Original subtitles

Last on routes.

So, your name, sir?

John Reynolds, Spotsylvania County, Virginia.

Now, master give you a new name. Master say, you name Toby.

Hey,

Toby, look what I got from the kitchen.

I got...

Jane's

ain't right for nigger fiddler.

I'm going to never forget you.

I'm going to be free.

to answer to your name.

What's your name?

What's your name?

My name is Toby.

Tip of water, Toby?

No.

You sure?

Here.

Well, when you feel the need, you know where to come.

Some things even an African nigger can't...

Nigga. You, nigga.

I'm talking to you.

Get somebody to load the crate on the wagon

You

may be as dumb as hog fat but you're as strong as an ox

Digger. Keep loading.

To get that wagon loaded, there's two more.

I want to get started for market before nightfall.

Oh, Toby, you worked very hard for this bus man. Huh?

It'll only be for two days.

And they'll bring him back fit and fed and all in one piece. I guarantee it.

No, sir.

It can't be done.

No one can guarantee that he'll be coming back.

He's got runaway blood in him.

Have to use the whip so many times on him, it's a wonder he's got any hide

left on him.

He wants spirits for his own good.

I don't want no trouble.

Toby, be good nigger for master.

Good nigger.

Don't send Toby away.

Toby, be good for your hand, boss.

Good for your hand, master.

That's all right, Toby.

That's all right. You be a good for your hand, and you can stay here.

Ah, Toby, stay.

Toby, stay.

Toby, be good now.

Toby, be real good.

You work real hard now.

Toby, be good for your hands.

Squire John, I do believe that this is the finest harvest celebration ever to

be in the history of Virginia.

May well be, Miss Constable. May well be.

The tobacco crop's the finest ever. No reason that the festivities shouldn't be

in keeping.

My brother William there, he's every cause to celebrate as much as any of us

Reynolds. The cash from this crop will pay in the money I owe him. Every last

pound, shilling, penny, and farthing of it. And to meet your brother socially is

indeed a rare treat, Squire.

A young lady usually has to be not at all well to be rewarded by the pleasure

of Dr. Reynolds' company.

Well, if I weren't the only physician in Spotsylvania County, Miss Constable, I'd

have more time for society.

I suspect, Miss Constable, that if Providence hadn't chosen to take my

brother's good wife and make him a single man again, there'd be far less

illness among the young ladies hereabouts, huh?

That's quite right, Reynolds. You are a caution.

Excuse me, my dear.

I'll correct the condition.

I'll join you, John.

And Miss Constable.

I didn't want to discuss your debt to me in front of Miss Constable, John.

Family and financial matters ought to be private.

True, true, true. Okay.

But since you've raised the subject, attending my practice takes a great deal

of time away from management of my property. I need more field hands if I

hope to entertain an idea of profit.

I have to have cash for that, John.

I must have the money you owe me.

Distrustful of your own brother, William?

Distrustful of the amount you drink, let's say, and what it does to you.

So be it.

I drink too much and you worry too much, and we'll both meet our maker too soon

as a result.

I'll be much happier when I arrive.

Ah, Miss Constable.

There you are.

Is Miss Constable one of your patients?

Between the Hippocratic Oath and accidents of birth, it's a rather hectic

life I lead.

You mustn't be too harsh on John.

After all, he is your brother. You mustn't forget that.

But I mustn't forget it.

He's your husband.

Toby, I'm all set to play to the holy now.

You want to come hear me?

Sooner or later, you're gonna have to forget that African stuff.

Make white folks mad and scared, nigger.

Feel less scared?

I'm scared. Sure, I'm scared.

Scared of snakes and lung fever and white folks.

Hope I ain't being too hard on the snakes and the lung fever.

But don't worry.

Toby be a good nigger for myself.

Sure. You make me laugh all right.

I think you got something in your head when I see you doing that.

Hey, what you got on your head?

What's this?

Dasafo.

That some kind of charm?

And you see this rooster feather?

This bring Kunta spirit.

Hair from horse make Kunta strong.

Bird bone, that bring me luck.

Why you need all this?

I ask you, why you need all this?

Now come, Toby.

Ain't the last wagon going out this afternoon?

Huh? All the two-bos and niggas be drunk.

Kunta be free. No!

You know what happen when a nigger run off, the master and the overseer be

meaner than ever to the rest of them.

But they won't do nothing bad to you, Fiddler.

You gonna try again.

