02x10 - Citizenship - The Stone in the Road / Cincinnatus

Episode transcripts for the TV show "Adventures from the Book of Virtues". Aired: September 2, 1996–September 6, 1999.*
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A buffalo uses stories to answer children's questions.
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02x10 - Citizenship - The Stone in the Road / Cincinnatus

Post by bunniefuu »

♪ Tell me a story

♪ Read me a poem ♪

♪ Wrap it in melody ♪

♪ Sing me the song ♪

♪ Then let me hold it ♪

♪ Deep in my heart ♪

♪ Where it can speak to me ♪

♪ All the day long ♪

♪ The adventure of virtue ♪

♪ The adventure of truth ♪

♪ The thrill of knowing ♪

♪ That it's up to you ♪

♪ Building a new day shining in the sun ♪

♪ This is my story ♪

♪ The adventure has ♪

♪ Begun. ♪

Annie: there. Another one finished.

Annie, by this time next week

We'll be white-water rafting down the colorado river.

Oh, look what I found on the internet today.

I just looked up "the grand canyon"

And I got rafting maps, hiking trails, wilderness guides.

Wow. You've really done

Your homework.

Mom, this will be the best camping trip ever.

Mmm. Smells like somebody's working in here.

You bet.

We've got lots of baking to do

Before we leave next week.

Actually, i, uh, wanted to talk to you two

About our vacation.

I've been called for jury duty... Next week.

Next week, dear?

Do you think we should postpone the trip?

We've been planning this for months.

Our reservations are already made.

I understand that.

But I can move the reservations.

We'll still go, but in a few weeks.

Move your jury duty.

We planned our vacation first.

It's my civic duty to serve on a jury.

The judge expects me to help decide a court case.

You've put off jury duty before for work

But you won't put it off for our vacation?

Your father had to make a presentation

At a national conference.

He couldn't move that.

This is different.

And, well, being a good citizen means making time for jury duty.

Yeah, but why be a good citizen next week?

Can we wait a few weeks?

Oh, man.

This isn't fair.

I'm going for a bike ride.

Aha!

Now, this is a good one.

Annie: hey, everyone.

What are you guys up to?

I found all of these old pictures

So I'm making a photo montage of spring valley's history.

And we're helping.

Ari, do me a favor

And hit the collage, not me.

Nothing like a nice, sunny day to catch up on a little reading.

I agree, plato.

Annie, getting excited about your rafting trip?

You're leaving soon, right?

Wrong. We have to wait

Because my dad got called for jury duty.

Doesn't that stink?

How can you say that?

Jury duty doesn't stink.

Why, it's wonderful.

It's... It's...

What exactly is jury duty?

( Laughing ): oh, soc.

Jury duty is your chance

To participate in the legal system.

Ordinary citizens listen to the evidence

And decide if someone is innocent or guilty of a crime.

Annie, your father is fulfilling his civic duty

By serving on a jury.

It's a responsibility that comes with citizenship.

What does this have to do with citizenship?

Yeah, isn't citizenship

About not letting the flag touch the floor?

Isn't citizenship about where you live?

You know, I'm a spring valley citizen

Because I was born here.

Citizenship is about all those things.

But mostly, it's about enjoying the privileges

Of your community.

And making a contribution to society.

That's what your dad is doing, annie.

I understand that.

But we're going on vacation.

Can't someone else take his place?

Good citizens don't wait for somebody else to do things.

That reminds me of a story

Where nobody wanted to go out of their way to do anything.

Which story is that?

The stone in the road.

Long ago, in a distant land

A wise king ruled over a village

Where everyone was lazy and unproductive.

Cobbler, I have heard

That you've stopped manufacturing shoes.

Why?

Last month, an old woman laughed

At the shoes I made for her.

Perfectly good shoes, and she laughed at them.

Oh, you are afraid of being ridiculed by an old woman?

Well... Y-yeah.

I don't want to be laughed at.

It's embarrassing.

Cobbler, for years now

I have built villages up from nothing.

I have sent ships sailing across the sea.

I have ruled over all that you see before you.

And you know my secret?

Start each day with a good breakfast?

No.

Comfortable shoes.

Really?

My shoes?

Because of you, good sir

This kingdom is where it is today.

Well, they are good shoes.

That's right.

And I need some more.

So back to work.

Yes, sir, your highness, sir.

In the entire town

There was perhaps only one person

Who did not spend all her time

Grumbling and griping.

Don't break your back, bridget.

You'll give us all a bad name.

Woman: in my garden

There are weeds everywhere.

You think that's bad?

There's a hole in my roof the size of a small horse.

The wind here is so awful.

And what about the garbage

Along the side of the road?

Why don't you do something about these problems?

What? Whatever.

All: brilliant idea.

What is it I can do for you?

The rooster next door gets me up too early.

The water in the town well is too cold.

