"Next!" "Come on!" "Anything for us Mr. Mladek?" "Not today." "Were you expecting something Mrs. Stadlerova?" "Nothing in particular." "Just so I could take it with me." " Bye then." " Goodbye." "Don't go far, lunch will be ready in a minute." "Hello." "Hello." "Alzbetka!" " Nothing for Mrs. Horakova again." " Nothing?" " She's got nothing in her tummy." " And what should she have in it?" " A baby." " You're too young for that." " Your soup will get cold." " Lf you don't have one, then I think she should." "I'm the only child in the building." " Look don't keep on!" " Wait!" " You've got friends at school." " They're all two-faced idiots." "I want someone all to myself." "I'm very possesive." "You're what?" "What is she?" " He wanted to touch me again." " Don't keep making things up." "He is as frail as anything, his legs can hardly carry him." "That kind are the worst." "Hello." "Hello." "Wait Alzbetka." "Here." "Have one." "I'm not allowed to take things from strangers." "But I'm not a stranger." "Don't you know me?" " I do." " You see?" "Here..." "What if it's contagious." "Charon, Charon, Charon." "Chocolates that melt in your mouth." "If it's going to be chocolate it's got to be Charon!" "I've invited the Horaks to the cottage for the weekend." "The rest are all poisonous rubbish." " That'll be more like a funeral." " But I feel so sorry for them." "Perhaps Mr. Horak has slow sperm" "C'mon dad!" "Miroslav Zalesky, Sexual Dysfunction and..." "Who bought her this?" "Rock a bye baby On the tree tops" "When the wind blows The cradle will rock" "Thank you." "It'll need a lot of work, but you won't lose on it." "At least it'll take her mind off things." "The owner is called Kadlec." "I'll find his number for you." "Did you wet yourself again?" "A big girl like you?" "Aren't you ashamed of yourself?" "Who is supposed to clean it up?" "Are you incontinent?" "So Horak bought it." "Don't give me any of that..." " You know I can't stand it." " It's not going to kill you." "For a hundred and eighty grand." " He's got his work cut out." " It might speed up his sperm." "C'mon dad!" "FAIRYTALES" "Thanks." "You've saved me a lot of work with that." "We're neighbours." "Today I help you and tomorrow you help me." "Before I forget - don't leave any valuables here." "They broke into our place twice." "We take everything with us." "Alzbetka!" "Why don't you answer when I'm calling you?" " Are you going already?" " Yes, while the roads are quiet." " I still have some work to do." " Dad's already in the car." "Guess what I've got for you?" "Wait, he's newly varnished, it's still wet." "Quick, pass me the blanket." "Did you hear what I said?" "Make it quick!" "My God!" "What are you waiting for?" "Wait with him." "Don't just stand there, get me the powder!" "At the back, on the first shelf." "And the nappies." "Hold him." "Powder baby's bottom so it doesn't get all red." "Good boy..." "We wrap you all up so that you'll be warm and cosy." "We're leaving!" "Enough is enough!" "It's just a piece of wood, a piece of wood..." " Look!" " Let go of him!" "It's a piece of wood." "Look, it's a piece of wood." "A piece of wood..." "Look, wood..." "Nothing but a piece of wood." "First you give me hope, then you snatch it away." "It's a piece of wood..." " Give me back my baby!" " Wood..." " Give me back my baby!" " Wood..." " Give me back my baby!" " Wood..." "Give me back my baby!" "I'm not going to take him from you." "But think what people will say if we come from the weekend with a baby?" "They'd think we'd stolen it." "Sit down." "Let's think about it calmly." "Look, we'll come here every weekend, right?" "So we'll put him down in here," "and he'll rest nicely..." "When we come back we'll find him here waiting for us." "Come on." "Let's go." "Congratulations Mr. Horak." "I believed it would happen one day" " It wouldn't be natural..." " What do you mean?" "You don't have to pretend." "Your wife told us everything." "Mrs. Stadlerova has given us some of Alzbetka's old things." " Good God, what have you done?" " What?" "How are we going to get out of this?" "When people find out they're all going to laugh at us." " What did you tell her?" " Who?" "Mrs. Stadlerova!" "I only told her that I was pregnant." "You should have seen how pleased she was." "Did you tell anybody else?" "No, only her." "Wait a few days and tell Mrs. Stadlerova that it was a NEPRAVDA alarm." "Understand?" " But why should I lie to her?" " Wait a minute..." "What do you mean, lie?" " You know it's impossible." " Close your eyes." "Come on, close them." "Alright." "That's a stupid joke." "Karel, come here." "Come on." "What's all that for?" "The first month, second month, third month, fourth month, fifth month, sixth