Original subtitles

Nowhere in the world the meadows were so green,

and nowhere the dandelions bloomed as beautifully yellow as here...

in Lusatia.

The earth smelled like fresh bread,

and sometimes the flags of the Elector of Saxony fluttered over it.

I was free as a bird.

A bird that fell out of the nest.

I was all alone, without parents and homeless.

So I wandered around Lusatia,

sometimes in a great hurry,

becouse the Elector of Saxony had forbidden begging and vagabonding.

However, only the dogs took it seriously.

Oh, you don't know who I am yet.

My name is Krabat.

I don't have anyone anymore.

My home is this piece of land that I wouldn't trade for anything in the world.

I lived free like that bird.

But the sun doesn't always shine here either.

One day the longest summer will also come to an end in Lusatia.

And then the good times are over for the likes of us.

I slept like I was dead.

But I wasn't alone under this roof,

there were two other boys in the hay.

So now there were three of us.

And because Epiphany was just around the corner, we made a plan.

You don't want to walk around on an empty stomach all the time.

We three kings come to you.

Wishing you happiness and health for a lifetime.

We came here from far away.

Our journey takes us from afar to Bethlehem.

A star appeared to all three of us.

Under the star, that's where we're going.

Under the star, that's where we're going.

When we saw this star, we immediately saddled our horses.

We saddled our horses immediately.

What about you standing in the back?

Are you sticking your neck out for us?

Are you sticking your neck out for us?

I now proudly admit that I am the King of Moraine.

That I am the King of Moraine.

We wish you a Happy New Year,

in the name of Christ our Lord.

In the name of Christ our Lord.

In the evening we sat down at the royal table

and after dinner we lay down to rest in the royal bedchamber.

It wasn't very fancy, but it was well ventilated and very spacious.

Kra...

Kra...

Krabat!

Who was calling for me?

Krabat.

Follow me to the mill by the black water.

Krabat.

It won't be to your detriment, Krabat!

Krabat!

Obey the Master's voice.

Obey her.

An old man came towards me on the edge of the village.

When I asked him about the mill by the black water,

he implored me to turn back.

He warned me that it wasn't safe there, in the devil's mill.

Don't let anyone talk you into anything, Krabat.

Obey me.

Come in.

There you are finally.

The Raven's Voice. The raven that called me here.

I am the master here.

You can learn the miller's trade from me.

But also everything else.

Agree?

The mill. Now it's grinding again.

During the first night I spent in the mill I couldn't sleep.

Who do you think the eleven empty beds belong to?

Did anyone else live here besides me?

Apparently they were journeymen or apprentices like me.

But where were they?

Apart from the master and me,

there didn't seem to be a living soul anywhere in this mill.

The next morning I finally had the opportunity

to get to know my fellow journeymen.

The oldest was called Tonda.

The next was Michal.

Then Juro, who cooked for all of us. A good boy, but a bit stupid.

Lysenko was a sniffer who spied on the others on behalf of the master.

Honsa was the strongest of all.

This was followed by the silent Kuba,

and the mocking Androsh

and finally Stachko and Martin.

There were eleven of them, and I was the twelfth and youngest.

So I became an apprentice at the Black Water Mill.

The work wasn't easy, but I finally had a roof

over my head and something to eat every day.

It was more than a beggar boy could ask for.

Time flew by with all the work and

soon spring came back to the country.

Of all the mill's residents, none were as hated as the ugly tomcat.

I never had peace from him for a moment.

He lurked everywhere and nothing escaped him.

Once I got so angry that I couldn't contain myself anymore.

I noticed immediately that the

master was very annoyed about it.

After this bad story, I decided to run away from the mill.

I would somehow get by in the world.

I was up all night.

I ran and ran and ran all night long.

Only when the mill on the black water was

miles behind me did I take a short break.

March to work.

What I had previously only suspected was now confirmed.

I had fallen into a magic mill.

I should know more about it soon.

Krabat!

You've been here at the mill for three months now.

The probationary period has been passed.

You have been an apprentice so far.

From now on, you shall be my student.

Now step closer to Krabat.

At first I didn't have any advice.

The blood froze in my veins at this transformation.

How do birds actually fly?

I was completely helpless.

But I soon figured out how to do it.

Not so bad, I thought.

I didn't know back then that from now on I

would be completely addicted to the master.

With body and soul, life and death.

Sit down!

You must know, Krabat, that you are in a black school.

You don't learn to read, write or count here.

Here you learn the art of arts.

The spell book on the table is the Churaktor.

It represents all the torments of hell.

It contains all the magic spells in the world.

But only I can read it because I am the master.

