"It all began the day a stork came to rest on the fence of our yard." "Mrs. Tuvekova, a midwife who helped in birth of all the children of the village, came almost late for my birth." "Dad was terribly nervous." "They will know that I was born some years after my sisters and Dad was distressed by mom." "It just happens to arrive at night." "Stop grumbling and take my bag." "You will see he'll be brave, not afraid of the dark." "Yes, he will be very brave." "Because it will be a boy, Adam." "And bet that he'll be a great rider." "He'll like horses, like you." "If it takes you a little more, you'll find him on one of them." "Give it to me." "No, you stay out." "All you had to do for the little, you've done." "Years later, I learned that in families of riders surest means to bring a child into the world is to put the father's saddle at the foot of the bed." "Come on, close your eyes, woman." "If you close your eyes, You can see your little." "Don't you see?" "Yup." "It will be a cleaver and strong boy." "The most handsome of the entire village." "Are you happy?" "Yup." "When he'll get older, foreman will take him to the stables to tame horses." "He'll also be Adam." "So you'll have two Adams in the family." "Adam!" "Adam, where have you been?" "You no longer have to be afraid." "Your son, the poor, has chosen the same fate as us." "He belongs to the world of the living." "My God, how wise it is of you that it's women who give birth!" "If you had to do it yourselves, years ago I would have gone crazy." "I'm Jumping Over Puddles Again" "Based on the novel by" "Screenplay" "Set Design" "Make Up" "Editing" "Director's Assistant" "Music" "In Main Roles" "Cast" "Produced by" "Director of Photography" "Directed by" "Quiet, quiet!" "That's it." "Quiet, quiet, quiet!" "Come here, come here." "That's it." "Mom has left you out?" "Come under the shed, son." "You will be protected from the sun." "Have you seen the boy?" "He's here." "But don't worry, he's almost a man." "You won't think of dressing him in skirts." "Could you be more reasonable, right?" "Did you ever think he may fall from the fence?" "Or that a horse could kick him?" "Why would he fall off the fence or be kicked by a horse?" "You talk as if you never fell off a horse." "Exactly." "Many times." "And yet, here I am." "Is to educate a child, you think the same as to train a stallion?" "Quiet, quiet!" "Be still, horse!" "I would say that one closely resembles the other." "Only Adam does not kick." "Enough!" "Do not worry," "I am in charge of educating the boy as the most unruly horse." "Do not kneel on the floor, Adam." "It is wet and your pants get wet." "And if your pants get wet, don't try to dry them with grass." "Then there is no way to remove the stain." "No, Mom." "I may be thrown off a horse once, that I forgive him;" "but twice, I don't." "Well, it may throw me off twice." "But for more I'm getting mad." "What we have here?" "You've thrown me off three times;" "I see you have pride, buddy." "A horse like you needs the feeling that he's not lost freedom but when you're tamed you'll be more docile than a lamb." "A kid may mount you then." "Sorry for you, but you'll end up obeying me." "You have to understand you're a horse and have no choice but to submit to my will." "I'm the one giving orders and you obey," "I don't know if it's fair." "Keep my hat." "I would not want this grasshopper to ruin my sunday hat." "Come on, calm down." "We will not be doing this for the whole life." "You begin to be tired, huh?" "You will not last long!" "So, still, you cannot jump the fence!" "Sorry, buddy, but you won't throw me off this time." "You see, buddy?" "Now you have good manners." "I like horses with strong bones and long legs." "A horse that occupies space." "There are horses and horses, you know?" "A horse must have character." "You can see it in the stallion's eyes, you know, son?" "They have to have eyes as clean sources." "Such eye, such character." "What are you doing with Furious, Adam?" "Now you can ride it." "You wanna go get it, son?" "You're crazy, Adam." "Aren't you afraid that stallion can kill your child?" "Of course not." "I like that stallion, but I more love my son." "When I finish with them, horses become like lambs." "I must admit you've done a good job, Adam." "And fast." "If you managed to stop drinking," "I'm sure you could come back to participate in races." "Thank you, sir." "It has not cost me much." "When you're older, you'll be a much better tamer than me." "I'm starting to get old." " You've tamed it really well." "Later I'll show you some things." "You'll be the best tamer in the stables." "They will not dare to throw you off, you'll see." "When will you teach me these things?" "When you're older." "But I'm older." "When you're older, son." "When you can get on the fence like me." "Moron!" "And to think that this new is running in