All language subtitles for Hans Brinker or the silver skates

NarratorHans Brnker
was a Dutch boy

who lvedn a smallvllage
bythe uderee.

Hs stotakesplace
about yea ago.

In those days, Hollandhad
allthe uantcharacterstcs

we have come to thnkof
as typcallyDutch.

Allthe charm andthe beauty
capturedandpassedon to us

n thepantngs
ofthe greatDutch maste,

such as Vermeer, Rusdael,
andRembrandt.

Here, n the fshng vllage
ofoursto,

the menpuued
therlvelhoodon the sea

forsxhardworkng days
each week.

Buton the seventh,
theytook therfolks to church.

Andthats where they'dbeen
on thepacularSundayn sprng

when ourstobegns.

Among the goodburghe
on therwayhome from SundayMass,

was a humble famly
offsheolkcalledBrnker.

What a wondeul dayfor a sal.

- On Sunday?
- Why not? We've been to church.

- We can go to the coastfor a pcnc.
- PIease, Mother.

AII rght.
I'II pack a basket Iunch.

- May I nvte HIda van GIeck?
- Ra Ofcourse.

Do you thnkthe burgomaster
wll approve?

Why shouldn't he?

Good day, Mevrouw.
urgomaster.

We wondered f HIda
would Ike to come salng.

- May I, please?
- No, t's out ofthe queston.

Esdes, we're takng coee
wth the Schmmels.

- I'm sor, Hans.
- So am I.

- Come n, HIda.
- Anothertme, perhaps.

I would have Iked to have
gone salng wth Hans.

It's rghtthatyou're polte
to persons Ike the rnkers,

butyou must not
assocate wth them.

Why not? They're decent, honestfolk
and t's fun to be wth them.

Father means you should choose
companons from your own class.

Oh, Mother. I suppose he means
someone Ike Ludwg Schmmel.

He bores me.

I much preferthe company
of Hans rnker.

Man Ahoy Ahoythere

accordonplayng

Have you ever heard people say
thatthe Lord created the eah,

- butthe Dutch made Holland?
- No.

Well, once upon a tme,
all the Iand where we now Ive

was covered bywater.

Then our
great-great-grandfathers came

and decded to take tfrom the sea.

- Take tfrom the sea?
- Yes.

Frst, they bult a bg dke, Ike ths,
to keep the ocean back.

Then they used wndmlls
to pump the water out,

so they could rase crops
and buld towns

- where the sea used to be.
- It's called the watcher.

Ecause t always keeps
both eyes open, watchng the sea.

Ut sometmes a storm drves
the waves overthe watcher,

- so they bult a second dke.
- It's called the dreamer.

It's only halfawake,
untl t's needed.

Utthen t stands there,
holdng the water back.

And that one?

That Iast one
s called the sleeper.

Itust Ies there, snoozng
Ike our old cat n front ofthe fre.

Ut fthe sea ever broke
through the o other dkes,

the sleeperwould wake up
and save us from beng drowned.

Nowyou understand what
people mean when they say,

"The Lord created the eah,
butthe Dutch made Holland."

- Let me see.
- It's notve good.

Well, I don't know much about t,
but I thnkyou have talent.

I wantto Iearn.
I wantto be a good ast.

Then you shall be. They say a man can
do anhng f he puts hs mnd to t.

- Now, what about a race?
- Good. Where?

Overthe dke, around the wndmll
overthere, and then back.

- I'II get backfrst.
- You mean you'II t.

Get ready. Go

bleatng

cows moong

cluckng

eat hm, Father

Thatwasn'tfar.
You pulled me back.

I can't Ietyou beat me yet.

- Boy cng
- grl Father, come quckly

Yes, you see what can happen
fyou don't keep a close watch.

The sea s ourfrend
because we Ive by t.

Ut t could also be our enemy,

and fwe are not careful,
we mght de by t.

We beer be stang for home.

Even on Sunday,
the devl can brew a storm.

It's tme you o wentto bed.

Othese, you'II be sleepy
for school tomorrow.

Just a IIe whle Ionger, Mother.

- Thunder
- Ra Gretel...

mother To the Io, both ofyou.

- Good nght, Mother.
- Good nght, darlng.

- Gretel Good nght, Father.
- Good nght.

- Good nght, Mother.
- Good nght, darlng.

Good nght, Father.

Don'tforgetyour prayers.

Thunder

Mete, have you seen
all these drawngs Hans has made?

- I've seen them.
- Don'tyou thnkthey're good?

Perhaps, but he should be
Iearnng a useful trade,

notwastng hs tme
makng pctures.

Wastng hs tme?
He wants to be an ast.

Holland has too many asts,
all poor.

Isn'tthat beerthan beng
a poorfsherman, Ike hs father?

I'm serous, Ra.
I'm worred about Hans.

Gretel wll be all rght.
She can cook and sew.

She'II fnd a husband.
utwhatwll be the future for Hans?

I thnk a man should work
atwhat he enoys.

I want our chldren to have
a beer Ife than we've had.

Utwe are geng along fne.

Now, perhaps. utwhen
wnter comes and fshng s poor,

there wll be hardly
enough to eat agan.

Mete, you don't have
to wor anymore.

I've been keepng
a surprse foryou.

- Thunder
- Tel Mother.

- Mother, what s t?
- Oh, darlng. Dd tfrghten you?

Oh, t's such an aul weather.

Come, darlng.

See? See how t rans.

Itwas so Ioud.

Look.

Consnglng

Where dd you get
all that money?

Foryears, ever snce
Gretel was born,

whenever I made an era gulder,
I put t asde.

Frst, I flled mytobacco pouch.
Then a sock.

And now, do you know
how much we have?

No.

- Exactly one thousand gulder.
- Oh, Ra.

