""How quickly adults forget their own childhood"" ""No longer remembering how sad..."" ""...and unhappy children can sometimes be."" ""It makes no difference whether they are crying because of a broken doll..."" ""...or because, later on in life, they lose a close friend."" "My story begins on the day when my adoptive father, the Captain, sent me to St. Thomas' school in Leipzig." "St. Thomas Church Choir boarding school was waiting for me." "I should have been very happy." "St. Thomas' is very prestigious." "The problem was that I was not at all happy." "I hated boarding schools - and they hated me." "I had already been expelled from 6 schools for misbehaving." "So I knew that this was my last chance." "Somebody forgot you, huh?" "Believe me, I know how you feel." "THE FLYING CLASSROOM" "Silence!" "Dear Friends of Italian Opera, before leaving the bus some of you might change your socks..." "Yes, Matz." "You as well." "Please return to your seat." "I would like to talk about our last concert." "Your tempo was bad, and you sang very slowly." "Usually Buxtehude isn't a problem but this time you were too slow." "I can only stress that it does not hurt to follow the rhythm." "Other than that, you were wonderful!" "But tomorrow when the Christmas Oratorio is televised I want us to be at our very best." "Do you understand me, boys?" "We hear you, Dr. Bock!" "Then get to class!" "Oh no." "It's the local school kids!" "What do they want?" "I expect they're still smarting after their last defeat." "Incidentally, we have a rehearsal." "For a Christmas performance." "Here." "The parts for Act Two." "I've emphasized the parts you need to learn." "Always so many sentences!" "I'm hungry" "I'll never be able to play this quirky King "Balsar"." "It's Balthazar." "Can I borrow some money for a sandwich?" "I haven't any myself." "Ask Uli!" "Watch out for Theo." "If he annoys you, remind him that Director Kreuzkamm is your father." "For the 2130th time:" "It's not my fault that my father is the Director here." "Okay?" "Here comes Kreuzkamm!" "Hide the cigarettes!" "Good day, Director Kreuzkamm!" "Hello Theo!" "How are you?" "Any er... problems?" "Business as usual." "Everything is under control." "Hello, Director Kreuzkamm!" "I expect a great performance for the Christmas concert!" "Oh Kreuzkamm?" "Yes, Director Kreuzkamm?" "The Kreuzkamm family reunion is on the 26th at 4:00 pm." "Attendance is compulsory." "No excuses!" "Understood!" "Can I then have some spending money?" "Agreed." "Thank you, Mr. Director!" "By the way..." "Yes Kreuzkamm?" "Cool hat!" "1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8." "Again!" "Back!" "Mona, what time is it?" "Sorry I'm late." "My watch is broken." "The show is two weeks from today." "Today is the first rehearsal with costumes." "I have forgotten it." "Is there some problem?" "You can borrow one." "No, I'm not sure I want to join." "I don't like this girly stuff." "If someone recognizes me I'll be laughed at for the next three years." "My father would then take me from the school." "You'll have to stop now." "Our school prom is tomorrow." "...Three, four!" "Justus said we can rehearse here every day from 4:00 to 5:00." "So scram!" "You speak to me like that, your senior?" "...Three, four..." "The rules apply to you as well, even if you are a few years older than us." "Complain to Justus!" "But I insist that we rehearse here now." "You need to have a little more patience,." "Get back." "Can we start now?" "Hey!" "Stay where you are!" "Thief!" "She is a thief!" "Get out of my way!" "Stop!" "Don't move!" ""We followed the morning star."" ""Beheld her as she descended from the sky."" ""You can hear the angels sing."" ""The shepherds followed the voice of Balthazar."" "Matz!" "Herds!" "Shepherds!" "That's enough!" "I'll continue if Matz can learn his three lines." "No sane person could remember this text." "It's a piece of crap." "Who wrote it?" "Kreuzkamm senior." "It will take forever." "I can't help it...." "For the 2131st time." "It's not my..." "Hey, look!" "O God, I can't look!" "Oh, that's Valerka, one of the idiot local kids." "He's a local, so no big loss if he falls!" "If he slips he will drop 6 meters." "...and reach a top speed of 10.85 m/sec..." "And there's nothing to soften the blow." "I feel sick with worry." "Eat something you cowardly cat." "Food is usually helpful." "One euro each for the show!" "Here - for donations." "Are you okay?" "You want to give money to our enemies?" "I wouldn't have thought a local would have so much guts." "Come here!" "What's going on?" "Nothing." "He wanted Valerka to look out of the window." "So Uli could see his new glasses." "Exactly!" "Are you nuts or what?" "Come!" "You have to be quiet now, okay?" "Pets are strictly forbidden here." "And I promised the captain that I wouldn't have to leave again." "Keep your nose down and lie still, okay?" "There are exactly three weeks to go until Christmas." "That means 11 performances in 21 days." "Don't forget that all this will help your academic progress." "And tomorrow's performance will be recorded on TV in St. Thomas' Church." "Better get some make-up to cover Theo's spots and make him look beautiful." "Very funny!" "How is the Christmas play coming along?" "Tell him you don't want to play Mary." "Good." "You've only got ten lines, but make sure you remember them." "Why?" "The audience will already be asleep by the third sentence anyway." "What do you think?" "It's okay actually." "Really cool!" "Never-the-less, I wish us all a harmonious holiday season performance." "Sebastian Kreuzkamm!" "Yes, Director Kreuzkamm?" "Since when do the rules allow us to lick knives?" "I don't know." "It shortens my dish washing." "That's called rationalization." "Don't play the joker!" "Didn't your parents teach you any manners?" "Write them a letter." "I agree." "I must talk to your father." "I'll tell him." "Hello." "No reason to panic." "It's only me." "You must be Jonathan." "Hello." "I'm Catherine." "I am a dance teacher and also organize tours and choir outings." "We