my place." "Adam!" "I know you're there." "Returns home at once or you'll regret." "Hands off!" "Take your hands or you'll regret!" "Already a man, Adam, think of something else." "Men don't cry." "Some ideas you have!" "Surrender, when mom is in that stormy mood, you'd better stop running." "Stormy mood?" "It was only meant as an example." "You're embittering life with your sentences." "I will not take care of the boy." "Let him grow as he pleases." "He can walk on head, if he wants." "You see these bruises?" "He's getting hurt." "Passes entire day jumping along the fence." "It's nothing." "He needs to learn climbing it." "If you want to work with horses you must learn to get hurt." "So, when you do really, you won't feel anything." "Dad!" "Icabus!" "Onek!" "General!" "Caesar!" "Searching for your father?" "He went to shoe the foals." "Your father is not here." "He has gone to drink a glass of water." "Yes, a glass of water..." "He was dying of thirst." "Searching for your father?" "He went for a drink with farmers." "Your father is always thirsty." "Dad, I learned to get on the fence!" "Wait there." "In a second I'll come to see how you do it, huh?" "Adam, come home!" "Coming." "I'm coming." "You want some hot tea?" "Leave me alone!" "Marieta, don't be angry;" "I led the horses to the inn, and the horsemen have offered me a drink." "Only a glass, or two, or three." "Where are you taking me?" "Do you want us to tread on Marieta's flowers?" "What a shame!" "Come home." "See?" "Marieta got angry." "I remembered that tomorrow I have to train General, so I thought I'd go around the block and pick it up." "Are you waiting for me?" "'I know how to climb the fence." "It is very easy, you know?" "Why don't you come and see?" "Don't even dream!" "Where are you going at this hour?" "Don't be angry." "If someone hears you they'll think we are having an argument." "Tomorrow we'll have fun, you and me." "Now go to sleep." "It's you who shoud go to sleep." "Come on, it won't be the end of the world if we go to bed a little later!" "Can't you wait for a while?" "If my son wants to show how he climbs the fence," "I have to go see him." "Can't you understand?" "Can't you?" "Oh, my God!" "It's the last time I open my mouth." "Your child becomes a bandit!" "And a drunk, like you!" "First they wanted Stielleca to take charge of General." "Then Sevek." "And now, when it got spoiled between the two they don't know what to do, and came looking for me." "They remember me only when they don't know how to fix things." "And there are many out there who always know better!" "Where are you?" "Here." "Look, Dad." "Look." "I'm looking, I'm looking." "Dad!" "Dad!" "'Yes, I see." "Come on, jump." "Are you looking, Dad?" "Sure, son, of course." "Dad!" "Now show me how you get on the fence." "Great, great." "Very well." "Day after tomorrow I'll teach you to ride." "Furthermore, I'd like to ask you to help me train General." "A horse like that needs two good trainers." "Hey you!" "Dad, when will you teach me horseback riding?" "Soon, son, soon." "Tomorrow or after tomorrow, calm down a bit for now." "One of the horseshoes is noisy." "Listen carefully." "I think it has a loose shoe." "Come on!" "In the left paw." "Go to the blacksmith's see if he can come to General tonight." "We must change the horseshoe." "It might hurt a leg." "Adam, tell your father that tonight he can come with the foal." "My father told me that tomorrow he'll teach me to ride General." "General?" "He's crazy!" "He'll tie your legs to the saddle, right?" "No need to tie my legs, maybe he should tie yours." "Do you have a place in the cemetery, Adam?" "You will have to mount General in a haystack, so you don't get hurt when when you're thrown down." "You die of fear once you get on it." "You're wrong, I'm not afraid." "No?" "No." "Not a bit?" "Not a bit." "Let him go." "Let's give it a try." "Do you see that young blacksmith?" "Which one?" "One with a cap, which gave Lovca two slaps." "See if you dare to throw a stone at him." "And he you sees me?" "Give me that, I knew you were a coward." "It has been involuntarily, don't be so angry." "Cursed rogue, I'll catch and beat you up!" "I'll break your ribs!" "Where are you?" "Mom, mom!" "Mom!" "Come over!" "Get out of here, it's boiling water." "One more step, and you'll bring it down to your face." "Want me to burn your face?" "I'll give that boy a lesson." "Adam, come here with a whip." "I'm already going, do not you see I'm leaving?" "What I see is that you're taking the shirt." "Here we're not giving gifts." "It's burning." "Has a fever." "He got warm and then caught cold in the lake." "Oh my God, he could have drowned!" "I have no fever, mom." "I'm perfectly fine." "Tomorrow we're taming General, right, Dad?" "He's a little unwell from running." "He'll be like new tomorrow morning." "Dad!" "Dad!" "Where does it