Original subtitles

When people told themselves their past with stories, explained their present

with stories, foretold the future with stories, the best place

by the fire was kept for the storyteller.

What's the matter?

I don't want you to even look at it or say its name. But there is a huge, and

when I say huge, I mean bigger than huge. I mean huge, enormous.

And this is no laughing matter.

I'm talking about a thing beginning with S and with several revolting black.

What are you going on about? You don't mean this little spider.

Hey, come back.

Have you killed it?

Yes.

Promise? Promise. I popped it between my fingers.

Come and see.

Quite a mess.

Good yuck. They're foul.

They don't even know the meaning of the word bone.

What a noodle you are.

Frightened of a little thing.

You're frightened of rats.

Everyone's frightened of rats. They're rattish.

That's normal.

What? You seen a rat?

You're shivering.

Oh, you?

Now it's getting dark.

Don't like the dark either.

Come here and bark a bit.

Bark, bark, bark, bark, bark, bark, bark, bark, bark, bark, bark.

What shall we do until morning?

Well, I could tell you the story of the boy who set forth to learn what fear

was.

You mean he didn't know? No.

He wasn't frightened of rats or bats or cats or things beginning with S. No, a

rare boy.

The second son of the second cousin of my second wife's second niece, who died

and left her husband, Taylor, two sons.

The one good, the other good for nothing.

And he was called Fear Not.

What time do you call it?

Don't know, Dad.

What time do you call it?

Lord, give me patience.

Well, have you got the buttons?

What buttons?

The buttons I sent you out for.

Do you know, Dad, I completely forgot them buttons.

Tell the truth, I stood and played under my sweetheart's window.

Oh, she's a lovely... Did you hear that?

He forgot.

Have a fear.

I'll go back.

And forget again?

No.

You go, son.

I'll go in the morning.

The morning's no use. Go now.

I would, but the dark comes and I don't like the forest. It's all shadows.

There's trolls in there and dragons.

Let me go.

I don't mind shadows.

I never saw a dragon.

Be off with you, then. What are you going for?

Don't tell me to see dragons.

No, ogres.

Buttons!

Buttons.

So off goes fear not to fetch buttons.

But the village bullies watch him, his skip and his gormless grin.

He's ripe for ragging. Oh, yes, they'll fetch him a fearful fright.

Hello.

Are you a troll?

I am a wordle.

Only twice as bad.

Never mind.

I want your bag of buttons. Sorry. They're for my dad.

Give them to me, or I'll mutton you.

Mutton me?

I'll give you a right flummox.

That doesn't sound very nice.

Give me the buttons!

Back he goes, our boy, to his dad's house, full of tales of a wordle, only

as bad. I'm sorry about the buttons. And did you know a wordle had three voices?

And the father set him outside with 40 shillings in a purse and told him to go

off and learn something.

Fear not consider this.

He's always wanted to know how to shudder.

The knack of it's eluded him.

He'll set forth to learn what fear is.

with nothing to guide him but a bag of shillings, a fiddle and a fool's errand.

Good day, young man.

Now, isn't this a lucky meeting?

Good day, sir. I can tell by the gleam in your eye you have a sweetheart.

I do, sir. And what's your name?

I don't know.

Ah, well, what's your name?

Mine's Mackay, but I don't mind it.

Mine's Fairnott. And there you go, as me poor mother would say. Have you got a

mother? I'm afraid I don't. Well, we all had one once, and that's the main

thing. Now, your sweetheart, is she dark or fair?

Oh, dark, sir.

Like Arabia.

Like Arabia.

Oh, happy day. And a happy day it is for you, young man. For in this bag I have

a scarf of silk, direct from the shores of Araby.

Here, I insist you take it, and may you learn a name with it. Thank you, Miss

Dollar. And it's because you're such a fine fellow, I'm only going to ask you

pay me what I paid for it.

A double Persian.

How much is that? How much you got?

Nothing like that. Barely half.

Less than two turns.

I'd like the scarf, because I've set forth to learn things, you see.

And to learn a name is something.

