Come in. Welcome. I'm E .G. Marshall. And I want
very much to tell you the story of a young lady
named Barbara. Everyone is more or less mad on
one point, said Rudget Kipling, the famous English
writer. And I'm inclined to agree with him, since
I myself am more or less mad on the point of
mystery. But our sweet heroine's madness took
a strange turn, as we shall soon discover in
the unfolding of the tale entitled, All Living
Things Must Die. Barbara, you're a nut, you know
that? Why am I? Well, maybe you're not. Maybe
you're just trying to con me. Well, it didn't
work, little lady. The answer is still no. I
hate you. No, dog. No, baby. Just be happy with
all these dumb plants. I hate you. You're lucky
I let you keep them. I hate you. I wish you were
dead. What did you say? I said I hate you. I
wish you were dead. Our mystery drama, All Living
Things Must Die, was written especially for the
Mystery Theatre by Elspeth Erick and stars Mercedes
McCambridge. I'll be back shortly with Act One.
Now begins our story of the lightly demented
Barbara. A lovely lady of 31 or 2, even 4 or
5. But as we now discover her in the living room
of her suburban home, she could be younger than
springtime. She could be spring itself. I love
you. I love you all. You are my darlings, my
pets, my very own treasures. Oh, how beautiful
you are. And how much I love you. What? Well,
that can't be Frank. He never forgets his key.
Oh. Oh, it's... Johnson, man. Detective Sergeant
Johnson from the other day. Oh, yes. Come in.
I didn't realize you'd be back. Well, I was just
checking up. Had any more of those, uh, obscene
phone calls? No, not one. And it's such a relief.
You can't imagine. You had your number changed?
Yes, yes, and that seems to have done the trick
all right. Oh, good, good. Now, a lady like you
shouldn't be bothered by things like that. Well,
there's one other thing I hate to mention. No,
no, go ahead. Mention anything you want to. We're
here to serve. Well, it could be my imagination,
but every once in a while I see a man sort of
hanging around across the street. Not doing anything
in particular, but just hanging around. Any special
time of day? Yes, usually about this time. I
see him through this window when I'm putting
my plants to bed. You tuck them in, do you? Sort
of. I talk to them and sometimes I sing them
a lullaby. I know that sounds silly, but well,
that's what I do. And then sometimes through
the window... I think I see this man. It's kind
of hard to see out this window, ma 'am. The plants
ought to get in the way. Yes, I know they do,
but they like it here. I tried other places,
but they weren't happy, so... They are happy
here, huh? Well, they haven't complained. Although
I'm not sure about Annabelle. This one is Annabelle.
That's Arthur. And that's Kenneth. And this is
Marianne. And that spider plant over there. is
Michael. Oh, Michael's in great shape, isn't
he? Oh, yes, he is. He's... Are you laughing
at me? Please don't. Do I look like I'm laughing?
My husband laughs at me sometimes. I wouldn't
know why. Oh, because... Now, you see this one,
Marianne? Well, you take a close look because
you won't see a Marianne every day in the week.
Well, Mary Ann is, uh... She looks like Ivy to
me. Yes, but her leaves... Her leaves are heart
-shaped, can't you see? Each one is shaped like
a perfect little heart. You know, you're right.
There are more than 200 varieties of Ivy. Did
you know that? No, no, I never did. Hey, what's
going on here? Oh, Frank! That's my husband.
Frank! This is Detective Sergeant Johnson. Ed
Johnson. How are you? Pleased to meet you, Mr.
Murray. He came to check up on those phone calls.
Oh, yeah, from the degenerates. I told Barbara
she should answer them back in his own language.
Oh, Frank, please. Let him have it. Give it to
him right between the eyes. The ears, I should
say, in his senses. Well, I'll be getting off.
