Original subtitles

(gentle flute music)

(tense ominous music) - [Carter] Go on! On you!

On you!

On!

(horse snorts)

Up with it, up!

Come on there, boy! Pull!

Pull, boy. Pull!

- Whoa. Whoa, Beauty.

(horse snorts and squeals)

- Boy, on you go.

Pull!

(reign cracks) Come on, lad.

(cart thuds) Pull!

(horse whinnies)

Pull, boy! Pull!

(carter grunts)

(horse snorts)

- Give him a rest.

For pity's sake, put the brake on.

(wood block clanks)

(horse whinnies) (Vicky gasps)

(mournful music)

(inspiring spirited music)

(somber music)

(somber music fades)

- Well done! - Whoa!

- That's it. Good boy.

Good boy. (carter sighs and pants)

- Thanks doctor.

I'd have been stuck there till tomorrow.

(horse nickers)

The old one's finished.

Come on, eh.

(bird chirping)

(gentle sorrowful music) - How is he?

- He's worn out.

The carter's worked him too hard.

- Yes perhaps, but it isn't his fault Vicky.

His horses really have to earn their keep.

- [Vicky] Come on, boy.

Get up.

I'll help you.

Come on. (horse grunts)

Come on, boy. (Vicky claps horse briskly)

(gentle inspiring music)

Come on.

Up!

There! (horse softly whickers)

I knew you could do it.

- Well, you certainly got a way with horses, miss.

- [Dr. Gordon] Still, he's a bad bargain.

Where did you get him?

- [Carter] A sale of old cavalry horses.

I thought he'd have lasted longer.

- What'll do you do with him?

- I'll have to sell him for his hide

and his hooves, whatever I can get.

- You can't!

- Ah, Vicky?

- But you can't just get rid of him.

You could make him well couldn't you, daddy?

Like you did Beauty.

- Well, I'm not so sure.

- If you want him he's yours, Doctor.

For two pounds.

- [Vicky] He's like an old soldier.

We should look after him.

- Um, no, it's uh,

out of the question, Vicky. S-so, uh...

Don't try and ta" me into it. (horse softly whickers)

No.

Nope.

(energetic playful music)

(wagon rattling) (hooves clopping)

(energetic music fades)

Hello, Kevin.

- Hello, father.

What's that?

- Our new horse.

- When you fix up a stall for him

I'll come in and see him later.

- Come on.

(hens clucking)

(Beauty whickers)

- He doesn't look up to much.

- He used to be a cavalry horse.

- Why don't we let him out into the paddock?

- Well, he may have something infectious.

We have to keep him away from Beauty till we find out.

- What's he called?

- I don't know.

(straw rustling)

What about, Soldier?

- Off you go boy. Off you go. (Beauty whinnies)

- Dr. Gordon, is there something wrong with that grey horse?

- Um, Yes. Yes, there is, Amy.

He's um, exhausted and partly lame.

He's got cracked heels and thrush

and probably a touch of fever.

- And somebody's asked you to look after him?

- Um, no, not exactly.

I've, uh, bought him. Heh.

Yeah. Bought him.

(light whimsical music)

(Amy sighs)

(playful airy music)

(Beauty neighs)

(playful music continues)

(playful music fades)

(birds chirping)

(Beauty whickers)

(tense mischievous music)

(branches rustling)

- Oh!

- Gotcha! - Oh!

(tense music ends) - This is private property,

Grange House.

- I thought the house was empty.

- So you just climbed in, eh?

- What is it, McNeish?

- A trespasser, Master Robbie.

She'd come over the wall.

- I only came to get this back.

- That's all right, McNeish.

- Your grandmother took this place

so you wouldn't be disturbed.

We can't have people wandering in whenever they like!

- I wasn't doing any harm.

- Of course not!

- Very good, Master Robbie.

- I'm Robert Jameson.

- Vicky Gordon.

- How'd you do? (Vicky laughs abruptly)

- How do you do?

And that's my brother, Kevin.

- How'd you do, Kevin?

- Hello.

- I was ill for a while last year.

That's why we came here.

- I'm surprised we haven't seen you before.

- I haven't seen anybody since we moved in.

- Would you like to come to our house,

and see Black Beauty? That's our horse.

- I'd like to very much,

but I'd have to ask my grandmother's permission first.

