Original subtitles

Yah!

Ho!

All right, boy, let's have it.

Oh, stop. Don't do anything. He didn't mean it.

What's this boy's name?

Solomon.

Solomon what?

Solomon Henry. He's my son.

Well, he's a thief.

He stole this off the school steps.

I got a mind to whip him good.

No, please don't. He didn't know no better.

All right. I'll let him go this time,

but I'm gonna remember his name.

He steals anything else, and you've seen the last of emmetsburg

or any other town around here.

Look what you've done.

Stealing that man's book. How could you?

I didn't steal it, mama.

I just borrowed it.

I didn't know that we...

Did you ask him? Did you ask anybody?

Then you stole it.

And you've shamed all of us

who've come here for a fresh start.

Oh, Solomon.

Why?

What got into you?

I just wanted to look at it.

You just wanted to look at it.

They'd have beat you half to death back home for that.

I want learnin', mama.

I wanna read.

I wanna go to school like all them other children.

That's the white man's school, honey.

You can't go there.

Why?

If we're free, why can't I?

You're free to be what the white folks want you to be.

Now, they give us this little piece of land to work,

and that's the whole of it.

Mama's right.

You're gonna get us nothing but trouble

you don't stay in your place.

I ain't a slave.

Nobody said you was.

If I can only be what the white folks want me to be,

then I's a slave as much as papa was.

Now you listen to me.

We got a chance here and you ain't gonna spoil it.

You do like I say and mind your place,

or you can go.

Now, you make up your mind right now.

Solomon.

You don't come back here now,

you don't never come back!

I mean that!

I mean it!

I'll get him, mama.

No.

He done made up his mind.

Lord help him.

Here you go, Mr. Kramer.

That's 24 crates.

I can count.

Charles, sorry to be so late.

Well, don't be. We haven't settled up yet.

Here's the bill.

I'll carry these crates down there.

Mr. Kramer: All right, 24. Step inside.

I appreciate the help, Dr. Tane.

These crates of medicine get a little heavier every year.

That's the least I can do after your generous offer.

Not so generous.

My office is overflowing with samples.

Seems like there's a new medicine comes out every 5 minutes.

Any medicine I can get is greatly appreciated.

I just don't understand why the government

doesn't send proper medical supplies to the reservation.

Why should they?

It's just for Indians.

All ready when you are, doc.

Charles, I'd like you to meet Dr. Tane.

Charles Ingalls. Doctor.

How do you do? Pleasure.

That'll do it.

I'll be by as soon as I can for those samples, doctor.

And thank you.

You're welcome, doctor.

Mr. Ingalls.

You take care.

Hey. Hey you!

Gotcha!

Let me go!

Gotcha. Put that apple down. Hey, hey.

Kramer, come on, take it easy.

He's just a little fella.

A thief's a thief.

I don't weigh 'em in first.

Please don't whip me.

Hey, nobody's gonna whip you,

are they, Mr. Kramer?

Well... see you don't touch them apples again.

Come with me.

The next time you want one of these,

you ask for it, all right?

Yes, sir.

All right then. Here.

All right. Go on with you.

Hi, girls!

Hi, pa! Hi, pa!

Glad you're home. Glad to be home.

See you at supper!

Bye, pa!

Bye!

"Yet beautiful and bright he stood

"as born to rule the storm,

"a creature of heroic blood,

"a proud, though childlike form.

"The flames rolled on, he would not go,

"without his father's word,

"that father faint in death below,

"his voice no longer heard.

"He called aloud, say, father, say,

"if yet my task is done,

he knew not that..."

Laura.

"Unconscious of his son.

"Speak, father, once again, he cried,

"if I may yet be gone,

"and but the booming shots replied,

"and fast the flames rolled on.

"Upon his brow

"he felt their breath

"and yanked his waving hair,

"and looked from that lone post of death

"in still yet

"great despair.

And shouted but once more..."

Laura Ingalls!

Will you please see me after school?

Yes, ma'am.

All right, class. Let's continue.

"And shouted but once more aloud,

my father, must I stay?"

