LASSIE Episode Guide: Season 4 1957-1958

At the end of third season, it became evident that Tommy Rettig was becoming too old for his role. As a teenager, Jeff would soon want to go on dates, not hang around the farm with Lassie. Also, Rettig had wearied of acting and wanted to go to high school like a normal kid. The original plan was to bring in a younger child, have Ellen adopt him, and then have Jeff go off to school in the city.

However, the producers were told no single person not related to a child would have been allowed to adopt one. So the new series producers, the Wrather Corporation—Robert Maxwell, the original producer, had sold the series concept to millionaire Jack Wrather and his wife, former child star Bonita Granville—devised a new storyline: Gramps would be seriously injured, the farm would be sold, and the new owners, a childless young couple, would adopt little Timmy, played by Jon Provost, who was cast in the role after Bonita Granville Wrather saw him in the film So Big.

George Cleveland's death right before the filming of this episode precluded part of that solution. After much thought, the Wrathers decided to also have Gramps pass away on the show—after all, many children watching the series had probably lost a grandparent and it was something to which they could relate.

The CBS heirarchy was strongly against the idea, pointing out that no major character on a children's series had ever died before, and that the storyline might upset the audience. The producers therefore consulted child psychologists as well as religious figures. None of them saw anything wrong with the storyline, except that the psychologists warned the scriptwriters not to say that Gramps had "gone to sleep," lest children be afraid of bedtime. The transitional show was telecast in early December and the Millers left the farm for good, although Jan Clayton and Donald Keeler made a cameo appearance in the next episode as a kind of closure.

It is in this season that a door appears in the wall visible in the parlor shots, at the foot of the stairs. It turns out this is a hitherto invisible spare room in which Timmy sleeps when he stays with the Millers. Once the Martins own the house, Uncle Petrie sleeps in this room through fifth season. It then disappears again (sort of a Lassie version of the "Room of Requirement" from the Harry Potter series).

"The Runaway" (09/08/57):

Lassie discovers a small, waiflike boy hiding in the barn, but the child won't speak. The Millers soon find out he's Timmy, an orphan living in Olive Bridge with his elderly relatives, Uncle Jed and Aunt Abby Clausen. Miss Beauvard: Ann Seaton. Aunt Abby: Hallene Hill. Uncle Jed: George Selk. Sheriff Jim Billings: House Peters Jr.
   • Note: Some type of accident killed Timmy's parents, but it's not specified. He is the son of Aunt Abby's youngest sister, therefore, as some have postulated, his last name is not Clausen (unless Aunt Abby's sister married Uncle Jed's brother).

"The Suit" (09/15/57):

Timmy is so excited about his new suit that Ellen allows him to wear it until Jeff gets home, but when he tears it, afraid they will send him back to his aunt and uncle, Timmy lies and lays the blame on Lassie. To make him confess, Ellen makes him decide Lassie's punishment, a solution that is as hard on the family as it is on Lassie.

"Graduation" (09/22/57):

Jeff is thrilled to accept a summer job at Doc Weaver's office, but when he neglects his duty for a few minutes to see a new baseball glove, a potentially rabid dog is let loose. Jenny: Florence Lake. Doc Weaver: Arthur Space.
   • Trivia: There are 11 children in the Calverton Grammar School graduating class. According to his diploma, his name is actually spelled "Jeffery." Jeff's birthday is in September; he'll be fourteen. Jeff will be paid $10/week. Although in a previous episode it was stated Mrs. Weaver is named Nora, here she is referred to as Martha.

"The Burro" (09/29/57):

When Timmy and Lassie find a sick burro, abandoned by neglectful but well-meaning owners, everyone thinks Timmy's exaggerating until Ellen finds the creature. Timmy's faith and the family's nursing save the burro, but then her owners return. Doc Weaver: Arthur Space. Tony Bonelli: Tito Vuolo. Joe: Don Diamond.
   • Trivia: Lucky is introduced as a female (although Timmy does keep referring to her as "he"), but in "The Horse Show" the following season has mysteriously changed sexes. Her original name is "Josephine."

"The Berrypickers" (10/06/57):

With Jeff at the dentist, Timmy and Gramps go out to pick huckleberries for pies for the church supper. Timmy thinks Gramps is ill when he naps after berrying, but it's Timmy who must be rescued after eating nightshade berries. Jenny: Florence Lake. Doc Stevens: Grandon Rhodes. Sheriff Billings: House Peters Jr.