Well, I'll show you to the door. Say, listen,
why can't you catch those freaks? Thank you for
coming around, Mr. Johnson. Yeah, sure. I'll
stop by again if it's all right with you. Anytime,
practically. I'm almost always here. And take
good care of Annabelle. I will. And don't let
Michael grow too fast. I'll do my best. Good
night, Mrs. Murray. Good night, Sergeant Johnson.
And thank you. Now, don't you mention it. What
was all on about? Oh, I told you. The phone calls.
I mean, all that whispering, all that bizz bizz
bizz at the door just now. Oh, we weren't whispering.
Well, what were you talking about that I wasn't
supposed to hear? Nothing. He just said, I don't
know, something about the plants, that's all.
What does he know about plants? Well, nothing
much. When he was here the first time, and just
now before you came in, I told him about them,
he knows that I talk to them and that they have
names. He was just being friendly, Frank. That's
being friendly? Dropping in all the time when
I'm not here? Only twice. This was only the second
time. He's a crook like you. Freaked out over
a bunch of plants. He was only expressing an
interest. What's interesting about a bunch of
plants with no flowers? Look at them. They take
up the whole window. You've got them strung all
over the place. Up to the ceiling, hanging down.
They're vines, Frank. They're silver lace and
philodendron and ivy. Whatever they are, they're
dumb. Plain dumb. I wouldn't object to a nice
pot of tulips, something like that, sitting on
a table. Like a nice pot of color, a higher scent.
They smell good, but these... Don't, don't, don't
hurt them, don't. I've got no use for them at
all. Get rid of them, why not? No, no, never.
You can't make me. Oh boy, you sure cry easy.
What did I say was so terrible? You said get
rid of them. Well, all right, all right. Forget
I mentioned this. What's for dinner? It's Swiss
steak. Again? Well, it's been a whole week. Well,
get it on the table, because I've got to get
out of here early. You mean you're going out?
I've got a date to go bowling. Tonight? Well,
certainly tonight. What do you think, next year?
But you were out last night. And the night before.
I may go out tomorrow night. I might after that.
So what? Frank, Frank, I get so lonely. Well,
read a book, watch TV, listen to the radio. But
almost every night and all day. Well, all right,
talk to your plants. That's what you're going
for, is it? Have a nice little conversation with
Michael and, uh, Mary Louise and, uh, Archibald,
whatever you call them. Never mind. Just never
mind. Well, look, I'm gonna take a quick shower
and then we'll leave. Ten minutes on the outside,
okay? Okay. Oh, Arthur. Annabelle. Tell me that
you love me. Somebody loved me. Michael. Kenneth.
Somebody loved me. Please. Somebody loved me
or I'll die. That Swiss steak wasn't bad at all.
Thank you. Got any dessert? Just fruit. I'll
take an apple with me. Frank, don't go for a
minute. I told you, I've got a date. No, I want
to talk to you about something. Well, go ahead,
but keep it short, will you? Well, Frank, remember
when we got married? Well, how could I forget
with you to remind me? Well, you said then that
you didn't want to have any children right away.
I don't believe in rushing into things like that.
Frank, that was ten years ago. Yeah, I know.
But isn't it different now? Well, not necessarily.
I mean, I think I'm too old for kids. Oh, you're
only 45. And by the time my kid grew up, I'd
be an old man. No, not really old. Well, aren't
you kind of old to be having a kid for the first
time? Frank, lots of women have children at my
age. Lots of them. I don't know if it's safe.
Yes, it is. It happens all the time, and I'm
very healthy. I'm very strong. You don't look
too strong. Well, I am, because the doctor said
so. When did you go to see a doctor? Last week.
I don't like you doing that without asking me
first. Well, I wanted to be sure before I talked
to you. And the doctor says it'd be perfectly
all right for me to have a baby. As a matter
of fact, he said it'd be the best thing in the
world for me. Well, I can't see it. On account
of the loneliness, Frank, I don't think you realize
how lonely I get. That's why I talk to the plants
and sing to them. Because I haven't got anybody
else. Well, make some friends, why don't you?
