Easter Bunny Is Comin' to Town, The (1977)

[bunniefuu]

Announcer: today, children everywhere

Are making preparations

For an event of world-shaking significance--

The annual visit of the easter bunny,

Who will be riding into town

On his now-famous steam engine

Easter sunday morning at quarter to dawn.

Informed sources report

That legions of junior citizens

Are straightening their bonnets,

Shining up their shoes, and making monumental vows

Not to peek when the bunny hides the eggs.

Meanwhile, letters by the thousands

Have been flooding postal facilities

All over the world.

[Whistle blows]

Hello!

Easter's comin', easter's comin',

Easter's comin', easter's comin'.

Well, hello there!

Great to see ya.

It sure is.

How've you been?

Child: great! Terrific!

Wonderful!

Well, as you can see, I've come up in the world.

I don't travel by putt-putt anymore.

I've got my very own train.

Oh, you all know chugs, don't you?

He's the famous little engine who could.

How'd you do? How'd you do?

How'd you do?

Well, this time I've got a load of easter eggs

And jelly beans and, of course, tons and tons of mail,

All for the easter bunny.

Why, he gets almost as much as santa.

And every year, they're the same.

Some children ask for colored eggs,

Others for toy bunnies or candy,

But a lot ask questions, like this one, for instance.

I bet one of you wrote it.

Child reads: "where did the easter bunny come from?"

Second child: my turn!

Now, hold on. If you really want to know, I can tell you.

He certainly can. He certainly can.

He certainly can.

See, I'm an old friend of the easter bunny,

So you come right along with me

While I tell you all about him.

[Choo]

All about it. All about it.

Hey, the sun's about to come up,

And that means just one thing for sure...

♪ The easter bunny is comin' to town today ♪

♪ Here's hopin' he's hippity-hoppin' your way ♪

♪ So straighten your bonnets ♪

♪ And shine up all your shoes ♪

♪ And hurry, there's no time to lose ♪

♪ The easter bunny is comin' to town today ♪

♪ He's ridin' an engine instead of a sleigh ♪

♪ Don't blink for even a second ♪

♪ Or he'll be gone ♪

♪ He puffs in at quarter to dawn ♪

♪ He'll be fillin' easter baskets ♪

♪ He'll be rollin' eggs like mad ♪

♪ Greenin' everything that's winter-clad ♪

♪ The easter bunny is comin' to town today ♪

♪ Here's hopin' he's hippity-hoppin' your way ♪

♪ So get your brushes and paints ♪

♪ Give him a hand ♪

♪ It's easter throughout all the land ♪

[Choo choo]

So you want to know all about the easter bunny, huh?

Well, I'll just set my throttle on remote control.

You'll be ok, won't you, chugs?

You know I will. You know I will.

You know I will.

You know I will. You know I will.

Well, it all began many years ago,

Far, far away,

Way over on the other side of big rock mountain.

There, settled snugly in a little valley,

Was a fantastic village known as...kidville.

Now, the reason it was known as kidville

Was because no one but children lived there.

A spunky, brave, ragtag little community

Of young fellas and girls and no grownups at all.

Why, there was a kid mayor and a kid policeman...

And firemen... And even a kid mailman.

Heh! Yeah. That's me way back when.

That's how come I know this story so well.

Not one grownup in the whole shebang.

See, all the children were orphans,

And they had gathered together in this remote little valley,

Cut off from the rest of the world

By big rock mountain, to make a life for themselves.

Sometimes it was lonely,

And sometimes...

It was scary.

[Heavy footsteps]

Like when big old gadzooks

Rumbled around the mountain to bother them.

Grrr.

Gadzooks, giant bear who lived in a lonely cave

On big rock mountain.

He'd usually show up on holidays,

And if it was christmas, he'd take all the kids' toys.

If it was, say, halloween, he'd take their pumpkins.

And if it was somebody's birthday,

He'd take the cake. Yes, sir.

Grrr.

But aside from the problems with gadzooks,

It was a pretty good life--

Kind and peaceful and sometimes full of fun.

Everybody shared everything

And worshipped the lord in their own way.

[Bell rings]

That's how they found the bunny rabbit.

Boy: it's a baby bunny!

[Crying]

We won't hurt you, little fellow.

Are you alone? Uh-huh.

Where are your parents? I dunno.

You have no mommy and daddy?

Are--are you an orphan, too?

Just like us.

Aw, poor little thing.

What'll we call him?

Do you have a name?

He sure likes the sun.

That's it! We'll call him sunny!

Sunny!

He likes his name.

All: yay! Sunny!

Mr. Cluger: and so, he was named

After the easter morning sunrise

And the rebirth of life it represented.

He was taken back to kidville

And became the town's official pet.

Now, rabbits grow much faster than kids,

And being one rabbit among a lot of kids,

Little sunny grew more like a kid than a bunny.

But soon he was 1 year old, full grown,

And as bright and as smart as anybody in kidville.

He was a born leader.

And that very same afternoon at the town meeting...

And I say kidville's got to expand.

We've got to send the things we make to the outside world

And get the things we need in exchange.

What things, sunny?

Uh, well, there's our eggs. How about our eggs?

No eggs in the world can top kidville eggs.

Kids: yay!

Mr. Cluger: he was right.

I guess those wonderful kidville eggs were about the best ever...

Big and white and beautiful.

That was because of the hendrew sisters.

Three truly remarkable chickens,

The queens of the chicken coop.

Child: what came first, mr. Cluger,

The chicken or the egg?

Mr. Cluger: girls, if you please.

Really! What a question to ask us.

I mean, did you ever?

Let's tell it like it was, girls.

