The Twilight Zone (1959) s03e32 Episode Script
The Gift
You're traveling through another dimension- a dimension not only of sight and sound, but of mind, a journey into a wondrous land whose boundaries are that of imagination.
Your next stop, the twilight zone.
What's happening? Well, i think he's dead.
I believe it's salvador.
Where is the telegrapher? Parece que esta muerto.
Quien es? Es salvador.
Rudolfo rudolfo, i wish to send a telegram.
Telegram now? But this is after hours.
What's the matter with you, sanchez? Please, do you know what time it is? I close at 4:00.
For 23 years, i close at 4:00.
Because you are a policeman, you think you got the privilege to? Salvador? How? I will send a telegram; it will explain.
You will tell it to me? I will tell it to you.
Send it as i tell it.
To the prefect of police, state capital.
Prefect of police? Send it, rudolfo, send it! Don't censor it! Unidentified aircraft- or something- crashed into the hills north of our village late last night.
Object is metal and circular.
Officer emmanuel salvador and myself investigated the scene of the crash.
Found evidence of footprints and broken brush.
Salvador followed same.
I heard several shots.
Found body of officer salvador.
Say that i followed the figure of the monster in the darkness.
I fired several shots.
I believe i wounded whoever it whateverit was.
The place is mexico, just across the texas border.
A mountain village held back in time by its remoteness, and suddenly intruded upon by the 20th century.
And this is pedro, nine years old- a lonely, rootless little boy who will soon make the acquaintance of a traveler from a distant place.
We are at present 40 miles from the rio grande, but any place and all places can be the twilight zone.
Who did it, sanchez? Please, doctor, i do not know.
Some, some giant thing escaped in the darkness.
I fired several shots, and later, i found some bloodstains.
They're sending some army men from the state capitol.
They will take over.
Some "giant thing"? Not the darkness, or perhaps your fear? You doubt me, doctor? No, you're the law and order in this village, sanchez.
Be the sanity as well.
You have frightened all these people.
I just want to make sure that the source of the fear is not an illusion.
This, doctor- is this an illusion?! All right, go to your homes, everybody, and lock your doors.
I want no one on the streets tonight.
We're in danger.
I found all i wanted to know.
Take the body to the priest now.
Drink up, doctor; i want to close now.
I have no doubt.
What stalks the night, manolo? What stalks the night? Whatever it is, i want my place locked thank you for coming, stargazer.
I am cursed in my old age by having this astronomer on my payroll.
Still looking at the stars, pedro? So, what do you learn from the stars, eh? Have they ever told you to sweep this place properly or to clean a glass? It is said there is life on some of them.
Oh, this is a fact? Then you and the man in the moon have nothing in common, because you aren't alive.
Here, go get some water and come right back.
Doors should be locked tonight.
He's a strange little boy.
Where'd he come from? Who knows? He's son of abracero, it is said.
The authorities are in here three times a week asking me why he does not attend school.
They ask me, ha! The boy is not of my flesh.
I know nothing of him.
He cleans the place for me and serves table, and he has a room in the back.
Hey, i overpay him, believe me, but i am not such a rich man that i can certainly afford to run an orphanage for little street urchins.
He doesn't have any friends, does he? Him? Why should he? He has a mind like an old man.
He's not normal.
Go look for him out in the night, and you'll see him standing there looking up at the sky.
Did you ever see him smile? I ask you this.
Did you ever see him smile? Why would he smile, the boy? What is there to delight him? His poverty? Why should he smile? Perhaps, manolo perhaps on some occasion, some festive occasion, instead of handing him a broom or a tray, extend him a hand.
Keep the boy inside tonight, manolo.
Shall i see you home, ignacio? No, thank you, pedro.
With me, darkness is a friend.
But you stay inside.
I'm locking up now, doctor.
I must ask you to leave.
So, manolo my friend, wear a smile, and you'll doubtless live to see the morning.
Are you still open? I thought perhaps i could have some wine.
¯como estas? Bien.
Please sit down, sir.
I will get you wine.
I am sorry, senor, but the place is closed.
We are closed now, and no longer serving.
There is a curfew.
Is this not true, doctor? Is there not a curfew on? I won't stay but a moment.
Just long enough for a drink of wine.
I i'm ill, i think.
But i promise you i won't stay.
Please.
That's not wine.
The bottle didn't break, so it couldn't be i didn't want to hurt him.
He gave me no choice.
I must explain.
Please please listen to me for a moment.
I tried to explain before to that policeman or soldier, or whoever it was.
I tried to tell him that i came in peace.
He wanted to kill me.
