"♪ (THEME MUSIC PLAYS) ♪" "(GROWLING)" " All right, now boy, easy easy." " Now you be careful, Marsh." " Put that down?" "You make me nervous." " It's a wild dog." "Well, he was domesticated once." "(GROWLING)" "Yeah, but too long in the bush, he's become as vicious as any African hunting tog." "You try to get too friendly with him he's gonna nail you." "I'll watch him." "You know, one of these days, they're gonna be calling you "lefty"." "He's more wolf than dog." "I've had to handle wolves before too." "Yeah?" "With your bare hands?" "If it wasn't for that wire, he'd go for your throat." "I know, I know." "If I knew he'd be this much trouble I'd have left him in the bush." "You said his mate was dead and he was half dead from defending his pups." "Yeah, dead pups." "That's what made me feel sorry for him, but not now." "Well, Mike and I wanna try another experiment." " How's Taka?" " Take a look for yourself." "Marsh, don't you think we ought to wait till he's in a better mood?" "I don't know, we used this wolf cub before in experiments with wild dogs." "Maybe it'll bring out the father in him." "Okay." "All right, little fella." "All right." "All right." "It's not working, Marsh." "No, I'm afraid not." "Look, he's turned wild and that's the way he's gonna die." "Let me take him back to the bush, Marsh." "No, not yet." " Mike." " Mh-hm." "From now on, nobody goes near this cage except you, no matter what." "That means Paula, Judy and Toto." " And especially Jenny." " Right." "Here you are." "Eat a lot and grow up to be big and strong." "Now that I finished my chores, I can play hide and seek." "(HOOTING)" "Well, you be it and Toto will hide." "Don't you know how to be it?" "Then I'll show you." "Come on, Judy." "You hide your eyes like this and then Toto will hide." "and then, you try to find her." "(WHISPERING) Toto, go hide." "Go hide." "All right, Toto, here comes Judy, ready or not!" "Go find Toto!" "You're not even warm." "(JUDY HOOTS)" "You're getting colder." " You're freezing!" " (HOOTING)" "Oh, no, she isn't." "Ready or not, Jenny, here I come!" "Adam!" "Adam Kampala!" "Present and accounted for, Jenny!" "Adam, what are you doing here?" "You didn't run away from the mission home, did you?" "I know it's wrong, but I just had to come here." " Who told you to come?" " You did." "Me?" "This letter you wrote, it says right here," ""You should see how much fun it is," so I'm here to see." "Say, you do have a lot of animals here, like you said." "Adam, Miss Pearce doesn't know you're here?" "I left a note saying I was going to find a family of my own, but I didn't tell her where." "But she'll worry, and we'll have to tell Daktari so he can radio her." "Would he really do that?" "(HOOTING)" "He always likes to follow rules." "I thought maybe he'd let me live here and take care of the animals, like you do." "No, he and Mike are busy, busy, busy with experiments." "I'm sorry, Adam." "Judy, Toto, I want you to meet Adam Kampala." "He's my best, best friend at the mission home." "And now he's gonna stay here for a little while." "Hey, can I stay with them?" "No, they live on the veranda, but I know the best place where you can hide." "Where?" "In the big house?" "No, there's a little supply shed near an animal cage." "What kind of animal?" "Lion?" "Tiger?" "Leopard?" "No, it's a dog named Taka." "Oh, a dog." "That sounds like fun." "(GROWLING)" "(GROWLING CONTINUES)" " Thank you, Judy." " (HOOTS)" " Hey, could she stay here with me?" " No, she makes too much noise." "And you better be quiet too or else they'll hear you." "See you later." "Come on, Judy." "(BARKING)" " I wish you were my dog." " (BARKING)" "At the home, we didn't have any pets." "Look, dog, I'm an orphan." "I've got nobody and nobody's got me." "I'm sorry that you lost your family." "Honest." "But please, don't blame me." "(GROWLING)" "Shh!" "Hello, Bart." "Hi, girls." "And what kind of mischief are you two up to today?" "How many mischiefs are there?" "Well, you're asking for the story of my life and I've got a client waiting