The tree in my yard gives too much shade.

What's up with that?

Roosters? Cold water? Too much shade?

Oh, these are serious matters.

Yes! Very serious!

You don't know the half of it.

I shall take this under consideration.

Oh, this town grows greedier and lazier

With every year that passes.

Oh, yes, sir, it does.

We need people who will work

For the good of the community...

People who will do a job

To help our kingdom prosper.

Y-yes, sir, oh, you're right.

Nothing can come of a country

Whose people expect others

To solve their problems.

I must find a way to reward citizens

Who take action for themselves.

Hmm...

Hmm... Hmm...

Bridget: uncover your eyes, ingrid

And you'll see tonight's surprise.

Ah, soup!

I never would have guessed.

Some surprise, huh?

I wish I really could surprise you one day

Especially since tomorrow is your birthday.

Mom, don't worry.

This is fine, really.

King phillip: no more complainers.

( Groaning )

Reward those citizens who help themselves...

But how?

How?

( Gasps )

I've got it!

( Grunts )

Now, that ought to do the job.

( Groaning )

Come on.

A few more feet.

( Groaning )

( Sighs )

There. Perfect.

( Sighing )

( Grunting )

( Groaning )

( Sighing )

I can watch everything

From up here.

Aha!

My first subject.

Huh?

Heavens, what's this?

It's stuck in the middle of the road.

There's only one thing to do, I suppose.

Drive around it.

Oh! He'll regret it.

( Kids laughing )

Girl: wait a second.

Children-- surely they won't be too lazy to move the stone

With all their energy.

Hey, look at this.

King of the hill.

( Grunting )

Not for long.

Queen of the hill.

Well, queen, maybe you should move the rock.

It's in the middle

Of the road.

Cleaning the road's the king's work.

King, get to work.

( Giggling )

No way! I don't want to be king.

Stupid stone isn't my problem.

( Yawning )

Well, it's been nearly an entire day

And nobody has moved that stone.

Maybe there is no hope for these lazy citizens.

( Gasping )

Ooh, my own men.

They won't disappoint me.

( Gasping )

( Laughing )

How can you laugh at this atrocity?

Uh, i-i-i'm sorry.

It's the poor condition of our country's roads.

Deplorable.

I must tell the king when we return.

Somebody needs to come out here

And move this blasted rock.

( Groans )

Where did I go wrong?

I'd help with that cart, bridget

But I've got calluses on my hands.

And my back is

Kind of sore.

How did this get here?

I told you, there is trash everywhere.

Somebody ought to move this thing.

( Groans )

Look at this.

Somebody's going to come along and hurt themselves.

( Groaning )

Hey...

Can somebody help me here?

Sorry, bridget.

Can't quite hear you.

See you tomorrow.

( Groaning )

Why, there's something down there.

( Groaning )

"The first citizen to move this stone from the road

Shall be rewarded by the riches within."

Gold!

Gold?! Gold?!

I moved the stone, and this was underneath.

( Groaning )

There must be more.

I'll look under here.

I told you to move it.

No use looking for any more gold.

Your friend

Has found it all.

King phillip?

You know of this gold?

I certainly do.

I was tired of hearing complaints

So I decided to reward the first citizen

Who would selflessly remove that stone.

I didn't do anything.

I just...

You just moved a stone that everyone else passed over.

I was coming back later tonight.

I was just about to help bridget.

Yeah, me, too.

Where's our reward?

Sorry. Disappointment is the only reward for laziness.

The gold, all of it

Goes to bridget.

Bridget took matters into her own hands.

She knew that the way to serve your community

Is through action.

If she'd just complained

She wouldn't have been rewarded.

But if annie's dad gives up his vacation for jury duty

He won't get

Gold or anything.

Zach, rewards come in all shapes and sizes.

Being able to use parks, libraries and soccer fields.

Those are rewards

For a community that works together.

Oh, look at these guys.

I bet they didn't get a reward

For doing this.

The famous spring valley fire.

If it weren't for the volunteer efforts of our citizens

The town hall would have b*rned down.

And look at this.

It's still standing.

That's one for the collage.

Oh, put it right next to the picture

Of the prairie dog day celebration.

I get it.

The reward for putting out the fire

Was that the town hall was saved.

Exactly. Your ancestors served their community

And built a wonderful town.

They needed no other reward.

Hmm, that reminds me of another story

A story of somebody who served his country

With no expectations of personal gain.

Cincinnatus. Here's an ideal citizen

A man who performed remarkable deeds for his country

Without wanting a reward at all.

Cincinnatus lived long ago in ancient rome.

While he had once held the highest office in the land

Cincinnatus now lived

A modest life as a humble farmer

But no matter how much work was needed on his farm

Cincinnatus was willing to help his neighbor

For everyone knew that cincinnatus

Was the wisest man in the land.

