Original subtitles

There. I think I'll send that one to the baker.

Oh, Sister Teresa, your... what do you call them?

Christmas cards are so beautiful.

But why do they all have snow in them?

It never snows in this valley.

We're much too close to the sea.

Ah, yes, that's true.

But when I was a child growing up in my village in the mountains, it snowed.

How it snowed. And always at Christmas.

Wherever did you get the idea of making cards like this?

Well, since we don't have any money for presents,

I thought it might be nice to give our friends in the village some of these,

as a reminder of the holiday, with a short note inside each one.

What a lovely card!

The nativity in the snow.

I had almost forgotten that on the first Christmas, there was a snowfall.

Sister, Sister Tatherin, I'm afraid something terrible has happened.

What, Sister? What do you say?

The storm, it seems to have... a boy, I thought.

I'm sure that I saw a bolt of lightning strike someone on that hill, Sister Jean.

How? We must find out if you were right.

Hurry, sisters. Hurry, or we shall be too late.

♪ Christmas snow is magic As everybody knows ♪

♪ We'll never see a frowning face On Christmas when it snows ♪

♪ Save a little Christmas for Christmas ♪

♪ Save a little spirit Put some love away ♪

♪ Think about the Shepherds It feels as they lay ♪

♪ And save a little Christmas for Christmas Day ♪

My fears were well-founded,

for at the top of the hill we found a little Shepherd boy.

Well, what happened? Is he all right?

He's alive, but we must get him back to the Abbey at once.

Where am I? Waggles? Has the storm stopped?

Why is it so dark here? Where are we?

You mustn't be afraid. You've had an accident.

But Sister Tatherin and Sister Jean and I have brought you to our Abbey,

and you are all right now.

Who is that?

I can hear someone's voice, but I can't see anyone.

I can't see. Anything. At all.

Lucas's accident in the storm had left him blind.

But like a good Shepherd, his first thought was for his sheep.

But what about Babette?

Nicole, the little black Woolly.

Where are they? Who will care for them?

Your flock are all safe and sound in our barnyard,

and Waggles is guarding them. She's a very capable dog.

A week had passed when Father Thomas, our parish priest,

returned from his visit to a neighboring town.

Oh, dear me. Dear me. What have we here?

And in my bed, that. Sister Teresa?

Yes, Father. I'm right here.

Oh. Oh, dear. Yes, indeed.

Well, would you be so kind to explain him to me?

Oh, Father, something dreadful has happened.

This poor Shepherd boy was struck by lightning and then the wolves.

And we brought him here, and the lambs and the ducks are so nice.

And, oh, I mean...

Sister Jane, perhaps you'd better do the explaining,

since Sister Catherine seems to be somewhat confused at the moment.

Well, Father, now the poor child seems to have been blinded.

He should have medical attention, a hospital and all that.

I mean, have you notified his parents?

Father, the boy was in shock and in no condition to be moved.

And as you know, our only hospital is many hours from here.

Surely his parents?

He has no parents.

Oh, dear me. A poor blind Shepherd boy with no parents.

Oh, what can we do for him here in a simple church parish?

Lucas was getting better, except for his sight.

The village doctor told us his blindness was a result of the shock of the lightning.

But with Waggle's help, he was learning to get along.

Thank you, Sister Teresa.

Can we please go outside and visit my sheep?

I miss them so much.

Of course, Lucas.

Ah, I see you've nearly recovered, me boy.

Now, Sister Teresa, it's time to start thinking about what I say.

Little boys without parents belong in an orphanage and not in a church Abbey.

Well, me lad, I hope you're feeling better.

Quite a dog you've got there.

Every day, Lucas went out to the barnyard to check out his sheep.

He knew the bah and bleat of everyone and loved them all fiercely.

Isn't this a wonderful place?

I wish we could stay, but Father Thomas...

Well, well, it certainly looks like Christmas around here, doesn't it?

We thought we would get a head start on the season.

Have everything ready so we won't have to rush at the last minute.

I wish Christmas were tomorrow.

Yeah, I can hardly wait to open all my presents.

Now, now, now, slow down.

Let's not rush the season, or there won't be

anything left to celebrate on the big day.