I tried to get the gun away from him, and it went off against his body.
And then the man who came afterwards kept firing at me.
Please please please you'll be all right soon.
The doctor has said so.
He will make you all well again.
It's very odd, pedro, very odd, indeed, that there's only one person who feels neither fear nor anger, and this is a boy.
It is because we are alike.
You are a stranger, and in a way, i am a stranger, too.
Pedro, the poncho what? In the pocket.
Get it.
It's a gift.
Put it away.
I'll tell you later on.
For a badly wounded man, you have a strangely willful pulse.
I might go a step further and say that i wish mine sounded like yours does.
Pedro, bring the lamp close to the bed.
Si, doctor.
Ether? I'm going to start digging in there for at least No anesthetic, doctor.
Pedro, i think this is a good time for you to go out and look at the stars.
You have a good friend, senor.
Doctor, you must give him something.
Pedro, i will tell you something.
I'm a very obliging man, but your friend does not want the pain deadened.
And i always say, every man to his own taste.
Whiskey.
If not the best, make it the strongest.
The stranger travels light.
Just the clothes on his back, and and these inside his chest.
He was very brave, doctor.
Not a sound from him.
Not so much as a cry all that time.
Yes, very brave.
Pedro, come here.
What else do you know of him, pedro? I know nothing else except that he is my friend.
Yes, this may be true, but it does not explain the man, does it? For example, it does not explain how a man can have two bullets inside his body and have them removed without a whimper.
It does not explain how this man's pulse can be as strong and as steady as if there was nothing else wrong with him than a cold.
And it does not explain why this man is alive when he should be dead.
We got to him just in time, doctor.
No, pedro.
We got to him about three hours too late.
We got to him where by the laws of every book on common sense he should have bled to death.
But he didn't.
So, stay by your friend, huh? And look after him.
Si, doctor.
Manolo.
When i was in there, i heard the door unlock.
Oh, i i went out, doctor.
I went out to tell sanchez that when the army came, they would not have to go walking through the hills at night.
They would only have to come here to find what they want.
At your baptism, they forgot to give you a proper name.
What would that be, doctor? That would be judas, manolo.
You must be tired, pedro.
It doesn't matter, senor.
I can sleep anytime.
Now you must sleep.
You have a poet, pedro.
I read him- robert burns.
He said, "the best-laid schemes o' mice and men gang aft a-gley" like my plans.
I came here to give, and all i've done is to take- your bed, your room.
Even my clothes- i stole them.
I've often wondered why it is that men fear the unknown.
Like children, they're afraid of the dark.
The only person i've met who isn't afraid of the dark is a child.
Because i am an odd one.
We are both odd ones, mr.
Williams.
You come from a long way off, don't you? From the stars? From beyond the stars, pedro.
For a reason? For many reasons.
And this thing you've given me just a gift.
A gesture, really.
A small gift to show them that i came as a visitor not an invader.
I must get back to my ship, pedro see if i can repair it.
And then i must leave.
For good, senor? For good and all? Oh, no, pedro, there's no such thing as "for good and all.
" There is only forever.
I will come back sometime or others like me.
Where you're from, is there a god? The same god, pedro.
I wonder what? If god were to come to earth, would they find him so strange that they would be afraid, and would they shoot him? Did not his son come once, pedro? And they nailed him to a cross.
And then spent 2,000 years learning to believe in him.
All things take time, pedro.
Soon, pedro, soon your people will no longer be afraid of me.
They will not be afraid, and then then i can show them the gift.
I am sanchez, sir.
I am the local police officer.
And the fugitive? Inside there, sir.
It was i, myself who shot him and brought him down.
The bartender tells me that he lies in a bed too weak to move.
You are a brave man, officer sanchez.
But please explain to me if he is only one man and is too weak to move, why do you need us? You, you do not understand, sir.
This is not a man; this is a creature.
Who knows what are his powers? You- you are the owner? This is manolo, si.
The person you seek is inside, captain.
I have held him here for you.
Oh, i am in the presence of such courage, mr.
Bartender.
A village of lions.
Sergeant, in here with me.
The two of you, wait outside.
Excuse me, captain.
The man is too ill to be moved.
Oh? And you would be? I am the doctor here.
I have been treating the man.
He was wounded, captain, after killing one of our policeman.
Why don't you let captain do his duty, doctor? I will be very happy to let the captain do his duty, but first, i must be cognizant of my own.
The man is my patient; he's been badly wounded.
He can do no one any harm.
Hmm.
Unfortunately, doctor my orders from the state capital were to bring back a killer, not a patient.
Get out of the way, pedro.