Well, what'd she say?

I have to memorize a mile-long poem for parents' night.

Well, that's not so bad.

She also gave me a note to bring home.

That's bad.

I know.

Who are you gonna give it to, ma or pa?

I don't know.

Well, serves you right,

making up that story.

I saw a black boy today.

Truly, I did!

A negro.

And there aren't any negroes around here.

There are, 'cause I saw one.

You dropped your note.

Why'd you have to tell me?

Now I won't be able to say

I lost it when miss beadle asks.

You have to bring it home.

I suppose.

I know. I could give it to pa!

I'll wait till he's in a good mood

and he's got his pipe after work!

Then maybe I'll talk to him about the black boy.

I did see a black boy today, Mary.

Then I'll give him the note.

I just hope for your sake he's in a good mood.

I brought you your pipe, pa.

Oh, thank you, half-pint.

I filled it, too.

Oh, that's very, very nice of you.

Thank you. Want some coffee?

Nope. Have plenty. Thank you.

You have a nice day?

Awful.

Oh.

I was unloading some lumber

and mashed my thumb real bad. See?

Think I'm gonna lose a nail.

That must have made your day pretty bad, huh?

It couldn't be much worse.

If anything else bad happened,

you'd get pretty upset, wouldn't you?

Would I ever.

There's not much chance of that happening, is there?

No, sir.

Better go collect the eggs.

Half-pint.

Yes, sir.

Don't you have something to show me?

What?

Well, something like a letter.

How'd you know?

Well, pas are supposed to know everything, aren't they?

In this case, your sister told me.

She shouldn't have done that.

Just a minute, half-pint.

She did that as a favor to you.

You'd have been in a lot more trouble

if you didn't show me the note.

Now, come on, let's see it.

Oh, yeah.

"Daydreaming in class,

gazing out the window..."

A whole bunch of stuff here.

What do you have to say?

Just don't like school that much, I guess.

Look, half-pint, there's a lot of things

in this world that we don't like,

but we have to do 'em.

I mean, I don't like going to work

and mashing my thumb when I'm unloading lumber,

but I do it. It's my job.

And your job is to go to school and get an education.

Things just don't stick in my head, pa.

Then you have to try harder.

Look, I know it's not easy, but you can do it.

Just have to work at it, that's all.

It says something in here about your learning a poem.

Now, I want you to do a good job with it,

and learn it.

I will, pa.

Promise?

Promise.

All right. No more notes.

For a little while, anyway.

Go on. Get the eggs.

Wish I had a different job.

All those history dates,

probably couldn't use 'em even if I remembered 'em all.

Learning about dead people and wars and people that kill and...

I told them I saw you.

What you doing?

Uh... I'm sucking a egg.

Don't tell nobody.

I was hungry.

Are you a for-real negro person?

What you doing?

You are a real one!

As a fact!

I've never seen a real negro person before.

Don't tell your pa about the egg.

He'll whip me this time for sure.

You know him?

Kinda.

That's why I followed you home from school.

I thought I heard somebody talking in here.

No, no, it's all right. It's all right. Nobody's gonna hurt you.

He's afraid you're gonna whip him, pa.

What in the world for?

I sucked one of your eggs.

Oh, I see.

Well, in that case, you'll probably be wanting a glass of milk.

Half-pint, why don't you bring him in the house?

Sure, pa.

Come on.

Come on. It's all right.

It's all right. Come on.

Come on. Watch out for the chickens.

Come on.

Look at that.

Boy, is miss beadle gonna be sorry

she didn't believe me.

Come on.

Solomon, would you like some more milk?

No, ma'am. I'm ready to bust now.

She's never seen a real negro person, neither.

Oh.

Solomon, now that you've had something to eat,

maybe we oughta get down to cases, huh?

How'd you get here?

I jumped on the back of your wagon.

What for?

How old are you?

I think 11, sir.

And your family lives in mankato, right?

They did, sir.

Well, you must have some family.

Not that I know of.

Where are you from?

Mississippi.