I remember one time you got me moved out of my cabin where I had to sleep in the

barn most of the winter, and there ain't nothing bad like what they gonna do to

you when they catch you. If they catch me, Toby, Quinta, there ain't no

way to beat the law.

The law gets read in white folks' churches.

Nigger can't carry no gun, even no stick look like a club, and you know the law

say 20 lashes if you get caught without no traveling pass, 10 lashes... If you

look a white man in the eye, and 30 lashes if you raise your hand to a white

Christian, and the law say if they catch you lying, they cut your ears off, I

know the law, Fiddler, I know the law too well.

Then you ought to know that there ain't no way to beat the law.

White folks live by it, and niggers die by it.

Maybe this time I'll make it to the Calvert Plantation.

Maybe I will find Fanta.

But it don't matter.

It seems like since they take me from my home and bring me to this place, the

only time I get to be free is when I run away.

I tell you, Fiddler, sometimes it seems like being alone and being free, they're

all the same for a slave.

You don't be free.

You be dead.

Then I'd be free.

Hitler?

Hitler!

That'd be Luther calling me to the hoedown.

I go celebrate the harvest.

I'm gonna play a hoedown.

like you never heard played before.

Them niggas be stomping and yelling and laughing and slapping their knees so

ain't nobody gonna see nothing.

And even them wagons leaving for the market.

But I'd really be celebrating to see the last of one dumb African

nigga.

Fiddler. Goodbye, Fiddler.

I hope it be a good goodbye.

Conta.

I hope it be so.

I know it's too soft on them niggers.

Letting them enjoy themselves on a day like this while a white man's got to go

to work.

It doesn't seem right that I gotta drive all night over the worst roads in

Spotsylvania County, neither.

Hey, thought I couldn't let you one of my niggers to help you offload it, Mr.

McClung. I don't take to letting niggers off the plantation.

This way, they don't know which way is the east, which way it is to the west.

What if I let one of these bucks go to the tobacco market?

They'll know where that is.

Once he does it, figure it out where someplace else is.

Next thing you know, you'll know which way it is to the north.

I understand, Mr. Raines. I understand.

But sure would have been nice to have a good, strong buck along to help me off

loaded market.

Good evening, sir.

Come on, Ted.

Stop!

This is Calvert's plantation.

The inn's in the next closet.

I say we all run to rest.

I want that slave back, Mr. Greel. That's what I want. Yes, sir, Mr.

Terranos, but how do you want him back?

Alive is one fee, dead's another.

Frankly, I prefer him dead.

Killing a runaway slave isn't easy enough, Squire, but it don't make as

good an example, by my reckoning.

Plus that, you lose all your investment.

That's true enough.

Cost me 155 pounds off the block. It's worth a lot more than that now.

And you want to make sure that nigger stays put this time.

Mr. Trumbull is right, sir.

You let him get away, and every nigger on your place will be hightailing at

first chance they get.

All right, do what you have to do.

You'll find me a fair man with money.

Yes, sir, Mr. Reynolds. Mr. Trumbull and I know what to do.

Well, we best be under way, squire.

You want me to go with him, sir?

Yes.

I want you to go with him, Mr. Ames.

But I don't think I'd like you to come back.

Mr. Reynolds, I warned you about that Toby. Yes, you did warn me. I warned you

many a time. Indeed you did.

But apparently you forgot to warn Toby. It's your job, your responsibility. That

nigger made a fool of you.

You'll be off my property by nightfall, Mr. Ames.

All right, now, old fox, or weasel, or whatever you...

You better get on out of here.

Here, now.

Whatever kind of hungry animal you is, you better get yourself on out here for

a sunup.

You got a plantation?

You got one African girl around here named Fanta?

Her name Maggie.

Now, you go to the barn and stay put.

I never seen you.

Remember that when they catch you.

Thank you.

Fanta.

What did they do to you?

Everything.

I don't understand that African talk no more.

Say it plain in English so I understand what you're saying.

What do you mean, say it plain in English?

I put all that African talk clean out of my head. I don't talk it.

I don't even think it no more.

Fanta, you... No.

Maggie.

It's the name they give me.

It's what I go by, Maggie.

What name they give you?

Toby.

Toby.

It's a better name than some I heard about.

Take how we think.

Take how we call each other.

Damn.

The white man don't leave us nothing.

I am young Massa Calvert's bed wench.

Any chillin' come out of me's supposed to be his, supposed to be brown.