They have come for the monster.
No! He must live! The doctor said he must stay here.
Here he is, captain.
Have the men surround the street immediately.
He cannot have gone very far.
If there is ever a need here for a town jailer, mr.
Bartender, i hope you do not see fit to run for the office! Que dios nos proteja! The soldiers will protect us.
There he is! Officer, i found him! He's here! You're under arrest, senor! You will come with us.
The charge is murder.
Death was an accident.
I come in peace.
You will put up your hands and walk toward me.
Mr.
Williams! Mr.
Williams! Pedro, the gift.
Show them the gift.
Give it to the doctor.
He will explain it to them.
Destroy it.
Burn it! Burn it! It is the devil's work.
Destroy it! It's the devil's work! Burn it! Burn it! Why did you do it? Why? Que dios nos proteja! Calm yourself.
Pedro! Look out for the boy! Somebody stop him.
He's attacking the boy.
He's going after the boy! Somebody stop him! He's attacking the boy! All right, that's the end of it.
Everybody, back to your homes.
Clear the streets.
Arrange for someone to pick up the body.
What was it, doctor? Black magic? Something from satan? Read it.
"Greetings to the people of earth.
"We come as friends, and in peace.
"We bring you this gift.
"The following chemical formula is a vaccine.
It's a vaccine against all forms of cancer.
" That's all there is.
The rest has been burned.
So we have not just killed a man.
We have killed a dream.
Oh, que noche, que noche! Come, pedro.
Come home with me, son.
Madeiro, mexico- the present.
The subject- fear.
The cure- a little more faith.
An rx off a shelf in the twilight zone.
Rod serling, creator ofthe twilight zone, will tell you about next week's story after this message.
And now, mr.
Serling.
Next week onthe twilight zone, a return visit from an illustrious young actor, cliff robertson.
He stars in one of the strangest tales we've yet to throw at you.
It's called "the dummy," and it involves a ventriloquist and a piece of painted wood- a unique slab of carved pine who decides that lap sitting is for the birds, and who takes things into his own wooden hands.
Now, this one we recommend to the voice throwers across the land.
We hope we see you then.
Chesterfield king extra length- sure, and more, for only chesterfield king gives you the wonderful taste of 21 great tobaccos.
Try a pack.
This is james arness.
You know, it's only a short hop fromthe twilight zone to dodge city ingunsmoke.
Saturday nights over most of these stations.
Your next stop, the twilight zone.
What's happening? Well, i think he's dead.
I believe it's salvador.
Where is the telegrapher? Parece que esta muerto.
Quien es? Es salvador.
Rudolfo rudolfo, i wish to send a telegram.
Telegram now? But this is after hours.
What's the matter with you, sanchez? Please, do you know what time it is? I close at 4:00.
For 23 years, i close at 4:00.
Because you are a policeman, you think you got the privilege to? Salvador? How? I will send a telegram; it will explain.
You will tell it to me? I will tell it to you.
Send it as i tell it.
To the prefect of police, state capital.
Prefect of police? Send it, rudolfo, send it! Don't censor it! Unidentified aircraft- or something- crashed into the hills north of our village late last night.
Object is metal and circular.
Officer emmanuel salvador and myself investigated the scene of the crash.
Found evidence of footprints and broken brush.
Salvador followed same.
I heard several shots.
Found body of officer salvador.
Say that i followed the figure of the monster in the darkness.
I fired several shots.
I believe i wounded whoever it whateverit was.
The place is mexico, just across the texas border.
A mountain village held back in time by its remoteness, and suddenly intruded upon by the 20th century.
And this is pedro, nine years old- a lonely, rootless little boy who will soon make the acquaintance of a traveler from a distant place.
We are at present 40 miles from the rio grande, but any place and all places can be the twilight zone.
Who did it, sanchez? Please, doctor, i do not know.
Some, some giant thing escaped in the darkness.
I fired several shots, and later, i found some bloodstains.
They're sending some army men from the state capitol.
They will take over.
Some "giant thing"? Not the darkness, or perhaps your fear? You doubt me, doctor? No, you're the law and order in this village, sanchez.
Be the sanity as well.
You have frightened all these people.
I just want to make sure that the source of the fear is not an illusion.
This, doctor- is this an illusion?! All right, go to your homes, everybody, and lock your doors.
I want no one on the streets tonight.
We're in danger.
I found all i wanted to know.
Take the body to the priest now.
Drink up, doctor; i want to close now.
I have no doubt.
What stalks the night, manolo? What stalks the night? Whatever it is, i want my place locked thank you for coming, stargazer.
