Original subtitles

Buffy, Jody, this is Mr. and Mrs. Chang.

Well, we are honored.

A genuine oriental kowtow.

Where did you little ones learn how to kowtow?

Uncle Bill.

I worked in Taiwan a couple of years ago.

You should teach our kids.

They want no part of old Chinese customs.

Yeah?

Okay, kids, off to bed.

Uncle Bill, are you going to... tuck us in?

Well, sure I am.

Please, Bill, may I?

Of course, go right ahead.

It's been a long time since our kids needed me to tuck them in.

How old are your kids now, Paul?

Tommy is 20, Susie's 15, and they will not kowtow or speak a word of Chinese,

not even to their honorable grandfather.

They're afraid it might classify them as foreigners.

tell us a bedtime story?

I'd love to, but your Uncle Bill is waiting for me.

A short bedtime story?

Short, sure.

Okay.

Red Riding Hood?

Sleeping Beauty?

A Chinese bedtime story.

When I was your age, I always liked the land of Fusong.

Fusong?

Where's Fusong?

Oh, you won't find it in your geography books, and it isn't on the map either.

Then how do you know it's anywhere?

You know in your heart.

It's where dreams come true.

I'd like to go there.

Every day is a holiday.

If you fall down, you won't skin your knees.

And all the girls are pretty, and all the boys are strong.

Tell us some more.

When it rains in Busan, it rains lemonade.

And it's no strawberry, chocolate, peppermint stick ice cream.

Gee.

And grown -ups never do what I have to do right now.

Which is to say, it is time to turn out the light.

Good night, Miss Chang. Good night, Bob.

Mrs. Chang, will you come back sometime and tell us some more about Fusang?

I'd love to.

Maybe tonight you'll dream about Fusang.

Good night.

Good night.

You all set?

Yes. They are delightful, Bill. Thank you. Why don't you bring them and

celebrate New Year's with us?

New Year's? That's planning pretty far ahead, isn't it? Chinese New Year's.

Saturday, there is going to be a big parade in Chinatown. And dragon dances

firecrackers. I think the kids would love it. I'd love it myself.

Bill, my father is very old.

And he hasn't been feeling too well.

Oh, well, let's make it another time, then.

Paul, grandfather is alone too much.

I think he would welcome Bill and the children.

Please, Paul.

I think it's just what he needs.

She's absolutely right.

Bill, will you and your children be our guests?

We'll be most honored guests.

Thank you.

Good evening.

Hello there.

Hi, Paul.

Good evening, Bill.

Lang. This is the Davis family.

This is Sissy, and this is Buffy, and this is Joey. How do you do?

Lang has kept house for grandfather for many years.

Where are your kids?

Oh, they couldn't make it tonight.

Tommy had a basketball game, conference semifinal. He made varsity this year.

And Susie is a cheerleader.

They may look in after the game.

Bill, Grandfather is waiting to meet you. This way, please.

Welcome.

Our humble house is honored.

Thank you. How do you do?

Happy New Year!

Happy Chinese... Listen to you.

Sorry.

Your efforts do me much honor.

Come.

Our doctor says there's nothing physically wrong with him.

Only his spirit is weak.

But he feels he has nothing to live for.

Well, yes, you and Betty and the kids.

Yes, but Father says we live in a different world.

And in a way, he's right.

A world that no longer has a place for him.

Well, he probably feels nobody needs him. I understand.

Lang tells me that he just stopped eating.

Marking time.

Waiting for it to be over.

Do your birds have names?

Oh, yes. This is Biling, Wame, and Yusi.

Biling, Wame, and Yusi.

Yusi.

Yusi.

You learn very quickly.

Many of the young people do not take the trouble.

We like birds.

So do I.

They're good company, even for an old, useless grandfather.

I'll get it, French.

Hi, Paul.

Come here. I just have a moment. Is Buffy or Jody here? Yeah. Jody, Buffy.

You got time for a cup of coffee or something? What do you got there?

No, thank you. I'm here as a messenger to deliver a gift and ask a favor.

Buffy, Jody.

A Chinese New Year's gift from Grandfather Chang.

Oh, it looks like Pai Ling.

It looks more like Hua Ming.

Tell Grandfather Chang it's a very nice New Year's present.

Tell him for me, too.

We gotta go show Sissy. Excuse us.

Now, what's this, about a favor?

Yes. I told you how worried we'd been about old Grandfather Chang, wasting

nothing to live for.

Anything we can do to help?

Did you notice the sparkle in his eyes when he looked at Buffy and Jody?

As if they were his treasured grandchildren.

I thought perhaps... You want them to pay him a visit?

It is asking a great deal.

Uh -huh.

Did you notice the sparkle in their eyes when they looked at him?

They haven't got any grandparents, you know.

I'm about the only honorable ancestor in town.

Then they may come?

Sure they can.

I'll have French take them over tomorrow right after school. Is that okay?

We will be forever in your den. It gives us new hope for him now.

Thank you, Bill.

Sir, the children insist that I'm to have this feathered creature, sir.

Mr. Chang just gave it to them.

Yes, well, the children quoted Grandfather Chang as saying that a bird

excellent company for a lonely man.

Here are foreign children.

Sir, thank you for the feathered creature.

You liked him?

We're sharing him with Mr. French.

He needs someone to keep him company, just like you do, Honorable Grandfather.

Who is most beautiful lady?

Oh.

Meet Grandfather Chen.

She looks very wise.

Oh, she listens a lot.

