"FILMEXPORT HOME VIDEO Presents" "A Novel by Bozena Nemcova" "THE GRANDMOTHER" "Screenplay by" "Artistic Cooperation" "Music by Director of Photography" "Architect Assistant" "Set Designer Director's Assistant" "Film Editor / Sound Editor" "Still Photographer" "Made in the Studios Copies Made by" "Sound System" "In Lead Roles" "Cast" "Produced by Executive in Charge of Production" "Directed by" "It has been long, so long since I last looked in her meek face." "Since I kissed her pale, wrinkled cheeks." "Since I gazed into her blue eyes, so kind and loving." "That good old woman is no more." "She has been resting in the cold ground for many long years." "Yet for me, she will never die." "Grandmother had a son and two daughters." "The eldest daughter lived in Vienna for many years, where she also married." "Grandmother received a letter from Vienna one day, conveying news to her that her daughter's husband has entered the services of a duchess holding a large dominion in Bohemia." "A devout request was stated towards the end of the letter, asking Grandmother to come and to live with them for good." "Grandmother burst into tears." "Her heart drew her to her daughter and grandchildren she has never seen, yet her life was tied to a small cottage, the only life she ever knew." "But blood is not water and desire overcame her old ways and Grandmother decided to go." "Whoa!" "We're here." "Will our grandmother bring us something?" " She's ours, not yours!" "And she's coming to stay with us!" "I see her!" " Hurry home, Grandmother is coming!" "Grandmother is coming!" "Grandmother is coming!" "Mummy, Grandmother is coming!" "Mummy, Grandmother is here!" " Really?" " She is here!" "Now behave yourselves, children." "Don't you bother Grandmother." "John, Grandmother is here!" "What is she like?" " She must be nice." " And kind." "Mother!" "My dear daughter, I haven't seen you so long." "You have become such a lady, I hardly recognized you." "As if you weren't born in a cottage." "My dear Terrie." " Mother." "And this must be John." "And is this the youngest?" " Adeline." "God bless you, my dear." "And where are the others?" " Why aren't you greeting Grandmother?" "Well, didn't you hear?" "Did you hurt yourself, my boy?" " No." "My dearest children." "How I longed to see you." "You must be Barunka." "What beautiful eyes you have." "One can see the heaven in them." "And what can you see in my eyes, Grandmother?" "Ten little devils." "Just you wait, I'll tell them you want to look into Grandmother's pouch." "Let him, I will show you everything." "Look at what I have here." "Come, Adeline." "You see, here is my rosary." "A knife." " You could make fine whistles with it." "Here's a strap and dry bread crusts that are too hard for my old teeth." "And here..." " Marzipan." "Horses for you two and dolls for you and Adeline." "There's something else I brought." "Where did I put it?" "There it is." "Fetch it for me, Barunka." "Chickens!" " They are tame and if Barunka teaches them, they'll follow her like puppies." "And there's something else for you." " Yippee, kittens." "They are May kittens, four-coloured." "They say they bring luck to the house." " That's enough for now, children." "Grandmother must be tired from the trip and she should rest." "Who said that I'm tired?" " Come, Mother." "You will lie down for a moment." " What?" "Lie down?" "Before the sun sets?" "I'm not that old to lie in bed all the livelong day." "Laziness can cost one dearly." " Come, Mother," "I'll show you round the house." "Look at what we got, Daddy." " Grandmother is kind, isn't she?" "She's the kindest of all grandmothers." "Praise the Lord." " Forever, amen." "Your house is like a palace, children." "I don't want to dirty the floor." " Come in and sit down." "My goodness, that frightened me." "What devilish tricks!" " Don't be afraid, it won't break." "Go to blazes!" "Who would sit in such a seesaw." "It may be good for you, but not for me." "Aren't you afraid of our Lord?" "Why it's a sin to live like this!" "And what's this?" " A glass-case, Mother." "Look at all the gadgets." "What strange things people think up!" "One would think a song-bird was inside." "It sounds like heavenly voices." "You can play well." "You almost made me cry." "How do you like our house, Mother?" "It's very nice." "Very nice." "But I somehow feel like a stranger." "As if I weren't in Bohemia at all." "I understand, Mother, but don't you worry." "We have a room for you, where you'll feel quite at home." "I will show it to you." "And where's the oven?" " Here in the pantry." "The stairs leading to the attic are over there and this is your room." "Could I sleep with Grandmother, Mummy?" "Of course you can, if your mother allows you." "Can we too?" " But, children, you all cannot sleep with your grandmother." "You!" " Tell him to leave me alone, Mummy." "You should be ashamed of yourself." " You'd better pick up the crumbs." "And throw them in the oven." "One shouldn't tread crumbs." "Why not, Grandmother?" "Because it makes the souls in purgatory cry." "This is your new home." "Barunka will be here with you." "May the Lord reward you well, my dear." "I'd be afraid to sit down in your fancy room." "I'm glad you like it here." "Wait, let me help you." "Oh no." "You've got your house to keep." "Go about your own work." "I'll take care of myself." "If you need anything, Mother, just call." "What have you got in your chest, Grandmother?" "You'd like to know, wouldn't you?" "Let me show you." "These are all fairings and pictures from fairs and pilgrimages." "This one is from Vamberice and this is Our Lady of Stara Boleslav." "And that is Our Lady of Svata Hora." "I went as far as there." " And what's in here?" "Your late grandfather gave me these garnets on our wedding." "And Emperor Joseph himself gave me this thaler!" "And what's this, Grandmother?" "These are silver coins, which your mother and aunt sent me to support me." "Everything will be yours after I die." "And where are these clothes from, Grandmother?" "I have this canvas skirt for fifty years." "And your great-grandmother used to wear this jacket." "It cost 100 Rhenish guldens, but bankozettels were valid back then." "And this apron is as old as your mother." "Everything is as good as new, while your clothes are torn in no time." "That's because you do not know the value of money." "Why are your hands so shrivelled, Grandmother?" "From hard work, sonny." "And why is you hair so white?" "Because I'm old." "When you grow old, you too will look different." "Who's that singing?" "It's mad Viktorka singing by the weir." "Mad?" "Poor woman." "Well, children, you've troubled Grandmother long enough, it's time to wash up before dinner." " But we're not hungry yet." "They mustn't get used to it, else you won't get rid of them." "I was looking forward to see them for so many years." "Let's go, boys." "Dinner will be ready in a moment, Mother." "In the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit." "Our Lord in heaven, may you bring peace to this house." "May you give health to all and your blessing." "Our Father, who art in heaven..." "Good morning." " Good morning, Ursie." "Chick-chick-chick!" "Chick-chick-chick!" "Tyrl!" "Sultan!" "You rascals!" "Stop it and to your kennels!" "Get out of my sight!" "Chick-Chick-Chick!" "Good morning, Grandmother!" " Good morning, Jacob!" "Wake up, my dear, it's time to get up." "The cock has walked around the hen house nine times and you're still asleep, aren't you ashamed of yourself?" "Did you sleep well, Christa?" " Not much." "The warden and the scribe were here long into the night again." "I'd..." " Christa!" "Father!" "Will you come tonight?" " I will." "What was all that about, eh?" "Can't I even talk to anyone?" " You can!" "This way you'll have your name bandied about!" "But smiling at the gents from the chateau is alright, isn't it?" "They are our guests and our livelihood!" "If you had a proper man, he'd stand up for you and lend a helping hand." "I'll get married then, Daddy." " I'd have to find you a husband first." "But not him!" "Pick up the feather, Barunka." "But what good is one feather, Grandmother?" "My dear, one feather to another and you'll have enough for a feather-bed." "Remember that a good housewife ought to jump over a fence for a single feather." "Visitors!" "The warden's wife and the excise officer's wife are coming!" "Fetch bread and salt, Barunka, we must welcome them." "Welcome." "What a pleasant surprise!" "We were walking by and we thought we'd wish you a good morning." "Praise the Lord." "This is my mother." " We've brought godsend to welcome the ladies." "Thank you." " We don't eat bread." "Won't you come in?" " Thank you, but we should be going." "Don't feel offended, ladies, my mother has rather old-fashioned ways." "Nobs." "Godsend isn't good enough for them." "Mother." "Don't be angry at me, Mother, but next time the ladies come..." "Do you want to upbraid me for offering them bread and salt in the old way?" "I'm not upbraiding you for anything, Mother, but it's against their gentle manners." " Let me tell you something, Terrie." "Who does not accept bread and salt from me is not worthy of being offered a chair." "Do as you wish, I don't understand these new ways of yours." "Don't be angry at me, Mother, I meant no harm." "I know, Terrie, you are good." "But the times are evil." "People have genteel manners and gibe at good old Czech customs." "I'm not angry at you, Terrie." "Come, Viktorka, my mother will give you clothes and you can stay with us." "Poor girl." " Grandmother, why doesn't Viktorka ever have a nice dress, not even on Sunday?" "Why doesn't she ever speak?" " She is mad, you see." "What is it like when someone is mad?" "He doesn't have a clear head." " What does he do then?" "He doesn't speak to anyone, wears shabby clothes." "He lives in the woods all year long." "He laughs or cries all for naught." "Like Viktorka." " At night too?" "Indeed." "She sings by the weir long into the night and then sleeps in the woods." "Isn't she afraid of jack-o-lanterns or the water sprite?" "There's no water sprite, Daddy said so." "We've used the wood from the glade for the new mill-race." "Why don't you take some more round timber then." "You can put it under the shed by the mill-race." "Oh no, high water would flush it away in spring." "Or Kudrna would have firewood for winter." "It's more than my purse can afford." "You're a forester, the Lord gives you wood, but I have to pay for it!" "Where is Polly all morning?" "She's playing with the kids at Kudrna's cottage." "Come in and don't be afraid." "How nice to see you!" "You're late for lunch." "You won't get lunch." "We didn't leave you anything." "I'm not hungry, I already ate." " You did?" "What did you have for lunch?" " Just potatoes." "Potatoes?" "Your father said you'll have a hare." "A hare?" "I hope your father isn't poaching?" "Yes, we had a hare and it was so tasty we licked our lips." "It wasn't a hare, it was a cat." "Daddy got it at Red Hill." "She was fat like a pig." "Mummy made lard for Daddy to rub in his chest." "The blacksmith's wife told him it keeps consumption away." "Save our souls!" "They eat cats!" "If you only knew how tasty they are." "Squirrels are even better." "We sometimes have crows too." " But I don't like them." "Enough!" "Phew!" "Shiver runs down my spine." "Polly, you ungodly girl!" "Don't you dare to eat them hares at Kudrna's cottage again!" "Go and wash up!" "Don't you touch anything!" "Why make so much fuss about it." "One never knows what can make a girl plump." "Tastes differ." "Who knows if I don't invite myself to a squirrel feast one day." "With talk like that, I won't let you in!" "I feel pressure in my chest." "Do you have a bit of that hare left, Cecile?" "Or perhaps an old crow." "I wouldn't say no to it." "By Jove!" "I would honestly bake an old crow on peas for him, if I were you, gammer." "He'd truly deserve it, heathen." "Welcome, Grandmother, come in and take a seat." "Hurry up and clean up your doodles, Father!" "If it isn't the Reisenburg forester." "Welcome, Grandmother." "Come, children!" "Here, Betty, take it outside, it should keep you busy." "What a helping!" "You shouldn't give them so many cakes, they just had lunch." "Children have stomachs like goats." "Ready?" " Ready!" "Got you!" "The children are horsing around again." "See what they're up to." "Let them horse-play." "Children are children." "We were just the same." "You said you met the duchess." "Tell us how it went." "Her Grace was horse riding with Comtesse Hortensia and that count, who is visiting them." "I see, it must be the comtesse's wooer." "So I've heard." "Though it seems the comtesse isn't very happy about it." "She seemed sad and when I told her about Viktorka she burst into tears." "You told her about Viktorka?" " Yes, they met her in the woods." "And she startled the comtesse." "Tells us her story as well." "How did it all happen?" "Well, if you want to listen, I will tell you then." "Viktorka is the daughter of one farmer from Zernov." "Her parents died long ago, but her brother and sister are still alive." "Fifteen years ago Viktorka was as sound as a roach." "There was not a prettier girl far and near and wooers were coming and going all the time." "Yet, people said she was proud and that she was waiting for a prince to take her away in a carriage." "Jaegers came to the village at that time." "I can't even get a good night's rest or pray, because his eyes keep haunting me." "What got into your head?" "You can't imagine how he makes me suffer." "If a wooer would come now, for all as poor as church mouse," "I'd marry him downright." "If only he's from another village!" "I'm not staying here any longer!" "I can't as long as he is here!" "And you never said a word to him?" "No, not a word." "And did he send you something to eat?" "An apple or something like that?" "No, gammer, nothing." "Nothing at all." "Nobody from the village talks to him." "They say he's proud and a loner." "You'll wear this amulet all the time." "Every morning, when you get up don't forget to sprinkle yourself with holy water." "And say:" "Lord bless me and keep evil away." "And when you go through the fields, don't look back or around!" "Pay no heed even if he spoke like an angel." "He can charm you with his voice." "And if he starts speaking, clap your hands to your ears." "Remember!" "If you don't feel any better in a few days, come again." "I love you so much." "I loved you at first sight." "I won't leave you here." "You'll come with me and we'll be happy together." "And I was so afraid of you." "The blacksmith's wife gave me an amulet." "To protect me from your eyes." "They say your eyes can bewitch anyone." "Only love is magic." "Believe nothing else." "I'll go with you even if you take me to hell." "Heavens!" "I won't leave you here." "You'll come with me and we'll be happy together." "Viktorka disappeared." "Later I learned from the chamberlain of Her Grace that she lived a happy life with the jaeger, full of love." "However, he was killed in a duel because of her." "And Viktorka went mad as she lost the man she loved." "Shepherds brought news to the village one day that they saw a woman in the woods as tall and as black-haired as Viktorka." "Her clothes were ladylike and must've been fine once." "Sleep, my baby, sleep." "Well, Grandmother, this is the whole story of Viktorka, as I have heard it in part from the late blacksmith's wife and in part from Viktorka's sister." "One must say that you can tell stories like some writer." "I'd keep listening to you all day and forget I've got children with me and that the sun is setting." "The band started playing at the inn." "What if I take you round the floor to some lively tune, Mother?" "I'm too old, walking to Svatonovice to a lively tune is enough for me." "I'd like to go there myself." "I've heard a lot about it, they say it's a famous fair." "It's quite far, Grandmother." " The more people, the shorter the trip." "I'd keep up with the procession, it doesn't move fast." "By Jove!" "What a jolly company." "Farewell, Grandmother, don't forget to call on us." "Farewell." " I'll go with you a little way." "Lead the way, children." "Hands off, young man, I'm not for sale." "You see them gents, of course they covet a girl like her." "But they can't think the Lord let her grow up for them sinners." "Kladsko lies in those mountains." "I know every path there and your mother was born there." "Vamberice and Varta are there." "I've spent a good many happy years there." "What's the name of the small church, Grandmother?" "That's Bousin." "We will go there to the fair one day, God willing." "Tell us about that deaf and dumb little girl, Grandmother." "Very well, listen." "The Turin Castle used to stand in those woods a long time ago." "A knight lived in the castle, who had a little daughter." "She was a pretty girl, though, unfortunately, she was deaf and dumb." "One day she decided to look at white cloudlets from the Bousin Court." "She ran from the castle through the woods to Bousin and got lost." "She dropped on her knees by a spring well and prayed to the Lord to show her the way from the woods." "All of a sudden a miracle happened." "The deaf girl heard a strange sound." "More and more, louder and louder." "She wanted to run and suddenly, a white lamb was running towards her." "Then a second, third and fourth, sheep came, until a whole flock was by the spring well and it was followed by shepherd Barta with his dog." "For the first time since her birth, the girl cried out: "Barta!"" "Shepherd Barta was so happy to see that the girl could speak and hear." "He took her in his arms and carried her to the castle." "To show their gratitude, her parents built a small church by the spring well." "They are all gone today." "The Turin Castle was ruined." "Only the small church by the spring well is still standing." "What happened to the sheep and the dog?" "Well, the dog perished, so did the old sheep, young lambs grew up and had lambs again." "And that's how it goes in the world, dear children." "One passes away, another is born." "Look, Grandmother, a knight!" " Those are no knights, you silly." "Her Grace is riding up here!" " Who knows, what you really see." "A horse can't climb up here." "Greet Her Grace as it is proper." "Praise the Lord." " Forever, amen." "Are these Prosek's children?" " Yes, Your Grace." "Then you must be their grandmother." " I'm their mother's mother." "You should be happy." "You have fair and healthy grandchildren." "Where did you pick the lovely strawberries?" "They are fresh, the children picked them along the way." "Make yourself welcome with them, Your Grace." "I used to like them very much when I was young." "But since my child died, I've never touched them." "Why?" " Just between you and me, Your Grace." "When a mother loses a child, she eats no strawberries till midsummer night." "On that day Virgin Mary gives out fruit to children in heaven." "To the child, whose mother did not fast, she will say:" "'There's none left for you, poor child, as your mother ate it."" "I shall not have any." "Please do, Your Grace, or take them home with you, we will pick some more." "Very well, but you will come for your basket to the chateau tomorrow with your grandmother." "Alright?" " We will!" "But, Your Grace." " You won't refuse me, will you?" "I will see you tomorrow then." " God speed you, Your Grace." "We're going to the chateau, Grandmother!" "You should have put on my black dress." "The Lord would have to punish an old woman like me if I wanted to dress out." "Why I'd look like a frump in them and it would not become my old horse sense." "Behave yourselves in the chateau, children!" "Don't you touch anything." "And kiss Her Grace's hand." "Don't you worry, dear." "Let's go, children." "Goodbye." " Goodbye, Mother." "I can't wait to see the chateau, Grandmother." "Daddy said Her Grace has beautiful paintings there." "And a parrot that talks." "You'll be surprised, Grandmother." "By Jove!" "Are you in such a hurry to a wedding or a feast?" "We're going to the chateau." " Her Grace invited us." "Even you, you little angel?" "I wonder whether you can speak properly at all?" " I can." "Say:" "Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers." "You're laughing now, but what will you say when Her Grace asks you, where a finch points its beak?" " She won't." "You little rascal, it seems you'll get further up than to the reeve's house." "Good day, Leopold." " What brings you here, Mr. Prosek?" "Look at all the beauty." " Don't stamp, children." "Her Grace wished my mother-in-law and my children to visit her." "Announce Her Grace that they are here, please." "I don't know, whether Her Grace will want to see them, she's in the study." "I can announce them though." "Children, you know how to behave." "Bow, children." "Praise the Lord." "Forever, amen." "Welcome." "Sit down, Grandmother." "Thank you, Your Grace, I'm not tired." "Do sit down, please." "I will sit down then not to offend Your Grace." "Do you like my chateau?" " Yes." "And you?" " It's like being in heaven." "I wouldn't like to live her though." "Why not?" " What would I do here?" "You have no farmstead and I couldn't bring my spinning wheel here." "What would I do?" "Wouldn't you like to have no troubles and enjoy your well-earned rest?" "It will be sooner than later that the sun will rise and set above my head." "And I'll rest in peace." "As long as I live, though, and the Lord gives me health, it is proper for me to work." "Laziness can cost one dearly." "May I?" " Come in, Hortensia." "What charming children." "They must be Mr. Prosek's." "This is for your strawberries." "What a fresh bud, just like you, Your Ladyship." "Afortunate man who will marry you one day." "May I take the children out?" " Of course." "But the boys are like little devils." "I don't mind." "Would you like to come with me?" " Oh, yes!" "Goodbye for now." "What a beautiful young lady." "Yet she is a bit pale, as if something is troubling her." "May the Lord save her, Your Grace." "It is my devout wish as well." "Good heavens, look at all the strange faces and costumes." "This lady is dressed just like late Mrs. Halaskova." "Her husband was a councillor in Dobruska." "It is my grandmother." " No wonder." "She is a fine lady." "My grandfather is on the left and my father on the right." "And where is your mother?" " This is my mother." "Afine lady, a pleasure for the eyes." "You don't resemble your father or your mother at all." "It sometimes happens that children take after some distant relative." "Lora, Lora!" "My grandmother will take me to Svatonovice with the procession." "Do you go to fairs with processions?" " No." "But when I stayed with my foster-mother in Florence," "I was a maid of honour at the Madonna festival." "Who is that Madonna?" "That's how they call the Virgin Mary in Italy." "Is Florence in Italy too?" " Yes." "Here it is." "Florence." "It must be a beautiful town." "Do you have any more relatives there?" "No, just my foster-mother Giovanna." "Why are you crying?" "I remembered someone." " Who?" "Someone, who painted this picture." "And whom I will never see again." " