- 2 days ago
A monarch tries to kill a luck child to prevent a prophecy of a seventh son supplanting him, but those blessed with luck cannot be undone.
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Short filmTranscript
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, folk law, said his evil chancellor.
02:20Old wives tales, rubbish.
02:21How could a peasant's child not worth a spit?
02:23How could a brat become king?
02:25But the cruel king choked on the news,
02:27felt it sharpen and pierce his heart.
02:29So he set out with his evil chancellor
02:31to be king of the king of the king.
02:32He said to the king of the king of the king of the king,
02:35the king of the king of the king of the king of the king.
02:38He said to the king of the king of the king,
02:40so he set out with his evil chancellor
02:43to find this luck child and do him in.
02:47Let the night protect us,
02:49and the Lord watch over us.
02:51Amen.
02:56He's come in search of the luck child.
02:59Is he here?
03:00Well, yes or no?
03:01Have we come to the wrong hut?
03:04He's called the luck child, sir,
03:05but what luck can he have, born with nothing?
03:09Oh, dear me.
03:11My friend here, a holy man,
03:13brings seven pieces like this.
03:15He seeks a child to patron and to care for.
03:18As if he were my own son.
03:19Oh, yes, a luck child indeed.
03:22It's a bargain, I take it?
03:23Yes or no?
03:25He's my little boy, sir.
03:27You have six others, mother,
03:29and now they'll be plump as pigs.
03:31He's my little lover.
03:33Well, of course, you need more gold to comfort yourself.
03:37It's not more gold, my missus.
03:39Once you can't put gold to your breast,
03:42you can't hear its heart beat.
03:44Please yourself.
03:45You've had your chance.
03:46I'll send in men on the morrow.
03:49We'll turn the snow bloody.
03:51We'll hand over our little boy to your safekeeping.
03:56Yes, good.
03:57Good.
03:58Take care of him.
03:59Yeah?
04:00Because he's a little precious.
04:01Mm-hm.
04:02He's the seventh son of the seventh son.
04:04He's a luck child.
04:05Oh, yes.
04:06Terribly lucky.
04:07And that was it.
04:19They couldn't speak.
04:21They couldn't believe it.
04:24Their baby was gone.
04:27Right.
04:28It's a nice smile.
04:40Ah.
04:41I'd smile given your kingdom, given your gold,
04:44given all that is rightfully yours.
04:46That's right.
04:47Would you?
04:49I would.
04:50He would.
04:51I speak of him.
04:53Dreadful 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.
05:06That'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?
05:26I didn't.
05:28This is a luck child.
05:30Oh.
05:31No, no.
05:32The baby fell.
05:33Plummeting down, dropping into the blackness.
05:35The rocks beckoning.
05:36Oh, yes.
05:37Plunge downwards.
05:38But the binding catches on a jutting branch
05:42and winds round, pulling the baby up short,
05:45before letting him down gently onto the shore
05:48with a plump.
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,
06:05he felt a little bad.
06:07A fleeting bad.
06:08But soon he quite forgot what he'd done out of fear of a prophecy.
06:11Besides, 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.
06:26And years go by, ten, twelve, fifteen, sixteen,
06:31the daughter turns out a lovely.
06:35A princess talked of, longed for,
06:38and the offers, hundreds.
06:41But 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.
06:52That'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 tire.
07:18Good.
07:19And the records?
07:20Show his majesty the book, son.
07:21All entered, sir.
07:23Your 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?
07:42Oh, 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 Blackcliffe, 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.
07:59But that's what we call him, sire.
08:00Lucky.
08:01Lucky?
08:02A boy like you would do well at court.
08:04Well, I'm needed here, sire.
08:05Then you'll be missed.
08:07Paper and pen.
08:09I'll take the boy.
08:11See?
08:12I'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.
08:31The king can hardly breathe for his thumping heart.
08:35For this bright spark must be the boy born to claim his throne.
08:40The luck child.
08:42Kill him!
08:43Thumps his heart.
08:44Kill him!
08:45Kill him!
08:46Kill him!
