Original subtitles

Feherlofia (Son of the White Mare)

In memory of Scythian, Hun, Avar, and other nomad people.

Once upon a time,

in an uncertain place far away from here,

at the doors of Hell,

there stood a tall turkey oak.

It had 77 roots and 77 branches.

On the 77 roots stood 77 dragons.

On the 77 branches sat 77 crows.

Let the one who doesn't listen to my tale have his soul stolen by the 77 dragons,

and his eyes pecked by the 77 crows!

Once upon a time,

there was a king.

He had a wife,

and three strong boys.

Your Royal Highness, our father... We think, um...

Give us our inheritance!

Our king father! Our queen mother! We would like to get married.

My kingdom belongs to you too. My palaces are open to you.

Except for the one that is closed. You shall not seek its secret!

There was a big banquet for the wedding.

They lived happily. In love and peace...

...until they died.

Because the new wives were very curious.

Despite the king's forbidding, they broke the padlock of the 77 dragons.

Hell broke loose.

The white mare gave birth a second time.

But nobody knew where her son was.

The white mare got pregnant a third time.

If you cannot cope with her third son, your life is over!

The white mare ran into the forest, and hid in a big hollowed out tree.

The white mare gave birth there.

It was a boy.

Mother, mother, let me go kill the dragons!

All right.

Do you see this big tree, my son?

Let's see how strong you are.

Can you pull out the tree with its roots?

God bless you, Old Father.

It is lucky that you called me Old Father.

Son...

Why are you crying?

What's wrong?

My dear Old Father, I would like to become so strong,

that I could pull the biggest tree out with its roots,

and handle it like a mere stick.

Don't cry son.

You are still very young.

Go home.

And tell your mother to breast-feed you...

...for seven more years.

Then you will become even stronger.

And every year,

try to shake that tree.

Every year, you will see that you are stronger and the tree shakes more.

Mother!

Mother!

Mother! ...

Mother! An old man told me to ask you to breast-feed me for seven years.

All right, son. Feed!

I hope there will be enough milk.

Old Father!

Old Father!

My dear son.

I see that you want to try at any cost.

Tell your mother to breast-feed you for seven more years.

Then you will be able to pull out the tree single handed.

My dear son, you are big now!

My back hurts a lot.

But I will have milk nevertheless.

Mother! Look, Mother!

Son, I am dying!

Put it back! The sky is falling on us!

Mother.

You, Treeshaker...

I see that you are strong enough.

Go to the underworld.

Me...

I die...

Mother!

Mother...

Mother!

What are you doing, man?

Why don't you leave the mountains in peace?

Watch out! I'll go over there and smack you!

I'm ready. Come here.

Let's see who is stronger.

Let's see!

I am a strong man, but you are stronger.

Don't hit me Treeshaker!

I will be your faithful comrade.

Treeshaker? How do you know me?

I heard about you.

You shake the trees like women harvest the hemp in summer.

And we are brothers too!

How so?

From father! From mother!

From white mare's hole.

Come, buddy!

What brings you here? Uh...

My name is Stonecrumbler.

Stonecrumbler, what brings you here?

Same as you, Treeshaker.

I don't mind, pal. Come along with me.

But you know, two of us is not enough.

We must find another comrade.

I have a brother.

Not very far from here, near the Iron Mountains.

He works the iron.

Let's drink to it!

You drank enough, buddy.

It's hot!

This must be because of my brother. Look, there he is!

God bless!

God bless you, Ironrubber.

God bless you too, Treeshaker.

What brings you here?

We're going to try our luck in the underworld.

Will you join us?

I will go with you, buddy.

I just want to know which one of us is stronger.

Who will be the leader?

Let's wrestle first!

You see, I could kill you, but I won't hurt you.

Join us!

Give me your hand.

I admit that you are stronger than me.

I will listen to you.

With Stonecrumbler, I will follow your orders.

Let's swear brotherhood.

Let's stay together until death.

My brothers!

My mother told me that the dragons brought the princesses to the underworld.

We must find the opening where the dragons enter the underworld.

I say...

Let's go that way.

Wait for me!

