Boondoggle

	Porter Sims is writing a book about Virginia and John-Boy shows him around. He suggests that Sims should meet the Baldwin sisters but Grandpa doesn’t agree with him. He is afraid Sims uncovers something about their father Judge Mathew Baldwin. Grandma is sceptical of Sims and says it’s all boondoggle. She tells Grandpa not to get mixed up in it. Elizabeth hears the word ‘boondoggle’ and aks: What's a boondoggle? Grandma: I'll tell you about that. A boondoggle is when your daddy gives you 5 cents to do an hours work cleaning up the hen house and you only work 20 minutes. Jason: You mean like the time Ben rewrote that old book report of John Boy and turned it in without reading the book. Grandma: Exactly. Mary Ellen: How about when Erin gets a headache when it's time to do the dishes? Erin: Or how about when you borrow my sweater without asking me? Then Elizabeth starts to sing: Boondoggle, boondoggle, boondoggle, boondoggle. Jason and Ben start to jump and sing with her: Boondoggle, boondoggle. John: Easy! Easy everyone! John Boy: I'm gonna take Mr. Sims back to the boarding house.
	In the B-story Jim-Bob is fishing perch and he keeps them apart in a separate pond to sell them. Elizabeth is with him and gets attached to the fishes, she even gives them names: There's a bait for you, little mermaid. Get away, Gilbert. You've had your share. There's room for you, Kitty. Jim-Bob: Yeah, I think I got one… That about does it. Elizabeth: Does a hook hurt, I wonder? Jim-Bob (doesn’t answer her): Three perch. Elizabeth: Jim-Bob! Does a hook hurt, I said? Jim-Bob: Why don't you ask the fish, seeing is how you can talk to them? Elizabeth: So they don't talk back too good. Jim-Bob: Well you're not supposed to get too friendly with the inventory. Elizabeth: The what? Jim-Bob: The inventory. You know like Ike's store. Everything he has to sell is inventory. It's alright here for anyone who want's to place an order. Elizabeth: After we sell them are they outventory? Jim-Bob (sighs): Come on, we gotta go find some customers. Elizabeth: Bye.
	Mr. Sims discovers that Judge Baldwin committed treason during the war. Miss Mamie got completely upset by this and John Boy urges Sims to leave with some strong arguments: Mr. Simms, what you're doing here may or may not be a boondoggle. But I've known Miss Mamie and Miss Emily Baldwin ever since I was a little boy and they've been very kind to me. Now their lives may not seem to you to be as real as yours and mine and they may be made up of scraps of memories and some recipe and a little bit of fantasy. But their feelings are real and when they feel hurt and when they feel shame that's real !
	Because Jim-Bob wants to sell the perch Elizabeth takes pity on the fishes. And after she sees they have ‘adopted’ little fish she releases them from Jim-Bob’s private pond. One of her arguments is: What would we do if someone took mom away from Walton’s Mountain?
	In the end John Boy finds a letter of Sims that says Mathew Baldwin actually helped the injured of both the Confederate and Union forces during the Battle of Rockfish and that he was mistakenly charged of treason. It also says his proud daughters hold honoured positions in the community. Because of these statements Miss Mamie’s color comes back. She realizes she and her sister have to be thankful to Porter Sims.
	In the Good night wishes Elizabeth asks: John-Boy, who would wanna read a book about Virginia? John Boy: Well, a lotta folks would, Elizabeth. People who are coming to visit here and anybody who wants to know more about the state. Grandpa: And of course we'd all like to have Santa Claus read the Virginia state guide, now wouldn't we? John Boy: Alright, Grandpa, why would you like to have him read it? Grandpa: Well, that way we could say: Yes Santa Claus, there is a Virginia. John Boy: Goodnight everybody.

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