Original subtitles

"... at the facts...

of the saints...

apostles..."

RECOLLECTIONS FROM CHILDHOOD

Subtitle made by STEF IONESCO

From a novel by ION CREANGA

Wait... I've got you!

- Leave the girl alone. - What do you want?

It's raining... It's raining...

Let's run.

Come quickly, Mariuca!

Go and bring me my book. Run!

And the hat too. Faster, Mariuca.

Ouch...

I don't know how people are, but when I think of my birthplace,

at my childhood home in Humulesti,

at the chimney, where my mother tied a cord with two pompons,

and the cats were dying to play with them...

at the clayed sill of the stove...

that I used to hold when I started learning to walk...

at the oven where I used to hide, when we were playing hide and seek...

and many other games full of humor and childish charm...

it seems my heart leapt for joy in my chest.

I loved my village, with Ozana river, flowing beautifully and clearly like crystal,

which mirrors with grief the Neamt Fortress, for so many centuries.

Upsy-daisy...

My father and mother were very dear to me. The same for my brothers and sisters...

Also the boys of the village, my childhood companions,

with whom we sung and shouted in the beautiful holidays,

and wandered on the river shore, the fields with flowers,

and over the hills, when the dawn smiled at me,

in that frisky age of youth.

John, dear, your father went to the field, so that corn will not be shaken down.

I also have a lot of things to do.

You stay home today.

Just stay there and swing the baby.

If you do so, I'll buy you from Falticeni a hat with a ribbon.

Have you found another place for playing? God damn... I'll kick your ass.

John...

John, where are you, you devil?

# Little gold fish with no fears # # Remove water from the ears #

# I'll give you some old dimes #

# I will clean your buckets # # I will beat your drums #

# Little gold fish with no fears # # Remove water from the ears #

# I'll give you some old dimes #

# I will clean your buckets # # I will beat your drums #

# Little gold fish with no fears # # Remove water from the ears #

# I'll give you some old dimes #

# I will clean your buckets # # I will beat your drums #

# Little gold fish with no fears # # Remove water from the ears #

One for God...

One for the devil...

And one to lock him at the bottom of the river.

You should learn a lesson.

You will come home, you wandering rascal, when you get hungry.

And then we will talk about it.

That's John!

His mother took his pants.

God forbid...

Phew! You, little devil...

Ouch!

Mother...

Mother... Here I am.

Beat me, kill me, but give me something to eat.

Come to eat.

But you must know that you've upset me.

You should behave very nicely from now on, for making me what I was for you,

but I don't think so.

Seeing my mother was angry with me, I was trying to please her.

One day she says gently to me...

God give you a long life, John dear,

and give you all his rich gifts,

if you will continue to behave like you do lately.

I felt so rebuked in my mind, more than ever.

You must believe that I have kept my word, for a while.

I had many qualities.

When someone was treating me bad, there was nothing to make me behave.

When they treating me nicely, not even so.

But when they leave me on my own, I was doing so many little things,

which not even the holy Anastasia was able to undo,

with all her skills.

Don't push.

Come! Hurry up!

- Father... - Hello, Father.

Hello, my children...

Come in, old man. Put it there.

Every Saturday we will verify

all they have learned over the week.

For every mistake you make we make a sign with coal.

For every mistake you will take a whip.

Shut up... You shouldn't laugh.

Come here, my little girl, and be the first to try it.

Nevermind, father... We shouldn't start today.

No, we should... For the good ones, curl-bread.

For the others, the magic horse.

- Hello, auntie Marioara. - Well, what do you need now?

- Your cousin isn't home. - Where is he?

He went with your uncle to Codreni. They must buy some fabrics.

Then, good-bye, auntie Marioara. In that case I'll go alone for a bath at the river.

Good-bye.

But in my mind... It's better like that.

It's good they're not home,

and would be better if they wouldn't come back too soon.

You, little devil! Here is your bathing?

Come down, you thief!

How can I go down? Down there were the hell.

Come to auntie Marioara!

Come down, you little devil!

Come down!

I'll teach you a lesson about cherries, that you will never forget.

Come here!

Stay still!

Stop! I'll get you!

Stay! Stay, you double-tongued!

I'll get you!

I'll teach you a lesson!

You, thief!

You can't eat your own cherries, you, treacherous?

- I got you! - Ouch!

