- Opie Taylor: The cage sure looks awful empty, don't it, Pa?
- Andy Taylor: Yes son, it sure does... but don't the trees seem nice and full?
- Andy Taylor: Whatcha doin'?
- Opie Taylor: Fixin' some breakfast.
- Andy Taylor: Oh, what sort of things you fixin'?
- Opie Taylor: Bugs and worms and things.
- Andy Taylor: Oh, bugs and worms and things, huh?
- Opie Taylor: It's for the birds. I got to thinkin' last night and since their ma ain't comin' back and since it's my fault and since being sorry won't help, I'm gonna take over and feed 'em.
- Andy Taylor: You remember, you took over this job 'cause they lost their ma. Well, there's that one other thing that she woulda done. That's to let 'em go.
- Aunt Bee Taylor: Why is Opie acting so strange?
- Andy Taylor: Well, the boy is facin' up to some awful unusual problems. Fact is, Opie's just become a mother.
- Opie Taylor: Maybe we should get a larger cage. They need a bigger place.
- Andy Taylor: Yeah, that's what they need alright. They need a bigger place. They need a *real* bigger place.
- Opie Taylor: You mean, turn 'em loose?
- Andy Taylor: Let's have it... you know what I'm talkin' about. Hand it over.
- [Opie hands over the slingshot]
- Andy Taylor: You killed that bird, didn't you?... Didn't cha?
- [Opie nods]
- Andy Taylor: You remember me tellin' you to be careful with this thing?
- Opie Taylor: I'm sorry, Pa.
- Andy Taylor: That won't bring that bird back to life. Being sorry is not the magic word that makes everything right again.
- Opie Taylor: You gonna give me a whippin'?
- Andy Taylor: No, I'm not gonna give you a whippin'.
- [opens the window]
- Andy Taylor: You hear that? That's those young birds chirpin' for their mama that's never comin' back. You just listen to that for a while.