That's not easy for me. Why not? I do it all
the time. Anyway, it's not the same as having
somebody right here in the house with me all
the time. It's not the same intimate kind of
thing. If I had a baby... Oh, Frank, I wouldn't
ask for anything else ever. And I'd give that
baby so much love and attention. It would grow
up to be the most marvelous person because it
would know from the very beginning that it was
loved and wanted. Oh, so much wanted! Well, I
don't want it! You got that? That kid is the
last thing in the world I want. Please. No, no,
no. I live in this house too, you know. I don't
want a kid running around, messing up everything,
making a lot of noise. Getting in the way all
the time. No, it wouldn't be like that. Oh, yes
it would. No. No, I won't have a kid messing
up my life in that spinal, so forget it, huh?
You hear me? Forget it. Put it out of your mind.
Okay. Well, I gotta get going. Guys are waiting
for me at the bowling alley. Frank. All right,
now what? No, no, I won't keep you a minute.
I haven't got a minute. Please, less than a minute.
Well, okay, spill it. When I was at the supermarket
this morning, there was this dog. A dog, oh boy.
Really, a very pretty dog and so sweet. And he
was just wandering around. Nobody knew who he
belonged to or if he belonged to anybody. He's
just a stray as far as anybody knows. No dog.
And he has this cute little tail that curls up
right over his back. And great ears that stand
up straight and then flop over. And he's mostly
black with a kind of white face. Barbara, we've
been through all this. I will not have a dog
in my house. Now that is how it is and I don't
want to talk about it now or never. Understand
that? Yes. I gotta go. Frank. I said I gotta
go. Just one more thing. There's this... A man
hanging around outside. What man? Hanging around
where? I was telling Detective Johnson about
it. This man sort of hangs around across the
street. And I thought if he's a prowler or a
dangerous kind of person, well, a dog would be
protection for me, see, when I'm alone. What
makes you think this guy's dangerous? I don't
know that he is, but every night now when I'm
watering the plants just before you come home,
I can see him through the window, just sort of
standing there and looking around. This window?
Yes. He looks kind of shifty, Frank. And if I
had a dog, I'd feel safe. I can't see it. Yes,
right across the street. I can't see on a kind
of these dumb planets. No, don't hurt them. Why
do they have to grow them so damn long? Well,
just part them very carefully. Here, let me...
Oh, no, I can do it. I can do it. Can you see
that man? I see him. Barbara, you're a nut, you
know that? Why am I? That's the guard they hired
at the high -rise. They pay him to watch the
building. Of course he's here every night. That's
what he's paid for. I didn't know that. Are you
trying to come in to let him have a dog for protection?
But it won't work, Barbara. The answer's still
the same. No dog, no baby. Just be happy with
these dumb plants. They're bad enough. They have
the whole bloody window spilling all over the
place. I hate you. Yeah, look, I'll let you keep
them. I hate you. I wish you were dead. What
did you say? I said I hate you. I wish you were
dead. Did you really say... Hey. Hey, what...
Hey, what's this? The bloody plants are on my
neck. Hey, Barbara, they're all around me. They're
choking me up. I can't get them off. Hey, Barbara.
Barbara, they're just around me. Barbara, don't
stand there. Get them off me. This isn't Barbara's
decision. I hate you. I hate you. choice not
over thy greatest enemy being dead. But remember
that we die all. Ecclesiastes chapter 4 verse
37. We'll return shortly for the second act of
all living things must die. for the second act
of all living things must die. It is a year later,
and our heroine no longer lives in the little
suburban house, nor is her name Barbara Murray.
She lives in a cheery little two -room apartment,
and she is married to Detective Sergeant Ed Johnson.
But Kenneth and Arthur and Mary Ann and Michael
and Annabelle, all the plants are grouped together
in the largest window, and all appear to be in
the best of health. Baby boats a silver moon,
sailing on the sea. Baby... Oh, he's home. Ed?