I was like flying over the fence, losing my track,

going home directly and behaved very well that day.

Take the cream, if you have what to take...

Maybe there were some spirits that took it from the cows, mother.

Someday I will catch that spirit with the cream on his tongue...

You can recognize that spirit looking at his tongue.

I never liked in my whole life the cunning and bootlicker person.

I'll tell you the truth.

I was always trying to avoid the troubles,

but hell was pushing me to do all these things.

- The cherries? The hemp? - You must pay.

All my work...

Who's to blame? He's not my child.

Didn't he have anything else to eat? Goddamn...

Why did he steal? Didn't he have food at home?

- All that hemp field now is lying flat. - He was only playing.

He must play at home!

- Where is that devil? - I'm sure he's in some corn field.

- How do you know he's guilty? - But the hat?

I was there and the hat was under the cherry tree.

I'll whip him tonight when he comes home. He'll remember this as long as he lives.

The damage was made! The culprit must pay!

- It's right! - I won't pay anything!

Why did he ruin the hemp field and the cherries of this woman?

- I don't have anything with her goods. - Yes, you are right, but as they say...

- "The rich shouldn't pay, but the culprit". - That's true.

- You should be present when the crop will be done. - He must be present...

Without any haggling!

Frankly, uncle Vasile was stingy as auntie Marioara.

You know what they say... That people alike find each other.

- My cherries are wasted... - Then I'll pay for them.

You must whip him sometimes. He's very naughty.

Well, all the village found out about my prank.

I was really ashamed.

Now you have enough cherries?

Now you're done with me!

You, rascal!

It all passes... Time is everything.

Professor.

Professor!

Oh, you brought me water.

Tasty and cold.

Thank you, dear. Here... You can buy yourself some candy.

Upsy-daisy.

What are you doing here?

Wait... Dumitrel. How's your mother?

She sews me a shirt.

So, which is the first person in this sentence of yours?

- Me, because I was speaking. - Good. But who is the second person?

You, teacher, 'cause I spoke with you.

Good. And the third?

- Dumitrel's mother, teacher. - Good. Now you ask me.

I must be sure if you understand well enough the pronouns lesson today.

How's your mother, teacher?

My mother is now... only a handful of dust.

Get up, lazybones, before sunrise.

If that hoopoe bird sings before you wake up you'll have again a bad day.

Come on! Get up!

Hear it.

So my mother deceived me with a hoopoe,

that makes its nest for many years

in a very old and hollow linden tree, on the hillside,

just near to uncle Andrew, the youngest brother of my father.

She gets me up early every day, because of that hoopoe bird.

After waking up, my mother sends me to carry some food

to some workers that she hired, in Dry Valley, near Topolita.

I was thinking... Snake with feathers can't be...

I heard from people, that in some hollows you can find a snake.

I take my courage and pull out the hoopoe from his nest.

What a strange thing...

Behave yourself!

The child doesn't care if mom and dad think of the difficulty of living,

what tomorrow will bring them, or the fact that they are full of cares.

Daddy is home!

You should ignore them.

Leave the kids alone, woman. They enjoy that I'm home.

If they are healthy let them just eat and play, now, until they grow old.

This will pass when they're old and troubles will come to them too.

They won't get rid of it.

You know what they say... If he's a child, then he should play,

if he's a horse, he must pull, and if he's a priest, he must read.

Be good. You knocked me down...

Upsy-daisy...

This is the way I was at that happy age,

and I think all the children in this world were the same,

even if not everybody accepts this.

Make room, Marcica.

That's enough now!

Come on, enough.

Enough.

Come on, you too.

You little devil...

I can't rest the night because of your laughs.

Come to sleep.

So my mother was in my childhood...

Full of wonders, as far as I remember.

And I remember well,

because I was swinging by her arms,

and I borrowed blood from her blood and flesh from her flesh,

and how to speak I learned from her too.

Oh my God...

My Hoopoe!

- What's happened? Where is it burning? - They took my hoopoe!

God forbid...

Oh my God...

Did you ever hear anything like this?

John stole that hoopoe that has woken us up early every morning for years!

What are you saying? I know now.

- Leave him to me. - Don't even think about it, Smaranda.

That brat of yours doesn't miss anything!

What will we do now without the hoopoe?

Who will wake us in the morning?

Who saw John take it, tell me.