♪ What came first the chicken or the egg? ♪

♪ What a silly riddle ♪

♪ Just like askin' who came first ♪

♪ The pussycat or the fiddle? ♪

♪ The chicken was first that we can prove ♪

♪ With a little bible lesson ♪

♪ When noah took the animals on the ark ♪

♪ That sure fixed the progression ♪

♪ Of what came first, the chicken or the egg? ♪

♪ What's there to agree on? ♪

♪ Just like askin' who came first ♪

♪ The fountain or ponce de leon? ♪

♪ There was no egg aboard that ark ♪

♪ Just a mr. And mrs. Chicken ♪

♪ When the water dried up, they hatched an egg ♪

♪ That should make the plot unthicken ♪

♪ About what came first, the chicken or the egg? ♪

♪ What a crazy query ♪

♪ Just like askin' who came first ♪

♪ The cow or mrs. O'leary? Yeah ♪

♪ What came first, the chicken or the egg? ♪

♪ Now it's not a mystery ♪

♪ The chicken was first ♪

♪ The egg was last ♪

♪ And that's written down in history ♪

What are you doin'?

Who's goin' to eat all those eggs?

Make mine 3 minutes.

What am I sayin'? Oh, my!

I can't bear to watch. A month's work boiled.

I'm boiling them so that they won't get broken

On the trip over the big rock mountain.

Solid, man.

Eggs-actly.

Mr. Cluger: and the next day,

Bright and early,

He set off to spread the good word about kidville

To the outside world.

It was easter morning,

Just one year after he had been found.

Farewell, kids. I'm off to--to...

Kids: where?

Um, well, I'll find something.

Farewell. Kids: bye!

Howdy, neighbor!

W--who are you? Hallelujah's the name.

Hallelujah h. Jones.

I'm sunny.

Clever name. Where are you bound?

I don't know.

Been there a lot of times.

Best part is, you never have to worry

About gettin' there on time.

Well, maybe you can help me.

I've got to find someplace to sell these eggs.

Well, I just come from a burg.

Yes, sir, them eggs would sure

Go big over there. Where?

Oh, way over to the other side of big rock,

A place called, uh, town.

Town?

Just town?

Well, it's either town or town-town.

Can't rightly remember.

But I do remember there wasn't an egg to st--uh...

Uh, to buy anywhere. Ha ha ha!

Well, thanks a lot, hallelujah.

Where are you headed?

Where'd you say you just come from?

Kidville.

Well, then, that's where I'm headed.

If you ain't there, they got room for one more.

Mr. Cluger: well, it was quite a climb over that mountain.

Just as sunny got to the top...

[Heavy footsteps]

Oh, no!

Grrr.

Gadzooks!

Mr. Cluger: gadzooks! It was gadzooks.

Gadzooks!

I want them eggs!

Grrr.

Help!

Mr. Cluger: sunny kept on hoppin' down

The other side of the mountain,

Right up to the gates of town.

Town was the most dismal, unpleasant place

Sunny had ever seen.

Nobody laughed, everybody dressed in black,

And pretty flowers were against the law.

Excuse me, sir, but where are the children?

Shh! Children are against the law.

As soon as a little boy or girl gets born here,

The whole family's got to move away.

That's terrible.

Shh!

I agree.

Who makes these laws?

Shh!

Him...

And her.

Mr. Cluger: king bruce the frail,

Only 7 years old, and his aunt

The dowager duchess lily longtooth.

He was the king, but it was lily who really ruled town.

But--but must i, aunt lily?

You will do as I tell you.

Eat your beans.

That's all anybody eats in this kingdom.

Beans, beans, and more beans!

I think beans are sufficient,

And what I think is so.

Now, eat your beans.

You must set a good example to your subjects.

Remember, you are king. Ha ha ha!

I don't want to be king.

I want to be just an ordinary kid,

Like everybody else.

You'll stay king and like it...

Ha ha! Your majesty.

[Door shuts]

No wonder hallelujah said those eggs

Would be a hit here.

[Splash]

[Splash]

Hey, good one!

Mr. Cluger: now, of course, the whole problem was

Getting those eggs past gadzooks.

It was old hallelujah jones who came up with the solution.

See? They're disguised.

That dumb ol' bear won't know what they are.

Child: the first colored easter eggs!

Mr. Cluger: the very first.

Little sunny had no idea

He and hallelujah were starting a tradition.

[Heavy footsteps]

Mr. Cluger: so he started over that mountain again

With a fresh supply of disguised eggs

On his way back to town.

Grrr.

Rabbit!

Gadzooks!

Any more eggs,

Bunny r--r--rabbit?

Grrr.

Oh, let me tell you,

Little sunny was in lots of trouble.

Lots of trouble. Lots of trouble. Lots of trouble.

Lots of trouble. Lots of trouble.

Any more eggs, r--r--rabbit?

N--no, nothing but a lot of colored stones

To sell as paperweights.

Gadzooks.

What do I want with stones?

I live on big rock.

Rabbit, I wants eggs!

You go back and get me eggs.

Uh, some other time. Bye!

Gadzooks. That ain't the way to kidville.

Hey, you! Come back here,

R--r--rabbit!

Oh, wh-- who goes there?

Me, sir. Uh, happy easter?

Uh, what is this?

Well, I guess you'd call it, uh...

An easter egg!

Easter egg?

Yeah. One for you, too.

Both: easter eggs? Yecch!

Mr. Cluger: and that was the first time

Anybody ever called them that.

Why not give it a try? Peel one and take a bite.

Not me. I'm not going to be first.

Doesn't look like it would taste good anyway.

Yeah. Me, neither.

Well, if everybody felt that way,

We'd probably still be eating leaves and flowers.

Somebody has to be first, you know?

♪ The first man to eat an oyster ♪

♪ To his great shock, he found a pearl ♪

♪ The first man to shine that rock up ♪

♪ Found the best friend of a girl ♪

♪ Someone's gotta be first ♪

♪ All things gotta be faced ♪

♪ Someone's gotta brave the worst ♪

♪ Someone's gotta take a taste ♪

♪ The first man to eat a pickle ♪

♪ Said this cucumber's rather dill ♪

♪ The first man to find a salt mine ♪

♪ Thought the worth of it was nil ♪

♪ Someone's gotta be first ♪

♪ All things gotta be faced ♪

♪ Someone's gotta brave the worst ♪

♪ Someone's gotta take a taste ♪

♪ The first man to eat potatoes ♪

♪ He stumbled on the basic roots ♪

♪ And the first man to eat an onion ♪

♪ What a strange, peculiar fruit ♪

♪ Someone's gotta be first ♪

♪ All things gotta be faced ♪

♪ Someone's gotta brave the worst ♪

♪ Someone's gotta take a taste ♪

Both: mmm!