month, seventh month, eighth month and the ninth month." "What's this game all about?" "We can have our child with us all the time." " Not just on weekends." " Bozenka..." "And nobody can say we stole him from somewhere." "I'll give birth to him properly." "And lean to the left, and to the right..." "Now stretch your back to the left, and to the right..." "Don't forget you're only supposed to be pregnant." "Let's read a bit." "Look, that's a frog." "A green frog." "Say green..." "Get away!" "Grass is green too, and so is moss, pickles, cabbage..." "Wait here a minute, mummy will be right back." "Mummy!" "Mrs. Horakova's given birth!" "Don't be silly Alzbetka." "In her fourth month?" "Really it's true." "I saw it with my own eyes." "Good God, I hope..." "Karel!" " Karel!" "Lunch is ready." " You scared me." "Hurry, before it gets cold." "What's up?" "There must be some mistake." "I'm not celebrating anything." "You're so secretive." "Here's to our father-to-be." " So you already know." " You can't keep a secret from us" "Mum, can I ask you about my prenatal life?" " The girl's obsessed." " Leave her alone." " What would you like to know?" " Before I was born did you... sometimes take me out of your tummy and put me back in again?" " What kind of nonsense is that?" " Wait!" " What do you mean?" " Well, like kangaroos do." " Is your mother a kangaroo?" " Stop!" " No, it's different with people." " I know." " But are there any exceptions?" " Definitely not." "At least not that I've heard of." "Bozenka..." "You've been drinking!" "Yes." "We've been celebrating your pregnancy at work." "Bozenka, come to me..." "Come here my little pregnant kitty..." "Are you crazy?" "Do you want me to have a miscarriage?" "Hello Mr. Zlabek." "How are you doing?" "Well, I can't say..." "Why not trade apartments with someone on the ground floor?" " Those stairs will kill you." " Naah." "Where's Alzbetka today?" "Alzbetka, where are you?" "Come on." " Say hello to Mr. Zlabek!" " Hello." "Hello!" "Where are you running off to?" "Wait!" "Silly girl." " Careful, or you'll hurt him." " Look at what you're doing?" "I can't stand how that paedophil undresses me with his eyes." "Who undresses you?" "She'll drive me mad one day." "God bless you." "You're rounding out nicely." " I'm in my fifth month." " Not long now." "Once you're past the half way mark you're really on your way." "It should be kicking." " Of course it's kicking." " Can I feel?" "What are you doing?" "You'll have to excuse her, she's not herself today." "Get out of here, you nuisance!" "Now let's give you a good wash." "The water is nice and warm." "You'll like it." "Look, if you're going to talk nonsense at least don't lisp." "Look after him and don't interfere." "Hold him properly." "Mummy's back." "Mummy's here again." "We're going to wash your head." "Nice and easy..." "You're a good little boy, huh?" "You're my good little boy..." "And now we rinse carefully so we don't burn your little eyes." "I thought we would speed things up." "What do you mean speed up?" "Well, I was just thinking that" "I could give birth earlier." "I thought there were certain rules, weren't there?" "Yes, but special cases do exist." "And it's not all that rare, for a baby to be born early." "Sometimes even in the sixth month." "Now we clean your nose..." " Or earlier, right?" " Do you want a retarded child?" "A baby like that has to... finish cooking in a... what do you call it, an incubator." "I know, but in a couple of days I'll be in the eighth month." "And what's a day here or there..." "We might have counted wrong." "Now we just do our nails..." "You're going to be handsome." " Thank God you're home!" " What happened?" "Don't worry." "Your wife's with us." "She's started, it's a bit early, but everything'll be alright." "My husband's calling an ambulance." "Oh my God!" "Are you sleeping or what?" "Finally!" "We've got a baby coming." "Just don't call the ambulance!" "I promised her I'd take her there myself." "She'd never forgive me." " I'll just go and get my things." " You don't have to." "They're here" "Fanous, could you take her if she doesn't want an ambulance?" " I've had five beers." " No, I can handle it." " Help me get her into the car." " Well, he seems upset." "The contractions are at five minute intervals." "Don't bother us now, Alzbetka!" " Let's go." " Wait." "I'll take her." "Leave that, I'll clean up." "You get going." "Here we are." "Careful..." "Have a safe trip!" "The brake!" "That's enough, isn't it?" "Faster!" " I can't hold on any longer!" " They can't hear you anymore." "And your shouting is getting on my nerves!" "Faster!" "Her waters should burst any second." "Hurry up!" "From now on we'll always be together." "See