Original subtitles

Parashiki.

Toyonaki.

Takamatsu.

Japanese places sure sound funny when you say them.

Well, I guess our places sound funny to Japanese people.

I don't think New York does.

Ah, children, it's almost time for dinner.

But we're trying to find Mr. Osaki's home on the map.

We found a lot of Atsus and Ikis, but we can't find Kumamoto.

Hi. Hi, Uncle Bill.

Good evening. Good evening, sir. Good evening yourself.

Hi. Hi.

Sorry, Uncle Bill. I was looking for Kumamoto.

Kumamoto. You studying Japan in school?

No. We're trying to find Mr. Osaki's home on the map.

Who's Mr. Osaki?

He's our friend. We met him in the park.

Yes, he's an elderly Japanese of enormous dignity, sir. A very learned

We haven't seen him for a long time.

He's been very sick in the hospital.

He's still sick, but he's going home to Japan.

He said he wanted to see his flowering plum tree once more in the garden of the

house that he was born.

He talks like that, but it sounds nice when he says it.

Sounds nice when you say it, too.

Oh, he's a remarkable old gentleman, sir, and very fond of the children.

Uncle Bill, can we go to the park tomorrow and say goodbye to Mr. Ozaki?

Sure. And could we eat lunch over at his house? He invited us.

Oh, I would accompany them, sir. I was invited, too. It was a formal farewell.

Only he calls it a sayonara.

Okay, go on and wash up now.

Where does Mr. Osaki live?

No, he's a Japanese diplomat, sir.

But I believe he's much more ill than the children realize.

Mr. Osaki.

What?

I was saying goodbye to a few old friends.

There's nobody here except us, Mr. Osaki.

The trees are my friends, even as you are my friends.

That sounds real nice.

Can we stay with you while you say goodbye?

Oh, I'm quite finished.

I have already said goodbye to the lake and thanked it for the many pleasurable

moments its reflections provided.

I have said goodbye to the elm tree I watched grow from a sapling.

Did you say goodbye to the bench and the trash basket, Mr. Osaki?

Those two.

And I have said goodbye to the rocks which have provided the home for small

plants.

I didn't know plants could grow in rocks.

Oh, yes.

Beauty can thrive anywhere.

If you remember that, you'll find the beauty around you all the days of your

life.

Delightful, Mr. Osaki. We thank you.

In my country, Mr. French, dining is regarded as an aesthetic experience.

Oh, indeed, as it should be.

And we thank you, too, for the aesthetic experience, Mr. Osaki, and for giving

us hot dogs instead of raw fish.

I wish to make our last hours together pleasant, so I ordered something you'd

enjoy.

We never had hot dogs.

Now it grows late.

I regret I must depart to make further preparations for my journey.

Of course, I understand.

Children, we'd better leave.

But before you depart, I have a small gift.

like a real one.

It is a real tree, children.

Mr. French is correct.

If it had been permitted to grow to its full height, it would tower over us,

even at the great elm in the park, towers over us.

It is called bonsai, and it is as old as

I am old.

When I was born, my father planted this little tree and formed it as you

see it now.

When I was old enough to care for it, it became my responsibility.

It is very much a part of me.

It began when I began. It thrived as I thrived.

And it is my belief that...

I will die.

And now, I must go on a long and difficult journey.

I fear that the tree would not survive the journey.

And so,

I am giving the tree to you.

It is my way of saying... Arigato.

Thank you... for the many hours we have spent together.

It will give me pleasure to know that... as you tend the tree... you will think

of me.

We promise, Mr. Osaki.

And now...

We must say sayonara.

Sayonara, Mr. Osaki.

Sayonara. Sayonara.

Sayonara. Goodbye.

Sayonara.

really fantastic.

It almost looks like a real tree.

It is a real tree, Sissy, only it's been trained to stay little.

And it's going to live for a hundred years, maybe more.

And Mr. Osaki will live just as long as the tree will.

Oh, I've been reading to the children from the encyclopedia about the bonsai,

sir.

What do you think we ought to put it?

Well, may I suggest a small table in front of the terrace where it may enjoy

morning sun?

That's a good idea.

Now we can look at it from inside and outside.

I think it looks just perfect there, Mr. French.

It sure does.

I wish Mr. Osaki could have seen it.