But I'll give you all I have if you could learn me what fear is.

You will give me 40 shillings.

If I can frighten you.

Gladly. I see, said the blind man. Let me think.

Shut your eyes.

Is something the matter? No, no,

just give me a minute.

What do you reckon that is at your throat?

I don't know, sir. A knife?

And a sharp knife.

Slit the hair clean and do.

That's marvellous. A slit of thought without touching this one. That's a good

knife, then. Certainly is, and will do for you, young man, unless you part with

your bag of shillings. I can't do that, for I must learn what fear is.

And I'm not frightened of you, Mr Mackay. You're a friend.

Oh, no,

no, no, we're friends.

Goodness, I'm sure we are.

Let me take you down the lane.

Where I think I can arrange a little case of the Shudder style.

Follow me.

Where do we go? To a pond.

By a hedge.

By a field.

By a mill. By a town.

And in that pond is a fearful sight.

Too fearful.

Think what fearful is.

An ante.

And shall I shudder?

No question.

If you survive.

And off they went to most fanciful peregrination, until they came to a pond

hedge, by a field, by a mill, by a town.

And as they arrived with day ending, they saw folk rushing from the mill,

dusted with flour, and would not stop at one word.

And shouted, Be clear before dark falls!

Beware the pond!

and other such unwelcome.

Here. Is this where I'll learn to shudder, Mr. Mackay?

The trick is, you must plunge into the pond, and fear will swim up the great

air.

Splendid.

Ah, it's a treat.

Will you join me? No, thanks.

I must retire and get his beds for the night. You must sleep after a good

fright.

Good luck. Thank you.

Now this green pond is not all welcome cool and water lilies.

Deep in its green deep is a terrible thing. And it peers up through the green

and sees a pair of feet in the man.

So there he is, our man fear not, dangling his feet in the pond, waiting

shudder, wondering how, when all of a sudden, and who would believe it, the

water begins to gather and froth and swirl.

And below me, if a ring of sad beauties don't appear, eyes closed and

melancholy.

These are the sisters of the deep, and their dance is a welcome to drowning.

Come in, come in, they seem to say.

And Fear Not looks on enchanted by their loveliness.

Then he does what he always does when this moon takes him.

Now why do the village folk avoid this pretty scene?

Why do men tremble as night falls and the moon gleams its silver on the pool?

Because, my dearios, my darlings, these are the daughters of the terrible ring.

Water in their veins, water in their eyes.

They have but two tasks, to drown men and to drown women.

Come in, come in, they seem to say. Come in and sip our bitter beer.

Come in and meet our master.

Do you know who I am?

I don't think so.

You're not a wordle, some sort of terrible thing.

Exactly. These are my pretties.

They tempt me like you, and I drown them.

Why?

Because. But first, give me your bird. It's only so

beautiful. I can't do that.

I have to make it. Look.

Where does the singing come from?

These holes.

Let me try.

Hurry.

You must learn to play.

But your bird, where does its song come from?

The song?

Oh, far away.

Ireland. Which direction?

Over there. Many left and many right.

Ireland. I'll go there.

That way, you say?

That's it.

Make it sing some more, and then I'll go.

I'll go.

And our boy plays them more until the creature leaves his daughters and his

green pool and his endless drowning and heads off in search of Ireland and the

bird that sings.

And he lives there still, for all I know.

What a hero.

What a hero.

Not one feast, but twenty.

Seventy -eight gifts, four offers of marriage, and much playing of the

By morning, Mr. Mackay, self -appointed manager of heroes and historian of fear

-not -exploits, had noted details of the whereabouts of trolls and terrors and

dragons and demons and untold, unsolved mysteries.

Thus commissioned, the two companions set off, and it isn't till late, the

following afternoon, head still muddled by spider, that fear not, remembers to

cut the tinker's ears, retrieve his 40 shillings and ask him where they're

heading next.

Well, I have the route to a fine terror, but I must have reward.

I have promised you my shillings when I shudder. But give me only a fist which I

like not.

One little misunderstanding and I'm flushed for me pain.