for me in Ngoro." "(BLOWS KISS)" "MIKE:" "Bart?" "Hi, Jenny." "Hi, Mike." "Got a couple of passengers for you." "Who are they?" "Mkono and his wife Mwanda from the Ingula tribe." " Ingula tribe?" " Mm-hm." "They're nomads." "Last I heard, they were grazing their cattle up in the northern lands." "Well, that's why they decided to settle down near here by themselves with a few sheep, goats and chickens." " What are they doing here at Wameru?" " I brought them in for a checkup." " Anything wrong?" " No, Mwanda's fine, but Mkono's got a little high blood pressure." " Serious?" " More psychological than physical." "What they're both suffering from is loneliness." "Is there any medicine for that?" "Nothing that you can put in a bottle, love." "But Daktari is giving Mkono some pills that will make him think he's getting better." "My friend Bart Jason will drive you to your hut." "Thank you, sir." "You may take Mwanda but I will walk." "But it's almost five miles." "There was a time when I walked 25 miles carrying a spear in my hand." "But now, I don't know." "Have the years slowed me down?" "Well, Mkono, the years slow everyone down." "That's only natural." "But you are in good health." "You can lead a strong, active life." "You say so, but I do not feel so." "Little gazelle does not need pills." "(MKONO AND JENNY LAUGH)" "Yes, I'm afraid she has more energy than all of us put together and then some." "Mkono, you and Mwanda may not be young, but you still have many, many years waiting for you." "You know, your company would brighten a pretty lonely trip." "How about it?" "In that case, your invitation will be greatly accepted." "Good." " Mike." " Mm-hm." "When you come visit us, bring little Jenny." "Could I, Mike?" "Well, one of these days, love." "Right now, Daktari and I are up to our necks in experiments." "Judy knows the way." "Our door is always open to you, little one." " God be with you." " Thank you, Mr. Mkono." "I'll put this away for you." "Okay, Bart." "Well, Daktari, do you want to do some more work with Taka?" "(CHUCKLES) I don't think we're getting anywhere with him." "Why don't you give him a rest?" "That's not a bad idea." "Yes, we'll leave him alone for a while." "Maybe his disposition will improve." "Mm." "Why don't you two get back to those experiments that you're up to your neck in." " Slave driver." " Hmm." "(CHUCKLES)" "Daktari?" "Yes, yes, Jenny, what's on your mind, huh?" "I love you." "Well, that's good." "I love you too." "What brought all this on, huh?" " Well, Mr. Mkono and Mwanda..." " Uh-huh." "...do they have a family?" "Yes, they do, but their children have grown up now and moved away." "But aren't they lonesome?" "Well, yes, I suppose they do get kind of lonely." "You see, we're the only friends they have around here and we don't get too much of a chance to see them." "But we'll try to remedy that, hm?" "So, now, what are your plans for the day, huh?" "Oh, nothing special." "Just monkeying around with Judy and Toto." "Okay." "Well, have fun and don't be late for dinner," "Monkey." "I meant to thank you for driving us to our hut." "And I want to thank you for keeping me company." "Makes this long trip to Ngoro a lot shorter." "Mkono, look!" "(CHUCKLING)" "(CHUCKLING)" "(BIRDS CALLING)" "(BIRDS CALLING)" "(BARKING)" "(TAKA GROWLS)" "I'm not gonna hurt you, Taka." "Honest, I like you." "(CONTINUES GROWLING)" "Drink the water, you crazy dog." "Do you wanna get sick and die?" "Be quiet before you wake everybody up." "(RUSTLING)" "(GROWLING CONTINUES)" "Adam, Taka doesn't want to be friends!" "But he's all alone." "Everybody needs a friend, even the angriest dog in the world." "Daktari says Taka wants it to be that way." "Please don't make him bark, or else somebody will hear." "I brought you some dinner." " You did?" "Thanks." " Let's go inside." "(GROWLING CONTINUES)" "Thanks, Jenny, I'm starved." "Here, share with me." "No thank you." "I don't want any." "Adam, I don't think you can stay here any longer." "You'll have to leave in the morning." "Jenny, I'm not going back