Students are forbidden to read it.

Forbidden.

Remember that, Krabat.

Now listen.

I'll teach you a new magic formula.

One that can be of very special use to you.

So I went from being a miller's boy to becoming a sorcerer's apprentice.

There were several such schools.

They were all the same, even if they took different forms.

This looked like a mill.

We were always under Master's strict supervision and were not allowed to leave.

Sometimes the Master sent us out to check

how far we had progressed in the black art.

He once sent me with Tonda to the next town.

I wasn't particularly pleased because Tonda was

supposed to sell me as an ox at the cattle market.

That wasn't exactly to my taste.

But as an apprentice you have to put up with a lot.

At least that's how it was back then.

Tonda immediately caused a stir with me at the cattle market.

What a gem of an ox I must have been!

The butchers looked at me from all sides and outbid each other on prices.

But Tonda just shook his head.

I tried terribly hard to act like a real good ox.

The dealers' offers rose and rose.

That still wasn't enough for Tonda.

Finally a butcher offered me a whole bag full of silver.

Then Tonda struck.

So I was sold at the cattle market.

The tired butcher finally saw the inn and called to the innkeeper from afar:

Give me pork, cabbage and beer.

And some hay for the ox.

For me also a roast with cabbage and also a beer.

I said in a human voice and they both fainted.

I think we passed the exam well.

Master can be pleased with us.

On Holy Saturday the Master sent us out again.

Two of us should spend the Easter Vigil together.

Each in a place where a person had previously died violently.

Tonda and I had to search for a long time.

Here and there they had already beaten us to it.

I didn't particularly like it here either, but

at least we had a nice view of the next village.

How long has it been since I heard any bells ringing?

That's exactly how the daffodils sounded in our house when I was a child.

I missed the people so much.

Early to the well,

this Easter morning.

Show me your love, which

is otherwise hidden from me.

This Easter morning, I want to go to you.

The one that is meant for me

let him see me.

From that day on, that girl's song was in my heart.

I didn't even know her name.

The time in the mill flew by.

Christmas was approaching again and I kept thinking about this girl.

Get out. There is no place for something like that.

It was a strange Christmas.

One morning I discovered a coffin in the shed.

As if someone had died at the mill.

Then I saw Tonda.

He didn't go out to dig a grave, did he?

I called him,

but Tonda, my best friend at the mill,

continued walking as if he hadn't heard me.

I tried to figure out what it all meant.

I felt nothing everywhere, like tension and fear.

The Müller boys, it seemed, had lost their language.

The hour of great testing has arrived.

Only one can be a master here.

Whoever of us loses in battle will

have a coffin and a grave waiting for him.

The mill has come to a standstill and will remain so until

another apprentice takes over for the unfortunate Tonda.

However, the mill wheel never stood for long.

The master had two terrible helpers at his side: hunger and cold.

We all knew her.

They were now driving another boy into the evil mill.

Each of us has looked for salvation here.

And as always, the master was already waiting for

the newcomer to catch him in the net of promises.

And who wouldn't want to become a magician one day?

Now she's grinding again.

The next day a new apprentice was there.

Nobody knew where he had come from and we didn't ask.

He was a little frozen tramp like we all once were.

His name was Vitek.

He had also fasted for too long and now ate like a wolf when he could.

With the arrival of the new apprentice,

life in the mill returned to its old habits.

Soon Vitek would find out where he was.

It was a little strange at first, but he wasn't afraid of anything,

and before he knew it, he was the youngest student at the black school.

Sit down.

I said sit down.

Pay attention.

I will teach you a useful spell.

He transforms an ordinary pine cone into a precious jewel.

But be careful.

Once an hour has passed, the spell loses its effectiveness

and the cone returns to what it was.

What value could such a spell have?

But I didn't know our master well.

After the solemn audience before the throne of his Electoral Highness,

the master offered his jewelry to the illustrious court society.

The ladies began to cheer.

They couldn't get enough of the treasures.

Each of them wanted to try on one of these beautiful

and valuable pieces of jewelry and not take it off.

Many of the gentlemen cavaliers were forced to dig deep into their pockets.

Deeper, perhaps, than they would have liked.

The master could be satisfied with his business.

But what would happen when the hour was up?

Five more minutes and then they'll be wearing pine cones on their illustrious necks, and we?

But the master knew what to do this time too.

He simply stopped time.

The court society immediately turned to stone and we

were both able to make off with our loot unhindered.

How much gold you can earn with a few

old pine cones if you know the right saying.

And it was spring again.

Easter was approaching again.

This time the master sent us out again.

