And now, a tale well calculated to keep you in...
Suspense.
How powerful is the curse of Ramcar?
Listen now to The Green Idol, starring Parker Fennelly, and written especially for Suspense
by Jack Bundy.
Now, I do not suggest that you try any strong arm methods here in the city of Mecca, Mr.
Hesher.
You might have caused a regret.
You see, some of these devils have the very bad habit of putting a curse on one that might
have the most dire results.
Oh, I'm quite serious about it, really.
Bye, Harry, Doc.
I'm sure glad that you're along on this here tour to sort of steer us around.
Oh, I'm enjoying it every bit as much as you are, Mr. Hesher.
In spite of the fact that I've seen this country before.
And I sure am glad you had that travel agency change a course for us, too.
Good, good.
Ain't you, Ethel?
Please, Herbert, it's our not ain't.
Yeah, that's what I meant.
But ain't you?
Oh, Herbert.
Yes, sir.
Who would ever have thought that a couple of just plain country folks like me and Ethel
here would ever end up halfway across the world here in Arabia, right here in this holy
city of...
What would you say the name of this town is, Dr. Edrington?
Mecca, Mr. Hesher.
That's it, that's it.
Mecca, right here in Mecca.
And from what I see out there in the streets on the way over to this hotel, well, Ethel,
this really ought to be the place for you to pick up all them souvenirs you want for
the folks back home.
Especially that one shop the doc here told us to look out for.
Well, we'll see, Herbert.
Al...Al...Hammid?
Is that his name, Doc?
Yes, yes, that's the name.
But let me warn you, though, Mr. Hesher, some of these shop owners drive a pretty hard
bargain.
Don't let them take you, as you Americans say, particularly Al Hammid, the Hindu.
Take me?
Mm-hmm.
Take me?
One of the best old horse traders ever lived?
Now, don't start boasting, Herbert.
Well, don't you worry, nun, Doc.
You see what I done to that crook that tried to jip me back there in Paris, France, didn't
you?
Not Paris, Mr. Hesher, and some of these devils have the very bad habit of putting a curse
on one that might have the most dire results.
A curse?
Yes.
Oh, now, Dr. Everington, you're joking, of course.
Of course, he is.
No, no, no, no, Mrs. Hesher, I'm not, I'm not.
I'm really quite serious about it.
Oh, now, listen, Doc, you know as well as I do that all that kind of talk is just a lot
of superstition.
Well, I, too, felt that way for a long time, but now, well, I'm not so certain.
Ah, superstition, that's all it is, and me, I ain't superstitious.
Are you sure?
What?
Well, isn't there a little superstition in all of us?
Just a little?
Oh, yes, I suppose there is, really.
A little.
No, no, of course there ain't.
Foolishness, that's all.
And don't you let the Doc here scare you, Ethel.
Now, when are we going to get out and look around the town?
Right now, Doc?
Well, this afternoon I must visit with an old school chum.
I promised to look him up the moment we arrived and then have dinner with him.
But I shall see you here at the hotel this evening, Shanty, and then we can plan a tour
of the city tomorrow.
How's that?
Yeah, we'll be here, Doc, and probably all loaded down with souvenirs that I've picked
up by out-horse trade in some of these natives.
Well, I hope you do very well.
I'm sure we will, Doctor.
But, please.
Yeah?
Just remember my warning.
Oh, sure, sure, sure.
Oh, perfect, I just love it.
I just love this colorful, romantic old city.
Yeah, it's mighty pretty, Ethel, in spite of all the dirt and noise and all.
I tell you, I never see so many people wearing so many colors in all my born days.
It's exciting, too, and a little mysterious, all the crooked, narrow little streets and
alleys and the old mosques, especially that big one, the Great Mosque.
Yes, yes.
And look, look, Herbert, there's one of those, oh dear, those, well, let me look in the guidebook.
Yes, here, it's called a minaret.
That's where the musk calls all the people to prayer or something.
Too many beggars around here to shoot me.
Get away, you, go on now, leave us alone.
Well, I think they're very picturesque, even though they are awfully dirty.
You know what tickled me, though?
What?
There's a camel train coming in at the other end there.
