- Cousin Dolly: [voiceover; first lines] For thousands of years, man dreamed of flying. The ancient Greek myth had Icarus escape from prison by making wings of feathers held with beeswax. About the time that Christopher Columbus was discovering America, Leonardo da Vinci was sketching what he called his "flying machine". One hundred years later, in 1595, Fausto Veranzio designed the first parachute. In 1709, in Brazil, Bartolomeu de Gusmão created his "Great Bird" design. He was thrown into prison for trying to defy the laws of gravity. In 1781, Germany's Karl Meerwein created a glider so that he could fly like the birds. He never did. In 1783, two French brothers, Joseph and Étienne Montgolfier thrilled the world by flying the world's first hot-air balloon. Just ten years later, Jean-Pierre Blanchard flew the first manned balloon in the United States, and in 1894, Sir Hiram Maxim's triple-ton biplane just barely got off the ground. Finally, in the late 1800s, in Germany, Otto Lilienthal created and flew his own gliders. After Lilienthal died in a crash in his glider, his American disciple, Octave Chanute, flew *his* glider in America. But by the dawn of the 20th century, no man had been able to fly through the air with a machine powered aircraft. In 1896, in Dayton, Ohio, there were two brothers who owned a prosperous bicycle shop. They began to study the centuries-long writings and sketches of the men who had attempted to fly before them. seven years later, in December of 1903, these brothers would risk their lives to see if man could truly fly. Only a few spectators would witness this event that would change the world forever.
- Charlie Brown: [shouting to Linus as they ride bumpily yet uncontrollably on the wooden carriage to Cousin Dolly's house, with Snoopy as their driver] I thought those seven days on the train and the two days on the steam ferry were rough, but *this* is the worst part of the trip *yet*!
- Charlie Brown: [marveling at the beach scenery during the bumpy carriage ride] Wooow!
- Linus Van Pelt: Hang on, Charlie Brown, it can't be too far.
- Charlie Brown: It was very kind of your cousin to invite us for Christmas, Linus!
- Linus Van Pelt: Her father is a fisherman. He also works at the Kitty Hawk Life Saving Station. We're the only family they have in the *whole* world!
- Charlie Brown: Well, this looks like we're on the biggest *beach* in the whole world!
- Linus Van Pelt: We seem to be slowing up! Perhaps we're near!