Fibber Builds Telescope

Originally Aired: April 8, 1941

In Fibber McGee & Molly #282, "Fibber Builds Telescope," Fibber has taken up astronomy and spends his nights squinting at the stars through opera glasses, straining his eyes so badly that Molly insists he needs to see an optometrist. But Fibber has a solution: he's building his own telescope to study the constellations properly. He hints mysteriously that he may have discovered something important in the night sky, though he's keeping it secret until he can confirm his findings. The project consumes his attention while Molly worries about his deteriorating eyesight.

The domestic scene is interrupted by visits from Nick Depopolis, who apologetically delivers Molly's chocolate Easter rabbit order that ended up looking more like a reindeer or water buffalo than a bunny, and the high-society Mrs. Uppington, who stops by to discuss Easter parade fashions. When Fibber jokingly suggests the ladies could use his telescope to spy on Mrs. Uppington's Easter finery through her windows, the jest backfires spectacularly, leading to an awkward confrontation between the neighbors.