"The Raccoon" (10/13/57):

Timmy and Jeff nurse an injured raccoon against protests from Gramps—and "Sam" repays them by wreaking havoc in kitchen, barn, and chicken coop. Released to the wild, he returns to begin stealing things from the house. Doc Weaver: Arthur Space.
   • Note: Notice that Lassie is now sleeping next to Timmy's bed, not next to Jeff's! While it's probably a case of Jeff telling her to "take care of Timmy," it demonstrates the slowly-evolving relationship between the two. One of the items in Sam's cache is a cameo Gramps gave to his wife on their anniversary and Ellen later wore at her wedding. She had intended to give it to Jeff when he was married. It had been lost for 13 years.

"The Ballerina" (10/20/57):

Jeff tries every way he can to avoid meeting Debbie, the daughter of Ellen's visiting college roommate Lucy Hopkins—until he sees her dance and is smitten. But when Porky lampoons her dancing, Debbie tells both boys off. Debbie Hopkins: Janine Perreau. Lucy Hopkins: Frances Mercer.
   • Note: Amusing scene—Jeff is primping so much after meeting Debbie that Timmy teases him and is rewarded with a line alà Eddie Haskell: "Beat it, squirt, or I'll sock you one." Good grief, haven't they fixed that bridge yet? It's been broken since the previous season's "Challenge."

"The Elephant" (10/27/57):

The circus train derails on its way to Calverton, freeing a baby elephant that Timmy and Lassie find in the woods and bring home. Jeff and Porky hide the baby in the toolshed for use in the small circus they are planning to earn money to see the big show, not knowing the baby's mother is on the rampage to find it. Sheriff Billings: House Peters Jr. Circus Representative: George Cisar.
   • Note: Jeff mentions a circus is possible because they have Lassie, Pokey, "a trained donkey and a jumping frog." Why doesn't Jeff mention his horse Domino? Later when he does mention Domino, he says the horse and donkey don't do anything!
   • Bloopers: The train that jumps the track is very obviously a model train and the "rampaging" mother elephant is quite evidently overcranked!

"The Spartan" (11/03/57):

Jeff and Porky persuade Timmy to keep quiet after a spill in the lake, but his cold grows worse and he sneaks off to the treehouse to endure his illness like the Spartan boys the older boys told him about. By the time he is found he has pneumonia. Dr. Stephens: Grandon Rhodes. (Mr. Hill is uncredited.)

"Happy" (11/10/57):

Gramps takes Jeff, Porky, and Timmy to the zoo to visit Happy (from the previous season's "Chimp"), where the little chimpanzee escapes when his keeper leaves his cage door open and hides in the Miller car. Timmy, afraid he'll be accused of stealing, keeps silent about it and hides Happy in the treehouse. But the fact that the little chimp has appropriated Gramps' pipe spells danger for Lassie. Ben (Keeper): Benny Rubin. Oscar: Fred Sherman. Beatrice: Claire Carleton. Big Cat Keeper: Dick Nelson.
   • Note: In this episode you see an old-fashioned zoo the way people of the Baby Boomer era remember them: rather bare cages where animals paced back and forth all day. Definitely something that is not "the good old days."

"The Wolf Cub" (11/17/57):

Timmy, lonesome when Lassie accompanies Jeff and Porky on an expedition, wishes for a dog of his own. Later, walking in the woods with Lassie, he finds a "lost puppy" and hides it in the barn. Lassie already knows it is really a wolf cub, and when the family finds out about the animal, they try to impress on Timmy the urgency in letting it go; Gramps is already preparing a trap since the mother wolf has prowled the barnyard searching for her baby.
   • Note: While Jeff tells him that it would be dangerous for him to keep the wolf cub, Timmy again says that Lassis is not his own, and Jeff explains that he's going to high school in the city in the fall, will be coming home much later, and will have a lot of homework, so won't be able to spend as much time with Lassie, saying that Lassie will then be more Timmy's dog than his. Interestingly enough, while Gramps is "heard" calling Jeff's name, he never appears in this episode. It is possible this episode was filmed after George Cleveland suffered his heart attack, but broadcast before "The Tooth," since many of the lines Jeff says sound like they would have made more sense coming out of Gramps.

