"On the pages of American folklore, a legion of mighty men have left the symbols of their greatness." "There was Paul Bunyan's axe." "John Henry's hammer." "Davy Crockett's rifle." "And then, quite unexpectedly, one comes upon a tin-pot hat, a bag of apple seed and a holy book." "And strangely enough, these are the symbols of one of the mightiest men of all." "John Chapman, a real-life pioneer." "With the passing years, however, reality has given way to legend." "Until today, we know this remarkable man simply as Johnny Appleseed." "This is his story, told by an old settler who knew Johnny well." "Listen." "Well, sir, every time I see an apple-blossom sky," "I think of Johnny Appleseed." "Because of course them clouds up there, they ain't really clouds at all." "No, sir." "Why, there wouldn't be no apple-blossom sky if it weren't for the fact that Johnny..." "But, now, hold on here." "Guess I better start back to the beginning." "And that's when Johnny lived on a farm near Pittsburgh town." "The year was 1806 or maybe there around." "Now, just to look at him, you'd say Johnny Appleseed never would make a pioneer." "He was such a sawed-off scrawny little fella." "Of course, that didn't faze Johnny none." "He had his apple trees and the morning sun and the evening breeze." "The Lord is good to me" "And so I thank the Lord" "For giving me the things I need" "The sun and rain and an apple seed" "Yes, he's been good to me" "I owe the Lord so much" "For everything I see" "I'm certain if it weren't for him" "There'd be no apples on this limb" "He's been good to me" "Oh, here am I Neath the blue, blue sky" "A- doing as I please" "Singin' with my feathered friend" "Hummin' with the bees" "I wake up every day" "As happy as can be" "Because I know that with his care" "My apple trees, they will still be there" "Oh, the Lord is good to me" "Working, singing, carefree and gay, that's how Johnny spent each day attending to his apple trees." "But lately, little Johnny here would feel a stirring in the air." "A rumbling, rolling under bead of restless men and restless feet." "There's plenty of room for you" "Get on the wagon rolling west" "Out to the great unknown" "Get on the wagon rolling west" "Or you'll be left alone" "We'd little hope before" "We're starting out again" "We ain't afeard of man or beast" "We're strong-hearted men" "So get on the wagon rolling west" "Seeking a land that's new" "Get on the wagon rolling west" "There's plenty of room for you" "Get on the wagon rolling west" "Out to the great unknown" "Get on the wagon rolling west" "Or you'll be left alone" "The rivers may be wide" "The mountains may be tall" "But nothing stops the pioneer" "We're trailblazers all" "Oh, get on the wagon rolling west" "Out to the great unknown" "Get on the wagon rolling west or..." "You'll be left alone" "You'll be left alone" "Poor Johnny." "He weren't no pioneer and he knowed it." "It was all just pretend." "And them folks going west to build this nation sure made picking apples look like a plum useless occupation." "Well, sir, that's when a miracle happened." "Well, what's holding you, Johnny?" "Says a voice." "Go on." "Go on out west if that's your choice." "Well, sir, it was a angel." "Johnny's own private guardian angel." "Might look mighty queersome to you and me, but you know, that's just the way John figured he'd be." "Well, speak up, boy." "Don't stand there gawking." "Unlock your jaw and get to talking." "Yes, sir." "Yes, sir." "Why don't I go west?" "Because I ain't got the muscle or the breadth of chest." "Out there it's the strong men who's surviving." "I'm about the puniest fella alive." "Shame to you, Johnny." "You got faith and courage and a level head." "But you see, sir, all I know is apple trees." "And what's wrong with apples, if you please?" "Ain't they about the finest fruit in all the land?" "Why..." "Why, shoot, man, they take the cake." "Just think, Johnny, of all the things that apples make." "There's apple pickles." "Oh-so-tasty apple tarts" "And apple pastry, apple dumplings Not to mention..." " Apple sauce?" " Yes." "And there's apple fritters, light as thistle" "And for folks to wet their whistle" " Tangy apple cider in a glass" " Tangy apple cider in a glass" "Stew 'em, fry 'em, boil 'em, pick 'em" " Apple-pie and apple-cake them." " Yep." "You can cook 'em many ways" "There's apple this and apple that" "The recipes'd fill your hat" "Why, I could carry on like this all day" "So pack your stuff and get a-going" "Get them apple trees a-growing" "There's a lot of work out there to do" " There's a lot of work to do" " There's a lot of work to do" "Yes, sir." "I mean, no, sir." "You see, sir, I ain't got the traps, ain't got the gear." "Or none of the things I'll need out there." "You ain't got the..." "Dad gummit, boy." "I'm ashamed of you." "You got the stuff to see you through." "Why, you got all the seeds you're needing." "And for pretty darn