you next week." "I've been waiting for you for so long." "Don't let anyone see you." "You're in the hospital." "Understand?" "Where have you been?" " So?" " Nothing yet." " Mum, what did he say?" " Nothing yet." "Where do you think you're going?" "Have a seat..." "But I was supposed to call in an hour." "I had to ask..." " You can call from here." " No." "That's out of the question." "What you need now is something warm in your stomach." "Alzbetka, come and help me!" "I really can't..." "Have some." "They're poppy seed." "They'll make you feel better." "Forget about cakes." "This calls for something stronger." "So, Karel, here's to a boy!" "What are you waiting for?" "Down the hatch." " Perhaps I should go and call." " Of course!" "Come on." " Here I'll hold that for you." " What's wrong?" "Let's go." "What are you doing?" " You can't be serious!" " I don't want you to get drunk." "Is this the maternity unit?" "I brought my wife in a while ago" "Horakova Bozena." "Sorry?" "The baby's born." "Thank goodness!" "Ask whether it's a boy or a girl." "Wait a minute." "What is it?" " A boy!" "That's wonderful!" " Is he healthy?" "Is he healthy?" "Pretty solid." "How much does he weigh?" "How much does he weigh?" "Seven and a half pounds." "Right." " What's his height?" " How tall is he?" "Twenty two... huh..." "He's twenty two inches." "Thank you." " It's a boy." " Congratulations!" "Well, congratulations." "This calls for a celebration." "Cheers!" "I wasn't as lucky as you..." " You have a beautiful daughter." " A boy is a boy..." " Here's to his health!" " Cheers!" " And one more for good luck!" " One more." "What are you going to call him?" " Who?" " Your baby." " I suppose Otes..." "Otik." " Otik!" "After his grandfather." " Here's to Otik, then!" " To Otik!" "Oto, Oto, Otik..." "It's late." "You'll wake the whole house." "Are you crazy?" "Oto, Oto, Otik..." "I have Otik." "We have Otik." "We have Otik..." "We have Otik!" "It's a boy." "Seven and a half pounds, twenty two inches." "His name is Otik." "And he looks just like me." " Congratulations." " That's great news Karel." "I'm back." "Give it to me." "I'll cut it into pieces." "I'll chop it's little mouth off." "Are you crazy?" "Give me the monster!" "I'll chop him up!" "No!" "You're out of your mind!" "I'll never give him to you!" "I'll destroy him!" "I'll chop him in pieces!" "Touch him and I'll scratch your eyes out!" "Get out of my way!" "Kill me first, and then our child!" "You murderer!" "Murderer!" "You want to kill your own child!" "Your own child!" "Murderer!" "Shhh, don't cry my love..." "Daddy isn't angry anymore." "Look he didn't mean it that way, see?" "Hush, my little boy..." "Get out of here, you nuisance!" "Perhaps we should get rid of him." "In case he does something to Otik." "He's terribly jealous." " They'll get used to each other." " You prefer everybody to Otik." "Do you love him at all?" "You act as if he wasn't yours." "Otik, please..." "You know I love him." "And when was the last time you varnished him?" "I'll do it on Sunday." "His back's been growing a third arm again." "I'll cut it off on Sunday." "You'll get plenty of porridge in your tummy." "Come on, be nice to mummy." "Mrs. Horakova, he must be baking." "It's almost thirty degrees and you've got him all wrapped up." "No wonder he doesn't like it." "You wouldn't like it either." " At least take those mittens off" " Mind your own business." "It's my baby!" "I gave birth to him, not you!" "Alright, alright." "Come on, Alzbetka." "It's almost ready." "Can you see if it's warm enough?" "He's terribly hungry." "People are curious." "You'd think they'd never seen a baby before." " Maybe a baby, but not Otesanek." " Stop that." " I think it's just about ready." " Hurry and fill the bottles." "Look, daddy's already filling the bottles." "You're gonna be fed" "We're going to fill your tummy." "We're going to feed little Otik." "They'll find out one day." "We can't keep it secret forever." " When he starts school..." " That's a long way off, isn't it?" "Let go of me." "It's madness." "It can't end well." "Otik, let go!" "Don't eat it!" "Jesus, come here and help me!" "Do something or he'll choke." "Quick!" "Help!" "Help!" "Do something for god's sake or he'll scalp me!" " So you're going to bite her!" " Otik, let go of me!" "Move your hands out of the way!" "I should have cut him up right away." "Karel, come, have a look." "You know, our Otik's right." "Short hair could suit me." "You sure have an appetite!" "Excuse me!" "I don't have time for you at the moment, Mr. Zlabek." "Golden Hair, The Tall, the Fat and the Farsighted..." "Otesanek." "Once upon a time there lived a man and a woman." "They were poor and yet they said to each