Original subtitles

No, no, no! Not that one!

Look, do not cut that tree.

It is a beautiful tree,

and I wish to keep it.

Hmm?

-Look, not that tree! -How are you getting on, Robin?

ROBIN: A bit slow, I'm afraid.

The trouble is, I can't make them understand a word I say.

Look, no!

MAJOR:

They do seem a bit thickheaded as a breed.

Oh, they just think a bit differently from us, that's all.

These lads haven't been brought up to be farmworkers.

Up till recently, when we came along,

their main job has been to get ready

to have a good fight with the Masai.

The women do all their cultivation.

They're willing enough.

It's just that we don't seem to understand each other quite yet.

Could you explain to them that I don't want this tree felled,

-I wish to preserve it? -Yes, right.

I just explained to them

that this is a tree that you consider to be sacred.

They understand that.

Thank you.

Right.

I'm working hard on my Swahili.

I've got a book.

But it's of "our dragoman has been eaten by a lion" variety.

Oh, you'll soon pick it up.

But if I might say so, Robin,

what you need at the moment is a really good headman.

Ha. Is there such a thing?

Oh, just occasionally, one turns up.

A fellow came to see me yesterday.

He seemed quite a good chap. I'll send him along.

ROBIN: Thank you, very much.

ELSPETH: Poor pigeon.

Have you hurt your leg?

Come on. Come on.

If you don't want me to help you, I won't.

Silly thing.

Why aren't you doing your lessons?

Finished.

There's a pigeon that's hurt its leg.

Will you help me catch it?

Later, darling.

Will these really grow into great big coffee bushes?

One day.

Now they'll turn into little seedlings,

and then we'll plant them out when the rains come.

When's that?

March.

2,000 coffee bushes.

Not bad for a morning's work.

Run and tell Njombo to get the mules ready,

and we'll fetch the post.

ELSPETH: All right.

TILLY:

YOUNG MAN:

TILLY:

What's your name?

Sammy, bwana.

I need a headman, Sammy.

Yes, bwana. That I can see.

That is why I am here.

Good.

Well, let me show you 'round.

That will not be necessary, bwana.

Jolly good.

Goodness! Smart people.

Oh, I would love a pony.

Yes. One day.

Always "one day."

My dear lady!

And Elspeth.

Boy!

Robin asked me to thank you very much for finding Sammy.

Oh, not a bit. He's a good lad.

He's half Masai, so he despises the Kikuyu,

and the other half Kikuyu, so he understands them.

Yes, he was with dear old Tubby Oldridge,

until Tubby lost an argument with a rhino.

I've made some guava jelly. Some for you.

Oh, my dear.

Bless you!

Mmm.

Who are your expensive guests?

Damn nice couple called Palmer.

Really pukka.

He was in the 9th Lancers.

Enchanting wife.

They want to meet you.

They've got the next block to yours.

You mean they're actually going to settle here?

Yes. Come and meet them.

Oh. We're really not dressed.

Just came to fetch the mail.

MAJOR: Come along.

Mrs. Palmer, may I introduce Mrs. Grant?

LETTICE: How do you do?

-And her daughter, Elspeth. -LETTICE: Hello.

-Captain Palmer. -HEREWARD: How do you do?

-Hello. -Hello.

-Hello. -How nice to meet you.

And, as I gather we're going to be neighbors,

I'd better be Tilly.

I'm Lettice, and my husband's Hereward.

His parents knew from birth

he was going to be a handsome soldier.

HEREWARD: Retired, I might add.

-Would you like to sit down? -Oh. Thank you.

Don't gulp it, Elspeth.

So, you're just out?

Yes. Completely wet behind the ears.

Of course, Hereward knows India.

Soldiering.

And you really live here, and you have a house

and a garden and everything?

TILLY: Well, a sort of house and a sort of garden.

What dear little dogs.

Chang and Zena.

Poor things. They're hot.

Yes.

Oh, dear.

Such thick fur coats.

It's not fair on the dogs to bring them out here.

I couldn't leave them behind.

I love them so much.

And they have hearts of lions.

What do you think, M-- Tilly?

Probably be all right if you're careful.

You'll have to dress their coats every day with paraffin

-against the ticks. -And boil their meat,

'cause of the worms.

What a perilous country.

We're going to need our lion hearts, aren't we?

We actually saw a lion on the way.

Oh, there are tons of them out in the plains.

Plenty of game, I suppose?

Oh, yes. I think plenty.

The only beautiful thing in this country,

as far as I can see, are the wild animals and the birds.

Everybody simply craves to shoot them.