I think I was born there.

Then I was in Virginia for some time.

Then...

My folks died.

Since then, I've just been scuffling around by myself.

Doing what?

Working here and there.

I'm a lot stronger than I look.

I work a 2-mule team all day

and a cross-cut saw that's twice my size.

But I ain't done much housework.

But I could pick up on it real fast.

See? Lookee here, see here?

"For sale...

"Healthy boy, 11 years old,

"87 pounds.

Good for house or field. Very obedient."

That's my daddy.

That's all I know of him.

I was thinking I could do like he did...

Get bought by some folks.

Maybe like you.

I'd be a right good slave.

Well, Solomon, this paper is dated 1854.

That's a long time ago.

Folks can't sell themselves anymore.

Who says?

Well, I know walnut grove

must seem like the end of the world,

but even we've heard about the emancipation proclamation.

I heard about it, too.

Well, if you heard what I heard

then you must know that when Lincoln signed it,

that ended slavery forever.

I figure a person belongs to hisself,

and he oughta be able to sell what's his

whether Lincoln likes it or not.

Caroline: Solomon, why would you want to do that?

To get money for schooling.

You've never been to school?

Aren't no schools.

Not for us.

I wanna learn to write my name first

and everything else after that...

Reading and figuring,

and learning

about the whole world and everything.

And I got a good ear for it, too.

If you was to buy me, I wouldn't be much.

You can name the price,

just so I have enough for a book or two.

You wouldn't be sorry.

I can work up till sunup to sundown.

I'll tell you what, Solomon.

Why don't you let me think about it, huh?

Meantime, we'll fix you up with a place to sleep

up in the soddy.

You can do some chores to earn your keep.

Tomorrow, I'll take you into town,

see about getting you started in school. How's that sound?

That's fine with me, sir.

Ok, come on. We'll get you bedded down.

That was a good meal, ma'am.

Thank you, Solomon. Good night.

Good night. 'Night, Solomon.

Good night, Solomon. Good night.

Wait'll they see him at school.

A genuine negro person.

Well, there you go, Solomon.

You get yourself a good night's sleep

and I'll see you in the morning, all right?

Yes, sir.

Sir?

Yeah?

If you're a little short of cash to buy me right off,

you can always pay for me on time,

just so I got enough for a little bit

a month or something.

Well, thank you very much, Solomon.

I'll, uh...

I'll think about that.

Good night.

Ooh. Hope he's warm enough out there.

Well, I'm sure he's warmer up there

than where he's been sleeping up till now.

He is a funny little guy.

Know what he said to me tonight?

He said if we were in a pinch, we could buy him on time.

He must have some family somewhere.

Yeah, I think he does.

I'm not so sure he was telling the truth about that.

They're gonna be awful hard to find.

Well, he can't just stay in that soddy forever.

He's a lot better up there

than he is wandering around the countryside.

I'll get him settled in school tomorrow.

I'll drive into mankato, ask around about him.

You know, Charles, it's funny.

What's that?

We worry so much about our children,

look over them,

protect them.

And here's this little boy no bigger than a minute,

doing for himself.

He's a special little guy.

Well, I think I'd better get some sleep.

I have a feeling I'm gonna need my rest

to keep up with Solomon.

Good night. Sleep well.

Ha ha ha!

What?

He's gonna let me buy him on time.

He's just so cute.

Ha ha ha! Ha ha ha!

Almost done, son.

I hope so, sir.

Caroline: Here are your britches, Solomon.

Hi, sol... It's almost 8:00.

Ha! We'll be right out. Ha ha ha!

Ha ha ha!

Hey! Ha ha ha!

You can come up now. They're gone.

Come on. Let's dry you off.

There.

What's the matter, you cold?

No, sir. I'm mostly scared, I guess.

Well, everybody has got a little first-day jitters

when they're going to a new school.

Back home, there was big trouble

when teacher had let some colored children in the school.

Well, don't you worry about that.

Nothing is gonna happen like that in walnut grove.

Now you finish drying off while I hitch up the team.

