Little Men (1998) - full transcript
1871 New England. Two-week orphaned preteen Nat Blake, in his new circumstance, has been living on the streets of Boston with his more streetwise friend, fourteen year old Dan, who looks after Nat and who survives by his cunning and by stealing. Due to an event of living on the streets, Nat gets a benefactor in the form of John Brooke who pays for his schooling at Plumfield, a boys' boarding school in the country owned and operated by John's sister-in-law and her husband, Jo and Fritz Bhaer. Although each being different in the way they exact their discipline, both the Bhaers believe that treating the boys with compassion and treating them as boys will result in them being better people than if they were strict disciplinarians. Nat goes through some adjustment of needing to lie to survive on the street to life at Plumfield, but ultimately finds that that different life is one to which he truly wants and that the changes he has to make do make him a better person. Nat's stay at Plumfield is further affected by two subsequent arrivals, one being Dan who has no benefactor to pay his way at the school (which is facing financial problems), but it where he says he wants to be despite he treating his stay there the exact same as he is when he is on the street: by his own rules, and not the Bhaers or anyone else's.
(clucking)
- (boy): Newspapers!
- Look under here. Look.
- Oh, but I must take that one over there.
It looks much fresher. - Oh, yes.
- (man): Come get your bread! Freshly baked!
- That's the one.
- Oh, look!
- (woman): How are you? - (man): Come get your bread!
- (boy): Newspapers! (horse neighing)
Get your Herald!
- I'm telling ya. You keep it in your pocket, things'll start going your way.
- You sure? - Yeah, never fails.
- Hmm.
A rabbit's foot?
- Whoa! - Excuse me, sir.
Green belly. You hungry?
You gotta eat.
You've been starting yourself ever since your pa died.
How much do I owe ya? - Three bits.
- (man): Here is the poultry! Come and get it!
The finest in the marketplace!
- (woman): Carpets! Carpets! All colours!
All shapes and sizes! The lowest prices!
- Where'd that come from? - See? The old rabbit foot's working already.
- Stop them! - Come on!
- Thief! - Move!
(whistle) - Thief! Thief! Stop them!
Stop them!
Stop those boys!
Stop them! Thief!
(whistle)
Stop those boys!
Stop them!
Stop them! (whistle)
- My violin! (horse neighing)
- End of the line! - Pickpockets! Stop them!
Oh, there's that--! - All right!
- Give me my money! - OK! All right! We'll handle it from here, sir!
- You'd better handle it! Give me my money!
I want my money!
- Gentlemen! Gentlemen!
It's all right.
No one's going to hurt you. Sergeant, may I ask what
you'll be doing with the boy? - We'll book him, and leave him
at the wayward house with the rest of the street urchins.
- Well, perhaps I have an alternative.
My sister-in-law has a school. It's a happy homelike place
for boys who need teaching and care and...
a little bit of kindness. - And discipline!
- (Molly): The year was 1871, and the little women had grown
into wives and mothers, passing the joys of childhood
onto others. Jo had married Professor Bhaer,
and the two of them set up a school at Plumfield,
the home Jo had inherited from her aunt.
- "Dearest Jo and Fritz, Nat is a case after your own heart -
"a motherless child, Nat was raised in poverty.
"His father taught him how to play the violin
"for spare pennies. Only a few weeks ago,
"his father died, and the poor lad has been homeless ever since.
"I think there's something in him, and I have a fancy
that between us we may give this little man a lift. With love, John."
Well, he thinks he's full of potential;
he's just lost everything he's ever known.
- You're a good woman, Jo,
and with you tending to his heart, he'll be fine.
- (Molly): Plumfield was where John Brooke sent
his son and daughter, and this was where he wanted Nat to go.
He knew his sister-in-law would have a special place
in her heart for the street urchin he'd rescued
at the market, and provide the boy
the love and care he desperately needed.
- Go into the house, Nat.
Give Molly your letter. She'll look after you.
(Horse neighs.)
- (Molly): Nat was worried, for he had heard
that teachers gave raps on the head
when lessons were not well done.
Oh, what surprises were in store for the lad, as Plumfield
was unlike any school he could have imagined.
(dog barking)
Hello. Well, you must be the new boy.
Come on in. That's it.
- This is for Mrs. Bhaer.
- Well, you just stand there and warm up a bit
while I take this in to her.
- Hello. Have you seen Aunt Jo?
- Not yet.
- Hello.
- This is my sister, Daisy.
- Mrs. Bhaer will see you now.
- I'll take him to her, Molly. - Oh, thank you, Daisy.
- Come.
- Gotcha! (laughing)
- Here he is, Auntie!
- Oh. So, this is my new boy.
I'm very glad you're here. I hope you'll be happy with us.
I'm Jo. This is Fritz. Think of us as Mother and Father Bhaer.
- Welcome to Plumfield, my son. There's a place all ready for you.
- All we ask in return is honesty and a willingness to learn.
(dinner bell) - Mmm,
the dinner bell. Are you as hungry
as I am, lad?
- Ah! - I'll pull your ears off!
- It's a secret. - Jack, give me my fork back!
- Sit down, Tommy. - Molly, you and Jo have outdone
yourselves with this meal. - Settle down now.
Ah, ah, ah, ah!
Patience is a virtue. Everyone...
Everyone! - Settle down, Jack.
- This is our new boy.
Come on. Nat Blake.
- Hello. - Hello, Nat. (all saying hello)
- Hello, everyone. - Please sit down.
This is our mischievous little monkey, Tommy Bangs.
These are Mr. Brooke's children, Daisy and Demi Brooke.
Next to Daisy is George Cole. - But you can call me Stuffy.
- And the tall fellow there is Franz. That is Mr. Bhaer's nephew.
- He helps me teach, and he's also a very good musician.
- Are you a musician yourself, Nat?
- That is Adolphus Pettingill. - But we call him Dolly.
(all laughing)
- And there is Emil.
- Ahoy, matey, and welcome to the good ship Plumfield.
- Ah, the commodore has salt water in his veins.
- (Emil): Arr! (kids laughing)
- And that is Jack Ford.
- You're gonna like it here, Blake.
- Sure, he'll like it! - And of course you've met
little Bhaer.
I know you're all hungry, so I'll say grace.
Let us pray.
It is very meet, right, and our bounden duty
that we should at all times and in all places give thanks
unto thee, Holy Father,
almighty and everlasting God.
Amen. - (all): Amen.
- (Nat): Amen.
- You may begin. Would you like soup, Daisy?
- Yes, please. - Could I have some too, please?
- You can all give Nat your how-do-you-dos after supper.
- (boy): Hey! Who took my spoon? - And gently, boys.
Gently. - (boy): May I have some bread?
- What did Mr. Bhaer mean when he said, "Gently"?
- Because it's Saturday night.
Pillow fight!
(grunting and laughing) - Take that!
- This isn't like other schools.
- Heads up, Nat! - Ugh!
- Go ahead.
Go on, Nat. Join in the fun.
Go on.
- Hey, two pillows, that's not fair!
Defend yourself, matey!
Or prepare to walk the plank!
- Whop him one, Nat! - Oh!
- Ah, as usual, our cup runneth over. - Mm-hmm.
- Will we make it through spring?
- At least Nat's tuition is covered by your brother-in-law.
- Well, faith, hard work,
and a little help from above will see us through.
It always has. - (boy): Hey! Ow!
- (boy): Hey, that's not fair! - You care to join me?
- I don't think so.
- Ah, you old wet blanket, you. (both laughing)
- How much longer, Aunt Jo? - You have 10 seconds, Demi.
Four, three, two,
one. (whistle blown)
- Hey! Hey! - Time is up.
Time is up.
Into bed, ragamuffins, or pay the forfeit.
- We have 15 minutes and not a second longer.
- What's the forfeit?
- We lose our fun, Blake, as in no pillow fight next Saturday night.
(birds chirping) (cow lowing)
- If Mrs. Bhaer cuts a dozen
slices of apple pie, but only serves
three quarters of them,
how many slices are left? - Hmm.
(students murmuring) - Three quarters of 12...
- Yes, Stuffy? - Serving nine slices leaves three.
- Good! Any questions? - Oh, sir, me!
- Yes, Stuffy? - When do we get to eat them?
(laughing) - Tonight, I hope. That will be all for
this afternoon, fellows. See you at dinner.
("Amazing Grace" played on recorder)
("Amazing Grace" played on recorder)
- Please, don't stop.
- But we would like to hear you play something, Nat.
- I don't know how to play the recorder.
- Hmm. - Well...
what about...
this?
I've had it for years. It's a family heirloom.
- How can I thank you?
- By playing something.
(playing a jig)
(recorder joining in)
(laughing) - Woo-hoo! - Yee-haw!
- Yahoo! - Woo!
- Yeah!
- Woo-hoo!
- Yee-haw!
- Woo-hoo!
- Bravo, Nat! - Bravo! Well done, my son!
Well done! - Well done, Nat.
- You were a street musician? - Uh-huh.
I'd fiddle while my friend Dan did tricks.
- Can you make much money that way?
- Mm-hmm.
- It sounds tin-potty to me. Supply and demand, Nat -
That's the key to a successful enterprise.
Down at the creek, I can earn 5 cents a can
selling worms to fishermen. - Dan and me,
we made tonnes of money. Had tonnes of fun too,
playing all over Boston. We drew
huge crowds wherever we performed.
- Huge crowds?
Tonnes of money?
We know you want to fit in
and be well liked. We want that too.
Perhaps to you it was only a little white lie.
- I wasn't lying. - Then shall we say stretching the truth?
Nat, Mr. Bhaer and I
like having poor boys come live with us.
What we don't like is having them tell misleading tales.
What if your story prompted someone to run away?
You know the reality of how hard life is out there.
(sigh)
There are lessons to learn -
in some ways, far more important than any taught in school,
like being honest, or being good.
- Being good?
- And loving to be good.
Come here.
I want to show you something.
This is one of the ways I try to help. I call this
my Conscience Book.
- There's Tommy's name! - Mm-hmm.
I have a page for each boy.
I keep a little account of how he gets on each week,
and then on Sunday nights, I show him my notes.
- There's my name!
- Only you and I will know what is to be written beneath your name.
(insects chirping outside)
- (Molly): Vinyl nightgowns were unknown comforts in Nat's world,
and the feeling that somebody cared for him
made that plain room seem like heaven to the homeless child.
Yet he wondered what adventures his friend Dan had lived
since that fateful day in the market when the two
boys were separated.
- Arr! There y'are,
ya scurvy dog!
- My eggs!
Look what you did!
Weren't you looking where you were walking?
Do you know how much this is gonna cost me?
- What's the problem here, fellas?
- He ran into me and broke my eggs!
- Did not, Tommy!
He bumped into me and dropped them.
- Nat, the truth.
- I didn't even touch him. He... he tripped.