I bet on my neck!

- Well, sister... - Oh...

Imagine this... To steal the village's clock.

I'll get him!

I'll teach him a lesson!

- Stop thinking about it. - Oh, it's not a thing that I can ignore.

Oh, God! What a misfortune!

Comon! It's a long way to Galati?

You, big fellow... It's far away?

Be careful with those trotters, old man. The wind may blow them away.

Clear the way! Come on!

I'm going to Galati!

If I'd get sooner to the fair, to get rid of you!

- Come on! - Do you want to trade?

Nobody took my mind yet.

Come on! Come on, can you hear?

Come to the wheel!

Flowered hearts! Very cheap! For girls and women!

Flowered heart... Give me the dough.

Flowered heart... It's for good luck!

You can talk, but I don't mind, if the love is in my hand.

Baskets! Cheap, cheap, cheap!

The singing bird!

Cheap, cheap, cheap!

Flowered hearts! Cheap, cheap, cheap!

You can recognize the bird after his song.

Cheap, cheap, cheap!

Beautiful bird! Dear birdie...

For sale! A beautiful bird!

Cheap, cheap, cheap! Beautiful bird!

A beautiful bird!

- It's for sale that chicken? - It's for sale, old man.

- How much? - What do you think?

Let's check it a little bit.

Ups... It escaped!

What do you think, old man? You play with my merchandise?

If you didn't want to buy it, why did you let it go?

I should take your veal! Do you understand me?

Really, little boy?

Don't even think you can take my veal for your cuckoo bird.

Don't mess with me, old man!

Perhaps you have some itches on your back, you little kid.

If you want, I can do it for you. You will be very satisfied when it's over.

Wait a second. Let me take you to your father. I just saw him.

Let's see if was him that sent you with the hoopoe to the Fair?

When I heard about my father I just gave up.

I ran to Humulesti, looking back from time to time,

just to ensure that the old man didn't follow me.

I was afraid I hadn't got rid of him.

How does it go... "Let him be! I'd like to, but now is he that doesn't let me."

There's big trouble with auntie. She agitated all the village.

Mother is very upset.

Do you really think I stole the hoopoe?

- You stole the hoopoe! - You stole the hoopoe!

Shut up! Mother may hear!

Did you hear it?

Oh, God... How people are to slander somebody...

Right, sister.

But in my mind... "You don't even know how she suffered because of me,

and how I suffered because of her... Pity me..."

People can be evil if they listen to everybody.

Better we toast some wine to the health of our men.

Give me some of that wine.

We don't need to listen the people. We can go mad.

What did you say?

Just like that, sister.

You can't trust anybody.

People can be wrong, just like that, if they didn't think hardly.

But I go back and say... "Only those who suffered know".

Not long after that, one day, the teacher thinks

to put Nica, one of my colleages to examine me.

Nica, much older than me, and not so smart,

was upset with me because of Smarandita, the priest's daughter.

"...as we forgive...

those who trespass...

against us...

and lead us...

not into temptation...

but deliver...

us..."

I say in my mind...

I'm not finished yet, and will be many more...

"...from...

evil...

Amen.

The wise...

facts...

of the..."

I was thinking how to avoid the magic horse,

and the Saint Nicholas whip, the bruise maker.

I must run away...

"High in the sky... Down on the earth...

Over the forests... Over the mountains...

Through the mist of hills... To the greatest oceans...

To the Queen of fairies...

Wonder of wonders... from the island of flowers."

I'll no longer go to school, mother, even if they'll kill me.

"... to...

whom...

crowns you...

with...

mercy...

and grace."

It's a shame if you don't study at all.

Don't you know that the man who learns, wise will he be?

My mother would do anything for me to study.

She reads the book now better than me.

and has great joy when she sees that I liked it.

Hey, hey... Once more now...

I left the flies alone and I think differently.

But it's not as you thought.

Boys, come to give help on the road.

Our village it's not as lazy like other villages. Come on!

- Come quickly. - Easy, easy!

One day, just Saint Foca's day, the mayor of the village

took people out for some road repairs.

Run!

Run! They took Basil to the war!

Run!

Nevermind, mother... This world is not only as eyes can see.

That's why the mayor took the people out to work.

At that time, this was the way that the boys were taken for the army.

Well, we lost Basil... It was his destiny.