Nowyou don't have to
work so hard n your old age.

I Ike to work. Who would want
to st and ust do nothng?

Ths s foryou and the chldren.

If Hans wants to be an ast,
all I ask s that he's a good one.

- Where are you gong?
- To hde ths where t's safe.

Nowyou're gong to bed, darlng.

Lke...

that.

- Now, you go to sleep.
- knockng

Kaps Ra Open up

Kaps, come n.
You, too, Peter.

What brngs you out
on a nght Ike ths?

The dke at SIoterdam has broken.

- They need men to repar t.
- Let's get staed then.

- May I go, too, Father?
- Why not? Get dressed.

They say t's the worst storm
n 40 years.

The waves are breakng
overthe seawall.

Ra Hur up, Hans.

Thunder

man Putyour backs nto t, men

wnd howlng, waves crashng

man Keep them comng

More bags.

Ah

- Hans Father
- thud

Hans Help

Aer hm

man He's hu bad.

Founately, the skull wasn't broken.

I thnk he wll be all rght n tme.

When they brought hm home,
he ddn't even recognze us.

That should pass soon.

Ofcourse, he has to be
n bed for a whle.

I'II Iook n agan ths evenng.

Peter and I wll be glad
to share our catch wth you

tll Ra s on hs feet agan.

Thankyou, Kaps.
You are a good frend.

Utwe'II get along.
Ra managed to put somethng asde.

That's good. We fshermen
Ive from hand to mouth.

Come on, Peter.

You mustn'twor. I'II take
the Sea Beggarouttomorrow.

We must askthe good Lord
to make yourfatherwell agan soon.

NarratorButas the weeks
wentby, Raddn'tmprove.

He couldstbythe wndownow,
buthe was lstless andvacant.

Hs memowas gone,

andwth tanyrecollecton ofhs
savngs andthersecrethdngplace.

Ifwe could onlyfnd
the moneyyourfather hd,

we'd have more than enough
to Ive on.

Why don'tyou ask hm agan?

Perhaps he'II rememberths tme.

Ra, t's me, yourwfe.

Darlng, do you remember
the moneyyou saved?

- Money?
- Yes. Athousand gulders.

You hd them n a Ieather bag
the nght ofthe bg storm.

Storm?

You took t nto the storeroom,
butwe can'tfnd t.

We searched evehere.

You must have hdden twell.
Where s t?

Love, do you understand?

Where s the money
n the Ieather bag?

You must remember.
We need the money desperately

sobbng

Don't c, Mother.
PIease don't c.

I'm sor.

You eatyour soup.
You must be hung.

NarratorSummerandfallwentby,

andsomehow
the Brnke suved.

Butthen...

wnd blowng

to make mae woe,
wnter, berandsevere,

came veearlythatyear.

Hans utschool,

forthough he was
tooyoung fora steadyob,

the responsbltyforhs famly's
supponowrestedon hm.

Noob was too lowly
nortoo hard.

There were fve mouths to feed,

andthe medcnes forhs
sckfatherwere costly.

shoutng, Iaughng

Hans, wat

I haven't seen you for a Iong tme.
Where are you gong?

I'm takng wood to the tavern.

How's yourfather?

Much beer, thankyou.
He's able to st up now.

That's good.
I mssed seeng you.

When are you and Gretel
comng backto school?

Notfor a whle. We have to
help outtll Father's on hs feet.

I hope you're keepng up
wth your drawng.

I've been too busyfshng all summer
and now dong odd obs.

You mustn't gve up your drawng.

There are so many asts
much beerthan I'II ever be.

You're too modest.
Myfather's bought a Iot of pctures,

and I don't Ike them
as well as yours.

Promse me that no maer
how dcult t s,

you won't gve t up.

I'II keep on wth tthen.

HIda, I thoughtyou
were comng wth us.

Just a mnute, Ludwg.

Itwas good to see you agan.

Yes.

- Good-bye.
- Good-bye.

Too bad about
Hans's father, sn't t?

- Ut he s geng beer.
- eer?

He's a helpless dot.

Ludwg, what a terrble thng to say.

It's true. I've seen hm
sng n hs wndow, ust starng.

They say he doesn't even know
hs own wfe and chldren.

Dr. Krupp wll cure hm.

How can anyone cure a man
who's Iost hs mnd?

We can hope, can'twe?

- Good-bye.
- See you tomorrow, HIda.

Ye.

I can car my own
books home, thankyou.

Accordonplayng

men sngng Sng to the sturdymen
Whopullthe heavybarges

Sng to the captan
Andthe mate andallthe crew

Sng to the taverns where
We stop to wetourwhstles

Sng to thepreymads
Who see the golden brew

Though theollybargemen
Leada mer, merlfe

Wth never-endng strfe
From a naggng wfe

Though theollybargemen
Leada mer, merlfe...

- Fnd anywork?
- Nothng butths.

Tthe woodcung mll?

They don't need anyone.
Nether does Schmmel.

Tmes are bad.
I'm Iucto wash pots here.

Maybe Captan Jansen wll take you on.
He's on hs way backto Hoorn.

I'II ask hm.

Ngng, ndstnct

- Drnk, brothe, drnk
- Drnk to the sturdymen

Drnk, brother, drnk, brother
Drnk, brother, drnk, brother

Drnk

Excuse me, Captan.
I'm Ra rnker's son.

Oh, s he geng any beer?

Dr. Krupp says t'II take tme.

He oughtto see a bran doctor.

- A bran doctor?
- Dr. oekman.

Saved my brotherwhen
the others gave hm up.

- Ut he'II be expensve.
- He's the best n all the Netherlands.

- Can you gve me work?
- Pullng my barge?

- That's man's work.
- ut I'm strong.