"The Tooth" (11/24/57):

The family is excited about a total eclipse of the sun, but in the rush of preparation, Timmy's loose tooth—the very first he will ever earn money from—is pulled out by Lassie and is lost.
   • Trivia: Jeff used to have Lassie pull his loose baby teeth by tying a string to it and then having Gramps call her, the same method they use for Timmy's tooth.
   • Note: This episode contains a bizarre dream sequence. Timmy sneaks out after dark looking for his tooth, so Ellen points out stars to him and talks about the constellations. Once he is back in bed and asleep, he dreams Lassie pulls a huge tooth from his mouth, then runs away up a starry staircase with it; when Timmy follows, he meets Casseopeia (played by Jan Clayton), Hercules (George Cleveland), Mercury (Donald Keeler), and the proprietor of the celestial dog pound, "B. Sirius" (Tommy Rettig). At the end of the sequence, Timmy must pick Lassie—"his own dog"—out of a lineup of five collies, but she comes to him first, thereby further defining the new relationship between the two. This is George Cleveland's final episode.

Screencaps of Timmy's dream:

Jan Clayton as Casseopeia

George Cleveland as Hercules

Poor Donald Keeler as a rather tubby Mercury

"B. Sirius the chief dog catcher"

Tommy Rettig as the gruff "B. Sirius"

"Transition" (12/01/57):

Expanded Description: The episode opens in the living room, with people gathered around Ellen, who is dressed in black, and Jeff. No one says right out that Gramps has died, but they all talk about how they will miss him, and when Jeff goes to look in on Timmy, the little boy prays to God to be nice to Gramps in Heaven. Now Jeff and Ellen must decide what will be done with the farm. They don't want to sell it, but Jeff will have better schooling opportunities in Capitol City and Ellen can more easily give music lessons there. Also, Timmy is scheduled to go back to his aunt and uncle in two days. Ellen wins him a temporary reprieve with the Child Welfare, but only because a young couple, the Martins, are looking to adopt a child and are also looking for a small farm. Neither Jeff or Ellen want to give him up, but they both feel it's better for him to have a mother and father. However Timmy overhears and runs away with Lassie following him. When the Martins arrive the next morning to check out the farm, Ellen and Jeff have just discovered Timmy is missing. Ruth Martin stays at the house in case he returns while her husband Paul helps Ellen search for Timmy; meanwhile Jeff enlists Porky and Pokey's help to track Lassie. Timmy bolts into the lake when he sees Ellen and Paul, but the man saves him, and once back at the house Timmy falls under the spell of a story Ruth tells him. Together Paul and Ellen work out selling the farm, and soon she and Jeff are ready to leave. But when Jeff calls Lassie to join them in the car, she is torn between the boy she grew up with and the boy she's come to love. Jeff solves her dilemma by leaving her with Timmy, so she can "take care of him the way you took care of me." In the final scene, Timmy is again saying his prayers and adds "and bless my new mom and dad." Ruth Martin: Cloris Leachman. Paul Martin: Jon Shepodd. Doc Weaver: Arthur Space. Birdie Brockway: Marjorie Bennett. Jenny: Florence Lake. Sheriff Billings: House Peters Jr.
   • Trivia: Paul was evidently in the Air Force, because he tells Jeff and Porky he flew 22 missions.
   • Note: This is Tommy Rettig's final episode.

"Transition" screencaps:

Birdie Brockway, Frank Weaver, and Jenny join Ellen in mourning Gramps.

Jeff, Porky, and a friend (Woody?) after the funeral.

Timmy in the spare room bed, having said his prayers for Gramps.

Time for Jeff and Ellen to leave; in a minute Lassie will need to make an important decision.

"Timmy's Family" (12/08/57):

Timmy chafes at Ruth's nervous coddling and is already unhappy when her concern that he's developed an allergy to Lassie leads him to believe she hates the dog, so, with Porky's help, he tries to return her to Jeff by loading her into a truck going to Capitol City. Truck Driver: Myron Cook. Ellen Miller: Jan Clayton. Porky Brockway: Donald Keeler.
   • Trivia: Ellen and Jeff are now living at 311 Cedar Street in Capitol City.
   • Note: This is Jan Clayton's and Donald Keeler's final episode. The Brockways will be mentioned in a couple of future episodes, but will never be seen.