♪ Save a little Christmas for Christmas ♪

♪ Save a little spirit, put some love away ♪

♪ Think about the Shepherds in fields as they lay ♪

♪ And save a little Christmas for Christmas Day ♪

♪ Save a little Christmas for Christmas ♪

♪ Save a little gladness till the holiday ♪

♪ Think about the wise men as they make their way ♪

♪ And save a little Christmas for Christmas Day ♪

♪ Don't hang the mistletoe ♪

♪ Don't light the tree ♪

♪ Don't let the fire glow ♪

♪ Wait patiently ♪

♪ Don't rush the season, or you will spoil the rhyme ♪

♪ Christmas was just a day, not all the time ♪

♪ So save a little Christmas for Christmas ♪

♪ Save a little spirit, put some love away ♪

♪ Think about the manger for saving the hay ♪

♪ And save a little Christmas ♪

♪ Save a little Christmas ♪

♪ Save a little Christmas for Christmas Day ♪

Sister Teresa, are you here?

Hello, Lucas. Come in.

I'm right in front of you.

What are you doing?

It sounded so happy in here.

Why, I'm making Christmas cards.

Christmas cards?

Yes.

From paper and paint, I make pictures of the way I remember Christmas

when I was a little girl, and then I send them to my friends.

Each one has a snow scene of the village where I once lived.

I've only seen the snow on mountain peaks, and they're so far away.

What does it feel like?

What does it taste like?

It's wet and cold, and it melts if you hold it in your hand.

And the most beautiful snow of all is the snow that falls on Christmas.

My father used to sing a little rhyme to us

when we were children about that special snow.

It went like this.

♪ Christmas snow is magic ♪

♪ As everybody knows ♪

♪ You'll never see a frowning face ♪

♪ On Christmas when it snows ♪

Father Thomas, I didn't see you there.

Yes. Well... lovely song, Sister.

Quite touching, really.

Well, it's only two weeks till Christmas.

I suppose Lucas can stay till then, at least.

I mean, you can't very well send a boy to an orphanage at Christmas time.

Now, can you, Sister?

I don't want to go to any old orphanage.

Oh, Waggles, what are we going to do?

The next day, all the children of our small

village came to rehearse their nativity play.

Children! Children!

I want you to meet Lucas. He's going to be part of the Angel Chorus this year.

What's the matter with him?

Can't you see? He's blind.

How can he play an angel if he can't see?

We have enough angels.

Come on, Lucas. I'm Louisa, and I'm an angel, too.

There can never be too many angels.

Now, when the angels begin to sing the chorus, you Shepherds come in.

The next two weeks went by very quickly, and

it was the day before Christmas in no time.

Lucas had recovered from his accident, but his sight had not returned.

In the meantime, the boy had found a friend in Louisa.

Louisa, if you could have anything you wanted,

what would you ask for, for a Christmas present?

Oh, that's easy.

I once saw a rich lady in my uncle's village with a beautiful white fur muff.

It was so big she could put a hot potato in it to keep her hands warm.

I'd like a muff like that.

What about you, Lucas?

Well, I'll tell you.

If you promise not to tell Sister Teresa, it sounds silly anyway.

Oh, tell me, Lucas. Tell me.

♪ I'm dreaming of a white Christmas ♪

That would be the best present, even if I couldn't see it.

I'll bet I could feel it, and you could tell me all about it.

♪ I'm dreaming of a white Christmas ♪

♪ Just like the ones I used to know ♪

♪ Where the tree tops glisten ♪

♪ And children listen ♪

♪ To hear sleigh bells in the snow ♪

♪ I'm dreaming of a white Christmas ♪

♪ With every Christmas card I write ♪

♪ May your days be merry and bright ♪

♪ And may all your Christmases be white ♪

Louisa, come on.

We've got to go home and wrap Sister Teresa's present for tonight.

Oh, hello, Lucas.

What are you giving Sister Teresa?

Me? Oh, I... I can't tell you. It's a surprise.

Goodbye, Lucas, and you too, Waggles. See you tonight.

And I can't wait to see your surprise, Lucas.

Sister Teresa's present? What could I give?

Nothing, that's what.

All I've got is you, Waggles, and our sheep.

Waggles, suppose when I left to go to the orphanage.

Well, suppose. Suppose you stayed here with Sister Teresa.

I mean, I can't very well take the sheep to the orphanage with me.

And who would take care of them?

What I mean is that you and the sheep could be my surprise present for Sister Teresa.

Did you hear that? He wants to give Sister Teresa his sheep.

Ha, imagine that! And his dog.