Delicious!

♪ Someone's gotta take a taste ♪

Mr. Cluger: well, the citizens of town

Were delighted with the easter eggs.

Child: but why didn't he hide them?

I thought he always hid them.

Mr. Cluger: hiding them came later.

Now, don't get ahead of the story.

Of course, no one was more delighted

Than little king bruce.

Wow! What is it?

An easter egg. Why easter egg?

Well, 'cause it's got springtime colors,

And I'm giving it on easter.

Well, if this is an easter egg,

You must be the easter bunny.

Well, nobody ever called me that before.

Sure, they did.

Who?

Me, and I'm the king.

What I say goes.

Ha ha! Ok.

I hereby dub you the easter bunny,

Royal knight of the rainbow eggs.

[Fanfare plays]

Mr. Cluger: and that's how he got his name and rank.

Child: oh, that's how!

What do you do with these easter eggs?

Eat them. Just like an ordinary egg?

Well, I guess they're not ordinary.

I guess there should be a sort of a ritual.

What ritual?

Uh, good question.

Let's see.

First you hold it up and look at it,

And then you say,

"Ooh! Isn't that pretty?"

Ooh!

Isn't that pretty?

Yeah, then you sort of look concerned and say,

"Seems a shame to eat it."

Seems a shame to eat it.

Uh-huh. Then you kind of think it over,

And you say,

"Heck! That's what easter eggs are for."

Heck! That's what easter eggs are for.

Ha ha ha! Yeah!

Child: that's just the way it always happens at my house!

Mr. Cluger: mine, too.

Then you sort of peel the colored shell off,

And if you're a real easter egg expert,

You keep it all in one piece.

I'm an expert!

I'm an expert!

Now do we eat them?

Not the whole darn thing at once!

First you kind of nibble at the white,

Then, when you got nothing left but the yoke,

You sort of consider it, study it,

Sniff it a little.

[Sniffing]

Wonder about its magic and color and...

[Gulp]

Down it goes. Ahh.

Delicious!

Ahh!

Delicious!

And that's the traditional way

Of eating an easter egg, starting now.

♪ Someone's gotta be first ♪

♪ All things gotta be faced ♪

♪ Someone's gotta brave the worst ♪

♪ Someone's gotta take a taste ♪

What's going on here?

Oh, hi, aunt lily.

You want an easter egg?

We've got loads of 'em!

Let me see those.

Ugh! What vulgar colors!

Wait a moment.

This is a real egg!

You know that beans

Are the only food allowed.

Uh, this is sunny the easter bunny.

Your ladyship.

Aah! A rodent!

A hairy little animal

In the king's chambers!

Oh!

Oh!

Oh!

You must pass a new law immediately.

All eggs are illegal.

And easter eggs

Are expressly forbidden!

No!

No!

Immediately.

So be it.

What?

So be it.

And now, your royal majesty,

You will go to bed

Without supper.

Yes, aunt lily.

Ha ha ha!

[Sniffles]

Sunny!

Shh! Sorry I made you miss your supper.

Oh, that's all right.

It was gonna be more beans again anyway.

Maybe, when I come back next easter,

I could bring some beans, a very special easter beans.

Mr. Cluger: sunny kept his word,

And for months and months he labored

With herbert the baker and hallelujah jones,

Trying to make an easter bean.

Oh, they had many failures,

But then one day...

It's done! Hallelujah!

Let's see.

Easy now.

Easy now.

Mmm! Delicious!

Mm-mmm! Delicious!

Mmm! Mmm!

De-licorice!

Mr. Cluger: why, do you know what they'd gone and invented?

Children: jelly beans!

Mr. Cluger: right! The world's first

Easter jelly beans.

[Clucking]

Mr. Cluger: well, easter was only a little way off,

And the hendrew sisters had to make lots of new easter eggs.

On the day before easter,

Sunny started out for town again.

Eggs and jelly beans. Eggs and jelly beans.

Eggs and jelly beans. Eggs and jelly beans.

Mr. Cluger: of course, wouldn't you know,

Old gadzooks met them again?

Grrr.

Rabbit!

Gadzooks.

Let me see that.

Gadzooks, give them back to me, please.

Bah, more colored stones.

I hates colored stones,

R--r--rabbit!

All: oh, no!

Mr.cluger: all their hard work for nothing.

[Choo choo]

Well, sunny and his friends

Thought they'd lost all those colored eggs.

They were pretty down, let me tell you.

Pretty down, pretty down,

Pretty down, pretty down,

Pretty down, pretty down...

Mr. Cluger: but when they got close to kidville,

They were surprised to hear...

I found one! Me, too!

I got a green and pink one.

I got a blue.

W--what's going on here?

Why, they're having the time of their lives.

Those eggs came a-flyin' out of the sky

And hid themselves good and proper.

So everybody in kidville

Came out here to hunt them up.

[Children laughing]

Ha ha ha! The kids are having so much fun

Looking for the eggs,

I think that from here on in, I'll always hide 'em.

Child: oh, so that's why he hides them.

That's why.

Mr. Cluger: now, sunny realized he'd have to do something

To get past ol' gadzooks,

So he had a meeting with all the kid tailors in town,

And they worked all night long

Following his instructions.

Mr. Cluger: bright and early easter morning, sunny set out,

This time hoping that he would run into gadzooks.

Grrr. R--r--rabbit!

Gadzooks.

Mr. Cluger: soon that old grizzly

Had chased sunny right up to the edge of town,

Just as sunny had planned.

[Screech]

All: happy easter, gadzooks!

For...

For...me?

Now you can be all pretty for easter, honey bear.

Sweetie pie.

Sugar love.

[Crying]

Gadzooks.

Mr. Cluger: and that big suit of clothes

For a giant grizzly bear was the first easter outfit ever.

[Crying]

I can't believe ya done this...

For me!

Why?

N--n--nobody...

Loves...

Ol' gadzooks!

Ah, that's your trouble, gadzooks.

Ya gotta like yourself

Before you can expect anyone else to.