"The Bike" (12/15/57):

Timmy asks for a bike since he's always late for school, but Paul thinks he's too young, although later Ruth talks him into buying one for him. In the meantime, Timmy bribes a classmate to let him use his bike to learn on—but when he has to stash it so Paul won't see him with it, a tramp steals it. Mike Creel: Ray Ferrell. Tramp: I. Stanford Jolley. Mrs. Creel: Greta Granstedt.
   • Note: Paul is so strict that he seems like such a cold fish at the beginning; even Ruth comments on it. Timmy is still going to the same school Jeff did, but in subsequent years there would be a new school building. Ray Ferrell is probably the brother of Todd Ferrell, who would play Boomer in fifth season. The two boys' voices are very similar.

"The Goose" (12/22/57):

When they can't go hiking because of his friend Roy's girl cousin's party, Timmy and Roy vow not to speak to girls again. Then Timmy is forced to show a girl visitor around the farm, and her unusual pet, a goose named Melody, gets mixed up with a flock of geese headed for market. Roy: Gary Hunley. Willy: Linda Wrather. (Mrs. Brewster, the two truck drivers, and the depot man are uncredited, although the guy who drives the truck looks like it might be Lloyd Nelson.)
   • Trivia: The Brewsters bought the old Overton place. Paul smokes a pipe (well, in the Jon Shepodd episodes; Hugh Reilly is never seen with one). Timmy's a fan of Two-Gun Marshal too.
   • Note: This episode marks the first appearance of Linda Wrather, the daughter of Jack and Bonita Granville Wrather, as occasional character Wilhemina "Willy" Brewster, who owns a pet goose, Melody.

"The Baby-Sitter" (12/29/57):

When Paul talks Ruth into going to the city with him to pick up a new incubator, she arranges for Mrs. Grimes to care for Timmy. But when Mrs. Grimes calls to see what Ruth wanted (reminding her to check the light on the malfunctioning old incubator), Timmy tells her she's not needed so he can prove to his parents he can take care of himself. Scott: Ricky Allen. Mrs. Grimes: Claire Meade.
   • Trivia: Timmy has a pet hen named Becky.
   • Note: First appearance of Scott—but he's not played by Kelly Junge Jr! Some very funny scenes of Timmy and Scott trying to bake bread.

"The Crisis" (01/05/58):

Ruth finds out that Timmy has been exposed to measles after he and Paul leave on a long drive to buy a calf. When Paul finds out Timmy is sick, he takes a shortcut home, runs out of gas, and sends Lassie for help. Doc Stevens: Grandon Rhodes. Mrs. Fry: Helen G. Hatch. Mr. Fry: Billy Wayne. Man: Tim Graham.
   • Note: The sequence with Lassie fighting the big white German Shepherd is a sequence originally broadcast in the Jeff episode "The Snake."

"The Business" (01/12/58):

A whimsical tale about Lassie's instincts: it turns out that any worm Lassie digs up is a guaranteed fish lure (the boys catch a dozen fish with a dozen worms!), but Timmy and Scott have a hard time convincing a swanky rich man, who travels in a trailer with his personal manservant, that "plain old worms" are better than his fancy flies. Scott: Kelly Junge Jr. Mr. Delahaney: Taylor Holmes. Winston: Hal K. Dawson.
   • Note: The Brockways and Jim Teal are both mentioned, but not seen. Here's another episode where Ruth and Paul are rather "frisky," despite June Lockhart's protestations that the couple never kissed.

"The Ring" (01/19/58):

Ruth sends for Paul's uncle Petrie to take some of the burden of farm work from her husband, but when Timmy thinks his uncle is a liar, he snubs him when he arrives on the farm. Scott: Kelly Junge Jr.
   • Trivia: Petrie is from Millvale, Pennsylvania. His middle initial is "J." Ruth offhandedly tells Timmy that Uncle Petrie is "ageless. He says he discovered the Fountain of Youth," but Scott tells him he used to live in Florida, has been to the Fountain of Youth, and it was discovered by "Pancho Leon." Thus the misunderstanding starts.
   • Note: Uncle Petrie was meant to be a "Gramps"-like character for Timmy to relate to, but the audience didn't warm to him and he was later phased out. The character of Cully Wilson later filled in the "grandfather" role. The Lassie ring that Uncle Petrie made for Timmy became a series "premium" that children could write in for. Over 77,000 of the rings were given away. Incidentally, people wondered why a young man like Paul needed help on the farm when Gramps in his 70s managed it all by himself with Jeff only doing small chores!