hurt?" "Does it hurt here?" "And here?" "No." "It doesn't hurt." "Where is my father?" "What are you looking for?" "Seeking my legs." "But they are here." "I cannot move." "Adam, tell the foreman that you'll pay the carriage and go to town for the doctor." "What's the horse you're going to tame, one fat like a cow?" "Not fat at all, it will be General." "Bring him a very big candy, the largest you can find." "Dad!" "Well, well, well." "Come on, move this leg, son." "I cannot." "And the other, cannot you move it either?" "No." "I'm affraid it can be polio, a disease that must have come from Turkey." "There are many cases like this." "Oh My God!" "How come our son has caught a disease coming from so far?" "It is a bacillus that is inhaled." "It is everywhere up in the air." "It must have been someone passing by near him, and the little has caught it." "Well, let's see." "Let's see what we can do with the legs of this boy." "They cannot stay doing nothing." "The most important thing in such cases is to exercise." "The boy is brave, fortunately." "You have to loosen those legs, and for that you have to work." "Will it hurt him much, doctor?" "It is you whom it's going to hurt." "But think it will do him good." "You'll need all your courage." "Don't worry, Mom;" "you'll see that you'll do me no harm." "I promise I will not cry." "It hurts a lot, Mom." "My poor son!" "Do it again." "The doctor said that it had to be done two or three times, Mom." "Oh my God, why do you punish us so?" "I cannot wait with General:" "the boss is in a hurry." "When you get well, I'll bring the filly and I promise I'll teach you to drive the carriage." "Kim has tried to tame him, but she'as broken him every rib and nearly knocked his eye out." "And those legs, Can you move them now?" "No, they still don't obey me." "Soon you'll be fine." "Well, my son!" "That I like!" "You've been drinking again, eh?" "How do you plan to mount Emperor?" "As Dad cannot do it, I'll ride it." "Blahan, prepare the horse." "Please be reasonable." "You know very well" "Adam is the only one who can mount it." "He'll kill everyone else." "He won't kill me." "Well, today Emperor will stay in the stable, but you, Adam, will never ride again, understood?" "You won't tell anything to mum, will you, son?" "No, I won't say anything." "Promise me you'll never drink." "If I could, I would leave the alcohol." "I must confess that this begins to worry me." "Try moving the leg." "Now the other." "I cannot." "You'll have to go to town, son." "You need to go to hospital, there they'll heal you." "I cannot do anything more." "Good morning." "Good morning." "Come on, Martin, you have nothing to do with it." "It is a disease that came from Turkey." "He didn't catch it in the lake." "Hold on, Now you will see what running is!" "You're going to kill us!" "Are you comfortable, son?" "How many days I'll be in the hospital?" "Just a few." "You have to hurry, there is much work to do." "When I grow up, I'll marry you, Mom." "Aren't you afraid?" "I'm not." "Why would I be afraid?" "I know you were a man, a true man." "Here's our little hero." "See that this child takes a bath." "But yesterday he bathed." "I heated water in a pot and washed him with soap." "It is the policy of the hospital." "All the admitted patients should bathe before being hospitalized." "You have to obey this mister." "You have to listen to everyone and do what they tell you to." "They do it for your sake." "If you obey them, you will return home soon." "Do you promise?" "Yup." "Dad, I forgot my horse in the car." "Have you ever seen tiles like these?" "Yes, I have." "And where have you seen them?" "In a stable." "You are a rogue." "You know what?" "I don't like being teased." "In the stables of my village" "There are tiles in all stables." "Big deal!" "Move your hands." "Not like this." "On the water." "The old witch must hear you so that she knows that you bathe." "Where are my parents?" "They left." "You know it's a long way to your village." "Here you'll feel like at home." "I'm sure you'll like it." "I'll get you some tea." "Why are you crying?" "I want to go home." "That's what we all want." "What do you suffer from?" "Polio." "Good God." "You're the smallest of us all and you have most severe disease!" "My name is Ambros." "I have a mill in Protivin you must've already heard of." "I'm glad to meet you, even in these circumstances." "Good morning." "Sleep." "Why don't you sleep, son?" "You have to sleep." "If I could, I'd sleep all week." "But I cannot." "The moon is like a cake and still no rain." "The wheat crop will be bad this year." "You all right, Ambros?" "Are you okay?" "You don't need anything?" "Maybe some water?" "Leave me alone." "You want to close the window?" "Isn't the current anoying?" "I told you to leave me alone!" "And above all, don't walk in socks in which you go to bed." "Do you think