- It's not his fault, Mr. Bhaer. We were just playing.
- Come with me, young man.
- Yes, sir.
- When I was a little lad,
I would tend to lie too, Nat.
A lie is a lie.
And although we all tell many polite untruths
in this queer world of ours,
it is not right,
and everybody knows it.
My dear old grandmother cured me of it, though.
Can you guess how?
To this day, I can still hear her voice saying,
"I will help you to watch your tongue
by putting a check on the unruly part."
And with that,
she drew it from my mouth...
...and snipped the end
with scissors...
till blood ran.
Oh, that was terrible, you may believe.
But it did me much good,
because my tongue was
sore for days, and every word I spoke came out so slowly...
that I had time... to think.
But I prefer to do things differently.
Come.
- He's coming down hard on him. - It's all my fault.
I shouldn't have gotten so upset.
- You should have thought of that before, Bangs.
(Tommy sighs.)
- I'm ready for you to strike me.
- Quite the contrary, my lad.
It is you who will ferrule me.
- What?
- Perhaps by giving pain instead of receiving it,
you will learn to
hold your tongue and always tell the truth.
- But I can't hurt you.
- Lying hurts us all, Nat.
Use the ruler.
- Don't make me do this.
- Now, lad!
Give me six good strokes!
- Please, I can't.
- You can. You will!
Obey me!
Now again!
Harder!
- Please, is that enough?
- No! Two more!
- I'll never, ever do it again.
I'll never tell lies to anyone, ever.
- I believe you, my son.
(door opening and closing)
(sigh)
- Still friends?
- I hope so.
- There's more where these came from. Wanna see?
- Yeah.
(horse neighing)
- This is it.
(clucking)
My hens lay them. Mrs. Bhaer buys them,
5 cents a dozen. We could be partners!
- Uh, sure.
- We could split the profits.
- OK.
Look! I got one!
(hawk screeching)
- (Molly): After weeks of searching,
Dan had finally discovered where his friend was taken.
He knew nothing about this strange place called Plumfield,
but the streets of Boston prepared a lad
for just about anything.
- (whispering): Psst! Nat. - Dan! What are you doing here?
It's really good to see you.
- It's good to see you too. - How'd you find this place?
- Asked around, got directions.
Reckoned I'd give Plumfield a try myself.
- You mean you want to stay? - You want me to, don'tcha?
- Of course I do, but... it's not up to me; it's up to the Bhaers.
- The bears? - Yeah, Fritz and Jo. - (man): Steady now, lad.
Down we go. - There's Jo now.
Come on, let's go see her.
(horse neighing) - Charlie, get down! No!
Hold still! Hold still, Charlie!
Come on down!
(neighing) Down!
All right.
Forget about that one, Mrs. Bhaer.
He's untameable. - Thank you, Silas.
I do appreciate your trying.
- Mrs. Bhaer?
This is Dan.
- Well, hello, Dan. - Mrs. Bhaer.
- He's my friend from Boston. - Well, then, we shall have
to make sure that he has a pleasant visit.
- Oh, it isn't a visit; he wants to stay -
if you'll let him.
- It's not as simple as that, Nat.
- But I thought you liked helping poor boys.
- Mr. Bhaer is not home right now.
We will settle this matter when he returns.
In the meantime, why don't you show Dan around?
- (Nat): Yes, ma'am.
- Come on. Some of the fellas are in the barn.
- Ladies and gentlemen!
Let's have a big hand for Tommy the Chimp
and the Amazing Toby!
(singing a circus tune)
(Tommy chattering) (boys making noisy music)
- Hey, everyone!
This is my friend Dan.
- Penny each, 2 cents total!
- Uh, he's company.
I'll pay for both. There you go.
Come on.
- And welcome, gents,
to the amazing big top.
- And now for your enjoyment, Tommy the Chimp will turn a death-defying flip
off the back of a galloping stallion!
(donkey braying) (cheering)
Yay! Yay! Yay!
- You call that a flip?
- Think you could do better?
- Hold these.
- Whoa! - Wow! - Wow!
- By George! A round of applause!
- How'd you do that? - It's easy. You could do it.
There's just one thing you gotta know how to do. - What?
- What'll you give me if I tell ya?
- It's nearly brand new. It's got five blades,
and only one's broken.
- Keep it up till you learn, that's all.
(boys laughing)
- Hey, that's not fair!
- You want the knife back? I'll play ya for it.
Stick knife.
- Dan.
- I'll play. - Take your shoes and socks off,
spread your legs a few feet apart.
You can only move your right foot.
First one who chickens out loses.
- Bet you two bits Bang is the quitter.
- Why don't you just steal my money?
- Uh-uh!
No bending allowed.
- Nat. (Nat gasps.)
Why don't you bring your friend into the house?
Mr. Bhaer is home now.
- Y-Yes, ma'am. I'll be right there.
(Tommy gasps.) - Keep it, Tom.
Ain't gonna risk getting cut with no rusty blade.
(sigh of relief)
- How old are you, Danny?
- Fourteen. And it's Dan.
- You look younger.
- Do you have any relatives? Any friends that can help take care of you?
- No. - (whispering): Say,
"No, ma'am." - No, ma'am.
- To tell the truth, Dan,
our boys are sent to us by their parents.
Or they come to us through referrals
or sponsors. We like to know as much as we can before we admit them.
We have no choice but to pick and choose.
- Dan could have my bed, sir,
and I could sleep in the barn.
I used to sleep almost anywhere with my father.
(church bells chiming)
- Uh, would you boys, uh, leave us alone for a minute
while Mrs. Bhaer and I
discuss the matter? - Yes, sir.
- Oh, a ball. Where'd that come from?
- Hey, that's mine! - Is this your ball, Teddy?
Want it, Teddy? - Hey!
- Ah, look what I got. - Jo, we simply cannot take
another boy. We do not have the money.
- Give it back! - No. Haha!
- Look what I got.
Let's go, Jack.
- Hello there. - Hello.
- Wanna see something? - We cannot--
- Blow on it.
Where'd it go? - I don't know.
- Hey, what's that?
There you go.
- Nat.
I think we should be able to find room for Dan
without you having to give up your bed. Why don't you show him the wash closet
and help him to find some fresh clothing?
- Thank you, Mrs. Bhaer. - Thanks, ma'am.
Thank you, sir.
- Just remember, Dan, no fighting, no lying,
and no stealing.
If you don't behave, they won't let you stay.
- Come on, Nat. You really think people like them give a hoot about paupers like us?
- I know they do.
- Well, maybe the lady,
but you saw the look on the old man's mug.
He figures he's got me pegged. - Then prove him wrong.
- We hardly know anything about him.
- We know that he is in need. (She sighs.)
He has a mind, Fritz;
a heart and a soul like everyone else.
Oh, and there is goodness in him.
You saw how he was with Teddy.
- Yes, I saw.
I wonder if he has any other tricks up his sleeve.
I just hope your experiment works out well.
Ah!
- Hey, Emil, look at this. - What is it?
- It's a book on snakes.
- Great bunch of fellows, huh?
- We don't get boa constrictors around here.
- Great bunch of green bellies.
- You probably saw a garden snake.
(cows lowing) (cock crowing)
(yawning)
- Good morning.
You hungry?
Why don't you help me whip up a few griddlecakes?
Can you pass me the flour, please?
It's the one nearest the lamp.
(boys snickering) - He can't read.
Sorry, Mrs. Bhaer.
- I think it is Dan to whom you owe an apology.
- Please, Dan, accept my apology?
- Ain't no rabbits in these woods.
- Sure there are!
- So, Dan,
Nat said you fellows had some great times
out in the street of Boston. - Is that what he said?
- Yeah. Made out like bandits.
- He was right.
- No, I wasn't.
- It's pure freedom. You live by your wits, boys,
and your fists, just like when you go to sea.
Wouldn't hurt you, Emil, to learn some boxing.
Never know what you'll be up against upon one of them whalers.
- Boxing? - Yeah, sure.
I'd be glad to give you some pointers.
Of course, if you don't think you're man enough...
- I'm man enough.
- What do you say, Emil? Tonight?
- Sure.
- How are you, Molly? - Oh, grand, sir, just grand.
- Will you kindly tell my sister that we're here, Molly?
- Right away, Mum. - Thank you.
- Oh, hello, Mr. and Mrs. Brooke. - Nat, how are you doing, boy?
- Very well, sir. - Good, good, good, good.
- Thank you, sir.
For everything.
Ma'am.
- Father! - Mother!
- Oh! (all laughing)
- Meg! Hello.
- John, thanks for coming. - Wonderful to see you. - Nice to see you.
- Oh, you too, Jo. - Hello, Meg.
- Hello, Fritz.
(coughing)
- Spot of elderberry wine to take the chill out?
- That would be delightful, yes. - Come with me, Meg. - Thank you.
So, pumpkin, tell me, how are things going?
- (Daisy): Very well. - How is he feeling, Meg?
- Oh, he has his good days. - (Demi): I'm reading a book on Greenland.
- Greenland? Oh, that's interesting.
- (Fritz): Yes, many special projects this year.
- Are you all right? - I'm fine.
- (John): Oh, congratulations! Wonderful.
- Beginning to like it here?
- It'll do.
(insects chirping outside)
- Thank you.
I have some unfortunate news. Victoria Harding passed away.
- Oh, dear. How is young Nan taking it?
- Very poorly, I'm afraid.
She misses her mother terribly.
But Nat seems to be adjusting well.
- He is fitting in beautifully.
- Far from the withdrawn youth he was when he first came here.
- Indeed.
- (whispering): Shh! Come on.
(John coughing)
- Your sister's after me to give up this thing.
- John,
we've admitted a friend of Nat's to Plumfield.
- Oh. Who's sponsoring the boy?
- Um... no one, actually.
- No one?
A non-revenue?
But I was under the impression that the well was running dry.
- Yes, it is.
Um... it is one of the concerns we wanted to discuss with you.
- Very well then.
Tell me about the boy.
- Well, at heart he is... a thoughtful,
kind, and well-mannered boy.
- Oh! - That's OK. It's OK.
Slap him back. - Come on,
knock his block off! - Keep your fists up.
Don't want a scrapper getting your face with a whack like that.
- Come on! Yeah, go, go! - Keep moving!
Guard your gut, your head!
- Hit him! Come on!
- Ooh! Oh!
- Think you got the hang of it? Wanna try laying one on me?
Emil? Or is it Emily?
(Emil grunts.)
- Oh! - Oh!
- You swung too wide, too broad. - It's all right. Get back in there.
- Try aiming directly for the face, the belly.
Think straight lines.
- Try again! Come on,
hit him hard!
- What's going on in here?
- Ooh! - (boy): Aw!
- Hey! Now you're gonna get it!
- Break it up! That's enough, boys!
That's enough!
The last fella who did that to me
was left pushing up daisies at Gettysburg!