"The Greyhound" (01/26/58):

Paul nearly runs over a greyhound that has escaped from her owner; after bringing her home, Doc Weaver pronounces the dog unharmed. Then the vet discovers that a recovered "Queenie" was dyed and stolen. Jim Teal: Ray Teal. Doc Weaver: Arthur Space. Joe Strang: Victor Perrin. George Forsythe: Grant Withers.
   • Trivia: The farm is near the state line; greyhound racing is illegal where the Martins live, but they race dogs in Willow Falls, 100 miles away. Queenie is worth $20,000.00. The farm is two miles from Jim Teal's property. (Teal, incidentally, is one of three characters that "crossed over" from the Jeff episodes into the Timmy stories, the other two being Doc Weaver and Jenny.)
   • Note: Doc Weaver is mentioned at being at the Brockway farm and Paul tells Jim to call Matt Brockway, but you don't see any of the family. If you're an old-time radio or television animation aficionado, you'll be familiar with Vic Perrin: he was a graduate of OTR who also contributed his voice to many cartoon series, including Jonny Quest. But if you're a science fiction fan, you may know him best as the "Control Voice" on the classic anthology series The Outer Limits.

"Inoculation" (02/02/58):

After a classmate tells Timmy and Scott gruesome stories about upcoming polio shots, Timmy is afraid to attend school. Discovering his secret, the Martins try to convince him it's for the best, but on the way to school, Timmy falls prey to his fear once more and hides in an old mine, where Lassie is cut by a rusty nail. Miss Hazlit: Sally Bliss. Doc Weaver: Arthur Space. Boy: Jimmy Fields. Scott: Kelly Junge Jr.
   • Note: This is the first appearance of Miss Hazlit as Timmy's schoolteacher. She will remain in that position until the end of the farm episodes.

"The Pony" (02/09/58):

Practical Paul doesn't like it when Uncle Petrie tells Timmy stories about elves and fairies, and when Timmy comes running home with a story about an "elf pony" and a "giant," no one will believe him. So, fearing he's a bad influence, Uncle Petrie leaves home. Everyman: Robert Anderson.
   • Note: One wants to thwack Paul in this episode. Certainly Timmy shouldn't lie, but good grief, he's only seven, and it's not his fault he saw a extremely tall gypsy with two ponies not much bigger than Lassie! As this episode opens, Uncle Petrie and Timmy are sitting on the bench, Uncle Petrie whittling and Timmy pretty much sharpening a stick with a big jackknife, a scene that would make modern parents blanch. But boys frequently carried jackknives in that era, to use when fishing and occasionally to play mumblety-peg with, as Jeff and Porky are doing in an earlier episode. Ruth telephones Birdie Brockway, but none of the family is seen.

"Sinbad" (02/16/58):

Timmy and Scott try to win $50 by teaching a bird to say "I shop at Wilson's Grocery" after they break Uncle Petrie's guitar, first trying to tame a crow they catch, then borrowing Sinbad, Scott's grandmother's garrilous parrot—who learns everything but what they want him to say. Grandma: Dorothy Crehan. Grocer: J. Anthony Hughes. Tillie Oglethorpe: Vera Denham. Scott: Kelly Junge Jr.

"The Square Dance" (02/23/58):

The whole family is looking forward to the square dance at the new Grange Hall, especially when the local merchants offer much-desired door prizes—until Scott tells Timmy you must dance with girls to go. Can Uncle Petrie, who's calling the dance, cook up with something so Ruth won't have to stay home with Timmy? Scott: Kelly Junge Jr. Hank Holcomb: William Newell. Jenny: Florence Lake. Farmer: H. Lloyd Nelson.
   • Trivia: Timmy wants to win a catcher's mitt and Ruth a new mixer. Only one of them gets their wish.

