- Wally and Beaver secretly order a Florida alligator from a comic book ad, planning to keep the creature in their bathtub. But when a tiny, baby alligator shows up in a shoebox instead of the full grown, 8-footer shown in the ad, the boys enlist the help of crusty alligator expert, Captain Jack, to raise their new pet.—shepherd1138
- Ward and June know that Wally and Beaver are about to send away for something again, this being somewhat of a regular routine. What they are unaware of is what they are sending away for: a live alligator from Florida. Ward had previously had a discussion about the boys needing to show some responsibility before they could have a pet, which is why they aren't telling their parents. They are somewhat disappointed that what was advertised as an 8 foot long alligator ends up being a tiny 6 inch baby alligator upon its arrival. As they don't know how to take care of an alligator let alone a baby, they need advice. They can't turn to their parents, so they turn to the closest thing to an authority: Captain Jack, the proprietor of the local alligator farm. Based on Captain Jack's advice, Wally and Beaver are able to nurse the alligator to health, which causes some issue in the house if only because Ward and June notice some unusual items missing, those items which the boys have been using to care for the alligator, who they've also named Captain Jack. The questions become how long the boys can keep an alligator in the house without detection, or if they manage how long until Captain Jack becomes too large an animal for them to keep at all.—Huggo
- Ward Cleaver (Hugh Beaumont) searches the chair cushions. He and June Cleaver (Barbara Billingsley) chuckle over their find - a marble, a linty caramel and a sock. Ward asks June where the boys are. June tells him that the boys are upstairs sending away for something, and wonders what it might be. Ward assures June that whatever it is, it is likely childish and harmless.
Upstairs, Wally (Tony Dow) and Beaver Cleaver (Jerry Mathers) fill out a request form for a live alligator from Florida. Beaver asks Wally if he thinks they will really get a five foot long live alligator for $2.50. Wally assures Beaver that they wouldn't print something like that if it weren't true. Wally tells Beaver that the alligator will likely arrive in a week.
A week later, Beaver frantically checks the mail. The Express Mail Office has sent a card saying that their package has arrived. Beaver runs upstairs to tell Wally.
At the Express Mail Office, Beaver signs for the alligator. The postal clerk (Irving Bacon) hands the boys a shoe box . It is tied with string and has holes punched in it. Confused, the boys sit on a bench to open the box. Beaver suspects that perhaps the company sent the alligator's food first. Wally disagrees, noting the holes in the box. Beaver hopefully suggests that the food is alive. Opening the box, the boys find a tiny baby alligator. Beaver and Wally agree that they've been "tooken."
Later that evening, June puts the finishing touches on supper. She asks Ward to call the boys to the table. Upstairs, the boys look at their baby alligator, which they have put into the bathroom sink. Beaver asks Wally if the alligator looks happy. Wally can't tell. Beaver wonders what to do, and asks Wally if they should talk to Dad. Wally suspects that their father wouldn't want them to have an alligator. They go back to their room, closing the bathroom door.
Ward tells the boys that supper is ready. Wally asks if they can have a pet. Ward explains that when the boys can show that they can take care of themselves and their room, then they can discuss getting a pet. Beaver asks Ward what he knows about alligators. Wally explains that Beaver probably needs to know for school. Ward tells Beaver that alligators are amphibious, carnivorous, often mistaken for crocodiles, and usually die in captivity. He tells the boys to hurry along for supper and goes downstairs. Worried, the boys decide they need to find someone who knows about alligators.
The boys go to the neighborhood alligator farm, where Captain Jack (Edgar Buchanan) is giving the crowd his spiel. Mesmerized, the boys listen as Captain Jack explains that "the big beggars eat the little beggars." When a big alligator named Wendell snarls at Captain Jack, he warns Wendell that he'll kick his teeth in. Captain Jack finishes his talk by telling the crowd that if someone were to fall into the alligator pit, the alligator wouldnt so much as bite his arm off, as he would saw it off. Beaver asks Wally where the alligator would get a saw. Wally tells Beaver to hush up and listen. Captain Jack tells the crowd that the alligator would "use the sawing motion of his powerful jaw. It takes some time, but the end result is the same." Captain Jack invites the crowd to stroll through the alligator farm to see the 1500 alligators that live there. Wally and the Beaver approach Captain Jack. They ask what alligators eat. Specifically, what baby alligators eat. Captain Jack asks if they have a baby alligator at home. Beaver produces the shoebox, which Captain Jack opens. He advises the boys not to leave their alligator in water too long, as it will crack the alligator's skin. The boys tell him that they tried to ask their dad about alligators. Captain Jack muses that dads don't often know much about alligators - or boys, for that matter. He tells the boys that it is up to them to take care of their alligator; If they don't care about their alligator, then the alligator won't care, and will die. He advises feeding the alligator warm milk through an eye dropper, and adding raw egg at some point. He also tells the boys to add a little brandy to the milk, that brandy will make for a happy alligator. He warns the boys that the alligator's chances are not good, and asks what the alligator's name is. Beaver tells him that they've named the alligator Captain Jack.
