... jubal... jubal, jubal, jubal... ju... bal. that must be what my deputy discovered accidentally. accidentally-- that's right. well, what else would you be doing

ain't that the finest way for a fire to really spread every which way? when it hits that alcohol? ( makes explosion sound ) congratulations, deputy fife, on an outstanding job of detective work. let's take the prisoner in. okay. and all the time i thought you didn't trust me enough to tell me the truth about that fire. turns out i was the one didn't trust you. i apologize for that. will you forgive me? sure. good. police officer ought to know better than that. person is innocent till he's proven guilty. now, i pronounced you guilty

sure am sorry about that. i'm glad it's over. big load off my mind. big load off my mind, too, paw. well, let's me and you just consider this case closed. you want to?

[music playing] gabrielle (offscreen): xena, wake up. -what is it? gabrielle (offscreen): foot rot. -whoa! yeah, that's foot rot, all right. like crazy. -well, there's nothing i can do for you now. maybe if you had kept it dry, like i told you. -no, no, no. it was your idea to traipse through a dozen swamps to get to this godforsaken place. why couldn't you just leave your horse in a barn, like a normal person? -argo doesn't like being cooped up. besides, this valley's her home. it's got plenty of space to run, lots of grass to eat. -plenty of bugs, lots of infestationon