Wait for me!

Waaaaait!

Friends! We set camp here.

From here we'll seek the path where the three princesses were kidnapped.

Stonecrumbler!

You were the first I asked to be my friend.

You'll be the first to stay home to cook lunch and make a rope.

Hello, Stonecrumbler.

I am the Seven-hearted Lobahobgoblin. What are you cooking?

Porridge.

Can I have some?

No, you can't.

If you don't give some to me, then I'll eat from your belly!

Take as much as you like!

Yummy... yummy.

Did you find anything, Ironrubber?

I didn't even find a mousehole.

What's wrong, Stonecrumbler?

Neither rope, nor dinner?

Does your tummy hurt? Did you eat it all?

Ironrubber, you were the second I asked to be my friend.

This time you stay home to cook lunch and make a rope.

Hello, Ironrubber.

Hello.

I am the Seven-hearted Lobahobgoblin. What are you working on?

I'm making a rope.

I can see that! But what are you cooking?

Porridge?

Can I have some?

No buddy, you can't!

If you don't give some to me, then I'll eat it from your tummy!

Too late now.

I'm eating it already. You eat after.

You're cooling yourself in our dinner, huh?

I'm ill, buddy! I've fallen sick.

I weaved that... Don't you dare! Hey, don't you dare!

Well, friends, today I'm going to stay home.

And you're going in search of the hole.

Good day, Treeshaker.

Same to you, buddy.

I am the... Goblin...

Hey, what the...? Oh yes, what are you cooking?

- Porridge. - Can I have some?

This will be an even better lunch than the previous two days.

No, it won't. I need it for my two friends and myself.

I'll eat it from your belly!

No you won't! You feasted here for two days.

You've eaten the porridge from my friends' bellies.

But you won't eat it from mine!

Ouch! What are you doing? My dear son...

Let me go!

You asked for it!

Hey, hurry up or the porridge will get cold!

- Haven't you fallen sick? - Not me.

- Have you cooked the porridge? - I have.

Good, then let's eat.

You see, friends, I've found the way to the underworld as well.

Look here! It was he who showed me the path!

Do you have a knife, Ironrubber?

Oh no, my power, no!

I'm begging you. Oh!

Ironrubber, you have strong arms.

Make me a good, strong sword.

Ironrubber, you failed. Make it stronger!

This must not break!

Ironrubber, you're a bad hammersmith.

Oh, buddies, this one won't come back for a good while.

Hit it, chop it, my little sword.

To your sheath, my little sword.

Well, brother, it's right this time.

Come on friends, we'll descend one after another.

We'll let one of us down to see what the underworld is like.

Who's going first?

Will the rope last?

Don't worry, you didn't weave it.

Damn, Pull me up!

Pull me up!

Man, there are so many fierce toads, snakes... they almost pecked my eyes!

It's so dark, I couldn't see my hands!

"I couldn't see my hands." You coward!

Lower me down the hole. Even a thousand devils cannot frighten me!

Hey, come on!

Well, let me try my luck this time!

Pull me up only if I tug the rope three times!

Hello, Goblin.

- Easy, you! - Give me back my beard.

You see, I can hardly walk. It posessed the little strength I had.

You don't need it, Goblin. It will grow back, won't it?

I'll give you anything you want, just give me back my beard!

I'll give it back.

I'll give it back if you show me where the palace of the eldest princess is.

I'll show you! Look to your right.

On top of that mountain, there's a rotating palace made of copper.

You can see it shining.

The eldest princess lives in that palace.

But I think there's no point going there.

Leave me be, Goblin.

You'll go there in vain! You cannot enter it, ever.

It always rotates and there's no way of stopping it,

because it's master is a three-headed dragon!

Castle, stop rotating! Or else I'll smash you!

Good day and God bless!

What brings you here,

where no bird flies?

I've come for you.

To set you free.

Ah, just go then, before my husband gets home.

'Cause my husband is the three-headed dragon.

When he gets home he will kill you.

I don't care how many heads your husband has.

But tell me, how do you know when he's coming home?

Woman, I smell a stranger.

Come on, you don't smell anything.

