Original subtitles

[orchestral music plays]

♪

♪

♪

How could I ever forget.

These proceedings are enacted in accordance with

and by the authority of Secretary of War

of these United States of America as set forth...

[Narrator] We were told we would be safe in America.

The orphans from the war were sent there.

Please state your names.

[Narrator] But we didn't know we would be sent to an internment camp.

Brigitta Brink.

Helmut Brink.

Legal guardian?

[clearing throat] The Reverend Douglas Simms, M.D.

Then as custodian of these children you must guarantee

strict adherence to the following regulations.

Any grievance or complaint filed by a U.S. citizen...

[Narrator] After one day in that camp,

I wanted to be back home in Germany

even if it meant being alone in the middle of a war.

Six months later we were sent to live with Pastor Simms

in Waterville.

Failure to comply with these rulings

or the issuance of complaint will result in the return

of said immigrants to the Brownsville internment center.

[orchestral music plays]

[Narrator] I thought the war for us had finally ended.

But the war didn't end,

only the battle field had changed.

We weren't the only ones to arrive in Waterville.

There was our new teacher, Mr. Conlon.

He brought something we'd never seen before,

and something we'd never heard before.

[orchestral music plays softly]

And he brought something else.

Something none of us expected.

[hissing and bell ringing]

I see 'im, Ma! I see Ben.

Careful, Samuel, Not too close!

Bessie dear, you are so lucky

to be having your son come home safe and sound.

You know the Reedys over in Grangeville?

They just lost their oldest son.

Died over there in those trenches.

[whispering] And now I hear

Pastor Simms is bringing home two German orphans.

Now I know with his mother passin' on,

he needs help with that big house and all but,

I just don't think its right. Do you dear?

I'm just happy to be having Ben coming home.

Oh, Benjamin.

I'm so happy you're home.

I meant to tell you in the letter.

Ben, what happened to your leg?

Well, it's right here in my bag Sammy.

You want to carry it for me?

Sure.

Let's go home.

Ben's leg is in here?

Yeah, I bet the Germans shot it off.

Tom, Nathan,

you boys head over to the store and pick up that feed I ordered.

Yes Pa.

We'll be along home after we drop off the desk.

The poor thing.

Hmm.

You know how badly Nicholas needed that boy

to help him on the farm.

Sad as it is dear,

now he's just another mouth to feed.

[scratching]

[orchestral music plays softly]

Helmut, stop fiddling with that music box.

Come over and help me with this.

[music stops]

Here.

Hello Mr. Emery. Uh, just, just set it right here.

Well, Helmut, what do you think of your new desk?

How do you like it boy?

Well, Helmut's a little shy.

He and his sister just arrived here from Brownsville,

the internment camp.

Reverend, you're going to have to find somebody else

to do this kind of work for ya. I'm...

too busy.

Nicholas, you know I still need those two book cases made.

And, and there's no one else in town

that does the kind of work you do.

Well ya have to find somebody else.

But Nicholas

I said no.

Helmut! Get back here boy!

What is the matter?

[speaking German]

Helmut!

We are in America now, you must speak English.

Now why are you breathing so hard?

I was running.

[car puttering]

No Nate. We got chores waitin' for us at home.

Anyhow, if we got caught Pa would kill us.

Come on Tom.

Brigitta!

Brigitta!

Brigitta!

Brigitta!

Brigitta!

They locked him in the out house!

Brigitta!

Can't we leave him in there?

[laughs]

Brigitta!

How dare they!

Those ruffians have locked me in here twice this week.

I just don't see the humor in this.

Awg! Oh! Ah! Uh!

I'm the doctor who delivered those boys

and the pastor who baptized them

and by heaven I'll be the undertaker who buries them

and they oughta have more respect for me.

Discipline. That's what they need, discipline.

George.

[sighing]

Well boys, would you believe I'm a teacher?

[sighing] Hope they do.

Good mornin' class.

Well, I believe that one of you

has a round, rather large leather object

that belongs to me.

What's your name?

Uh, it's Eric Danielson, sir.

Eric, could I have my basketball, please?

Where'd you get the ball Mr...

Conlon. Throw it here Eric.

This ball was given to me by Dr. James Naismith,

my physical instructor in college.

When he first started teaching us,

he made us play leap frog and drop the handkerchief.

We were grown men. We didn't find that much fun.

And it always ended up turning into a free-for-all, so,

Dr. Naismith invented a new game for us.

He put up a peach basket at each end of the gymnasium.

He divided us into two teams

and we tried to get the ball into our team's basket.