Neyear maybe. See Dr. oekman.
Ifanybody can cure yourfather, he can.

- Yes, sr. Thankyou.
- From the begnnng. AII together.

Drnk to the sturdymen
Whopullthe heavybarges

Drnk to the captan
Andthe mate andallthe crew...

Good evenng, Father.

- Mete You are Iate.
- I've been Iookng forwork.

Ddn'tyou fnd anhng?

I made a IIe delverng wood,
but twon't payfor Father's medcne.

We saved some soup foryou.

You mustn'tfeel badly, son.
We'II manage somehow.

We can't keep takng char.

I know. Ifwe could onlyfnd
the moneyyourfather hd,

we would have more
than enough to Ive on.

- I'm gong to Amsterdam n the mornng.
- Whywould you go there?

I've heard about a famous bran doctor.
A Dr. oekman.

We can't even pay old Dr. Krupp.

How can we aord
a famous c doctor?

I'm hopng someone
mght buy my drawngs.

I'II take our Iace and sell t.

We should get a beer prce
n the bg c.

NarratorSo earlynextmornng,
Hans and GretelwenttoAmsterdam.

The Dutch metropols
s notonlyHolland's captal,

t's also one ofthe world's
mostexctngplaces,

proudlycalled
"the Vence ofthe noh,''

fort, too, s a cty
ofslands, brdges andcanals.

It, too, s a seat
oflearnng andthe as,

ofsoarng buldngs
andmghtychurches,

dynamc wth the bustle ofbusness
andworldcommerce.

organplayng

Underanyothercrcumstances,
ths ftglmpse ofthe bg cty

wouldhave been sheermagc
forHans and Gretel.

Buteven so, theldouthope.

Hope to turn therhandwork
nto cash.

Hope to fndthe celebrateddoctor.

Excuse me. Can you tell us
howto fnd the marketplace?

Just cross that brdge there.

- Thankyou.
- Thankyou.

Ndstnct chaer

There's a place overthere.

Oh, Iook, Hen
What exquste Iace

Perhaps you'd be nterested
n a drawng, sr.

Ths s hardlythe place
to show pctures.

Where should I go?

- To the street ofthe a dealers.
- Thankyou.

If I have any Iuck,
I'II call on Dr. oekman.

I'II be watng foryou.

Look, I wantths, and perhaps ths.

Oh, don't be so bored, Hen.

Excuse me. Do you knowthe way
to the street ofthe a dealers?

- Overthere.
- Thankyou.

Not at all.

Well, what do you thnk of t?

It's wondeul, sr.

I've never seen anyone use ols before.
Is t dcult?

Yes, atfrst.

Can you tell me where to fnd
the a dealers?

- Are you an ast, too?
- I hope to be.

Now I only drawwth a pencl.

May I see one?

Hmm. They're not bad.

There's a strong feelng
forthe Iand here.

- Is ths yourvllage?
- Yes, sr.

I suppose you have come
to Amsterdam to sell them.

Ifanyone would want
such plan sketches.

The old masters oen
worked n black and whte.

Even the greatest, who once
Ived n that house I'm pantng.

- Who's that, sr?
- Who was...

Why, Rembrandtvan Rn, ofcourse.

Dd Rembrandt really Ive there?

Rusdael For 20 years.

Thatwas hs happy perod,
when he was marred to Saska.

Ddn't he de n pove?

Yes. ut I thnk
he was happy even then,

for he had fulflled
hs ambtons.

- Do you understand that?
- I thnk I do, sr.

Come. I'II ntroduce you
to a frend of mne

who has helped a Iot ofasts
to get staed, ncludng me.

WII you take ths?

No. No.

Thnkyou mghttake a few
on consgnment, MynheerDonne?

Well, maybe one.

If he sells t, you can
gve hm a commsson.

Thankyou, sr.

Do you knowwhere
I can fnd a Dr. oekman?

He's Ivng n the bg house
on Prncengracht.

Why do you wantto see hm?

Myfatherwas n an accdent
Iast sprng and Iost hs memo.

Hmm. So, maybe I can take o more.

Thankyou, sr.

Thankyou.

I'm ve grateful to you, sr,
but I don't even knowyour name.

Frans Rusdael.

Here's a IIe present so you can
begn to expermentwth colors.

Colors It's a wondeul g.

- Utyou are too generous.
- Oh, no, no, no.

Thankyou agan, sr.

I'II come back as soon as my pantngs
are wohy enough.

- What's hs name?
- Hans. Hans rnker.

Who knows. He mght
turn outto be good someday.

- Oh, yes. I wantto payforths.
- Putyour money away.

You thnkyou are the only one
who wants to encourage young talents?

Bell rngng

- What s t?
- I'd Ike to see Dr. oekman.

The doctor saled for London.

London?
When wll he be back?

- He'II be away at Ieasto weeks.
- I'II come backthen.

- What happened?
- The doctorwon't be backforweeks.

Too bad. I sold evehng.

The rch Iady boughtthe Iace.
The restwentfor a good prce.

- Look.
- You dd well.

- You'd beer carthe money home.
- AII rght.

- I sawwhere Rembrandt Ived.
- You dd?

And I met a real ast.
Frans Rusdael.

He Iked my drawngs enough
to ntroduce me to an a dealer

- who wll tto sell some for me.
- That's wondeul.

And the ast gave me these pants.
Good ones, too. Now I can t colors.

People are knd here.
The rch Iady asked about me,

and when I told her
how hard t had been for Mother,

she sad she'd call on us.

That's nce of her, butwhy?

I don't know, but I thnk
she means to help us.

We must celebrate tonght.

Let's ask Kaps and Peter
to have dnnerwth us for a change.

Belches Ahhh

Iaughs

What a good meal, Mete

Lke old tmes, eh, Ra?