Father John wasn't able to find another teacher,

but he never found one like Basil...

obedient, hardworking and shy like a young girl.

So, the school remained deserted for a while.

Come on!

Wait a second...

The old horse hardly runs on the road.

Come on!

Aren't you going tonight with Christmas Carol?

It's early, teacher.

It's not early? It's almost night.

Let's hear you. The Christmas Carol that you learnt in class.

"Hey, hey, children..."

No, not like that. All together. Come on.

"Tomorrow is New Year, the little plow will start,

and will begin to furrow, visiting every single house.

Let's cheer for it... Go! Go!

- One more time! - Go! Go!

Winter's heavy, the snow is high... This is a good sign for the new year.

It's a good sign for riches and a good sign for harvest.

- Let's cheer for it... - Go! Go!

- One more time! - Go! Go!

You, brats...

You start too early this year.

I will teach you a lesson, you brats!

Wait a second and I'll show you!

Wait a second...

Come quickly.

Hodorogea, don't let me here!

Easy...

Damn that sly priest...

I never got to say the whole Christmas Carol...

as was usual in our village.

Let's try in here.

I don't like when people don't receive us properly.

Come to sing! Don't be shy!

"The little plow starts, the plow pulled by the buffalo,

the plow pulled by us.

Let's cheer for it... Go! Go!"

- One more time! - Go! Go!

- One more time! - Go! Go!

You brats! Does this mean Christmas Carol to you?

This is not a Christmas Carol! Who taught you this?

Come faster!

One or two of these and we'll be expelled from the village.

I'm cold...

- Where's your scythe? - I lost it.

Come faster.

Hodorogea, my feet are frozen.

It would be better to stay home.

Look at this...

I'm sleeping...

- Are you going home already? - Next year we'll go together again.

Watch your step.

Stephen, it won't be bad if your son will go to school, to learn something.

Not only for making him a priest, as Smaranda wants...

He doesn't have the mind for this.

Leave it to me. Don't worry about this.

I will take my nephew with me

and I'll take him to Brosteni, to Professor Nicolae Nanu.

The boy is smart. You'll see what will come out of him.

Behave yourself, John. Obey grandpa.

- Well, goodbye. - God speed, father.

Take care of my boy.

Don't worry. I'll take care.

- Goodbye, grandpa. Have a nice trip. - Goodbye.

- Goodbye, grandpa. - Goodbye and behave yourselves.

Take this too.

I'll bring him back in the summer.

Take care of yourself, Johnny dear.

Behave yourself, you brat. You hear that?

Don't you worry.

- Farewell. - Goodbye.

# There's a wolf coming #

Where I should hide?

You can hide anywhere. I'm not afraid of anything.

Did you like it?

I wonder if there will be wolves this winter.

Well, to became a priest,

I had to leave my village, and go to the school.

The next day, me, grandpa and Dumitru, the little mother's brother,

we hit the road again, until we reached Brosteni.

Grandfather settled us, on his own money, at a landlady named Irinuca.

Hello, Irinuca.

Welcome.

I brought the children for school, to teach them a little bit...

Come, Dumitru.

It's slippery.

I want to take them to the professor, Nicolae Nanu.

A hovel, a husband went to the mountain on a saw mill,

an ugly girl and two scabby goats...

This was all Irinuca's wealth.

I don't know if we've got erudition, but we've sure got the itch from the goats.

Well... What should I do?

The fence and the woman's house razed to the ground,

a goat torn in pieces... It's not a joke.

I even forgot about the itches because of the fear.

Quickly, take everything you have, until the old woman is back,

and let's run with a raft, said Dumitru, because the rafts began to walk.

Anyhow... To make it short...

I've been in this world, just a living ball with eyes...

A little piece of warm clay from Humulesti...

Not beautiful until twenty...

Not good until thirty... Nor rich until forty...

But so poor like this year, or last year...

I never was...

"Tomorrow is New Year, the little plow will start,

and will begin to furrow, visiting every single house.

Let's cheer for it... Go! Go!

Good evening. We've come to you.

Are you resting, dear host? Or you're trying to fool us?

Let's cheer for it... Go! Go!

You should live, you should bloom, many happy years.

With your table full of food, and your house full of lights.

With a full glass and many sunny days.

Let's cheer for it... Go! Go!

THE END

Subtitle made by STEF IONESCO