ELSPETH: We don't.

I mean Daddy doesn't.

You've bought the block next to ours, I hear?

Yes. Damn lucky, really.

I bumped into old Roger Stilbeck at the Norfolk Hotel,

and he just had this block left.

Only ú10 an acre.

I mean, very cheap.

We're going to build a proper estate.

An Indian contractor fellow's

coming out this afternoon to look at the site.

Roger said there was a move to start a polo club.

I don't think Mr. Stilbeck has ever actually been here.

He's rather a talker, we've found.

But certainly one of the first things you must build

-are some stables. -Oh. Why?

Well, your ponies will all die of horse sickness

if they're not shut up by dark.

Oh, well, that's damn funny.

-Roger said, um... -He is rather a talker.

Is there much disease?

Those poor toad-like women carrying vast loads

and those little children with potbellies

we've seen everywhere.

They've got enlarged spleens 'cause of malaria.

Elspeth!

That's what Mrs. Nimmo said.

The natives are rather riddled with yaws and parasites.

I mean, everywhere, it's the same.

Bubonic plague and smallpox are endemic.

And, of course, typhoid.

And rather a lot of elephantiasis.

How does anyone survive?

They must die in droves.

They're not frightened of dying.

Njombo told me.

The Africans are apt to tell you

what they think you want to hear.

These people are from the Kikuyu tribe.

Very nice, friendly people.

Thank the Lord for small mercies.

You must come and see us soon.

-You've been a great help. -Yes, indeed.

I say, why don't you come and have dinner?

Uh, tomorrow?

How kind.

If we can reach you through the sea of germs.

I'm afraid the car won't manage it.

We haven't quite finished the road.

That's fine. Got a brand-new mule buggy

coming up later today.

Dinner?

Yes.

I'm afraid I rather lost my head.

But we've never had a dinner party here.

There's never been anyone we wanted to ask before.

Oh, God.

Is he the sort of fellow who will wear a dinner jacket?

Yes.

ELSPETH: Mummy, I need your help.

I bet the moths or the ants have eaten mine to bits.

All right, do you think?

Mm! Looks beautiful.

What are you going to do with it?

Sammy's going to help me make a cage.

In fact, I thought I might start up a sort of animal hospital.

Yes, well, let's get the dinner party over with first.

Can I stay up for it?

You can come in in your dressing gown when they arrive.

Wish I could come in in my dressing gown.

Do you know, I've got fat.

-TILLY: Have you? -Definitely.

I feel like a stuffed goose in this thing.

My hands.

Just like a navvy's.

And my nails!

Awful!

I have got some white gloves somewhere.

I think they'd be just a little out of place here, don't you?

Look at my complexion.

I look like a gypsy or something.

It wasn't until I met Lettice Palmer

that I realized what an awful old frump I've become.

Nonsense.

You look lovely, my darling.

And I'll bet you'll make Mrs. Palmer

-look a real second-rater. -

You wait till you see her.

-HEREWARD: Steady.

-ROBIN: How do you do? -This is my wife, Lettice.

ROBIN: Robin Grant.

HEREWARD: Hereward Palmer. How do you do?

-ROBIN: How are you? -HEREWARD: Very well.

TILLY: I'm so glad you could come.

HEREWARD: Good evening.

TILLY: Hope you didn't have too dreadful a journey.

LETTICE: No, it was fine. A little bumpy.

We've only just done this road.

ROBIN: Wasn't Toby Hanbury in the 9th Lancers?

HEREWARD: Indeed, he was.

LETTICE: Was it difficult to find a cook out here?

No. Actually, I've had Juma from the start.

ROBIN: We cordially hated each other as children,

but I must admit, she has improved.

-Mummy? -No, thank you.

HEREWARD: I saw Toby and Clare just before we came over.

Both in great form.

Toby was my brigade major in South Africa.

-Ah. -Thank you, sweetheart.

You weren't a regular soldier, were you?

Oh, Lord, no. No.

-Toby missed his polo. -Mm.

Got his handicap up to five when we were in India.

One of these fellows who couldn't ride to save his life

had the most wonderful natural eye for a ball.

-LETTICE: Thank you. -Yes, I can imagine.

Where do you go to school, Elspeth?

I don't. Not for the moment.

But when the coffee's going well, I might have to go then.

Next year, I expect.

TILLY: Five years.

It's rather a slow business, I'm afraid.

Five years?!

Hereward, it takes five years for the wretched coffee to grow.

I know, my dear.

Damn valuable crop in the end, you know.

But in five years, we shall be middle-aged.