When's he leaving?

Tomorrow. It's going to take Mr.

Osaki a long time to get home.

The flight to Japan isn't that long.

He's not going by plane.

He's first going on a train and then on a boat.

Well, if you write him a thank you note today, it'll be there waiting for him

when he gets home.

I sure hope he lives long enough to get back home to see his flowering plum

tree.

I came to see how the tree was. I guess I fell asleep.

The tree looks fine.

I hope so. Because I wouldn't want anything to happen to Mr. Osaki.

What's that little tree got to do with Mr. Osaki?

He said that it began when he began.

And it thrived when he thrived.

And it would die when he dies.

And I've got to make sure it stays okay.

I expect you to take real good care of that little tree, but it doesn't have

connection with Mr. Osaki.

He said if the tree dies, he believes he would, too.

No, now, Jody, listen.

Uh, someplace in the city, there's got to be a tree that started on the same

that I was born.

Really? What kind of tree, Uncle Bill? Well, just any kind of a tree. Say a

maple tree, okay? Now...

If something happens to the maple tree, if it's chopped down or if it gets

struck by lightning or it gets sick and dies, that doesn't mean anything's going

to happen to me. You understand?

I understand, Uncle Bill.

Okay.

I'm going to bed.

It's past midnight.

Good night, Uncle Bill.

Good night, Mr. O 'Flocky's tree.

Jody, Uncle Bill's pretty smart.

Sure, about maple trees.

But he doesn't understand that much about bonsai.

And he doesn't know Mr. Osaki like we do, does he?

I guess not. He never met him, Jody.

See? That's why we have to take care of the tree extra special good.

So Mr. Osaki will live long enough to get back home to Kimomoto.

Okay, I'll help you just in case it's so.

It is so. I know it's so.

Your book's on that shelf. It's time to water Mr.

Osaki's tree. I'll get the can.

Don't let the water get too cold and make sure the can's clean.

Hmm. How's it doing?

Fine.

Here's the watering can, Jody.

Thanks, Buffy.

Mr. Osaki will be glad we're taking such good care of his tree.

Susie, where do you think Mr. Osaki is now?

Well, let's see.

He left yesterday and he had to take a train from New York to San Francisco.

That takes about three days.

So tomorrow, he'll be on the boat for Japan and home.

Then it won't be long before Mr. Osaki sees this flowering plum tree.

Come on, Jody.

Good morning.

Morning, Uncle Bill.

Morning.

What's the matter with you?

I don't think the tree's feeling very good.

Some of its best leaves fell off.

Pancakes and bacon this morning.

I'm not very hungry, Mr. French.

Me neither.

The tree.

Now listen, I'm going to go and get a book about bonsai.

And we'll just read it and we'll probably find that there's something

ought to be doing to keep the tree healthy that we're not doing, okay?

Okay. Uncle Bill, if you help, I just know the tree will be fine.

I want lots of bacon and lots of pancakes, Mr. French. And cinnamon

All right.

Hey, Jody.

What am I?

Come on.

What's going on? Oh, just a moment, sir.

What are they doing with the pots?

We're anticipating rain, sir.

Anticipating a water shortage, too?

Oh, no, sir, but the children read that the bonsai find, well, rainwater very

beneficial, sir.

Uncle Bill, could you engineer us a tiny reservoir?

No, I think the pots will do fine.

Well, let's get some more beer.

Do you think it's ready?

I don't know. The book didn't say when to stop cooking.

It smells ready.

Grinch!

He's not here, Uncle Bill. He went to the store.

He wants cooking.

Smells terrible.

He's not cooking anything. We are.

Want to come see?

Hi. Oh, sir.

I'm sorry I was delayed.

You know what's going on in your kitchen?

Oh, indeed, sir. Yes, the children are preparing a solution from boiled clams.

Fresh ones?

Clams. Yes, sir. It's supposed to be beneficial as a fertilizer.

Couldn't you get some kind of prepared stuff from a nursery?

Oh, no, sir, no, sir. Chemical fertilizers being difficult to handle

recommended.

That's what it said in your book, Uncle Bill. Did you get the herring, Mr.

French?

Yes, yes, but not without considerable difficulty.

Fresh herring?

Dried, sir. The book suggests using bits of dried herring to nourish the roots.