Hello, sweetheart. Hello, darling. Hey, hey,
hey, hey, watch out. What have you got there?
Oh, just a little addition to the family. What?
What is it? Well, let me get the paper off, will
you? Okay. There you are. How's that, huh? Ed.
Oh, it's beautiful. You know what it's called?
Yes, do you? Sure, Purple Passion Plant. That's
right. I thought it was very appropriate for
two people who've been married a month. Oh, it
is. It is, Ed. It's beautiful. And you were so
sweet to think of it. Well, there's something
else I've been thinking of. What's that? Honey,
is it too soon for us to be thinking about having
a baby? A baby? Well, you do want us to have
a baby, don't you, Barbara? I guess so. I brought
the subject up too soon. I can see that dumb
me. I'm sorry. No, they tried. No, no, no. I
was stupid. Forget I'd mentioned it, huh? Only,
it doesn't do any harm to think about it a little,
does it? No. I guess it doesn't do any harm to
think about it. Nicely, dear. Would take a little
while before you'll be as long as Annabelle.
And you'll probably never be as long as Michael.
But then very few plants are. But you're so healthy
and strong. And I love your purple leaves. You're
very beautiful, my darling. Yes, you are. Oh,
he's home. Darling? Darling, you're home. Yep,
I'm home. Hey, look what I brought with me. What,
what? He wandered into the station house about
a week ago. We've been feeding him, and he's
been sitting in there. Look, look, look. His
tail curls up over his back. Yeah, he's got a
great disposition. Oh, my. Doesn't he belong
to anybody? Well, we advertised in the paper
three days running. Nobody answered the ad. You
mean he's got no home? Nobody wants him? Well,
not unless you do. You mean I can have him? He
can live here with us? Well, would you like that?
Oh, yes, yes. Dog, I guess you've got a home.
Oh, I love dogs. Dog, you got yourself a mother.
Look, look, look at him. Look how he's looking
at you. Come here. Come here, Dog. Come here.
Oh, he loves you. You can see it in his eyes.
He just loves you. Well, I'm his father, aren't
I? Hey, Dog, do you love your father? Of course
he loves you. How could he help but love you?
How could anybody help but love you? Well, there's
only one person that has to love me. That's you.
But you have to, baby. It's absolutely necessary.
It's essential that you love me because if you
don't, it's the end of me. Oh, Ed, I love you
so much I can't even talk about it. Just believe
me. I love you and I love you and I love you.
When you're here and when you're not here and
when you're asleep and when you're awake and
when you talk and when you don't talk and when
you look at me and when you don't, I love you
all the time. That's a lot of love. I've got
more. More? Anytime you need it. Honey. Look,
we've been married better than half a year now.
When are we going to start having a baby? Oh,
I don't know. Pretty soon? I guess. You want
one, don't you, honey? Yes. Well, when do we?
Well, sometime. Oh, sweetheart, we're not kids
anymore. I know that. You think I'm putting the
pressure on you? I shouldn't do that. I didn't
mean to. No, that's all right. No, I won't do
that anymore. You just gotta tell me when you
think is the right time. I won't bother about
it anymore. Now, what are we gonna name the dog?
I don't know. How about Cuthbert or Lancelot?
No, I don't think so. Herman? Dwight? No, no,
no. I don't want to give him any name like that.
I want to call him what you called him. Me? I
never called him anything. Yes, you did. You
called him Dog. That's what I want to call him.
D -A -W -G, dog? Yes, come here, dog. What a
lovely dog you are, dog. Hi, darling. Hello,
love. How do you feel? I feel marvelous. Well,
you look marvelous. How's the family? Well, I've
been giving Annabelle a little too much water,
but everybody else is fine. Oh, I brought you
a present. A first anniversary present. Well,
I have one for you, too. Here. That's an engagement
ring. You never had one. Oh, Ed, this is lovely.