08:47Kill him!
08:48Kill him!
08:49Kill him!
08:50Kill him!
08:51Now, between the mill and the palace is a forest.
08:54A man on foot cannot fathom it.
08:57Folk go in, few come out.
08:59Foul things live there.
09:01And Lucky has no map.
09:03He's lost.
09:04He's been lost for hours.
09:05And it's dark and he can't see a thing.
09:07Not even the hole he's walking towards.
09:10Oh!
09:12Ah!
09:13Where am I?
09:14Oh dear, oh dear.
09:15You've fallen in among thieves, I'm afraid.
09:16This is a robber's cave.
09:17A terrible place.
09:18Well, then I must get out.
09:19I'm on royal business.
09:20See, I have a letter from the king.
09:23Oh, see?
09:24Oh dear.
09:25But the problem is when my sisters get back.
09:26They're wild.
09:27Very violent.
09:28Oh dear.
09:29Now, are you hungry?
09:30Can I climb out?
09:31Dear me, no.
09:32You'd better eat something while I think of what to do with you.
09:33I'm a cook.
09:34Well, the cook.
09:35That's my...
09:36It's goulash.
09:37Oh!
09:38Oh!
09:39Oh!
09:40Oh!
09:41Oh!
09:42Oh!
09:43Oh!
09:44Oh!
09:45Oh!
09:46Oh!
09:47Oh!
09:48Oh!
09:49Oh!
09:50Oh!
09:51Oh!
09:52Oh!
09:53Oh!
09:54Oh!
09:55Oh!
09:56Oh!
09:57Oh!
09:58Oh!
10:00Oh dear me, no.
10:03You can't leave now.
10:06I'm supposed to be Lucky.
10:07Oh!
10:08That's my name, Lucky.
10:09Oh!
10:10This is very good.
10:13Mmm.
10:14Marvellous.
10:17That's it!
10:20I'm the cook.
10:22Also the poisoner.
10:24Also the nastiest.
10:26Now let's see what's in your pockets, lucky boy.
10:29Yeah.
10:30Yeah.
10:31Not a sausage.
10:32A letter from the king, eh?
10:35Well, this will never reach the palace.
10:37Oh no.
10:38Your luck's run out.
10:39Oh dear me, yes.
10:41But listen.
10:42The little man can't believe his eyes.
10:45Terrible.
10:46What a terrible letter.
10:48This is terrible.
10:50Wife, it says.
10:52When you read this letter, order the bearer of it, a youth named Lucky, to be chopped into
10:57a thousand pieces.
10:58Do this without delay.
11:00King.
11:01King.
11:02That is disgusting.
11:03Poor little fellow.
11:04We'll soon see about this.
11:05Now he's also a forger, this little man.
11:06And full of fair play sits down to write a new letter before his sisters, wild women,
11:20get home and slit the throat of their sleeping guest.
11:24And so it was the next morning.
11:26The luck child wakes refreshed and restored with the castle straight ahead of him.
11:31Very odd, he thinks.
11:32But off he sets without more ado.
11:34I have a letter from his majesty, he cries at the drawbridge.
11:37A letter from his majesty at the entrance to the court.
11:40In he goes to find the queen sitting with her daughter.
11:49And a thing happens straight off.
11:51Boom.
11:52The princess looks at Lucky.
11:53And Lucky looks at the princess.
11:55And boom.
11:56That's it.
11:57Love.
11:58The queen, meanwhile, astonished, reads and re-reads the letter.
12:03Well, how gracious me.
12:08A boo to the king.
12:10Boo.
12:11And a hiss.
12:12Hiss.
12:13Picture him on his journey home.
12:15He gloats.
12:16A sneer thins his lips.
12:19He's savoring his cruel deed.
12:21The luck child in a thousand pieces, his letter ordered.
12:24By now it would be done.
12:26He's cheated fate.
12:27He's cheated the prophecy.
12:29A mile from the palace he hears bells.
12:32And more bells.
12:33And then looking up to the battlements, the wicked king sees something.
12:37He can't believe it.