We were supposed to spend the Easter Vigil again in the open

air, in a place where someone had died violently over the years.

I had no desire to follow Master's instructions.

I was drawn to somewhere else entirely.

Early to the well,

this Easter morning.

Show me your love,

that was otherwise hidden from me.

This Easter morning,

I want to go to you.

The one that is meant for me

let him see me.

My heart was beating in my throat.

As if I had suspected that today my

entire future fate would be decided.

Because the two of them arrived too late, I repeat again:

Anyone who devotes themselves to black art

he fell for her body and soul.

His heart no longer belongs to him,

if he still wants to give it away.

He'd better just dig his own grave!

Which one of you was

the one who opposed me?

Answer, Krabat!

Answer! Yuro!

All right.

As you wish.

You'll regret this.

Master had a cruel punishment for us.

He turned Juro into a horse

and told me to go and sell it for 50 gold pieces.

Juro, who had no great talent for the black sciences,

was terribly afraid of remaining a horse all his life.

I thought I would take away his fear and we swapped roles.

I gave him back his human form and became a horse myself.

When he sells the horse, I'll become a human again later.

That's child's play for me.

We stopped in the square in front of the town hall.

The market place was empty and deserted.

We didn't expect that.

Suddenly a buyer appeared

and immediately offered 50 gold pieces for me.

Juro was happy that he had sold me well and didn't even look to whom.

Don't ever try to trick me again.

This is my final warning.

For once, I give you permission to become human again.

Krabat.

Krabat.

The master left the mill for a few days and immediately the mood in the mill was better.

Everyone lived more freely, even though we had a lot to do.

I felt like I was in a dream.

I kept thinking about the girl.

What if I tried to see her again?

I had learned how to fly on wings.

Only Juro saw me secretly leaving the mill.

That day was a lucky day for me.

Even though we had never spoken to each

other before, she recognized me immediately.

Even now we didn't need words to speak to each other.

We only spoke with our eyes.

We said more to each other in that moment than even the most beautiful words could have done.

Suddenly I heard Juro's voice.

He warned me.

He called out to me that the master was back.

I had to return quickly so as not to

endanger the one who meant so much to me.

As a precaution, we flew quite low towards the mill.

Forest and bushes offered us cover.

We were lucky.

The master was waiting for us in the form of a bird of prey.

While he was sharpening his claws, we managed

to slip into the mill behind him unnoticed.

There is no secret you can hide from me, Krabat.

Who is the girl?

If I find her, she'll be done for!

You have committed yourself to me, body and soul.

And you are mine forever.

That night I made the decision to turn my back on the magic mill forever.

I will have to overcome the master in open combat.

It's going to be difficult and Juro has to help me.

There was only one way to break the shackles of magical power.

To overcome the master of the black arts.

And there lay before us the forbidden book, the book of spells.

We will learn to read them.

We must know all the secrets to be

ready for the day of battle with the Master.

This time we had an early winter.

The whole of Lusatia was covered in deep snow

and everyone was looking forward to Christmas.

Only we in the mill by the black water fell back into worry and uncertainty.

As always, an inevitable fate

awaited one of us at the end of the year.

This time it was Michael's turn.

Take the shovel.

There is a grave to dig.

Who will prove to be for?

Michael.

Michael, come back!

You're exerting yourself unnecessarily, Krabat.

I know what's coming to me. Fight with the master.

We all have to go through that at some point.

Are you ready, Michael?

When Michael's brave heart fell silent, the mill stopped.

But not for long.

Another boy came across the snow plain.

His tracks led directly to the enchanted mill.

In the morning we went to greet the new student.

I recognized him immediately. It was little Lubos.

We sang Christmas carols together.

So the little wise man, the great king, also gets caught in the devil's net.

I now had one more reason why I

definitely had to overcome the master.

And another year was over.

It started to thaw in March.

I took advantage of the bad weather and disappeared into the darkness, out of the mill.

The thought that a girl I liked was just

a short distance away gave me courage.

The storm raged around me, but all I could see was my love.

I wanted to be close to her and look into her face.

At that moment I believed that I was the one watching

over her peaceful sleep and hopefully beautiful dreams.

Dreams in which I don't appear as a raven, but in my true form.

I wished that this night would never

end, that there would never be a morning.

Meanwhile it was starting to get dark.

I had to go back to the mill to see the others.

The master was waiting for me this time too.

He finally wanted to catch me in the act.

Luckily, Juro was in his place and knew what to do.

Not a night went by without the master spying on us.

While he lay in wait, we scurried into the forbidden room.

On the last page of the Master's book we found a mysterious formula.

Love is stronger than all magic.

