A chance to ramble about a program I viewed the other day. It was a most memorable episode of THE ANDY GRIFFITH SHOW, wherin Buddy Ebsen did appear, not as Jed Clampett, no, although that would have been a fine crossover idea, but Buddy was a genuine, what we used to call a "rounder" or, in laymen's terms, a hobo.
A shameless layabout, Ebsen drew the ire of Barney Fife, but he also was a gentle soul with funny stories to tell, which attracted Opie who soon began emulating the hobo's lifestyle: skipping school to go fishing, loitering about, etc.
As Opie's behavior changed, Andy grew fearful, he stopped by the hobo's shed and basically asked him to leave town, at which point a fine debate ensued. Ebsen's hobo suggesting that so what if Opie DID emulate his way of life. Getting by on one's wits and living off the fat of the land was not a bad thing. Andy arguing that Opie was too young to make up his mind on this matter. Given the choice, of course he wouldn't want to go to school.
What followed (SPOILER) was that Buddy Ebsen's ne'er-do-well stole Aunt Bea's purse and got caught by Barney. Of course all of this was a gesture by Ebsen, he stole a purse found in the garbage and purposely got nabbed so Opie would see this and lose faith in his hero. Confronted by Opie, the hobo did not say he did it, but the evidence seemed clear to Opie. A sad moment. Great TV.
Wise Andy, onto the hobo's sacrificial deception, released him to get on the next train out of Mayberry. But the hobo had the last ironic thought, for you see, in helping lead Opie down Andy's righteous path, he had really been a party to Opie's loss of trust. To preserve Opie, Andy allowed Opie's innocence to be destroyed. And as the hobo rode the train away (this was not on the episode, just in my head) he had to feel more certain than ever that his way of life was the most honest of all.