I am cursed in my old age by having this astronomer on my payroll.
Still looking at the stars, pedro? So, what do you learn from the stars, eh? Have they ever told you to sweep this place properly or to clean a glass? It is said there is life on some of them.
Oh, this is a fact? Then you and the man in the moon have nothing in common, because you aren't alive.
Here, go get some water and come right back.
Doors should be locked tonight.
He's a strange little boy.
Where'd he come from? Who knows? He's son of abracero, it is said.
The authorities are in here three times a week asking me why he does not attend school.
They ask me, ha! The boy is not of my flesh.
I know nothing of him.
He cleans the place for me and serves table, and he has a room in the back.
Hey, i overpay him, believe me, but i am not such a rich man that i can certainly afford to run an orphanage for little street urchins.
He doesn't have any friends, does he? Him? Why should he? He has a mind like an old man.
He's not normal.
Go look for him out in the night, and you'll see him standing there looking up at the sky.
Did you ever see him smile? I ask you this.
Did you ever see him smile? Why would he smile, the boy? What is there to delight him? His poverty? Why should he smile? Perhaps, manolo perhaps on some occasion, some festive occasion, instead of handing him a broom or a tray, extend him a hand.
Keep the boy inside tonight, manolo.
Shall i see you home, ignacio? No, thank you, pedro.
With me, darkness is a friend.
But you stay inside.
I'm locking up now, doctor.
I must ask you to leave.
So, manolo my friend, wear a smile, and you'll doubtless live to see the morning.
Are you still open? I thought perhaps i could have some wine.
¯como estas? Bien.
Please sit down, sir.
I will get you wine.
I am sorry, senor, but the place is closed.
We are closed now, and no longer serving.
There is a curfew.
Is this not true, doctor? Is there not a curfew on? I won't stay but a moment.
Just long enough for a drink of wine.
I i'm ill, i think.
But i promise you i won't stay.
Please.
That's not wine.
The bottle didn't break, so it couldn't be i didn't want to hurt him.
He gave me no choice.
I must explain.
Please please listen to me for a moment.
I tried to explain before to that policeman or soldier, or whoever it was.
I tried to tell him that i came in peace.
He wanted to kill me.
I tried to get the gun away from him, and it went off against his body.
And then the man who came afterwards kept firing at me.
Please please please you'll be all right soon.
The doctor has said so.
He will make you all well again.
It's very odd, pedro, very odd, indeed, that there's only one person who feels neither fear nor anger, and this is a boy.
It is because we are alike.
You are a stranger, and in a way, i am a stranger, too.
Pedro, the poncho what? In the pocket.
Get it.
It's a gift.
Put it away.
I'll tell you later on.
For a badly wounded man, you have a strangely willful pulse.
I might go a step further and say that i wish mine sounded like yours does.
Pedro, bring the lamp close to the bed.
Si, doctor.
Ether? I'm going to start digging in there for at least No anesthetic, doctor.
Pedro, i think this is a good time for you to go out and look at the stars.
You have a good friend, senor.
Doctor, you must give him something.
Pedro, i will tell you something.
I'm a very obliging man, but your friend does not want the pain deadened.
And i always say, every man to his own taste.
Whiskey.
If not the best, make it the strongest.
The stranger travels light.
Just the clothes on his back, and and these inside his chest.
He was very brave, doctor.
Not a sound from him.
Not so much as a cry all that time.
Yes, very brave.
Pedro, come here.
What else do you know of him, pedro? I know nothing else except that he is my friend.
Yes, this may be true, but it does not explain the man, does it? For example, it does not explain how a man can have two bullets inside his body and have them removed without a whimper.
It does not explain how this man's pulse can be as strong and as steady as if there was nothing else wrong with him than a cold.
And it does not explain why this man is alive when he should be dead.
We got to him just in time, doctor.
No, pedro.
We got to him about three hours too late.
We got to him where by the laws of every book on common sense he should have bled to death.
But he didn't.
So, stay by your friend, huh? And look after him.
Si, doctor.
Manolo.
When i was in there, i heard the door unlock.
Oh, i i went out, doctor.
I went out to tell sanchez that when the army came, they would not have to go walking through the hills at night.
They would only have to come here to find what they want.
At your baptism, they forgot to give you a proper name.
What would that be, doctor? That would be judas, manolo.
You must be tired, pedro.
It doesn't matter, senor.
I can sleep anytime.
Now you must sleep.
You have a poet, pedro.
I read him- robert burns.
He said, "the best-laid schemes o' mice and men gang aft a-gley" like my plans.