We weren't supposed to be rough

but still, it turned into a rugby match.

Can you teach us how to play?

Probably not. What's your name?

Helmut.

Helmut. Put it back.

Take out your readers, page 65. Let's see what you know.

Tom, think, uh, Mr. Conlon will teach us that bushel ball game.

Nathan, give me that other wrench.

Basketball. Remember they played it with them peach basket.

They were bushel baskets.

Ben, will you give me that wrench?!

Ben's the only one that could fix this tractor.

Now he can't even...

Come on Gretel!

Oh!

[laughing]

What's wrong? Don't Germans know how to fight?

Aw!

[grunting]

Aw!

Nathan, get off!

Boys!

[smash]

I need your help.

You finished yet?

No.

Done.

Here, here.

Hey, boys.

Boys! Hey! Come on!

[sighing and moaning]

Game's over.

I'm gonna tell you a story.

A story about a little beggar boy, named Ransom,

who lived in a village very, very far away.

It's a story set to music.

It's an opera.

[orchestral music plays]

One day,

the villagers heard that the barbarians were on the way.

That they were stealing and killing everything in their path

Just as they were preparing to flee,

a stranger arrived.

Listen to this.

The stranger asked Ransom, why is everybody leaving?

Helmut, can you tell us what Ransom's saying?

The barbarians are approaching our village

to steal, and to burn.

That's right. To steal, and burn.

So, the stranger climbed to the roof

of the highest house in the village.

He reached into his basket

and he took out an odd complicated instrument.

And he put it to his lips and he blew through it

and it made a loud, piercing scream.

The entire village turned around at once

to see what had made that sound

and the stranger had his arms high above his head

holding the basket

and he shouted out in a loud resounding voice,

Inside my magic basket

are the secrets to help defend you against the barbarians.

What's in the basket?

What happens next?

Tell us the rest of the story!

I'll tell you, tomorrow.

Today, take out your spellers.

Is that German food?

Naw. Not German.

Maybe you twist it.

Here, do you want a marble?

The Jensen and Packard Model 12 Harvester.

Gentlemen, this here beauty of a machine

will be thee future of farming.

And if you aren't using the model 12,

you'll get left in the dust!

What's it cost, Treadway?

The question is,

what's it gonna cost you to harvest another year without it?

This new machine we can harvest all of our fields

in half the time.

That's all fine and good Marcus if we can pay for it.

Last year, I lost half my crop.

The rains came before I could finish.

I'm not going to let that happen again.

You're lucky, I lost more than that.

Now some folks down in Colton last year,

they got together and bought one of these machines.

They had a record harvest.

I heard about that machine.

McBride down there told me it cost them five thousand dollars.

Phew! Five thousand! That's too damn much.

Now gentlemen,

I shouldn't do this but,

well, I'd be willing to let you pay for this machine over time.

If you could give me just,

ten percent down payment; five hundred dollars.

Five hundred!

Where are we supposed to come up with that kind of money?

I don't have any extra cash. Does anybody?

You know we don't.

We can't split it up even anyway.

Daniel, you got twice as much land as I do,

you should pay twice as much.

Your crop has been bigger than mine three years runnin'!

Cause you don't know how to farm!

Farmin's been in my relations

since my grandfather worked this land!

He never made any money either.

Now gentleman, gentleman.

[engine running]

[engine puttering and stops]

Your good enough to be one of those professional ball players.

I've played a little.

Treadway's the name.

Martin Conlon. How are you?

Yeah, I'm not pullin your leg.

Hell, you could play for the Spartans you're so good.

Well, I'm new in town, Mr. Treadway.

Who are the Spartans?

They're a uh, basketball team in Spokane.

Won seventy games in a row.

Never been beat.

It's a shame you can't put your own team together.

It's five hundred dollars if you win.

Of course, uh, [snickers] that's not includin' the real money.

There's plenty of side action.

Well, hmm, I'm just a school teacher.

Do they give point spreads?

In special cases, yes. [laughs]

Mr. Conlon probably won't teach us anymore about basketball

thanks to you and your fightin'.

It ain't me! It's that stupid German. He started it.

No he didn't Nathan. I saw.

Sam, we're butchering the chickens on Saturday and,

uh, you're in charge of chopping off their heads.

No. I don't want to.

You're going to have to chase them around the yard

with their heads chopped off. It's going to be pretty bloody.

Hey! They'll look like you when you have one of your fits!

Nathan! He can't help it.

Tom, do I really have to chop up chickens?

Blood. Blood all over you.

Tom.

He can't hear you Sam.

