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  • 2 days ago
Jim Henson's The Storyteller S01E03 The Luck Child
Transcript
00:00When people told themselves their past with stories,
00:13explained their present with stories,
00:16foretold the future with stories,
00:19the best place by the fire was kept for the storyteller.
00:30Sometimes people are born lucky.
00:45You imagine if they opened their hands,
00:47there'd be a little piece of sunshine.
00:51A personal piece.
00:53It lights them up.
00:55Everyone loves these people.
00:57They're lit up.
00:58Well, cats sit on their laps.
01:01What?
01:02It's luck. It's a gift. It's a blessing.
01:05And therefore can't be undone.
01:08This is also true of prophecies.
01:11So when one night a boy is born blessed with luck
01:16and it is foretold he will one day be king,
01:20well, no matter how poor the child,
01:23no matter how wicked the king in power,
01:27no matter how monstrous the monster...
01:29not so long ago in the deep north,
01:44where it is so cold that just very cold is considered quite warm,
01:50two cold hearts rule the land.
01:51The one beat cold in a cruel king,
01:53the other in a terrible beast, the griffin.
01:57And it happened in a week with two Fridays
01:58that the cruel king heard of a prophecy.
02:00A child had been born reported his spies.
02:03A luck child, poor as penance, rich as snow,
02:05the seventh son of a seventh son.
02:07Wise men prophesied this child would one day be king.
02:13Superstition, majesty, folklore, said his evil chancellor.
02:25Old wives tales, rubbish.
02:26How could a peasant's child not worth a spit?
02:27How could a brat become king?
02:29But the cruel king choked on the news,
02:33felt it sharpen and pierce his heart.
02:35So he set out with his evil chancellor
02:38and pierce his heart. So he set out with his evil chancellor to find this luck child and do him in.
02:46Let the night protect us, and the Lord watch over us. Amen.
02:56We've come in search of the luck child. Is he here?
02:59Well, yes or no? Have we come to the wrong hut?
03:03He's called the luck child, sir, but what luck can he have, born with nothing?
03:08Oh! Oh, dear me.
03:10My friend here, a holy man, brings seven pieces like this.
03:14He seeks a child to patron and to care for.
03:17As if he were my own son.
03:18Oh, yes. A luck child indeed. It's a bargain, I take it?
03:23Yes or no?
03:24He's my little boy, sir.
03:27You have six others, mother, and now they'll be plump as pigs.
03:30He's my little lover.
03:32Well, of course. You need more gold to comfort yourself.
03:36It's not more gold, my missus. Once you can't put gold to your breast, you can't hear its heart beat.
03:43Please yourself.
03:44You've had your chance.
03:45I'll send in men on the morrow. We'll turn the snow bloody.
03:51We'll hand over our little boy to your safekeeping.
03:57Yes, come on down.
03:59Good.
04:00Take care of him.
04:01Yeah?
04:02Because he's a little precious.
04:03Mm-hmm.
04:04He's the seventh son of the seventh son.
04:07He's a luck child.
04:08Oh, yes.
04:09Terribly lucky.
04:10Okay.
04:17And that was it.
04:19They couldn't speak.
04:21They couldn't believe it.
04:25Their baby was gone.
04:27Right.
04:28It's a nice smile.
04:29Ah!
04:30A nice smile given your kingdom, given your gold, given all that is rightfully yours.
04:46That's right.
04:48Would you?
04:49I wouldn't try.
04:50He would.
04:51I speak of him.
04:52Dreadful drop, as luck would have it.
04:57The fall will finish him.
04:59Or the icy waves.
05:00The shock will do him in.
05:02I can't look.
05:03How far down is it?
05:05Too bad.
05:06Ah!
05:07That's it.
05:08You go too, sir.
05:10Good night.
05:11No one shall wear my crown.
05:14Terrible.
05:15That's a terrible story.
05:18What?
05:19The baby died.
05:21What do you mean, what?
05:23Who said the baby died?
05:25I didn't.
05:27This is a luck child.
05:29Oh.
05:30No, no.