I came here to give, and all i've done is to take- your bed, your room.
Even my clothes- i stole them.
I've often wondered why it is that men fear the unknown.
Like children, they're afraid of the dark.
The only person i've met who isn't afraid of the dark is a child.
Because i am an odd one.
We are both odd ones, mr.
Williams.
You come from a long way off, don't you? From the stars? From beyond the stars, pedro.
For a reason? For many reasons.
And this thing you've given me just a gift.
A gesture, really.
A small gift to show them that i came as a visitor not an invader.
I must get back to my ship, pedro see if i can repair it.
And then i must leave.
For good, senor? For good and all? Oh, no, pedro, there's no such thing as "for good and all.
" There is only forever.
I will come back sometime or others like me.
Where you're from, is there a god? The same god, pedro.
I wonder what? If god were to come to earth, would they find him so strange that they would be afraid, and would they shoot him? Did not his son come once, pedro? And they nailed him to a cross.
And then spent 2,000 years learning to believe in him.
All things take time, pedro.
Soon, pedro, soon your people will no longer be afraid of me.
They will not be afraid, and then then i can show them the gift.
I am sanchez, sir.
I am the local police officer.
And the fugitive? Inside there, sir.
It was i, myself who shot him and brought him down.
The bartender tells me that he lies in a bed too weak to move.
You are a brave man, officer sanchez.
But please explain to me if he is only one man and is too weak to move, why do you need us? You, you do not understand, sir.
This is not a man; this is a creature.
Who knows what are his powers? You- you are the owner? This is manolo, si.
The person you seek is inside, captain.
I have held him here for you.
Oh, i am in the presence of such courage, mr.
Bartender.
A village of lions.
Sergeant, in here with me.
The two of you, wait outside.
Excuse me, captain.
The man is too ill to be moved.
Oh? And you would be? I am the doctor here.
I have been treating the man.
He was wounded, captain, after killing one of our policeman.
Why don't you let captain do his duty, doctor? I will be very happy to let the captain do his duty, but first, i must be cognizant of my own.
The man is my patient; he's been badly wounded.
He can do no one any harm.
Hmm.
Unfortunately, doctor my orders from the state capital were to bring back a killer, not a patient.
Get out of the way, pedro.
They have come for the monster.
No! He must live! The doctor said he must stay here.
Here he is, captain.
Have the men surround the street immediately.
He cannot have gone very far.
If there is ever a need here for a town jailer, mr.
Bartender, i hope you do not see fit to run for the office! Que dios nos proteja! The soldiers will protect us.
There he is! Officer, i found him! He's here! You're under arrest, senor! You will come with us.
The charge is murder.
Death was an accident.
I come in peace.
You will put up your hands and walk toward me.
Mr.
Williams! Mr.
Williams! Pedro, the gift.
Show them the gift.
Give it to the doctor.
He will explain it to them.
Destroy it.
Burn it! Burn it! It is the devil's work.
Destroy it! It's the devil's work! Burn it! Burn it! Why did you do it? Why? Que dios nos proteja! Calm yourself.
Pedro! Look out for the boy! Somebody stop him.
He's attacking the boy.
He's going after the boy! Somebody stop him! He's attacking the boy! All right, that's the end of it.
Everybody, back to your homes.
Clear the streets.
Arrange for someone to pick up the body.
What was it, doctor? Black magic? Something from satan? Read it.
"Greetings to the people of earth.
"We come as friends, and in peace.
"We bring you this gift.
"The following chemical formula is a vaccine.
It's a vaccine against all forms of cancer.
" That's all there is.
The rest has been burned.
So we have not just killed a man.
We have killed a dream.
Oh, que noche, que noche! Come, pedro.
Come home with me, son.
Madeiro, mexico- the present.
The subject- fear.
The cure- a little more faith.
An rx off a shelf in the twilight zone.
Rod serling, creator ofthe twilight zone, will tell you about next week's story after this message.
And now, mr.
Serling.
Next week onthe twilight zone, a return visit from an illustrious young actor, cliff robertson.
He stars in one of the strangest tales we've yet to throw at you.
It's called "the dummy," and it involves a ventriloquist and a piece of painted wood- a unique slab of carved pine who decides that lap sitting is for the birds, and who takes things into his own wooden hands.
Now, this one we recommend to the voice throwers across the land.
We hope we see you then.
Chesterfield king extra length- sure, and more, for only chesterfield king gives you the wonderful taste of 21 great tobaccos.
Try a pack.
This is james arness.
You know, it's only a short hop fromthe twilight zone to dodge city ingunsmoke.
Saturday nights over most of these stations.