(knocking on door)
- Hm. Pardon me.
Yes?
- Sorry to disturb you, Mr. Bhaer.
Thought you should see this.
- Uh...
excuse me. Something, uh...
(chuckle) ...has come up.
- I walked in on them
having a row. - A row?
- It was boxing, and I was showing him some moves.
- Another one of your many hidden talents, Dan, along with
tumbling and magic tricks, sticking knives.
Oh, you didn't think I knew about your little contest, did you? It's my job
to know everything around here. Were you aware
that pugilism is strictly forbidden?
- Fist fighting.
- Yeah, I was aware, sir.
- Then why deliberately ignore the rule?
- They'll all be mollycoddles if they don't know how to fight.
- It was I,
sir. I asked him to teach me.
- He'll make a first-rate boxer, too;
he's got the guts.
- Let me
tell you something, my friends.
The measure of a good man is not his ability to do damage
with his fists; rather,
it is his ability to express compassion.
- Fritz?
You'd best go into the parlour.
John's there. Go on. I'll tend to the lads.
Silas.
- You're too dang soft
on them boys, Mrs. Bhaer - every last one of them.
A good whipping's what they need.
I'm sorry, Mrs. Bhaer.
I guess my temper got the better of me.
- That's quite a shiner you've got there, Commodore. - Thanks.
- It wasn't a compliment.
Now, let's have a look
at the tough fellow.
Oh, I see. It's not pain you're afraid of, is it?
- I ain't afraid of nothin'.
- Did you and Mr. Bhaer have a nice chat?
- I thought he was gonna give us both a whippin'.
- We don't give whippings here, Dan.
My husband is a compassionate man.
Do you want to stay at Plumfield?
Then I'll make you a deal.
You follow the rules, then you stay.
But if you continue to break them,
you will be sent away.
- M-Mrs. Bhaer?
- Yes?
- W-What's compassion?
- Is everything all right out there?
- Just a few of the boys who needed help with their lessons.
- Mm.
(birds chirping outside)
- Always thinking the best of people.
- I beg your pardon?
- It's one of the things, Jo, I love most about you.
- Are you patronizing me?
- Never.
- He's come a very long way in a very short time.
I've seen how well the younger boys relate to him.
- Mmm. And I've seen how well he manipulates the older ones.
I grant you, there are two sides to every coin.
But, to my mind, there is a real question
on which side this one will land.
Ah. I must be going. My train leaves in an hour.
(He pats the horse.) - Good boy, Jake.
- I'd wish you luck delivering your lecture,
but I know you won't need it.
- What takes luck is coaxing
the society members to open their wallets.
I haven't given up on the boy, Jo;
far from it.
- Have a safe journey.
- All right, Silas.
- (all but Dan): Nine times 12 equals 108.
Ten times 12 equals 120.
- Good. So,
if you need 60 cents to buy 12 chickens
at the market, how many cents would you need to buy only one?
Dan? - Yeah?
- Sixty cents for 12 chickens at the market.
How much for one?
- Zero.
- What? - Really?
How so?
- Just grab the clucker and run.
(all kids laughing)
- Does anybody know the correct answer?
- Hey, Dan.
Wanna try your luck?
- I bet the only
fishing he knows how to do is for wallets.
- I can out-fish you any day of the week, Jack.
Nat, you awake? (Nat groans.)
I got a great idea. - Yeah, me too:
let's go back to sleep.
- How'd you like to play a few hands of poker?
- There's no cards here; Mr. and Mrs. Bhaer don't allow it.
- Papa Bear ain't home, and Mama's long asleep.
- Where'd those come from? (Jack groaning)
- What's going on?
- Five-card draw, Jack. Wanna play?
- Yeah! - Shh!
Wanna wake the whole house? - Sorry.
- Bring that lamp and pull up a chair.
- What are you fellas doing? - Little game of chance. You in?
- No. - I am! - Shh!
- Come on, Nat.
It'll be like old times.
- I'd hate to think what would happen if we got caught.
- Who's gonna catch us?
- Now what are you doing? It's cold out there!
- So stay under the covers, boy, 'cause we're playing like men.
- Who you calling a boy?
- A little beer.
Or some cigars? (Emil gasps.)
- Are you trying to get us all sent away?
- Will you quit being such a scaredy?
Oh, been too long since I've had one of these.
Damn, that's good.
- You shouldn't say that. Swearing's bad.
- Just puff on it, Tommy, and then pass it to Jack.
- Yeah, Bangs. Just puff on it.
(Tommy coughing)
- I like it! - Here, a swig of this'll cool your throat.
- That's good too - damn good!
(chuckling)
(groaning with distaste)
(cough)
- Poker's the game,
five-card draw. Aces and jokers are wild.
Jack, you're a betting man. You wanna open?
- Open, right.
How much should I bet?
(door opening) - Shh! Someone's coming.
Hello, Demi. What's wrong?
- I thought I smelt... smoke.
- Not in here. Uh, were you dreaming?
- Maybe I should get Molly. - No.
(whispering): No!
Everyone, straighten up
and get back in bed.
(footsteps on the stairs)
- The window's open. It's just smoke from the chimney.
Why don't you go on back to bed? Hmm?
(sigh)
- (whispering): That was close. - Yeah.
I think we should call it a night.
- Phew...
- Goodnight. - 'Night.
- Fire!
Fiiiiire! Everybody out of the house!
Fire! Everybody out!
Fire!
Wake up! Wake up! Wake up,
everybody! - Ahhhh!
- Wake up! Fire!
Wake up! - Ahhhhh!
Ah! - There! Out of the house, boys!
- Come on! - Ahhhh!
- Tommy! Tommy! You're gonna be OK. You're gonna be OK.
Calm down. (Emil coughing)
Molly, go find Daisy!
You boys get outside! Go outside and fetch water!
Fresh air! He needs fresh air! (coughing)
Franz, make sure there's nobody in there! And fetch some water!
Hurry!
(Dan coughing)
Silas, over here.
Silas, the curtains!
- (Silas): Ah!
(Silas and Jo grunting with effort)
(Jo panting)
- Well done, Dan. And thank you, Silas.
Thank God it didn't go out of this room.
- Oh! I brought wet blankets, Mrs. Bhaer.
- Oh, thank you, Molly, but I think it's over.
- Oh, Mrs. Bhaer, I'm so sorry.
- What ever are you apologizing for, Molly?
- Well, Demi came to my room saying he smelt smoke,
and... I thought it must have been
something outside. - Oh, please!
Don't blame this on yourself, dear.
- Maybe it was a spark from the lamp. - Kerosene lamps
don't spark, Dan.
- Boys...
did something go on in here tonight?
- There... - It hurts.
- Tommy, poor love.
(whimpering)
- Make it stop.
- (Molly): Poor lad.
- (Tommy): Make it stop.
- That's what we're doing here. You're going to be just fine.
- (Molly): Mm-hmm.
- (driver): Whoa, boy.
- I wish I could make it right, sir.
Um... I'm very sorry.
- It was a stupid mistake;
one that I'll never make again.
- What are you gonna do with us?
- The scars you'll be living with, Tommy, are
punishment enough.
- What about you?
- Sorry.
(scoff) - Just as I thought.
All right.
All of you boys can leave now.
All but Dan.
Smoking
and gambling.
How many more rules can you arrange to have broken?
- I found this beneath the bedroom window.
- We cannot have you endangering our students any longer, Dan,
with your flagrant disregard of regulations.
So we're sending you away.
To a nice place
run by Mr. Page, a good fellow
who does very well with troubled youths.
- Is there something you want to say to us?
- N-No.
I mean no, ma'am.
I reckon not.
Remember what I told you about people like them?
- You could have asked for just one more chance.
- They're sending me to some place
in the country for troubled youths.
- You might like it.
- I ain't gonna stay if I don't.
- Where would you go?
- Maybe head out west, take a look at California.
Or maybe go to sea,
have some real adventures.
- Whoa.
- Dan!
Might need this.
- Not me, friend.
Not me.
(crying)
- Hey.
- I'm sorry. I'll go away if you want me to leave.
- Oh, no. No, no,
no one's sending you away.
No.
(insects chirping outside)
- He's the first.
The first boy we ever failed with.
- There is the making of a fine young man in him.
In spite of his faults.
- I hope so.
Your faith deserves success.
- (Molly): Jo had a surprise in store for Nat.
She long had thought the boys would be all the better
with another girl among them, so she invited naughty Nan
into their midst. - (Daisy): She's here!
- (Molly): The girl had been running wild since her mother died, and her father rejoiced
when Jo offered to make a place for her at Plumfield.
- (Jo): Hello!
- (Silas): Whoa, boys.
- Come along, my child. Come.
Come and meet your new friends. Ah.
- Nat, Tommy,
this is Nan Harding. She'll be spending the fall with us.
- And perhaps if she likes it enough, she'll stay.
- This is Daisy. Perhaps you can do an activity together.
- Later we can have tea while the boys play baseball.
- (sarcastically): Oh, joy.
(Jo and Fritz laugh.) - Come on in.
- Thank you, Silas. All right, boys,
are we ready for the game? - (boys): Yes, sir.
- OK, boys, next batter! - Come on, Stuffy! - Come on, Stuffy!
- You can do it! - Stuffy, watch the ball!
Watch the ball, Stuffy! Come on!
- You can do it! - (Jo): Concentrate!
- Get ready! Here comes the pitch! - Keep your eye on the ball,
Stuffy! - Oh! Strike one!
(boys shouting) - Come on, Stuffy!
- Here comes the pitch. Keep your eye on the ball! - Hit it out, Stuffy!
- Come on, Stuffy!
(cheering) - Tea?
- Run! Run! - Safe!
- Yeah, sure. (cheering)
- One man out and one on first! Next batter!
- OK, Nat, your turn. Go! - OK, Nat, you can do it.
- Silas taught them how to play. - That's nice.
- (boy): I know you can! Come on!
- Franz, strike him out! - Go, Nat! Yeah!
- Strike one! - Aw, it's OK--
- It was right over the plate! You shoulda beaned it!
- That's OK, Nat. Next one. - Come on, Nat!
Hit it out of the park! Come on, Nat! - (Jo): Concentrate!
- Yeah, get ready. - Strike two!
- Come on! You coulda clobbered it!
- OK, Nat!
Hit it out of the field! - Yeah, hit it out of the field!
- Strike three. Two men out and one on first. - Why did you swing
at that one? He was throwin' at the birds!
- You think you can do better? - Darn tootin'.
- OK, Miss Smarty, let's see what you can do.
- (boy): All right! - Ho, ho.
- (boy): Come on, guys, move in!
- (boy): Tommy, go to the right a bit.
- Wow! Look at that! (cheering)
- Run! Run, Nan! Run!
- Come on, Stuffy! Come on!
- Fat guy, get out of my way!
(cheering) - Great! Run, run, run! - (boy): Throw it! Throw it!