05:31The baby fell.
05:32Plummeting down, dropping into the blackness.
05:35The rocks beckoning.
05:36Oh, yes.
05:37Plunge downwards.
05:38But the binding catches on a jutting branch and winds round, pulling the baby up short,
05:45before letting him down gently onto the shore with a plop.
05:49Sand.
05:50Soft.
05:51Safe.
05:52The evil chanceler fared less well.
05:56The sea had him.
05:58Then the next morning, the griffin had a feast.
06:01Yuck.
06:02As for the cold king, from time to time he felt a little bad.
06:07A fleeting bad.
06:08But soon he quite forgot what he'd done out of fear of a prophecy.
06:12Besides, it's not long and he's got a baby of his own.
06:16A little girl.
06:18She seeks out the one soft part in his heart and touches it.
06:23How he loves his little darling.
06:27And years go by, ten, twelve, fifteen, sixteen, the daughter turns out a lovely.
06:35A princess talked of, longed for, and the offers, hundreds.
06:40But the king doesn't want her married.
06:43Oh dear me, no.
06:44He's not going to lose her in a hurry.
06:46Hands off, is what the king thinks.
06:49Hands off, all my lovelies.
06:59That's four for Nicholas.
07:00Right.
07:01Four for you then, Nick.
07:02Right.
07:03All names for his majesty the king.
07:12Your majesty.
07:13I'm in your region inspecting harvests.
07:16How goes it?
07:17Fair sire.
07:18Good.
07:19And the records?
07:20Show his majesty the book, son.
07:22All entered, sir.
07:24Your people sweat for each ear of wheat and each cob of corn.
07:27And your majesty also needs his tithes, of course.
07:31Of course.
07:32Otherwise we'd all be lords and no king.
07:34And then what?
07:35Exactly.
07:36Then what indeed?
07:40How come the boy is fair when you two are da?
07:43Oh, well, I'm foundling, sire.
07:44He was a gift from God, sire.
07:46We had no child of our own.
07:47Found when?
07:49Found where?
07:50By the Black Cliffs, sire.
07:51Seventeen years since.
07:53Washed up.
07:54Without a scrap on his little body.
07:56I see.
07:57You're a lucky one then.
07:59That's what we call him, sire.
08:01Lucky.
08:02A boy like you would do well at court.
08:05Well, I'm needed here, sire.
08:07Then you'll be missed.
08:08Paper and pen.
08:10I'll take the boy.
08:12See?
08:13I'll write him a royal warrant.
08:14You take this letter to the queen.
08:16She will welcome you into our royal care.
08:18This boy will want for nothing from this day forth.
08:24Hurrah for the king.
08:25Hurrah!
08:26Hurrah!
08:27Hurrah!
08:28Hurrah!
08:29Oh, happy day indeed.
08:30The king can hardly breathe through his thumping heart.
08:35For this bright spark must be the boy born to claim his throne.
08:40The luck child.
08:42Kill him, thumps his heart.
08:45Kill him!
08:46Kill him!
08:47Kill him!
08:48Kill him!
08:49Kill him, thumps his head.
08:55Now, between the mill and the palace is a forest.
08:56A man on foot cannot fathom it.
08:57Folk go in, few come out.
08:59Foul things live there.
09:01And luck he has no map.
09:02He's lost.
