"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." "Strike two!" "Strike three!" "You're out." "Howie gottlieb, you're never going to get to heaven." "That was a ball, and you know it." "Was not." "Was too." "How about that, ben, you saw it?" "Jenny, howie's the umpire." "Who's up?" "You are." "Well, it's about time." "Look out." "Yippee!" "Home run." "No fair." "No fair." "You said you wouldn't use magic anymore." "Four to four." "Dirty deal, that's cheating." "Come on, let's play ball." "What with?" "All right, never mind." "Let's do something else." "How about spaceman?" "All those who wish to play spaceman raise their hands." "All right, and this time, jenny, you're the martian." "Naw." "It's your turn." "I know, but i can't turn into things the way you can." "Aw, come on, ben, don't be a dirty guy." "Jenny moves too slow." "All right, all right." "This is the last time." "Now, let me see, what should i do?" "Jenny, you get to write the script." "Well... that's the rocket ship over there." "And i'm the captain." "What are you talking about?" "Who ever heard of a dame with a brace being captain?" "All right, you bunch of babies." "Yoube the captain." "The rest of you are lieutenants and stuff." "Who are you?" "I'm the beautiful stowaway." "Okay, now, ben, you go on over to the ship." "Now we just landed, see." "This is mars." "We've been exploring around trying to find out if anyone's alive." "Got that?" "When we come over to the ship, you come out." "And make it real horrible." "I mean, you know, real horrible." "Not too horrible." "You suppose any martians snuck inside the ship, captain?" "Not a chance, this ship is heretically sealed." "You go ahead." "You go, you're the captain." "Go on, howie." "Okay, i'll lead, but i want my men behind me." "Sneak formation." "It's a martian." "Somebody shoot!" "Boing, boing, boing... boing, boing, boing... i think you got him." "It's been said that science fiction and fantasy are two different things- science fiction, the improbable made possible;" "fantasy, the impossible made probable." "What would you have if you put these two different things together?" "Well, you'd have an old man named ben who knows tricks most people don't know and a little girl named jenny who loves him... and a journey into the heart of the twilight zone." "Ooh-wee!" "Now, everybody off." "Now, that'll be ten cents, please." "Pay you tomorrow." "How do i know i can trust you?" "You can't." "Well, in that case, it's a deal." "Ahh..." ""say i'm weary, say i'm sad" ""say that health and wealth have missed me" ""say that i am growing old but add, jenny kissed me."" "What's that?" "Earth poetry." "You made it up, but i like it." "So do i." "All right, up we go." "With your skates on?" "I forgot." "Scat!" "Nothing to it." "Here we go." "What do you think?" "I don't know." "Ben, tell me something." "What is it, little monkey?" "You can do so many things, how come you don't make my leg well?" "Well, because then i wouldn't have the fun of carrying you." "And you'd get yourself a young boyfriend." "I'm serious." "You could do it, couldn't you?" "Perhaps, but..." "no, jenny, i mustn't do it." "Why?" "I told you to be back before the stores closed." "It's my fault, mrs." "Gann." "It's always your fault, ain't it?" "Come on, aunt agnes." "Shut up, you ungrateful little guttersnipe." "After all i done for you." "After i fed you and took care of you and give you a place to sleep." "Where'd you be if it wasn't for me?" "In an orphanage!" "If you don't mind, that's where you're going." "Now you get inside." "Don't you ever lift your hand to jenny again." "Look, you just listen to me." "I've got my stomachful of you hanging around that girl, turning her against me, filling her head up with crazy stuff." "You hear me?" "You think i'm deaf?" "!" "I ain't putting up with it." "You even talk to her, and i'll call the cops!" "Oh... you bother us again, that's what's going to happen." "You hear me?" "!" "Now you get into bed." "No supper for you tonight, miss." "Well?" "Excuse us, madam, we're gathering information about a tenant." "A man they call old ben- you know him?" "You cops?" "In a way." "I knew it." "May we come in?" "Sure." "What'd he do?" "We'll ask the questions." "All right, got to come in the kitchen." "I'm fixing supper." "How long has he lived here?" "This building?" "A year and a half." "Do you know his previous address?" "Mister, we don't know nothing about him- where he comes from, what his name is... nothing!" "Ever seen him do anything unusual?" "Like what?" "Like magic." "Nah, kids say he's good at tricks, but i never seen any." "Ben?" "Jenny?" "Oh, ben." "What's the matter, what's wrong?" "Two policemen downstairs." "They're after you." "I didn't think she'd do it." "Aunt agnes didn't call." "They came right after you left." "What'd they look like?" "I just saw a bit of them in the kitchen." "Tall... one had blond hair and the other was dark-haired." "That's them." "They've caught up with me." "Who has?" "What are you scared of?" "I can't tell you." "I thought we were friends." "We are." "Friends don't keep secrets." "I don't even know where you come from or why you're running away." "Jenny!" "Jenny, where are you?" "I'm sorry, little monkey, but, well, it doesn't matter." "Anyway, it's too late now." "No, it isn't." "You can hide someplace- under the bed, or in the closet." "They'll never find you." "All right, where is he?" "I don't know." "You're lying." "She knows where he is." "Do you, miss?" "No, i came up to see him but he was gone." "I think he's in the park." "If you see him, say nothing." "I know to keep my mouth shut." "Come on." "Well, thank you, mrs." "Gann." "Any time, gentlemen." "I ought to beat you till you can't sit down but i won't 'cause i'm too tired." "Now get in there and go to bed, and i don't want to hear a peep out of you." "And don't try sneaking out again if you know what's good for you." "That fooled them, whoever they are." "Sure did." "Did i tickle you there?" "What i can't understand is how you can change the clothes, too." "It's all matter- one molecular structure is much like