other:" "If only we had a child." "One morning the man dug up a tree stump which looked like a baby." "He only needed to carve its roots to make arms and legs." "Alzbetka?" "So mother made some porridge, Otesanek ate it all up and he called:" "Mother, find me something to eat!" "She ran to her neighbour's and brought back a pail full of milk" ""He drank it all, and said:" """ Find me something to eat!" " "" "Fanous?" """ "Ls that you Alzbetka?" " " " I'll bring you something." " "" "And mother borrowed a huge loaf of bread from her neighbour." "When Otesanek saw the bread on the table, in the wink of an eye he ate the whole loaf." "Did you eat all the bread?" "' And Otesanek replied:" "I did, and, mother, I'll eat you too." "He opened his mouth..." "Mum, you scared me." " Why is the door open?" " I was in a hurry." "Do you want someone to rob us or cut our throats?" " The television's full of it." " I'm sorry, I won't do it again." "Did Mrs. Horakova borrow milk or bread from you yesterday?" " She did borrow some bread." "Why?" " I was just wondering." "Lunch will be in a minute." "Don't go anywhere." "Don't worry." " I'm so hungry I could eat nails" " It's ready." ""Father came home from work:" "'Where's mother?" "'"" "And Otesanek said:" "I've eaten her, and I'll eat you too." "When he saw his body was as big as a stove father cringed." "What now?" "!" " Have you seen Mr. Horak lately?" " Yes, this morning." " Why?" " I was just wondering." "But Mrs. Horakova is hysterical." "She won't let anyone see Otik." " Don't slurp, please." " It's hot." "That's because it's just come off the stove." "Wait a bit, then." "You too!" "Look what kind of example you're setting for her." " I can't eat anymore." " But you haven't eaten anything." "What did I bother to cook for?" "Otesanek went into the village to look for something to eat." "You've been shopping, huh?" "It's alright for some." "I could never afford that on my pension." "How's Otik?" "I haven't seen him for ages." "You don't go for walks anymore." "I hope he's not ill." "A premature baby like that could catch anything going." " I could swear I turned it off." " Mikes'll drink it." "Careful!" "It's hot..." "Mikes!" "Not so loud or you'll wake Otik." "Karel!" "Come here quick!" "And he met a girl pushing a cart full of clover." "You must have eaten someone to have such a large stomach." "I've eaten a pot of porridge, a pail of milk, a loaf of bread," ""my mother and father, and now I'm going to eat you too!" "'"" "And the girl and her cart disappeared into his stomach." "It's got out of hand!" "I'm so stupid, I should have realized." "That's the way it turns out when you try to make someone happy!" "What am I going to do now?" " What am I going to do?" "!" " Calm down, will you?" "It was only an animal after all." "Anyway he was over fourteen." "Cats don't often live to fifteen!" "Especially in families with an Otesanek." "Don't be cruel." "And stop calling him Otesanek." "I should have chopped him up, as soon as I dug him up." "I'll have to do it one day, in any case." "And the sooner the better." "No!" "Don't!" "Think about it..." "He's our only child." "We don't have any and we're not going to." "But one day they'll find out." "And what then?" "People are already asking me what's the matter with Otik, because they haven't seen you with the pram for a long time." "What am I supposed to tell them?" "I was just getting to that." "Otik doesn't fit into the pram anymore." " That's what I'm saying!" " There's one solution." "So, is Otik better now?" "Let's see you little one." "He's sleeping!" "I won't bite him, you know." "Then he met a farmer carrying hay from the meadow." "Mrs. Horakova's probably gone for a walk with Otik." " I've got an electricity refund." " Leave it with us." "I can't." "Money has to be signed for personally." "I don't want to end up in prison just before retirement." "Whatever you like." "I only wanted to save you the trip." "Inferno." "The only iron that irons by iself." "Inferno." "Available in all the best stores." "An iron?" "It has to be Inferno." "All the rest are rusty junk!" "Inferno, Inferno." "This rubbish isn't working." "Wear it like this." "Otesanek stood in his way and the horse had to stop:" "And I'm going to eat you too!" "It's good to see you." "What do you do in there all day?" " Read." " I hope it's something suitable." "Have you heard anything about someone disappearing around here" " What do you mean, Alzbetka?" " It's a stupid question!" "Well have any of the neighbors been reported missing?" "So, that's reading something suitable." "Reported as missing." "Just that the Horaks' Mikes has ran away." "There's no way I can go out like this." "Come on quick!" "Don't we feed