"The Garden" (03/02/58):

To teach Timmy farming, Paul gifts him with a quarter acre so that he can plant vegetables. Lassie helps him plow and guards the garden; Paul makes a scarecrow so birds cannot eat the seeds—but a drought still threatens his beloved plants. Is "rainmaking" the answer? Scott: Kelly Junge Jr.
   • Note: Another dream sequence, in which Timmy envisions his huge—quite literally—crop!

"Concussion" (03/09/58):

When Timmy insists on going to a blasting site despite Lassie's protests, she is struck on the head by a dynamite-propelled rock and appears to not know who she is. Then she wanders away from the farm and ends up in the company of an unpleasant farmer and his son. Doc Weaver: Arthur Space. Jenny: Florence Lake. Harris: Roy Barcroft. Luke Jenks: Ralph Votrian. Sam Jenks: Gil Rankin.

"The Hungry Deer" (03/16/58):

After Timmy and Scott find out that local farmers have been given permission to kill deer raiding their crops, the boys find an orphaned fawn and bring it food which is eaten by other deer. But Timmy is crushed to find out his father is also going to shoot deer and is determined to find a way to save them—if it means going into the woods with the hunters. Jim Teal: Ray Teal. Warden Hammer: Bruce Cowling. Scott: Kelly Junge Jr.

"The Hospital" (03/23/58):

Not to waste an unexpected afternoon off, Timmy ignores persistent stomach cramps to join Scott in playing Indian scouts at their fort. Collapsing after Scott goes home, he is diagnosed with appendicitis and rushed to the hospital, where he recovers quickly—until he comes down with chicken pox and in his fever begins calling for Lassie. Doc Stevens: Grandon Rhodes. Dr. Gordon: Thomas B. Henry.
   • Note: According to Timmy, Miss Hazlit's sister had a baby "right when we were having geography." <g> Enough already!: Timmy was overburdened with sickness this season: first he gets pneumonia, then the measles, then appendicitis, then chicken pox. All it would have taken was for him to get the mumps and German measles, and he would have had a full house!

"The Penguin" (03/30/58):

When the driver of a truckful of animals enroute to the Capitol City Zoo lets Timmy and Scott examine the menagerie while he fixes a flat tire, Scott accidentally tumbles a crate containing a penguin from the vehicle when it drives away. The boys hide "Arthur" in the icehouse and try to catch fish for him, sorely perplexing the family with their secretive actions. Scott: Kelly Junge Jr. Truckdriver: Stuart Wade.
   • Trivia: Arthur's real name is "Wesley."
   • Note: This is the first and only time an icehouse is mentioned and appears to be on the right side of the barn (as you face it). However, the inside doesn't look anything like an icehouse, which is usually partially underground; it looks more like a toolshed, despite a couple of milk cans inside.

"The Bird House" (04/06/58):

A family of sparrows move into Timmy's lopsided birdhouse, but his joy is quenched when Lassie leads him to the injured mother sparrow. Timmy's determined to save the bird, despite Paul's skepticism—and soon his faith begins to rub off on his father. Scott: Kelly Junge Jr. Doc Weaver: Arthur Space.
   • Note: Love Timmy's prayer about blessing his father twice because sometimes he needs it!

"Seeing Eye Dog" (04/13/58):

Lassie alerts Scott and Timmy to an injured Doberman in the woods: a guide dog with no identification. Lassie's success in tracking down her collar adds more to the mystery: she's from Los Angeles! Scott: Kelly Junge Jr. Doc Weaver: Arthur Space. Frank Wallace: John Maxwell. Mrs. Wallace: Kathleen Mulqueen.
   • Note: Timmy volunteers Lassie's services because "Jeff taught her to track."

"Junior Firemen" (04/20/58):

Since he waited until the last minute to start on his Fire Prevention Week list, Timmy becomes overzealous in his efforts to spot fire hazards to become Junior Fire Marshal for a day (Not to mention to beat Scott's score!). But there's one fire hazard everyone misses: the rubbish heap. Scott: Kelly Junge Jr. Fireman: Austin Green. Miss Hazlit: Sally Bliss.

"The Blanket" (04/27/58):

Ruth replaces Lassie's disreputable old blanket with a new one, but every time Ruth tries to dispose of the old blanket, Lassie finds a way to save it. Finally Timmy hides the blanket in the car and Lassie goes with it—just as Ruth drives the car off the road.
   • Note: This isn't the last time Lassie and Ruth will have a "battle of wills" over something familiar. See "The New Refrigerator" in season six.