- That's it. (liquid sloshing quietly)

That's it, Soldier.

Not very nice, was it, hmm?

(Amy sighs)

Whoa, whoa. - Dr. Gordon,

I'm going to have to speak my mind.

- Well, I've never known you when you didn't.

- Well, somebody has to.

I mean, have you thought how much it would cost

to feed another animal? Not to mention medicines

and special dressings. - Well, it's a,

it's a suffering creature, Amy.

We must do what we can.

- Oh, I'm sorry for it as anyone,

but I've got a budget for all of us.

- Oh, I, I don't intend to keep him.

Oh, no, no, no.

Just uh, try to get him well again.

And then find a good home for him where he,

where he won't have to work too hard.

- But what if you can't cure him,

and the children get too fond of him to let him be sold?

(Dr. Gordon sighs)

- It's kind of you to ask, Ms. Gordon,

but I'm afraid I cannot permit Robbie to go.

- Oh, please, Grandmother.

- I have said you're not to leave these grounds.

- Please, Mrs. Jameson.

We'd be very careful.

- You will allow me to decide what's best for my grandson.

- I'm sorry, Mrs. Jameson,

I don't understand.

- Robbie has been extremely ill.

He was living in Africa with his parents,

and they all contracted severe malaria.

His mother did not recover.

(gentle flute music)

- I still don't know how you ta" me into this mess,

but we'd better be getting back or we'll be in trouble.

- Just a little longer?

(McNeish scoffs)

- Five minutes then. And no more!

- Who is McNeish?

- He was our handyman in Scotland.

Grandmother brought him down here to look after me.

- He's really quite nice.

(percussive marching music)

- Halt!

(marching music stops) (Dr. Gordon laughs)

Right, wheel!

(percussive marching music resumes)

(Dr. Gordon laughing)

(marching music ends)

Well done, Soldier. Eh?

Here.

I think we'll give you a bit of sunshine, hmm?

Come on. (hens clucking)

(birds chirping)

- Do you want to ride him?

- I've never been on one.

- Well, would you like to try?

- Could I? - Yeah.

- Try what?

- To see what it's like to ride a horse.

- Certainly not.

What are you trying to do?

- Let Robbie enjoy himself for once.

Black Beauty's very gentle.

He could just sit on him.

- Just to see what it's like.

Then we'll go home.

- Just sit on him, eh?

Ah, why not? (Vicky laughs)

- Don't be scared.

There you are.

Hmm, the stirrups are too long.

I'll have to adjust them.

- Robbie!

(Beauty whinnies) (Robbie yelps)

(dramatic music)

(gentle music)

Can you not keep that animal under control?

As for you, McNeish, how dare you?

What were you thinking of?

- He's not to blame.

- Yes. I know it's you who's behind this.

- I'm not hurt.

- No thanks to them.

- You're blaming everyone else, but it was your fault.

- Don't be impertinent!

- Black Beauty didn't throw him.

It was you who startled him,

shouting like that!

- [Mrs. Jameson] That's no excuse

for you to encourage him to defy me.

I want you to promise never to ride that horse again.

- I promise.

(peaceful flute music)

- Off you go, Soldier.

Well, what do you think, Amy?

- Well, I must admit Doctor,

he looks like a new horse.

(horses whinnying)

- Rest, good feeding, bit of affection.

That's what it is mainly.

- Well, you've done a wonderful job,

but it's going to make it all harder to part with him.

(upbeat playful music)

(Beauty whickers quietly) - [Vicky] 1, 2, 3, hup!

(Vicky grunts)

Take it easy at first.

Don't tire him.

- [Robbie] Come on, Soldier.

Come on.

(Beauty snorting)

- Don't worry, Beauty.

Your turn next. (Beauty nickers quietly)

(Robbie grunting)

(bouncy playful music)

(Robbie panting)

We didn't expect to see you.

- I've been trying to get away for days,

but McNeish keeps watching me.

- You mean they don't know you're here?

- [Robbie] I climbed over the wall.

- Where's McNeish?

- He thinks I'm in the summer house.

- [Kevin] Good for you!

- We've been looking after our patient.

He's almost as good as Black Beauty now.

- [Kevin] Come on.

Aren't you hot with that jacket on?

- A bit. - Well, take it off.

We're just exercising the horses.

It's a pity you can't ride.

- Would you like to, Robbie?