Wantto playyour accordon? Hmm?

Chuckles

Oh, you want me to play t, huh?

Accordonplayng

There's an oldsalorsong
Thatwe sng alldaylong

Andwe callt
"The wooden shoe waltz''

When we're faroutatsea
Ths gaymelody

Makes us dream
Ofoursweetheas

Bythe olduderee

Oh, mydarlng, mydarlng,
MyHollandermss

I'm longng to hugyou
Andgveyoua kss

Then whrlyouaroundwhle
The bandplays wth schmaltz

As we dance to the tune of
"The wooden shoe waltz''

- Lke ths
- taps shoes

- Lke ths
- taps shoes

Then whrlyouaround
Andgveyoua bg kss

- Lke ths
- ksses

- Lke ths
- ksses

The tune of
"The wooden shoe waltz''

Iaughs

narratorButRa's smle
was onlyfleetng.

The hah graywntermonths
marchedby.

In those days, when the ce
lockedup canals andwateays,

thepulse n those
busyaeres ofHolland

came almostto a standstll.

No wondertbecame evermore
dcultforHans to fndwork,

though he tredevehng
n hspowerto help out.

Butthe urge to be an ast
was euallystrong n hm.

He devotedeach lesure hour
to canvas andbrush.

Hadn'ttbeen the lot
ofmanya Dutch ast

to suerprvatons
before aanng fame?

Andanay,
he'dpromsedHlda

thathe wouldnot
neglecths talent.

Iaughng, chaerng

I suppose you wantto see
what Hans s pantng.

I'II on you Iater.

Boy Come on.
The ce s beer overthere.

Hello, Hans.

- Hello, HIda.
- May I see?

Oh, t's wondeuI

It's so exctng to work n colors.

Thngs used to seem dull and gray,
but now I see evehng derently.

- Do you, Hans?
- It's all because ofyou.

Now I feel confdent.
I beleve n myself.

I'm glad.

I am anxous
to t a porat ne.

Howwould you Ike to pant me?

I'd Ike to ve much.
When?

Is tomorrow all rght,
aer school?

Fne. I'd askyou
to come to our house,

but Father sn'tfeelng
too well these days.

I knowwhere we can go.
Insde the mll.

- It's warm, and boss won't mnd.
- I'II be watng.

I'd Ike to surprse Father
wth t on St. Ncholas Day.

Maybe he'II wantto buy t.

Oh, I wouldn'tfeel rght
about sellng tto you.

Good evenng, sr.

Good evenng.

- Ve good coee. Thankyou.
- knock on door

Come n, young man.

As I was sayng, my husband
and I have no chldren.

We are qute well-to-do.

We Ive n a house wth
more rooms than we can use.

MynheerKorbes has consented
to Iet me nvestgate condtons here.

I admt, I expected to fnd
a sordd atmosphere.

Even drunkenness, perhaps.

Mrs. Korbes ut I must say,
I'm releved.

Evehng s qute clean
and tdy, despte your pove.

Gretel, you would Ike
to Ive n a bg nce house

wth seants and good food,
wouldn'tyou?

I hardly need to remnd you
ofthe advantages

that Gretel would have
that's she's mssng now.

Ut, Mevrouw Korbes,
I couldn't Ieave myfamly.

Do you mean...

You mean thatyou would
preferto Ive here?

We're ve happytogether.

Ofcourse, you could vst Gretel
wheneveryou wsh.

My husband s prepared
to send you a sum from tme to tme,

untl your husband s able to work.

Thankyou foryour good ntentons,
Mevrouw Korbes,

but I could never gve up
one of my chldren.

Ut...

I hope you understand.
We are all so close...

Perhaps fyou rased chldren
ofyour own, you'd knowwhat I mean.

Afamly s somethng
you never separate,

no maer how pooryou are.

Well, t's your decson.
I onlywanted to help you.

I thnkyou'II come to realze
you're not beng farto Gretel.

Here's my husband's card
fyou change your mnd.

- Gretel.
- Good evenng.

And I thought
she came to help us.

Oh, she meantwell, Hans.

You can't blame one who can't understand
what a famly means to each other.

- Hello, boss.
- Hello.

Hello, boss.

Hans s gong to do my porat
as a surprse for Father.

Ah, t should be nterestng.

It may notturn out
Ike Rembrandt,

butthe Ight and shadows
are the same.

Well, well.
What's the maer, Ludwg?

You haven't carred
HIda's books home Iately.

- No, sr.
- Have you had a fallng out?

I don'tthnk I should tell you, sr.

Tell me what? If t concerns
my daughter, speak up.

Well, I don't beleve
n carng tales, sr.

Tales? Tales?
What do you mean?

Well...

HIda's been meetng secretly
wth Hans rnker.

What?

I ust sawthem
go nto oss' wndmll alone.

Oss' wndmll alone?

Ja, t's comng pre good.
It even Iooks Ike her.

Iaughs

I'II get some more frewood.

Mnd f I rest a moment?

No, ofcourse not.

Oh, t's gong to be good.
Fatherwll be ve pleased.

So, ths s howyou abuse
my confdence, HIda?

- I'm ashamed ofyou.
- ut, Father

Go home at once.
You'II be punshed Iater.

Sobs

Hans rnker, I forbd you
to ever see my daughter agan.

Utyou don't understand, sr.

SIence

You're an nsolent peasant.

If I ever hearyou're meetng
secretlywth HIda agan,

I'II have you horsewhpped

growls

Oh, what's the good burgomaster
so upset about?

Ddn't he Ike your pantng?

Hans, have you seen yourfather?

- No.
- He's wandered osomewhere.

I'm afrad somethng terrble happened.

- I'II fnd hm. Take ths and go home.
- AII rght.

