To Kill a Mockingbird

Maycomb was a tired old town...

even in 1932, when I first knew it.

Some how it was hotter then.

Men's stiff collars

wilted by 9:
00 in the morning.

Ladies bathed before noon,

after their 3:
00 naps...

and by nightfall

were like soft tea cakes...

with frostin 's of sweat

and sweet talcum.

A day was 24 hours long,

but it seemed longer.

There was no hurry, for there was

nowhere to go and nothing to buy...

no money to buy it with...

although Maycomb County

had recently been told...

that it had nothing to fear

but fear itself.

That summer I was sixyears old.

- Good morning, Mr Cunningham.

- Mornin', miss.

My daddy's getting dressed.

Would you like me to call him for you?

- No, miss. I don't care to bother.

- Why, it's no bother, Mr Cunningham.

He'll be happy to see you!

Atticus!

Here's Mr Cunningham.

- Good morning, Walter.

- Mornin', Mr Finch.

I didn't want to bother you none.

I brung you these here hickory nuts

as part of my entailment.

Well, I thank you. The collards

we had last week were delicious.

- Well, mornin'.

- Morning.

Scout, I think maybe...

next time Mr Cunningham comes,

you better not call me.

- I thought you'd wanna thank him.

- I do.

I think it embarrasses him

to be thanked.

Why does he bring you

all this stuff?

He's payin' me

for some legal work I did for him.

- Why does he pay you like this?

- That's the only way he can.

He has no money.

- Is he poor?

- Yes.

- Are we poor?

- We are indeed.

Are we as poor

as the Cunninghams?

No, not exactly. Cunninghams

are country folks, farmers.

Crash hit them the hardest.

- Scout, call your brother.

- Atticus. Jem's up in the tree.

He says he won't come down

until you agree...

to play football

for the Methodists.

Jem.

Son, why don't you come on down out

ofthere now and have your breakfast?

Calpurnia has a good one.

Hot biscuits.

No, sir! Not until you agree

to play football for the Methodists.

Oh, son, I can't do that. I explained

to you I'm too old to get out there.

After all,

I'm the only fatheryou have.

Wouldn't want me to go out there

and get my head knocked off, would you?

I ain't comin' down!

Suit yourself.

Mornin'.

- Morning, Miss Maudie.

- What's goin' on over there?

I'm havin' a terrible time.

Jem's stayin' up in the tree...

until Atticus agrees

to play football for the Methodists.

And Atticus says he's too old.

Every time I'm wantin'

to do somethin', he's too old!

- He's too old for anything!

- He can do plenty of things.

You be good, children.

Mind Cal.

- Mornin', Maudie.

- Mornin', Atticus.

He won't let me have a gun...

and he'll only play touch football

with me-- never tackle.

He can make somebody's will

so airtight, you can't break it.

You count your blessin's

and stop complainin'. Both ofyou.

Thankyour stars

he has the sense to act his age.

-Jem, he is pretty old.

- I can't help that.

Hey.

- Hey yourself.

- I'm Charles Baker Harris. I can read.

You got anything needs readin',

l can do it.

How old are you?

Four and a half?

- Goin' on seven.

- No wonder then.

Scout's been readin'

since she was born...

and she don't start school

till next month.

You look right puny

for goin' on seven.

I'm little, but I'm old.

Folks call me Dill.

I'm from Meridian, Mississippi...

and I'm spendin' two weeks next door

with my Aunt Stephanie.

My mama works

for a photographer in Meridian.

She entered my picture

in the "Beautiful Child" contest...

and won five dollars on me.

She give the money to me, and I went

to the picture show 20 times with it.

Our mama's dead, but we got a daddy.

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