I shall be fat and frowsy, and you'll have twinges of gout.

And that is if we haven't both been murdered

by our drunken headman by then.

Mrs. Palmer.

Once we have a house, it could be all right.

I can have my piano, and Hereward can have his trophies.

Coals to Newcastle perhaps, but they're a pretty fine lot.

One black buck I shot in Kashmir

was almost a record head, I'm told.

What will you do when the coffee has made your fortune, Tilly?

I'd like to own a balloon...

and breed New Forest ponies...

and go to China on the Trans-Siberian Railway.

-ELSPETH:

I don't know which comes first.

And what about your husband?

-Guess. -HEREWARD: Shoot tigers?

-LETTICE: Buy a yacht? -

A castle in Scotland.

ROBIN: Elspeth knows.

I told her once.

Daddy would like to do absolutely nothing,

because that's the most expensive thing

in all this world.

And what about you, Elspeth?

What do you want most in the world?

Oh, Lor'.

A chameleon, I think.

TILLY: Bed now, Elspeth.

Our dinner's ready.

-Goodbye. -Good night, Elspeth.

-ELSPETH: Goodbye. -Good night.

-Good night, Daddy. -Good night, sweetheart.

Come and say good night, won't you?

TILLY: Yes, darling. Shall we go in?

Mrs. Palmer.

Enchanting daughter you have, Mrs. Grant.

So nice to see such good manners.

Splendid.

Extraordinary how quickly one gets used to the animals,

even the most frightening ones.

Well, what frightens me about this country isn't the animals.

It's the sort of quiet, smiling,

destructive ferocity...

...of everything.

Nothing anyone has created survives.

-Mummy! -What's the matter, darling?

I think -- I think something rather awful's happening.

ROBIN: What is it, sweetheart?

Outside.

There.

Oh, God.

Bloody hyenas!

They'll eat anything.

-I say, I am sorry. -Damn that stupid boy of mine!

Oh, Lord.

Hereward will go mad.

-Oh.

I don't find it very funny.

Juma cooked really rather a good dinner.

Yes. It all went fine until...

You really shouldn't have laughed.

It was a sort of half-guilty laugh.

they're not our hyenas.

There's something odd about those Palmers.

Well, he's a pompous sort of cuss.

But then, there's nothing very unusual about that.

I think she's a damn fine woman.

Emotional.

She's a fish out of water here, I'm afraid.

ROBIN: Well, he's rich.

He can build her a pool

where she can shelter under the water lilies.

Oh, she does the helpless-female act very well.

She's probably as tough as old boots underneath.

But why have they come?

They're not the type.

-Sport. -Oh.

If he wants more heads for his collection,

he can just go on a big safari.

I think they've run off together and have to live abroad.

I wonder who she was before.

You wicked woman!

How you do love a whiff of scandal.

Well, whoever she was...

I'm afraid she's thrown herself away.

Well, at least it's onto a comfortable,

silver-plated rubbish heap.

I am glad you threw yourself away on me.

Your boys know nothing, man.

I'm afraid we're all beginners.

Shall I show them?

It would be very kind if you would.

Sammy. Mr. Roos is going to show you how to handle the cattle.

Give me that, boy.

Poor bloody cattle.

See? See how I do it?

You don't have to shout at the animals all the time.

Put up that chain two more links.

Not him.

You, boy.

Did you hear me? Come on.

You stupid bastard!

Do as I order you!

Sammy!

You stuck-up boy.

I'm going to give you 20 of the best with this.

No, you're not!

This is my farm.

And he's my boy.

You do it, then.

Show them who's boss.

Clear off, Sammy.

Come up and have a drink.

ELSPETH: Mummy!

Sammy, Daddy, and Mr. Roos are having a fight!

ROOS: Listen to me, Mr. Grant.

You let one of these boys cheek you and get away with it,

the next thing, he kill you in your bed.

He didn't mean to be rude.

And he is my headman.

He's just like the others.

You obstinate rooinek British

will spoil this country for the rest of us.

Yes, well, thank you for your advice, Mr. Roos,

and for your help.

You flog that boy, or you won't have to thank me for anything.

Robin.

What happened?

Roos seems to think that unless the few white men

stick together, stamp on the Africans,

flog them when they sneeze, we won't survive.

Perhaps he'll learn.

Never.

And he's marvelous with any animals.

Had our oxen eating out of his hand in minutes.

I sometimes wonder

whether anything will ever grow in this place.

The veranda posts are beginning to sprout.

There.

Robin.

It's from Lettice.

ROBIN: I wonder what the hell's happened.