09:03he's been lost for hours and it's dark and he can't see a thing not even the hole he's walking
09:09towards oh where am i oh dear oh dear you've fallen in among thieves i'm afraid this is a
09:26robber's cave a terrible place well then i must get out i'm on royal business see i have a letter from
09:35the king oh see oh dear but the problem is when my sisters get back they're wild very violent oh
09:44dear now are you hungry can i climb out dear me no you'd better eat something while i think i
09:49know what to do with you i'm a cook well the cook that's my uh it's goulash oh thank you oh dear me no
10:02you can't leave now i'm supposed to be lucky oh that's my name lucky oh this is very good thank
10:13you marvellous that's it i'm the cook also the poisoner also the nastiest now let's see what's
10:28in your pockets lucky boy i'm a sausage a letter from the king eh well this will never reach the
10:37palace oh no your luck's run out oh dear me yes but listen the little man can't believe his eyes
10:46terrible what a terrible letter this is terrible wife it says when you read this letter order the
10:55bearer of it a youth named lucky to be chopped into a thousand pieces do this without delay
11:01king that is disgusting poor little fellow we'll soon see about this now he's also a forger this
11:14little man and full of fair play sits down to write a new letter before his sisters wild women get home
11:21and slit the throat of their sleeping guest and so it was the next morning the luck child wakes refreshed
11:28and restored with the castle straight ahead of him very odd he thinks but off he sets without more ado
11:35i have a letter from his majesty he cries at the drawbridge a letter from his majesty at the
11:39entrance to the court in he goes to find the queen sitting with her daughter
11:49and a thing happens straight off boom the princess looks lucky and lucky looks at the princess and boom that's
11:57it love the queen meanwhile astonished reads and rereads the letter well gracious me
12:08a boo to the king boo and a hiss hiss picture him on his journey home he gloats a sneer thins his lips
12:19he's savoring his cruel deed the luck child in a thousand pieces his letter ordered by now it would be
12:26done he's cheated fate he's cheated the prophecy a mile from the palace he hears bells and more bells
12:34and then looking up to the battlements the wicked king sees something he can't believe it
12:43he howled but no one could hear him
12:48how you ordered it marriage your letter said on pain of death i ordered him to be chopped
12:55into a thousand pieces i have the letter one thousand pieces it said i have savored them the long journey
13:01home look he seems a lovely boy look they're so happy i thought you'd been to a fortune teller
13:12the luck child will one day be king father we're so happy thank you your majesty
13:26forgive me i thought you were cruel tyrant a blight on the poor
13:30but now you make me the humble peasant your son and heir and the happiest husband there ever was
13:36and the golden feather oh pardon the golden feather from the griffin do you have it no sir
13:47then you must fetch it was it not understood that my daughter could not marry without it
13:51father that's impossible why because the griffin is a monster it eats people yes it won't be easy
14:00but then not every man is fit to marry my daughter very well no don't worry i'll come back
14:06no no one has ever come back she's right i'm afraid
14:13we'll see and so he sets off the luck child to the griffin he tells himself to the griffin it
14:20becomes a direction when he has none a distance when he knows none he strides on with each mile the land
14:27gets poorer green gives way to dust the black deserts of the griffin on and on he trudges until one day he
14:35comes to a lake in which no fish swim hey ferryman will you take me across i go
14:44across forward and back ceaselessly with you or without you then i'll join you as you like
14:52i seek the griffin yes am i near over there all those lights on the shore jewels riches no one brings
15:13them back i shall i shall come back if you do perhaps you may discover why i must continue this
15:23weary way back and forth without ending i'm weary and sick to the soul i remember each one who came the
15:36same tale the griffin please for love for justice for fame for fortune but always in the end for the
15:44griffin supper always in the end terrible cries splintering bones the suck suck suck of juices
15:55tears oh dear oh dear what are you doing here what about your sisters oh they're here too yeah where
16:09hard to be absolutely certain what happened but the griffin flew by the cave he was hungry
16:15well luckily my cooking saved me but listen you must hide dear boy he'll be here i need a feather from
16:20his back the golden one this gold feather thank god if you walk out of here in a single pause and
16:25forget the gold feather but i made a solemn promise to me wife you did oh dear oh dear oh dear and i must
16:31also find out when the ferryman can cease his ceaseless crossing hide under the table and i'll do what i
16:36again dear friend well quick quick
16:48Man!
16:56Mike! Sneaf! Snuff! Snuff!
16:59Man-Win!
17:00Of course you could smell a man. That's me.
17:02No! Snuffle-snoot!
17:04Other sauce!
17:05But there's no one else here. Now, are you hungry?
17:08Mm! I can eat a house!
17:10Of course you could.
17:12Ah! Stop-yap-yap!