- Come on into home! - Safe!
(laughing) - What a play!
- Like one of the fellows! (laughing)
- She is so much like me when I was
a child. - Oh, that I had known you then!
(Jo laughing) - (Jo): Come on.
- OK, Mr. Smarty.
Now, what can YOU do?
- Play violin?
- May I help you with those, Nan?
- If you want.
(Jo giggling) - It seems Nan's presence has
already had a positive effect on the lads.
- Yes, I know. - Uh, a messenger brought this, Mum.
- Oh, thank you, Molly.
(church bells chiming)
- What is it, Jo?
- It's from Mr. Page.
Dan's run away.
Gone without a trace.
- He's gone?
- I'll bet he's halfway to California by now,
catchin' a ride on a Mississippi riverboat,
playin' five-card draw,
and puffin' on a stogie.
- No riverboat's
big enough for Dan.
He's somewhere in the North Atlantic. First mate
on a Boston whaler. - Listen to yourselves.
Dan nearly got us all kicked out.
- I don't know. I kinda miss him.
- Miss what, Bangs? Getting burned?
Stinker was nothin' but trouble.
- Sorry, Nat.
- Hey.
What's the matter with you?
- They can say whatever they want, but I know the truth.
He was always there when I needed him.
- He's just a boy. Half of them are gibin' good riddance,
and the other half are mopin' like the milk wagon squished their dog.
- We should do something to take their minds off it.
- Like what?
- I know!
- What's this?
"Miss Daisy Brooke and Miss Anthea Harding
"request the pleasure
"of your company at their ball in the barn Friday
evening at 7." - "Nat must bring his fiddle
so we can dance."
What does this mean? "Formal attire?"
- It means we dress up.
- I just hope I look half as pretty as the girls
we've invited from town. - Oh, I'll let you in on a secret:
you're gonna be prettier. - Oh, thank you, Auntie Jo.
- Here, try some of this.
Oh! A bit, girl, not a bucket!
(laughing)
Excuse me, kind sir, but would you think it too forward
if this lady asked you to dance?
- Yes. (laughing)
- Come here.
(giggling)
- Would you like to dance? - Oh, why, thank you, Mr. Bhaer.
- Gentlemen, the ladies are waiting.
- That one. (girls giggling)
- Somebody?
(giggling)
- Dance?
- Silas. - Me?
(Silas laughing)
- Do you want to give it a whirl? - No, thanks.
- Certainly.
(thunder rumbling in the distance)
- There you are, little Bhaer.
What are you looking at?
- Danny.
- Oh, no.
I think it's just a reflection from the moon.
- He was there. I saw him.
(thunder)
- Dan?
- Ow!
I was going off come morning.
Just thought I'd peek in as I went by.
- Why didn't you come inside?
- Didn't suppose you'd let me.
- You just try and see.
Let's take you inside, take care of that foot of yours.
Come on, sweetie.
(Dan coughing)
There you go. (Dan sniffles.)
There you go.
(whispering): He's sleeping.
With rest and proper care,
he should be good as new by Christmas.
- Well, that's good.
When he's able, we will make other arrangements for him.
- What kind of arrangements?
- Why, someplace else to send him, of course. - He's staying--
- Someplace that's better for him. Someplace that is better for him!
- The lad is completely
malnourished, his ankle badly sprained.
We sent him away once and it nearly
destroyed him, Fritz. (thunder)
I will not take that chance again.
- And what about Plumfield, Jo?
Shall we take
another chance on him destroying it?
(birds chirping) (cock crowing)
(dog barking in the distance)
- Hello, Dan!
- Hello!
- Come on.
This is my new friend, Nan.
- Hello. - Hello.
- What happened?
- I didn't like it at Page's.
He was good enough, just too dang strict.
So I cut away, downriver with a guy in a boat.
When I left him, I was doing
fine, until I slipped climbing over a stone wall.
- Hello, Thomas.
- Hello, Tommy! Come on in!
Good to see you too.
- (Nat): Can't catch me! - (Nan): Oh, yes, I can!
- Dan.
I thought as long as you're here, we could use the time wisely.
Shall we work on your reading?
I picked this up this morning while I was in town.
It's a book on natural history.
You'll recognize some of the animals.
Some of the words are quite hard, but together we can
master them. "Orangutan."
That's difficult. (She chuckles.)
(horse neighing)
(huffing)
(insects chirping)
(owl hooting)
(quacking)
- Eight... nine...
ten... eleven...
twelve. That is quite the bounty, Thomas.
Well done.
- Thank you, Mrs. Bhaer, and thank you, chickies.
- (Nat): Dan! Dan!
(clucking)
I was afraid you ran away again.
- Would it have mattered?
You ain't been acting like it.
- What's that supposed to mean?
- You fit right in
with Tommy and the rest of the green bellies.
You even got yourself a girly.
- Nan?
- You don't need me anymore.
Nobody in this rat hole does.
- Have you been crying?
- Nothing makes me cry!
You hear me? Nothing and nobody!
So you'd better stay away from me,
or you'll be the one that's crying.
- There you are, Nat. Business is booming!
What got his goat?
He stole it! - I did not.
- Liar! You were the only one who knew where it was! - Fellows.
- You've lied before, Nat, and you're lying again. - That's enough.
- What's happening?
- Nat stole Tommy's egg money.
- Now, my son,
give me an honest answer.
Did you take his money?
- No, sir.
- He was right there in the barn, Mr. Bhaer,
looking guilty as sin! - Is that true?
- Yes, sir, except I didn't do it.
- Then what was the matter?
- Something between me and Dan.
- Nat...
I'm very sorry,
but the evidences are against you.
But mind, I do not charge you with this theft,
shall not punish you for it until I am
perfectly sure, nor ask you about it again.
But if you are innocent, my son,
the truth will become clear sooner or later.
And the instant it does,
I will be the first to beg your pardon for doubting you.
Now then,
I have a class to teach.
All right, all right, come in!
Let's get started. - He's guilty.
- What do you expect from a street urchin?
It's the way they live.
- Fritz, I refuse to believe it. It's simply not like him.
- To do what, Jo?
To lie, or to go where his friend leads him?
- Oh, I see. It's come down to Dan again, has it?
- Who needs this place anyway?
(insects chirping outside)
- He didn't do it.
- How do you know, Dan? - Because I stole Tommy's money.
- Where is the money now?
- Gambled it away to some fishermen down the creek.
Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose.
- We'll give you a week, Dan, to regain your strength.
By then,
we will have found a suitable place to send you.
- Thank you.
You're being too good a man to say, "I told you so."
- Maybe you can return this to where you bought it,
and help pay Tommy back some of his money.
- Keep it.
(birds chirping) (horse neighing)
(cock crowing)
- Where are you going, Dan?
- Someplace better for me.
- Come inside first.
- Please, Dan?
- Nat.
Assemble the others. Tell them I want them down here.
- Fritz. - Yes? Ah.
All right, come.
Come on.
There is one among you missing.
Jack went home
early this morning,
but he left behind this note.
"I took Tommy's money."
- What? Jack? - Jack?
- "I peeked in on him at the barn one afternoon
"and saw where he hid it.
"I thought Dan
"would be blamed, but not Nat.
"When I saw the way Dan
"stood up for him, I started feeling guilty. I just
"can't take it any longer.
"I am awfully sorry.
"I am going home and don't know
If I will ever come back."
Signed, "Jack."
- If he returns, we will accept him
and hopefully forgive him.
- So, what now? Am I supposed to say
I'm sorry for lying?
- No, dear. It was a kind lie,
and I can't help forgiving it.
But it is never right to tell lies,
even for a friend.
- It was an act of true valour.
- (Molly): Though finally vindicated,
Dan's emotions, too long kept within...
- Dan? - ...needed to burst out somehow.
(neighing)
- What's his problem?
- So easy for all of you
to believe it was one of us.
(horse neighing) - Dan!
- (Molly): A daring fancy took possession
of the boy, and never thinking of the danger,
he obeyed his impulse.
(neighing) - Ugh!
- Dan!
- You think you're tough, Charlie? You ain't so tough!
Come on!
- He's trying to ride Charlie!
- Dan, what are you doing?
- Come on!
- Dan, get down from that animal!
- What is that fool boy doing now? - Dan!
- Come on!
Come on! - Just get down!
(kids shouting) - Watch out, Dan!
- The horse is gonna-- - Dan, no! - Get off!
(kids shouting)
- Get off the horse, Dan! Get off it!
- Get down! - Get off the horse!
- Dan! - Stop it, Dan!
- Dan...
- Come on, get off! - Dan!
- He's doing it! - He's tamed the horse!
- He tamed it! (kids shouting)
- Incredible! - That was amazing!
- Good boy.
- Yay!
(cheering)
- Yes, Dan! - All right, Dan!
- All right, Dan! - Yeah, Dan!
- Well done!
- Dan.
- Christmas season is almost upon us, my son. Come.
Come with your family.
- Come home with us.
Come home.
(kids cheering)
- Ah!
Ah!
- Woo!
- Looks like a wonderful collection.
- Plenty to go around.
- But they're all broken. - With a little
care and hard work, they soon won't be.
One of the greatest gifts is the gift of charity.
That's why every year at Plumfield, we collect old toys,
mend them, paint them,
and give them to poor children in the neighbourhood.
- Children not as fortunate as us.
- That's right, Dan.
(coughing)
- Are you all right, sir?
- Yes, I'm fine, son.
Just a seasonal cold, that's-- (coughing)
- John?
(coughing) - Can I get you something, John?
Perhaps a spot of elderberry wine?
- That's all right. (coughing)
(John coughing violently)
- Meg.
- John!
- Daddy!
(clock ticking)
- I also lost my father.
- (Molly): Nat and Dan watched the carriage take away the man
who had in one moment changed their lives.
- Come along in now.
- (Molly): John Brooke, devoted to helping others,
never asked anything for himself, but bore
his own burden bravely and quietly.
(clock ticking)
- Oh, come on in, Daisy dear.
Mrs. Brooke. Let me take
your coat.
- For John,
this was always the time of year to give from the heart,
and to receive.
This was always the merriest time of year for him.
He'd want us to keep it that way.
(hammering)
That's nice work, Dan.
Now, let's see what we can do about the driver.
- Well... I have all the parts,
so it won't be that difficult.
But the horse... - (Meg): Huh.
- (Dan): That'll be hard. - (Meg): Hm.
(laughing)
- Timber!
(Nan laughing)
- This is for you.
- Thank you, sir. - Merry Christmas.
Merry Christmas, everyone!
- (all): Merry Christmas!
- Merry Christmas, Jo. - Merry Christmas.