You always smell strangers whenever you get home.

Um... My brother has come to visit me.

All right. Let's fight on my copper field.

Wrestle or by sword?

Let's wrestle...

That's better.

Come on, my brother-in-law!

Oh, my dear savior.

My father will give me to you, and with me, half his kingdom.

Come on, pack your stuff and let's go.

Where would we go, my dear savior?

Your two sisters are also down here, kidnapped by two dragons.

Then go and free them, too.

You hide here in the forest.

Castle, stop rotating! Or else I'll smash you!

You're not my lord. You cannot command me.

If I weren't your lord, I wouldn't order you to stop.

Good day and God bless!

What brings you here, where no bird flies?

I've come to set you free.

Alas, just go then, before my husband gets home.

My husband is the seven-headed dragon!

He throws his club from seven miles away! When he gets home...

My life will be over.

Yes. Your life will be over.

My dear sister, I don't care how many heads he has.

Just give me something to eat. I'm so hungry, I can hardly see.

Who is hiding in here? I'll blast him to pieces!

There's nobody!

Nobody?

My dear husband, don't hurt him! It's my brother! He's come to see me.

Well then, it's all right. Hello, my brother-in-law.

Ouch, dear brother. You have a strong hand, I tell you.

So, come on! Let's eat a bit.

Well?

Just you eat...

Now, brother. Let's wrestle.

You dog! Now you must die!

My silver field is waiting for you.

Hey, where are you running?

Ouch! Where are you going, my savior?

To free your other sister.

Oh, don't go! Her husband is the twelve-headed dragon.

He throws his club from twelve miles away. When he gets home...

Show me the way to the third castle.

Castle, stop rotating! Or else I'll smash you!

I won't ask you twice.

Good day and God bless!

What brings you here, where no bird flies?

I've come for you.

Oh, my dear savior.

Drink this, my love.

All my husband's strength comes from this.

Drink it all up. Don't leave a drop.

Please don't be mad at him.

He just threw your club back so you'd know there's a guest waiting at home.

I don't mind my head. I have plenty more.

I know you, Treeshaker, Son of the White Mare.

I knew, even when you were nothing more...

...than a fetus in your mother's womb,

that we would have to fight our battle someday.

You killed my two brothers.

For that you must die.

Even if you have a thousand lives.

But let's eat something before the fight.

You ate my food. You drank my wine.

Now let's see how strong you are. Come to my golden field.

I won't get in.

The rope wouldn't last if I did, plus my two friends couldn't lift the weight.

I'll come up next time.

Good Lord. How will I get to the upperworld?

Well, as you came down.

But that's impossible!

They threw me back down to live here forever!

Just as I thought, they wanted to get rid of me!

If you give me my beard back... You promised.

I'll give it back when I don't need it anymore.

There's a... There's a high mountain near here.

A great griffin lives on that mountain.

If you ask that old griffin, it will take you to the upperworld.

Thank you. Thank you, Goblin!

Well, tell me,

however can I thank you...

...for saving...

...my children?

I don't want anything else, just take me back to the upperworld.

I wish I could, but that journey is too long for me.

However, if you get me twelve oxen,

and twelve barrels of wine,

then I will hold on.

Thank you, Treeshaker, Son of the White Mare,

for destroying the three dragons and the snake.

Once, I was the king of this world.

Now I have my powers back.

Well, I see you have them all.

Load it up on my back and we can set off.

Can we go now?

Let's go!

Tell me, what was that last thing you threw into my mouth?

If only I knew that your flesh gives me such strength...

Anyways, for being so grateful and saving my life,

here's your flesh, I give it back!

Don't hurt them! They're innocent.

- No, Treeshaker! Forgive us! - No! wait! Don't!

Forgive me. My friends.

I ask you to forgive me.

Son of the White Mare, Treeshaker,

and his two brothers got into an eggshell, and laid on the diamond field.

They lived as happily as little birds do.

Happily ever after. Until the day they died.

Written by: Jankovics Marcell and Gy�rgy L�szl� Based on Hungarian folk tales.

Directed by: Jankovics Marcell