17:15Stink! Stench!
17:17Stink of man-bits!
17:18Why not lie?
17:22Okay, food now.
17:28From underneath the griffin's table, the boy listens,
17:32trying to smell of nothing but bone, of things rotted.
17:48Finished!
17:49Good, good. And now a little scratch.
17:51Scratch, it's scratch.
18:03That was which watch?
18:05I know. Clumsy, I'm clumsy. I'll scratch too hard.
18:08I should stop.
18:09Now, it's great scratch.
18:12Right.
18:18I'm sorry.
18:23Oh, dear, dear, dear, dear, dear.
18:24I'll be more careful. I'll be, you know, really careful.
18:28My not right thing's pulled.
18:31Well, that's right. You're a sensitive monster.
18:34My not monster.
18:35I mean a nice, misunderstood and brilliant beastie.
18:40My bird! My misunderstood bird! My not beastie!
18:53Of course you are. A bird. A very nice bird.
18:56Well, I should go back to where I came from, to that dark horror cave. Serve me right.
19:00No!
19:01Don't try and stop me. I'll tell that old ferryman to row me across.
19:04Yes, he's outside now, I expect, waiting for a passenger.
19:07Well, poor old fella. I wonder why he's always there. Why can't he leave?
19:11His curse of the worst and stay the same.
19:14Lest someone take pole, then someone curse it the same way as him. Simple.
19:20So if someone took his pole, they'd have to row and he'd be free?
19:25So simple.
19:26I should go and tell the poor fella. I should take over. Really, I should go now and take over.
19:31Oh, no. My like goulash and it's straight scratch scratch.
19:37Oh, then you go to sleep now.
19:41Busy day ahead, eating people and wreaking havoc.
19:45He he he he.
19:48Snoozy, woozy now.
19:50That's it. Snoozy, boozy.
20:01And off the luck child scurries, clutching the golden feathers, scooping up jewels, straight home he wants to go, straight home to happiness.
20:10I dare not think it possible you found the answer. But then you did come back. No one has ever come back.
20:18Well, I have come back. And I have the answer. The next passenger you have, give him your oar. Then your luck will be his. Is freedom yours?
20:29So simple.
20:30So simple.
20:36So simple.
20:40And for the first time in years, centuries, hope fires the ferryman. A smile is forming in his mind. A tiny smile growing, getting ready to be born.
20:52Hello.
20:55Hello.
20:59He's back.
21:02And he's got the golden feather.
21:06I've come back.
21:10And I've got the golden feather.
21:12I have done as you bid, he says. And the king can do nothing but agree and give his blessing.
21:19Then you have my blessing.
21:20Though it cost him in his bitter heart.
21:23Then out comes the treasure.
21:25Out popped the king's eyes.
21:27Gold, jewels.
21:29Oh, where are they from?
21:31And the boy answered him.
21:32I took a ferry across the lake to where the griffon lives.
21:35And on the other shore, gold lies where pebbles should.
21:38Emeralds where sand.
21:40And where the sea breaks, diamonds fall.
21:43Is that so?
21:45So lucky.
21:47And saying this, the poison swilling his eyes, souring his mouth, the king vowed to go himself.
21:54And that very night, he slipped away alone and set off in search of this magic shore across the lake.
22:02Come on, come on, come on.
22:05Can't we go any faster?
22:07Oh, yes, sir.
22:09There is a way.
22:12Take it, he says.
22:14Take it.
22:16Take it.
22:18So if you come one day to a lake, and there's an island, and a ferry goes back and forth, rowed by an old, sad man, turn around.
22:28Griffins live there.
22:30You may never get off the boat.
22:33For the ferryman was once a wicked king who ignored a prophecy, whose heart was cruel.
22:39And nature, my dears, is a wise woman who pays us back, tit for tat.
22:49Hey.
22:51The boy and the girl, did they live happily ever after?
22:55Oh, yes, yes, wonderful.
22:58Very, very happy.
23:00But the boy, you see, was a luck child.
23:09...
23:23...
23:28...
23:35...
23:39You