you're at home or in a barn?" "Basically, you don't care at all, if I feel fine or badly, but you fear that your good Protestant God will realize and will treat you in the same indifferent way." "Go into bed and don't stand there planted like an idiot." "I will not die overnight," "I'll say farewell to this sad life in broad daylight." "A gypsy woman told me I'd die like that, in a bed." "You know?" "I've heard of you." "Your father is the one who trains the foals in the imperial stable, right?" "My dad is the best trainer of all." "If you say, he sure is." "He also knows how to dress." "I've seen him before, when he came to see the bed where they were to put you." "He was so elegant, I thought, that he must be from a rodeo." "What is a rodeo?" "Don't you know what a rodeo?" "It's kind of crazy feast they do in Spain." "Silence, I can't sleep when you talk!" "Shut up, you'll have enough sleep." "When you're six feet under, you can sleep as much as you want." "Poor little, they say that he won't walk again." "What?" "That he'll never walk." "Of course I will walk!" "Why shouldn't I walk?" "I will ride a horse like my dad!" "Stupid as a baby bird!" "We'll see." "I've heard you want to ride." "Yup." "In that case, we must do something with those legs." "We'll have to give them strength." "It's a horse or a cow?" "Your mother has left some eggs for you." "When you want one, just tell me and I will tell them to prepare it in the kitchen." "So you have chickens at home, huh?" "Come on, don't cry." "You think that doctor knows anything about horses?" "Here no one can distinguish rye from oats." "The doctor must believe that eggs are grown as potatoes." "Let me go, let me go!" "Leave my arms!" "Hands off me, you animal!" "How dare you call me animal!" "Don't move!" "What are you doing here?" "Have you returned?" "Lower the roof!" "Come down!" "Come down and we'll see the faces!" "But there's no one on the roof." "You are a nurse." "Where am I?" "This is not my hotel." "A hospital!" "This is a hospital!" "Let me go, let me go!" "It is an attack of delirium tremens." "Don't worry, it's harmless." "Although he breaks everything, he never harms anyone." "Sleep, don't be afraid." "Both?" "I just want to give one to that sir." "They give you an egg." "He will give you an egg." "Who, that kid?" "What's your name?" "Adam." "Fine, you can give me an egg." "You're giving out eggs like you have a lot of chickens." "I think you're like your father, too good." "Don't worry, when you're done I can give some." "What is the mill for me after all..." "Poor little, always smiling!" "It's true that you are my boy?" "Yup." "Gee, I wouldn't mind that!" "But I don't like you so much." "Do you feel better now here?" "Tomorrow you'll go to sleep." "And when you wake up the operation is finished and soon you'll be walking." "What is an operation?" "It's nothing special." "They will examine your leg closely, but they won't do you any harm." "You'll see." "You'll sleep and you won't be aware of anything." "First I'll finish my coffee," "I won't lose my head over such thing." "I won't lose my head over such thing." "You hear, Pusku?" "Did you hear what he said?" "That's a man!" "This is what I call courage." "You got scared, a little?" "Yup." "Well you don't have to." "You'll fall asleep at once and you'll wake up in your bed." "He begins to awaken." "Now he opens his eyes." "It's high time." "I thought he'd never wake up." "Now he's looking at us." "He'll still sleep a little longer." "I was beginning to worry, he's been sleeping for three days." "Don't move." "It will soon stop hurting you and you'll be fine." "The worst is behind you." "And behind me, too." "You wanna drink some tea?" "Where's Mr. Ambros?" "Ambros suffers no more, son." "He's gone." "He can finally sleep in peace." "What are you saying?" "How can you talk like this to a kid?" "You're right." "Excuse me." "You're thirsty, right?" "Sure, and there's no inn around!" "Dad!" "Work is waiting for you at home, and you rest, huh?" "They have returned your jockey vest?" "The boss had one left and said he did not want it to get dusty on a hanger." "You'll have to hide the dog." "The head nurse would've been angry if she saw it." "Tell me, who's the General?" "he's talking about it all the time." "It is a spoiled horse whom I'm teaching manners." "Are you gonna take me home with you?" "Very soon, son." "You'll have to learn to move on a wheelchair first and then come home." "Hello!" "What's your name?" "And you?" "Girka." "I was also in the hospital," "I fell off the roof." "I had concussion and I got 15 stitches." "And you?" "Poliomielitis." "And what is that?" "I cannot walk." "Is that chair yours?" "No, its theirs." "And will you take it home?" "I don't know." "They might give it to you." "It's a very nice chair." "You want candy?" "And you, what do you want in return?" "What do