are pleased to have you here." "Everyone!" "This is Jonathan Trotts..." "Trotts what!" "Hi, Jonathan!" "Welcome to the Thomas Choir." "Native drums to encourage the newcomer." "You will be in dormitory nine." "And these are your new room-mates." "Zelbman Matz, lightweight boxer." "A name worth remembering." "Hello." "I'm Martin Thaler." "Martin is the first soprano and best in the class" "But he's not a nerd." "He's also known as the singing " Robin Hood"." "Rubbish!" "I just do not take crap from anyone." "Uli von Zimmer." "His father is a real baron." "Large estate, horses and everything." "But with little time for his son." "But it's a good place during the holidays if you have nothing better to do." "And anyone who has trouble with Uli also has trouble with me." "Uli is my best friend." "And, of course, Sebastian Kreuzkamm." "A genius in mathematics and physics if you need any help there." "I'm going to become a quantum physicist someday." "No way!" "Is this your father?" "My adoptive father." "He is a captain of cargo ships." "He travels all over the world." "This might help." "The boy before you managed three weeks before going home to Mom." "Only the toughest remain here." "Don't listen to Matz!" "You'll get used to it in time and then you won't want to leave." "The Kreuzkamm family, for example, have been at St. Thomas' for how many generations?" "Four." "And he wasn't ever a musician." "Kreuzkamm's father is the director." "He teaches German and geography." "* @ $ #%%!" "What did you say?" "~ What a weird family?" "Have you settled in yet?" "Fine thanks, Theo!" "~Beautiful Theo's our tutor." "~Always concerned about our welfare." "Why have you come now just before Christmas?" "Why not the beginning of the school year?" "." "Because this place was glad to accept me." "Relax" " We are all geniuses here." "I have five boxing trophies" "~and Kreuzkamm has won "Young Scientist"." "Oh no." "Man, he's cute." "Is he yours?" "Just abandon." "I can not believe how anyone would do that." "You don't know much about the outside world, huh?" "The dog has to go." "You know the house rules" " No pets!" "For once you're right, Theo." "My father would faint." "Even though I think he had a dog once." "But it's dead now, unfortunately." "But we can't just throw him out in the middle of the night!" "Yes we can!" "Get him out of here immediately!" "We are not allowed to go out." "Justus' rules." "You have my special permission." "Please, just one night." "The dog goes!" "I'll call the animal shelter." "No way is he going to a shelter." "Come on!" "Come puppy!" "Come." "Our secret meeting place." "You can stay here for now." "Wow, great!" "Is it yours?" "A gift from Uli's father." "Stops him feeling so guilty." "My father was in a band." "Why not keep it at home?" "There's more freedom here." "I think we should look after the dog." "Someone could do the morning, another the afternoon..." "What was that?" "A local!" "Good evening, gentlemen." "Thanks for the warm welcome." "Can I ask you what are you doing here?" "I am currently lying flat on my back, and I'd like to get up." "Talking is difficult with someone on your chest." "Pretty good left punch." "My right hand is even better..." "What do you want?" "This is our wagon." "But it's on my land." "Oh, really?" "Can you prove that?" "Do you have a copy of the land registry entry?" "I usually have a copy on me, but not today." "But I can prove it in another way." "Great hiding place!" "And we never found it." "Cool!" "." "Is that you?" ""Non smoking club"." "Strange name." "Why is it called that?" "Because this is a non-smoking car." "And my nickname used to be "Non-Smoking."" "My real name is Bob." "But that's an old story." "If this is your land you must be very rich." "Do I look rich?" "No, more like a hippie." "I've done a lot of travelling and my clothes might have gone out of fashion." "And are you the Skull Gang?" "No, we took that from the local kids." "Unfortunately, it's in poor condition." "We had to fight for it." "All the Chicago Bulls have autographed it!" "Were you in America?" "Yes." "" For our young friends from St.Thomas Leipzig"" "You're from St.Thomas?" "Yes." "Unfortunately, there are also some locals in our class." "I understand." "Children who live at home." "Is life in boarding still hard?" "It is." "We do a lot of travelling." "We must go or we'll get into trouble with Justus." "Who?" "Our choir director." "What kind of trouble?" "We've got two weeks of rehearsals with him." "And then we're supposed to sing perfectly." "Does it work?" "Like magic." "But you aren't allowed to complain." "And you feel almost dead." "Who is your choir director?" "Doctor Johann Bokh." "I am very happy that I met you guys, really!" "And us too." "But it's still a shame that it's not ours any more." "It was a really great secret place." "Hey!" "You can always come here any time." "Whenever you want to play music..." "As to the property..." "Do not worry, Nothing has been decided yet." "Incidentally, can I use your hammock at night?" "On one condition." "Our little friend needs someone to take care of him." "Still no dogs allowed in the boarding, huh?" "What's his name?" "Dog." "Just "Dog."" "Strange guy." "I bet he knows Justus." "His reaction was odd." "He knows the address now if he wants to visit him." "It's good news for the dog." "I'm going home." "We'll see each other tomorrow at the concert." "I'm looking forward to it." "Oh, Justus!" "I wanted to give it to Jonathan." "But he is not around." "Neither are Uli, Martin, Matz, nor Sebastian." "You should get a new fence." "Definitely not." "No, wait here." "I'll check upstairs. okay?" "Damn!" "You idiot!" "You caught me out there!" "Calm down." "We are all baptised this way." "Welcome, Jonathan." "We are pleased you're here." "Hello, evening star." "Say hello to the captain for me." "He should now be in Hawaii." "Tell him that I have settled in o.k. and that he shouldn't worry." "Oh, and that I miss him." "E = mc2..." "Take good care of the sheet music." "Justus said that I should sing