I wonder how camels would do back in Maine.
Well, according to the guidebook, most of those camels have come from a place called
Zida.
Is that so?
Zida, where is that?
Oh, how should I know?
But that's what the book says.
Hey, look, look, look at that big square black thing over there in front of the Great Mosque.
Yes.
Looks like a great big kind of block of cement.
Now, let me see.
That's what they call the Kaaba.
Kaaba?
Uh-huh.
Yes, it's a very holy shrine.
Yeah?
And what are they chasing each other all around it for?
See them?
All them Arabs, I guess, there.
Oh, that's one of their religious ceremonies.
Oh, you're joking me.
No, I'm not, Herbert.
See what it says here?
Those men are Muslims.
Muslims?
Yes.
And when they come here to Mecca, they have to run around the Kaaba seven times and then
kiss it, then go and drink out of a holy well.
Ah, B. Doug, ah.
I'd sure like to see what would happen if somebody started running seven times around
the church back home there and kissing the side of it.
Folks would think he'd been staying out in the sun too long.
Look over there, Ethel.
You see that dirty little man sitting there cross-legged on the ground playing on that
little flute or whatever it is, and that, look, the snake weaving around in front of
him out of that basket.
Oh, oh, that's awful.
They call him a snake charmer.
I see one of them in the circus once over the band door.
Come on, let's go over and watch it.
That's a horrible looking snake.
Oh.
Cobra.
That's what they call it.
That's a hooded cobra.
I see a picture of it one time in the book.
I don't care what they call it.
I don't like it.
He sure has got it charmed all right.
Look, see the way it sways back and forth while he plays to it back and forth.
Oh, it makes me shudder.
Herbert, let's go somewhere else.
Tell fortune of Fendi.
What?
Tell you all the future in the magic sun.
Oh, say, now, that's an idea.
How about it, Ethel?
Want your fortune told?
No.
Let's go and see if we can't find that Al Hammond's curio shop the doctor told us about.
No, no, come on.
Let's get our fortune told.
I don't like that horrid snake.
It gives me the shivers.
Well, I want mine told anyway.
Oh.
Yes, you go right ahead, mister.
Go ahead.
Yes, sir.
Now, you want to look at the palm of my hand or have you got tea leaves or something?
No, sir.
I tell in the magic sun.
Magic sun.
Yes.
Come on, Ethel, come on.
Get a load of that.
Oh, don't.
La, la, la, la.
What?
La, la, la, la.
Wait a minute, wait a minute.
Instead of singing it, just say it.
Shows I can understand it, huh?
Look now, sir.
I stir the magic sun around.
Please, Herbert, I don't like this man.
I don't like his dirty old snake.
Just wait now.
Arab city.
Now, I look in future.
Yeah?
In future I see, I...
No.
What?
What are you talking about?
No.
I cannot tell you.
Go away.
Now, don't start pulling that stuff.
You go away.
Well, what about that fortune you was going to tell me?
I will not tell you.
Me too.
Herbert, I don't like the way he's looking at me.
I don't like the way he's looking at us.
It is best you do not know, Sadiq.
Now, listen here, mister.
You going to tell my fortune, Ranger?
No, no, no.
It's trouble, much trouble.
You must beware.
What are you talking?
Beware of what?
Beware the fingers of death.
Oh, no.
Herbert, I don't like this.
Beware the fingers of death.
Yeah?
What kind of fingers does that sports mean?
I do not know, Sadiq.
I only know I see them in the sand.
You go now.
Okay.
Okay, mister.
If that's your idea of a joke,
scaring all the tourists with a little mumbo jumbo.
Herbert.
Here's a rial for your trouble.
Come on now, Ethel.
We look for that shop now.
Do not forget, Effendi.
I have warned you.
Beware the fingers of death.
Oh, sure, sure.
Pretty good act, huh?
Herbert, he wasn't joking.
Oh, come on now, Ethel.
Just a lot of crazy nonsense for the tourist trade, that's all.
Is it?
That strange look in his eyes the way he looked at me?
Well, sure, that's just part of the act he was putting on.
If only I could believe this.
Well, of course you can.
Now, just come along and forget all about it.
No, I can't.
