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| Original Airdate: September 21, 1972 Writer: Nigel McKeand Director: Alf Kjellin |
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Prologue: |
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| "Few strangers ever came to Walton's Mountain. We got our news of the outside world from the radio or from an occasional copy of a magazine. But I remember when I was about 17, four visitors arrived and gave me my first unexpected glimpse of the other world beyond our mountain." |
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Synopsis: |
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| The children are excited to go to the carnival that has stopped near the mountain but when Grandma breaks her glasses they give her the money they were going to use for the carnival to pay for new glasses. After the carnival manager runs off with the snake charmer's wife and all the cash, four performers are stranded on the mountain and they take refuge in the Walton's barn. Olivia has her concerns about such rough people being welcomed into her home but warms up to them when she sees that they are just regular folk too. John-Boy eats up their words and stories of travel and riches that they have seen. Olivia fears though that they are influencing John-Boy about the world beyond the mountain and that he will leave before she is ready. When John-Boy talks to the little person Tommy Trimble about his feelings he says that he feels asleep on Walton's Mountain and life is just rushing past him and that one day he'll wake up and find himself like a ship that has run a ground. |
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| The children get into mischief as they try to mimic the carnival acts. Mary Ellen does a balancing act on the roof of the barn which Olivia make her pay for by memorizing bible verses. John and Zeb make an arrangement for the performers to hop the train to the Chicago World's Fair. To repay the family for their kindness they put on a show in the old barn and everyone gets to finally enjoy the carnival. Grandma is able to enjoy the performance with her new glasses. Olivia shares a moment with Belle and the tightrope walker wonders about the settled life. Tommy, leaves John-Boy a copy of Moby Dick which they had shared their affection for. |
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Epilogue: |
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| "And so the carnival people left Walton's Mountain. The postcard we received from them said they'd arrived safely in Chicago and were working at the World's Fair. Some years later, when I left to go to college, the book which Tommy gave me was one of the possessions I took with me. Now, whenever I open it I remember those four people who gave a 17 year old boy his first glimpse of the outside world." |
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Episode Notes and Interesting Facts: |
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Additional Cast: |
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Guest Stars: Gino Conforti (Pete Harris), Billy Barty (Tommy Trimble), Barbara Davis (Belle), John Harper (Marco) with: Joe Conley (Ike Godsey), John Crawford (Sheriff Bridges), Cindy Eilbacher (Martha Rose Coverdale), Jay Ripley (Sam Holden)
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Music from this episode: |
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