- I promised.

- Ah, you promised not to ride Black Beauty.

No one said anything about Soldier.

Hmm? (percussive marching music)

(percussive marching music fades)

Now don't dig your toes into him.

Right.

Now sit up straight and grip with your knees.

- Yes.

- [Vicky] Loosen your reign, Robbie.

Don't try and hold on with it.

Just relax.

(gentle music)

(Robbie panting quietly)

(upbeat playful music)

- Don't worry about Soldier.

He was in the cavalry.

He'll do anything you tell him to, watch.

Soldier, halt!

Left, wheel!

- Marvellous!

(branches rustling)

(playful music continues)

(playful music fades)

- Is Robbie with you, McNeish?

- No. Ma'am.

- Then where is he?

- I'm not quite sure, Ma'am.

- Where do you think he is?

- At Dr. Gordon's, Ma'am.

- On his own?

- He'll be with the doctor's children, Ma'am.

- You knew about this and you didn't stop him.

- Oh, there's no real harm in it, Ma'am.

He seems all the better for it.

- I gave you my instructions. How could you let him?

- Well, Ma'am, I,

I just like to see the lad looking happy for once.

He was wasting away.

- You know what they said.

Any upset, any exertion, could start the fever again.

(gentle airy music)

- You know what I'd like to do, Kevin?

- What?

- Row out to your camp.

- [Kevin] You mean it? - Mm-hmm!

- Come on then.

(canoe scraping)

(water sloshing)

- Well, yes. He's been here almost every day.

- So you've encouraged him to defy me?

- I didn't know it was without your permission.

- Your family knew.

They also knew that he had severe malaria last year.

I've been doing everything to prevent another attack.

You know what it could mean.

It could kill him.

(foreboding music)

(foreboding music fades) - Oh Vicky,

do you know where Robbie is?

- Yes.

I think he rode down to the lake with Kevin.

- Rode there?

- [Vicky] On Soldier, an old horse.

He won't come to any harm.

- If he does, I'll never forgive you.

(foreboding music resumes)

- Sit down, Robbie!

- I want to try it the other way around.

(Robbie grunts) (water splashes)

(horses squealing) (tense flitting music)

- [Kevin] Swim for the rock!

- [Robbie] (struggling) I can't- I can't swim!

(Robbie gasps)

- Help!

Help!

(Soldier squealing)

(reigns snapping)

(Beauty whinnying)

- [Both] Help!

(tense percussive music)

- [Kevin] Help!

(Kevin panting) - Help!

(Robbie gurgling)

(chilling foreboding music)

(gentle music)

(water sloshing)

(Kevin grunts)

- Robbie!

Are you all right?

- Yes, yes.

It was all my fault. I capsized the boat.

- But Black Beauty and Soldier,

they saved us, did you see them?

- We did.

(Beauty blows softly)

- Robbie! (dramatic music)

(gentle hopeful music)

- Well your clothes ought to be dry by now.

Off you go, and find Amy.

Go on, off you go.

(door latches shut)

- I can't understand it.

How could the fever have gone so soon?

- Because it wasn't fever at all.

- But it was- - Oh,

My teeth would be chattering

if I'd spent 20 minutes up to my neck in cold water.

There's nothing wrong with him.

- That's not possible.

- I can assure you that whatever he had in Africa

it was not malaria.

Possibly some other type of fever,

but there's no trace of it now.

- But he was so pale.

So weak.

- Because you kept him confined to the house.

Fortunately, the fresh air and exercise

he's been getting here

seemed to have completely cured him.

He's a normal, healthy boy.

And the only way he'll become an invalid

is if you make him one.

(Robbie yells) (Kevin laughing)

(bright cheerful music)

(Vicky laughs)

(bright cheerful music gentles)

- I know I have no right to expect it,

but there are two favours I want to ask you.

- Yes?

- First that you'll let me buy that old horse

that helped to save Robbie.

I'd like it for him.

I promise he'll look after it well.

- I'm sure he will. And the second?

- In spite of the things I've said,

that you'll let them both continue

their friendship with your family.

- Mrs. Jameson,

I don't think we could stop them.

(gentle triumphant music)

(triumphant music swells)

(triumphant music fades)

(inspiring percussive music)

(chorus singing rhythmically)

(inspiring music builds)

(inspiring music ends)