to the mission home." "I'll just keep running away until I find a real home." "Well, maybe I can find you a home tomorrow." "You can?" "Come on, Judy, we better get back before they miss us." "(GROWLING CONTINUES)" "(WHISPERS) Jenny?" "(WHISPERS) Jenny?" "I wonder what she meant." " Morning, Paula." " Morning." "Morning, Toto." "Where's Jenny and Judy?" "They ran off with their food." "Something about a picnic breakfast." "Oh." "A picnic breakfast?" "Mm-hm." "Why not?" "(ANIMAL SOUNDS)" "(CHUCKLING)" "This is very good, little Jenny." "I'm glad you like it." " Here, have some more." " Oh, no." "Thank you, but I have already eaten more than I usually do." "You want some, Mr. Mkono?" "Thank you, Jenny." "It is very nice of you to share your food with us, but I have had quite enough." "You have a beautiful hut, Mr. Mkono." "This old hut belonged to nobody." "JENNY:" "But it's yours now?" "Since it was unreserved territory," "Officer Hedley was kind enough to let us claim it." "It is not very long that we have been here" "I think it's very nice." "Thank you, young Adam." "But there is much work to be done." "I'll help." "(CHUCKLING)" "And I have two strong hands." "He'll be a big help." "Adam, go get some firewood." "Judy, you help." "(GOAT BLEATS)" "Jenny, young Adam is our guest." "But he likes to work." "But doesn't he have a village where his hands are needed?" "He's an orphan." "No mother?" "No father?" "He's all alone, like you." "Can he milk a goat?" "He can learn." "He can feed chickens." "And find berries in a bush." "Could he live here?" "Please?" "It has been years since we raised our own children and they left home to work in the city." "But it'll just be for a little while." "There is no room in the hut." "But we have an extra pallet and a blanket." "He could sleep outside as you did when you were a boy." "We boys were raised for a hard life." "This one... looks like he could only sleep on a feather bed." "JENNY:" "Oh, no." "Gosh, he loves camping out." "We'll see how he sleeps with only the sky for a roof." " Oh, thanks." "I'll go tell him." " (BLEATS)" "Would you take the wood to Mr. Mkono, Judy?" "(HOOTS)" "Adam, I want to talk to you privately." "How would you like to stay with Mr. Mkono and Mwanda?" "They're not too much fun." "Well, it could be, and they need you awful bad." "Jenny, it will be more exciting at Wameru with people like Daktari and Paula and Mike and Bart Jason." "You said so in your letter." "But Mr. Mkono and Mwanda shouldn't live alone." "Daktari even said so." "If I can't live at Wameru," "I might as well go back to the mission home." "They're having a football game tomorrow and I'm on the team." "Oh, Adam, please, just for a few days and then you can leave." "All right, I may stay." "And I may leave tomorrow." "We'll see." "(TAKA BARKS)" "(GROWLS)" "Well, there you are, Hedley, old boy, one extremely vicious, wild dog." "And I might add... (CHUCKLES) property of the game department." "You're quite sure you don't want" " to keep him here?" " Yes, quite sure." "Oh, if you want to try and train him to be a police dog..." "I'm afraid he'd attack the police." "Where do you suggest I release him?" "Away from any villages but near game and water." "Well, any other words of wisdom?" "Yes, when you do let him go," "I'd..." "I'd suggest you keep the motor running." "Well, are you quite certain he's my responsibility?" "Oh, yes, quite certain." "Have a good trip, old chap." "(SIGHS) Well, come on, sergeant." "(BARKING)" " Marsh?" " Yes." " Quite certain?" " Quite." "You weren't raised in a village?" "All my life I lived in a city." "This was the first goat I ever milked." "(LAUGHS)" "Look. (CHUCKLING) Look." "Adam's young hands have squeezed much milk from old mbuzi." "I will make some cheese." "It will go well with the squash seed pudding and palm butter." "Squash seed pudding and palm butter?" "Yes, city boy." "Taste." "That's good." "When our own son was your age, he had an appetite like yours." "We never had anything like this at the mission home." "Mission home?" "The