my best." "I had performed the Christmas Oratorio before." "However, I was still very nervous." "Your jacket is super." "It's not new." "I got it from a second-hand shop." "Look who's here." "That sucks!" "Our wonderful choirboys are so special." "More insults?" "Say hello to my gang!" "Oh, it talks!" "Don't forget it!" "Come on!" "Hey, they've got our notes!" "Chuck it to me!" "Quick!" "Run!" "Good Morning, everybody!" "Today there will be a televised recording of Bach's Christmas Oratorio." "Ready?" "Theo!" "Our music list!" "Sebastian Kreuzkamm's got them and he's been kidnapped!" "Do any of them live nearby?" "I think Mona lives around here in Richard Wagner Strasse." "Hello." "What are you doing here?" "Is there no school today?" "No, we've got a concert at St. Thomas'." "It's going to be on television." "What's happened?" "The local kids stole our list of music." "That's not good." "A group of children ran into a blue-coloured building." "Was there a blond girl?" "With a red jacket?" "And a small, fat kid?" "I think so." "That's them." "Let's go!" "Thank you!" "Good luck!" "Why hasn't the soprano got any sheet music?" "Theo!" "Come here." "Wait a moment, please." "Egerland!" "Second floor." "I'm going up there and sort them out ." "No." "We don't fight girls." "And anyway, we don't even know if he's there,or not" "I'll try and sort things out." "I'll go up and check out the situation." "Maybe we can negotiate." "Why should Mona do that?" "You are hardly one of us." "Exactly." "I'm not involved in your battle." "But you're still on probation." "You've got five minutes If you're not back by then, we'll come and get you." "Matz, go and see if you can get more help." "Okay, let's check it out." "Good afternoon." "Egerland." "Uh!" "What do you want?" "Can I talk to Mona?" "Can't you go and annoy someone else?" "She's taken the key to the basement." "Mona..." "Come on!" "Some local kids stole our music list." "We've got to free him!" "We need help!" "It's not far away." "It's where Egerland lives." "Number 14, Richard Wagner Strasse." "O.K." "Kreuzkamm's been kidnapped!" "So!" "What do you want?" "Kreuzkamm and the notes." "And in return?" "Nothing." "We've come to get him." "I know that you've locked him in the basement." "Oh yeah?" "Well, your beautiful concert is finished unless you find him." "And Justus will go crazy." "You can't keep Kreuzmann forever." "And you'd get into a lot of trouble." "So what are your terms?" "We want our skull and crossbones flag back." "And a letter of apology pinned to the school bulletin board tomorrow." "They will never agree to that." "For the last time, free Kreuzkamm and give us our notes back." "No way." "Stupid Kreuzkamm and the notes stay here." "Wish him luck." "Every ten minutes he going to get six slaps." "His IQ is already suffering." "We'll have to take alternative action if he hasn't been freed in ten minutes" "Fine, off you go." "And?" "They're not in the school and I've got no idea where they are." "Maybe they've gone Christmas shopping?" "Do we cancel the whole show?" "No!" "..." "Theo!" "And?" "They want their flag back and a written apology on the school notice board." "Are they crazy?" "I think I know where they are being held." "Mona's mother said that she took the basement key." "Let's go!" "We have to perform the concert or there will be a scandal." "And just before Christmas!" "It's true." "It's not because I'm afraid, Matz." "Get going." "The locals are gathering in the park!" "There are 15 there already, and more are on the way." "Wait outside!" "What do you suggest?" "Only two need to fight." "If our guy wins..." "If we win we get the prisoner." "I will suggest it to Mona." "And what if they win?" "Are you crazy?" "It's a great idea." "I must get something to eat first." "No matter what happens we begin in ten minutes time." "Two sopranos will have to share the same music." "Yes, okay." "Go and distribute them." "But hurry!" "My friends will have their revenge as soon as I am freed." "You'll die of old age before they find you." "I'll be out of here in an hour." "Then you still have a few more slaps to go." "At six slaps every ten minutes for one hour, that works out at..." "Sixty divided by ten, times six... 24!" "36!" "But maybe they'll come sooner." "That would be nice." "I'm suffering here." "What kind of idiot cannot do basic arithmetic?" "I'll give you a head start, just in case they turn up early." "No!" "Valerka will represent us." "Ours is Zelbman Matz." "The fight ends when one is deadlocked or gives up." "Go, Valerka!" "Go!" "Matz!" "Please be careful!" "I was worried about you!" "Does your nose hurt very much?" "Okay, now bring us Kreuzkamm!" "I'm sorry." "They will not free Kreuzkamm." "What?" "That was our agreement." "You can't just break your word." "You can take me hostage instead." "Go and tell your friends that we will attack in two minutes!" "This will be our last battle." "No more talk - no survivors." "We just despise them." "She has great class." "Shame she's on the wrong side." "In two minutes time start a big snowball fight." "Matz and I are going to quietly disappear." "Don't beat them before we get back!" "Give them hell!" "." "Cover our departure." "Great idea, Martin." "We will do it." "Can I come with you?" "No, Uli." "We need you at the back." "You're good at that!" "Leave it out for now." "OK?" "Let's go!" "Bury them!" "Did you hear that?" "Was it Kreuzkamm?" "Yes." "That's one and two." "This is three and four." "Quick!" "We need to go!" "Couldn't you have come sooner?" "I've been sitting in that chair for an hour!" "An hour has sixty minutes in it." "How many slaps is that?" "28...?" "36 Thank you." "You're are a hopeless idiot." "This is no time for lessons!" "Where is the music?" "There, on the floor." "This is our music?" "Attack!" "Uli, great job!" "Again!" "Stop!" "That's it now!" "Leave her alone!" "She's okay." "We have to go to the concert!" "Does anyone know what school rules apply at this point in time?" "Members of the choir are forbidden to leave the premises before, during or after the concert." "Are there any exceptions?" "Matthias?" "Yes, Sir If the choir master gave permission to leave." "And did someone give you permission?" "No." "We left without permission." "It was an emergency." "Don't be absurd." "Any of you." "Save your comments." "What was the emergency?" "Local kids kidnapped one of us and stole our music." "We had to free him." "And did you free him?" "Of course!" "Was anyone hurt?" "No, only the notes." "What happened to them?" "They were burned before my eyes." "Martin has the ashes in his handkerchief Uli's going to bury them." "Ah!" "And what do you intend to do now?" "We'll need to buy some new music scores." "I expect they are quite expensive." "Is that what we must do?" "Eventually, but firstly the director will be having a word with Mr. Kreuzkamm." "You made the choir look bad and you broke the rules!" "I think that we'll have a few problems." "But the important thing is that what you did was the right thing to do." "Don't you agree?" "Sit down." "I want to tell you all a story." "No, Theo." "I want you to stay." "This will interest you as well." "It's about a boy who was taught here 25 years ago." "Like Martin, he was outraged by injustice ." "And like Matz, he was good with his fists." "He was as clever as Kreuzkamm." "And impulsive, like Jonathan." "He often couldn't sleep at night and was homesick like Uli." "Greatl guy!" "One day the boy's mother became ill." "Very ill." "She had to go into the University Hospital." "The boy was beside himself with worry." "He spent every free minute with her." "At that time, the choir was about to go on tour to Japan." "Japan!" "There was a country!" "Organising the trip had been almost impossible." "Everyone was anxiously waiting for the bus to the airport." "Except the boy." "Just before the bus was about to leave, he ran all the way across the city to the hospital." "When he returned, his tutor had some serious words with him." "He was told that he was very immature and a problem." "" Where were you?" " You had 80 people waiting for an hour!"" "" We almost missed the flight!" He kept cursing and swearing." "But there was no way that the boy would tell him where he'd gone." "Or why he didn't want to go to Japan." "And so he was put under curfew throughout the tour." "The other students got to explore the country." "They drank Coca-Cola, and bought Matchbox toys and cheap transistor radios." "Meanwhile, he spent time between concerts alone in his quarters" "Worried, he tried desperately to contact his mother on the phone." "But without success." "When he returned to Leipzig after three long weeks, he ran straight to the hospital." "But his mother was no better." "Over the next days he missed a lot of recitals." "Eventually, this caught the attention of the choir director." "The choir master was very strict." "All that mattered to him was the choir, the choir and the choir again." "The children were of little concern to him." "He reported the matter to the Director" "The boy was punished with detention." "He would think about his misdeeds while picking wax from candlesticks." "When he went to get him he found another boy." "It was a friend of the boy." "He was taking his place so that he could visit his mother." "Have you any idea why I told you this story?" "'Cause people shouldn't betray their friends even if it means breaking the rules." "Bingo." "And it's worse if children do not trust their teachers." "Right!" "Lack of trust is a terrible thing." "Then the boy swore that as an adult... he would return to his boarding school... because he wanted children to be able to talk about their problems." "Do you understand what I am saying?" "Three guesses who the boy was." "Justus!" "..." "I mean, Dr. Johann Bokh." "Okay, let's get back to the school rules." "Theo!" "What punishment do you recommend?" "Maybe... none?" "Well, they did help a friend." "That should mean breaking the rules is ok, right?" "Are you crazy?" "Actually, I think there are some signs of recovery." "However, you should be punished." "You will be under curfew at weekends and will rehearse your Christmas play." "Theo and I will assist with coffee and cake..." "Uh, hot chocolate and cake." "And guys..." "I want to see the best Christmas play of the the last 10 years." "Yes?" "Is Dr. Bokh always like this?" "Always." "Last summer Matz stole a dinghy from one of the local kids." "Dr. Bokh said..." "I won't say any more about it as long as the boat is back within 24 hours." "The next day the boat was in the school yard, like it had fallen from the sky." "Hackett, go!" "He believes that it teaches us to think and to behave as individuals." "I think that my father would have a problem with that..." "...and some of the trustees." "Hey, girls!" "Is everything okay?" "I'll take that!" "Leave it to me." "Watch it, Valerka." "Some kids at our school have got lice, you know!" "What?" "You're so crazy!" "Please teach me how to box." "You're smart." "That's much more important." "I would sooner have poorer grades and never be bullied again!" "Then do something crazy." "Something unexpected." "And then everyone will say:" "" I never would have believed that of little Uli!"" "Like what?" "We can't find a play that we really like." "Or that Justus would like, either." "Maybe you should write one yourself." "Justus reckons you write very good short stories." "Maybe, but we need one soon." "Ah, sorry." "Can't you do something more useful?" "Future champions need to train." "Wait, what's this?" "Hey, this is good!" "It raps!" "Since when have you been able to read, Matz?" "Show me!" "" The Flying Classroom!"" ""For people like you..."" ""...the sky is apparently yours to achieve."" ""You make machines that can fly,"" ""and telescopes to look through."" ""But your existence is only transient."" ""You are merely a passenger!"" ""You think you know everything."" ""But you miss the truth."" "Hey, this is cool!" "Really good!" "I think we could do this with music." "We could do a musical with dancing." "Yes." "I could wear a tutu." "Super!" "You'll never do it in time." "Of course we can." "We just need to work fast." "Kreuzkamm!" "Open the curtain!" "We'll set it in the future - the year 3001 with spaceships and asteroids and suchlike." "Flying Classroom will be a spaceship with a crew of young astronauts." "They won't learn from books like ordinary students." "They'll fly to places that they have heard about and land on the planet Vulcanox  and free the inhabitants from an impending major disaster." "Happy Christmas!" "I'll do the stage decor." "I'll take care of the special effects." "I'll write some deep and meaningful lyrics." "I'll write the music." "It starts like this:" ""Man, get real!" "Life ain't fair." "Don't be sorry, don't despair."" ""Try on any kind of shoe." "Everything comes back to you!"" ""Don't complain and moan." "Or you'll always be alone."" ""This is your fault, this is your game." "There's no one else to blame."" ""...but you and what you tried."" ""Alone." "Dissatisfied."" ""However hard you try." "Nothing's fun or fair!"" ""Everyone else is smarter than you." "And they tell you what to do!"" ""What do you do if the world's against you?"" ""...and the ceiling falls upon your head."" "Switch off the the light and go to sleep!" "I've got to get my ideas written down before I forget them." "Switch off the light!" "Are you crazy?" "What's going on here?" "Nothing." "Just having some fun." "Naturally." "Have fun while you are still young." "Has Theo now gone completely mad?" "Any news, Martin?" "Yes Director Kreuzkamm." "Some local kids set fire to our music." "But we have collected some money to replace them." "We've got 124 Euros." "You asked for donations?" "Sit down." "Quickly!" "What is this supposed to be?" "This is what's left of the music." "I think I can say that they are unusable." "Who was entrusted with their safe-keeping?" "That was me, Director Kreuzkamm." "You couldn't look after them any better?" "No, I was rather tied up." "Couldn't your father speak to the children's parents?" "We'll sort things out." "Tell your father that he needs to take more care of his son!" "Yes, Director." "Now, as for the rest of you..." "Any more foolishness from any of you and you will get a detention you won't forget." "Now let's get back to the real business for today: the Andes." "Why is that trash hanging up there?" "I'll get it down." "After the lesson." "For God's sake." "Aren't you too old for that sort of thing?" "Now let's get started." "Wawerka!" "How many South American countries are crossed by the Andes?" "Uh!" "Not many." "Yes?" "Come on!" "You're right about not many." "But seriously..." "Uli von Zimmer?" "God, it's not that difficult a question." "What..." "Uli!" "Chile, Bolivia, Peru..." "You are crazy!" "Come down here immediately!" "I can't." "Who did this?" "You will not tell me?" "Matthias, why did you not stop this?" "He couldn't." "There were too many." "The blame for this mischief will fall not only on the perpetrators but also those who did not prevent it." "Now please remove our little friend from the basket." "Now, if you would." "Right." "Take your books out." "We are going to have a surprise test." "We'll need to move a few of you around." "Wawerka next to Matz." "Jonathan next to Mona." "Kreuzkamm to Hackett." "...and Uli in Jonathan's place." "The topic:" "The importance of the Andes  for the South American economy." "Please begin." "Thank you!" "Silence." "Silence!" "I want you all to know that I will not stand for any more of this." "I know you all think I'm a Pussy." "But you'll see." "All of you come to the school playground on Friday before the dress rehearsal." "By exactly 3:00 pm." "And don't forget!" "What is all this about, my little friend?" "What's your plan?" "You'll see." "And..." "I'm not so small." "Hi, Mona." "Can I sit here?" "Of course." "I saw you in front of the department store the other day." "You dance really well." "Do you want to be in our play?" "I don't think so." "Mona!" "Food!" "Clear off!" "Are you still hanging out with these idiots?" ""We heard that you know everything." "Did you know that we lost a child?"" ""It was taken by our enemies."" ""We asked our prophet - Pray they find him!"" ""He said" " The child wanders through the maze of a great pyramids for days."" "" A pyramid?" "Egyptian, perhaps?"" ""A Pyramid in the world of Man, perhaps."" "Christmas Greetings from Wesskamp." "From the Association of Dance Teachers." "Haller, Fink, Anton, Thaler..." "Martin Thaler is rehearsing." "And Matz as well." "I'll go and get them." "No, I'll do it." "I am their mentor." "Mona, what are you doing here?" ""We need more steam!"" ""How do we find the poor child on this Human world?"" ""In this world full of hate?"" ""Now I will speak an incantation to return to the lost child."" ""Do not interrupt, and listen well." "With this spell, there will be success."" ""And the world goes on it's way." "Day after day, follow the sound."" ""If you try, you can fly Strive for victory over our enemy."" ""And with resolution in our steps..."" "Uli!" "You've come to join us!" "No I haven't." "Come on." "You promised me that I wouldn't play a girl this time!" "You're not playing a girl." "You are Troi." "We can dye the wig black if you want." "And we can make you up so that nobody will know." "Forget!" "Count me out this time." "What's up with him?" "He was perfect as Troi." "Hey!" "What are you doing here?" "Want to help out?" "With Hackett and Wawerka as ballerinas?" "No way." "Can I talk to you for a minute?" "Why?" "Did your wonderful friends send you?" "I came alone just to see you." "And I need an answer right away." "Hey, Mona!" "Wait!" "Wait!" "What is this?" "Open the letter." ""Dear Jonathan..." ""I would like to invite you to my birthday on Tuesday, December 12."" "But that's today!" "Thank you." "Where?" "At your home?" "We could go to a movie or get a pizza." "Who else is coming?" "Nobody." "I know a great place to go." "Hi, Jonathan!" "Wow!" ", You have a lot of records!" "Can we borrow some for our play?" "Yes, but not these." "I'll find