He's too busy looking at his...girlfriend.

Tooomm!

What?

Nice Toss.

Here, right here.

Ooh!

Helmut, come back.

We want you to play. Come on. Let's go.

All right...Let him have the ball.

Hey. Hey, hey, hey, hey, hey. Sit down.

Here.

You keep it Helmut.

You know when I was your age, my family moved to Boston.

My brother and I, we had a lot of problems fitting in at school

Nobody liked us.

We had our pants pulled down every day.

So, finally, we started going to school without our pants on.

I know what you want, Helmut. You want to play basketball.

They are so mean to me. They will never let me play.

And why should they?

I mean, they are about

as good a basketball team as I've ever seen, I'd say.

A well oiled machine.

I mean how could you ever hope to be good enough

to play with them, Helmut?

Your moment will come Helmut.

I promise. You'll get your chance.

But you have to be ready.

There's not a goal tosser in the lot.

What are you doing?

Helmut, stop that! These were just cleaned.

If I learn how to goal toss, I get to play!

Mr. Conlon, he promised. I need to practice.

Not with these.

Help me get them back in the house and wash them again

before...

Yes I've heard about that game.

No, no dear. I don't have anything like that. But,

wait a minute. Let's just...yup,

here, seven twenty-five.

Do you understand what that means?

Seven dollars and twenty-five cents.

Is there one for two dollars and twenty-five cents?

No, dear, just seven twenty-five.

Dear, if you really have your heart set on that ball,

I could give you five dollars for your pendant.

No.

I could never.

It's very special.

It was my mother's.

[muffled sounds]

[muffled sounds]

[muffled sounds]

Now dear, I'll give you two months to buy it back.

You do have a way to make money, don't you dear?

Pastor Simms pays me to sew.

Oh, well. The way he goes through clothes,

you'll have that money in no time.

[music playing softly]

So you remember

that the villagers were asking the stranger,

What's in the magic basket?

And now, he replies...

Defeat to the enemy. This basket proclaims,

because it contains two stones and a sling.

Two stones and a sling. What could that possibly mean?

Two stones and a sling.

Two stones and a sling.

[liquid pouring]

Like a sling shot.

Yeah, I guess so Pa.

Then the duchess tells them they gotta do what the basket says.

So, the Stranger's the boss now?

I don't think the duke's going to take a liking to that.

Yeah, I reckon she's sweet on the Stranger.

The duke and the duchess have a daughter named Heidi.

Hilde.

Hilde is sneaking out at night to see her boyfriend Bruno.

He's a mysterious man.

No one knows where he's from and he rides a big black horse.

Well what are they doing out there?

What do you think they're doing?

[laughing] Nancy Jean!

[warm laughter]

[kiss]

And now, Hilde's gonna have a baby!

That's enough.

What kind of a story is this?

An op-er-a.

A what?

A story that people sing. In German.

[Singing in German] Tausend Kleine Stucken.

[slam]

[slam]

[coughing]

[pounding]

[pounding]

Nicholas.

He's teaching German to my boys and I won't have that!

Now where did you hear this?

Some kinda German music story. Don't he know we're at war?

You mean the opera.

I'm sure if there were any American operas,

he'd be teaching those.

Mr. Conlon is just trying to bring our children some culture.

Yeah, well Ben saw plenty of German culture.

Look what it did to him.

You get them out of town before somebody else does.

[operatic music playing softly]

♪

♪

♪

♪

♪

♪

♪

Mrs. Emery. Hello.

Mr. Conlon.

Come in.

I was passing by. I heard the music.

It's beautiful isn't it?

She has a lovely voice.

Yeah, that's my favorite part.

I've never heard music like that before.

That's opera.

We listen every day.

It's called "De Korb." It means "The Basket."

That's what the boys have been talking about.

Well.

[sighing] Mr. Conlon,

my husband is unhappy...with the ideas its been giving the boys.

The ideas?

Well, it's a piece of music Mrs. Emery.

All the violence...

an unmarried woman with child.

[sighing] Oh.

Well you need to know the whole opera. It's not like that at all

And it's in German.

Yes.

I mean, why are you teaching the children an opera in German.

We are at war with them?

Mrs. Emery, the opera is a story about war.

It's about what war does to all of us.

To all of us.

I have work to do at home. Good day Mr. Conlon.

Good day Mrs. Emery.

[sighing deeply]

Eric! You can't run with the ball like that.

Hey, it's my turn!

All right!

I wish we had one more, then we would be even up.

I vill play.

[laughing]

Oh, let him play.

Just go away Gretel. You're a runt. Nobody wants you here.