- ♪ Amazing grace
♪ How sweet the sound
♪ That saved a wretch like me
♪ I once was lost
♪ But now am found
♪ Was blind but now I see
- ♪ 'Twas grace that taught my heart to fear ♪
♪ And grace my fears relieved
♪ How precious did that grace appear ♪
♪ The hour I first believed
♪ Through many dangers, toils and snares ♪
♪ I have already come
♪ 'Tis grace hath brought me safe thus far ♪
- (Molly): Jo and her husband stood together for a moment,
feeling that their autumn work had been done well.
For love is a flower that grows in any soil,
works its sweet miracles undaunted by fall frost or winter snow,
blooming fair and fragrant all the year,
and blessing those who give and those who receive.
Closed Captioning by SETTE inc.
(train horn)
- (boy): Newspapers!
- Look under here. Look.
- Oh, but I must take that one over there.
It looks much fresher. - Oh, yes.
- (man): Come get your bread! Freshly baked!
- That's the one.
- Oh, look!
- (woman): How are you? - (man): Come get your bread!
- (boy): Newspapers! (horse neighing)
Get your Herald!
- I'm telling ya. You keep it in your pocket, things'll start going your way.
- You sure? - Yeah, never fails.
- Hmm.
A rabbit's foot?
- Whoa! - Excuse me, sir.
Green belly. You hungry?
You gotta eat.
You've been starting yourself ever since your pa died.
How much do I owe ya? - Three bits.
- (man): Here is the poultry! Come and get it!
The finest in the marketplace!
- (woman): Carpets! Carpets! All colours!
All shapes and sizes! The lowest prices!
- Where'd that come from? - See? The old rabbit foot's working already.
- Stop them! - Come on!
- Thief! - Move!
(whistle) - Thief! Thief! Stop them!
Stop them!
Stop those boys!
Stop them! Thief!
(whistle)
Stop those boys!
Stop them!
Stop them! (whistle)
- My violin! (horse neighing)
- End of the line! - Pickpockets! Stop them!
Oh, there's that--! - All right!
- Give me my money! - OK! All right! We'll handle it from here, sir!
- You'd better handle it! Give me my money!
I want my money!
- Gentlemen! Gentlemen!
It's all right.
No one's going to hurt you. Sergeant, may I ask what
you'll be doing with the boy? - We'll book him, and leave him
at the wayward house with the rest of the street urchins.
- Well, perhaps I have an alternative.
My sister-in-law has a school. It's a happy homelike place
for boys who need teaching and care and...
a little bit of kindness. - And discipline!
- (Molly): The year was 1871, and the little women had grown
into wives and mothers, passing the joys of childhood
onto others. Jo had married Professor Bhaer,
and the two of them set up a school at Plumfield,
the home Jo had inherited from her aunt.
- "Dearest Jo and Fritz, Nat is a case after your own heart -
"a motherless child, Nat was raised in poverty.
"His father taught him how to play the violin
"for spare pennies. Only a few weeks ago,
"his father died, and the poor lad has been homeless ever since.
"I think there's something in him, and I have a fancy
that between us we may give this little man a lift. With love, John."
Well, he thinks he's full of potential;
he's just lost everything he's ever known.
- You're a good woman, Jo,
and with you tending to his heart, he'll be fine.
- (Molly): Plumfield was where John Brooke sent
his son and daughter, and this was where he wanted Nat to go.
He knew his sister-in-law would have a special place
in her heart for the street urchin he'd rescued
at the market, and provide the boy
the love and care he desperately needed.
- Go into the house, Nat.
Give Molly your letter. She'll look after you.
(Horse neighs.)
- (Molly): Nat was worried, for he had heard
that teachers gave raps on the head
when lessons were not well done.
Oh, what surprises were in store for the lad, as Plumfield
was unlike any school he could have imagined.
(dog barking)
Hello. Well, you must be the new boy.
Come on in. That's it.
- This is for Mrs. Bhaer.
- Well, you just stand there and warm up a bit
while I take this in to her.
- Hello. Have you seen Aunt Jo?
- Not yet.
- Hello.
- This is my sister, Daisy.
- Mrs. Bhaer will see you now.
- I'll take him to her, Molly. - Oh, thank you, Daisy.
- Come.
- Gotcha! (laughing)
- Here he is, Auntie!
- Oh. So, this is my new boy.
I'm very glad you're here. I hope you'll be happy with us.
I'm Jo. This is Fritz. Think of us as Mother and Father Bhaer.
- Welcome to Plumfield, my son. There's a place all ready for you.
- All we ask in return is honesty and a willingness to learn.
(dinner bell) - Mmm,
the dinner bell. Are you as hungry
as I am, lad?
- Ah! - I'll pull your ears off!
- It's a secret. - Jack, give me my fork back!
- Sit down, Tommy. - Molly, you and Jo have outdone
yourselves with this meal. - Settle down now.
Ah, ah, ah, ah!
Patience is a virtue. Everyone...
Everyone! - Settle down, Jack.
- This is our new boy.
Come on. Nat Blake.
- Hello. - Hello, Nat. (all saying hello)
- Hello, everyone. - Please sit down.
This is our mischievous little monkey, Tommy Bangs.
These are Mr. Brooke's children, Daisy and Demi Brooke.
Next to Daisy is George Cole. - But you can call me Stuffy.
- And the tall fellow there is Franz. That is Mr. Bhaer's nephew.
- He helps me teach, and he's also a very good musician.
- Are you a musician yourself, Nat?
- That is Adolphus Pettingill. - But we call him Dolly.
(all laughing)
- And there is Emil.
- Ahoy, matey, and welcome to the good ship Plumfield.
- Ah, the commodore has salt water in his veins.
- (Emil): Arr! (kids laughing)
- And that is Jack Ford.
- You're gonna like it here, Blake.
- Sure, he'll like it! - And of course you've met
little Bhaer.
I know you're all hungry, so I'll say grace.
Let us pray.
It is very meet, right, and our bounden duty
that we should at all times and in all places give thanks
unto thee, Holy Father,
almighty and everlasting God.
Amen. - (all): Amen.
- (Nat): Amen.
- You may begin. Would you like soup, Daisy?
- Yes, please. - Could I have some too, please?
- You can all give Nat your how-do-you-dos after supper.
- (boy): Hey! Who took my spoon? - And gently, boys.
Gently. - (boy): May I have some bread?
- What did Mr. Bhaer mean when he said, "Gently"?
- Because it's Saturday night.
Pillow fight!
(grunting and laughing) - Take that!
- This isn't like other schools.
- Heads up, Nat! - Ugh!
- Go ahead.
Go on, Nat. Join in the fun.
Go on.
- Hey, two pillows, that's not fair!
Defend yourself, matey!
Or prepare to walk the plank!
- Whop him one, Nat! - Oh!
- Ah, as usual, our cup runneth over. - Mm-hmm.
- Will we make it through spring?
- At least Nat's tuition is covered by your brother-in-law.
- Well, faith, hard work,
and a little help from above will see us through.
It always has. - (boy): Hey! Ow!
- (boy): Hey, that's not fair! - You care to join me?
- I don't think so.
- Ah, you old wet blanket, you. (both laughing)
- How much longer, Aunt Jo? - You have 10 seconds, Demi.
Four, three, two,
one. (whistle blown)
- Hey! Hey! - Time is up.
Time is up.
Into bed, ragamuffins, or pay the forfeit.
- We have 15 minutes and not a second longer.
- What's the forfeit?
- We lose our fun, Blake, as in no pillow fight next Saturday night.
(birds chirping) (cow lowing)
- If Mrs. Bhaer cuts a dozen
slices of apple pie, but only serves
three quarters of them,
how many slices are left? - Hmm.
(students murmuring) - Three quarters of 12...
- Yes, Stuffy? - Serving nine slices leaves three.
- Good! Any questions? - Oh, sir, me!
- Yes, Stuffy? - When do we get to eat them?
(laughing) - Tonight, I hope. That will be all for
this afternoon, fellows. See you at dinner.
("Amazing Grace" played on recorder)
("Amazing Grace" played on recorder)
- Please, don't stop.
- But we would like to hear you play something, Nat.
- I don't know how to play the recorder.
- Hmm. - Well...
what about...
this?
I've had it for years. It's a family heirloom.
- How can I thank you?
- By playing something.
(playing a jig)
(recorder joining in)
(laughing) - Woo-hoo! - Yee-haw!
- Yahoo! - Woo!
- Yeah!
- Woo-hoo!
- Yee-haw!
- Woo-hoo!
- Bravo, Nat! - Bravo! Well done, my son!
Well done! - Well done, Nat.
- You were a street musician? - Uh-huh.
I'd fiddle while my friend Dan did tricks.
- Can you make much money that way?
- Mm-hmm.
- It sounds tin-potty to me. Supply and demand, Nat -
That's the key to a successful enterprise.
Down at the creek, I can earn 5 cents a can
selling worms to fishermen. - Dan and me,
we made tonnes of money. Had tonnes of fun too,
playing all over Boston. We drew
huge crowds wherever we performed.
- Huge crowds?
Tonnes of money?
We know you want to fit in
and be well liked. We want that too.
Perhaps to you it was only a little white lie.
- I wasn't lying. - Then shall we say stretching the truth?
Nat, Mr. Bhaer and I
like having poor boys come live with us.
What we don't like is having them tell misleading tales.
What if your story prompted someone to run away?
You know the reality of how hard life is out there.
(sigh)
There are lessons to learn -
in some ways, far more important than any taught in school,
like being honest, or being good.
- Being good?
- And loving to be good.
Come here.
I want to show you something.
This is one of the ways I try to help. I call this
my Conscience Book.
- There's Tommy's name! - Mm-hmm.
I have a page for each boy.
I keep a little account of how he gets on each week,
and then on Sunday nights, I show him my notes.
- There's my name!
- Only you and I will know what is to be written beneath your name.
(insects chirping outside)
- (Molly): Vinyl nightgowns were unknown comforts in Nat's world,
and the feeling that somebody cared for him
made that plain room seem like heaven to the homeless child.
Yet he wondered what adventures his friend Dan had lived
since that fateful day in the market when the two
boys were separated.
- Arr! There y'are,
ya scurvy dog!
- My eggs!
Look what you did!
Weren't you looking where you were walking?
Do you know how much this is gonna cost me?
- What's the problem here, fellas?
- He ran into me and broke my eggs!
- Did not, Tommy!
He bumped into me and dropped them.
- Nat, the truth.
- I didn't even touch him. He... he tripped.
- It's not his fault, Mr. Bhaer. We were just playing.
- Come with me, young man.
- Yes, sir.
- When I was a little lad,
I would tend to lie too, Nat.
A lie is a lie.
And although we all tell many polite untruths
in this queer world of ours,
it is not right,
and everybody knows it.
My dear old grandmother cured me of it, though.
Can you guess how?
To this day, I can still hear her voice saying,
"I will help you to watch your tongue
by putting a check on the unruly part."
And with that,
she drew it from my mouth...
...and snipped the end
with scissors...
till blood ran.
Oh, that was terrible, you may believe.