great, white building on the road to Ngoro?" "Yes." "Why did you leave such a beautiful home?" "It's not my home." "I didn't choose it, as you chose yours." "But I did not choose this one." "Why do you stay here?" "An old saying:" ""If you cannot build a house, be content to live in a hut."" "Please do not tell Daktari I am here." "The people at the mission home, they will miss you." "One child more or less." "I left a note explaining why I was leaving." "I don't know." "I think Daktari should take you back to the big home." "Please, a few days more?" "One day only." "Tomorrow, I take you to Daktari." "Thank you." "I must go to the forest to get some more wood now." "(LION ROARS)" "He's an old one who lives in the hills on the far side of the lake." "But have no fear." "A roaring lion kills no game." "But I'll bet he scares all the other animals away." "Good." "That is how nature helps them stay alive." "I see I have much to teach you about the bush and our beautiful animals and the ways of the wild." "Wait." "(GOAT BLEATS)" "This... will make you feel strong." "Ah." "But if you stay your distance the animals will know you mean no harm, like so." " Hah!" " Thank you." "(CAR HORN HONKS)" "(BOTH SPEAKING IN SWAHILI)" "(CHUCKLING)" "(SPEAKS IN SWAHILI)" "Mike, it is good to hear you still speak Swahili, even though you're a man of the Wameru." "MIKE:" "Well, thank you." "I'm glad to see you both looking so well." "Are you taking Daktari's medicine?" "Yes, indeed." "What we received from the Wameru was fine medicine." "Beautiful medicine." "Your smiles brighten my day." "We owe it to the Daktari." " If it wasn't for him" " Oh, no!" "Our thanks." "You send him this goat's milk for the young girl, Jenny." "Well, that's very kind of you." "And I'll see that she gets it." "But first, I want to take Mkono's blood pressure so I can tell Daktari it's back to normal." "Here you are." "This is from Mr. Mkono and Mwanda." " (HOOTS)" " Drink it, it's good for you." "(HOOTS)" "You like goats, don't you?" "Then why don't you drink their milk?" "(TOTO HOWLS)" "Shh." "Shh." "(TOTO HOOTING)" "(JENNY LAUGHS)" "(HOOTING)" "JENNY:" "Don't let Judy make fun of you, Toto." "That milk's good for you." "(INAUDIBLE)" "Adam probably milked that goat." "And that means he's happy because he has a family too." " I hope." " (VEHICLE APPROACHING)" "Oh, no." "Well, June, this is a pleasant surprise." "I was hoping to get by Ngoro and see you before too long." "I've been up to my neck in work." "So Hedley told me, with a wild dog." "Yes." "By the way, did Taka get home safe and sound?" "The last time I saw him he was he was chasing an antelope." "Who was winning?" "The antelope, I'm happy to report." "Well, he must be in good shape then, if he's taking on antelopes." "Well, what brings you two here?" "Marsh, we have a problem." "Yes, a little boy, Adam Kampala." "He ran away from the home and I believe he might be here." " What, here at Wameru?" " Mm-hm." "I don't see how or I would've known about it." "Not if a little conspirator hid him." " You mean Jenny?" " Mm-hm." "Look at this." "We found this in his room." "Apparently, he and Jenny were penpals." "JUNE:" "Does that look like her handiwork?" "Yes, it does." "Hmm." "Now just a minute, she's up in the veranda." "Jenny?" "Jenny?" "Well, that's funny." "She was there a minute ago." "That's what the boy's counsellor said when I asked him about Adam." "(ANIMALS MAKING LOUD NOISES)" "Judy, we're not really hiding." "We're just trying to find a quiet place so we can think." "Let's go into Adam's place for a little while." " Oh no, Judy, the door's stuck." " (HOOTING)" "(TAKA BARKS)" "Hello, Taka." "We won't hurt you." "(JUDY HOOTING)" "Judy, he's just trying to make friends." "(JUDY HOOTING)" "(GROWLING)" "MARSH:" "Jenny, where are you?" "HEDLEY:" "Judy?" "Judy, come here, girl!" "MARSH:" "Jenny, where are you?" "Over here!" "Over here!" "What the devil." "Hello, Ms. Pearce." "Hello, Officer Hedley." "Hi, Jenny." "All right, young lady, you, uh, you can come on out now." "All