You've gotta stop your growlin' and smile.

♪ The sand can't run through your toes ♪

♪ If you're wearin' shoes ♪

♪ The sun can't shine on your nose ♪

♪ If you got the blues ♪

♪ You've got the wrong end of the wishbone ♪

♪ And your dinner's beans and corn pone ♪

♪ And you think nobody loves you ♪

♪ But they do ♪

♪ Take your shoes off, friend ♪

♪ Let the sand run through your toes ♪

♪ Through your toes ♪

♪ Shake the blues off, friend ♪

♪ Let the sun shine on your nose ♪

♪ On your nose ♪

♪ Just get a thumb up on that wishbone ♪

♪ Put some honey on your corn pone ♪

♪ And I'll bet someone'll love ya ♪

♪ If ya do ♪

♪ If ya do ♪

♪ If ya do ♪

♪ They'll love you ♪

♪ They'll love you ♪

♪ I'll bet someone'll love you ♪

♪ If you do ♪

♪ You can't row a boat upstream if ya got no oars ♪

♪ If ya got no oars ♪

♪ And ya can't get wet when it rains if ya stay indoors ♪

♪ If ya stay indoors ♪

♪ If ya think ya always get the short end ♪

♪ And ya never had a real friend ♪

♪ And you think nobody loves you ♪

♪ But they do ♪

♪ Turn your boat around ♪

♪ Let it go where it wants to go ♪

♪ Put your hat 'n' slicker on ♪

♪ Let it rain or snow ♪

♪ And then the short end will get longer ♪

♪ And your friendships will get stronger ♪

♪ And a lot of folks'll love you ♪

♪ If ya do ♪

♪ If ya do ♪

♪ If ya do ♪

♪ They'll love you ♪

♪ They'll love you ♪

♪ You think nobody loves you ♪

♪ But they do ♪

♪ You think nobody loves you ♪

♪ But they do ♪

♪ Ooh ♪

[Crying]

Gadzooks.

Rabbit...

I feel it.

I really do.

[Laughing]

Mr. Cluger: and the town townspeople

Even had more fun than the kidville kids

When they started looking for the easter eggs

That sunny hid.

And to king bruce and the others,

Those jelly beans were about the greatest invention

Since the wheel.

And to linda and herbert,

It was as if they suddenly had

A million grandmas and grandpas

And aunts and uncles.

It wasn't until later in the day

That lady longtooth discovered

What was going on.

What's this?!

More easter eggs?

I don't believe it!

Children?

How dare there be children?!

Sound the alarm!

Get the children!

And that rabbit!

Throw them in the dungeon.

[Gong]

Get the children. Get the rabbit.

Get the rabbit. Get the children.

Get the children. Get the rabbit.

Get the children. Get the rabbit.

Mr. Cluger: well, they got out of there just in time.

We'll be back next year!

Don't worry. We'll be back.

Mr. Cluger: no, sir. Nothing could stop that sunny

Once he made his mind up.

As the next easter sunday neared,

He got all of kidville to work twice as hard

Making easter eggs and jelly beans

And new easter outfits.

He also had the candy maker make up a special design of his.

His secret w*apon, he called it.

Whoa! What's your hurry?

Easter's almost here.

Never did see so much activity.

Yeah, but I don't know.

Even if we do get all this stuff into town,

Old lady longtooth

Will just get some laws passed,

And all our work will be for nothin'.

Ya gotta work on king bruce.

He really is the ruler.

Why, if he'd just take a stand...

He seems all right when I'm with him,

But the minute he's alone,

He just can't stand up to his aunt.

He needs some kind of a friend

To give him courage when you ain't with him.

I got it! You got what, my friend?

I'm going right over to the kidville

Seamstress and pillow maker.

And when he set out again on easter morning,

Sunny had to take a whole safari with him

To carry all the eggs and jelly beans

And easter outfits and...secret weapons.

Secret weapons, secret weapons,

Secret weapons, secret weapons,

Secret weapons, secret weapons.

Mr. Cluger: but when they got down the other side

On the hillside just above town...

Oh, no! Oh, no!

Soldiers: get the rabbit.

Get the rabbit. Get the kids.

Get the kids. Get the rabbit.

Get the rabbit. Get the kids.

I half expected this.

That's why I devised...

Plan "e," "e" for easter.

Let 'em roll!

Whoa!

Whoa!

Mr. Cluger: now, you know why to this very day

Children still rolled easter eggs down the hill.

Get that easter bunny!

Here's where my secret w*apon comes in.

Nyah! Nyah! Can't catch me!

[Laughing]

All: he's a-hiding in that paper bag.

He's inside.

I can feel bunny through the paper.

Back to the dungeon.

Ha ha ha! Ha ha ha!

Mr. Cluger: of course, when they got that sack open,

They found that instead of the easter bunny, they'd captured...

A chocolate easter bunny!

We've been tricked!

Off with his head!

Yes. Here. Give me a foot.

Ha ha ha!

Mr. Cluger: you know what that was, don't ya?

Child: the first chocolate easter bunny.

[Cheering]

Mr. Cluger: sunny didn't have any trouble

Getting into town after that.

[Applause]

Mr. Cluger: well, that easter was even more joyous

Than the one before because sunny the easter bunny

Had even more surprises.

When they got their new easter outfits,

They were so happy and surprised

That they went right out to the main street and held---

Child: I know. The first easter parade.

Mr. Cluger: right, then sunny made his way

Into the palace and found king bruce.

What is it? I can't wait to see.

Child: stuffed easter toys, just like I've got at home.

Mr. Cluger: the very first ones.

That's what all the kid seamstresses

And pillow stuffers were working on.

Now you'll always have lots of friends standing by your side

When you need courage.

You make folks so happy, sunny.

I wish I could make everybody in town

Happy next easter.

Well, why don't you?

Because I always have to sneak in,

And that means I can't bring too much.

I give you permission to come to town...

Anytime, anyway you wish.

Lily: don't you dare!

Stand up to her, bruce. You can, ya know.

You've got lots of friends behind you now.

Well?

I know I outrank you, aunt lily,

But I find it truly difficult

To do so right now.

Aw, no.