Do you like it? Oh, yes, I love it. Almost as
much as I love you, and Dog, and Annabelle, and
Kevin. Hey, hey, watch it. And I got you a ring,
too. A what? Yes, a wedding ring because you
never had one. Oh, hey, hey, that's nice. That's
real nice. Is it okay for a man to wear this?
It just shows everybody that you're married.
Well, everybody knows I'm married. Does everybody
really know you're married? Well, I talk about
it all the time. Do you really? Do you talk about
it? Well, I'm married to you. So naturally, it's
you I talk about. I bet you bore everybody to
tears. I bet I do. Of course, there always comes
a time when they break in and say, any kids?
You got any kids? Yes, I suppose they do say
that. And of course, I say no and they say, well,
why not? And I don't know what to say. Ed, I'm
so sorry. Honey, why not? You have to tell me.
Well, it's a feeling that I have. Well, don't
you want to, baby? I always thought you were
the kind of woman who'd want a family. It's hard
to explain. Well, you've got to try. Okay. Okay,
I'll try. Only, Ed, I don't think you're going
to like what I'm going to tell you. Anything.
I want to hear anything you have to tell me.
Well, I have to go back to the night that Frank
died. Frank? Yeah. What's Frank got to do with
it? I'm going to tell you if you listen. Yeah,
I'm listening. Go ahead. Well, you remember when
I called you that night and I told you that Frank
was dead? You remember that? Yeah, sure. Of course
I remember. And you came over with the others
and you asked me how it happened. Yeah. And I
said I didn't know. I said that Frank was going
to go out bowling and he must have been in a
hurry and the room was dark and he must have
stumbled into the plants and... Got tangled up
in them and he couldn't get out. He was strangled
by the plants baby. It was a freak accident No,
that isn't what happened at all. Are you trying
to tell me I? Don't know are you trying to tell
me that you pushed him or something that you
wrapped the plants around his neck I didn't all
right now wait a minute. Maybe you better tell
it to me from the beginning well you remember
Frank came home that day while you were still
here and then you left and He told me to hurry
up with dinner because he was going out And I
got upset. I told him I'd get so lonely here.
Lonely every night, almost every day. Read a
book, watch TV, listen to the radio, talk to
your clients. That's what you got them for, isn't
it? So after dinner I said I wanted to talk to
him about having a baby. A kid is the last thing
in the world I want. And I think maybe it was
then that I got the idea. What idea? It just
seemed... awfully important to me to get Frank
over by the window where the plants were hanging.
So I told him that there'd been a man hanging
around outside across the street. What man? Hang
around where? And he started walking toward the
window and I started feeling this this awful
wild excitement. The nearer he got to the window,
the nearer he got to the plants and then I said
it. Said what honey? I hate you. I said, I hate
you At first Frank didn't hear me or maybe he
didn't believe his ears, but I said it again.
I hate you and then I said I Wish you were dead
He heard me say that then what he started to
look angry And he made a little move toward me
and it was then when he started to move that
the plants moved They moved faster than anyone
would think plants could move and they wound
themselves around his neck. Around and around
and tighter and tighter. And Frank began to choke.
Barbara, they're all around my neck. They're
choking me. Oh no. I can't get them off. Don't
stay, Nick. Get them off. Get the scissors. No.
Barbara, the scissors. Because there were scissors
there, you know, on the windowsill. And Frank
couldn't reach them. because the plants were
holding him so tight and tighter all the time.
And I knew the scissors were there. I kept them
there all the time just the way I do now to cut
off the dead leaves and things. But I didn't
move. I just stood there repeating those awful
words, I hate you, I hate you, I wish you were
dead. I watched his face turn purple and then
blue. and then he dropped to the floor and I
watched him drop and I looked at him but all
I said was dead I listened to the plants for
a while they seemed to be telling me see how
we love you see we'll do anything you ask we
are your true loves we've killed for you now
you know how much we love you and then I went
to the phone and called you Darling, you had
a bad dream, that's all. No. No, it wasn't a
dream. I made the plants do what they did, don't
you see? I said I wanted Frank dead and they
hurt me. Or they felt what I was feeling or they
sensed it or something. And because they love
me and because they know that I'd never kill
anybody. They went ahead and did it for me. Sweetheart,
even if what you say is true, if it could be
true... It is true. You never laid a finger on
Frank. But I'm an accessory, don't you see? I
wanted someone to kill Frank. Not me, but someone.