I can touch you so you feel better, but we can't be with each other not like we

want.

Why, man, don't even leave us, us.

Fanta.

Fanta.

Oh.

Fanta.

I want you now.

I need you.

As long as we keep the sun on this side in the morning, then we know we're

heading north.

That's where freedom will be.

Say yes, Fanta.

I can't stay in this place much longer.

How far away?

I don't know, but it don't matter. If north where it is, then we just keep

going till we reach north.

Now please, Fanta, come with me. Let's go now.

What you gonna do once you get to freedom?

I'll find a job. I'll make money.

What job you gonna get?

What white man's work you know how to do?

They ain't got no tobacco.

They ain't got no cotton.

They ain't got nothing up north for a nigga to pick.

Come with me now, Fanta. Come.

Maybe we can get away from this place clean together.

Maybe all the way back to our home.

Been a long time.

My father, Omoro, close to 50 now.

Grandma, Nyoboto, she'll be 68 if she's still living.

My baby brother, he already finished with his manhood training. Are you

talking crazy?

No, we can make it, Franta. Now, I told you.

My name is Maggie.

Or more?

Ten pounds, that was the wager. Come on, pay up.

Wouldn't want me saying Lord Calvert's son doesn't pay his debts. Ten pounds

coin of the realm?

You'd do for one of his majesty's tax-collected palace.

Great of you, sir.

Hope you've no objection to us taking our ease at your trough.

No, no, drink your fill.

That we have, sir.

Chasing a runaway we are.

Seen any nigger might fit the bill lately.

Well, Fanta, now you know ain't no two-bar can make it through the woods

like Mandinkin.

You know it's the truth. We stay away from people, away from the main roads,

away from houses. We can make it. We can make it to the north and be free.

Maybe then we can find some more runaways, Fanta. Come on, Fanta!

No! Now I'm here.

Now I'm gonna stay here. You will stay a slave?

I'm gonna stay alive.

I'm gonna stay warm instead of cold.

I'm gonna stay fed instead of starved.

I'm gonna stay.

I'll do what they say long as I can suck breath.

A dead nigger ain't helping nobody.

Least of all a dead nigger.

You can't mean what you're saying.

Oh, hush!

I mean it.

I mean every last word of it.

Now just get on out of here and leave me be. It's already daylight. Now just get

on out of here and leave me be! Well, let me talk with you now. Let me talk

with you, woman!

Who's that you got in there with you?

You know that nigger. See one of yours.

Never saw him before in my life.

Trumbull. That's him.

Oh, you'll live.

But fix so you never run again.

Or...

The lad's made his choice.

Toby.

that foot is still festered.

Yes, sir.

Yeah, slave catchers.

No better than animals.

Worse, or cruel just for the pleasure of it.

And stupid.

One swipe of the axe and they ruin a valuable piece of property.

Well, I never thought this boy would linger for, what is it, three weeks?

Yes, sir.

Well, nothing more to be done.

Except wait for the fever to break.

You ought to kill him.

I'll turn him, massa.

I made a poultice, boiled elderberry leaves and sulphur. Well, at least it

can't do any harm.

And I sent that mulatta gal, Janelva, to fetch some more muslin rags to pack him

with.

Fanta.

Luther has to drive me to Janesburg.

Pox is killing half the troops in British Chain Shot taking the rest.

Mr. Howard?

If this boy dies before I get back, you shroud him and bury him right then.

Get Cassius and Hannibal to start digging a grave now, just in case.

Lord knows what sickness he's got in him.

You understand that? I understand you, Doctor.

I'll take care of it.

Slave catchers.

Castrating butchers.

I was just worried about Toby, Master Doctor. Me and him was friends back when

we belonged to your brother.

I'm a patient man, Fiddler, so I'll tell you one more time.

I own you.

You, Toby, Janelva, all of you.

I would have thought by now you would understand that. Oh, yes, sir, Master.

We understand that.

Crippled field hand, a mulatto wench, half-dead old fiddle player.

That's a fine way my brother has paying his debts.

That's the truth, Master.

Mr. Harlan, I'm sure I told you to find something for this mulatto girl to do.

I know Janelva since she be with your brother.

She's no good for the fields, Doctor, and you don't need her in the house.

But the only thing she's good for is breeding.

Yes.

Babies might be worth something.

Luther, you're to have no more truck with you. You're too old.

We'll find some young buck to breed her with.

Yes, sir.

