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August 3, 2025 • 21 mins
Dive into the eerie and captivating world of "Quiet Please." This iconic radio show from the golden age of radio offers a unique blend of horror, mystery, and drama that will keep you on the edge of your seat. Whether you're a fan of classic radio dramas or looking for spine-tingling stories to listen to, "Quiet Please" has something for everyone. Don't miss out on this timeless collection that will transport you to a world of suspense and intrigue.
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Episode Transcript

Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:26):
I have had a long time to meditary upon his folly,
and I think if I could live my life over again,
this would be a better world today, dwelt in by
happier people, or I think I would not have committed
the folly of my youth, the folly that has drawn
the line the conflict and something that you are heir
to now. My father and my mother, I know, committed
a greater folly, but the punishment that was laid upon

(00:48):
them was the sentence of an all wise judge, and
in the end of the monstrable blessing, a blessing that
might have descended unselly to you of this present world,
had it not been from my folly, which, among other things,
led to my death, and to the death of countless
other men and women and children are laying wasted money
of their countryside through the years. I never saw the

(01:18):
country where my father and mother first lived, but I've
heard him speak of it so many times. The first
was an aching homesickness that was almost a madness between
and then of the years went on in my early
manhood were the kind of hopeless fun certainty as of
a dream once live and nounced him and tapped in
the years, never to be recalled, and therefore a thing

(01:39):
to be put to wait for an My father, I
recall him well, a tall, heavy man, a little stooped
with toil, smiling slowly and saying little, his hair long
and black. I did not live to see the great petin,
a man of prodigious strength and temper. In short, the quiet, spoken,

(02:02):
home loving workingman, father of all ages. My mother, the
most beautiful woman I've ever seen. I agree, I had
little opportunity then for comparison with other women. But there
have been many women since in this world, and none
the rival has discontented. A little impatient, but a wise,

(02:24):
loving mother to her two sons, and a dutiful wife
to their father and my brother. It is a good
thing that my brother is. That he was born and existed,
and strolled with his hands, delving in the valleys and
killing the broad fields, learning the secrets of the earth
and the ways of steams and plants and green things.

(02:47):
I think he was a salt of ear, although I
procured for him a bad name to my cost and
the worlds. He was a little older than I. I had,
the first born, and naturally the first beloved until I
was born. I think he was more my father's son
than I. He had my father's ways, his float speech,

(03:10):
his long silence is his the eye of strength, and
my father's slow, kindling beach set is terrible anger that
smoldered farther over planted eyes and the night coalmans. Only
twice have I seen my brother's temper flare, and the
second time was my undoing than yours. I I think

(03:36):
I was my mother's son. Perhaps I made it that way.
I didn't make it that way I, but I shall
tell you bear with me. We dwelt at the head
of a valley, far from the place where my father
and mother's first lived, into the humble place, the tall trees,

(03:56):
out of the house, a sparkling hillside brook. I'm gurgling
down the hill, not a hundred paces from our door.
In the summer teeth, the hills grew brown and barren
under the sun, save for the plots below the slopes
where my brother coming. They led the water to the
little stream where the corn in the millets and the
valley clustered, and the fruit trees on the hill above

(04:17):
the house where my brothers too. He tended them daily
against the harvest of the falls, while I frolicked in
the stream, or laid away the long afternoons in the
shade of the plane trees. I well in that. I
well remember the rain, my brother and my father, twiling
the steamy down towards some homely tap my life, sat

(04:41):
dry and comfortable under the fat shelter, and laughed at
their dripping mud spat had labored. It was a good
life we led, we the pioneers, we the happy family,
in the old and good days, in the summers and
the long slow winters, in the cheerful spring went golden
harvest days of the falls, pioneers in the smiling land,

(05:04):
fun people by enemies, unmarred by its contented hatreds. So
it was in the early days of my earth. So
it could have been to day, were it not for
my folly. I remember an evening from my brother, and
I sat alone in the twilight, resting, eating the toil

(05:28):
of the day, and I from the day's pleasures. Brother,
I said, Brother, tell me something, what did you and
father do with the fruit and grain and things you
carried away this morning? It couldn't downed the grove and
agree always there. But what did you do with them there?