him enough?" "And then he had to..." "I said we have to lock the doors." "Didn't I?" "The doors were not locked..." "Mum!" "Mum!" " Mr. Zlabek's had an attack." " What happened, Mr. Zlabek?" "Come with me!" "Come in and sit down for a while." "It's all right now." "Just a momentary weakness." "You're not twenty anymore, you know." "So many stairs every day." "You must be careful!" "The postman is not a cat." "They're going to look for him." "What an idiot I was to even have the idea!" "Who'd have guessed how it would end up?" " We won't get out of this." " The main thing is to keep calm." "It'll be easy to find out where they saw him last." "From the letters that weren't delivered they'll see that he was here last." "They'll do a search and..." "I can't believe I listened to you and didn't chop him up." "He's our child and we have to stick by him through thick and thin." "No, I won't wait." " I'm going to turn myself in." " Wait!" "They'll put us away and what will happen to Otik?" "They'll put him in a home." "That would kill me." "If you go now you'll have us both on your conscience." "What am I going to do?" "Pick up all these letters and in evening, when it's dark, you can deliver them all, and no one will ever know." "You'll see!" "What a stupid film." "Why don't they make something decent." "Something about ordinary people." "We should have stayed home." "Next time I'm not going anywhere." "Look!" "What Mr. Mladek is doing!" "He's delivering the mail, isn't he?" "He's a postman." "Since when do they deliver letters at night?" "Perhaps he couldn't do it during the day." "He could be delivering telegrams." "Or perhaps it's a new customer service." "How do I know?" "It's strange." "Look at the way he keeps looking around." "Looking around!" "He's probably delivering money and he's afraid somebody might attack him." "Stop worrying!" "It still looks strange." "Wait!" " What's wrong?" " Somebody's there." " I don't see anything." " Over there!" "Come here quick." " What do you see?" " He's there." " I don't see anything." " Right there!" " You're paranoid after the movie" " But right there!" "C'mon, let's go." "It's late!" " How did it go?" " I bumped into the Stadlers." "If they saw me, we'd be finished We must burn everything." "Throw it in the bathroom." "I'm heating up some water for Otik." "Mr. Mladek is probably sleeping in after his night shift, right?" "What night shift?" "He didn't come to work and he's not at home." "He's disappeared, so they gave his round to me." "Here we go." "And this is only the beginning." "Firstly!" "From now on we must always lock the door!" "Even if one of us is only away for a minute!" "The creature obviously knows how to open the door from the inside" "Come on..." "Secondly!" "We have to..." "We have to stuff him so full he doesn't eat things like that." "Milk and some carrot soup are obviously not enough." "From now on he gets meat, good fat meat." "Pork!" "Let's get that straight." "Please, forgive him, he won't do it again." "Do you want some more?" "What did you mean that it was only the beginning?" " Nothing." " Nothing?" "Yesterday you asked if someone was reported missing." "And now this." "What exactly do you mean?" " I was just kidding." " Don't talk to us like that." " You wouldn't believe me anyway." " You're hidding something." " Lf you know anything about..." " I don't." " Just watch yourselves." " Wait!" ""What is that supposed to mean, 'watch yourselves'?"" "What is she talking about?" "In the field a swineherd was minding his pigs." "Otesanek swallowed them all, even the swineherd." " So what are we supposed to do?" " Is that not enough?" "She's got her own child hidden away somewhere, and you ask what you're supposed to do?" "You have to find out what she did with the child she exchanged for the doll." "Or is it the other way around?" "Perhaps he fell off the table onto his head and 'Boom!" "'" "And she pushes a doll around so that nobody realizes." "She buried the dead baby, or threw it in the trash." "Don't pretend you've never come across that before." "But you've never seen the child with her before, only the doll." "She never let anyone near." "But she definitely had a baby." "She wrapped him up a lot." "Ask anyone in the building." " But you never saw the baby." " She didn't let anybody near it." "She was terribly worried about him, he was premature." "See, she can't even have a baby at the right time." "Alright, we'll look into it." "Do you want me to sign something?" "There's no need." "Goodbye." " Have you found Mr. Mladek yet?" " Don't worry, we'll find him." "People are disappearing and nobody's interested." "Do you want to come for a drink with us?" " I can't." " Why can't you?" "Just