another." "Speaking of changing clothes, young lady, you'd better start wearing a dress or your aunt will have a fit." "Let her." "Now, that isn't respectful, jenny." "Remember that mrs." "Gann is a nervous person and isn't wholly responsible for her behavior." "Then who is?" "Well, i'm not too sure." "In any case, you try to forgive her." "All right." "But what about you?" "What are you going to do?" "Ah, i wish i knew, little monkey." "Ben?" "Yes?" "How come those men are after you?" "Are you a criminal?" "In a way, yes." "What'd you do, rob a bank?" "No." "Kill somebody?" "No." "You must be a communist." "No, little monkey, i'm not a communist." "Then, what?" "!" "Shh!" "Ben, listen, why don't you fool 'em?" "Turn into a spider or a cockroach." "They'd never find you then." "I'm afraid they would." "Those boys are pretty clever." "You see, jenny, my real shape, i mean, the way i really look... isn't this the way you really look?" "No." "Have i ever seen you the way you really look?" "No." "Gee, i bet you're icky." "Some found me quite attractive." "I want to see." "No." "Listen, jenny." "You've been very good letting me keep my secrets." "Now, i'm going to tell you one of them." "You see, i am not actually a resident of this world." "Huh?" "I'm from another planet." "I knew it, i knew it." "Which one, mars?" "No, you've never heard of it." "Anyway, jenny, those two men are trying to catch me so they can take me back." "'Cause of what you did?" "Uh-huh, and i don't want to go back." "But they've located me, so the only thing i can do is find another world that i can hide in." "You mean you're just going to go away?" "I don't want to, little monkey, but i have no choice." "Before i go, though, there's one thing i want to do." "I'd have done it before, but it would've shown them where i was." "That doesn't matter anymore." "What do you mean?" "Let's take this brace off." "My brace?" "Mm-hmm." "Will it hurt?" "Be careful." "Now, close your eyes." "Who're you talking to?" "M... myself." "Cut it out, you'll go crazy that way." "Ben!" "Ben, my leg- ben, don't leave me!" "Ben!" "Jenny, how can you walk without your brace?" "You get out of my way." "Where's ben?" "I don't know- i won't tell." "You made him leave me- i hate you!" "No, don't." "It's the only way." "She's all right, isn't she, doc?" "I'm afraid not." "Well, what'd she want to go do a stupid thing like that?" "Like what?" "Going downstairs without her leg brace, that's what." "Whatever's wrong with your niece hasn't anything to do with her legs." "Her legs seem to be perfectly all right." "Well, i don't know what you're talking about." "The fact is your niece is in serious condition." "You mean... she..." "you mean she's going to die?" "If her pulse gets any weaker." "Well, what's the matter with her?" "Whatever it is, it's beyond my knowledge." "All we can do now is wait." "Well... hello, little monkey." "I thought you went away." "I did." "But i couldn't stay away from my best friend for long." "What seems to be the matter?" "I don't know." "I saw those two policemen, and then i fell down." "Am i going to die, ben?" "Yes, eventually, but not right now." "Close your eyes." "Feel better now?" "I feel wonderful." "Thank you, ben." "Ben." "I know; they're here." "Your your majesty." "Majesty." "All right, all right." "It was a terrible thing to do- hurting a little girl." "We didn't want to hurt her, your majesty." "We knew you'd come back to make her well again." "I understand, but i still don't like it." "What's going on?" "What's this "your majesty" stuff?" "Well, little monkey, i have a confession to make." "You see, i'm a fraud." "Huh?" "I'm not really a criminal." "And these men really aren't policemen." "They're my subjects." "And, i regret to say i am what you would call their king." "Aw, come on." "Cross my heart and hope to die." "Then what were you running away for?" "Well, that is a little hard to explain." "You see, i really wasn't cut out to be a king." "All that fuss and responsibility." "Oh, i don't know." "After the first thousand years, it sort of got me down." "And i knew i'd have at least 4,000 years more before i'd be able to turn the job over to someone else." "So... whoosh!" "I took off." "Jenny, i skeedaddled." "Well, all i can say is you must have been a pretty good king to cause all this trouble." "That's true, miss." "He was the best of kings." "That's why we want him back." "We're as fond of him as you are." "But you can't have him back." "Ben- i mean, your majesty- you're not going away with them, are you?" "Oh, i guess i'll have to." "Then take me with you." "It's impossible, sir." "You know the rules." "The council would never permit it." "Please, ben, don't leave me." "I love you, ben." "I know." "Oh, if there were only some way." "Ben?" "Yes?" "Gentlemen... i would like one minute alone with jenny." "Sir... i solemnly swear by our fathers i won't run away." "Very well." "One minute, your majesty." "Thank you." "Er, your..." "your majesty?" "Yes?" "Yes?" "Oh, now this isn't fair at all." "You can't do this to us, your majesty... your majesty?" "Looks like you'll have to take both of us." "The council wouldn't like it if you brought back the wrong one." "Shall we go?" "Mrs. Gann will be in for a big surprise when she finds this under jenny's pillow." "Because mrs." "Gann has more temper than imagination." "She'll never dream that this is a picture of old ben as he really looks." "And it will never occur to her that eventually her niece will grow up to be an honest-to-goodness queen somewhere 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, an excursion into a strange and totally different dimension." "We'll bring you a story by richard matheson called "little girl lost."" "And this one, we guarantee, is not the kind found in a police docket or in a missing persons bureau." "When this little girl is lost, we're talking about out of this world." "I hope you can join us next week and find out precisely where she's gone." "For our youngsters to be able to design tomorrow's world, we'll need more and better college facilities." "Help the college of your choice."