12:38How?
12:39How?
12:40How?
12:41How?
12:42How?
12:43He howled.
12:44But no one could hear him.
12:47How?
12:48How?
12:49You ordered it.
12:50Marriage.
12:51Your letter said on pain of death.
12:53I ordered him to be chopped into a thousand pieces.
12:55I have the letter.
12:57One thousand pieces it said.
12:58I have savored them the long journey home.
13:01Look.
13:02He seems a lovely boy.
13:05Look.
13:06They're so happy.
13:08I thought you'd been to a fortune teller.
13:11The luck child will one day be king.
13:16Father.
13:17We're so happy.
13:22Your majesty.
13:25Forgive me.
13:26I thought you were cruel tyrant, a blight on the poor.
13:30But now you make me, the humble peasant, your son and heir.
13:34And the happiest husband there ever was.
13:39And the golden feather.
13:41Your pardon?
13:42The golden feather from the griffin.
13:44Do you have it?
13:45No, sir.
13:46Then you must fetch it.
13:48Was it not understood that my daughter could not marry without it?
13:51Father.
13:52That's impossible.
13:53Why?
13:54Because the griffin is a monster.
13:56It eats people.
13:58Yes.
13:59It won't be easy.
14:00But then not every man is fit to marry my daughter.
14:03Very well.
14:04No.
14:05Don't worry.
14:06I'll come back.
14:07No.
14:08No one has ever come back.
14:09She's right.
14:10We'll see.
14:13And so he sets off the luck child.
14:16To the griffin, he tells himself.
14:18To the griffin.
14:19It becomes a direction when he has none.
14:21A distance when he knows none.
14:23He strides on.
14:25With each mile the land gets poorer.
14:27Green gives way to dust.
14:29The black deserts of the griffin.
14:32On and on he trudges until one day he comes to a lake in which no fish swim.
14:39Hey, ferryman!
14:41Will you take me across?
14:43I go across forward and back ceaselessly with you or without you.
14:49Then I'll join you.
14:51As you like.
14:52I seek the griffin.
14:53Yes?
14:54Am I near?
14:55Over there.
14:56All those lights on the shore.
14:57Jewels.
14:58Riches.
14:59No one brings them back.
15:00I shall.
15:01I shall come back.
15:02If you do, perhaps you may discover why I must continue this weary way back and forth without ending.
15:17I am weary and sick to the soul.
15:19I'll remember.
15:20Perhaps you may discover why I must continue this weary way back and forth without ending.
15:28I am weary and sick to the soul.
15:32I'll remember.
15:34Each one who came, the same tale.
15:37The Griffin, please, for love, for justice, for fame, for fortune.
15:42But always in the end, for the Griffin's supper.
15:46Always in the end, terrible cries, splintering bones, the suck, suck, suck of juices.
15:57Oh, dear, oh, dear.
16:00What are you doing here?
16:02What about your sisters?
16:04Oh, they're here, too.
16:06Eh? Where?
16:07Well, hard to be absolutely certain.
16:11What happened?
16:12Well, the Griffin flew by the cave. He was hungry.
16:15Well, luckily, my cooking saved me.
16:17But listen, you must hide, dear boy. He'll be here, sir.
16:19I need a feather from his back, the golden one.
16:21This gold feather?
16:23Thank God if you walk out of here in a single pause and forget the gold feather.
16:26But I made a solemn promise to me wife.
16:28You did? Oh, dear, oh, dear, oh, dear.
16:30And I must also find out when the ferryman can cease his ceaseless crossing.
16:34Hide under the table and I'll do what I can.
16:37Dear friend.
16:37I will.
16:40Quick, quick!
16:44Of course you could smell a man. That's me.
17:02No!
17:03Snuffle snoot other sort.
17:05But there's no one else here.
17:07Now, are you hungry?
17:08I could eat a house.
17:10Of course you could.
17:12Ah! Stop, yap, yap!
17:15Stink!
17:16Stange!
17:17Stank of mad bits!
17:19Why not lie?
17:23Okay.