(05:49):
We left them there, just left them there. Yeah, that's
left him there. Well, why did you do that? Well?
You know how father filled? You know how religious is
I know, but I don't understand why he does this.
It seems like like wasting things. Those things aren't wasting. Well,

(06:12):
what happens to them? They're a sacrifice? I don't understand that. Well, uh,
fact this I well, go ahead. How to explain? Your
father gives you things? Who thanks to play with? What

(06:37):
do you do? I don't do anything? They say thank you,
don't you? Oh? Yes, well they sacrifice is the kind
of way of saying thank you for all the wonderful
things we have, for the fields and the sunshine and
the well, for everything. For just oh we have plenty.

(07:03):
You see, it's only fair for us to give up
some of it for bank offering. You'll understand what would
happen if you didn't do it? I don't know. Would
something terrible happen? Would we have bad luck? Maybe? I
would we die? I don't know. Well do we just
sacrifice what we want to? We sacrifice the best we have? Sonny,

(07:27):
has it got to be the best. That's what your
father and I think and your mother. What if it
isn't good or not, it has to be the best
things you have? Can I sacrifice something one year old? Enough?
I'll sacrifice some wonderful things that's caught you, and they
won't be just old years of corn and bundles of

(07:49):
milanho coup like that. I wonder if I talk in
my youthful folly that the greater the sacrifice, the greater
would be my reward. I wonder if I thought I
could buy prosperity and happiness and the pledges of the

(08:09):
flash out step my father and my brother by the
magnificence of my own bread offerings. I wonder if this
was the burgeoning of a thought that I might keep
planning to my brother into the God and my father
and mother. So he was a principal provider too. My
father labored mightily, but it was my brother's strong island
that tilled the soil, my brother's active mind the plan

(08:32):
of the years propped my brother's sweat that procured the
harvest that nourished us all. And the time went on,
my father became more and more submerged in religion, and
on his first born felt a heavier and heavier burden
had at the time of sacrifice. I stood sullenly aside,
for I was empty handed, with nothing of my own

(08:53):
the place upon the author, for nothing to gain grace
and prosperity for myself. I was young. Forgive me for that,
if you can. True. My elder brother had not many
years over me, But I have been brought up in
the indulgence. To my married infancy was a prodigious worker.

(09:14):
I found idleness more to my liking. I was awkward
with a power, and the hallow I bruised the precious fruit.
I was sent together my dull, the skithe and reaping
time was sent a wayless. I bring further home to
the harvest than to myself and the praise my father
gave to my brother.

Speaker 2 (09:31):
It's been a good Yes.

Speaker 1 (09:32):
I'm they've done very well, haven't we.

Speaker 2 (09:35):
You've gone very well?

Speaker 1 (09:36):
You mean, what's the difference is all the family? Yes,
But what we'd have done without you, I don't know.
By we've got that low field now, that was all
tree last year. That brings us a good drop. I
wish there was something special I could do for you.
So I'm pitch all right, father. I like to work

(09:56):
in the field, and those fruit trees, I never saw
them bear so much or hard work.

Speaker 2 (10:02):
But we'd have a pleasant winter thanks to you.

Speaker 1 (10:06):
We've got so much. I wish that for somebody. We
could give some of our plenty too, don't you, father,
But we can give it to the lord son. It'll
be a mighty sacrifice this year. All the better we
have it to give. But I wish sometimes there were
some other people we could see, the neighbors were.

Speaker 2 (10:30):
If they will come, a son, they will come. We
may not live.

Speaker 1 (10:34):
To see this world teeming with people, but where the pioneers,
and they'll live to be grateful to us.

Speaker 2 (10:42):
I'm thankful I have a son like you.

Speaker 1 (10:44):
You've got two sons, father, Oh yes, but your brother.

Speaker 2 (10:52):
But what was I to do?

Speaker 1 (10:54):
What time would the left till I could perform to
please my father and mister clim my brother h I
got not and the other father, How would I have
a const to his life if I had nothing to give,
nothing to sacrifice to my father and my brother. My
mother called me in the darkness. I got there, sniveling

(11:15):
at my unlucky situation. Since I got there's the dogs
and unworthy tears and self.

Speaker 2 (11:21):
Pity exacting, said mother, I've been looking all over for you.
What matter is?

Speaker 1 (11:30):
I don't feel good and you take time? I just
I'm just good for nothing.

Speaker 2 (11:37):
Oh, no, outside, what happened?

Speaker 1 (11:40):
Well, I can't do anything.