I asked the syce who brought it,

and he said he didn't know anything.

I wonder if she's panicking.

Highly-strung sort of woman.

What an ungallant thing to say of your latest inamorata.

Only the other day, she was a "damn fine woman."

I think you ought to go, just in case.

After all, Hereward is buying our stone

for the foundation of his house.

Well, we'd better all go...

taking guns and bandages and things.

Mm. And Sammy.

ROBIN: I wonder where everyone is.

Hereward!

Lettice!

ELSPETH: Do you think everyone's been eaten by the cannibals?

TILLY: Perhaps they've had a visit from Mr. Roos.

ROBIN: I should think Hereward Palmer

is perfectly capable of starting a mutiny without his help.

The dogs are here.

I can't think Lettice would leave the dogs.

Lettice!

Thank God you've come!

There's a man in here been cut to ribbons.

I've done what I can, but it's all so dark and filthy.

Oh.

I hope I'm not going to be sick.

Elspeth, you go look after the dogs.

-Come along. -

Lettice, what happened?

Well, we didn't know anything about it till this morning.

And then they'd all run away,

leaving this wretched man dying.

Who is he?

Kimani...

our headman.

He wasn't very good and usually drunk.

Where's Hereward?

He's gone up to the reserve, chasing them.

Look, Hereward's got a terrible temper.

-I do hope -- -All right, all right.

I'd best go after him.

Lettice, please go into the house.

No, I'll help.

Although I'm not very good at this sort of thing.

First aid's not my strong point, but I'm getting used to it.

I just get my things.

Please go in. All right?

All right.

Was he awfully gashed?

Yes.

Probably a panga.

I expect they had a beer brew.

LETTICE: Is he...

-Is he... -Dead.

Quite dead.

Oh. Oh.

If -- If only I wasn't so completely useless

at everything!

I could have saved him!

I know I could!

I wonder if there are any smelling salts.

Go and look in the bedroom.

-Lettice! -LETTICE:

Pull yourself together, Lettice, for heaven's sake!

Kimani was a rotten headman,

drunk most of the time, and you know it.

Matter of fact, you're well rid of him.

How can you be so callous?!

And now I'm going to be left here alone

with no servants and a murderer on the loose!

Nobody's leaving you alone.

What do you think we're here for?

This sort of thing's always happening in Africa,

and you've just got to get used to it.

Yes.

Yes.

KUPANYA:

If you do not find the man who did this terrible crime,

I shall go straight to the district commissioner.

Do you understand?

-Jambo, Chief Kupanya. -Jambo, bwana.

Tilly's looking after Lettice.

Yes, I've been trying to get this old idiot to do something.

Kupanya wishes to say to Bwana Palmer

and Bwana Grant that he understands

there has been a fight at Bwana Palmer's shamba

and that Kimani has been hurt.

Dead, most likely.

Oh, then it's murder.

Kupanya says it could be a case of murder or manslaughter.

Kupanya says he will find the man who did it

so that he can be sent to the D.C.

How the hell is he going to do that?

I'd leave it up to him, old man.

He's a wise old bird.

Seems to know everything that goes on around here.

What about all my -- What about all my staff?

Where are they?

They will be back.

You've been absolutely angelic --

All of you.

I'm sorry we couldn't help more.

Oh, but you have.

When we have the house built and we have my piano

and Hereward's heads,

we will have a celebration.

Thank you, Robin.

Thank you so much, Tilly.

TILLY: Not at all.

Uh, sorry if I was rather...

Oh, don't be silly.

HEREWARD: Um, Robin.

I was wondering what to do about the body.

-Our boys won't bury it. -Don't worry about that.

When it gets dark, they'll take it out into the bush.

The hyenas will do the rest.

They're very practical people, actually.

Oh, and they'll burn the hut down.

But that's no great loss.

Come on, my dear.

-ROBIN: Cheerio, Hereward. -Goodbye, Robin.

-ROBIN: Lettice. -Goodbye.

-Bye, Tilly. -TILLY: Goodbye.

-ELSPETH: Bye. -Goodbye, Elspeth.

-SAMMY: Goodbye. -Thank you, Sammy.

How nice to have such good neighbors.

Tilly makes me feel so helpless.

But, my dear,

you weren't brought up to this sort of thing.

Tilly Grant wasn't either.

Yes, I must say, she's a real fizzer.

Grant's a bit more of a man than I thought he was.

Well, I could do with a drink.

LETTICE: Darling, I...

Isn't it better to be honest?

I'm afraid I'm never going to be able

to cope with this sort of life.