But it did me much good,
because my tongue was
sore for days, and every word I spoke came out so slowly...
that I had time... to think.
But I prefer to do things differently.
Come.
- He's coming down hard on him. - It's all my fault.
I shouldn't have gotten so upset.
- You should have thought of that before, Bangs.
(Tommy sighs.)
- I'm ready for you to strike me.
- Quite the contrary, my lad.
It is you who will ferrule me.
- What?
- Perhaps by giving pain instead of receiving it,
you will learn to
hold your tongue and always tell the truth.
- But I can't hurt you.
- Lying hurts us all, Nat.
Use the ruler.
- Don't make me do this.
- Now, lad!
Give me six good strokes!
- Please, I can't.
- You can. You will!
Obey me!
Now again!
Harder!
- Please, is that enough?
- No! Two more!
- I'll never, ever do it again.
I'll never tell lies to anyone, ever.
- I believe you, my son.
(door opening and closing)
(sigh)
- Still friends?
- I hope so.
- There's more where these came from. Wanna see?
- Yeah.
(horse neighing)
- This is it.
(clucking)
My hens lay them. Mrs. Bhaer buys them,
5 cents a dozen. We could be partners!
- Uh, sure.
- We could split the profits.
- OK.
Look! I got one!
(hawk screeching)
- (Molly): After weeks of searching,
Dan had finally discovered where his friend was taken.
He knew nothing about this strange place called Plumfield,
but the streets of Boston prepared a lad
for just about anything.
- (whispering): Psst! Nat. - Dan! What are you doing here?
It's really good to see you.
- It's good to see you too. - How'd you find this place?
- Asked around, got directions.
Reckoned I'd give Plumfield a try myself.
- You mean you want to stay? - You want me to, don'tcha?
- Of course I do, but... it's not up to me; it's up to the Bhaers.
- The bears? - Yeah, Fritz and Jo. - (man): Steady now, lad.
Down we go. - There's Jo now.
Come on, let's go see her.
(horse neighing) - Charlie, get down! No!
Hold still! Hold still, Charlie!
Come on down!
(neighing) Down!
All right.
Forget about that one, Mrs. Bhaer.
He's untameable. - Thank you, Silas.
I do appreciate your trying.
- Mrs. Bhaer?
This is Dan.
- Well, hello, Dan. - Mrs. Bhaer.
- He's my friend from Boston. - Well, then, we shall have
to make sure that he has a pleasant visit.
- Oh, it isn't a visit; he wants to stay -
if you'll let him.
- It's not as simple as that, Nat.
- But I thought you liked helping poor boys.
- Mr. Bhaer is not home right now.
We will settle this matter when he returns.
In the meantime, why don't you show Dan around?
- (Nat): Yes, ma'am.
- Come on. Some of the fellas are in the barn.
- Ladies and gentlemen!
Let's have a big hand for Tommy the Chimp
and the Amazing Toby!
(singing a circus tune)
(Tommy chattering) (boys making noisy music)
- Hey, everyone!
This is my friend Dan.
- Penny each, 2 cents total!
- Uh, he's company.
I'll pay for both. There you go.
Come on.
- And welcome, gents,
to the amazing big top.
- And now for your enjoyment, Tommy the Chimp will turn a death-defying flip
off the back of a galloping stallion!
(donkey braying) (cheering)
Yay! Yay! Yay!
- You call that a flip?
- Think you could do better?
- Hold these.
- Whoa! - Wow! - Wow!
- By George! A round of applause!
- How'd you do that? - It's easy. You could do it.
There's just one thing you gotta know how to do. - What?
- What'll you give me if I tell ya?
- It's nearly brand new. It's got five blades,
and only one's broken.
- Keep it up till you learn, that's all.
(boys laughing)
- Hey, that's not fair!
- You want the knife back? I'll play ya for it.
Stick knife.
- Dan.
- I'll play. - Take your shoes and socks off,
spread your legs a few feet apart.
You can only move your right foot.
First one who chickens out loses.
- Bet you two bits Bang is the quitter.
- Why don't you just steal my money?
- Uh-uh!
No bending allowed.
- Nat. (Nat gasps.)
Why don't you bring your friend into the house?
Mr. Bhaer is home now.
- Y-Yes, ma'am. I'll be right there.
(Tommy gasps.) - Keep it, Tom.
Ain't gonna risk getting cut with no rusty blade.
(sigh of relief)
- How old are you, Danny?
- Fourteen. And it's Dan.
- You look younger.
- Do you have any relatives? Any friends that can help take care of you?
- No. - (whispering): Say,
"No, ma'am." - No, ma'am.
- To tell the truth, Dan,
our boys are sent to us by their parents.
Or they come to us through referrals
or sponsors. We like to know as much as we can before we admit them.
We have no choice but to pick and choose.
- Dan could have my bed, sir,
and I could sleep in the barn.
I used to sleep almost anywhere with my father.
(church bells chiming)
- Uh, would you boys, uh, leave us alone for a minute
while Mrs. Bhaer and I
discuss the matter? - Yes, sir.
- Oh, a ball. Where'd that come from?
- Hey, that's mine! - Is this your ball, Teddy?
Want it, Teddy? - Hey!
- Ah, look what I got. - Jo, we simply cannot take
another boy. We do not have the money.
- Give it back! - No. Haha!
- Look what I got.
Let's go, Jack.
- Hello there. - Hello.
- Wanna see something? - We cannot--
- Blow on it.
Where'd it go? - I don't know.
- Hey, what's that?
There you go.
- Nat.
I think we should be able to find room for Dan
without you having to give up your bed. Why don't you show him the wash closet
and help him to find some fresh clothing?
- Thank you, Mrs. Bhaer. - Thanks, ma'am.
Thank you, sir.
- Just remember, Dan, no fighting, no lying,
and no stealing.
If you don't behave, they won't let you stay.
- Come on, Nat. You really think people like them give a hoot about paupers like us?
- I know they do.
- Well, maybe the lady,
but you saw the look on the old man's mug.
He figures he's got me pegged. - Then prove him wrong.
- We hardly know anything about him.
- We know that he is in need. (She sighs.)
He has a mind, Fritz;
a heart and a soul like everyone else.
Oh, and there is goodness in him.
You saw how he was with Teddy.
- Yes, I saw.
I wonder if he has any other tricks up his sleeve.
I just hope your experiment works out well.
Ah!
- Hey, Emil, look at this. - What is it?
- It's a book on snakes.
- Great bunch of fellows, huh?
- We don't get boa constrictors around here.
- Great bunch of green bellies.
- You probably saw a garden snake.
(cows lowing) (cock crowing)
(yawning)
- Good morning.
You hungry?
Why don't you help me whip up a few griddlecakes?
Can you pass me the flour, please?
It's the one nearest the lamp.
(boys snickering) - He can't read.
Sorry, Mrs. Bhaer.
- I think it is Dan to whom you owe an apology.
- Please, Dan, accept my apology?
- Ain't no rabbits in these woods.
- Sure there are!
- So, Dan,
Nat said you fellows had some great times
out in the street of Boston. - Is that what he said?
- Yeah. Made out like bandits.
- He was right.
- No, I wasn't.
- It's pure freedom. You live by your wits, boys,
and your fists, just like when you go to sea.
Wouldn't hurt you, Emil, to learn some boxing.
Never know what you'll be up against upon one of them whalers.
- Boxing? - Yeah, sure.
I'd be glad to give you some pointers.
Of course, if you don't think you're man enough...
- I'm man enough.
- What do you say, Emil? Tonight?
- Sure.
- How are you, Molly? - Oh, grand, sir, just grand.
- Will you kindly tell my sister that we're here, Molly?
- Right away, Mum. - Thank you.
- Oh, hello, Mr. and Mrs. Brooke. - Nat, how are you doing, boy?
- Very well, sir. - Good, good, good, good.
- Thank you, sir.
For everything.
Ma'am.
- Father! - Mother!
- Oh! (all laughing)
- Meg! Hello.
- John, thanks for coming. - Wonderful to see you. - Nice to see you.
- Oh, you too, Jo. - Hello, Meg.
- Hello, Fritz.
(coughing)
- Spot of elderberry wine to take the chill out?
- That would be delightful, yes. - Come with me, Meg. - Thank you.
So, pumpkin, tell me, how are things going?
- (Daisy): Very well. - How is he feeling, Meg?
- Oh, he has his good days. - (Demi): I'm reading a book on Greenland.
- Greenland? Oh, that's interesting.
- (Fritz): Yes, many special projects this year.
- Are you all right? - I'm fine.
- (John): Oh, congratulations! Wonderful.
- Beginning to like it here?
- It'll do.
(insects chirping outside)
- Thank you.
I have some unfortunate news. Victoria Harding passed away.
- Oh, dear. How is young Nan taking it?
- Very poorly, I'm afraid.
She misses her mother terribly.
But Nat seems to be adjusting well.
- He is fitting in beautifully.
- Far from the withdrawn youth he was when he first came here.
- Indeed.
- (whispering): Shh! Come on.
(John coughing)
- Your sister's after me to give up this thing.
- John,
we've admitted a friend of Nat's to Plumfield.
- Oh. Who's sponsoring the boy?
- Um... no one, actually.
- No one?
A non-revenue?
But I was under the impression that the well was running dry.
- Yes, it is.
Um... it is one of the concerns we wanted to discuss with you.
- Very well then.
Tell me about the boy.
- Well, at heart he is... a thoughtful,
kind, and well-mannered boy.
- Oh! - That's OK. It's OK.
Slap him back. - Come on,
knock his block off! - Keep your fists up.
Don't want a scrapper getting your face with a whack like that.
- Come on! Yeah, go, go! - Keep moving!
Guard your gut, your head!
- Hit him! Come on!
- Ooh! Oh!
- Think you got the hang of it? Wanna try laying one on me?
Emil? Or is it Emily?
(Emil grunts.)
- Oh! - Oh!
- You swung too wide, too broad. - It's all right. Get back in there.
- Try aiming directly for the face, the belly.
Think straight lines.
- Try again! Come on,
hit him hard!
- What's going on in here?
- Ooh! - (boy): Aw!
- Hey! Now you're gonna get it!
- Break it up! That's enough, boys!
That's enough!
The last fella who did that to me
was left pushing up daisies at Gettysburg!
(knocking on door)
- Hm. Pardon me.
Yes?
- Sorry to disturb you, Mr. Bhaer.
Thought you should see this.
- Uh...
excuse me. Something, uh...
(chuckle) ...has come up.
- I walked in on them
having a row. - A row?
- It was boxing, and I was showing him some moves.
- Another one of your many hidden talents, Dan, along with
tumbling and magic tricks, sticking knives.
Oh, you didn't think I knew about your little contest, did you? It's my job
to know everything around here. Were you aware
that pugilism is strictly forbidden?
- Fist fighting.