It's the dot

Where s he?

Down bythe canal.

You stay here.
I'II getthe watchman.

Dog barks

barkng contnues

Father

It's me, Father.
Come back home, won'tyou, please?

There he s.

Arrest hm.

It's Ra
Come on and help

It's me, Ra.
Your old frend.

Come on. Let's go home.

Woman They shouldn't
Iet hm run around Ike ths.

Man He should be put away.

- Woman 2 Oh, t's terrble.
- Poor Mete.

Well, he's quet now.
You should all take some rest.

How can we rest?

I'm afrad, Kaps. Poor Ra
doesn't knowwhat he's done.

Knock on door

You knowwhat
they're sayng n the tavern?

Thatthey're gong to send
yourfatherto an asylum.

I'm sor.
I wsh we could help.

You've done evehng you could.
Thankyou.

We beer be gong, Peter.

You mustn'twor.
Dr. oekman s due back soon.

I am gong to see hm.

How are we gong to pay
such an expensve doctor?

- I hope the dealer sold my drawngs.
- You mustn't count on that.

Ifworst comes to worst,
I can Ietthe rch Iady adopt me.

- Oh, no.
- No, Gretel, you won't have to do that.

I'II fnd somethng.

NarratorHans and Gretel
redoubledthereos,

butthepromse ofa soluton
forthertroubles

came from an entrely
unexpectedsource.

Hans GreteI

Have you heard aboutthe competton
on St. Ncholas Day?

That's the one wth the prze
ofthe slver skates.

There's 300 gulders, too,
forthe boy and grl who wns t.

Ths s the mracle
we've been watng for.

Even fwe get n the fnals,

we'II be up aganstthe best skaters
on the whole ZuderZee.

Who cares?
We all have the same chance.

Ifone of us wns,
our problems wll be solved.

We beer go sgn up now.

Come on.
I'II race you to the town hall.

Go

narratorAndso thepossbltyof
wnnng theprze n the greatrace

kndlednewhope
n Hans and Gretel.

Here, ndeed, was a possble soluton
to thermanyproblems.

Ths comng eventadded, also,

more exctementto one ofthe
mostdelghulDutch holdays,

St. Ncholas Day, the tme when St. Nck
appea on hs handsome whte steed.

Its a tme forpaes
andthe gvng ofgs,

much lke ourChrstmas.

Atthe mayor's house,
as n mosthomes along the uderee,

there was onlyone topc
ofconveaton thatevenng

tomorrow's ualfyng races
topck the contestants

forthe bg slverskate event
usto weeks away.

HIda and I are gong to wn frst
places n the competton tomorrow.

Don't be so sure.
Ourtown s famous for good skaters.

- Lke Hans rnker?
- Yes, Ike Hans and hs sster.

- Cakes?
- Ludwg They shouldn't be allowed.

- Why not?
- They only have wooden skates.

- I don't see why t makes a derence.
- Wooden skates are dangerous.

They can cause an accdent.

Hans and Gretel
seem to do all rght on thers.

It's almosttme for St. Ncholas
to be arrvng on hs whte steed.

So Iet's sng a welcome song
for hm. AII together.

Hearthe hoofbeats on the roof

We don'tneedmore fuherproof

GoodSt. Ncks comng

He wllflleach lle wooden shoe

Ifyou're goodyou'llbe
Geng somethng too

GoodSt. Ncks comng

Welcome, St. Ncholas

Brng us cheer

Forwe onlyseeyoubutonce a year

Hearthe hoofbeats on the roof

We don'tneedmore fuherproof

GoodSt. Ncks comng

He wllfll...

- chldren shoutng
- Come, chldren.

Well, hello, IIe boys and grls.

I hope you've all been
good chldren durng the year.

- Oh, yes.
- We've been good.

So have I.

Iaughng I'm glad to hear t,
fortonght, when you're asleep,

I'II brng presents down the chmney

nto the shoes
ofall the good boys and grls.

Ut I wll brng swtches
to those who have been bad.

You see, I know evehng
that's gone on,

Ike not studyng your Iessons,
or squrmng n church,

or not obeyng your parents.

Some ofyou could even be gul
ofthrowng snowballs

at gentlemen n hgh hats.

Ut neyear, I'm sure
you wll all be IIe angels agan.

Now I must be oto vst other
chldren all overthe count.

So help yourselfto the sweets,

and I wsh you all a happy
and mer St. Ncholas Day.

Hur up, chldren.
You mustn't catch cold.

What are you dong?

What are you dong sneakng
around n the dark Ike a thef?

I wasust passng, Your Honor.
I mean, Your Holness.

I have ths presentforthe burgomaster.

Present?

I am the one who gves presents, my boy.

When dd you do ths?

The Iastfew nghts.
I panted tfrom memo.

Well, I'm sure the burgomaster
wll Ike t.

Ut nowyou beer be o home.

Yes, Your Holness...
Uh, Your Grace.

I thought eveone had a good tme.

- Oh, yes, especally Father.
- How he Ioves to play St. Ncholas.

HIda, have you been seeng
the rnker boy Iately?

No, not snce you forbade me to.

Hmm. Why don'tyou
Ietthose go and get some sleep.

- You wantto be fresh forthe contest.
- AII rght.

Good nght. Thanks forthe pa.

- Good nght, Father.
- Good nght, dear.

I sawthat rnker boy outsde
Iookng n on the pa.

- What dd you do?
- Sent hm away, ofcourse.

We really should've
nvted the rnkers ths year.

It's been a tng tme forthem.

HIda says Hans and Gretel
are entered n the competton.

Utthey only have
therwooden skates.

Why don'tyou send
HIda's old ones to the grl?

That's what I hoped you'd say.