good reading..." "There ain't nothing finer than your book" "Here's a mighty handy bonnet." "Even got a handle on it." "Turn it upside down and you can cook" "So come on, son, and get a-going" "Get them apple trees a-growing" " There's a lot of work out there to do" " There's a lot of work out there to do" " Oh, there's a lot of work to do" " Oh, there's a lot of work to do" "Well, sir, that's how it all began." "That's how Johnny, all alone, set out to meet the great unknown." "It was a mighty big and fearsome place for a man to face." "A little man and all alone, without no knife, without no gun." "And though the forest is dark and wide with fearsome critters on every side," "Johnny just kept walking on." "Walked until at last he found a little spot of open ground with fertile soil and warmsome breeze." "A likely place for apple trees." "Now, the varmints here, they couldn't know if John was friend or John was foe." "So some took off in sudden flight." "And some got set to claw and bite." "But if Johnny seen him, he paid no heed." "Just got busy planting apple seed." "Now, them varmints come from everywhere, watched that man a-digging there." "Didn't like what they were seeing." "Didn't trust no human being." "Yep, that ornery human had to go." "But who was a-gonna tell him so?" "Well, not a soul could answer that till here come along a black and white cat." "Now, he weren't too bright, but he didn't much care." "He knowed he had a certain air about." "Well, sir, that done it." "The critters ne'er see the be to that:" "The likes of a human a-liking that cat." "Why, this little man had went and busted every precedent." "He was the very first to come without no knife, without no gun." "And so it was from that time on, every last living varmint was a friend to John." "They surely was." "The Lord is good to me" "And so I thank the Lord" "For giving me the things I need" "The sun and rain and an apple seed" "And he's been good to me" "Well, as time went by," "Johnny kept right on a- planting his apple trees and making friends everywhere." "And his best friend was the pioneers." "For, of course, John was planting more than an apple tree." "He was planting his own boundless faith and courage too." "And that give folks new heart, new hope in the job they had to do." "And as more and more pioneers come to push back the forest, the kindly deeds of little Johnny Appleseed spread throughout the land." "And more than once with a good old-fashioned jubilee folks would honour Johnny Appleseed and the fruit of the apple tree." "Now, sometimes if John was a-passing by, he'd mosey over and kind of look in on the doings." "Because it sure tickled him to see how the fruit of his labours brought all kinds of folks together and made them good neighbours." "Come and get it." "The food is on the table set." "It's all a-waiting to be eat." "Come and get it." " Apple pickles." " Mighty tasty." " Apple butter." " Apple pastry." " Apple dumpling." " How'd you like some applesauce?" "Yes, ma'am." "Yep, Johnny did bring folks a heap of happiness." "But he weren't looking for thanks." "Didn't have time for it." "He knowed a man can take no rest if he aims to plant the whole darn wilderness in apple trees." "And so it was for more than 40 year" "John walked and planted that old frontier." "Yes, sir, 40 years of walking and planting." "And in that space of two-score year this little man, he throwed his shadow clear across the land across a hundred thousand miles square." "And in that shadow everywhere, you'll find he left his blessings three:" "Love and faith" "And the apple tree" "Boy, for sleeping you take the cake." "Come on, get up." "We got a longsome trip to make." "Oh, why, Mr. Angel." "How do you do?" "I'm fine." "And how be you?" "I'm fine." "Just feeling..." "Who is that sleeping in the evening dusk?" "Why, that's just your husk, John." "Your mortal husk." "My husk?" "You mean to say I'm...?" "I'm passed away?" "Dagnabbit, angel." "I just can't go." "Got crops to harvest, seeds to sow." "Now, now, now." "Hold on, boy." "Down here on Earth, your work is through." "But yonder?" "Well, we need you, Johnny." "Yep, we sure do." "You think we had most all we please, but we ain't." "We're kind of short on apple trees." "Well, I swan." "I didn't know." "What are we waiting for?" "Come on, let's go." "We're wasting time, let's get it going" "Get them apple trees a-growing" " There's a lot of work up there to do" " There's a lot of work up there to do" " Oh, there's a lot of work to do" " Oh, there's a lot of work to do" "Well, sir, now you know the reason why whenever I see that certain sky, I think of little John." "Because it's like I said, if you'll recall." "Them clouds ain't really clouds at all." "They're apple blossoms, if you please, from John's heavenly orchard of apple trees." "And someday they're will be apples there" "For everyone in the world to share" "The Lord is good to me"