right, I give up, young lady." "What were you doing in the cage?" "Hiding from Taka." "Taka?" "That's impossible." "Isn't that so, Judy?" "(GRUNTS)" "Look in the bushes, you'll see him." "But he's kind of angry right now." "Taka, isn't that the wild dog you were telling me about?" "Yes, but I released him in the reserve 15 miles from here." "Is there any reason why he should come back here?" "I certainly can't think of any." "He hated the compound and everybody in it." "I see." "But Jenny has a pretty vivid imagination." "Jenny, do you remember all those scary ghost stories you used to tell the other children at the home?" "I'm not making up stories." "Taka was here." " Was Adam Kampala here?" " Yes." "What?" "Here on the compound?" " Where did he stay?" " In the supply shed." "In that tiny shack?" "He always wanted a room of his own." "(HOOTS)" "Jenny, now you knew this area was off-limits." "Why did you bring Adam here?" "I figured it would be a safe place for him to stay and think." "About what?" "About having a family, here, like I did." "You mean he wanted to live here?" "Why?" "Because I wrote him a letter, told him how nice you were to the animals, and to me." "Oh." "Um..." "Well, Jenny, where is Adam now?" "Who is Adam?" "Well, he's a runaway from the mission home." "Believe it or not, Jenny had him living right in there, apparently while Taka was still here." "Well, that's funny." "I didn't see or hear him." "Well then, who could hear anything with Taka around." "Jenny... where is Adam now?" "In the tree house?" "With his friends." "Animal, vegetable or mineral?" " People." " People." "Anybody we know?" "Mr. Mkono and Mwanda." "MIKE:" "How can that be?" "When they gave me the goat's milk they didn't say anything about a boy." "But why take him there?" "Well, just who are Mr. Mkono and Mwanda?" "They're a native couple, living a rather lonely life out in the bush." "You know, when I visited them earlier today, they were full of life and sly jokes." "It looks now as if the joke was on me." "Adam was helping them with their chores." "Chores?" "In the home, we had a hard time getting him to clean his room." "Well, perhaps it's a matter of motivation, Ms. Pearce." "Motivation and chemistry?" "You know, he just may be the catalyst for them to start enjoying life." "Then you'll let them adopt Adam, please?" "Well..." "I'm not sure, Jenny." "There are a few things I'd have to find out first." "But if they want Adam and Adam wants them, what else is there to do?" "How old are Mkono and Mwanda?" "Um, they're middle aged." "It's our policy to place the children with a young couple." "But you're old and you adopted me." "Well, that's true." "Yes, of course." "Mmm, downright feeble." "Jenny, Daktari may be mature, but he's not old." "Thank you, Hedley." "Well, Mr. Mkono and Mwanda aren't old either." "And they have Adam." "And he's milking their goat and feeding their sheep and feeding their chickens." "Boy should be playing, not working." "Well, when I was a boy in my village, I worked." "And it did not stop my growth, physically or emotionally." "But you lived in a village." "Young parents, brothers and sisters to play with." "Just where is Mkono's hut?" "In a rather isolated area, I'm afraid." "A lonely hut, near wild animals, that's hardly an ideal home for a young boy." "But there are no vicious animals within miles." " But Taka might be there." " HEDLEY:" "Taka?" "Yes, Taka was here." "Please believe me." "He went right through there." "I'll show you." "Marsh, Mike, look here." "These paw prints." "Jenny was not crying wolf." "That's Taka's prints all right." "Looks like he's heading in the direction of Mkono's hut." "Mkono's hut?" "Well, if he is, Mkono and Mwanda could be in real trouble." "And so could a little boy." "He's only nine years old." "(GOATS BLEATING)" "What are you weaving?" "A blanket of many colors, for the boy." "Mm." "Mmm." "Sweet potato pudding, huh?" "For the boy?" "For the boy, if he's to be our new son." "But did he say he wanted to be our son?" "No." "But I thought" "Did