I give you carte blanche.

Do anything you wish,

For the easter bunny

Must not come to town next year!

Ha ha ha!

Well, everybody in kidville worked night and day

Getting ready for that big easter

When the easter bunny would really come to town.

What they didn't realize was that lady longtooth

Had lots of dirty tricks up her sleeve.

Dirty tricks, dirty tricks,

Dirty tricks, dirty tricks,

Dirty tricks, dirty tricks,

Dirty tricks, dirty tricks...

Mr. Cluger: because there was so much to bring,

They had planned to use gadzooks

To help them carry it all,

But lily longtooth's men had a different idea.

Well, doc?

He's broken his big toe.

Gonna be laid up for a while.

He'll never make easter. But what'll we do?

How will I get all that stuff to town?

Say, I got an idea,

Better than even a giant bear.

Hey, what's that?

We build a little railroad

From here to town,

Right over big rock mountain.

A railroad? I'm packing my bags.

Ditto, kiddo. Let's hit the road.

The big time at last.

All: stardom.

Girls, please. A railroad?

But how? You leave that to me.

Why, I was one of the best

Gandy dancers of all time.

That's an old expression for a guy who lays tracks.

Why, I'll just send all the birds and varmints out

With an s.o.s. Call for help.

And all my old buddies,

The best hobo gandy dancers in the whole darn world.

Why, they'll give their eye teeth

To build a railroad over the big rock candy mountain.

Rock candy mountain?

Well, to get guys to do a job like this,

You gotta sweeten the deal a little.

♪ Oh, the buzzing of the bees in the peppermint trees ♪

♪ The soda water fountain ♪

♪ Where the lemonade springs and the bluebird sings ♪

♪ In the big rock candy mountain ♪

♪ The buzzing of the bees in the peppermint trees ♪

♪ The soda water fountain ♪

♪ Where the lemonade springs and the bluebird sings ♪

♪ In the big rock candy mountain ♪

Easter bunny,

You got yourself a railroad.

Fine, but what do we do for a train?

Why, you just go down to the train yard

And hire one.

Mr. Cluger: but when sunny got to the train yard,

All the engines in the roundhouse

Thought they were too important to pull easter eggs

And jelly beans and toy animals.

Oh, please?

It's a very important job.

Important?

Why, I'm the 20th century limited.

And I'm the super-duper chief.

And I deliver coal to newcastle.

Don't bother us, little bunny.

Mr. Cluger: well, they had just about given up

When on a little rusty siding they saw

Our old friend chugs.

He wasn't so spiffy in those days

'Cause he was kind of the runt of the roundhouse,

And everybody put him down.

Yeah, he was really singing the blues.

What's the matter, chugsy-baby?

Got the blues?

Choo-choo, baby.

Just between us chickens,

What's the problem?

♪ I'm sitting in the station ♪

♪ Lonely as can be ♪

♪ Choo-choo, baby ♪

♪ Never get to go nowhere ♪

♪ Life is passing me ♪

♪ Choo-choo, baby ♪

♪ All I hear is second-hand news ♪

♪ Yeah ♪

♪ I've got the train yard blues ♪

♪ Train yard blues ♪

♪ Roll me down the track again ♪

♪ Choo-choo-choo, choo-choo-choo ♪

♪ Choo-choo-choo ♪

♪ Train yard blues ♪

♪ Roll me down the track again ♪

♪ Choo-choo-choo, choo-choo-choo ♪

♪ Choo-choo-choo ♪

♪ I've had the train yard blues ♪

♪ Since I don't remember when ♪

♪ Choo-choo-choo ♪

♪ Choo-choo ♪

♪ I need to do some traveling ♪

♪ Where the sounds are new ♪

♪ Choo-choo, baby ♪

♪ Hear a different way of talking ♪

♪ Different point of view ♪

♪ Choo-choo, baby ♪

♪ Need to wear down some of my shoes ♪

♪ Yeah ♪

♪ I got the train yard blues ♪

♪ Train yard blues ♪

♪ Roll me down the track again ♪

♪ Choo-choo-choo, choo-choo-choo ♪

♪ Choo-choo-choo ♪

♪ The train yard blues ♪

♪ Roll me down the track again ♪

♪ Choo-choo-choo, choo-choo-choo ♪

♪ Choo-choo-choo ♪

♪ I've had the train yard blues ♪

♪ Since I don't remember when ♪

♪ Choo-choo-choo ♪

♪ Ooh, ooh ♪

Well, little fella, you can shake those blues,

'Cause you have got yourself a job.

♪ Choo-choo, baby ♪

♪ Yeah ♪

Mr. Cluger: well, chugs got himself all polished up.

Bright and early easter morning, he reported for work.

It was quite a load for a little engine to pull.

It's all up to you, chugs.

I'll sssure try.

I'll sssure try hard.

That train must never get over big rock mountain.

Do anything you can to stop it.

Play dirty.

[Train whistle blows]

All ready?

Rrrready!

Think you can manage it?

Sssure is hard.

Sssure is hard.

Sssure is hard.

Aw, chugs, you can do it.

♪ All you have to do ♪

♪ All you have to do ♪

♪ All you have to do ♪

♪ Is think can do ♪

I know I can, I know I can,

I know I can.

♪ If you think can do ♪

♪ You won't delay ♪

♪ If you think can do ♪

♪ You're on your way ♪

♪ With a head of steam up ♪

♪ Anything you dream of can come true ♪

♪ All you have to do ♪

♪ All you have to do ♪

♪ All you have to do ♪

♪ All you have to do ♪

♪ All you have to do ♪

♪ Is think can do ♪

I know I can, I know I can...

♪ Oh, the no can do ♪

♪ Won't get you there ♪

♪ If you're no can do ♪

♪ Your wheels get square ♪

♪ Get your motor going ♪

♪ Get your whistle blowing ♪

[Whistles]

♪ All you have to do ♪

♪ All you have to do ♪

♪ All you have to do ♪

♪ All you have to do ♪

♪ All you have to do ♪

♪ Is think can do ♪

♪ Do you need reminding ♪

♪ To stay on the track? ♪

♪ Keep your gears from grinding ♪

♪ Keep a steady clickity-clack ♪

♪ If you think can do ♪

♪ The signals go ♪

♪ If you think can do ♪

♪ The fair winds blow ♪

♪ If you keep on chugging ♪

♪ If you keep on lugging ♪

♪ You'll get through ♪

♪ All you have to do ♪

♪ All you have to do ♪

♪ All you have to do ♪

♪ All you have to do ♪

♪ All you have to do ♪

♪ Is think can do ♪

I know I can, I know I can.