Speaker 2 (11:43):
You can't do anything?

Speaker 3 (11:45):
What mean?

Speaker 2 (11:46):
My brother does.

Speaker 1 (11:47):
Everything and father tells him how wonderful he is, and
I'm I'm just usefully.

Speaker 4 (11:53):
Oh, I'm outside. It's plenty for you to do. You
always help him. Ot, they're around the house and you, well,
you who you're a job?

Speaker 1 (12:02):
I'm not either. I'm I'm just no good.

Speaker 2 (12:05):
That's a silly attitude for you to pay. Now what
put all this in your mind?

Speaker 1 (12:09):
Without?

Speaker 2 (12:09):
Suddenly, Mother, I want to be useful? When who are useful?

Speaker 1 (12:18):
I haven't got anything to jacrifice?

Speaker 2 (12:21):
Oh that's their day. Yes, probably, I know, dear.

Speaker 4 (12:27):
I I didn't know you were so serious about see, mother,
how can I ever get thim?

Speaker 1 (12:37):
Just if I don't have anything to sacrifice?

Speaker 2 (12:39):
Get to see?

Speaker 1 (12:41):
Well?

Speaker 2 (12:41):
I mean, I won't cost you, poor child. You come
in now and have your supper and you feel better.
None in the morning.

Speaker 1 (12:55):
One in the morning, I wandered away, still downcast before
my mind when my mother, I do not remember what
dark laws occupied my mind as I climbed the dew
drenched hillsides, wrestling with my problem. I do not know
how far I walked through the morning in the hot
sun of Newton. No where I wandered. I tired of

(13:15):
the afternoon, I remember, and under a tall old tree
on the hop over hill, I lay my head and slept.
Dreams haunted me. Dreams of my tall, lasting brother, rich
and happy, surrounded by a cheerful and happy family. In
some a while, I have dreams of myself begging, bred
from a stranger, unglessed and unhappy. Dreams of poverty and

(13:38):
want in the world. I never I found myself dependent
of long after, under poverty of my brother, the farmer,
the tiller of the soil, or a laborer who had
enough to sacrifice to ensure a good life to himself.
What I stuff with the tangs of hunger, and I

(13:58):
woke to the curious. There was a pair of tiny,
grave little lambs, and two little lamb channis, who stood
and made bleeding noises at the strange figure on the back,
and tottered to me and seized my fingers in the
black little mouth and tugged. That's impagant me. And so
when at sun till I made my way away into
the clearing around our house, I had found my locations.

(14:22):
The lambs objected mightily. They're being dragged up for inspection
by my father and the brother of my weeping mother.
Thought there was a hot supper from me and bothering
meal for the lambs. And I talked bravely of the
prosperity of my new acquisition would bring to us all.
I suppose I was meant to be a shepherd. When

(14:43):
two little lambs grew, presently there were more lambs, my
father taught me to share them. As they grew bigger,
I found out the lord of the sheep hurder for myself.
It was posing on the hill side of the thinking
of the weather's bell. The flock grew a pace. Ah,
how I remember there was a long afternoon, the clouds

(15:04):
drifting lazily above me. The pleasant was always down with
the sheets that they grazed peacefully around me. It was
a lazy life, but a good one. I could lay
away the afternoon securely, laughing to think of my burly
brother toiling away in the sun baked seeld, fighting at
the eternal battle of the earth for his sustin. I

(15:27):
built my own hot down the hills tide above the
home place either the present promitary life. Sometimes my mother
and my father would toil up the hill to visit me,
bring me cake, to remember the deep charge of sweet
wine from my brother's grapes. There was an afternoon well fine, yeah,
I drank fine with the seed. I'm gladfather. This is
what I like to do any every now sixteens. But

(15:50):
there'll be lambs on the spring.

Speaker 4 (15:51):
I'm making you a nice little coach down from the
first cheering home.

Speaker 1 (15:54):
Thank you, Mother.

Speaker 4 (15:56):
I wish you could come home off of the zone
you miss me.

Speaker 2 (16:00):
Of course we're doing some that's why we come up
to see you here.

Speaker 1 (16:04):
But what about when your gout's come around the house
all the time. He's pretty busy. How's he doing with
the crop? Well? Not very well this year? Oh, what's
the matter.

Speaker 2 (16:17):
It's just a bad year, then, what's the matter.

