- [last lines]
- Nellie O'Malley: First snow. Do you think we're dreaming?
- Samantha: If we are, I hope I never wake up.
- [Samantha and the girls explain to Uncle Gard and Aunt Cornelia about how the orphan home was going to send Nellie away]
- Aunt Cornelia: [shocked] They're not supposed to seperate the families.
- Nellie O'Malley: Ma'am, they do a lot of things they're not supposed to do.
- Nellie O'Malley: [to Samantha; when they meet at the alley behind the orphanage] Mrs. Frouchy says that she'll place me out if I don't behave.
- Samantha: What does she mean?
- Nellie O'Malley: To place me on the orphan train... to get adopted by a family *far away!* In my train, it goes really fast to the mid-west.
- Samantha: With Jenny and Bridget?
- Nellie O'Malley: [in despair] No, they're too young. If she ever sends me, I'll never get to see them again...
- Samantha: [indignant] Oh! You CANNOT go! You and your sisters have to stay together! We've got to find a way... I'm not going to let this happen to you, Nellie, I'm not.
- [Nellie looks on with uncertainty]
- Teacher: Samantha, that speech was not the speech that you entered into the contest.
- Samantha: I changed it when I saw the truth.
- Teacher: I'm afraid you've been disqualified from the competition.
- Aunt Cornelia: Disqualified? For telling the truth?
- Grandmary Edwards: She won me over. And I'm a much harsher judge, I can assure you. I believe it takes two to speak the truth. One to speak it and the other to hear.
- Teacher: I beg your pardon.
- Samantha: Americans are proud of being modern. We are proud of our progress and we're proud of the machines in our factories, and the products that we make. But Americans are proud of being truthful, too. Last week, I went to a factory... and what I saw was nothing like what I've been told. There were children, younger than I am working from early morning until after dark. They were dirty, they were cold... and they couldn't leave. They don't have time to go to school and they're too tired to play. Children are hurt in those places. I know. I saw one. If our factories can hurt children, then we have not made good progress in America. These words are not the words I had written, but are the words that I need to say. Americans are good and kind... and good and kind people take care of children even if they are not on their own. And once we do that, we can truly be proud of our factories and of our progress.
- Aunt Cornelia: Hello there.
- Nellie O'Malley: I should get back to work.
- Aunt Cornelia: Can you stay a minute longer? I'm trying to decide what kind of cake to have for the wedding. Now then. Have a bite of both and tell me which one you like better. Lemon or Almond Vanilla?
- [Nellie and Samantha try both cakes to decide]
- Nellie O'Malley: I like the lemon, but the almond vanilla is delightful, too.
- Aunt Cornelia: Maybe you better taste them again.
- [Nellie and Samantha taste the cakes once more]
- Samantha: I'd say the lemon.
- Nellie O'Malley: I have to agree.
- Aunt Cornelia: Lemon it is. All right then. I'll just give the rest to the dog.
- Nellie O'Malley: Oh, no, ma'am. Cake's not good for dogs. It gives them a tummy ache.
- Samantha: And we don't have a dog.
- Aunt Cornelia: That's right. I forgot.
- Samantha: Why don't we take them to Bridget and Jenny?
- Aunt Cornelia: Oh. Good idea.
- [hands both cakes to Nellie and Samantha]
- Aunt Cornelia: Very good. Thank you, girls.
- Samantha: Uncle Gard.
- Uncle Gard: Hello, my angel.
- [they hug]
- Uncle Gard: How was school today?
- Samantha: It was good, thank you. I'm practicing my speech. Would you like to hear it?
- Uncle Gard: Of course.
- Samantha: Factories are the foundation of progress in America. They can make perfect products every time, and plenty of them, too... enough for everyone all at once. They will provide jobs for everyone who wants one, too. Products that are made by hand will soon be replaced by those made by machine.
- Uncle Gard: I am impressed.
- Mrs. Ryland: [to Nellie] What do you think you're doing, you senseless girl? You had the whole neighborhood looking for you. This is completely unacceptable. Servants in my household don't trespass on other people's property. Nor do they sleep outside with the neighbor's children.
- [to Grandmary]
- Mrs. Ryland: I'm so sorry. I cannot understand how this happened.
- Samantha: It's my fault, Mrs. Ryland. It was all my idea. I asked Nellie to keep me company.
- Mrs. Ryland: Nevertheless, I expect my help to behave respectfully at all times.
- Grandmary Edwards: I don't think the girls meant any harm.
- Mr. O'Malley: I promise you it won't happen again. Please forgive her, mum. She's still young and forgets her place.
- Nellie O'Malley: I'm so sorry, ma'am. I knew better. I did.
- Grandmary Edwards: It's all right, Nellie.
