The Adventures of Bullwhip Griffin

Bullwhip, Bullwhip

Bullwhip Griffin

Let villains and ruffians beware

His path never swerved

and justice was served

When Bullwhip Griffin was there

[chirping]

[Galloping]

[Bell rings]

Speaking of

Californias legendary heroes

Whose praises have been

novelized and sung

Its time that we acclaim

A certain gentleman whose name

was once upon the tip of every tongue

Back in the gold rush days

in wicked San Francisco

He cut a figure dignified and prim

Although extremely frail

and physically doomed to fail

He had purity of heart

in back of him

Now, to begin our story

we must go to Boston

The scene

wherein our hero is employed

A home of quality

bespeaks of aristocracy

And comfort

that is soon to be destroyed

Here is a family friend

arriving in his carriage

His person we will presently portray

Attention, first, is due

the man in the doorway

Who will be a legend one day

Bullwhip, Bullwhip

[Pemberton] Good day, Griffin.

- Miss Arabella is expecting you, sir.

- Thank you.

I'll take your coat, sir.

Mr. Pemberton. So nice to see you.

Hello, my dear. Thank you.

You're looking very beautiful, as usual.

Thank you.

Griffin, are the others ready?

They're all in the library except

Master Jack. I'll bring him.

- He should be there, shouldn't he?

- By all means.

- Isn't it pleasant to have snow again?

- Very much...

Roll it about.

[Knock on door]

[Griffin] Master Jack?

Hey, Griffin. Come on in.

Pour off the water.

Try some soap and water in there

sometime if you really want results.

Soap? You don't need soap.

This is how you pan gold.

Pan gold?

It tells in there.

How to swirl it about...

...gradually pour off the water...

...until you get down to the nuggets.

Oh. Oh. Of course. Well...

[Griffin] "Bullwhip Brannigan.

Or a son of the mother lode."

Bullwhip took Tom Wingay with him

to the gold fields.

Tom was just my age and he wrestled

with a grizzly bear. Bullwhip did.

The bear got loose and ran away,

so Bullwhip really won!

Mmm. Well, it would be nice,

Master Jack,

if you would become better

acquainted with the classics

rather than wasting your time

upon such trivia.

Trivia? What do you mean, trivia?

It's educational.

How?

I bet you can't show me

in any of those books

where it tells how to pan gold,

or how to wrestle with a grizzly bear.

Hmm. Quite true. They do, however,

give an amazing insight

into the rather peculiar behavior

of growing boys.

Shall we be going?

The lawyer is waiting.

[Lawyer] "I, Alonzo J. Flagg,

being of sound mind,

do hereby declare this

to be my last will and testament.

And I bequeath to my coachman,

Harry Silwell... Silway..."

Sidwell, sir. Harry Sidwell.

Oh. [clears throat]

"Harry Sidwell,

fifty thousand dollars."

- [Gasps]

- Would you say that again, sir?

Fifty thousand dollars.

"To my cook

and breakfast table confidante,

Miss Abigail Gucken... kick?"

Abigail Guckennick.

Oh. Miss Abigail Guckennick.

"I bequeath $90,000."

Ninety thousand!?

"To my housekeeper of many years,

guardian of my health

and custodian of my morality,

Miss Irene Chesney,

I bequeath $100,000."

Oh... What an angel he was.

"To my butler, Eric Griffin,

who at a young age

promises to surpass his father

and his father's father

in doing the proper thing

in the proper way at the proper time,

I bequeath $500,000,

in profound confidence that he will not

so much as arch an eyebrow

when he learns of this bequest."

Half a million dollars?

What a kind, saintly man he was.

[Lawyer] "All the remainder of my estate

plus, specifically,

the family residence in Boston,

together with all of its furniture

and furnishings,

I bequeath to my two grandchildren,

my sole surviving heirs,

Arabella and Jack Flagg."

The document is duly signed,

and is quite legal, I assure you.

There never was a finer person born

than the old gentleman.

Rest his good soul.

[Sidwell] Amen to that!

So much for the will.

Now for the facts.

During the later years of his life,

Mr. Flagg lived not only

on borrowed time...

...but on borrowed money.

You mean, he died broke?

Dead broke.

[Sobbing]

Ornery old coot.

Probably thought it was funny.

[Sobbing]

Even the mortgage

on this house was past due,

long past due.

However, the bank has promised

not to foreclose for 90 days.

[Lawyer] I'm sorry, my dear.

[Sobbing] Think of poor Miss Arabella.

Not even a home to live in.

And a little brother to look out after.

And she's got no training.

Never had to go out and face the world.

What's she going to do?

Excuse me, miss.

Is there anything I can do?

[Laughs]

I'm sorry, Griffin. I know I shouldn't

be laughing, but I can't help it.

But, miss, this is a serious matter.

Don't you see?

Even writing out his will,

he had to have his own little joke.

Well, if that is what one considers it.

Well, Grandpa used to say

people are 98 percent water.

If you don't stir them up

once in a while, they stagnate.

The disturbing thing is, miss,

that he has left you and Master Jack

without any financial security.

Unprotected.

Well, I think that's what he wanted

most of all.

For us to be free

to make our own lives.

But Master Jack is only 12 years old.

Grandpa was only 11

when he ran off to sea.

What about you, miss?

It's different for a young lady.

I'm not afraid, Griffin.

There's a lot of Grandpa in me.

I'll think of something to do.

Lf, uh...

If there's anything you want...

- Griffin?

- Hmm?

What will you do? Get a job

somewhere else as a butler?

I suppose so, miss. I really had not

given the matter much thought.

Do you remember

your ninth birthday party?

You threw a serving tray

through the window

and said you wouldn't ever

be a butler when you grew up.

I remember, miss.

But I had rather hoped

that others had forgotten.

How could I forget that, Griffin?

You're the only boy I knew in Boston

who ever broke a window deliberately.

Thank you, miss.

And now, if, uh,

you will excuse me, I shall, uh...

...prepare the dinner menu.

[Sighs]

I don't know, Grandpa. I guess some

people just can't be stirred up, huh?

Miss Arabella! It's Master Jack.

Quickly. Where's Miss Arabella?

Miss Chesney! Now, really!

- I was just in Master Jack's room.

- What is it?

Master Jack. He's gone.

"Dear Arabella. I have set out

to seek my fortune

so you will not

have to take care of me.

When I am rich, I will come back

and take care of you.

Would you please

feed my goldfish? Jack."

- Goldfish, indeed.

- [Sobs]

No, not now, Miss Chesney. Go tell

Harry to get the carriage ready.

We have to find him and

bring him back before it's too late.

Look. I'm afraid he has succumbed

to the California gold fever.

[Arabella] Oh, no,

what are we going to do?

I think I know where I can find him.

With your permission,

I shall stop him

before he gets too far.

Yes, yes, Griffin. Please do.

Oh, uh, yes, miss.

Uh, right away, miss.

I have it, gentlemen. A ticket.

Gather round, gentlemen, up here.

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