- Yeah, I was aware, sir.
- Then why deliberately ignore the rule?
- They'll all be mollycoddles if they don't know how to fight.
- It was I,
sir. I asked him to teach me.
- He'll make a first-rate boxer, too;
he's got the guts.
- Let me
tell you something, my friends.
The measure of a good man is not his ability to do damage
with his fists; rather,
it is his ability to express compassion.
- Fritz?
You'd best go into the parlour.
John's there. Go on. I'll tend to the lads.
Silas.
- You're too dang soft
on them boys, Mrs. Bhaer - every last one of them.
A good whipping's what they need.
I'm sorry, Mrs. Bhaer.
I guess my temper got the better of me.
- That's quite a shiner you've got there, Commodore. - Thanks.
- It wasn't a compliment.
Now, let's have a look
at the tough fellow.
Oh, I see. It's not pain you're afraid of, is it?
- I ain't afraid of nothin'.
- Did you and Mr. Bhaer have a nice chat?
- I thought he was gonna give us both a whippin'.
- We don't give whippings here, Dan.
My husband is a compassionate man.
Do you want to stay at Plumfield?
Then I'll make you a deal.
You follow the rules, then you stay.
But if you continue to break them,
you will be sent away.
- M-Mrs. Bhaer?
- Yes?
- W-What's compassion?
- Is everything all right out there?
- Just a few of the boys who needed help with their lessons.
- Mm.
(birds chirping outside)
- Always thinking the best of people.
- I beg your pardon?
- It's one of the things, Jo, I love most about you.
- Are you patronizing me?
- Never.
- He's come a very long way in a very short time.
I've seen how well the younger boys relate to him.
- Mmm. And I've seen how well he manipulates the older ones.
I grant you, there are two sides to every coin.
But, to my mind, there is a real question
on which side this one will land.
Ah. I must be going. My train leaves in an hour.
(He pats the horse.) - Good boy, Jake.
- I'd wish you luck delivering your lecture,
but I know you won't need it.
- What takes luck is coaxing
the society members to open their wallets.
I haven't given up on the boy, Jo;
far from it.
- Have a safe journey.
- All right, Silas.
- (all but Dan): Nine times 12 equals 108.
Ten times 12 equals 120.
- Good. So,
if you need 60 cents to buy 12 chickens
at the market, how many cents would you need to buy only one?
Dan? - Yeah?
- Sixty cents for 12 chickens at the market.
How much for one?
- Zero.
- What? - Really?
How so?
- Just grab the clucker and run.
(all kids laughing)
- Does anybody know the correct answer?
- Hey, Dan.
Wanna try your luck?
- I bet the only
fishing he knows how to do is for wallets.
- I can out-fish you any day of the week, Jack.
Nat, you awake? (Nat groans.)
I got a great idea. - Yeah, me too:
let's go back to sleep.
- How'd you like to play a few hands of poker?
- There's no cards here; Mr. and Mrs. Bhaer don't allow it.
- Papa Bear ain't home, and Mama's long asleep.
- Where'd those come from? (Jack groaning)
- What's going on?
- Five-card draw, Jack. Wanna play?
- Yeah! - Shh!
Wanna wake the whole house? - Sorry.
- Bring that lamp and pull up a chair.
- What are you fellas doing? - Little game of chance. You in?
- No. - I am! - Shh!
- Come on, Nat.
It'll be like old times.
- I'd hate to think what would happen if we got caught.
- Who's gonna catch us?
- Now what are you doing? It's cold out there!
- So stay under the covers, boy, 'cause we're playing like men.
- Who you calling a boy?
- A little beer.
Or some cigars? (Emil gasps.)
- Are you trying to get us all sent away?
- Will you quit being such a scaredy?
Oh, been too long since I've had one of these.
Damn, that's good.
- You shouldn't say that. Swearing's bad.
- Just puff on it, Tommy, and then pass it to Jack.
- Yeah, Bangs. Just puff on it.
(Tommy coughing)
- I like it! - Here, a swig of this'll cool your throat.
- That's good too - damn good!
(chuckling)
(groaning with distaste)
(cough)
- Poker's the game,
five-card draw. Aces and jokers are wild.
Jack, you're a betting man. You wanna open?
- Open, right.
How much should I bet?
(door opening) - Shh! Someone's coming.
Hello, Demi. What's wrong?
- I thought I smelt... smoke.
- Not in here. Uh, were you dreaming?
- Maybe I should get Molly. - No.
(whispering): No!
Everyone, straighten up
and get back in bed.
(footsteps on the stairs)
- The window's open. It's just smoke from the chimney.
Why don't you go on back to bed? Hmm?
(sigh)
- (whispering): That was close. - Yeah.
I think we should call it a night.
- Phew...
- Goodnight. - 'Night.
- Fire!
Fiiiiire! Everybody out of the house!
Fire! Everybody out!
Fire!
Wake up! Wake up! Wake up,
everybody! - Ahhhh!
- Wake up! Fire!
Wake up! - Ahhhhh!
Ah! - There! Out of the house, boys!
- Come on! - Ahhhh!
- Tommy! Tommy! You're gonna be OK. You're gonna be OK.
Calm down. (Emil coughing)
Molly, go find Daisy!
You boys get outside! Go outside and fetch water!
Fresh air! He needs fresh air! (coughing)
Franz, make sure there's nobody in there! And fetch some water!
Hurry!
(Dan coughing)
Silas, over here.
Silas, the curtains!
- (Silas): Ah!
(Silas and Jo grunting with effort)
(Jo panting)
- Well done, Dan. And thank you, Silas.
Thank God it didn't go out of this room.
- Oh! I brought wet blankets, Mrs. Bhaer.
- Oh, thank you, Molly, but I think it's over.
- Oh, Mrs. Bhaer, I'm so sorry.
- What ever are you apologizing for, Molly?
- Well, Demi came to my room saying he smelt smoke,
and... I thought it must have been
something outside. - Oh, please!
Don't blame this on yourself, dear.
- Maybe it was a spark from the lamp. - Kerosene lamps
don't spark, Dan.
- Boys...
did something go on in here tonight?
- There... - It hurts.
- Tommy, poor love.
(whimpering)
- Make it stop.
- (Molly): Poor lad.
- (Tommy): Make it stop.
- That's what we're doing here. You're going to be just fine.
- (Molly): Mm-hmm.
- (driver): Whoa, boy.
- I wish I could make it right, sir.
Um... I'm very sorry.
- It was a stupid mistake;
one that I'll never make again.
- What are you gonna do with us?
- The scars you'll be living with, Tommy, are
punishment enough.
- What about you?
- Sorry.
(scoff) - Just as I thought.
All right.
All of you boys can leave now.
All but Dan.
Smoking
and gambling.
How many more rules can you arrange to have broken?
- I found this beneath the bedroom window.
- We cannot have you endangering our students any longer, Dan,
with your flagrant disregard of regulations.
So we're sending you away.
To a nice place
run by Mr. Page, a good fellow
who does very well with troubled youths.
- Is there something you want to say to us?
- N-No.
I mean no, ma'am.
I reckon not.
Remember what I told you about people like them?
- You could have asked for just one more chance.
- They're sending me to some place
in the country for troubled youths.
- You might like it.
- I ain't gonna stay if I don't.
- Where would you go?
- Maybe head out west, take a look at California.
Or maybe go to sea,
have some real adventures.
- Whoa.
- Dan!
Might need this.
- Not me, friend.
Not me.
(crying)
- Hey.
- I'm sorry. I'll go away if you want me to leave.
- Oh, no. No, no,
no one's sending you away.
No.
(insects chirping outside)
- He's the first.
The first boy we ever failed with.
- There is the making of a fine young man in him.
In spite of his faults.
- I hope so.
Your faith deserves success.
- (Molly): Jo had a surprise in store for Nat.
She long had thought the boys would be all the better
with another girl among them, so she invited naughty Nan
into their midst. - (Daisy): She's here!
- (Molly): The girl had been running wild since her mother died, and her father rejoiced
when Jo offered to make a place for her at Plumfield.
- (Jo): Hello!
- (Silas): Whoa, boys.
- Come along, my child. Come.
Come and meet your new friends. Ah.
- Nat, Tommy,
this is Nan Harding. She'll be spending the fall with us.
- And perhaps if she likes it enough, she'll stay.
- This is Daisy. Perhaps you can do an activity together.
- Later we can have tea while the boys play baseball.
- (sarcastically): Oh, joy.
(Jo and Fritz laugh.) - Come on in.
- Thank you, Silas. All right, boys,
are we ready for the game? - (boys): Yes, sir.
- OK, boys, next batter! - Come on, Stuffy! - Come on, Stuffy!
- You can do it! - Stuffy, watch the ball!
Watch the ball, Stuffy! Come on!
- You can do it! - (Jo): Concentrate!
- Get ready! Here comes the pitch! - Keep your eye on the ball,
Stuffy! - Oh! Strike one!
(boys shouting) - Come on, Stuffy!
- Here comes the pitch. Keep your eye on the ball! - Hit it out, Stuffy!
- Come on, Stuffy!
(cheering) - Tea?
- Run! Run! - Safe!
- Yeah, sure. (cheering)
- One man out and one on first! Next batter!
- OK, Nat, your turn. Go! - OK, Nat, you can do it.
- Silas taught them how to play. - That's nice.
- (boy): I know you can! Come on!
- Franz, strike him out! - Go, Nat! Yeah!
- Strike one! - Aw, it's OK--
- It was right over the plate! You shoulda beaned it!
- That's OK, Nat. Next one. - Come on, Nat!
Hit it out of the park! Come on, Nat! - (Jo): Concentrate!
- Yeah, get ready. - Strike two!
- Come on! You coulda clobbered it!
- OK, Nat!
Hit it out of the field! - Yeah, hit it out of the field!
- Strike three. Two men out and one on first. - Why did you swing
at that one? He was throwin' at the birds!
- You think you can do better? - Darn tootin'.
- OK, Miss Smarty, let's see what you can do.
- (boy): All right! - Ho, ho.
- (boy): Come on, guys, move in!
- (boy): Tommy, go to the right a bit.
- Wow! Look at that! (cheering)
- Run! Run, Nan! Run!
- Come on, Stuffy! Come on!
- Fat guy, get out of my way!
(cheering) - Great! Run, run, run! - (boy): Throw it! Throw it!
- Come on into home! - Safe!
(laughing) - What a play!
- Like one of the fellows! (laughing)
- She is so much like me when I was
a child. - Oh, that I had known you then!
(Jo laughing) - (Jo): Come on.
- OK, Mr. Smarty.
Now, what can YOU do?
- Play violin?
- May I help you with those, Nan?
- If you want.
(Jo giggling) - It seems Nan's presence has
already had a positive effect on the lads.
- Yes, I know. - Uh, a messenger brought this, Mum.
- Oh, thank you, Molly.