Yeah, what a dumb idea.

Hey, you guys want to play a trick on him?

And it wouldn't hurt anybody. And we could have a laugh.

Sure, what is it?

Come on, Waggles. Let's go see Babette and Santa and the others

and tell them about Sister Teresa's present.

Babette? Nicole? Where are you?

Wooly? Why don't you answer?

They're gone! My sheep are gone!

Oh, no! The sheep! What will we do? It's nearly dawn.

Can't go in the forest. The wolves!

Well, come on. We've got to get some help.

They weren't bad boys. Just liked to play tricks.

They certainly never meant to hurt the sheep.

Oh, Sister, the sheep! We took them as a joke, and hid them in the tool shed.

But now they've gotten out. They've run into the woods.

Well, then, Waggles, we've got to go out and find them, before the wolves do.

Nicole, you're safe. Now for the others.

Babette? Little Babette? Santa? Hester? Basil?

But where is Wooly?

Wooly? Wooly? Please answer.

I can hear you. But you sound so far away.

How will I ever find you?

Little Wooly was lost, but worse than that,

Lucas was alone in the forest trying to do an impossible job.

Wooly, I know you're in trouble. If you only can tell me where you are.

Lucas, it's us. We're the ones who took your sheep.

But we never meant for them to run into the woods. We're very sorry.

And we've come to help. But it looks like you've already found them all.

Yes, all but one. All but Wooly.

I can hear him calling, but I don't know how to find him.

There's Wooly, down in that hole.

Is it a deep hole? He sounds so far away.

How can we get him out?

I know. We'll make a chain with you up the head, Lucas.

And lift him out. Come on, everybody. Lie down.

Be careful. Hold on tight, Renée.

And hurry. My arms are giving out.

I've got him. I've got him.

Good. Now everybody back up slowly and pull him out.

Thank you. Thank you!

Come on, let's hurry back. It's almost time for the plane.

Christmas Eve. It was a very special night, and even the stars seemed to feel it,

shining and twinkling more brightly than ever,

showing the people of our village the way to the stable,

where the nativity play was to be held.

And they were in the same country, Shepherds abiding in the fields,

keeping watch over the flocks by night.

And lo, an angel of the Lord came upon them.

And they were sure afraid.

I was so proud of them.

Little Octavia is nearly positively glowed,

and even those tricksters who played the wise men

managed to display some dignity of office.

Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem in the days of Herod the King,

behold, there came wise men from the east.

And lo, the star, which they saw in the east,

went before them until it came and stood over where the young child was.

When they saw the star, they rejoiced with great joy.

And when they saw the young child with Mary, his mother,

they fell down and worshipped him,

and they presented unto him gifts, gold and frankincense and myrrh.

♪ The snow was falling, angels were calling, ♪

♪ The very first time ♪

♪ A newborn stranger lay in a manger ♪

♪ That was the first night Christmas time ♪

Luisa? Luisa? Is it raining?

There's something wet on my face.

Lucas. Lucas, I can't believe it.

Your wish has come true. It's snowing.

Tell me about it like you promised, Luisa.

It's the most beautiful thing I've ever seen.

Each tiny snowflake is like a perfect spider's web.

And the moment it touches you,

the warmth of your skin makes it disappear into water.

Luisa? You make it sound so real that I can actually see it.

It's just like in a dream.

It's like, Luisa! Luisa! It's not a dream at all.

I can see! For real!

It is a white Christmas. My first white Christmas.

Yes, it was true.

Those tears of love had restored Lucas' sight.

Not just for the moment, but for good.

After the play, we had a joyous Christmas celebration.

The children had all brought me the things they had been making in secret as gifts.

And Lucas had a gift, too.

Why, Lucas! Thank you.

I love them. And Waggles, too.

But I'm afraid I know very little about caring for sheep.

I guess the only thing is for you to stay here and watch over them for me.

What do you say, Father Thomas?

Oh, dear. Well, I... Yes, I do feel that the best place for a boy

with no parents is with people who love him.

What a happy Christmas! The first real happy Christmas of my life.

And it was the happiest of all Christmases for each and every one of us.

Little Lucas, who wanted so much to give,

received, instead, the most precious present of all.

A gift from God.

♪ The first white Christmas So did it happen ♪

♪ The very first time The first white Christmas ♪

♪ That's when it happened That was the first white Christmas time ♪