you have?" "I have nothing." "Then I'll give you two ... or three." "Girka, do not jump the wall!" "Go back to the other side!" "It's Okay." "Do you think you can catch them?" "Sure!" "Well, then I'm leaving." "All right." "You did it, son." "What have you done?" "But, what have you done?" "I wanted to catch a candy." "And why haven't you called a nurse?" "I just wanted to catch them myself." "With this you'll start walking again." "It will not break, they're as strong as iron." "Lean on the floor with your left leg, which is stronger." "Move gently with the right." "Does it hurt?" "A little bit." "You didn't walk for a while." "You need to rebuild the muscle." "I'll try again." "Great!" "Soon you'll walk much better than me." "I only have two legs and you have three." "And one more for decoration." "Maybe they won't come, it's raining a lot." "Why shouldn't they come?" "If it rains, they will take an umbrella." "Mom!" "Where's Dad?" "Do not worry, your father is downstairs." "He's waiting." "Look what car we've got." "Isn't it nice, huh?" "You'll look like a marquis." "He's a very brave boy." "Best thing is that it's happened at this age." "The kids take it quite well." "And better get used to that." "Don't cry, Mom." "It will heal, you'll see." "I'll walk as before." "And I'll jump puddles like this." "Hey, Mom, Is that cat ours?" "Sure." "He's the son of our black cat, which was so small when you entered the hospital." "Do you remember?" "Yup." "Tomorrow I will walk with crutches." "We'll install horsehair pads so that you don't hurt your arms." "Yes, Dad." "Tomorrow I'll do it." "Finally there are two men in the house." "I will no longer have to work so hard." "The house will be happier with you." "Despite all that's happened he's a happy boy." "The right leg doesn't hurt anymore." "Look what I can do." "It's really funny." "Blessed Virgin!" "One, two, three, four!" "One, two ...!" "Don't take away his crutches!" "Why do you take away the crutches?" "He didn't take them." "Truth is, I gave them to them." "Then they would return them to me." "In return they'll give me ten glass marbles, a lead soldier and two corn cakes." "Mom, look what Adam does!" "He takes the disabled leg and puts it behind his head." "Do you want a cake?" "Here you have two." "Thanks." "Who was that?" "I think it was the son of Adam." "But, didn't they say he was a cripple?" "Yes, he's a cripple." "What would he do if he was healthy!" "Do you need help?" "No, it works fine." "Tell me if you see something strange on the legs of the horse." "I cannot see them." "It makes a longer step with the right rear leg." "Well, it doesn't matter." "I can correct that." "Who has helped you up?" "No one." "It seems impossible, son." "I have to tell your mother." "You know, one day me and your mother will sit in front of the house and we will see a rider." ""Who is this rider?" I'll ask your mother." "And she'll answer:" ""Don't you recognize him?" "It's our little Adam! "" "Hey you, leave us your white horse!" "I cannot, they are waiting for me." "In addition, Adam could get hurt." "You are scared." "I'm not!" "." "Who's scared?" "You." "Me?" "Come on!" "I have to learn horseback riding." "Why don't you leave it to me one day?" "Do you really want to learn?" "But if you cannot even walk well, how do you want to ride?" "Since when you sit on the legs?" "I sit on my bottom." "If you let me, I'll give you this." "Don't help me." "No, don't help him." "Leave me, I'm fine!" "It's great up here." "Moron!" "At first you must learn to ride slowly, then to trot and finally galloping." "I know, I'll be careful." "Leave the car there." "Bring the horse." "You still didn't have enough?" "Of course not." "We have barely begun." "Where do those scratches come from?" "I got into brambles with my chair." "Someone has taken a saddle from the home of the head of the stables." "He says he has been looking for it all over and asked me if I had not forgotten it in the inn." "If I would have taken it I would not have taken the yellow one." "You can see it from more than one kilometer." "If this continues, the boy will be healed and we'll get crippled." "Hey, wait!" "How many times have you fallen today?" "Not once." "Once maybe." "That's because you have bad shoes." "If you want to ride, you need riding boots." "Try not to fall again." "I told the boss that almost every night a rider comes to the stables and trains his horse." "They have realized that the noise of hooves is heard." "The boss wants to prepare a trap to catch him." "Nothing." "We haven't found anything." "Your father could be wrong." "Oh my God!" "Isn't your leg enough?" "You wanna break you ribs too?" "Please, ma'am Tuvekova, don't say anything to my parents." "It's a secret until Sunday." "I don't know, if I won't tell them." "Who is this rider riding so well?" "It's our son, our son Adam." "THE END"