And the plants knew it. And they killed him for
me. Do you think anybody's gonna believe you,
sweetheart? Yes. Do you believe me? Honey, is
this why you don't want to have a baby? I want
to, but... But what? That's how it all started.
Me asking Frank if I could have a baby. Why don't
you try asking me? You know what kind of an answer
you'll get, don't you? Go ahead. Ask me. Ed...
Is it all right? Is it? This is Mrs. Ed Johnson.
Yes. Well, I saw the doctor a couple of days
ago and he was going to have a test made to see
if I... Oh, you can't tell me. It is? Really?
Really? Yes, I believe you. Thank you very much.
It's true. I'm going to have a baby. Annabelle,
it's true. Kenneth, Cleopatra, Arthur, finally
I'm going to have a baby. What do you think about
that? Are you pleased? Are you happy? Tell me
what you think, because you're very important
to me. Yes, you're my best friend. I'm not young
anymore, and there are people who think I'm,
well, strange. I'm too emotional, that's what
they think. And they may be right. How do I know?
So please, tell me because I trust you. Is it
all right for me to have a baby? Do you really
think so? Ed? Ed, it's true! I just called the
doctor's office and they told me it's true. I'm
going to have a baby, Ed. Tell me. Tell me. Is
it really all right? into a house where the plants
in the window listen and talk among themselves,
where they feel love and gratitude, but also
they feel fear and anger and revenge, where they
stir themselves at last and move in to kill.
We'll be back shortly with Act 3. apartment,
and the plants still hang in the window, but
everything else is different. The rugs have been
taken up, the pictures have been taken down from
the walls, and the furniture has been moved out,
and Barbara, Barbara herself has changed. No
longer the reed -slim young lady, she is now
a solid matron with a most conspicuous bulge
in the center of her body. For it is precisely
eight months since we last heard her voice. There!
They're gone! Ed, they're gone! What's that,
honey? The movers have gone. They took the last
chair out just now. Oh, I hope they don't break
anything. Oh, sweetie, they won't. Don't worry
about it. Oh, I don't worry about anything anymore.
You mean that? Sometimes I try to worry, because
after all, I used to worry all the time. I mean,
I worried all my life, but now I can't worry.
I've forgotten how. It's being pregnant. Well,
maybe I oughta try it. Oh, I'm so sorry for you,
you know that. How come? Being a man. You can't
ever be happy the way I'm happy. I've got my
own way. I feel so complete, so... So fulfilled.
I guess so. As though there'd been something
missing from the day I was born. And now I've
got it. I was so, so unfinished before, but now...
I'm... well... I'm complete. Just you wait till
we get settled in the new apartment, baby. Wait
till we get the little baby's room decorated
and the crib moved in and all that other stuff.
Shouldn't we go over there now? Well, I suppose
we ought to give them over time to get there.
No, I want to go now. I can't wait. Yeah, neither
can I. Oh, honey. Isn't it wonderful how we always
seem to feel the same way? Oh, honey, you'll
never have that other feeling anymore until you...
What feeling? You know about how Frank died,
the plants. You don't ever feel that maybe you
shouldn't have a baby. Oh, no. Well, you know,
when you first found out, you weren't too sure.
Oh, but that was eight months ago. That was before
I started feeling the baby grow. Before I knew
that it was going to be my baby, my child. And
then I knew that if there ever was anything that
was right, having this baby was that thing. And
Frank? Ever think about him about that night?