- [Samantha gives Nellie a hug]
- Mrs. Vandergeld: I'll be brief.
- Mrs. Frouchy: Before you speak, I just want to inform you that we are not going to press charges against the Parkington girl... as long as she returns the money she took.
- Mrs. Vandergeld: She claims she didn't take it.
- Mrs. Frouchy: Well...
- [smiles nervously]
- Mrs. Frouchy: You know, with Christmas coming, we do want to rely on certain benefactors such as yourself. We don't want to disappoint the children.
- Mrs. Vandergeld: No, we don't. Which is why, Mrs. Frouchy, we're replacing you.
- Mrs. Frouchy: Wha...
- [Short pause. Mrs. Frouchy looks at Mrs. Vandergeld, coldly]
- Mrs. Frouchy: You're WHAT?
- Mrs. Vandergeld: The Board of Directors is unhappy with the way you've been running Cold Rock. It was never our intention to fund a prison. And, there have been indications for some while that funds...
- [Mrs. Vandergeld points her eyes toward a fancy fur coat and feathered hat hanging on a coat rack]
- Mrs. Vandergeld: ... have been misappropriated.
- Mrs. Frouchy: [Shocked, Mrs. Frouchy turns back at Mrs. Vandergeld who gives an obvious look] You simply can't be serious!
- Mrs. Vandergeld: Oh yes.
- [Mrs. Vandergeld stands up from the chair]
- Mrs. Vandergeld: I simply can. Good day.
- Mrs. Vandergeld: I'll be brief.
- Mrs. Frouchy: Before you speak, I just want to inform you that we are not going to press charges on the Parkington girl as long as she returns the money she took.
- Mrs. Vandergeld: She claims she didn't take it.
- Mrs. Frouchy: Well...
- [Mrs. Frouchy awkwardly smiles and shrugs her shoulders]
- Mrs. Frouchy: You know, with Christmas coming, we do want to rely on certain benefactors such as yourself. We don't want to disappoint the children.
- Mrs. Vandergeld: No, we don't. Which is why, Mrs. Frouchy, we're replacing you.
- Mrs. Frouchy: Wha...
- [short pause]
- Mrs. Frouchy: You're WHAT?
- Mrs. Vandergeld: The Board of Directors is unhappy with the way you've been running Cold Rock. It was never our intention to fund a prison and there have been indications for some while that funds...
- [Mrs. Vandergeld points directly to a fancy fury coat and feathered hat hanging on a coat rack]
- Mrs. Vandergeld: ... have been misappropriated.
- Mrs. Frouchy: [Shocked, Mrs. Frouchy turns back to Mrs. Vandergeld whose face gives her an obvious look] You simply can't be serious.
- Mrs. Vandergeld: Oh yes.
- [Mrs. Vandergeld rises up from her chair]
- Mrs. Vandergeld: I simply can. Good day.
- Eddie Ryland: [he throws a rock using a slingshot. Then he comes up to Nellie blaming her] See what you did?
- Nellie O'Malley: I didn't do nothing.
- Eddie Ryland: You threw a rock and broke the window. And I'm gonna tell unless you pay me a penny.
- Nellie O'Malley: I don't have a penny.
- Samantha: *She* is not paying you a cent, Eddie Ryland. And if you make any more trouble, I'll tell your mother that you took her good petticoat and made a kite's tail out of it.
- Eddie Ryland: Oh. I'm really scared, Samantha.
- Grandmary Edwards: Samantha.
- Samantha: Yes?
- Grandmary Edwards: We do not discuss personal matters with the servants.
- Samantha: But in the kitchen, we talk about all sorts of...
- Grandmary Edwards: This is not the kitchen. The secret to a happy household is for everyone to know their place. Do you understand?
- Samantha: Yes, Grandmary.
- [first lines]
- Samantha: [Narrating as she and Eddie were running around] It all began one day last April. I was living with my Grandmary in Mount Bedford, New York. And she was determined to teach me to become a proper young lady.
- [climbs up on a tree]
- Samantha: But that day, in particular, I was more interested in getting away from my next-door nuisance Eddie Ryland.
- Eddie Ryland: Samantha!
- [finds Samantha up on a tree]
- Eddie Ryland: You're so dumb, you probably think three times four is twelve.
- Samantha: Three times four is twelve, Eddie. Now if you don't leave me alone, I'll find your money jar and empty it in the river.
- Eddie Ryland: You're too dumb to find it.
- Samantha: Eddie Ryland, you...
- [she screams as she falls down from the tree. Eddie laughs at Samantha. She gets up seeing that her stockings were falling apart. He continues to run and she went chasing after him]
- Samantha: Come back here, Eddie Ryland!
- [they kept running around till Eddie saw a cart]
- Samantha: [narrating] And that was the day I met my new friend, Nellie O'Malley.