Hey, hey, hey!

Go on! Get out of here! You'll never play with us.

Why are you always pickin' on him?

Why are you always sticking up for him?

Nathan!

[smash]

I'm sorry...about the way...

Nathan treated Helmut.

Why don't you let Helmut play?

Well, you,...

[sighs deeply]

He's just...he's too small!

What is it about this game?

All right. You try to get the ball from me but you can't push.

Watch.

[giggling]

That was good!

[laughing]

Try again.

One more time.

Can I go?

Oh!

What'd you do, crawl?

No sir.

You didn't finish your chores.

Well, I'll do them right now.

Na, its too late now. You finish them tomorrow.

Then after that, you help me in the fields.

What about school?

Miss it.

Get to bed.

That ain't how you do it Lewis.

If you know so much, you show us how to toss it.

Pretty good Nathan!

Hey, where were you yesterday?

He got in trouble cause he was out with his girl friend.

Girl friend? Who?

What happened in school yesterday?

Uh, the village people are scared that the barbarians

are coming so they built a wall around the town.

Who's his girl friend?

German girl.

Does your Pa know?

And the Duke

figures he needs to get his hands on the magic basket

so he bribes the beggar boy to steal it.

No, Ransom doesn't steal it.

He just distracts the stranger so the Duke can steal the basket

Well why would Ransom help the Duke?

I thought he liked the stranger?

Ah, he told him he could live in the castle if he helped him.

I'd do it!

And, while the Duke is stealing the magic basket,

he puts poison in the stranger's water.

Why would he do that?

To kill him!

Quit talkin' about the stupid opera!

Oh! Give me the ball.

Let me show you how the goal tossers do it, all right?

Get yourself set, hold the ball like this. All right?

Elbows in. You step back and you duck, huh? Get a spring.

All right? Try it.

Elbows tucked. Hands on the side. Step back. Push off.

Better. Better.

Mr. Conlon, Mom says you got mail.

Mail!

You got cookies for me in there?

Five minutes.

Afternoon Agnes. I hear you have some mail for me.

Yes, I do dear.

Here you are dear.

Thank you.

Have a good day.

And you.

The Duke takes a little tiny bottle out of his pocket.

Chester! Pay attention!

He pours somethin' into the stranger man's water jug.

No, no Chester, don't drink it! You'll die! It's poison!

Mr. Treadway.

It wouldn't be you that has everyone all riled up

about this new harvester?

[laughing] Well, yes, Ma'am, that'd be me.

Unfortunately it doesn't appear the gentlemen of this town

will be purchasing a harvester.

Does seem a shame.

Yeah! Shame indeed Mrs. Barnes.

Particularly considering that a bigger harvest

means more money to those farmers.

Money they'd be spending right here in this store.

Hmm.

Have you talked to Pastor Simms?

Maybe he could help you.

Where might I find him?

A white house, on the main road,

about a mile and a half out of town.

Mighty grateful, Mrs. Barnes.

Mr. Treadway, uh, since you're going that way,

would you mind delivering this?

Well, it's a basketball! I'd be happy to Mrs. Barnes!

Thank you.

Afternoon.

Yeah. Afternoon.

Can of lard.

That'll be a dollar twenty-five, Marcus.

Out of two dollars.

Let's see, that's uh, twenty-five, thirty, forty,

fifty, seventy-five...

...and congratulations Marcus,

you're the first one to contribute

to the harvester fund.

Um, you say this machine will do the work of ten?

Yes sir.

Seems a real shame they haven't yet purchased the model 12.

Could make a big difference in this community.

Bigger harvests,

more money for the families in your congregation.

They bought a Model 12 down in Colton last spring.

Reverend,

isn't that where they're building that new church?

Toss it Helmut, toss it.

Oh, no! It hit the Lord's vehicle!

[laughing]

You have to hold the ball with two hands.

[laughing]

Do not shoot with one hand

and you should not jump when you shoot. Okay.

Okay.

Okay. Here. See.

Hold the ball like this, step back, push it off!

Oooh!

Uh!

Keep trying! You will get it.

[laughing]

Um,

stay with him.

Look at it.

Sitting in trenches for nine months.

Stuck here in this bed,

waiting to die.

[coughs]

Huns like you did this to me.

And I want you to see.

[slam]

It wasn't Huns like me.

It was soldiers like you.

[coughing]

My mother and father were killed

by Americans.

Who said the Pledge of Allegiance yesterday?

I did. It's Helmut's turn.

Helmut.

He can't do it. He's German.

My Pa says he shouldn't even be here.

Why don't you just go back to where you came from.

Leave him alone, Nathan!

Gentleman, button it.

I pledge allegiance to MY flag,

to the republic for which it stands,

one nation, indivisible,

with liberty and justice for all.

Can I go see Ben?

No, you have to rest.

Ma, is Ben gonna die?

So tell me more about your opera.

The Duke, didn't he try to poison the stranger's water?

He didn't die. He's in a deep sleep. Ransom...

The beggar boy.

Yeah. He's living in the big castle on the hill.

With the Duke, yeah?

Right. But he's not happy.

He's all alone and he feels bad for what he did

because the stranger was always really nice to him.

And the Duke has stolen the magic basket from the stranger.

The Duke lies to the villagers

and tells them that the basket has instructed him

to send his son to find out where the barbarians are.

When the boy's horse comes back,

the dead body of the Duke's son is strapped to the horse.

It was a warning from the barbarians.

Why didn't the Duke's son just tell his Pa

that he didn't want to go and do that?

When there's a war,

everyone has to do what their leaders tell them to do.

Many people die because of that.

[operatic music builds]

And this, is the song that the Duchess sings

when she finds out her son is dead.

[operatic music continues]

♪

♪

♪

♪

♪

♪

The great joy that my son brought to me

has been devoured by my own fear

and my nightly grave is filled with dread of awakening

to each new day without him.

[operatic music builds]

♪

♪

♪

♪

Hi Helmut!

I, I'm bringing this from Pastor Simms.

Did you come to play?

Oh! This is good!

Here, you try.

Tom and Nathan never let me play.

They always say I'm too small.

Calm down Samuel.

The barn.

Oh My!

[bell ringing]

The barn's on fire!

Get the pump!

Damn it boy! Get out of the way!

But, Helmut, Helmut's in there!

Why the hell is that German boy in that barn!

We were playing basketball.

Tom!

Nicholas!

[explosions and gunfire]

[explosions and gunfire]

[explosions and gunfire]

She needs the money

and you know how much I need help with the sewing I take in.

[laughs] I tell the boys to stay away from them

and you're, you're lettin' them in the house!

I need the help.

Don't matter. They're not going to be here much longer.

Lord have mercy.

It ain't right Conlon.

Settin' up this match without our knowin' nothin' about it...

it just ain't right.

I didn't know a thing about it until I read it in the paper.

I just wrote away for information.

It looks like a lot more than just information.

Paper says we're playin' a game in less than a month.

Well, I thought it might be a way to make some money.

Money? There's money involved?

How much money?

Five hundred dollars, if we win.

Playing for money with our children.

I thought it might be a way to get that harvester you want.

I never intended...

Five hundred dollars would cover that down payment.

If we order it soon, we could get it in time for next harvest.

Do our boys even know how to play this game?

Well, what about it Conlon?

No. Not yet.

Just suppose they did play, could they win.

When I coached back East, we never lost a game.

Well, we lost one.

Five hundred dollars, what's the catch.

Says here it cost fifty dollars to enter.

Hell, the way Agnes has been keeping our change

in that basket, we ought to have more'n that.

We have forty-eight dollars and twenty-six cents.

And when Daniel picks up his bag of flour tomorrow

we'll have an even fifty!

[light laughter]

My boys won't be playin'.

I lost my barn because of that game.

Come on, Elizabeth.

Now listen to me Nicholas,

you got no barn left and you've lost your oldest boy.

Well hell's fire

even Agnes won't give you any more credit at the store.

How do you know that?

The whole town knows it.

You know you can't keep any secrets around here.

Now listen,

right now, this is the best chance you're gonna have

for a long time.

I suggest you take it.

Just this one match.

How many boys does it take to make a team?

It takes five. Five to a team.

Well we got seven boys in the school.

Nicholas, you're boy Samuel's to young

and the German boy don't count.

So we got the two Emery boys, George Haines, my boy Lewis

and your boy Eric.

Fine, we got a team then.

Is there anything I can help you do to get ready?

We need a proper basket to practice with.

Well, I do the smithing around here, I'd be glad to help.

And won't the team need fancy uniforms?

I never thought of that.

Mr. Conlon,

I could make the uniforms.

Well, you know, that's not the...

You will not sew those uniforms.

Why not?

No uniforms.

It's an interesting picture Mr. Conlon. Do you know those men?

Oh, yeah. That was me there.

I used to play for that team before I started coaching.

Where did you coach?

Boston. Yeah I thought that this photograph

might show you how the uniforms are.

