The World's Easiest Mayberry Quiz

Answer: Homemade pickles

Once described by Barney as "kerosene cucumbers", Aunt Bee's pickles are the topic of one of Season Two's most popular episodes. Too polite to tell her the truth, Andy, Opie and Barney plot to substitute them for store bought, only to learn that she plans to enter them in the county fair. After losing the blue ribbon to her friend Clara for the twelfth straight year, Aunt Bee decides that the only thing that matters is that her family loves them. She then rewards the guys with a double batch!

"The Pickle Story" originally aired on December 18, 1961.

Answer: The town drunk

Otis's love for whiskey is tolerated by town citizens because of his amiable personality and cheerful demeanor. He is a frequent guest at the jail, usually wandering in on his own to sleep off his drunkenness before returning home to his wife. During his periods of incarceration, Otis enjoys home cooked meals (courtesy of Aunt Bee) and is sometimes the subject of Barney's experiments in rehabilitation.

Hal Smith, the talented and versatile actor who portrayed Otis, died in 1994 at the age of 77.

Answer: History

After being told by his father that he hadn't done well in history either, Opie takes several of Andy's comments out of context and tells his new teacher that he doesn't have to do his homework. When several of Opie's friends agree with him, Andy is confronted by an angry Helen who accuses him of undermining her authority with the students. Shocked to find that "Old Lady Crump" is actually an attractive young woman with a genuine love for her job, an embarrassed Andy encourages the boys to study their history by turning the lessons into a game.

The character of Helen was portrayed by Aneta Corsaut and first appeared in the third season. Helen and Andy dated throughout the rest of the series' run and married during the first episode of the 1968 spinoff entitled "Mayberry, RFD".

Answer: Sarah

Telephone calls in Mayberry must be placed through Sarah. Her habit of eavesdropping on conversations and her love of gossip make her far more reliable than the town newspaper.

Juanita is a waitress who sometimes dates Barney, and Bunny is an unseen citizen who receives a parking ticket from Gomer when he fills in as deputy during Andy's vacation. Ramona is one of the unfortunate ladies who catches the eye of the wild mountain man Ernest T. Bass, who refers to her as "Romeena".

Answer: Telephone lineman

The faith of the normally diplomatic Andy is tested when Opie comes home telling stories of his new friend, a man who walks in the trees, has a dozen hands and jingles when he walks. At first, the adults dismiss the story as the product of a young boy's imagination, but when Opie shows them the quarter he was given by McBeevee, Andy decides the game has gone too far and threatens his son with a spanking. Of course, the sheriff is quick to retract his words when he is out walking and meets a man in a tree who introduces himself as Mr. McBeevee and explains that he's a telephone line repairman.

This Season Three episode has been consistently voted by fans as a top ten favorite.

Answer: Opie could sleep on the ironing board between two chairs

Malcolm Tucker arrives in Mayberry after his car breaks down on a business trip to Charlotte. After being informed that Wally, the town mechanic, doesn't work on Sundays, he soon learns that even telephone service isn't always available on the Sabbath when Sarah refuses to interrupt a conversation between the Mendelbright sisters so that he can try to locate a garage. When the gruff outsider hears that Goober has agreed to look at the car and that he'll be able to leave that evening, Opie expresses his disappointment and assures the visitor that sleeping on the ironing board is not uncomfortable but "adventure sleeping". After an idyllic afternoon on the porch, Mr. Tucker realizes that small town life has its advantages.

Eventually, Goober repairs the car, but the now relaxed motorist decides he'd better stay over after all and let Wally take a second look the next morning.

Actor Robert Emhardt appeared as Malcolm Tucker in this season three classic.

Answer: She sold Barney a used car that turned out to be a lemon

When Barney answers an ad for a used car, he is immediately taken in by the sweet little widow from Mt. Pilot who assures him that her late husband's car is in pristine condition and that she's only selling it to pay his final expenses. Despite Andy's advice, Barney hands over his entire savings of $300, only to find out that he's been conned when the car breaks down the next day. In a hilarious chain of events, Andy and Barney find themselves in the gang's headquarters, where Mrs. Lesh and her accomplices are promptly arrested.

The role of Mrs. Lesh was superbly played by Ellen Corby, who went on to play the beloved grandmother in another classic show, "The Waltons".

"Barney's First Car" first aired on April 1, 1963.

Answer: Wynken, Blynken, and Nod

After accidentally killing a mother bird with his new slingshot, a heartbroken Opie makes the decision to raise the tiny birds. After diligently caring for Wynken, Blynken and Nod, he learns a second valuable lesson when the day comes to set them free.

Although the serious content of this episode was unusual for the series, it was named the favorite by many of the cast members and remains a top choice among fans. The unspoken parallel between the orphaned birds and Opie, who also lost his mother at a young age, led to one of the most memorable episodes in television history.

Answer: Three escaped female prisoners

A fishing trip turns into a day of chaos for Mayberry's deputy and the town's beloved barber when they run out of gas and stumble upon the escaped convicts, who are hiding out in an unoccupied cabin. Andy spots Floyd and one of the women getting supplies in town and assumes there's a party going on until he remembers that O'Malley is in Detroit visiting relatives. Realizing something is amiss, he heads to the remote area to rescue the hostages.

"Convicts at Large" co-starred Reta Shaw, Jane Dulo, and Jean Carson, who also appeared as one of the notorious "fun girls" from Mt. Pilot.

Answer: Gomer

When he loses his living quarters in the back room after being fired from Wally's Filling Station, Gomer moves in with the Taylors until he gets back on his feet. Unfortunately, his habits of staying up late and talking incessantly soon wear on everyone's nerves, and before long the close knit family members find themselves snapping at one another. The problem is resolved when Andy discreetly convinces Wally that Gomer is an asset to the business in spite of his annoying habits, and the Taylors' house guest returns to his job and home.

"Gomer the House Guest" originally aired during the fourth season. The popularity of the character, flawlessly played by Jim Nabors, led to a successful spin off entitled "Gomer Pyle, USMC", which made its debut the following year and ran for five seasons.