17:24Food now.
17:24From underneath the griffin's table, the boy listens, trying to smell of nothing but bone, of things rotted.
17:38Oh, dear, oh, dear, oh, dear.
17:41Oh, God!
17:44Cheers!
17:48Finished!
17:49Good, good, good.
17:51And now a little scratch.
17:52Ah, scratch, hitch, scratch.
17:54Ah!
18:01No!
18:04That was which one?
18:05I know.
18:07Clumsy, I'm clumsy.
18:08I'll scratch too hard.
18:09I should stop.
18:10Now, hitch, screech, scratch.
18:13Right.
18:15Now.
18:15Ha, ha, ha, ha.
18:18Wow.
18:19Ah!
18:22I'm sorry.
18:23Oh, dear, dear, dear, dear, dear.
18:25I'll be more careful.
18:26I'll be, you know, really careful.
18:28Ah!
18:29My not right things pulled.
18:32Well, that's right.
18:32You're a sensitive monster.
18:34Huh?
18:34Huh?
18:35My not monster.
18:36I mean, a nice, misunderstood, and brilliant beastie.
18:40Ah!
18:41My bird!
18:48My misunderstood bird!
18:51My not beastie!
18:53Of course you are.
18:54A bird.
18:55A very nice bird.
18:57Well, I should go back to where I came from, to that dark, horrid cave.
19:00Serve me right.
19:01No!
19:02Don't try and stop me.
19:03I'll tell that old ferryman to row me across.
19:05Yes, he's outside now.
19:06I expect waiting for a passenger.
19:08Poor old fella.
19:09I wonder why he's always there.
19:10Why can't he leave?
19:12He's passed the worst and stayed the same.
19:14Less someone take pole, then someone cursed the same way as him.
19:20Simple.
19:21So if someone took his pole, they'd have to row and he'd be free?
19:25Ah!
19:26So simple.
19:27I should go and teleport, fella.
19:29I should take over.
19:30Really, I should go now and take over.
19:32Oh, no.
19:34My like goulash and each street scratch, scratch.
19:38Oh, then you go to sleep now.
19:42Busy day ahead.
19:44Eating people and wreaking havoc.
19:49Snoozy-woosie now.
19:51That's it.
19:53Snoozy-woosie.
19:54And off the luck child scurries, clutching the golden feathers, scooping up jewels, straight
20:07home he wants to go, straight home to happiness.
20:10I dare not think it possible you found the answer.
20:15But then you did come back.
20:17No one has ever come back.
20:19Well, I have come back.
20:21And I have the answer.
20:23The next passenger you have, give him your oar.
20:26Then your luck will be his.
20:28Is freedom yours?
20:29It's so simple.
20:37It's so simple.
20:40And for the first time in years, centuries, hope fires the ferryman.
20:46A smile is forming in his mind.
20:49A tiny smile growing, getting ready to be born.
20:52He's back.
21:02And he's got the golden feather.
21:07I've come back.
21:11And I've got the golden feather.
21:14I have done as you bid, he says.
21:16And 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.
21:33I took a ferry across the lake to where the griffon lives.
21:36And on the other shore, gold lies where pebbles should.
21:39Emeralds wear sand.
21:41And where the sea breaks, diamonds fall.
21:44Is that so?
21:46So lucky.
21:47And saying this, the poison swilling his eyes, souring his mouth, the king vowed to go himself.
21:56And 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.
22:06Can't we go any faster?
22:08Oh, yes, sir.
22:09There is a way.
22:12Take it, he says.
22:15Take it.
22:16Take it.
22:17So 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,
22:27turn around.
22:29Griffins live there.
22:30You may never get off the boat.
22:32For the ferryman was once a wicked king who ignored a prophecy, whose heart was cruel.
22:40And nature, my dears, is a wise woman who pays us back, tit for tat.
22:50Hey.
22:51Hmm?
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.
23:04The boy and the girl, do you see, what happens every day?
23:24Oh, no.
23:25Good day.
23:29Yes, you are.
23:30There.
23:31But the boy, you are.
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