Charles: Here we go, everybody.

Good morning, Mrs. Oleson.

Well, good morning, Mr. Ingalls.

Who have we here?

Oh, this is Solomon Henry.

He's gonna be starting school here.

Oh, really?

Has your family moved here, Solomon?

No, ma'am.

No, Solomon's staying with us.

Oh, I see.

Yeah, we'd better get inside.

Don't want to be late our first day at school.

Mr. Ingalls!

Yeah?

Uh, could I see you for a moment, please?

Certainly. Why don't you go on inside?

I'll be right in.

Mr. Ingalls...

Well, I don't want you to get the wrong idea.

Oh, I'm sure I won't, Mrs. Oleson. What is it?

Well...

Uh...

Well, I want you to know that it has nothing to do

with the fact that...

Oh, that Solomon's a negro.

Yes! Uh...

Yes.

I am a member of the school board, Mr. Ingalls,

and I would like to remind you

that no child is allowed to attend this school

unless his family lives in this township.

Oh, I understand that, Mrs. Oleson.

Oh.

Well, but the boy said that his family

doesn't live here.

Oh, I know what he said, but he was just saying that

to make things easier on me.

Oh?

Yeah, you see, Solomon is my son by a former marriage.

I know you understand,

but a lot of the people in this town wouldn't.

Good day.

Good grief.

Good grief.

Good grief! Nels!

I know I should've given you a little notice,

but Solomon came to us rather unexpectedly.

I understand.

He's never been to school before,

and it's not gonna be easy.

Well, don't worry. We'll take it slowly at first.

I want you to know I think it's wonderful

what you're doing.

There's not many would take in a boy like that.

I'm not so sure Solomon gave me much choice.

I'd better get to work. Thank you.

All right. Bye.

Solomon.

Class, I'd like you to meet our new student.

This is Solomon Henry.

Hello, Solomon.

Hi, Solomon.

Don't you have something to say?

Hello, Solomon.

Solomon, where do you come from?

Virginia and Mississippi.

Well, I hope while you're here,

you can tell us all about your part of the country.

Yes, ma'am.

All right. You may sit down.

All right, class.

It's time to go to work.

Now, last week, I had you write an essay

about the things that you like the most.

This week, I thought it might be fun

if we wrote an essay

about the things that we dislike the most.

Well, let's see what we can think of right now.

Yes, Carl?

I hate cleaning the chicken Coop.

Willie? My sister.

You know where to stand.

Laura? Homework.

Now, Laura, you know you can't learn

if you don't do your homework.

Solomon?

Yes, ma'am?

Can you think of something that you dislike?

Being a nigger.

Morning, Mr. Kramer. I wonder if you could help me.

Quiet, Ingalls, I'm counting.

50 even.

Now, what was it you were wanting?

Well, it's about that little black boy that was here yesterday.

What about him?

Well, had you ever seen him before?

You know if he lives around here?

Not that I know of.

His name's Solomon Henry. Does that ring a bell?

Nope. What you wanna know for?

I've got him working out at my place,

and I was trying to find out if he had any family.

Well, watch he don't steal you blind.

Yes, sir.

It's past time for your bed, children.

Oh. Have a nice nap?

Oh. Guess I did fall asleep. What time is it?

It's about 9:00.

Just a couple of minutes longer, please.

No, come on. It's 9:00. Time for bed.

Solomon, I'll walk you up to the soddy.

I want to stretch my legs a little bit.

Oh, all right.

Good night.

Good night, Solomon.

Night, Solomon.

Kiss you when I come back down.

Ok.

I was almost finished.

I can't believe this is the little girl

who hates homework.

It's Solomon, I guess.

Solomon?

Yeah.

He wants to learn so bad.

He never had the chance before.

Makes me feel kinda guilty, I guess.

Here I've got a school and a family.

I don't know.

You mean you just suddenly realized

there's a lot you take for granted?

Yeah, I guess so.

Well, everybody takes things for granted from time to time.

You're no different than anybody else.

The important thing is

you realized it.

You're doing something about it.