you some others." "Aren't you going to celebrate your birthday?" "It's not mine, actually." "Could you go out tonight?" "Theo said that there are good restaurants in town." "Sure, but I do not want to." "Why did you come back earlier?" "I had a lot of work to do." "What?" "Well, I travelled a lot." "I've been around the world." "Ever heard of "Doctors Without Borders"?" "I think so." "When you work for them it's usually a long way away." "And it's not normally very comfortable." "But it's not the places but the people that are important." "Do you have a best friend?" "I never stayed in the same place long enough." "And I haven't been here very long." "But I think that Martin likes me." "And I like him." "...and Uli, and Matz... and Justus." "He's great." "I never had a teacher like him before." "Do you think adults can be friends?" "Naturally they can!" "Here!" "Take care of them." "I'll take your dog for a walk until about 10 pm." "Maybe even half-past." "But then I'll be back here!" "Here, this is for you." "It's not much." ""HAPPY 12th BIRTHDAY"" "How did you know I was 12?" "Most people think that I'm older." "I don't know." "I just figured it out I guess." "How old are you?" "Thirteen?" "I have no idea!" "What?" "You know your birthday, right?" "I was abandoned." "I don't have a birth certificate." "My age is an estimate." "Oh!" "I was abandoned at the orphanage in the trash." "You're fibbing?" "." "Wanna bet?" "This was hung around my neck." ""Be kind to me."" "You pretend that everything is cool." "My life is okay." "I have a father." "He saw me at the home and adopted me." "He travels a lot on cargo ships." "So I'll be staying here for Christmas." "But I go away during the Summer holidays." "I've been to the Seychelles and to Sweden." "Maybe you can come with us sometime." "Yes, maybe." "You won't miss much anyway judging by the many parents I see." "Like my mother." "There are five children and it's always stressful." "The others are almost like my own children." "I have to take care of them." "O, man!" "This is super!" "Now I have same costume as the others!" "Sorry about the play." "But I'm already part of the dance group." "And the others are my old friends." "I understand." "Will you play your song for me again?" "Your music is really good." "I'm sure the play will be great." "I still have something for you." "Thank you." "How will you get home?" "You can't walk home alone in the dark!" "Can you take her home?" "Can you pay?" "Listen, she is only 12!" "You will be held responsible if something happens." "Failure to help..." "...you will lose your taxi license!" "Eh?" "And you'd better drive carefully." "Did Theo ask you where I was?" "What's happened?" "I won't be back after Christmas." "Why?" ""Dear Martin."" ""I regret having to write this letter just before Christmas."" ""We will celebrate Christmas, Martin but just you and me."" ""After Christmas, dad wants to spend some time with you..."" ""...before leaving for Cambridge without us."" ""Your father has met another woman." "He wants a divorce."" "Oh, man!" "Do you see why I must go home?" "I must be there." "My mother needs me." "I can't just stay here doing the concerts and pretend nothing has happened." "Why do they do this sort of thing?" "Why do parents always confuse things?" "You know, doesn't really matter about our parents." "What matters is what we are and that we're here." "And that we are doing something that we'll never forget." "That sounds great!" "OK!" "Again, from the beginning!" ""Poor child!" "How can we find you here?"" ""Now I will cast a spell That will bring back the lost."" ""Do not interrupt, listen well." "Through this effort, there will be success."" ""The past is with us." "Gupaviyat, Ramses!" "Keepers of people's souls."" ""Ignorance is bliss." "That's the magic formula."" "" And so the world goes on it's way." "Day by day, listen to our refrain."" ""If you want to, you can fly Strive for victory over the enemy."" ""With fast flight and with great strides..."" "What is this play about?" "It's about Vulkanoxer finding Troi." "Clearly ." "But I would like to know where you found it?" "Matz found it in the non-smoking wagon." "This play is not to be performed." "What?" "Of course, we'll perform it!" "We have to do it." "It's all we have." "Is it because of the girls?" "This is the first time we've come here." "Jonathan asked us because Uli..." "This is the 21st century!" "What's so bad about girls being in the play?" "It's not because of the girls." "Pick something else." "But not this play!" "That's impossible!" "We've put a lot of work into it!" "I've written the music, Martin's done the text." "Everyone's worked like crazy and now we're almost ready." "Play whatever you want." "But you're not playing the "Flying Classroom"!" "You adults are all the same!" "And you the worst of all!" "You pretended that you were our friend!" "But you're just a rotten liar!" "Justus "The just"!" "Justus, who we all trusted!" "All just fucking lies!" "I hate you!" "Fire!" "Stop and think about it." "I know what will happen." "I caused all the trouble and I'll be expelled." "It's always the same." "I am so sorry." "I had a great time with you guys." "I'll miss the snowball battles we had together." "Maybe someone else could own up?" "Great idea, Matz!" "Any volunteers?" "Let us say we all did it." "Yes, and then we will all be expelled." "And what will become of our school?" "Yes, exactly." "The only way to save things is to stay silent." "If they don't know who did it then they cannot expel anyone." "Would you guys do that for me?" "Even If they punish you?" "OK, let's do it." "Even if they try to starve us." "OK, guys." "We need to swear on something that we'll be silent." "Got it!" "We all swear to be silent on "The Flying Classroom"." "The Flying Classroom!" "Guys, this is not just a prank." "It's not the same as burned music." "This cannot be ignored." "Suppose the children in the school hall hadn't all got out?" "Thank God we've got smoke detectors." "Not to mention the damage." "And the insurance will not cover them until the cause is discovered." "That's not correct." "They must pay if there's a fire." "But then they will try to recover the cost from who was to blame." "And whose fault was it?" "If you had not banned the play, then..." "Do I understand you correctly?" "Are you trying to say it was my fault?" "No, but why did you forbid it?" "Some things are just not suitable for public discussion." "Excuse me, but..." "I think they are owed an explanation." "Your students are not the public." "They have to understand your reasons if they are to trust you." "And I'm also curious about why you are so upset." "And what does this have to do with the play?" "I told you about my friend, right?" "The one who scraped the wax from candlesticks?" "In 1977, the Christmas play was our responsibility." "We wrote it together." "He wrote the text." "I the music." "Good text." "Good music." ""The Flying Classroom"." "Back then, this was still a country with a wall around it." "It was very brave to write a play about barriers, and with rock music as well." ""Walls of all kinds stand in our way."" ""Built out of bitterness, they result in our sadness."" "But together we had the courage to do it." "Every Friday we were supposed to listen to the radio show:" ""DT 64" " Music for the recorder."" "But the one that we tuned to played the Stones and the Birds..." "And then, on the Friday before Christmas..." "Robert told me that he would not be performing "The Flying Classroom."" "He wouldn't be there for Christmas." "He said he had to leave." "His parents had just separated." "And his father had fled to the West." "He couldn't take it any more." "He wanted to get away." "He just wanted to leave this country." "You cannot imagine what it was like for me." "I mean, we were best friends." "He ate my dessert." "I ate his sprouts!" "When I was out with my first girlfriend he took my place in my bed." "At weekends, if we had no concerts, we played in a group together." "We played heavy metal." "Our name was "The Non-Smoking Club." In short, we were inseparable." "And then he said: "I'm leaving." And it was forever." "He never returned." "And so he was gone." "It was like I had been hit on the head." "I was stunned." "I was in a trance." "He was gone." "And, just before Christmas, I left school as well." "One of our teachers was apparently an informer for the Stasi." "He reported that our musical interests weren't restricted to Bach." "Our musical tastes were unacceptable." "He said that I knew all about Robert's plan to escape the country." "So I could no longer be a student at St. Thomas." "After that I became a car mechanic." "I can't imagine that!" "And Robert?" "I do not know." "I think he travelled a lot." "Far away." "I've not seen him since." "So when I saw you performing the play everything came flooding back to me." "Yes, that was when I kicked at the scenery and suddenly everything was burning..." "It wasn't intentional." "I was just mad at you after we had made so much effort." "I wanted you to be proud of me." "Thank you, Jonathan!" "I am proud of you." "What does this mean in practice?" "His probation has not ended yet." "This means that I will do everything I can so that Jonathan can stay here at school." "And now leave me alone for five minutes!" "I'll see you later." "I realised something funny back in there." "What?" "What Justus said about the Non-Smoking Club." "I didn't see anything funny to laugh about." "Think about it." "Justus's friend was called Robert." "Huh?" "And what was their group called?" "And our friend from Non-Smokers Club?" "He told us his name is?" "Bob?" "And what is Bob short for?" "Bobby!" "Robert!" "The five minutes are up." "We would like to take you for a little walk." "Professor Kreuzkamm would love this." "" Bokh, helpless in the hands of a terrorist gang of choirboys."" "We will say that we kidnapped you." "That wouldn't be at all surprising after what's happened over the last few days." "Oops!" "Well?" "Now what?" "Have we arrived?" "Yes." "Where are you?" "Come back here!" "Hello, Johann." "My old friend!" "I'm glad that the guys have taken good care of our car." "You can be proud of them." "Sometimes I think they are driving me crazy." "Then it is difficult to be patient." "Do you have any children?" "Did you get married?" "I'm not ready for marriage..." "Ever." "And you?" "Yes, I have children." "Eighty of them." "Aged from eight to eighteen." "Who is your wife?" "Kathrin." "I'll introduce you to her." "She organizes the concerts and the tours for us." "And she teaches dancing." "How come you never wrote?" "I felt so guilty." "I just ran away and they involved you in something that wasn't your fault." "What on Earth could I write to you about?" "" Dear Johann:" "I've just graduated from universityl"" ""I now have a place in London." "I met a wonderful girl and the local Italian food is great."" "It was obvious that you had to leave school." "But, at least you had the opportunity to learn a trade." "Writing is hard when you're embarrassed." "But some good came out of it." "I can take an 8-cylinder engine apart and then put it back together again." "You wouldn't have thought it possible, eh?" "Choir master, perhaps." "But, car mechanic?" "No way." "Hey, look!" "It's Uli!" "Uli!" "I'm going to jump." "The balloons will be my parachute." "Get back so I won't hurt anyone!" "Uli!" "God, he's really going to jump!" "Those balloons won't carry him!" "Uli, no!" "Call Justus quickly!" "And call the ambulance!" "O Uli!" "My little friend!" "And we always said that you had no courage!" "This play is never going to get performed." "I'm so angry!" "I'm sure it's not that bad." "It wasn't that high." "About six meters." "I would say maybe a few broken bones Concussion perhaps." "Nothing more." "His pulse was normal." "So now you're a doctor?" "Has he died?" "Uli von Zimmer... broke his right leg." "But he will recover." "He'll be fine in a few weeks time." "I want to see him!" "Not now." "The doctor will take care of him." "In fact it's my old friend