At breakfast, Minerva (Connie Gilchrist) comes in. June explains to Ward that Minerva will be coming three times a week now, to help with cleaning and laundry.
Upstairs, the boys finish bathing Captain Jack. Wally puts beauty cream on the alligator's skin to keep it moist. Beaver gets bitten. Wally feeds milk and brandy to Captain Jack. Beaver smells the milk, makes a face, and asks Wally what brandy is made of. Wally explains that it is made of grapes, which are crushed by feet. Wally puts Captain Jack into his "aquarium," which is the toilet tank. The boys go down to breakfast.
A few days later, June counts the eggs. Two are missing. June worries. Ward says that the brandy has gone down two inches as well. June tells him that her beauty cream is missing too. Ward says that eggs, brandy and beauty cream are nothing that the boys would be interested in. They agree to keep an eye on the eggs. Upstairs, Captain Jack continues to grow.
Days go by. Upstairs, a crowd of children crowd around an "alligator enclosure." Beaver, dressed like an alligator hunter, gives a speech about cannibalistic alligators. He concludes the tour, collects money from the children and thanks them for coming. After the children leave, Wally counts the money and reminds Beaver that he gets to give the speech next time. Wally notes that Captain Jack has outgrown the toilet tank, and says they will put him in the old laundry tub in the basement, which is no longer used.
A worried June and Ward discuss the missing brandy. Half the bottle is gone. June is missing four eggs per week. Another bottle of beauty cream has also gone missing. A singing Minerva tells June that it's overcast outside, so she has to hang the laundry in the basement. She goes to the basement, still singing loudly. Ward questions June about Minerva, suggesting that she is "unnecessarily gay." June insists that it couldn't be Minerva. Ward tells June that raw eggs are a good antidote after a few nips, and perhaps Minerva was feeling romantic after the brandy and took the beauty cream.
A loudly screaming Minerva runs up the basement stairs. She says that there is an alligator in the basement, at least five feet long. Ward gives her the sack and escorts her to the bus stop. June protests, but the front doorbell rings, distracting her.
Answering the door, June finds a little girl (Penny Carpenter,) who asks for Wally and the Beaver. June tells the girl that the boys aren't home. The girl asks if she's supposed to pay the ten cents to June. June wonders if she has the right house. The girl insists that she's at the right place, and that the ten cents is to see Captain Jack, the alligator that Wally and the Beaver have. June sends her home.
A bemused June tells Ward that there is an alligator in the basement. Ward is not amused. June insists that the boys have an alligator in the basement. Ward, seeking to humor June, goes downstairs. June tells him to introduce himself, that the alligator's name is Captain Jack. Ward yelps. Coming back upstairs, he complains that the alligator bit him. June laughs. Ward admits that Captain Jack didn't exactly bite him, but sawed at him.
In bed, the boys worry about what Ward and June will do to them. Downstairs, Ward tells June that he's proud of the boys for raising the alligator to such a large size, noting that its nearly impossible to do so. He goes upstairs to tell the boys that alligators are not good pets, and that Captain Jack will have to be turned over to live someplace where he'll be happy. He tells the boys how proud he is of them, but they can't keep Captain Jack. The boys reluctantly agree that Captain Jack deserves to live someplace where he'll be happy.
The next day after church, the family leaves Captain Jack at the alligator farm. The human Captain Jack tells the boys that they did a good job raising their alligator, and assures Beaver that he will take their alligator around and personally introduce him to all the other alligators.
At home, Ward tells the boys to go upstairs to change out of their good clothes. The boys reluctantly and sadly go upstairs. Ward and June follow. The boys open their bedroom door to find a new puppy waiting for them. Ward and June watch as the boys happily hug their new pet.
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