Now, good night.

Ma? Mm-hmm?

I'm glad Solomon came to us.

So am I.

Now, there you go, Solomon.

Soon as you get your things off, I want that light out.

No more studying.

You can't learn everything in one day, all right?

Yes, sir. I'll go right to bed. I promise.

All right.

Solomon, I was talking to half-pint.

She, uh...

She told me you said something in school today. You know what I mean?

I think so, sir.

I didn't mean nothin' bad.

The teacher asked a question,

and I just answered it.

I knew I shouldn't have,

'cause everybody got real quiet-like.

Well, why'd you say it?

'Cause it's the truth.

If'n I was white, my pa would still be alive.

Being a nigger killed my pa.

Slaving until he was an old man at 30.

You hate something that killed your papa.

I know you do, Solomon, but...

Those days are over.

You're gonna start a new life now.

Ain't nothin' over.

Laws don't change nothin'.

You answer me somethin', sir.

Yeah, if I can.

Would you like to live to be 100?

Sure, I would.

It's not very likely. I mean, I guess all of us

like to live to a ripe old age.

Would you rather be black and live to be 100...

Or white and live to be 50?

Good night, Solomon.

That's very good, Nellie.

Uh... willie.

Bird.

B...

U...

R-d?

Not quite.

Um... solomon.

Bird.

B...

I...

R...

D.

Very good.

Cowboy. Now, that's one word, Solomon.

Cowboy.

K...

O... no, no.

C...

O...

W...

B...

O...

Y.

Hooray!

Excellent, Solomon.

All right. I think that's enough for today.

Class is dismissed.

That was just fine, Solomon.

Wasn't it, miss beadle?

It certainly was.

I hope you do as well with your poetry recitation.

"Under the bludgeonings of chance,

"my head is bloody but unbowed.

"Beyond this place of wrath and tears,

looms but the horror of the shade..."

"Horror of the shade."

That means death, miss beadle says.

We got a lot of grieving songs like this poem.

I remember when I could hear the women crying and singing

till it got light.

And everything feel awful low and quiet.

What were they singing about?

Oh, about dying and being released.

From what?

Hard times.

"Death is the robber,

"but it can't steal me,

"'cause I've been called by the man

"from galilee.

"Lord, I never been up,

"and I'll never go down,

'cause my soul is heaven-bound."

That's the way the words went.

You could hear 'em all night long,

all across the fields,

just crying and singing.

That boy may stay with us forever.

Be quiet, brother.

I come to get you out of here.

What are you talking about?

I don't care if you made your mark on a paper.

I'm getting you out.

I didn't make no mark.

You didn't indenture yourself?

No.

Then what you doing working for that white man?

He feeds me good, gives me a place to sleep,

and I get to go to school, Jackson.

School? See, lookit.

Learned how to write my name, Jackson, by myself,

and since Mr. Ingalls got me in school,

I can read a little bit, too,

and figure up to near 100.

Well, we got 15 acres outside of emmettsburg.

Only me, mama. Supposed to be you to work it.

Shouldn't have run away, Solomon.

Family and them 15 acres is all we got in the world.

Mama lays in her bed every night crying 'cause you gone.

I just want schoolin'.

It's crazy for a black boy to think about schoolin'

and books and figurin'.

I want to learn to read.

I wanna know things,

more than just corn coming up

or how to mend a harness.

What good's it gonna do you, huh?

Busting a field,

sewing, harvesting.

Ain't none of that any easier with book learnin'.

Is that all we're good for, Jackson,

working in the field day after day?

Ain't nothing' wrong with it.

I know.

And there ain't nothin' wrong

wanting something else, neither.

You think things gonna get any better 'cause you can read?

You think anything's gonna change?

It ain't.

White folks ain't gonna let it change.

They will.

What you think you're gonna be, boy?

Some kind of doctor or lawyer or something?

I can be anything I wanna be.

You wanna be white, boy?

Can't be that.

I can make you come with me.

I just could run away again.

All right.

Mama made this for you.

She said make sure you wear it.