I know I can, I know I can.

I know I can, I know I can, I know I can...

Quick.

Where the track begins to climb,

Spread that melted butter on the rails.

That stupid little engine

Will start slipping its wheels

And be here all day.

Ha ha ha ha ha ha!

I know I can, I know I can.

I know I can, I know I can, I know I can,

I know I can, I know I can, I know I can.

Help me!

We're slipping.

Need traction.

These'll do.

Squash a jellybean,

And it's sticky as all get out.

I think I can, I think I can,

I think I can, I think I can.

Can do!

I know I can, I know I can, I know I can...

How dare they succeed?!

Blast!

What do we do now?

Get lots of salt?

Salt? For what?

For all them nummy easter eggs we're gonna get to eat.

Oh!

I know I can, I know I can...

I know I can, I think I can, I think I can.

I think I can, I think I can.

Come on, chugs. You can do it.

I know I can, I know I can,

I know I can.

Can do. Can do.

I knew I could, I knew I could...

I knew I could.

I told you, just say "can do."

What you mean? What you mean? What you mean?

It's can did, can did, can did,

Can did, can did, can did.

[Choo choo]

Mr. Cluger: well, lady longtooth was beaten,

And town had just about the happiest easter ever,

With kids and old folks,

And easter eggs, and jellybeans,

And new outfits,

And every eastery kind of thing you can imagine.

I cannot stop it.

Ugh. This looks as if you've started a tradition.

Oh, bah. Happy easter.

Ooh, bah, june bug.

Aw, aunt lily, why can't you enjoy?

I suppose you'll banish me now, your majesty.

No. I don't think I'll banish you.

I've got something else in mind.

What?

Why... It's lovely.

White and fresh and new.

It reminds me of a far, far away day

When I was like springtime.

Before...

Everything.

What--what do you call this flower?

Why, it's named after you.

It's called a lily.

Oh, thank you.

Thank you so--

So very much.

Aw, no time for blubbering.

Let's join the celebration down there.

Let's all have a happy easter!

[Crowd cheering]

All: yay!

Yay!

Yay!

Yay!

♪ Oh, the easter bunny is coming to town today ♪

♪ Here's hopin' he's hippity-hoppin' your way ♪

♪ So get your brushes and paints ♪

♪ Give him a hand ♪

♪ It's easter throughout all the land ♪

Surprised to see me here instead of santa claus?

Well, I can't say that I blamed you

Since it is christmas here.

Me?

Just call me g.b. For now.

Yep, I'm back in time,

Many christmases ago.

Right there, in that very house,

Is where our story begins.

The story of the first easter rabbit.

And, you know, we came within a hare's breadth,

If you'll excuse the pun,

Of never having an easter rabbit at all.

Don't remember, do you?

You know all about christmas

And christmas-y things,

Like how santa came to be,

Frosty,

And rudolph, who guided the sleigh.

But how about that rabbit

Who comes every easter day?

♪ There's that rabbit ♪

♪ Taking some blue from the sky ♪

♪ There's that rabbit ♪

♪ Mixing up buttercup dye ♪

♪ There's that rabbit ♪

♪ Painting his green everywhere ♪

♪ A magical hare ♪

♪ That rabbit ♪

♪ There's that rabbit ♪

♪ Easter's his garden to tend ♪

♪ Our cottontail friend ♪

♪ That rabbit ♪

♪ That rabbit ♪

♪ That rabbit ♪

See that little guy

With the sprig of holly in his stuffed paws?

That's one special rabbit.

Though I admit, he may not look like it right now.

He was a christmas present

For a little girl named glinda.

Oh, mommy, I love him.

Thank you. I love him.

I'm glad, dear. You'll have to think of a name for him.

I will.

But for now, I'll call him stuffy.

Oh, look, it snowed last night.

Can I go outside now, please?

Yes, dear, but be sure to bundle up.

G.b.: Meanwhile, in the nearby woods,

A trio of real-live rabbits

Were hatching a ridiculous caper.

Now, let me get this straight--

We're gonna dig a long tunnel

Under all the carrot patches in the neighborhood

While nobody's around.

And when spring comes, we're gonna come back

And steal the carrots from underneath.

Totally undetected.

We come not, friends,

To steal your hearts,

But your carrots.

G.b.: You've now met spats, whiskers, and flops--

3 Of the slickest con bunnies around.

Alas, my men. Behold that silly-looking rabbit

Sitting over there.

Hey, look, he's strange.

He hasn't got any hind legs.

[Sniff sniff sniff]

His odor is unsniffable.

Undetectable.

He ain't a rabbit at all.

He isn't real.

But I am real. I am.

I am.

G.b.: Poor stuffy.

He knew he wasn't real

Like the other rabbits.

And that made him very unhappy.

But he was glinda's favorite toy,

And as the months passed, so did his sadness

Because he was loved.

But one day, something happened

That was to affect everybody's life.

Little glinda took ill.

I'm afraid it's scarlet fever.

Oh, dear, my poor little girl. What can I do?

Well, the first thing is to burn all of the bed clothes.

And, oh, yes, that old stuffed rabbit.

Burn it all at once.

G.b.: Now, taking away a child's favorite toy

Is no easy matter.

And how would she ever explain to little glinda

That stuffy had to be--

Well, you know...

Even I hate to say it.

Oh, dear, it's getting late.

I think I'll leave all this for burning tomorrow.

Our rabbit friend thought to himself,

"What's the use of being loved

If it all ends like this?"

Who--who are you?

My name is calliope.

I take care of all the playthings

That children have loved.

And when they're old or worn out--

Ha ha ha--then I come and take them away with me

And turn them into real.

Why? Wasn't I real before?