"The Rabbits" (05/04/58):

Grateful Mrs. Palmer, whom Ruth's been helping while she's sick, creates a monster when she sends home rabbits for the Martins: Timmy becomes so absorbed with a dream of raising them for money that he completely ignores Lassie. The unhappy dog finally frees the rabbits to the wild.
   • Note: Timmy is apparently eager for Mrs. Palmer to get well because then he can play with her son Billy, but we never meet him.

"The Cub Scout" (05/11/58):

Scott's Chicago cousins, Bert, 10, and tough Ralph, 12, arrive just as Timmy and Scott join Cub Scouts. When the younger boys are invited on an outing with the older Scouts, cynical Ralph plots to make trouble—but the brothers' own campfire gives them more than they bargained for. Scott: Kelly Junge Jr. Ralph: Ken Osmond. Bert: Terry Kelman. Hank Westrop: Vaughn Meadows. Mr. Westrop: Robert Bice.
   • Trivia: Now that he's almost ready to leave the series, we find out Scott's last name, Richards!
   • Note: This is the second, and penultimate, appearance for Ken Osmond, who went on to play the obnoxious Eddie Haskell on Leave It to Beaver. You vaguely see Scott's parents as they walk out of the grange hall, and, although Scott is mentioned in "The House Guest" and "The Sermon," this episode is the last appearance of Kelly Junge Jr as Scott.

"The Crow" (05/18/58):

Uncle Petrie, furious when crows eat his experimental corn, is angry when Paul and Ruth allow Inky, an injured crow who bonds with Timmy and Lassie, to stay on the farm. When Inky is better, Petrie issues an ultimatium: Inky or him—until the crow is the only one who knows he's fallen into an old well.
   • Trivia: Petrie's gold watch chain, which he loses and Inky finds, belonged to his great great grandfather.
   • Note: In several scenes with the crow, the dog playing Lassie appears to be a stand-in.

"The Mother" (05/25/58):

After a torrential rainstorm, Lassie finds a sick mother dog and her litter of puppies in the woods, but no one will follow her. Alone, she must protect the pups from a bobcat and then bring the puppies home after their mother dies.
   • Note: The dog appears to be some kind of collie crossbreed, but the puppies are definitely collies. Ruth feeds them by pricking the fingers of a rubber glove, then filling the glove with milk. Funny she didn't remember that in "Apron Strings."

"The House Guest" (06/01/58):

Ruth welcomes the chance to put on frills and furbelows while her little niece Lisa stays over after her brother's birth, but they wear out their welcome fast with Timmy—not to mention Uncle Petrie, who soon escapes dressing for dinner by fleeing to a fictitious cousin in Creston. But after Paul takes Timmy on a more masculine hike, Ruth is endangered by a gas leak. Lisa: Ruthie Robinson. Mr. Watkins: Lloyd Nelson.
   • Trivia: Based on the double window seen, this seems to be the kitchen window side of the house, which contains a shed with the gas tank in it, but it has a completely different look in the next season.
   • Note: Many humorous scenes including Lisa pontificating about her rock collection at the drop of a hat and Timmy and Paul confined to bed.

"The Sermon" (06/08/58):

Bored while his pal Scott visits an ailing grandmother, Timmy is inspired by Uncle Petrie's fable about a boy who talked to animals. But instead of befriending animals, he and Lassie end up playing Good Samaritan to people: a discouraged painter, a farmer with a missing pigeon, a hungry hobo, and a three-year-old girl who's wandered away from her family's picnic site. But in saving the child, Lassie slips off the side of a cliff. Jeannie: Daryn Hinton. Jeannie's Dad: Ed Hinton. Jeannie's Mother (Millie): Vera Marshe. Hobo: Phil Tead. Mrs. Swenson: Isabelle Dwan. (All the characters are not credited: there are also Jeannie's older brother and the painter and his girlfriend.)
   • Note: This story is similar to the season 17 story, "Well of Love." Is this the same grandmother as in "Sinbad"? Daryn Hinton is the sister of Darby Hinton, the child star who played Israel Boone in the series Daniel Boone. The final episode for Cloris Leachman as Ruth Martin and Jon Shepodd as Paul Martin.

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