I'll tell her you're safe,

you got a place to stay.

Charles: Hey, Solomon,

what you doing out here?

I saw the girls on the way in to school.

They said you were gonna catch up.

Yes, sir.

Well, it's a lot later than you think.

You best jump on the wagon.

I'll take you into town.

I got to go get my books.

All right.

Dr. Baker,

Dr. Tane. How you doing?

Morning, Mr. Ingalls.

Whoa.

A doctor?

That black man's a doctor?

That's right. Name's Dr. Tane.

Well, I got to get on to work.

You have a good day at school.

Yes, sir.

I'll be a doctor.

What you doing around here, boy?

I work for Mr. Ingalls,

and I go to school, too.

Oh. That a fact?

You're a doctor, ain't ya?

Oh, after a fashion.

Learned what I could from books.

You doctorin' around here?

Who'd I be doctorin' around here, boy?

Folks get sick, don't they?

White folks here?

You don't think white folks be letting me doctor 'em, do you?

I'm a reservation doctor, boy.

I do what I can for Indians

'cause ain't no white doctor's gonna do it.

You got a family around here, boy?

No, sir.

I got to get to school.

Hmm.

Darlin', I'm sorry I'm late.

I'll hitch the team and be right in. Where's Solomon?

Oh, he said he didn't feel like eating.

Is he feeling sick?

No.

The girls said nothing happened at school.

I'll check on him.

All right.

Solomon?

Hey, you all right?

Yes, sir.

How come no supper then?

Just ain't hungry.

You know, Solomon, when people are friends,

they have to share with each other.

They have to... they have to be honest with each other.

That's the only way you can work out a problem.

Ain't no way to work out this problem.

Well, we can sure try, can't we?

Talked to that Dr. Tane today.

He said he couldn't do his doctoring here.

He said the white folks wouldn't let him.

Is that the truth?

You just said we got to be honest with each other.

Yeah, that's the truth.

See, you got to understand...

That we different? That I'm black?

Solomon, there's a lot of good folks in walnut grove.

But you know, when people spend their whole lives

thinking a certain way, it...

It just takes time for them to change.

And if they don't?

We go to the same school, learn the same,

but it don't make no difference.

When we done, nothing's changed.

All I'm still good for

is walking behind a plow.

I walk behind a plow.

That's your choice. I ain't got a choice.

Don't make no difference to learn something

if you can't use 'em.

My mama and brother tried to tell me that.

There's some more of the truth.

I got a family.

My brother came here to fetch me back.

But I told him no.

I was wrong.

I got to go back to my mama.

Why didn't you tell us you had a family?

'Cause I wanted to be with you,

pretend you were my family.

But it ain't no good pretending.

I best to be going tomorrow.

I'm gonna miss you, Solomon Henry.

I've been looking all over for you.

It's almost time to go to town.

I'm all ready.

The stage doesn't leave until 8:30.

You could go say good-bye to miss beadle if you want.

Yeah, I'd like to.

I got to give back her slate and primer.

I wish you didn't have to go.

Got to.

Wish I could be here for your poem,

but I know you'll do good.

Thanks to you.

What's wrong with people, Solomon?

Why can't they change?

Maybe they will someday.

Maybe in a hundred years or so,

things will be different.

Maybe.

Charles: Half-pint!

Solomon! Time to go!

Time to go.

Coming.

Class, one of our students is leaving us today,

and he'd like to say good-bye.

Uh...

I got to go back home now.

I got a family,

and I got to be with 'em.

This is a good school.

You're all... you're all mighty lucky

to be able to come here.

I expect you to know that.

And I'm thankful for being allowed to come here...

Thankful especially to Laura...

Mary...

And miss beadle.

This is for you, miss beadle.

Bless you too, Solomon.

You make that poem sing now.

Bye, Solomon.

Thank you, grace.

Solomon, you're all set. Here's your ticket.

Sure appreciate this ticket for the stage.

Well, it's the least I can do.

You did a lot of work for me.

Now, you best get aboard, huh?

Get going now.

Go on.