(church bells chiming)
- What is it, Jo?
- It's from Mr. Page.
Dan's run away.
Gone without a trace.
- He's gone?
- I'll bet he's halfway to California by now,
catchin' a ride on a Mississippi riverboat,
playin' five-card draw,
and puffin' on a stogie.
- No riverboat's
big enough for Dan.
He's somewhere in the North Atlantic. First mate
on a Boston whaler. - Listen to yourselves.
Dan nearly got us all kicked out.
- I don't know. I kinda miss him.
- Miss what, Bangs? Getting burned?
Stinker was nothin' but trouble.
- Sorry, Nat.
- Hey.
What's the matter with you?
- They can say whatever they want, but I know the truth.
He was always there when I needed him.
- He's just a boy. Half of them are gibin' good riddance,
and the other half are mopin' like the milk wagon squished their dog.
- We should do something to take their minds off it.
- Like what?
- I know!
- What's this?
"Miss Daisy Brooke and Miss Anthea Harding
"request the pleasure
"of your company at their ball in the barn Friday
evening at 7." - "Nat must bring his fiddle
so we can dance."
What does this mean? "Formal attire?"
- It means we dress up.
- I just hope I look half as pretty as the girls
we've invited from town. - Oh, I'll let you in on a secret:
you're gonna be prettier. - Oh, thank you, Auntie Jo.
- Here, try some of this.
Oh! A bit, girl, not a bucket!
(laughing)
Excuse me, kind sir, but would you think it too forward
if this lady asked you to dance?
- Yes. (laughing)
- Come here.
(giggling)
- Would you like to dance? - Oh, why, thank you, Mr. Bhaer.
- Gentlemen, the ladies are waiting.
- That one. (girls giggling)
- Somebody?
(giggling)
- Dance?
- Silas. - Me?
(Silas laughing)
- Do you want to give it a whirl? - No, thanks.
- Certainly.
(thunder rumbling in the distance)
- There you are, little Bhaer.
What are you looking at?
- Danny.
- Oh, no.
I think it's just a reflection from the moon.
- He was there. I saw him.
(thunder)
- Dan?
- Ow!
I was going off come morning.
Just thought I'd peek in as I went by.
- Why didn't you come inside?
- Didn't suppose you'd let me.
- You just try and see.
Let's take you inside, take care of that foot of yours.
Come on, sweetie.
(Dan coughing)
There you go. (Dan sniffles.)
There you go.
(whispering): He's sleeping.
With rest and proper care,
he should be good as new by Christmas.
- Well, that's good.
When he's able, we will make other arrangements for him.
- What kind of arrangements?
- Why, someplace else to send him, of course. - He's staying--
- Someplace that's better for him. Someplace that is better for him!
- The lad is completely
malnourished, his ankle badly sprained.
We sent him away once and it nearly
destroyed him, Fritz. (thunder)
I will not take that chance again.
- And what about Plumfield, Jo?
Shall we take
another chance on him destroying it?
(birds chirping) (cock crowing)
(dog barking in the distance)
- Hello, Dan!
- Hello!
- Come on.
This is my new friend, Nan.
- Hello. - Hello.
- What happened?
- I didn't like it at Page's.
He was good enough, just too dang strict.
So I cut away, downriver with a guy in a boat.
When I left him, I was doing
fine, until I slipped climbing over a stone wall.
- Hello, Thomas.
- Hello, Tommy! Come on in!
Good to see you too.
- (Nat): Can't catch me! - (Nan): Oh, yes, I can!
- Dan.
I thought as long as you're here, we could use the time wisely.
Shall we work on your reading?
I picked this up this morning while I was in town.
It's a book on natural history.
You'll recognize some of the animals.
Some of the words are quite hard, but together we can
master them. "Orangutan."
That's difficult. (She chuckles.)
(horse neighing)
(huffing)
(insects chirping)
(owl hooting)
(quacking)
- Eight... nine...
ten... eleven...
twelve. That is quite the bounty, Thomas.
Well done.
- Thank you, Mrs. Bhaer, and thank you, chickies.
- (Nat): Dan! Dan!
(clucking)
I was afraid you ran away again.
- Would it have mattered?
You ain't been acting like it.
- What's that supposed to mean?
- You fit right in
with Tommy and the rest of the green bellies.
You even got yourself a girly.
- Nan?
- You don't need me anymore.
Nobody in this rat hole does.
- Have you been crying?
- Nothing makes me cry!
You hear me? Nothing and nobody!
So you'd better stay away from me,
or you'll be the one that's crying.
- There you are, Nat. Business is booming!
What got his goat?
He stole it! - I did not.
- Liar! You were the only one who knew where it was! - Fellows.
- You've lied before, Nat, and you're lying again. - That's enough.
- What's happening?
- Nat stole Tommy's egg money.
- Now, my son,
give me an honest answer.
Did you take his money?
- No, sir.
- He was right there in the barn, Mr. Bhaer,
looking guilty as sin! - Is that true?
- Yes, sir, except I didn't do it.
- Then what was the matter?
- Something between me and Dan.
- Nat...
I'm very sorry,
but the evidences are against you.
But mind, I do not charge you with this theft,
shall not punish you for it until I am
perfectly sure, nor ask you about it again.
But if you are innocent, my son,
the truth will become clear sooner or later.
And the instant it does,
I will be the first to beg your pardon for doubting you.
Now then,
I have a class to teach.
All right, all right, come in!
Let's get started. - He's guilty.
- What do you expect from a street urchin?
It's the way they live.
- Fritz, I refuse to believe it. It's simply not like him.
- To do what, Jo?
To lie, or to go where his friend leads him?
- Oh, I see. It's come down to Dan again, has it?
- Who needs this place anyway?
(insects chirping outside)
- He didn't do it.
- How do you know, Dan? - Because I stole Tommy's money.
- Where is the money now?
- Gambled it away to some fishermen down the creek.
Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose.
- We'll give you a week, Dan, to regain your strength.
By then,
we will have found a suitable place to send you.
- Thank you.
You're being too good a man to say, "I told you so."
- Maybe you can return this to where you bought it,
and help pay Tommy back some of his money.
- Keep it.
(birds chirping) (horse neighing)
(cock crowing)
- Where are you going, Dan?
- Someplace better for me.
- Come inside first.
- Please, Dan?
- Nat.
Assemble the others. Tell them I want them down here.
- Fritz. - Yes? Ah.
All right, come.
Come on.
There is one among you missing.
Jack went home
early this morning,
but he left behind this note.
"I took Tommy's money."
- What? Jack? - Jack?
- "I peeked in on him at the barn one afternoon
"and saw where he hid it.
"I thought Dan
"would be blamed, but not Nat.
"When I saw the way Dan
"stood up for him, I started feeling guilty. I just
"can't take it any longer.
"I am awfully sorry.
"I am going home and don't know
If I will ever come back."
Signed, "Jack."
- If he returns, we will accept him
and hopefully forgive him.
- So, what now? Am I supposed to say
I'm sorry for lying?
- No, dear. It was a kind lie,
and I can't help forgiving it.
But it is never right to tell lies,
even for a friend.
- It was an act of true valour.
- (Molly): Though finally vindicated,
Dan's emotions, too long kept within...
- Dan? - ...needed to burst out somehow.
(neighing)
- What's his problem?
- So easy for all of you
to believe it was one of us.
(horse neighing) - Dan!
- (Molly): A daring fancy took possession
of the boy, and never thinking of the danger,
he obeyed his impulse.
(neighing) - Ugh!
- Dan!
- You think you're tough, Charlie? You ain't so tough!
Come on!
- He's trying to ride Charlie!
- Dan, what are you doing?
- Come on!
- Dan, get down from that animal!
- What is that fool boy doing now? - Dan!
- Come on!
Come on! - Just get down!
(kids shouting) - Watch out, Dan!
- The horse is gonna-- - Dan, no! - Get off!
(kids shouting)
- Get off the horse, Dan! Get off it!
- Get down! - Get off the horse!
- Dan! - Stop it, Dan!
- Dan...
- Come on, get off! - Dan!
- He's doing it! - He's tamed the horse!
- He tamed it! (kids shouting)
- Incredible! - That was amazing!
- Good boy.
- Yay!
(cheering)
- Yes, Dan! - All right, Dan!
- All right, Dan! - Yeah, Dan!
- Well done!
- Dan.
- Christmas season is almost upon us, my son. Come.
Come with your family.
- Come home with us.
Come home.
(kids cheering)
- Ah!
Ah!
- Woo!
- Looks like a wonderful collection.
- Plenty to go around.
- But they're all broken. - With a little
care and hard work, they soon won't be.
One of the greatest gifts is the gift of charity.
That's why every year at Plumfield, we collect old toys,
mend them, paint them,
and give them to poor children in the neighbourhood.
- Children not as fortunate as us.
- That's right, Dan.
(coughing)
- Are you all right, sir?
- Yes, I'm fine, son.
Just a seasonal cold, that's-- (coughing)
- John?
(coughing) - Can I get you something, John?
Perhaps a spot of elderberry wine?
- That's all right. (coughing)
(John coughing violently)
- Meg.
- John!
- Daddy!
(clock ticking)
- I also lost my father.
- (Molly): Nat and Dan watched the carriage take away the man
who had in one moment changed their lives.
- Come along in now.
- (Molly): John Brooke, devoted to helping others,
never asked anything for himself, but bore
his own burden bravely and quietly.
(clock ticking)
- Oh, come on in, Daisy dear.
Mrs. Brooke. Let me take
your coat.
- For John,
this was always the time of year to give from the heart,
and to receive.
This was always the merriest time of year for him.
He'd want us to keep it that way.
(hammering)
That's nice work, Dan.
Now, let's see what we can do about the driver.
- Well... I have all the parts,
so it won't be that difficult.
But the horse... - (Meg): Huh.
- (Dan): That'll be hard. - (Meg): Hm.
(laughing)
- Timber!
(Nan laughing)
- This is for you.
- Thank you, sir. - Merry Christmas.
Merry Christmas, everyone!
- (all): Merry Christmas!
- Merry Christmas, Jo. - Merry Christmas.
- ♪ Amazing grace
♪ How sweet the sound
♪ That saved a wretch like me
♪ I once was lost
♪ But now am found
♪ Was blind but now I see
- ♪ 'Twas grace that taught my heart to fear ♪
♪ And grace my fears relieved
♪ How precious did that grace appear ♪
♪ The hour I first believed
♪ Through many dangers, toils and snares ♪
♪ I have already come
♪ 'Tis grace hath brought me safe thus far ♪
- (Molly): Jo and her husband stood together for a moment,
feeling that their autumn work had been done well.
For love is a flower that grows in any soil,
works its sweet miracles undaunted by fall frost or winter snow,
blooming fair and fragrant all the year,
and blessing those who give and those who receive.
Closed Captioning by SETTE inc.
(train horn)