We read it over and over again, but we couldn't make sense of it.

Whatever I did, I thought about the mysterious formula in the magic book.

How could a weak girl overpower an evil wizard?

I don't even have the right to ask her to do that.

How many beautiful names I thought of for her when I was alone.

But I just looked at her face. I could not speak.

Cha, cha, cha.

The master searched for us in vain.

What I learned from the magic book was enough to save us.

Which of you secretly goes into the forbidden chamber?

I'll find out.

Law stays here.

The others can go.

Now we will fly together to the place where I give you your order.

He will decide everything.

As soon as the master left the mill, I was on the move.

It was a beautiful moonlit night.

I couldn't have asked for a nicer place to meet my love.

But fear has come between us again.

Here too the master was looking for us.

But then I remembered the words from the magic book.

The magic of power.

We want to be water lily flowers.

Allow us the peace of the water for just a moment.

He flew around looking for us.

He suspected we were here somewhere, but he couldn't find us.

Just a moment.

The silent protector of lovers knew about us.

The master didn't give up yet.

The next morning he called me into the black room.

You are stronger than I thought when

it comes to exploring the black arts.

I will give you a task and this will be your main test.

This is how you decide whether you live or die.

The master ordered me to fly to Hungary in raven form.

There the imperial army was just at war with the Turks again.

There I am supposed to report to the commanding general and follow his orders.

After a long flight I finally reached the field that they call the Field of Honor.

When I arrived at the army camp, I immediately went to the commander.

I introduced myself to the officers as a magician

who had come to help them against the Turks.

I was laughed at for it. Nobody believed me.

What should I do but make her take me seriously easily and quickly?

And then I heard about the kidnapping

of a Saxon marshal by a Turkish sorcerer.

So I came at the right time.

My job was to free the prisoner and bring him back.

I was in a hurry to complete the order.

In the Turkish camp the tents stood like mushrooms after the rain.

Where was the Marshal of Saxony?

Probably in that big tent.

But the big tent was the Sultan's tent.

Sorry, I didn't mean that.

I wanted to apologize, but I didn't have time.

This post seemed suspicious to me.

Only a captured marshal could be so closely guarded, right?

Now it was time to be smart.

Somehow you had to be able to deal with the dangerous guys.

I turned him into a mouse.

A harmless little mouse.

Now he could carry on as long as he wanted.

I finally managed to track down the captured marshal.

The guards were armed to the teeth.

Getting him out of there alive was truly a magical task.

My master's exam has begun.

I thought I had already won, but the worst was yet to come.

The Sultan had sent his own magician after us,

who was supposed to snatch the Marshal of Saxony away from me again.

Krabat.

I recognized Juro's voice as my blood froze in my veins.

Krabat.

I shot my best friend.

Now I understood Master's evil plan.

He sent Yuro to serve the Turks and me to help the Imperials.

We should destroy each other.

But there was no time to despair.

I had to take care of the wounded Juro, who was in very bad condition.

I turned myself and him back into a raven and we set off on the long way home.

In my excitement I completely forgot about the Saxon Marshal.

I flew day and night as fast as I could.

It got cold here.

The angry master was waiting for us with a shovel in his hand.

Lost, you failed.

The marshal is still running around as a horse somewhere in the fields.

Take a shovel and go dig a grave.

This will be your last assignment.

You have made a commitment and you must stick to it.

Now you'll know who the master is.

And your fate awaits you.

I had lost my duel with the master and

the fate of Tonda and Michal awaited me.

Only Juro didn't give up hope.

Even though he was injured, he flew out to help me.

Because he remembered the words from the Book of Witchcraft:

Love is stronger than all magic.

What do you want from me?

Give me my boy.

I do not know him.

It's Krabat. Who I love.

Krabat?

Do you even know him?

Can you find him?

If you find it and recognize it, you can take it home with you

and if not, you won't live to see the next morning.

Everyone into the black chamber and line up.

Stay where you are.

And that no one makes a peep anymore.

Otherwise it will be over for them.

I did not expect that.

Without the scarf she would have recognized me among the ravens, but now all is lost.

She walked past me.

My heart was racing in fear for her life.

It's this one.

Are you sure?

I'm sure it is.

I hear the voice of his heart.

Then we all emerged from the choking smoke into the clear white day.

We were free again, free as birds.

The enchanted mill turned to ashes.

The Master was overcome for all time and eternity.

Love is stronger than all magic.

This was the end of all evil violence.

The moment the magic book burst

into flames, all magic arts were lost,

that the master had taught us in the black chamber.

Now it was over for all time.

And we became normal people.

And it was fine like that!