Speaker 1 (16:21):
Didn't be sacrifice?

Speaker 2 (16:24):
I don't think I like the way.

Speaker 1 (16:25):
You said that time. Why I didn't mean anything, father,
I hope you didn't.

Speaker 2 (16:30):
Yes, your brother sacrifice, you know he did.

Speaker 1 (16:33):
Maybe he didn't tracifice enough.

Speaker 3 (16:34):
Yes he did.

Speaker 1 (16:35):
School or maybe it wasn't good enough.

Speaker 2 (16:37):
God, it's not your place to decide what's good what's bad.

Speaker 1 (16:40):
I wasn't, father, I I was only asking a cross.
They're going to be very small this year.

Speaker 2 (16:47):
Let's see here. That's the part of the family that
time time me.

Speaker 1 (16:53):
That's fine. I'm come you after all that time I
caught your son. You sure great deal of you, more
than my book this year. Anyway, I can't help it. Mother,
I I'm happy if my heart bled for them, But
it was what I have wanted to do. I chanted

(17:15):
the old words of the family loudly and joyfully. The
black smoke rose to heaven. We all rejoiced greatly. We
all rejoiced except my bront hair. Now it was his
turn to stand that they had it and glum, although
he did try to smile at me. When I turned
triumphantly away to look at him, the poor with her

(17:36):
ears of corn he put on his own order looked
very meager compared with the lavishness of my gears. And
when in an excess of good feeling, I gave him
one of the lambs to walker up on his own order,
he couldn't even make the fires stay. That I had
to help. I was very happy and I rue the
day now. Yes, of course it was tough, it wasn't devotion.

(18:03):
I was very happy. And when in the morning I
left again to return to the hillside pastures, Oh, my
flock had grown and it would be much for me
to do. Uh, my brother, I'm the king to me
and laid a hand on my shoulder. It's all right
if I walked back with you to see the flock.
Why haven't you got anything to do here? Oh, it's

(18:24):
not a thing to do again? Or crops her in?
There is I don't know. Well, it isn't that too bad?
And that well, come on along. Oh, thank you. I
don't know what happened this year. It is strange, isn't it.

(18:45):
You've done well. I'm proud of you. Oh wow, you
know I told you i'd practified something wonder Yeah, I
remember I tracked the fight, the first land this family
ever tacked the fight. It was wonderful. I'm too bad you.
Sacrifice is so cheap and bad. I did the best
I could. I tell anybody could do it so well.

(19:06):
But you should have been like me, thought very well
that they got the ground, and to take nothing more
to do with what I've done.

Speaker 2 (19:11):
I've done pretty well in the past.

Speaker 1 (19:13):
Boy, I don't see how you can expect to do
very much when all you've got to offer is some
more car and stuff like that.

Speaker 2 (19:18):
But it's good enough for you for a long time,
of course.

Speaker 1 (19:21):
But now I've worked hard all my life. They don't
have to work hard if you don't want to.

Speaker 3 (19:26):
I don't work hard.

Speaker 1 (19:27):
And look at me. Yeah, I think father and mother
are a little disappointed in you. You know they are
not all they think they are. I could see the
way they looked at it and at me. I don't
believe it. And you didn't do very well with your
lackifight I not even when I have to give you
something to tack to stop. I think your day is over. Brother.

(19:49):
I don't get to stop talking that way. And yet
it's not.

Speaker 3 (19:52):
You were all right, so I got done.

Speaker 1 (19:53):
It made a good tactor. Go on, I can take
more on the ground. You father, you.

Speaker 3 (20:00):
You'll know why.

Speaker 1 (20:01):
You'll stop talking away. Oh I'll kill.

Speaker 3 (20:04):
You, lady, He'll make I couldn't learn my mind, and.

Speaker 1 (20:20):
I lay there on the ground. The sky had turned
the blood red, and the hills danced crazily about me.
I struggled to rise again, but it was too late.
I had loose murder and strife into the good world.
I have taunted my brother to the final act of death,

(20:40):
and it was too late to say I'm sorry. Distantly,
I heard my brother run away, and his cry stilled
my ears with sound. It is more than I can bear,
he said, and those are the last words of his
I heard my good, kindly brother, and through him I

(21:03):
brought strife and terror and hopelessness into the best of
all worlds. A heir to the I had green. I
was my brother's keeper, and I failed my trust. M
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