INT. SAME

               Opie is on the witness stand.  A hush has fallen over the
               crowd.

                                      ANDY
                          Well, go on, son.

               Opie looks out at the crowd, fidgeting nervously.

                                      OPIE
                          I did it.   

               The crowd reacts, shocked.

                                      OPIE
                          I killed Otis Campbell.

                                      ANDY
                          Why on earth would you wanna go and do
                          a thing like that?

                                      OPIE
                          He touched me in a bad place, paw.

               The crowd reacts, shocked in a different way.

                                      ANDY
                          Where did he touch you?

                                      OPIE
                          In the alley behind Floyd's barber
                          shop.  

                                      ANDY
                          What were you doing in the alley?  Aunt
                          Bee sent you there for a haircut.  

                                      OPIE
                          Otis used to meet some of us kids
                          behind the barber shop on Fridays. 
                          He'd let us look for nickels in his
                          britches, and whatever we found we got
                          to keep.  We'd wipe 'em off and go over
                          to the drugstore for milk shakes after.  

                                      ANDY
                          That's how you kids have been making
                          extra spending money?!

                                      OPIE
                          Yeah, paw.  But yesterday I was late on
                          account of having to stop for a hair
                          cut, and the other kids was already
                          gone.

                                      AUNT BEE
                          Oh, this is all my fault.

                                      OPIE
                          Otis said, since it was just the two of
                          us, he wanted to look for nickels in my
                          britches, for a change.  But I didn't
                          have any nickels, paw!  Otis didn't
                          believe me, though.  He said I should
                          drop my drawers and let him see for
                          himself.

                                      ANDY
                          And did you?

                                      OPIE
                          You always taught me to obey my elders,
                          paw.

                                      ANDY
                          That's not exactly what I meant, Opie.

                                      OPIE
                          So I showed him I was telling the
                          truth, and that's when Otis started
                          grabbin' me all inappropriate.  I just
                          about jumped out of my shorts, when it
                          happened, except I wasn't wearin' any.  

                                      ANDY
                                (uncomfortable)
                          Well, I think we've heard enough--

                                      OPIE
                          The smell of moonshine was so strong on
                          his breath, I thought I was gonna be
                          sick.  I begged him to stop, but he
                          just wouldn't, so I grabbed a mason jar
                          that was sitting there and smashed it
                          up in his face.  

                                      GOOBER
                          I bet that hurt.

                                      OPIE
                          It hurt him enough to let me go.  But I
                          dunno, paw, I was just so angry at him
                          then, I couldn't run away.  What if
                          he'd done that to Johnny Paul or the
                          other boys?  I grabbed the pieces of
                          broken glass and just started stabbin'
                          him in his ugly face, over and over,
                          till he stopped screaming and squirming
                          and just laid there.

                                      HOWARD
                          Oh my.

                                      OPIE
                          Floyd and Goober must have heard the
                          commotion and come running, because
                          they saw the whole thing.  I begged 'em
                          not to tell you, paw.  I know how mad
                          you got when I killed that bird with
                          the slingshot.  And Otis was a whole
                          person.  

                                      FLOYD
                                (to Goober)
                          He's half right, anyway.

                                      OPIE
                          Goober told me not to worry, just pull
                          up my pants and run home.  So I did. 
                          But I didn't think he'd get in trouble
                          for it.  It wasn't their fault, paw. 
                          Floyd and Goober didn't have nothing to
                          do with this.

               Andy turns to Floyd and Goober.

                                      ANDY
                          Is that how it happened?

               They nod, shamefacedly.  Andy picks up his gavel.

                                      ANDY
                          In light of the new evidence, Floyd and
                          Goober, I find you GUILTY --

               Floyd looks faint.  Goober supports him.

                                      ANDY
                          -- of sodomy under the statutes of
                          North Carolina.  And sentence you both
                          to time served.  You're free to go.

               The crowd reacts in shocked whispers.  Floyd and Goober
               embrace, relieved.  

                                      BARNEY
                          You want me to take Opie into custody,
                          Andy?  

                                      ANDY
                          That's all right, Barney, I reckon he
                          knows the way.  Opie, go on get in that
                          cell and think about what you done.

                                      OPIE
                          Yes, paw.

                                      ANDY
                          Court's dismissed.

               Andy bangs his gavel.

                                                         CUT TO