I'm frightened, Herbert.
Frightened?
Son of a gun, Ethel, I swan.
Every and all my born days.
Herbert, please don't say I swan anymore.
Everybody will think you're just an old hick.
Oh, well, I'm sorry.
But what's the matter with being a hick?
If I'm a successful one, huh?
Took more than a couple of carloads of potatoes
to pay for this nice trip to all these foreign countries,
and I'm the man that raised him.
So what if I am an old hick?
You know what I mean.
Pretty smart one, too.
And married up with you, didn't I?
Good-looking?
That's because I was the smart one.
Ah, woman, how you do go on.
Oh, Herbert.
But like I say, I swear I never did see so much fancy junk
laying around in one little store in all my life.
No wonder Doc Elton said to be sure and look in at this Al Hammage place.
I think it's just wonderful.
Oh, all this lovely brass work and those lovely rugs
and Herbert, just look at this one, Herbert,
a real genuine oriental rug.
Yeah, yeah, I know, Ethel, but don't make like you like it too much
or old Al Hammage here, he'll never leave us alone until we buy it.
You see the way he keeps watching us out of the corner of his eye?
Oh, pay no attention to him.
I could just go wild buying things in a place like this.
Yeah, well, you just better not now.
But I still haven't found something that I can take back for the house.
Oh, now wait.
What?
Look, dear, this quaint little green idol up here on the shelf.
Oh, yeah, that's a mighty smart piece of carving, isn't it?
You mean isn't it?
And see, it's carved out of some kind of solid stone.
Now, isn't that interesting?
Yeah.
Silly looking face on it though, like he's mad at something.
I wonder why it's been stained this funny green color.
Oh, don't ask me.
Maybe it's one of them religious things.
I want it, Herbert.
It's so unusual and quaint and look, the hair on it almost looks real.
Oh, it does, huh?
Well, doesn't it?
Well, whoever heard of green hair, woman, you are a caution.
But it's such fine carving, even to the toes and the long slim fingers on it.
Herbert, it's just exactly what I want.
Well, if you ask me, it's kind of strange, eerie looking, if you really think about it.
And I tell you this too.
What's that?
Nobody else we know would ever have anything as interesting as unique to put on the mantle piece.
Well, all right, you want me to buy it for you?
Oh, yes, please.
If it isn't too expensive.
Just leave that to me.
Only take it off the shelf so I can look at it close.
Sure.
Here.
Well?
Yes.
I do want it.
Here he comes.
Just you remember what Dr. Edmondson said about him.
He has a wonderful collection, but he might almost knife you to drive a bargain his way.
Now, don't you worry, Ethel.
I'll make this crook think he's just an amateur.
Let's see now, first I'll...
Master, you must put it back.
What?
You are infidel.
You must not touch the idol with your hands.
Oh, so it's an idol.
Well, that's what I thought.
You see, Ethel...
I beg of you, sir, before it is too late, you set it back up on the shelf.
Now, just take it easy, Mr. Hammett.
Take it easy.
Give it to me.
I said take it easy now.
It just happens me and my wife here, we're thinking of buying this little knickknack from you.
No, no, no, no, no.
So instead of raising all this cane, just calm down and tell me how much you want for it.
Yeah?
How much?
No, no, it is not for sale, sir.
And for your own sake, you must put it back on the shelf.
Put it back.
Not for sale, huh?
No.
Well, then you just tell me why.
What's all fired special about this, huh?
It's not meant to be touched by infidel hands, sir.
Then how the...
It is a god.
It is a what?
It is the god Ramkhai.
And I warn you, it has many magic in it.
Oh, many magic, huh?
Yes, for son of Shiva can bring much good.
Son of what?
Shiva, sir, Shiva.
But for infidel, for non-believer, means only much bad, much trouble.
Now, wait, who is it you're kidding, mister?
I have warned you.
You must put it back before too late.
Well, maybe I'd better her, but...
Yes, yes, yes.
No, sir, Ethel.
Now, you look here, mister.
If you think I believe in this hocus pocus you're trying to hand me, you're all wrong.
Listen to me.
I beg of you.
Now, you just listen to me.
You head it up here on a shelf for the rest of this junk.