Okay,

whichever is going to be good for the tree, that's all right with me.

We knew it would be.

pretty bad, all right.

I don't know, kids. I don't think there's much hope left for that.

But there has to be.

Or Mr. Osaki won't get home to Kimomoto.

Jody, I told you the trees got nothing to do with Mr. Osaki.

Trees aren't people. They're living things, but they're not people.

I know that, Uncle Bill.

I don't think Mr. Osaki ever intended you to think that...

A tree's anything but a tree.

But it's always thrived as he thrived.

And now it's not thriving.

We don't know what's happened.

Mr. Osaki's old and he had to take a long trip to get home.

But whatever's happened to him doesn't have anything to do with the tree.

But what if the tree died?

That'd be too bad, but that's the way nature is.

You just have to accept it.

But... It just means that a tree died.

That's all.

But we'll feel awful sad, Uncle Bill.

I try to think about the happy part.

Think how old that tree is and how much pleasure it gave you, Mr. Osaki.

And how much pleasure it gave us, Jody, even if it was only for a little while.

You understand?

Uncle Bill?

I just know that the tree isn't going to die, and Mr. Osaki is going to see his

flowering plum tree.

This makes it easier for the roots to breathe, Mr. Franch.

I'm afraid Jody's almost frantic in his desire to bring the bonsai back to life,

sir. I tried to tell him that's no different from any other tree.

I fear the lad's acquired a touch of oriental mysticism, sir.

Yeah, he's got some kind of fantasy going. You try to get it out of his head

it doesn't work, though.

He continues to water it and fertilize it.

I'm afraid it's quite dead.

Well, I shouldn't let it go on this long.

Is he in his room?

No, sir, he's in the girls' room. The children bought back a bunch of new

from the library, sir.

Books on bonsai?

Mm -hmm.

One should consider the use of weathered volcanic ash mixed with limestone.

That sounds good. We never heard that one before. It might work.

can get some weather buck out of cash, Uncle Bill. A limestone?

I wouldn't do any good.

We could try.

Listen, you took on a big responsibility with that little tree, and you've taken

good care of it. I'm very proud of you.

But it's dead, so we might as well get rid of it.

No, Uncle Bill.

It's just rusty.

I wish I could believe that.

What's wrong to let you go on taking care of it?

But I don't mind taking care of the tree.

Joe, you shouldn't go on hoping for something that can't happen.

Well, do you really think the tree is dead, Uncle Bill?

Sure it is. It's not a sign of life.

Couldn't we wait just a little longer?

Please?

Okay, we'll wait till Monday. But that'll be it.

people, Joey.

I know.

But if we throw the tree away on Monday, then it will be dead.

And if Mr. Osaki isn't home by Monday, then he won't get home at all.

It's Monday, Buffy.

We have to say sayonara to Mr.

Osaki's tree.

I'll be right there, Jody.

Do you think Mr. Osaki is home by now, Sissy?

I figure he should be arriving in Japan sometime this week.

If he gets there.

Hurry up, Sissy.

Hold still.

I was hoping Monday wouldn't come, weren't you?

Buffy!

How about that?

I take it back, sissy.

Now I'm glad Monday came.

It's a sort of a miracle.

Gee, Mr. Osaki's tree, you sure had us scared.

Good for you, Jody. Now Mr. Osaki will live to see his flowering plum tree.

Well, how about breakfast for those of us who do not wish to be late for

hmm? Yes, sir, Mr. French.

Well, looks like happiness is a healthy bonsai.

But he was dead, sir.

Oh, surely there's some logical explanation.

I don't think there's anything very logical about it.

Well, surely, sir, you're not suggesting some sort of miracle, are you?

Jody watered it and fed it and nursed it and looked after it. He didn't give up.

We did, but he didn't.

He had faith. The way things are going today, that's some sort of a miracle,

wouldn't you say?

Yes, I would indeed, sir.

Mail call.

Did I get an invitation to Jan's birthday party?

Well, that's probably it right there.

Let's see. There's one for you.

Who gives a...

Good for you, and this is for me.

There's nothing for me?

It's a funny stamp.

It's a picture of Mr. Osaki by his flowering plum tree.

Mr. Osaki says you were sick for a long time, so he couldn't write and tell us.

But we knew we'd get there.