Wasn't t nce of Kaps
and Peterto remember Tel?

They've had a hard wnter, too.

- I caed these for hm.
- He'II Iove them.

It sn't much.

We have a Iotto be grateful for.

Ra used to Iookfoard to
St. Ncholas Day as much as you dd.

I remember how excted you used
to be to wake up n the mornng

and fnd your shoes ovelowng.

Sometmes he'd go
wthouttobacco for a month

so he could brng you apples
and gngerbread men.

Knockng

- Who brought t?
- I don't know.

Perhaps there's a card nsde.

- Oh.
- Look.

What tths?

Oh, t must be foryou, Gretel.

Now I have a chance to wn tomorrow.

- Isn't twonder...
- I can skate fne on wooden ones.

Let's showyourfather.

Look, Ra. We have good frends
who remembered us.

AII ths wondeul food
you need to make you strong.

Tomorrow Hans and Gretel are gong to
enterthe competton, and they maywn.

Look. Gretel has real skates.

The competton has narrowed
down to sx boys and sx grls.

We shall now select
the fnalsts forthe bg race.

The grls wll take
ther stang postons.

Good Iuck.

You'II race outto the barrel,
crcle t, and return.

The frstthree to fnsh
wll have the honor

of representng ourvllage
n the bg race, the 20th.

On your marks.

Get ready. Go

all cheerng

Come on, Gretel.
Come on.

AII cheerng

Wondeul, Gretel.
You dd t.

Congratulatons, HIda.
Itwas a good race.

The wnners are

HIda van GIeck, Gretel rnker,
and Katrnka FIack.

And now, the boys wll take
ther stang postons.

Good Iuck, Hans.

At Ieast get n the fnals Ike I dd.

You'II race across the bay, up the canal
as far as the marker, then return.

Don't get behnd rnker.

If he hts rough ce wth those
snowplows, he'II break hs neck.

On your marks.

Get ready.

Hey Come back
and watfor my sgnaI

On your marks.

Get ready.

Go

Hans s keepng up.

Ut t's a Iong wayto go.
Come on, Hans.

Eat hm, Hans

Never mnd, Hans
You can catch up

That's my boy n the Iead.

Eat hm
eat hm

Ludwg, what happened?

You were frst. You were n the Iead.
Why dd you Iet hm beatyou?

And the wnners are
Hans rnk...

Hans rnker, Ludwg Schmmel,
and Peter ouman.

If my son had tred, he could
easly have come n frst.

Ut he ddn't. Hans rnker
beat hm, and on wooden skates.

In the bg race,
rnkerwon't have a chance.

Who do you thnk'II wn,
MynheerSchmmel?

My Ludwg, ofcourse.
I've been gvng hm some ponters.

I'd put my money on Peter,
not because he s my son,

but ttakes endurance
to skate 2 mles.

And Peter s a strong Iad,
bg for hs age.

I'II wager 20 gulders
that Ludwg comes n ahead.

I'II take that bet.

Make a note ofthat.

Forgve me, but I hope that spoled brat
of hs falls and breaks...

Ah, ah, ah, Kaps.

At Ieastwe all agree that someone
from ourvllage wll wn.

I thnkyou're all crowng
a IIe too soon.

Have you heard ofa boy at Hoorn
they call "Charles the Champon"?

He won the Iasto years.

That's rght.
And he won't be 1 untl ne month.

So, he's entered agan.

Bargemen Iaughng

narratorOn the day
the famous surgeon was due back,

Hans wenttoAmsterdam.

Wth skates lke those,
howmuch beerwouldbe hs chances

to wn the race andpay
forthe doctor's seces.

Perhaps the adealer
hadsoldone ofhs drawngs.

You won'tfnd anyone n there.
The shopkeeper s II.

He went home.

Bell rngng

- It's you.
- Has the doctor returned?

Ths mornng, but I'd advse
to come backtomorrow.

Ut I must see hm today.

I'm sor. He has gven
strct orders to admt no one.

He s notfeelng well.
He had a rough crossng.

I can't Ieave wthouttalkng to hm.
PIease.

Myfather needs help badly.

Vewell, but I warn you,
he'II be furous wth both of us.

Excuse me, Dr. oekman.

Ddn't I tell you
I was notto be dsturbed?

Whateveryou're sellng,
I don'twant t.

- I'm not sellng anhng, sr.
- What's thatyou car?

- Pantngs to show an a dealer.
- I'm much too busyto see anyone.

Utths can'twat, sr.
It's about myfather.

He had a head nu Iast sprng
and Iost hs memo.

I'm sor. I can'ttake on
any new patents atths tme.

Couldn'tyou ust
come and Iook at hm?

Frankly, no. Mywork has pled up
snce I've been away.

Captan Jansen sad fanyone
could cure hm, you could.

- Who's Captan Jansen?
- Commander ofa barge over at Hoorn.

You cured hs brother
when eveone gave up.

Oh, yes. Interestng case.
Amnesa.

Won'tyou see
fthere's any hope?

- You're ve persstent.
- I have to be.

People n ourvllage
thnk he's dangerous.

Theywant hm Iocked up
n an nsttuton.

- Order my slegh at once.
- Yes, doctor.

Well, come on.
You've gotto show me where you Ive.

Ndstnct murmurng

Well, I thnkthe chldren
should be consulted.

What s t, Mother?

The doctor says an operaton
may restore hs memo,

but t's ve dangerous.

You mean Father mght de?

Any operaton where pressure on the
bran s concerned s hghly delcate.

Founately, the patent
appears to be strong physcally.

I thnk he has a good chance
ofgeng through t.

Utwe knowthat no maer
how dangerous, t's necessa.

Don'twe?

- Yes, Mother.
- Yes.

When wll you do t, doctor?