come." " No, I really can't." " Why not?" "I have to buy something for supper." "That's no tragedy." "You can buy it on the way home." "Sorry, but I can't." "Get undressed." "One moment please..." "Speaking." "Yes." "I vaguely remember the case." "Hold one moment please..." "Do you remember Mrs. Horakova?" "That case of idiopathic sterility?" "Do we still have her card?" "We examined her husband too:" "Total azospermy." "Hello?" "I've got it here." "Hopeless case." "Infertility on both sides." "No, she didn't have a baby." "No sir, miracles in these cases simply don't happen." "What?" "A doll?" "What can I do?" "That's a case for a psychiatrist." "Call the Social Workers, and have them send somebody around." "It has nothing to do with me." "You're welcome." "What will they want next?" "Continue please." "I don't think the Horaks are home." "Mr. Horak's at work and Mrs. Horakova is probably out with Otik." "I'm from the Social Department." "I've come to look at your baby." "Let me in, will you?" "Mrs. Horakova!" "I'm an Official!" "Mrs. Horakova!" "Be reasonable!" "So where's your baby, Mrs. Horakova?" "Show me your Otik." "That's his name, isn't it?" "Don't worry, I won't eat him." "Mrs. Horakova!" "Calm down, this is only common practice!" "So, here he is." "No!" "You can't go in there!" "Don't do it!" "Don't go in there!" "I won't let you!" "At least take your shoes off." "Help!" "Help!" "Mr. Zlabek, stop that at once, or you'll have another attack!" "Otik..." "In there..." "And then in the field he saw a shepherd with a flock of sheep." "He went up to them and swallowed the lot, Orisek the dog too." "More like Mikes the cat." "Karel..." "I've said enough, now stop it!" "Everyone is at risk, not just us." "But he'll be cold down there." "A tree stump?" "Please don't do it." "Don't pull it so tight!" "The sack!" "Give me the sack, quick!" "Shut up and shut the door!" "And from today no feeding him, right?" "You want to starve him to death?" "He's too big to chop up." "This isn't what we agreed." "How do we get rid of him then?" "Get rid of him?" "He's still our child." "We have some responsibility toward him." "Exactly!" "When it all calms down a bit, we'll go and get him." " So he can eat someone else?" " Karel, don't be gross!" "Do you know how many human lives are lost in car accidents?" "Mr. Mladek wanted to retire anyway." "And that social worker..." "She was so arrogant!" "She's definitely no great loss!" "The Horaks have taken Otik to his grandmother's in the country" "Because of the air." "He has allergies..." " They're everywhere." " It won't help much." "It's a good thing we've got gas heating." " Are you looking for something?" " No, nothing." " Don't mess it all up!" " Don't worry." "Don't go anywhere." "Lunch is nearly ready!" "Wait Otesanek." "I want to help you, but I'm not food." "Some parents you've got!" "They deserve to be punished." "Wait here and I'll bring you something." "Get back in." "Don't worry, I'll be back in a minute." "I told her not to go anywhere, that it was lunchtime." "And now it'll get cold." "About time, too." "How did you get so dirty?" "Go and wash!" "But I'm really hungry." "Couldn't I skip the personal hygiene?" "Move it!" " Do you want more?" " No." "Excuse me!" " What?" " You're shovelling it in." " Haven't you heard of bulimia?" " Of what?" " Mum, can I have some more?" " But your plate's nearly full!" "Can I?" "Usually you have to force it down her." "It's in the kitchen." "Thanks, Mum." "Are you finished?" "Finally he came to a field where an old lady was hoeing cabbages." "He went up and started swallowing the cabbages." "Look at the damage you've done." "You've eaten enough!" "I've eaten a girl and her clover, a farmer and his hay, a swineherd and his pigs, a shepherd and his lambs," ""and I'm going to eat you too!"" "But the old lady threw her hoe at Otesanek's stomach... and split it open!" "I'm coming!" "Leave it!" "Are you going to eat with dirty roots like that?" "Do you want to catch hepatitis?" " That's ridiculous!" " What's the matter?" "It seems you need to lock hoes up these days." "Why would it bother anybody here?" "What would anybody want an old hoe for?" "I'm sure it'll turn up somewhere." "When I catch whoever took it they will get what for!" "You think you can do what you want to an old lady." "A fine house this is." "We lose children, people, postmen and now even hoes." "And nobody cares!" "Are you listening?" "Don't even touch that cabbage, understand?" "You know I won't let you go hungry." "I always found you food, and I'll keep finding it." "Cabbage will give you gas." "No cabbage." "It's not healthy." "It'll give you a tummy ache." "What's the matter with that girl?" "I'm cooking for a whole