I say I wanted to be a father again?" "No, but it is good for a man to have a son." "It will make you young again." "But I am still young." "You do not act like young, Mkono." "I know you." "A man needs a son." "And it is good for a woman to have a son to cook for, to give blankets of many colors." "When he returns with the sheep, he shall have this to help him become a man." "Your hunting knife, that is a beautiful gift." "He does not have a well-fed man stomach so I have shortened the belt." "We will teach our city boy to be brave and live in the bush." "(CHUCKLES)" "Chatter does not weave blankets." "(CHUCKLES)" "(TAKA GROWLS)" "(GOAT BLEATS)" "Mkono!" "(SHOUTS IN SWAHILI)" "Mkono." " (TAKA CONTINUES GROWLING)" " MWANDA:" "Mkono!" "(BARKING)" "The dog ran toward the water hole!" "He'll attack Andy and the sheep!" "No, Mkono!" "No!" "He is too young to fight wild animals but I am not too old!" "Let me go with you." "The dog may come back!" "You will protect the goat and the chickens!" "(SHEEP BLEATING)" "Sheep, I like Mkono and Mwanda, and if they will let me," "I will stay and take care of them." "Mkono!" "Mkono!" "Daktari, quickly!" " Save Mkono and the boy!" " Where are they?" "The boy is at the water hole with the sheep." "Mkono is trying to get there to hunt down a wild dog." " The dog, did you see him?" " Yes, it was here!" "He looked mad." "Mkono drove him away from the goat." "Is there a road to the lake?" "No, you must go by foot." "The footpath through the bush." "There's a little mound and then you can see the water hole from there." "Mike, get the medical kit." "Hedley, you stay here with June and Mwanda." "(GROWLING)" "(BARKING)" " Do you see him?" " No." "(BARKING)" "(GROWLING)" "Away!" "Away!" "Go away!" "Mkono, are you all right?" " The spear." " No, don't!" "Are you mad, boy?" "That dog will kill you!" " Oh-oh." " Can you reach him from here?" "No." "Crazy kid." "That dog will chew him to pieces!" "Adam, the dog didn't hurt you." "He won't hurt you, Taka." "He's my friend." "Daktari, Mike, did you see?" "A miracle." "I see it, but I still don't believe it." "HEDLEY:" "Marsh, I couldn't keep her at the hut!" "Adam, get away from that wild dog!" "Taka is not wild." "He was just lonely." "Daktari, be his friend." "Thank you." "Atta boy. (CHUCKLES)" "Well, that's a good boy." "Yes." "Adam, when you were at the compound, did you spend much time with Taka here?" "I heard him howling at night." "The saddest sound in the world." "I went to his cage and we talked." "You talked?" "I told him I was lonely too." " And you know what?" " MARSH:" "No, what?" "ADAM:" "He stopped howling." "We shared each other's secrets." "You shared each other's secrets." "I see." "Well, I guess there's something I don't know about." "Young fella, if you ever want a job at Wameru..." "No thank you, Daktari." "You have Jenny." "But I would like to stay with Mkono and Mwanda." "I can help them." "Daktari." "My wife and I would be very proud to have Adam as our son." "That is, if the people in the big home would let us." "Well, um..." "Mkono, I'm afraid that decision is not up to me." "It's up to Ms. Pearce." "Mkono, we have to consider Adam's education." "Ms. Pearce... my wife and I know little about books." "As you see, we are simple people." "Uh, June... if... if Adam can come to Wameru... he could have his lessons with Jenny." "With the faculty and Mike and Hedley, Paula and me, well, I guess we could cover just about every subject." "But I'm worried about his personal safety." "He's just a little boy." "You know, wild animals, under protected." "Well, with Taka's as a watchdog... (CHUCKLES)" "I don't think you're gonna have to worry about his safety." "I'll tell you what." "Why don't you try and go near Adam, hm?" "Go ahead." "Daktari, you made your point." "Then I can stay?" "Yes, Adam, you can stay." "Thank you, Ms. Pearce." "I will take care of the sheep." "Why don't you go and tell your new mother." "Come on, boy." "We're going home." "(BARKING)" "♪ (THEME MUSIC PLAYS) ♪" "(English US" " SDH)"