I have a vefull schedule
snce I've been away.

Let me see.
Two amputatons and, uh...

Well, there's no openng
untl the 20th.

Rng hm to the Amsterdam
hosptal the day before.

Yes, I wll.

I'm prescrbng some medcne
to quet hs nees

f he should be restless agan.

See he has plen
ofgood nourshng food.

Meat, preferably red wne.

- Thankyou for comng, Doctor.
- Oh, not at all.

Well, ths wll be all fortoday.

- Doctor...
- Huh?

I knowyou're expensve,
so t's onlyfarto tell you,

we can't payfor a whle.

It's not my custom to send a bll
untl aer I have rendered my seces.

Good day.

NarratorAs the day
ofthe greatrace drewnear,

the contestants n thepacpatng
vllages bythe uderee

spentevespare moment
practcng forthe event.

- Have you seen Hans anhere?
- He's embarrassed on hs wooden skates,

so he's practcng atthe pont
where no one can see hm.

Thanks.

Dd you huyourself?

It's these old wooden skates,
but I'm geng beer.

It'sust a queston
ofumpng overthe rough spots.

Stll meetng secretly, huh?

What do you mean?

A pre IIe scene.
Not as comfoable as the mll, s t?

How dd you know aboutthat?

Eveone knows that HIda's father
forbade herto see you agan.

Ut he ddn't know
aboutthe mll.

You're the one
who told the burgomaster.

What f I dd?

You are contemptble.

Getyour skates o.

My Ludwg was aacked today
bythe son ofthat madman rnker.

Wthout provocaton, mnd you.

As a member ofthe town councl,
I stronglyfeeI

that a boy Ike Hans rnker
should not be allowed

to represent ourtown n the race.

- You sure twas wthout provocaton?
- I have Ludwg's word for t.

I heard from my daughter,
who happened to be present,

and she feels thatyoung rnker
was entrelyustfed.

And, frankly, so do I.
Good evenng.

NarratorOn the eve ofRa's
removalto the hosptal,

the Brnke facedo ofthe most
crtcalstuatons oftherlves

Ra's operaton
andthe race forthe bgprze.

No wonderthe mmedate future
heldforthe lle famly

a mxture offearandofhope.

You are gong to shave before
we take you to the hosptal.

I can't Ietyou
frghten the nurses.

Dr. oekman s gong to
make you well agan. I know.

Who's gong to take care ofTel
when we go?

OId Mara's gong to take care of hm.

Amsterdam hosptal,
atyour sece.

Thankyou ve much
forthe rde.

WII you pck up Hans and be
atthe marketplace ths aernoon?

Ut not Iaterthan 400.

I hope evehng goes well.

I thnk t's bestyou say
good-bye to yourfather now.

Good-bye, Father.

Gretel Mother, we hate to Ieave you.

If twasn'tforthe money
we maywn, we'd gve t up.

Ofcourse you won't.
There's nothng you can do now.

Whattme are the races tomorrow?

Grls sta at 1000
and the boys go rght aer us.

Hans, when do you thnkyou
wll be reachng Amsterdam?

Early aernoon.
We turn backwhen at Kng's rdge.

Ifthe operaton s over
and fyourfather s out ofdanger,

I'II wave to you from the brdge.

God be wth you.

God be wth you.

Come on, darlng.

I'II come to the marketplace
as soon as I can.

AII rght.

Can you help a poor crpple?

Can you help
a poor crpple?

No, I am sor.

Eggars are not allowed n here.

I am not a beggar, sr.
I am an ast.

- Iaughng
- Aren'ttheythe same?

You made a good purchase.

Rusdael s becomng qute popular.

- Yes, so I understand. Good day.
- Good day, sr.

- Is MynheerDonne around?
- Oh, he ded o weeks ago.

Went home II and never recovered.

- I'm sor.
- Evehng's n qute a mess.

I'm hs nephew.
I'm here to take over.

Do you know f he sold my drawngs?
I Ie some pencl sketches.

Oh, those. Yes.

I'm glad to get rd ofthem.
Theytake up space.

- Are these yours?
- Yes.

Now I have beer ones.
In ols. See?

- Perhaps you'd be nterested n these?
- I'm sellng out. Not buyng.

Thankyou, sr.

- Are you badly hu?
- Athef He stole all my money

Open the door
Open up

Help

Help Polce I'm n here
Help me get out

What dd the boy
who ran aer hm Iook Ike?

Lke any beggar.

I wouldn't be surprsed f he
wasn't n Ieague wth that cuhroat.

They oen work n pars.

- Dd the boy Ieave these pantngs?
- And those dreadful drawngs, too.

He's no thef. I know hm.
He's a frend of mne.

T and fnd hm.
He mght be n trouble.

Yes. Come on.

I am sor,
but I can'twat any Ionger.

I can't understand
what's happened to Hans.

He knows we have to be back
forthe races tomorrow.

If he doesn't come soon,
I thnkyou'd beer go to the polce.

NarratorExhaustedby
hs van eos to getfree,

hs troubledmndflledwth
concern fortomorrow's events,

Hans spenta nght
offrustraton andanxety.

HansHelp meHelp me

man Who called for help?
Where are you?

Here I'm Iocked n,
and can't get out

Oh, ho You must be the boy
the polce are Iookng for.

Wattll I call them,
and we'II have you out n a.

We've been Iookng
all nghtforyou.

Can you show us the shp
where you sawths crpple?

- Frst I mustfnd my sster.
- Don'twor about her.

She's sleepng n a warm polce staton.

Well, come on then.
It's nearby.

What do you want?

May I speakto the man
wth the crutch, please?

Someone wants to see you.

How dd you...

I can'tthankyou enough, rnker.

I'II even take your pantngs.
On consgnment, ofcourse.