Boston. I've always wanted to visit Boston.

Mmm hmm.

Or any place for that matter.

Why did you leave there to come here?

[door creaking]

Hello Nicholas.

My boys done something to bring you here?

Ah, the boys are fine.

Mr. Conlon dropped by to bring this photograph,

of the basketball uniforms to help with my sewing.

Mrs. Emery will not be sewing those uniforms.

Good day Mr. Conlon.

Thank you for your courtesy, Mrs. Emery.

Sorry, Nicholas.

[slam]

This was already settled.

I'm going to make the uniforms.

What is so, [sighs] damned important about those uniforms?

Some stranger comes into town.

He fills our kids heads with odd ideas and you want to help him.

This has nothing to do with Mr. Conlon.

I'm deciding for myself what's best.

I make the decisions in this house Elizabeth.

Like your decision to send Ben to war.

I think about that every minute of every day.

And the fireman says, cause the pump's dry.

[jovial laughter]

How's the crackerjack reporter?

Ready. What's the scandal?

Mel, I got a hot one.

Must be red hot. Eh, two more Billy!

I've been up in Waterville.

You got goins on in Waterville.

Geez, whose shoes did you forget to shine?

No that little whistle-stop's gonna make me some dough.

They're puttin a basketball team together.

Gonna play the Spokane Spartans.

The Spartans?

Thank you Lewis.

They've won seventy in a row. No one's even come close.

Who's gonna take that bet?

I know someone in Waterville who will.

He must have just fallen off the apple cart.

It's a sure thing. That hayseed will never know what hit him.

[laughter]

Gentlemen. We have a problem.

None of you can toss.

If you can sneak away from the fella guarding you

and get in close to the basket, you might make it.

I wanna teach you a play. Tom get in the center.

George guard the basket. Eric, other side.

Nathan here. Lewis over there.

So I'm going to give you the ball. I'm gonna guard you.

When I guard you, you throw to Tom. George, you run in,

you block me, you run around,

you get the ball from Tom and you score.

So we try.

All right. Around to Tom. Okay, George. Scoot.

The ball. All right. Okay. Let's go, at speed.

Now you have to go as soon as he blocks me, you have to go.

Right.

All right. You ready? Okay.

Go!

Watch George!

Okay. Go!

All right. Good. That'll work. That'll work.

Now what are we gonna call it?

Let's call it Hilde.

Hilde.

Well why would we call it Hilde?

You know, Hilde, the Duke's daughter in the opera?

[sighing]

She distracts the people

so she can sneak out and see her boyfriend.

All right. Hilde it is. George, you be Hilde.

[laughter]

You give me the ball, I'll throw it.

Okay. Nathan, come on. Tom. Nathan! Go, go, go, go. Good.

Better. In the basket.

May I have my ball?

Get it.

[grunting]

Come on. Get it.

Uh, guess you don't want your ball then.

Nein!

Stop! My ball!

[crying] My ball.

I'm happy to see you gentlemen are confident enough

that you don't have to practice.

We don't have a ball.

Huh. Well, I'm replacing the strings on mine.

Helmut, can we borrow your ball?

Helmut, can we borrow your ball?

I do not have it.

Why not? What happened to it?

Well. I guess this means we can't practice.

You do wonderful work, Brigitta.

Thank you.

Ach!

I forgot to finish hemming this sleeve.

We'll finish tomorrow.

I'd better check on Samuel.

I've decided to sign up.

Sign up? What does that mean?

I'm joining the army.

I want to get in before the war's over.

[sighing]

Now over the horizon was a huge cloud of dust

and suddenly the air was thick

with the thunder of horses' hooves

and the war cries of men and the clatter of armor and weapons.

The barbarians had arrived.

And you know dear, that Hilde, that little tramp,

is out meeting Bruno, that mysterious man on horseback.

I never trusted him.

Why couldn't he come courtin' like a proper gentlemen.

And now, that their out gallivanting all around,

well, she's locked outside the gates and she can't get in.

Now those awful barbarians are coming.

Well, it turns out this Bruno she's been seeing

is the son of the barbarian leader.

Bruno's Pa orders him to kill Hilde.

Wait a minute, isn't she with child?

Yup.

So he's ordering his boy to kill his own child?

Yup.

But he don't know it right?

No.

Well, what happens next?

Then he does as his Pa orders. He kills her.

Then he kills himself.

That's a real shame.

The Duke tried very quickly to escape

but he was killed by the barbarians.

So the people, the villagers,

were preparing to desert their positions but once again,

they were stopped by the eerie, keening sound

of the stranger's instrument.

