Caliph Storch (1954) - full transcript
NARRATOR: The city of old Baghdad
was ruled over by a Caliph who was young
and whose people loved him
and who had as a friend
his grand vizier, or counsellor.
But the Caliph's wicked uncle,
the magician Kashnoor, did not love him.
He thought he should have been Caliph.
l should be Caliph. l should be Caliph.
And if my magic mixture works,
l shall be Caliph.
Kashnoor left the magic powder and the paper
where the Caliph might find it.
A strange paper, o ruler of the world.
''Whoever sniffs the powder
and says 'mutabor'
''can change himself into any animal he likes.''
''Mutabor.''
''Any animal he likes.''
''To regain his human shape,
''he must bow three times to the East
and say 'mutabor'.
''But beware. You must not laugh,
or you will forget the magic word
''and remain an animal forever.''
The Caliph was delighted with his find
and wanted to try it.
But the vizier was worried.
The Caliph saw a stork flying overhead.
That was it! They would change into storks.
-Mutabor.
-Mutabor.
Kashnoor's plan was working.
The Caliph and the vizier
had both turned into storks.
And they went off to see
what the other stork was doing.
They kept very quiet
and hid themselves behind bushes.
Don't laugh.
(BOTH LAUGHlNG)
We mustn't laugh!
Quick, the magic word.
What was it? Mu... Mu...
Quickly, the frightened pair
bowed to the East once, twice, three times,
and tried to remember the magic word.
-Mu... Mu...
-Mu... Mu...
But it was no use.
They had forgotten the magic word
and could not turn back again.
They must remain storks forever.
One day, they flew down to the palace roof
and looking down,
they saw the wicked Kashnoor,
who was now Caliph.
Too late the Caliph realised
that it was all his uncle's doing.
Sadly, they flew away from Baghdad.
But the vizier flew very badly
and was soon tired.
They went down to rest
in the ruins of an old castle.
(SOBBlNG lN DlSTANCE)
They could hear someone crying
down in the ruins.
lt was an owl.
What is the matter, small brown owl?
l'm not really an owl, but a girl.
The magician Kashnoor has changed me
into an owl and chained me by the leg.
And we are not really storks,
but l am Caliph of Baghdad
and this is my grand vizier.
Oh, thank you.
Perhaps we may escape together.
Tonight all the magicians are meeting here
and Kashnoor will be there.
BOTH: Let us spy on them.
Then, just at the moment
when the two storks and the owl
looked into the council chamber,
the magicians were asking Kashnoor
about his spell
and the magic words
which the storks had forgotten.
The word is ''mutabor''.
They hurried out of the ruins,
in order to change themselves back again.
And then, as they had read on the paper,
they bowed to the East once,
twice,
three times.
BOTH: Mutabor!
And the owl had changed, too.
lnto a beautiful girl.
Next day, in the palace,
Kashnoor was sitting comfortably,
not knowing that the real Caliph was back.
Kashnoor begged for mercy.
And the Caliph said he would spare him
if he would sniff the magic powder
and change himself into a stork.
Mutabor.
ln the cage,
Kashnoor could not bow to the East
and could not change himself back again.
And so he stayed a stork forever.
was ruled over by a Caliph who was young
and whose people loved him
and who had as a friend
his grand vizier, or counsellor.
But the Caliph's wicked uncle,
the magician Kashnoor, did not love him.
He thought he should have been Caliph.
l should be Caliph. l should be Caliph.
And if my magic mixture works,
l shall be Caliph.
Kashnoor left the magic powder and the paper
where the Caliph might find it.
A strange paper, o ruler of the world.
''Whoever sniffs the powder
and says 'mutabor'
''can change himself into any animal he likes.''
''Mutabor.''
''Any animal he likes.''
''To regain his human shape,
''he must bow three times to the East
and say 'mutabor'.
''But beware. You must not laugh,
or you will forget the magic word
''and remain an animal forever.''
The Caliph was delighted with his find
and wanted to try it.
But the vizier was worried.
The Caliph saw a stork flying overhead.
That was it! They would change into storks.
-Mutabor.
-Mutabor.
Kashnoor's plan was working.
The Caliph and the vizier
had both turned into storks.
And they went off to see
what the other stork was doing.
They kept very quiet
and hid themselves behind bushes.
Don't laugh.
(BOTH LAUGHlNG)
We mustn't laugh!
Quick, the magic word.
What was it? Mu... Mu...
Quickly, the frightened pair
bowed to the East once, twice, three times,
and tried to remember the magic word.
-Mu... Mu...
-Mu... Mu...
But it was no use.
They had forgotten the magic word
and could not turn back again.
They must remain storks forever.
One day, they flew down to the palace roof
and looking down,
they saw the wicked Kashnoor,
who was now Caliph.
Too late the Caliph realised
that it was all his uncle's doing.
Sadly, they flew away from Baghdad.
But the vizier flew very badly
and was soon tired.
They went down to rest
in the ruins of an old castle.
(SOBBlNG lN DlSTANCE)
They could hear someone crying
down in the ruins.
lt was an owl.
What is the matter, small brown owl?
l'm not really an owl, but a girl.
The magician Kashnoor has changed me
into an owl and chained me by the leg.
And we are not really storks,
but l am Caliph of Baghdad
and this is my grand vizier.
Oh, thank you.
Perhaps we may escape together.
Tonight all the magicians are meeting here
and Kashnoor will be there.
BOTH: Let us spy on them.
Then, just at the moment
when the two storks and the owl
looked into the council chamber,
the magicians were asking Kashnoor
about his spell
and the magic words
which the storks had forgotten.
The word is ''mutabor''.
They hurried out of the ruins,
in order to change themselves back again.
And then, as they had read on the paper,
they bowed to the East once,
twice,
three times.
BOTH: Mutabor!
And the owl had changed, too.
lnto a beautiful girl.
Next day, in the palace,
Kashnoor was sitting comfortably,
not knowing that the real Caliph was back.
Kashnoor begged for mercy.
And the Caliph said he would spare him
if he would sniff the magic powder
and change himself into a stork.
Mutabor.
ln the cage,
Kashnoor could not bow to the East
and could not change himself back again.
And so he stayed a stork forever.