Doesn't he get a reward
for recoverng the money?

- Ceanly. Here you are.
- consnglng

Fve gulders.

Gretel, t's almost enough
to buy some new skates I saw.

- How much more do you need?
- Two more gulders.

Two more gulders.

Gretel We have to pck up my skates.

- We'II never getto the dke by 1000.
- Unless we fnd a slegh.

I'm sure MynheerDonne wll be
happyto Ioan us hs. Come on.

Bandplayng folk tune

- I don'tthnkthey're comng.
- Whywouldn'tthey?

Maybe they realzed
Hans doesn't have a chance.

They had to take therfather
to Amsterdam, butthey'II be here.

As soon as the dance s over,
I shall call the grls' race.

Ut, Your Lordshp,
o ofour contestants are mssng.

- Neveheless, we shall proceed.
- ut...

- Where are Hans and Gretel?
- We'II be called any mnute.

SIence

The grls get readyforthe frst race.

Horn blowng

I wsh I knew
what's happened to them.

Crowd murmurng

bellsnglng

woman Look overthere
Here comes someone now

Here they come

man The grls wll take
ther stang postons.

That's you, Gretel. Hur

Good Iuck

- Oh
- What happened to you?

- I've been to Amsterdam...
- There sn'ttme. Get ready.

Look, they're even beerthan yours.

When the horn blows,
you wll sta.

The grls' race s four mles
outto the ZuderZee and back.

The wnnerwll receve
these slver skates

and 300 gulders.

Good Iuckto all ofyou

horn blows

cheerng

cheerng

Come on You can do t

PIease don'tfeel bad about t.

Man slence

The wnner s WIhelmna Vooster
ofSparkenburg.

- Applause
- all Hooray Hooray Hooray

WII you please come foard
and receve your prze?

Crowd murmurng

man The prze.

Never mnd.
You nearlywon.

Anay, you stll
have a chance.

Man And nowthe boys
wll take ther stang postons.

Go on, Hans.
I'm sure you can wn.

Good Iuck, Hans.

Man You are aboutto begn
a Iong-dstance race of2 mles,

across the ZuderZee
to Amsterdam and return.

The one we have to wor about
s thatfellowfrom Hoorn.

- Whch s he?
- The tall one wth the fur cap.

They don't call hm
Charles the Champon for nothng.

I expect eve one ofyou to fnsh,

whether he wns or not.

You wll sta on the horn.

Aerthat,
t's eve one for hmself.

Maythe best Hollanderwn.

Whsperng

Oh. It has been called
to my aenton thatthere s

a dangerous patch ofthn ce
n the south basn.

So heed the warnng and be cean
thatyou all go around t.

Good Iuck

horn blowng

cheerng

Even wth the best possble speeds,
theywon't be backfor a Iong tme.

Come. I nvte you
to the tavern for a drnk.

AII Iaughng

cheerng

- Hur Come on
- Hur

Hans Here I am

Yourfather s out ofdanger

That's t, Hen
Go, boy, go Go

grunts

screechng

horn blowng

I don't see Hans anhere.

- Ut Peter s second.
- Come on, Peter

Ioud cheers

all Hooray Hooray

Hooray

- Where's my boy?
- What happened to Hans rnker?

Theywere both behnd me
when we Iethe canal.

Man The wnner s
Peter ouman ofVolendam.

WII you please come foard
and receve your prze?

My 20 gulders, fyou please.

I don't understand t.
There must be foul play here somewhere.

Here they come

- woman Get a blanket.
- man They're hu?

Somethng must have happened.

Hans Ludwg

What happened?

Peter You won?

Yeah. utwhat happened to you?

- Well, tell us now.
- Outwth t.

Itwas all myfault.

I tred to take a shocut
across the thn ce,

and twouldn't hold me.
Hans pulled me out.

And what do you have
to sayto that?

I say...

I saywe should both be glad
that ourtown won.

Come on, Ludwg.

I am sor.

Thanks for evehng
you've done.

You're recoverng quckly,
I don't I have to call on you agan.

- It's thatthck Dutch head of mne.
- all Iaugh

- We can'tthankyou enough, Doctor.
- No.

Peter ouman has oered
to Iend us hs prze money.

- So we can payyourfee.
- I warn you. It's pre hgh.

Ths s myfee.

And I won'ttake anhng Iess.

A genune Hans rnker s gong to be
woh a Iot of money one ofthese days.

Ythe way, someone has
taken care ofyour hosptal bll.

- Who was that?
- MynheerSchmmel

sad t had somethng to do
wth Hans and hs son.

- Well, good day.
- Iaughs

What's all ofths
about money?

Why ddn'tyou use
the thousand gulders I saved?

Oh, Ra.

We ransacked the storeroom.
We Iooked evehere.

Somebody must have
stolen t.

Utyou ddn't Iook under
the Ioose board, dd you? Huh?

Oh, Ra.

Do you call that a safe place
to hde so much money?

- Anyone could have found t.
- utyou ddn't, dd you?

No, because twas too easy.

Oh, you slly man

accordonplayng

There's an oldsalorsong
Thatwe sng alldaylong

Andwe callt
"The wooden shoe waltz''

When we're faroutatsea
Ths gaymelody

Makes us dream ofoursweetheas

Bythe olduderee

Oh, mydarlng, mydarlng,
MyHollandermss

I'm longng to hugyou
Andgveyoua kss

Then whrlyouaroundwhle
The bandplays wth schmaltz

Anddance to the strans of
"The wooden shoe waltz''

- Lke ths
- taps shoes

- Lke ths
- taps shoes

Then whrlyouaround
Andgveyoua bg kss

- Lke ths
- smoochng

- Lke ths
- smoochng

The dance of
"The wooden shoe waltz''