Dr. Uthofft who you know as " Non-Smoking."" "Uli needs rest and sleep now." "You can see him tomorrow." "I must call his parents." "I'm going out this evening." "So behave!" "I can't even enjoy a glass of beer without something unpleasant happening." "What a gang!" "You should realise that..." "Uli has been very fortunate." "Can you tell me why he came up with this crazy idea?" "He was annoyed that we always made fun of him and said he was a weakling." "I was an idiot." "I told him to do something which would impress everyone." "Well, he certainly succeeded!" "Maybe a broken leg is better than feeling like a weakling forever." "Do you really think so?" "Dr. Bokh?" "Dr.Bokh!" "I need to see you in my office." "My father was very worried yesterday." "This sort of thing is likely to happen." "Yesterday, at home, the phone never stopped ringing." "Some parents want to take their children from the school." "Justus has some serious problems." "Too much has happened just lately." "We've got to help him somehow." "But how?" "Well..." "We should do the play!" "Agreed!" "We have to show the board what he means to us." "What the choir will lose without him." "Matz!" ""Don't hide your head in the sand!" "Look truth in the face!"" ""United, we will win!" "Wake the sleeping tiger in you!"" "" There are new roads ahead!" "A whole world to be discovered!"" ""Be yourself." "Be honest and serious." "Don't be distracted!"" "Mona!" "Come out!" "What?" "Come out!" "Quick!" "Okay." "Coming." ""Theo." "We need you now!"" "These are my parents!" "Some things finally work out for the better." "Uli was very lucky." "Just a broken leg." "Jonathan is going to be a writer." "Why have you brought the wheelchair?" "To take your son." "We need him." "The Captain!" "That's my mother sitting across the way to him." "Thank you!" "But we are not quite done, yet." "Every Christmas we put on a play." "This is a tradition here." "And we had one written and ready to perform." "It was called "The Flying Classroom"." "Quite a good title." "Hmm?" "But it was also a great play." "It was written by someone who was a student here many years ago." "Someone who has since become our great friend." "We wanted to invite you to travel with us into space." "But, due to certain circumstances everything finished up in the skip." "Our sets and costumes..." "Everything burned." "It really was not very funny." "We want to apologize for all the bad things that have happened in the past few days." "Hurry up!" "I want to open my presents!" "So finally, we'll play something of what remained of "The Flying Classroom"." "It's not much." "Just one song." "It's for someone who we like very much." "And we want him to stay..." "Apologies, Dr. Bock." "You'll just have to endure it!" ""What is going on here?"" ""Don't be afraid!" "Look at the truth and find out!"" ""Don't hide yourself!"" ""United we will win!" "Wake up the tiger inside you!"" ""New roads lie ahead!" "A whole world to be conquered!"" ""Show what you stand for." "Do not be misled!"" ""Don't get frustrated if you have no luck."" ""If you fall, get up and go forward stronger than before!"" ""If you think that you haven't a friend listen to your heart."" ""Nobody's born a hero."" ""Just stand up for one day And once there you will remain."" ""Together we will be there, we will fly!"" ""Even if you don't believe."" ""Who wants to be alone?"" ""Being together is much more fun." "I know!"" ""Everyone must work it out for themselves." "That's all you can do."" ""Which of you wants to be alone?"" ""Justus, you're the best among us!"" ""Without you the classroom would never have flown!"" "I've never seen a more beautiful Christmas performance." "I am proud of you, Jonathan." "Sorry... but this is just a brief visit." "I've got to go away again today." "That's okay Captain." "It was nice surprise to see you." "And thank you for sending me here!" "Save my place!" "What will I do without you for two weeks?" "Food, Matz!" "Food!" "Bye, Uli!" "Bye Matz!" "Come on everybody." "The train isn't going to wait for us." "Does anyone want a lift to Potsdam?" "I didn't think so." "My mom wants me to leave home!" "She says I'm at a difficult age." "Apparently I've become a problem." "I'm really sorry to hear that!" "I'm so glad that you have such good friends." "Dr. Hartwig, our school physician, is retiring next Spring." "Kreuzkamm wants to propose you for the job." "You can't wait to see me working again, huh?" "I'll think about it." "Really." "But mostly for the sake of the boys." "Tell them I'm not always like I was last night!" "I'm very strict when it comes to influenza ...and broken legs." "See you after New Year's Eve." "Yes, Merry Christmas!" "Send my Greetings to your father." "Merry Christmas!" "Come!" "Up!" "I think we've got ourselves a new school doctor." "Can you keep him until I get back?" "My father is allergic to dogs." "Take good care of him." "If you want to keep him we'll need to change the house rules." "Dr. Bokh!" "Not another problem, I hope." "If you do not mind..." "I would like to take the little chap." "Unfortunately, our Fifi had her final bone last year." "And I still haven't bought a gift for my wife." "It would..." "But you never give anyone presents!" "Since when are so open with other people?" "From this is Christmas, Mr. Director?" "Bye!" "And Merry Christmas!" "Bye!" "Where is our little fire devil, Jonathan Trotts?" "It's strangely quiet, huh?" "I think it's wonderful." "Merry Christmas, Jonathan." "Merry Christmas, Mona." "I wonder what the others are doing now?" "Opening their presents perhaps?" "Look." "A shooting star!" "Close your eyes and make a wish." "Don't tell anyone and your wish will come true." ""I wish the Captain much happiness."" ""And Justus and Non-Smoking."" ""And Matz, I wish you luck."" ""And Kreuzkamm."" ""And Uli."" ""And I wish Martin all the best."" ""I'll look forward to when he returns." "He is my very best friend."" ""Good luck for Theo, too."" ""And for Mona, of course."" ""I just wish all my friends good luck in life." "And me, too.""