Once again, the stranger's voice resounded through the village.

To defend a mighty wall, each must fight for something small.

So they did.

The villagers united,

they saved their wall and they saved their village.

So now, safe and sound,

the villagers began to wonder about the meaning of the riddle.

Defeat to the enemy this basket will bring

[with students] because it contains two stones and a sling.

Ah, ha.

I must have fallen asleep.

Your chores weren't done.

What are you doing? No. No!

How could you?

I don't know if this would work,

but, you remember the riddle from the opera,

To defend the mighty wall, each must fight for something small?

So, each of you has one task, to defend your area,

but, we work together.

So keep the rope taut, spread out, follow the ball.

You ready? Go! Just all together.

All together. All together. Come on. Come on. Come on. Come on.

Together. Together. And back again. Together.

Uh, George.

Come on. Tighten up.

Tighten up.

You ready? Come on. Good. Better. Better. Much better.

All right. Good. You got the idea. That's enough for today.

That's lookin' better. All right.

[sighing] One week.

Mr. Conlon? Can I toss your ball?

Yeah.

Good.

Hello Martin.

Charlie Cohn.

I bet you thought you wouldn't see me again.

I, I never would have found you if I hadn't read about the uh,

match you set up in the paper.

Did you get my letters?

No. I had another engagement.

It's called jail. I spent six months there.

Where's the rest of my money?

That's all I got.

This isn't even half of my cut!

I thought you weren't going to gamble anymore?

Charlie, stick around a few days

and I'll have your share and more.

What are you going to do?

Bet against your team and then throw the game?

Like you did in Boston?

Hey Martin, that didn't get you very far.

I mean, look at this dump.

Charlie, this dump is my home.

How you gonna get me my money?

Uh oh, oh. I know your scam.

You let the kids play the first half.

Then you come in half time and you win the game.

You lookin' for this?

I'm not waitin' around. Back out Martin. Back out.

Look, I, I'm done reminiscing. Where is the rest of my money?

Charlie. You can't get blood from a turnip.

Don't! Don't! Stop!

Helmut!

Stop!

No! Helmut!

Come here! Here!

Get this kid off me Conlon.

Outside. Outside.

Stop!

Go outside! Out! Out!

So its come down to this Martin?

Stealing pennies off school kids?

[laughs] You know what?

You can take the rest of my money and fix this place up.

You're pathetic.

Excuse me.

Trespassing on our land in the middle of the night?

It's my right. They've broken those immigration laws

more times than I can count.

Leave them alone. They've done nothing.

Helmut, you run along home now.

Ah you can save 'em tonight, Bessie, but they're going back.

This has nothing to do with them.

Nothing's been right with you

since you sent Ben off to fight in the war.

Why are you always... [sighs]

Don't you think I feel guilty enough

about Ben going to the war?

Yes. Yes. I do.

But you have to forgive yourself.

And I have to forgive myself

for not fighting harder to keep him home.

Pa's going to send you back to that war camp.

I don't care anymore. There's nothing for me here.

I have to go.

You don't know what you're doing.

If you had seen the war the way I have...

I know all about the war. Ben told me.

And where is Ben right now Tom?

And where are my parents?

What happened to them?

I shouldn't have gone back for it.

Gone back for what, where'd you go?

It's my fault he died.

I ran out of our house.

American soldiers everywhere.

Gunfire, and smoke. No one could breathe.

Everyone was running in the street.

I had to go back. I forgot Mama's pendant.

If I hadn't gone back for it,

that soldier never would have shot him.

He'd still be alive.

Why would they kill your father?

Don't you understand?

Everyone dies.

There is no way you can know about the war.

Everything I loved

was taken away from me right in front of my eyes.

And I could not stop it from happening.

You don't know what it is like

to cause the death of someone you love.

I won't leave you.

[whispering] I'm not gonna' go.

[sighing]

[engine begins running]

[chuckles]

I'll be damned.

Don't speak a word of this. I'll just tell her its missing.

[cheering]

[whistle sounding]

[cheering]

Let's go boys. This ain't the farm.

You heard the man. Get to the center.

Mr. Referee, we'd like a time out.

All right. The reason you're getting your tails whipped

is because you're running all over the place without focus.

We can't just stand around out there.

We have to run to keep up with them.

I mean we're gonna lose if we keep this up.

All right, sit down Nathan.

Now Nathan's right

but that doesn't mean you just run anywhere.

Now look at this, you remember?

To defend a might wall, each one must fight for something small.

Tom, that's your position.

Eric. George.

Nathan. Lewis.

Defend the wall and keep the rope tight.

You can beat these guys.

[bell chimes]

Watch his eyes.

[whistle sounding]

[whistle sounding]

Come on Squinty, whose is it?

Nobody's, side tip.

That means the ball's up for grabs! Go to the center.

Get the ball. Get the ball!

Hilde.

Right. Yeah. Yeah.

[cheering]

Waterville. Back to the wall. Get back.

Hey! Curly! This ain't allowed. They can't guard us this way.

Well, it's legal back east

and the teams there have learned how to play against it.

In case you hadn't noticed, this ain't the east.

Oh, well, if you don't think you're good enough

to play against it...

Fine,

we need to do something to make this more interesting anyhow.

Press 'em boys.

[grunting]

Hey! Get the hair out of your eyes, huh?

[booing]

Here comes Hilde!

[cheering]

All that fussing in the middle after every basket

sure slows the game down.

[cheering]

[whistle sounding]

[cheering]

[grunting]

[whistle sounding]

Half-time!

[bell chiming]

[light chattering]

Professor.

Mr. Treadway.

You doing all right?

Just fine.

I want to double my bet. Are you in or out?

I'd be happy to double the bet.

[laughs] I was happy to take the first bet

and have no objection to this one.

No sir. No objection at all.

Nice doing business, Professor.

You too, Mr. Treadway.

Mr. Conlon. I'm ready.

Ready for what? George, come here.

I am ready Mr. Conlon.

Ready for what, Helmut? George, I need to talk to you.

This is my chance, Mr. Conlon, and I am ready to play.

Helmut, not now, I'm very busy.

George, I need your uniform.

It is my moment, Mr. Conlon, and I am ready to play.

Helmut, not know, I'm very busy.

You told me, that if I was good enough you would let me play.

Besides, I am the only one who can goal toss.

Helmut, what are you saying.

You promised, the day that they pulled my pants down.

You said that you would wait for my moment

and you promised that I could play. Now why can't I play.

Helmut, you haven't practiced with us.

I know all the plays. I know the Hilde!

They know the Hilde! Everyone knows the Hilde.

Helmut, I can't let you play.

You promised.

I'm sorry Helmut.

Do you see.

They're going to make Brigitta and I go back.

No they're not.

You have a game to play. Get dressed.

Go on.

Conlon! Why is the German boy puttin' on my son's uniform.

Because he's going to play Mr. Haines.

My boy ain't going to play with no German

and Emery's boys won't either.

Tell 'em Nick.

You two sit down. Let the boy play.

[sighing]

The darn seed salesmen,

seem to find me wherever I go.

[bell chimes]

Nice fit, pee wee.

[whistle sounds]

[cheering]

[cheering]

[cheering]

Go head squirt shoot it.

If you can even throw it that far pee wee!

[cheering]

You know, if you can't guard him...

Jimmy! Guard your man. The kid can shoot!

Ah, he ain't gonna make two in a row!

[cheering]

Okay, I'll guard him.

[grunting]

[cheering]

Foul!

What?

[booing]

Yeah!

[cheering]

[cheering]

Two minutes!

That a boy!

[cheering]

[whistle sounding]

Time out! Waterville.

We got to get the ball to Helmut,

but this time, you're gonna shoot from here.

No.

Why not?

I can only shoot from there.

They don't know that.

Let's go.

Get him!

[cheering]

Stretch!

Foul him!

[whistle sounding]

Foul!

Fifteen seconds left after the shot, gentlemen.

I'll count you down.

[cheering]

[muffled sounds]

[muffled sounds]

[muffled sounds]

[muffled sounds]

He's okay.

He's okay.

[whispering] Okay.

Ohh!

Thank you son.

Helmut come here please.

I need a favor.

How did you get this?

There's an expression where I come from,

it says you don't have to win,

you just have to cover the spread.

[bell chiming softly]

[Helmut] The stranger told the villagers

that there were two stones and a sling in the basket.

None of them knew what that meant

but Ransom tells them he knows.

Ransom takes one of the stones from the basket

and crushes it into many tiny pieces.

He puts the pieces in his sling

and casts them into the air.

They scatter and fall to the ground.

Ransom says, A thousand tiny pieces will never fly so high.

Ransom grabs the other stone and puts it in his sling.

[Helmut and Narrator] He pulls as hard as he can

and casts the stone and it flies forever.

[Narrator] Ransom turns to the villagers and says,

Divided, we shall falter. Together, we shall fly'

Zusammen werden wir Fliegen.

Together, we shall fly.

Brigitta!

♪