Well, I mean, you haven't really given it much of a chance.

I'm not sure I want to.

Well, it's for you to decide.

You must do whatever you want.

Good morning, pigeon.

Tomorrow, I will take off your splint,

and you will all be mended.

Njombo!

Good morning, Kongoni.

Njombo!

Njombo is not here.

I will come riding with the memsabu.

ELSPETH: Where is Njombo?

He is not here.

Is he ill?

SAMMY: Kupanya and the elders have sent for him.

Is it to do with the dead man at Bwana Palmer's?

Why should you ask that?

Kimani, the dead man, worked at Bwana Palmer's shamba.

Njombo works here.

Come. Come.

A honeyguide bird.

He is calling us.

Calling us?

If we follow him, he will take us

to where the bees have made honey.

He wants us to go and take the honey

so that he can eat the grubs underneath.

Gosh! How clever!

-Shall we follow him? -No, no.

It may be a long way away and up the top of a tree.

But if ever you follow one,

always remember to leave some of the honey.

Of course. That's only fair.

Come.

I will show you the weaverbirds.

Come.

Maybe we see a kingfisher.

Kingfisher.

Oh, he's gone.

If we wait quietly, he will come back.

If you tell me about Njombo,

I will not tell my mother or father.

I promise.

These affairs are not for the memsabu ndogo.

Will Kupanya send Njombo to the D.C.?

He will not go to the D.C.

Bwana Palmer will send him.

Njombo is Kupanya's nephew.

Kimani was drunk and insulted Njombo.

They fought and...

With pangas?

Yes, with pangas.

Many people are struck with pangas.

Some enemy of Njombo's

used bad medicine to make Kimani die.

Kupanya promised to send the murderer to the D.C.

Hm. Kupanya will find someone to send.

There will not be any trouble.

Njombo is poor, but he will have to pay heavy fines.

Instead of buying a wife,

all his goats will have to go to Kimani's father.

Ah. Look.

Francolin.

Very good to eat.

I hope Njombo will come back one day.

He will come back.

He will need much money to buy goats to pay Kimani's father.

Kimani was a worthless man,

but now he has died, he will make his father rich.

"Le Corbeau et le Renard."

What's "corbeau"?

Read it. See if you can guess.

"Maître Corbeau, sur un arbre perché,

tenait en son bec un fromage."

It must be a bird.

Yes. What sort of bird?

A cheese-loving bird.

A cheese bird.

Like the honeyguide bird likes honey.

-A crow. -Oh.

A toto from the Palmers with something for you, Elspeth.

Elspeth's in the middle of her French.

Thank you.

Oh, no!

Two darling chameleons.

It's from Lettice.

ROBIN: Uh, Mrs. Palmer to nicely-brought-up young girls.

No, she asked me.

"I hope they are a he and a she.

No one seems to know.

Anyway, they seem to be friends.

Lettice."

Oh, what a gorgeous present!

I wonder if they'll change color.

Careful not to put them on the tartan rug,

-or they'll burst. -Will they really?

No. Of course they won't.

Don't you think you ought to christen them?

What's a good sort of chameleon name?

Um...Antony and Cleopatra?

No. Too long.

TILLY: Gilbert and Sullivan.

Oh, no. That won't do. They're both male.

They've got sort of crowns.

Yes. They're very dignified and royal.

TILLY: Victoria and Albert.

I've got it! George and Mary.

Perfect. George and Mary.

ELSPETH: Which is which is difficult.

They'll just have to take it in turn.

I wonder where they can live.

I think if we build a cage 'round a nice shrub.

-I'll ask Njombo. -Oh, Robin.

Sammy came in to say Njombo

had to go into the reserve for a few days.

His mother's very ill.

Go on. In you go.

George and Mary...

this is your kingdom.

Njombo!

I'm glad you're back.

Look at my chameleon.

They are bad things.

They do no harm.

NJOMBO: They are bad.

Why?

Our god, who is living on Mount Kenya,

sent one of them with a message

to the first Kikuyu man to stop man dying,

and also the moon.

The chameleon forgot.

So now the moon dies every month,

and man dies, too.

ELSPETH: Go on.

How is the pigeon?

All right.

I'm just going to take her splint off and let her go.

Come and help.

Pigeon.

Pigeon!

Pigeon!

It's so unfair!

After all the trouble we've taken.

Oh, pigeon.

Sometimes things do just die...

especially wild things.

Perhaps she was very old.

She doesn't look old.

Why don't you give her a proper funeral?

Hmm?

Yes. Yes, I will.

Of course.