You head it up on display.
So that means you put it there to sell.
And if your price ain't too high, why, we'll just buy it and we'll take it along with it.
But I tell you, you must not have his magic, his trouble.
Have it.
Now, don't give me that magic stuff.
Is that all you people here in this town talk about?
Well, you don't fool me and my wife one bit.
How about 10 royals for it?
Is that enough?
No.
Okay, okay, you drive a hard bargain, Mr. L. Hammett, but here, here, I'll make it 20.
I have till you, sir.
30, 30.
Is that what you want?
No, no, no, I have till you...
All right, then, 40.
But, Mr. Hammett, that is my last offer.
No, no, no.
50.
Not even for 100 real.
You say 100?
All right.
All right, Mr. Hammett, you win, I guess.
I win?
Yeah.
There's just no little green old idol in the whole world that's worth 100 royals.
Oh, thank you, sir.
I'm so glad you finally agree.
But as long as that's the price and Ethel hears she wants it, okay, it's sold.
What?
Here, sir.
100 royals.
100 royals, 80, 90, 100.
No, no, no, no, no, you do not understand.
So, Ethel, you just tuck that in your bag and we'll get out of here.
No.
Go ahead, Ethel.
Well, all right, but...
No, you must give it back to me.
Hey, now, just a minute here.
I take it, I take it.
You take your hands off my wife.
You take it back to me.
I said hands off her.
Oh, Herbert, you hit him too hard.
You've hurt him.
Yeah, well, served him right.
Who does he think he is anyway, laying his hands on my wife that way?
Well, I know...
You know, on account of a couple of dollars worth of foreign money.
And you do want that little idol, don't you, honey?
Well, of course, dear, I love it.
I'm glad to have it.
Just the same, Herbert.
It sure proves that Doc Etherington was right.
You've got to be tough with these fellows, laying his hands on you that way.
Oh, I'm sure he didn't mean to hurt me, though, and look at him.
All right, don't you worry your pretty little head about him.
He'll be okay.
Come on, we'll go on back to the hotel.
Have some dinner and then sit around and talk with Doc Etherington when he gets in.
Come on, Ethel, come on.
See, he's okay now.
Curse.
What?
Oh, Mr. Hammett, I'm so sorry.
Curse of Ramcar.
What's that?
Curse of Ramcar be upon you.
Yeah, well, the curse of Ramcar on you, too.
Come on, Ethel.
Yes, I think we'd better.
Curse of Ramcar upon you.
Omar Dami Panubriga.
Ramcar Dami Briga.
Oh, yeah?
And the same to you.
Well, kind of showed him, didn't we?
Well, didn't we?
Well, did we?
We sure did.
You really shouldn't have lost your temper that way.
And Herbert.
Herbert.
What is the matter, Ethel?
That curse he uttered.
Oh, that.
But do you think, do you think maybe there might be something in it?
Ethel, come on, come on with me.
Even Dr. Everington mentioned it.
Mentioned such things, don't you remember?
He said we should be careful, too.
Now you listen here to me, Ethel.
There's nothing in them silly mumbo jumbo things that never was and that never will be.
Okay?
But how can you be sure?
Because I am sure, that's all.
But now what?
I hope you're right.
Well, I'm sorry you had trouble with that little Hindu shopkeeper, Al Hammond.
But then I did warn you to watch out for him, didn't I?
Oh, well, it wasn't too bad.
Only when he put his nukron, Ethel, I tell you.
Really?
Yes.
Just didn't like my offer, I guess, on the little green idol she'd picked out.
Little green idol?
Yeah.
Carved out of a hunk of stone.
Well, it's so big.
Not much to look at, but Ethel, she wanted it, so I got it for her.
She figures to take it home and put it up on the mantel.
Green?
Yeah, yeah.
Well, I think I'd like to see it, Mr. Hescher.
As a matter of fact, I think I'd better see it.
Well, sure, I'll be glad to show it to you.
I'd ask you up to the room to look at it right now, Doc.
Only, Ethel, she turned in kind of early.
You know, all the excitement, all the walking around, you know.
Yes, yes, of course.
And she feels all right?
Sure, sure, fine, fine.
