Original subtitles

Once upon a time...

there were two sisters called Ume-san and Kame-san.

For a long time, they lived alone in an old mansion.

Nobody came to visit them, nor did they want to see anybody.

Once every day, they would wander off to town...

and bring back stuff they had found on the way.

There were so many abandoned things in the town...

that they never failed to find something interesting.

Ume-san and Kame-san took very good care of their find.

So their find grew to like the sisters very much.

Broken clocks, torn futons and cracked music boxes.

They all huddled together and watched over the sisters.

When night came to the mansion...

Ume-san and Kame-san slept peacefully, surrounded by their numerous finds.

A serene and long dark night.

A thousand nights went past.

But the sisters didn't notice...

the slight sound that had started to flow into their old ears.

And in that flow...

someone was waiting to be found for the longest time.

Children.

Gather around.

Get in line.

Now, let's sing that loud for the old ladies.

A sheep that sneezes

A sneeze that echoes

A red red apple...

Fell from a tree

Bleat, atchoo, drop!

It's now the sheep's apple

The sheep ate the apple

The apple is inside the sheep

The red red apple...

is now no longer

Bleat, munch, gulp!

The sheep ate it

The apple became the sheep

The sheep smelt like apple

Then it grew...

Curls of red wool

It's now the apple's sheep

Let's all spin...

The sheep's red yarn

The story of the apple sheep

Please take care of yourselves and live a long and happy life!

Children...

Wait up!

What is it?

We ran over two old ladies.

You actually saw them.

Saw what?

Never mind.

This is beautiful.

A rarity.

Let me.

Gently.

A helmet.

A microphone.

Boo!

"Picked-up Goods"

"Goldfish Bowl"

"Register"

"Pencil Sharpener"

"Bowling Pins"

"Music Box"

"Barber's Sign"

"lnflatable Pool"

"Accordion"

"Tilting Doll"

"Beauty Seven".

Seven...

"Beauty Seven"

OK.

Damn...

I have to knit it all over again!

Gotta knit again!

Knit again!

Knit again...

Let's go to bed.

Yes, let's.

Good night.

Good night.

She's not here.

Must have gone out.

Oh my!

Boy, oh boy.

What a mess...

I'm glad she's gone.

Damn!

I have to knit it all over again!

Wasn't that her?

Yes, she's still here.

Damn!

I have to knit it all over again!

Gotta knit again!

Knit again!

Will it work?

Nobody can do anything on a full stomach.

She'll fall asleep.

Let's see.

Here.

Taste it.

Go ahead.

If you please.

She ate!

Hurray!

She was just hungry.

Didn't I tell you?

I hope she'll sleep now.

Let's wait and see.

Oh?

This is bad.

"He gradually grew taller and taller..."

"until he became a giant young man."

"Then he picked up a heavy stick with ease, and..."

Gotta knit again...

Knit again...

"Balls of Red Yarn"

"Knit-Again"

"Knit-Again".

That's right.

Off you go.

You take care.

I'm back.

Nobody home?

What happened?

Look.

How cruel!

Knit-Again!

Her!

You did it!

How could you?

Damn!

I have to knit it all over again!

Damn!

I have to knit it all over again!

Gotta knit again.

Knit again.

Knit again...

"Color Television"

"Tilting Doll"

"Balls of Red Yarn"

"Knit-Again"

Oh, my.

Wake up.

Look.

What is she doing?

Knitting.

Knitting what?

My muffler?

No, my hat.

It's mine.

No, it's mine.

Mommy...

Mommy...

What is she doing?

Knitting.

Knitting what?

My muffler?

No, my hat.

It's mine.

No, it's mine.

Burnable.

Nonburnable.

Burnable.

Nonburnable.

Which is this?

Nonburnable!

"Old-fashioned Phone"

"Cuckoo Clock"

"Wooden Doll"

"Jingdezhen China"

"Teacups"

"Futon"

"Sleepy-Limb"

I'm Sleepy-Limb!

"Tilting Doll"

"Wakey-Wakey"

"Cuckoo Clock"

"What-Time-ls-lt-Now"

Damn!