May I give her a Chinese name?

Let us call her Yinzi, the lady philosopher.

Yinzi.

She likes it.

since Grandfather Chang.

We need a name for our bird.

Something easy to say.

Mr. French doesn't speak very good Chinese.

Let me think.

Chu Ming?

Chu Ming.

That was the name of my grandfather's favorite bird.

Your grandfather had birds, too?

He and I used to take them walking.

How do you take a bird walking?

On a leash?

He carried the large cage.

I carried the small.

We went to a little woods near our village.

We hung the cages on the branches of a tree.

Grandfather's friends would come and bring their birds too.

On sunny days, the trees would be filled with singing birds.

I was always so proud to sit with Grandfather.

Tell me about your Honorable Grandfathers.

We don't have any.

At least we don't remember any.

Honorable Grandfather Chang.

Yes, little one.

Will you be our grandfather?

Please, then we can always come here to visit.

And you can come to see us.

This is the family ancestral shrine.

Those of us who are here keep the memory of those who have gone before.

From this moment, my children, you are members of my family.

Thank you, Grandfather Chang. Thank you, Honorable Grandfather.

Well, they got you doing it, too.

Purely reflex, sir.

Power of suggestion.

Perhaps the oriental influence is being slightly overemphasized, sir. I mean,

the clothing, the customs, the language.

Well, I wouldn't worry about it.

What?

Hello, Uncle Bill. Morning, Uncle Bill. Hi.

I said greetings.

Uncle Bill. I should welcome home.

Grand, have a little kiss too.

Thank you.

That's the same in any language.

How's Grandfather Chang?

Honorable Grandfather is fine.

He hopes you will honor him with a visit.

I'll just do that too.

Buffy, you left.

Crummy incense burning again. Here.

Sorry. So sorry.

Incense. Yinza likes it.

Oh, well, sure.

Who's Yinzi?

Yinzi is Mrs. Beasley. Uncle Bill is like we're living in an old Charlie Chan

movie.

Another gift from the oriental branch of our family, sir.

Dinner is served.

There. Now you both try.

for, Bob?

It keeps my hand steady.

She's right.

Admirable for two so recently Chinese.

What does it mean, Grandfather Chang?

Happiness.

It looked happy.

How many signs are there in Chinese, Grandfather?

Oh, 55 ,000, more or less.

We never could learn them all.

We'll have to come back here soon.

Liam.

There are three hungry people here.

Or am I the only one?

I'm hungry, Grandfather Chang.

Me too, Honorable Grandfather.

Good. Plenty of everything, young.

Grandfather, will you please sit down and tell us a story?

Now, let's see.

What story?

About the land of Fusong.

And please start at the beginning.

And about how you go to Fusong.

Some people go on a wish.

Some go on a dream.

Some on a kindness.

Is Fusong anything like New York City or Terre Haute?

No, but there are moments, happy times, when we know what it would

be like to live in Fusong.

Lang, he's looking so much better.

Perhaps. He eats.

He seems to live from one visit of the children to the next.

The best thing I ever did was borrow Buffy and Jody for him.

It is written, today's wisdom spawns tomorrow's despair.

Now, what does that mean?

It is not my place to interfere.

Lang, he's happy again.

He's eating.

Why... He's found a reason to live.

The wrong reason.

This is a cruel trick to play on an old man.

No one is playing a trick.

Leon.

Your son was here.

You were asleep.

Leung, what cruel trick is being played?

I don't know what you mean.

Someone said a cruel trick was being played on an old man.

Perhaps you were dreaming.

I was not dreaming.

This trick, it has something to do with the children, with Buffy and Jody?

You will answer me.

Yes, Honorable Master.

From the first it was wrong. I have always said no good comes from a lie.

He's convinced they were pretending, playing a game because I asked them to.

He says a man has lived too long when strangers have to invent excuses for him

to stay alive.

What can we do?

You let me try something?

Buffy!

Jody!

No, it is impossible.

No more hurt.

Lang, don't you want...

What's best for Mr. Chang?

I will protect Honorable Master.

I know. But we didn't bring the children here to hurt him.

He does not blame the children.

They did as they were told.

No. When they asked him to be their grandfather, that was their own idea.

Doesn't he realize that?

Now, why don't you let them tell him how they feel?

He can decide himself if it's a trick or not.

Grandfather Chang?

Did my son ask you to visit an old man again?

No, we came because we wanted to see you.

We've been practicing our writing.

The teacher had us show the whole class.

I don't hold my brush tight enough, so will you show me how?

No more lessons. It is time for me to depart.

To the land of Fusong?

Yes.

Grandfather Chang, will you take us with you?

Please? So we can see the peppermint stick snow?

And never have skinned knees anymore?

It is no longer necessary to play the game.

What game?

We're not playing a game. We missed you.

Missed me?

Ginza missed you, too.

None of the kids that we know has a Chinese grandfather.

Sometime can I bring my friend Frida Mae over to visit you? She'd love to see

your birds.

You told your friend about me?

Sure. My friend Peter wants to come too.

You see, now when they talk about their grandfathers, we don't have to just

listen. We tell them about you.

Please don't go away to the land of Busan, Grandfather Chang.

Please, Honorable Grandfather.

I can go to Fusang some other time.

This humble person wishes to thank you.

Grandfather Ching?

It will do.

It will do.

What is your opinion, Mr. French?

The branches are low.

There is a nice bench.

And quite secluded.

You know, I should not like to have to explain to my friends that I'm out

walking my bird.