Meanwhile, in the far reaches of the country

The romans were meeting a new enemy.

( Yelling )

In the name of rome, identify yourselves.

We are aequi warriors.

We plan to make all romans our slaves

And burn your empire to the ground.

( Yelling )

Marcus, go.

( Yelling )

Seize him!

( Grunting )

The brave young soldier ran all the way back

To the city of rome.

Marcus carried word to the roman elders

That their city would soon be under att*ck

By fierce warriors.

The elders sent out marcus

And a group of his bravest soldiers

To defeat the aequi warriors.

Marcus was given instructions

To come back only when the roman soldiers

Had been freed.

Of the many brave romans sent to battle

Only five returned.

There was no victory parade.

Sirs, I have only bad news

To report to you.

The warriors surprised us at night.

They trapped us in a narrow gulch.

Ten horsemen, including myself

Made a run for freedom

And only a few of us made it back to rome.

The roman army?

Have they all perished?

They are held as prisoners high in the mountains.

The warriors will k*ll them soon.

Our men must be freed

But there is no army left to help them.

The roman elders knew their army was in serious jeopardy.

They would have to think of a solution quickly.

Gentlemen, the fate of the roman empire

Is at stake.

Is there no man among us

With strength and wisdom to lead us

Into battle?

There is one: cincinnatus.

That ought to bring you back.

Good day. What brings you here?

Cincinnatus, the elders of rome

Wish to request a favor.

Our armies captured?

Can this be true?

The elders

Have promised to make you ruler of rome.

All of the empire's resources

Will be at your disposal.

They want me to lead the way?

Should you succeed in saving the empire

You shall be rewarded

With whatever treasures and riches

You desire.

Let's have no talk of riches.

This is not the time.

Plato: and so it was, that, without hesitation

Without a single question

Cincinnatus came to rome's defense.

We shall not let the enemy

Hold the roman army c*ptive for even one more day.

We will create a new army.

And where do you expect

To find this new army, cincinnatus?

All young, able-bodied men will join me in battle.

Me? A roman soldier?

Every guard

In this city

Will mount his horse and ride to confront the enemy.

Hail to cincinnatus!

Plato: within moments of assuming command

Cincinnatus had created a new army.

The roman empire is the greatest power

In all the civilized world.

As we ride into battle today

I want you all to fight

For your country.

Today, citizens, we fight for rome.

Plato: cincinnatus possessed

Both the knowledge to organize his men

And the courage to lead them into battle.

For more than two weeks, the battle raged intensely.

Many lives were lost.

At times the young roman army seemed certain to lose

Against their fierce opponents.

When the battle was finally over

A messenger was dispatched to deliver news

About the fate of cincinnatus, the roman armies

And the entire roman empire.

Victory!

Victory is ours!

( Gasps )

Victory...

We've won! We've won.

To cincinnatus, whose bravery

Has saved the roman empire.

( Snaps fingers )

Cincinnatus

We promised you the riches of rome.

We shall not go back

On our word.

No, that is unnecessary.

( Snaps fingers )

All of the land on this map

Belongs to rome.

Anything you wish

Shall be yours for the taking.

All I have done, judicas, I have done as a roman citizen.

The only thing

I shall ask from you

Is a ride back to my farm

So I may return to my wife.

Yes.

So, cincinnatus left his farm

Led his country in this w*r

And didn't ask for anything in return?

Plato: that's right.

He was just doing what he felt he needed to do

As a citizen.

I guess my dad could do his part

By being on jury duty.

Our vacation

Can wait another week or so.

Cincinnatus makes me think

That I should do something for spring valley.

I've got all summer.

What are you talking about?

You're working on this photo montage.

That's for summer school.

I should do something else, too.

I know what you mean.

We should plan something together.

That sounds cool.

I've got to get home

And apologize to my mom and dad

For being so mad at them.

Bye, everybody.

Good-bye, annie.

Bye, annie.

Annie: hi, mom. Hi, dad.

I'm sorry

I got upset this afternoon.

Mom: we understand.

You've been looking

Forward to this rafting trip for a long time.

I guess I just didn't realize

That jury duty is all part of citizenship.

Citizenship is about helping

When you're needed.

Citizenship?

Well, when you put it that way

I guess I don't have a choice.

When dad's doing jury duty

Zach and I will work on a community project

Of our own.

When everybody is done with their civic duty

We'll hit the rapids.

♪ When you've planted a seed in a park somewhere ♪

♪ When you've cleaned up a road ♪

♪ What a difference it makes ♪

♪ To everyone ♪

♪ 'Cause you're sharing the load ♪

♪ All it takes is a little time ♪

♪ To give something back to your world and mine ♪

♪ Put someth♪ be the oneo who will lead the way ♪

♪ Put something into tomorrow ♪

♪ And wake up to a brighter day... ♪
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