Leave It to Beaver (TV Series)

Beaver's Rat (1961)

Hugh Beaumont: Ward Cleaver

Photos 

Quotes 

• June Cleaver : [Beaver selling the rat to Violet for $3 prompts an evening visit by Fred Rutherford to the Cleaver household]  What's the trouble, Squire?

  Ward Cleaver : Well, it seems that Beaver sold Peter Gunn to Violet Rutherford for $3.00.

  June Cleaver : Well, that sounds like a very good deal!

  Ward Cleaver : Yeah, it was too good a deal. After all, Violet's just a girl. She can't be expected to know the going price of rodents.

• Ward Cleaver : [Beaver brings home a rat named Peter Gunn]  That's a very fine looking rat, Beaver. But, I, uh, I have a feeling that your mother would be a lot happier if you traded him for something else.

  Theodore Cleaver : Gee, Dad! What's Mom got against rats?

  Ward Cleaver : Oh, it's not just your mother, Beaver. It's, uh, well, it's just that women don't seem to have as soft a spot in their hearts for rats as we men do.

  Wally Cleaver : Sure, Beav! You know how it is. They don't like blood or dirt or any of those neat things.

  June Cleaver : [later]  Did you talk Beaver into getting rid of that rat?

  Ward Cleaver : Yeah. Yeah, he's going to try and trade him for something else tomorrow.

  June Cleaver : Good. How'd you convince him?

  Ward Cleaver : Oh, I just told him that women were full of strange quirks and it was up to us to humor them.