You were real to the little girl who loved you.

And now you shall be real to everyone.

G.b.: Stuffy was mystified,

But he hadn't heard the most important part.

Now that you are real,

I have a special mission for you.

You have been chosen to be the first easter rabbit.

But why me? I'm nobody.

And why do we need an easter rabbit?

G.b.: A good question, wouldn't you say?

But calliope had a good answer.

She explained to stuffy why all the holidays of the year

Needed symbols

To help people remember them.

♪ Springtime needs someone to remind all the children ♪

♪ Of her special holiday ♪

♪ They can form the lovely habit ♪

♪ Of saying, "easter's here 'cause there's that rabbit" ♪

♪ There's that rabbit ♪

♪ Taking some blue from the sky ♪

♪ There's that rabbit ♪

♪ Mixing up buttercup dye ♪

♪ There's that rabbit ♪

♪ Painting his green everywhere ♪

♪ A magical hare ♪

♪ That rabbit ♪

♪ There's that rabbit ♪

♪ There's that rabbit ♪

♪ Helping the spring do her tricks ♪

♪ There's that rabbit ♪

♪ There's that rabbit ♪

♪ Chiseling chocolate chicks ♪

♪ There's that rabbit ♪

♪ There's that rabbit ♪

♪ Far from your typical jack ♪

All: ♪ each year, he'll be back ♪

G.b.: ♪ That rabbit ♪

♪ Easter needs that funny bunny ♪

♪ Like christmas needs the tree ♪

♪ It's a fact, I'm sure you'll agree ♪

♪ Easter needs little old me ♪

Ha ha ha.

G.b.: ♪ There's that rabbit ♪

♪ There's that rabbit ♪

♪ Playing his egg-rolling game ♪

♪ There's that rabbit ♪

♪ There's that rabbit ♪

♪ Everyone's calling his name ♪

♪ There's that rabbit ♪

♪ There's that rabbit ♪

♪ Easter's his garden to tend ♪

All: ♪ our cottontail friend ♪

G.b.: ♪ That rabbit ♪

All: ♪ that rabbit ♪

♪ That rabbit ♪

And to begin,

You must go to easter valley,

Where the golden easter lily blooms

And it's always springtime.

It's over the hills, to the west of the sun,

And beyond the third mountain.

Ha ha ha. Now, someone will show you the way.

Easter is only 2 weeks away,

So hurry, hurry, hurry, hurry.

But beware--beware of zero.

[Echoes]

But who? How?

Wait. D-don't go.

I have so many questions.

Think I'll begin with a hop.

He's coming around.

Just a nasty bump on the noggin.

What's your handle, kid?

My name? It's, uh...

It's--gee, I almost forgot.

Heh. I'm the new easter rabbit.

Boy, he's a dilly, isn't he?

And, uh, where were you hopping to so madly?

I'm off to find easter valley,

Where the golden easter lily is.

And--

Hmm, golden easter lily, eh?

Ahem. Excuse us for a moment.

[Whispering]

Since you're obviously not in the best of health,

My companions and I feel it our duty

To accompany you on your journey.

Gee, that's great.

Let's get started.

Calliope: zero.

[Echoes]

But beware of zero?

What was that?

Oh, nothing. Nothing at all.

G.b.: But it was something, indeed,

For the easter rabbit

Had remembered calliope's warning about zero.

Brr-uce? Brr-uce?

I'm coming--

Ooh-ooh--zero-o-o!

Brr-uce?

What have you found out about the road into easter valley?

Did the elves know anything?

Not a thing. Not a thing.

I'd give up.

G.b.: You see, zero and brr-uce

Were in charge of keeping the north pole nice and white.

Everything was all lovely

And covered with snow

Except easter valley.

Zero had never been able to find the secret road

Into easter valley,

And so it stayed green

All the year long.

We can't give up, brr-uce.

We just can't.

There has to be a way.

Heh heh heh heh heh.

Heh heh heh heh heh.

G.b.: Well, by the time our friends

Had reached the third mountain,

They were totally exhausted

And ready to turn back.

[Whistling sounds]

Say, it seems that bird

Is indicating a direction to follow.

What have we got to lose?

Calliope: someone will show you the way.

[Bird continues whistling]

She's leading us away from the wall.

If you ask me, we're barking up the wrong tree.

What do you think, flops?

I'd say we were barking up the wrong tree.

[Whistling]

The tree.

It must be hollow.

Why doesn't one of us give it a try?

I shall be as expeditious as possible.

And be quick about it, too.

Zero: hmm, if my calculations are correct,

He should reach the other side

Just about...now.

♪ I am calling you-ou-ou-ou ♪

Hang in there, flops. We're coming over.

G.b.: Everything you could imagine was there

And one person who seems downright out of place--

Santa claus.

Heh heh heh.

Just trying to be neighborly.

You see, I'm all finished with my job,

And I had a little spare time,

So I thought I might be able to help you get started.

But we'll never be able to do the job in time.

There are so many boys and girls all over the world.

And we only have a few weeks.

Well, why not pick just one small town for a test?

Then, next year, you can tackle them all.

That's what I did first time out.

Great idea, santa.

And I know just the town.

Excuse me for butting into the festivities, santa,

But what's in it for us?

Giving presents is a talent.

One that the three of you

Have obviously never had a chance to explore.

Why not try it just once, hmm?

You can start by giving

Just a little gift of love to a child.

You'll be surprised at how much you'll get back in return.

You won't regret helping me, fellas.

Just one thing, santa, sir--

Is he really

The first easter rabbit?

Heh heh heh.

Indeed he is, spats.

Now I must be off.

Blitzen.

Good luck. Heh heh. Good luck.

Well, they've gone and done it, brr-uce.

Somehow they've managed

To get into easter valley.

And they're bound to find the golden lily.

We've got to find a way in.

G.b.: Crafty old zero knew one thing

That no one had bothered to tell the new easter rabbit--

That the golden easter lily

Kept the valley warm and green

All year long.

If it were to disappear,

Springtime would disappear with it.

♪ There's that rabbit ♪

♪ Playing his egg-rolling game... ♪

Why so glum, chum?