Comparis, you are blessed with great courage.

I am cursed with a little cunning.

I cheat for trifles while you can move mountains.

Is that fair, I ask you?

I'm sorry.

Take my money.

I've offended you.

No, no. I shall struggle on for nothing.

We go to yonder castle where none survive a night.

So I will learn to shudder at last.

Now this castle they approach is a graveyard of homes.

The king driven out. The rooms abandoned.

Only fools seek shelter there.

For this is a troubled land and bad holds caught.

Look. There it is on the horizon.

A place brooding.

Wait here.

You should take things with me.

Take a sword.

Take two. These three things are enough.

Or not, as the case may be.

And they leave 75 of my gifts should I not return.

Do not leave them here, for you know how it is with me. I'll be forced to steal

them and desert you. Have a little courage, Mr. Mackay.

Godspeed. Fear not.

Ah, lovely.

Ah, lovely.

A little courage, Mr.

Mackay.

I

loaded

only half here.

Where's the rest of me?

like it.

Now, how about a game?

Why not?

I have all night.

Yes, all night.

Can you play Skittles?

I'll try.

You try.

He better have.

These are definitely not my legs. Too short by half.

You better win, precious, or you'll find yourself half the man you were.

What size legs are those?

I don't know.

No gout?

Calls? Blisters?

First, I reckon.

Eight! Not bad on bottled legs.

Bowl well, precious.

Careful. You don't want them pegs damaged.

He won't mind, sir.

But you're bored.

Oh, very well, my friend.

If it doesn't help you with the shuddering...

Lovely. Fear not, for lack of a fright settles down the night.

But what's this?

Mr. Mackay?

Oh, mister.

Is this all up with you?

So cold.

You were my first and only friend.

My friend, you're now so cold.

Let me warm you a little.

It's better.

See?

Have I not warmed you?

Fear not.

Come near a demon, and I'll cut off your head, and then there'll be three parts

to marry.

What? I know it's not you.

It is me.

Dead again, are you?

No. Come closer.

Please, I'm terrified.

I came with my little courage to find you, and it's quite used up.

How many gifts did I leave?

Well, I only counted 74 to begin with, and I ate two, well, two and a half, but

there's still plenty.

What's the name of my true love?

Well, how can I know if you don't?

Then it is you.

But of course it's me.

And you came in to find me?

It's my lot. I try to break the mould and be dissonant and I get a knife with

it. Shut up and come here and hug me. No.

But hug him he did. And full of glee they searched the castle from top to

And behind the farthest door of the highest floor they found a room.

And in that room was gold.

Such gold that they might have thrown it out of the window for a week and still

be swapped.

And they shared it half and half and a bit for luck. And never have two men

danced more nor merrier.

And from a distance, you would have seen the castle shake off its grey drab and

thumbnail.

So he never learned to shudder?

The fact of the matter is that fear not are such questions of the tinker all the

way home.

Why haven't I learned to shudder?

What can I tell my father and so on? And the tinker pointed to their gold and

said, are there not sufficient riches that you must be frightened as well?

And so they went on, fear not complaining of fearing not, immuttering,

they arrived at last at the gate of fear not.

We must say goodbye then.

You must meet my family.

No, families don't like me.

Of course they will. You're my friend. You must come in.

As me dear old Mary used to say, leave them while they want you to stay. No,

thank you.

What's this for?

You must give that to your father.

That's right.

But I have not learned to shudder.

Goodbye, Mr Mackay.

It's you, at last.

Come quick, come quick.

She swoons this year, you've gone.

Nothing will revive her.

I don't know her name.

Lydia.

Lydia.

Look. Would you look at that?

My sweetheart.

What happened?

Vivian, you've done it. You've done what?

You've taught me.

I've been so far, so long, and all it needed was the thought of losing you to

teach me what real was.

I shuddered.

Shut it!

And so the boy who set forth to learn what fear was learned it at home. And he

married his sweetheart with her name and all and never left again.

Mr. Mackay told me that story a long time ago when I was very young and I

know the half of it.