Master. Bell told you to go fetch, girl. You best get to it.

Luther, we're late for Janesburg.

Must have, Doctor.

Toby?

Fiddler, I have no idea whether he's gonna live or die.

If he dies, he'll only have himself to blame for it.

I want you to know that I don't hold with what they did to him.

But a slave who runs off doesn't warrant any prizes either.

Luther?

You ain't gonna die.

Belle ain't gonna let you die.

That's right.

We figure they catch you, maybe they kill you dead.

But you ain't.

Look what they do to me, fella.

Look what they do to me.

What kind of man would do that to another man, fella?

What kind of man?

Why they just kill me?

Why they don't just kill me?

Maybe, maybe they did.

Toby, we had Dr.

William now.

We belong to him.

We ain't the squires no more.

You see, Mr.

Reynolds just couldn't get his price at the market for the tobacco.

So, you see, the money that, uh, he owed to Dr. William, uh, well, we the money

that he owed to Dr. Wheaton. That's how he paid it off. We done.

Tell me now, Fiddler, what kind of man is this new man?

He's the best.

That's what he be.

I've been his cook for years. He's a good master.

She the one that sees you through the fever.

Better part of a month.

I'm Belle.

You figure because he got a half a foot, he ain't a whole man no more.

Well, you can just tell your friend Toby that half a foot don't make a man no

lesser man.

Unless, of course, he want to be.

There's something for him over by the stove.

And if he wants to eat from now on, he can just walk on over to my kitchen

door.

You can't run no more.

You tried.

More than most.

But you can't run no more. That's all there is to it.

Can't find a way to run.

And I just lay here and die I just

lay here and die

These for you.

And the master doctor say I doesn't do no sparking with Luther.

He say we can't even talk with one another.

I heard.

And master means what he says. Now, he catch you fanning your tail around

Luther, you find yourself sold quick.

It ain't that way with me and Luther, babe.

We loves one another.

Luther's real gentle with me.

He ain't like them young bucks. They just want to push and shove.

But Luther, he likes me just to talk to.

And sometimes we just... Still, Massa's got his rules.

Well, we just see to it he don't catch us, that's all.

Then you're just looking for trouble.

You talk like a woman don't care nothing about men.

Oh, I care, honey. I care. I just haven't found a man I wanted in ten

years.

What about Toby?

Oh, Toby? That fool runaway nigger.

What makes you think I care about him?

You know, just the way you been fretting whether he live or die, whether he walk

or not, sure ain't acting like a woman don't care nothing about a man.

You know, maybe it's been so long since you seen a man you really wanted, you

just done forgot what he feel like, Belle.

You're a smart gal, Geneva.

Keep an eye on them loaves. Don't make them burn.

I see you found the crutches.

Here's a pair of masses old boot. I asked him for them and he gave them to

me.

Ain't gonna need no boots again.

Never.

I fixed them, see? I stuffed the toe so the boot will fit snug.

Now you try them. If it ain't right, I just pull some of the stuffing out or

put some more in.

No!

I seen that ugly stump already. Now, don't be more foolish than you gotta be.

Woman, don't you know nothing?

Don't you understand nothing?

I ain't gonna need no boots again, because I ain't gonna walk again.

Never.

Well, you throw them out then, because I ain't gonna.

Fiddlers say you come from Africa. Say you always bragging on it.

Don't brag.

Ain't no need to brag.

Fiddlers say even when you ain't saying nothing, you thinking proud.

Real proud about being an African.

Yeah, I'm Mandinka.

I'm Mandinka Fighting Man.

You surely are some brave man dink of fighting man, Toby.

What you fighting now? Woman, why don't you shut your mouth?

I don't see why I have to do that.

I can say anything I want, and you sure can't do nothing about it, can you?

Fighting man.

You're gonna do it. I think you're gonna make it. Lord be praised, Toby. You're

gonna walk.

Woman, I done told you my name ain't no Toby.

I am Kunta Kinte, son of Omaro and Binta Kinte, a fighting man from the village

of Jupere.

I didn't learn to walk.

I gonna learn to run.

Damn it.

I gonna learn to run.

Jump over the broom into the land of matrimony. Next on Roots, Kunta Kinte's

first American descendant is born.

Amid the passion of the old South.

Last night I dreamed.

I wanted to be a dog.

What you gonna do?

You didn't believe this, you told me. This is your home.

No. It's not my home.

Roots. The triumph of an American family continues.