The Mayberry Chronicles

Half a century after viewers first watched a father and son walking to the local fishing hole, whistling a simple, yet unforgettable, tune, The Andy Griffith Show remains one of the most popular sitcoms in the history of American television. Tens of millions of viewers have seen the show either in its original run, its ongoing reruns, on DVD, or on the internet. A small cottage industry has even developed around the teachings of the show's episodes. One of the first episodes centers on a stranger who, having heard so many good things about Mayberry, intends to adopt it as his hometown. The stranger, Ed Sawyer, knows as much about Mayberry as any of the natives. While doing research in the Wilson Library of the University of North Carolina for his book on The Andy Griffith Show, A Cuban in Mayberry, Gustavo Pérez Firmat came across "The Mayberry Chronicles," a collection of poems by Ed Sawyer about the characters in the show, from Andy and Barney to Mr. Schwump and the Fun Girls. Even the pounded steak at Morelli's makes an appearance to utter one word: Ouch!