I'm not sure it ever happened. I mean, I'm not
sure it happened the way I said. I think probably
you were right. I dreamed the whole thing. It
was an accident, Barbara. Frank and the plants.
It was a freak accident. I guess so. Now, come
on. Let's go to the new apartment. Movers ought
to be almost there. Yeah, okay. I'll take the
plants, Doc. Oh, no, no, no, no, no. I wanted
to thank you. No, honey, no. No, no. I don't
want you doing things like that. Not now. Eight
months. Holy cow. Oh, don't be silly. I know
just how they're tied up because I did it myself
in the first place. Come on, hand me the scissors.
They're right there. Baby, I think I ought to...
No, no, really. They wouldn't like anybody else
touching them. I know what you can do. You can
get those cartons we saved to pack them in, and
all that tissue paper. Go on, you do that. That'll
be a big help. Okay, if you say so. Oh, here's
the scissors. Right. I'm gonna take a minute.
Yeah, I'll be right back. Now then, here we go.
Now Cleopatra, let's get you down first. You
know, Michael, you'll have to wait until last
because you're so long and strong. It'll be hard
to separate you from the others. Oh! Gee, it's
hard to reach. I don't know if I can... Maybe
I should have let Ed take you, Don. My arms hurt.
Isn't that funny? I never had any trouble before.
Well, of course, it's being pregnant. It's this
baby I'm carrying around with me. Are you a boy?
Or are you a girl? Or are you twins? I think
you're twins. Wouldn't that be heavenly? An old
lady like me having twins. A boy and a girl?
Oh, I don't care. I don't care about anything
anymore. Except my husband and my child. I don't
even care about the plants. Isn't that strange?
For so long, so many years, they were my dearest
friends. They were my only friend. And now, they
just don't matter anymore. I know what I'm going
to do. I'm going to leave them. Right here. You
don't need them. We've got a new place to live.
We're going to have what they want to eat. We
have each other. We don't need these old plants
anymore. They can just stay right here. Ed! Ed!
I just decided that we don't... Don't go! Get
away! Get away from me! Ed! The plant! Yeah,
I got the cut. Barbara! Oh my God! Don't beat
me! The scissors! Quick! I can't breathe! It's
all right. It's gonna be all right. Barbara!
It's all right. Barbara, it's gonna be all right.
Barbara, are you all right? What did the doctor
say? He says I'm all right. I can go home. Did
you tell him? How could I tell him? I made up
something. I said I got tangled up in the clothesline.
That was the first thing that came into my head.
Anyhow, he didn't ask me many questions because
he could see that I wasn't really hurt. I was
just scared. Oh, you sure had me scared. Well,
they didn't hurt me much, really. The plants.
Well, why should they hurt you at all? You love
those plants. Ed, Ed, Ed. While I was taking
them down, it was harder than I thought it would
be and my arms got tired. Told you to let me
do it. And I stopped for a minute and then I
thought, why am I bothering with these plans?
Taking them down and carting them to the new
place and then putting them up all over again.
So I thought, I'm not going to do that. I'm just
going to leave them. I'm happy. I've got everything
I want. I don't need them. I even think I said
that out loud. And they heard me. But it wouldn't
have made any difference. They didn't have to
hear me say it out loud. Because they knew I
was thinking honey. No, you see you can't live
that close to somebody for so long and so close
without knowing what she's thinking And they
knew That I was going to go off and leave them
after all our years together. I Was going to
abandon them. I didn't care anymore. What happened
to them? And they knew that oh, no, it's just
hard to conceive of right they they wouldn't
have killed me and they didn't even really mean
to hurt me they were just saying don't go or
if you must go take us with you you can see that
can't you all I know is I came into the room
and I saw you with the vines around your throat
and you were saying choking me get the scissors
well I got those scissors so fast they were they
were right there on the windowsill and I I cut
those vines so fast. Boy, you had me worried,
baby. I must have fainted by then. Yeah, and
I picked you up and put you in the car, and you
came too before we got to the hospital. And here
I am, and I'm all right. Yeah, yeah. Remember,
you don't suppose I hurt the plants, do you?