I have to knit it all over again!

I'm Dance-Crazy...

Shall we dance?

I'm Splash-About...

I'm thirsty.

We're Mini-Mermaids...

Gotta knit again.

I'm Call-Me-Not...

I'm Miss-Pin.

Who could it be?

Somebody's there.

It's red.

A red yarn.

Let's knit something.

Yes, let's.

Damn!

I have to knit it all over again!

Milk is good for you.

So is miso soup.

Delicious.

Sure is.

Like it?

Here.

There's lots of calcium in milk.

And vitamins in miso soup.

Throw it away.

OK. Let's do so.

This, too.

Let's get rid of them.

And this.

What's that?

Count one, two...

What?

It's tight.

But why?

I thought we threw this away.

Wake up.

Wake up, my little darlings.

Rise and shine, girls.

Come on.

Ume-san and Kame-san, both of you listen to Mommy.

What is it, Mommy?

I'm still sleepy.

My true love is going to take me away.

Let me come with you.

No.

It's too far away from here.

How far?

Beyond the mountain and beyond the sea.

Even beyond an unknown country.

Beyond the mountain and beyond the sea.

Even beyond an unknown country.

Good bye!

Good bye.

Take care!

She's gone.

I wonder where she went.

How far could it be?

Aren't children allowed there?

Boo!

How could I leave you two?

Do it again.

Ume-san and Kame-san and...

Mommy.

Just the three of us.

The three of us forever in this mansion.

Just us three...

"How to Knit"

"Hundred Poems"

"Camera"

"Telephone"

"Color Television"

"TV-Man"

I have to knit it all over again!

Knit-Again!

Knit-Again!

Where are you?

Knit-Again!

Knit-Again.

Knit-Again...

A baby.

A baby?

Wow!

It's inside me.

Where is it?

Let me see.

Right here, see?

In here?

Yes.

Inside your stomach?

It's really there.

Yes, really.

A baby!

A baby!

That's why I can't...

play with you.

Mommy?

Why?

Where are you going?

What is she doing?

Knitting.

Knitting what?

My muffler?

No, my hat.

It's mine.

No, it's mine.

This isn't for either of you.

What?

Don't you know?

When you knit, a baby will come.

A baby will come.

I'm home.

I'm home.

Mommy, we're home.

We're home, Mommy.

Mommy, we're home.

What's the matter?

Is the baby gone?

It's still inside.

Not there.

Not anywhere.

Did it go to its true love?

Beyond the mountain and beyond the sea.

Even beyond an unknown country.

Don't worry. I can knit you a baby.

I can knit you lots of babies, too.

Then we don't need her.

No, we don't.

Just us two.

The two of us.

Let's knit.

Yes, let's.

Are you burning this, too?

We have to evacuate from here.

It's not worth selling it.

Would you let me have it?

Please.

Let's knit.

Yes, let's.

I'll knit his baby.

So will l.

Here?

This page.

Together.

Put the needle through.

One, two...

Here?

One...

Two...

Like this?

One, two, three!

Be careful.

Here?

There.

It's too early for bedtime.

No good.

Oh.

Oh.

It's not enough.

I'm sure there's more.

Look.

"lllustrated Medical Book, Creation"

I don't know why but...

somehow, I feel I've done wrong to him.

Me, too.

I wonder if he's still living.

What are you doing?

You're cold.

Put your arms through.

That's it.

There you go.

You're fine now.

Sleep tight.

When you awake, you must knit all over again.

Sleepy-Limb, burnable.

What-Time-ls-lt-Now, nonburnable.

Mini-Mermaid, burnable.

Miss-Pin, nonburnable.

Dance-Crazy, nonburnable.

Splash-About, burnable.

Wakey-Wakey...

Nonburnable.

Beauty-Face...

Nonburnable.

Knit-Again...

Burnable.

Well now...

Off we go.

They bid farewell to their old mansion.

Where could have they gone?

Nobody knows it, but the sisters were sure of their way.

Written and Directed by Mai Tominaga