Oh, it's nothing. It's just that...

I've been thinking about little glinda again.

How is she, doctor?

She's sleeping now.

She's going to be just fine.

Oh, thank you, doctor.

That's--that's the best thing I could hear.

Oh, I forgot.

She seems to be mumbling something about

Somebody called stuff or stuffy?

Something like that.

Oh, he was her favorite toy.

Heh heh. A silly old stuffed rabbit.

Oh. Well, I'm sure she'll forget about it in a few days.

Now you spend a little time

Looking after yourself for a change.

Good-bye, doctor. And thank you.

[Knocking]

Stuffy. Oh, stuffy, you've come back.

You've come back.

Glinda, what are you doing out of bed?

And what was that noise I heard in here?

Oh, mother,

It was stuffy.

He came back. He came back.

And he was really real.

And there's going to be a parade

And everything on easter sunday.

Come now, dear.

Let's get back into bed.

And I'm going to wear my new pink dress

And my new straw bonnet that you got me.

Mother, all of my clothes.

Where are they?

G.b.: Glinda's mother had no choice

But to tell her the truth.

Don't cry, mother.

Who needs silly old parades, anyway?

Oh, darling.

[Sobbing]

It's that tree down there. It must be hollow.

Ooh-ooh, that's the way into easter valley.

I'm sure of it.

Excellent, brr-uce.

Excellent.

Heh heh heh. Tomorrow, brr-uce,

Tomorrow will be the end,

The end of easter valley!

Heh heh heh heh heh.

G.b.: Well, the next day was saturday,

The day before easter sunday.

I think we shall have a white easter,

If my eyes do not deceive me.

A white what?

Hey, look.

It's beginning to snow.

Yeah, it's really coming down.

Now...

Now I've got it all.

Heh heh heh.

The valley and the golden lily are mine.

Gee, zero, are you just gonna leave 'em

Snowed in like that?

Ooh-ooh, they may never get out.

Brr-uce, who cares?

Heh heh heh.

Let 'em all freeze for all I care.

Heh heh heh heh.

G.b.: Brr-uce was beginning to have second thoughts

About what they had done.

Brr-uce decided there was only one thing

Left for him to do.

So he rolled,

Getting fatter by the minute.

It's as if someone out there doesn't like us.

Unh. Unh. Ohh.

It's...stuck.

The snow must be up to the roof.

I can't budge it an inch.

[Screech]

Santa, santa...

Ooh-ooh, I got to speak to you.

G.b.: Brr-uce told santa the situation,

And santa knew what he had to do.

[Bells jingle]

Ahoy down there.

Come on up. It's me-- santa claus.

All: santa claus?

I know what's happened.

Bring everything up the chimney

And begin loading the sleigh.

G.b.: They loaded all the eggs and baskets and bonnets

Onto the sleigh,

And just as it was getting dark,

They had finished and were on their way.

He came.

Stuffy was here.

Mother, mother, look.

And there's a note with mine.

It says, "don't forget our date.

Main street and fifth avenue at 12 noon sharp."

Well...

[Knock on door]

Morning, elizabeth.

Why, good morning, doctor.

We didn't expect you today,

Being it's easter sunday and all.

Jonathan, please.

And this is not a professional call.

I brought these for you and glinda.

[Stammers] jonathan,

You shouldn't have.

Oh, it's beautiful.

Can I try it on, mother?

Of course. Now hurry. The parade starts at noon.

The news is all over town.

But how did you know we needed--

Heh heh. A little bird told me.

[Bird whistles]

Stuffy, oh, stuffy, you're here.

♪ Never saw you look ♪

♪ Quite so pretty before ♪

♪ Never saw you dressed ♪

♪ Quite so lovely, what's more ♪

♪ I could hardly wait to keep our date ♪

♪ This lovely easter morning ♪

♪ And my heart b*at fast ♪

♪ As you came through the door ♪

♪ For ♪

♪ In my easter bonnet ♪

♪ With all the frills upon it ♪

♪ I'll be the grandest lady ♪

♪ In the easter parade ♪

♪ I'll be all in clover ♪

♪ And when they look you over ♪

♪ I'll be the proudest fellow ♪

♪ In the easter parade ♪

G.b.: ♪ In your easter bonnet ♪

♪ With all the frills upon it ♪

♪ You'll be the grandest lady ♪

♪ In the easter parade ♪

♪ I'll be all in clover ♪

♪ And when they look you over ♪

♪ I'll be the proudest fellow ♪

♪ In the easter parade ♪

♪ On the avenue ♪

♪ On the avenue ♪

♪ Fifth avenue ♪

♪ Fifth avenue ♪

♪ The photographers will snap us ♪

♪ And you'll find that you're in the rotogravure ♪

♪ Oh, I could write a sonnet ♪

♪ About your easter bonnet ♪

♪ And of the girl I'm taking ♪

♪ To the easter parade ♪

Brr-uce, you miserable rolly-polly snitcher.

When I get my hands on you,

I will melt you down to a tennis ball.

You will do nothing.

I'm warning you, zero.

Either you put the golden easter lily

Back in the valley

So that springtime can come back,

Or I'm moving out of the pole.

I've got a good offer from the south pole, you know.

And I've been considering it.

[Mutters]

You'd leave me all alone here?

No elves?

No sunday-night dinner with mrs. Claus' home cooking

And those little noodles?

No midnight rides with the reindeer?

Just me all alone here

By my--by myself?

[Blubbering]

What good is all of this?

What good is anything

Without friends to share it?

[Sobbing]

I'd even miss brr-uce.

[Both sobbing]

Hey, who's that?

Me? I'm zero.

Sorry to drip and run,

But this weather is bad for my health. Bye.

And, oh, yes...

Happy easter.

Gee, he doesn't seem like such a bad guy.

I wonder what all the fuss was about.

Well, at least this time, we've got a year's start.

Huh, whiskers?

Right you are, g.b.

So you found me out at the very end.

That's right. I was stuffy.

Many, many years ago, that is.

And so the easter lily

Brought eternal spring with it.

The chickens could lay their eggs,

And the world would know that next year and every year,

I'd be back again.

Happy easter!