I just slashed away. Well, I don't suppose you
cut them down very careful. Oh, heck no. Oh,
they'll be all right. I'll trim them properly
when we get back. You're not going to leave them
there? You're going to take them to the new apartment?
Yes. Yes, I am. I don't know what I was thinking
of. How could I just go off and leave the things
that I've loved and that have loved me? I can't
walk out on them. I forgot that. And they were
trying to remind me. Yeah. Yeah, I guess you're
right. But then you always are. Well, I'm right
about this. Well, let's go, huh? Yeah. Oh, poor
Cleopatra. Why? Poor Cleopatra. Well, I knocked
her on the floor. You what? Yeah, when I was
trying to cut you loose, I knocked Cleopatra
on the floor, broke the pot and everything. You
mean she's lying there, the pot is broken, and
she's lying there on the floor with no dirt?
Yeah, I guess so. Oh, Ed, come on. The pot brought
her... No, hurry up. We've got to get there before
she dies. There she is. There's Cleopatra. Let
me do it, honey. You just stay there. Let me
pick her up. Look out, Ed. They're angry. Ed,
they're coming for you. No, it's all right. Ed,
please get out of the way. Stand back. Let me
do it. If they're gonna let you do it... Of course
they are. Of course they are. Aren't you, my
darling? Aren't you? Ed, hand me that Aiden Potter
one right there. Now, now, now, now, now. Your
roots haven't been out of the earth for very
long, my love. Now gently, gently... No, no,
I'm not hurting her. See, Michael? I'm being
very gentle. I'm putting the good earth in the
pot. See, Michael? Ed, get me some water, just
a little. Honey, I don't like leaving you here.
Don't be silly. I'll be perfectly all right.
Okay, I'll be right back. Now, you see, Michael?
I'm scooping up every last bit of the nice brown
earth. And I'm sifting it through my fingers.
See? See Annabelle see all of you are very carefully
with the beautiful loose Now we put a little
water in not very much because the earth wasn't
very dry Now we mix just a little of it into
the soil there we are And now Cleopatra, my love,
let me pick you up. I'll hold you for a second.
And don't be frightened, my dear, no, no, no,
no. You can put your little roots into the dirt,
very gently, very carefully. And press the dirt
down around them. And then we add the rest of
the dirt, almost to the top, and we press it
down. Not too high, just enough to make you feel
safe. There we are. You see, Michael? Marianne?
Annabelle, see? She's going to be all right.
You think she really will be? Oh, yes, yes. Yes,
and when I set her here on the window sill, I
let the sun pour all over her. Shouldn't you
start taking down the other plants? No, no, not
yet. They've had an awful shock. Yeah, but honey,
the furniture movers at the other apartment,
they must be going crazy wondering where we are.
Well, you go. You take the car and go over there.
What about you? Come back for me later. Okay.
Like in an hour? Well, make it a couple of hours.
Okay, baby. Baby boats of silver moon Sailing
on the sea Yes, my dear ones, rest Rest, my darlings
Sail, baby sail Out across the sea Only don't
forget to sail Home again to me The next time
you pass by a plant, stop and look. Make a little
bow or tip your hat. And if its leaves flutter
and make a sound, listen. It may be trying to
tell you something. I'll be back shortly. living
things, like old shoes, and throw them away when
they are worn out or broken with service. Those
words were written by a Roman biographer named
Plutarch. They are as true today as when he wrote
them, almost two thousand years ago. Our cast
included Mercedes McCambridge, Larry Haynes,
and Ralph Bell. The entire production was under
the direction of Hyman Brown. This is E .G. Marshall
inviting you to return to our mystery theater
for another adventure in the macabre. Until next
time, pleasant dreams.