That's why I come down here to the bar for a couple of nightcaps, too.
And in the hopes that you'd show up, so as I could buy one for you, too.
It's getting kind of late, Doc, but how about it?
Well, thank you, thank you.
But I've really had quite enough to drink with my friend Olaf.
But, uh, may I see the idol in the morning?
I don't know why not.
Good, good.
And now, if you don't want a nightcap, well, I think I'll go on up and hit the hay myself.
Oh, by all means, by all means.
Well, good night, Doc.
Good night.
Going up, sir?
Right you are, sonny.
Your floor, sir?
Third floor, sonny, number three.
Yes, sir?
Well, mighty interest in little town you got here, you know that?
Thank you, sir.
I'm glad you like it.
Here we are.
Third floor, please.
Good night, sir.
Good night.
Say, now wait.
Yes, sir?
I don't know who's making that music this time of night out there, but...
Music, sir?
Yeah, but my wife, she had a headache after supper and she needs to sleep.
That ain't what you call conducive, that kind of music.
Sir, I don't hear any music.
Well, I do.
So you find out where it's coming from and make them stop it, will you?
Yes, sir.
A little bit of that atmosphere stuff is all right, but when they keep it up all night...
No!
What?
No!
No, no!
Ethel, is that you?
I thought you'd be sound asleep.
Ethel!
What is the matter, Ethel?
Something's not expected over here!
Ethel, why did you lock this door?
Open it up!
Mother, help me!
It's all green, big bird!
Look at that!
Ethel!
He's there!
Okay then!
Ethel!
Yes, she'll pull through all right, Mr. Hersher, but I've instructed the nurse...
she is not to be disturbed by anyone, not even by you.
Okay, Doc.
I think the Lord should be all right again.
Yes.
Now, listen to me.
In a brief moment of consciousness a few moments ago...
she said that it was the green idol that choked her that way.
She said that it came across the room to her, growing in size...
growing as it approached her.
Well, you don't believe that, do you, Doc?
There were long finger marks upon her neck...
and they were a green color, as though from a stain.
Where is that idol?
Well, that's the strange part of it.
The idol is nowhere to be found.
That Hindu...
he put a curse on to us.
He's the one that done it.
But you, you yourself told me the door of her room was locked from the inside...
and no man living could have scaled the wall to get in by the window.
That Hindu, that Al Hammid...
Come on, Doc, we're going calling on him.
In, now, Doc.
You come on in with me.
All right.
But I still think we'd have done better had we consulted the authorities, Mr. Hesher.
After all...
Yeah, but I learned a long time ago...
Doc.
Good heavens.
Someone's done him in.
Yeah. Strangle him, Doc.
His face, look. It's purple.
Yes, but look. Look here.
The same long green finger marks on his neck.
Now, do you believe?
It's the curse of the idol of Ramka.
I threw it back at him, Doc.
I didn't know.
I didn't think it meant anything.
Wait, wait.
Here.
Clasped in his hand.
What? What is it, Doc?
The killer, I suspect.
The little green idol.
Suspense.
You have been listening to The Green Idol, starring Parker Fennelly,
and written especially for suspense by Jack Bundy.
In a moment, a word about next week's story of suspense.
Do you want your child to be fit as a fiddle?
Then now is the time to make sure the school he attends has an efficient physical fitness program.
Each school should test every pupil's physical abilities and note his progress.
Special attention should be given to physically underdeveloped children.
And all youngsters should be given at least 15 minutes a day of vigorous physical training.
Find out if your child's school is adopting these ideas,
worked out by the President's Council on Youth Fitness.
Suspense is produced and directed by Bruno Zirotto Jr., musical supervision by Ethel Huber.
Featured in tonight's story were Abbey Lewis as Ethel,
Mercer McCloud as Dr. Etherington, Louis Van Ruten as Al Hammett,
Guy Rep as the Fakir, and Ronnie Liss as the Elevator Boy.
Listen again next week when we return with The Man in the Fog, written by Joseph Cochran.
Another tale well calculated to keep you in...
Suspense.
Get in the game with Phil Rizzuto's Sports Time Monday through Saturday on the CBS Radio Network.