regiment and it's still not enough." " Shall we take her to the doctor" " Be thankful she likes it." " She's probably growing." " Have you noticed anything?" " And where is she, anyway?" " At that new friend's." " Who is she?" " Her name is Otylka." " Do you know her?" " You think she tells me?" "Apparently she's from a good family." "Do you think she'd know a good family if she saw one?" "They're here." "Right, like we've been practising." "We've heard nothing and we don't know anybody." "O.K." "Take it easy..." "They can't prove anything." "They don't have any corpses." "Are you going to let us in?" "Hello..." "Karel!" "Police." "Do you know Mrs. Bulankova?" " Who's she?" " A social worker." "According to our information she called here on the 17 th, sometime in the afternoon to look at the baby." "Did a social worker come here to look at Otik?" "Mrs..." "What did you say?" " Bulankova." " Bulankova?" "No, nobody called, we weren't expecting anyone." "Thank you." "Sorry to bother you." "Goodbye." "We're looking for information about your postman." "You don't happen to remember when you last saw him?" "You mean the new one or Mr. Mladek?" " Mr. Mladek." " Has he done something?" "He's missing." " That's why there is a new one." " You mean he's lost?" "That's about it." "But people don't get lost like handkerchiefs." "You'd be surprised." "Don't touch it!" "I've caught you, you little thief!" "I only wanted to have a look at it." "It's kind of new..." "And a liar too." "Your parents aren't going to be very pleased with you." "Please don't tell my parents." "They'll spank me." " Where have you put my hoe?" " I hid it so you couldn't hit..." " What are you on about?" "Hit who?" " Otesanek." " What kind of nonsesnse is that?" " That's what the fairytale says." " What does it say?" " Otesanek eats your cabbages and you hit him in the stomach with your hoe, and he dies." "So I hid it." "What are you making up?" "This comes from reading silly books." "Now give me back my hoe." "Otherwise..." "But promise me you won't tell anybody, and you won't hit him." "He hasn't got anybody, only me." "If you return my hoe!" "What are you doing?" " Are you going to let me know?" " Just making a snack." "I'm going to Otylka's." "I didn't understand maths." " She's going to explain it to me" " A snack, huh?" "I took something for Otylka as well in return." " In return?" " We get hungry when we study." " Hungry?" " Some other girls are coming, so we wanted to make it a kind of small party." " Ah, a party." " Everyone has to bring something" " Mum, you can't do this to me." " This has gone far enough." "Cleaning out the fridge every day." "We're not the Rothchilds." "From now on the fridge is off limits." "Only to be opened in my presence." "As if we can afford to feed the whole class." "Mum, at least one more for Otylka." "Snack-time." "I don't have anymore." "That's all for today." "I tried my best." "Tripe, please." " Mum, any left-overs?" " No, nothing." "When I was coming back from work today" "I heard a funny sound coming from the basement." " A sort of bubbling sound." " I heard it too, as if somebody's stomach was rumbling." "It would have to be a huge stomach." " Perhaps we should report it." " They already know." "The drains are blocked." "They're sending someone round." "Until then we're not supposed to use the toilet too often." "That's good." "Where are we supposed to go then?" " Mum, can you do me a favour?" " What is it, Alzbetka?" "Do you think that you could give me my pocket money a half year in advance?" "I've got unforeseen expenses." "Unforeseen expenses?" "No way!" "Wait!" "What do you need the money for?" "I can't tell you, but it's a question of life and death." " Whose life?" " Speak clearly, Alzbetka!" "I really can't." "But it's serious, believe me." " I wouldn't want it otherwise." " Does somebody want to hurt you?" " You fall for it every time." " No, it's not about me." " So who is it about?" " You know her." "She's just playing up." "Trying to attract attention." "I knew it wouldn't work." "You're forcing me to do the worst." "Wait!" "Not long now." "One, two, three, four, five, six." "Mum," "Dad, the caretaker," "Mr. Zlabek." "Speak of the devil and the devil arrives." "Mr. Zlabek, here I am." "Mr. Zlabek, right here." "Come here." "Here I am Mr. Zlabek." "Come here Mr. Zlabek." "Here I am." "Mr. Zlabek, come on now." "Come on Mr Zlabek." "Come on..." "Lunch-time!" "He hasn't appeared for 3 days." "And we found this in the cellar." "Open up!" "This is the police!" "Is anyone in there?" "Perhaps he can't get up." "Poor thing." "He got sick in the hallway the other day." "Looks like you'll have to knock the door down." " Stand back!" " Come here." "Did he have any relatives?" "Could he be with them?" "No, nobody." "We'd know about them." "Or any enemies?" "Has anybody been threatening him?" "Mr. Zlabek?" "Steaks covered with Flora flour taste the best." "It must be Flora!" "All the rest are full of worms!" " What are we having for dinner?" " Pancakes." "What's wrong?" "People don't just disappear like that." "That's the third person in one week." "And why in our building?" "I asked the Trmals next door, and they know nothing." "Perhaps our house is something like the Bermuda Triange." "I'll give you a triangle." "So many innocent people?" "How can I live with that knowledge?" "And die with it." "We should have kept him at home." "He ate some people here too, didn't he?" "He doesn't care where he eats them - at home, in the basement, it's all the same to him." "How can I stop it all?" "Right..." "Where are you going?" "What are you going to do?" "Come back!" "Don't do it!" "What would you like Mr. Horak?" "Come inside." "Could I speak to Mr. Stadler, please?" " Fanous!" " Who is it?" " Mr. Horak." " Let him in." "I've already invited him in." " What is it Karel?" " Lend me your saw." " What for?" " Your chainsaw." " Now?" " Yes." "Right away." "What are you going to do with it?" "Do you know how to use it?" "I need to cut down a... door." "Can't you control yourself a bit?" "You know I'm not going to let you die of hunger." "Karel!" "Please!" "Don't do it!" "Don't do it!" "Karel!" "Karel!" "Don't do it..." "Mum," "Dad, the caretaker," "Mr. Horak." "Good timing." "You've got food coming." "Now!" "Son!" "Karel!" "A chance is opening up in the visitor's half..." "Mr. Horak says thank you." "He won't be needing it again." "I've eaten a pot full of porridge, a pail of milk, a loaf of bread, mother, father and now I'm going to eat you too" "Chomp!" "Are you the one who found it open?" "Yes." "And this handkerchief was lying in the hallway." "A girl and her clover, a farmer and his hay... and now I'm going to eat you too!" "Chomp!" "Come here." "What were you telling me about Otesanek?" "You promised me you wouldn't tell anyone." " Bring me the book." " What book?" " The one about Otesanek." " But you promised..." "Couldn't they have gone somewhere?" "Were they planning a trip?" "Well they might have gone to see Otik at his grandmother's but would they forget to lock the door?" "Page fifty eight." "I don't know what we're going to do." "And what should we do?" "People are disappearing and you don't care." "It's definitely our turn now, I can feel it in my bones." "There'll be some sort of reasonable explanation for it." "The Horak's were decent people, so why should they disappear?" "And what about Mr. Zlabek and Mr. Mladek before him, and the social worker?" "Weren't they decent people?" " Exactly!" " Exactly what?" "They were decent people too, and decent people don't disappear." "There you are then, and now they've disappeared." "At least don't slurp." "We've got two possibilities:" "Either we move out or we barricade ourselves in." "Move?" "Are you crazy?" "Do you know how hard it is to get a place?" " Out of the question." " So do we wait here like sheep?" "Alzbetka is so young, she's got her whole life ahead of her." "If something happened to her, I couldn't live." " Leave me out of it." " Don't exaggerate." "No, I've decided." "There, like that..." "Look at that!" "A ditch in the track, or something like that..." " And how will I go to school?" " You won't!" " And Dad to work?" " He won't either." " And you shopping?" " We've got supplies for a week." "I can see you, Alzbetka!" "Don't be stupid." "I've got a meeting today." "I should already be there." " My boss is going to be furious." " Mum!" "I've got classroom duty." "The others are going to be mad." "Dad!" "It's useless." "Like talking to a brick wall." "Mum, you're making a big mistake this isn't going to help..." "How long are you planning on keeping us here?" "Until everything's explained." "Until they find them." "She's flipped." "And how are you going to find out?" " What?" " That it's all explained, when we're sitting here cut off from the rest of the world?" "Mum, let me go or there'll be an accident!" " What accident?" " Do you hear?" "Let me go!" " Dad!" "Let me go!" " Where are you going?" "Put them down!" "Stop!" "Don't do it!" "Can't you listen?" "What did I tell you?" "You'll get a tummy-ache." "Do you hear me?" "I'm terribly sorry." "You promised..." "No!" "You can't!" "He's so abandoned, defenceless!" "I'll pay for the damage!" "Mum!" "Dad!" "Don't hurt him!" "Stop!" "It's not his fault." "It's all my fault!" "Hit me instead!" "...and out jumped Orisek the dog after him the shepherd and behind him the sheep, then out ran the herd of pigs..."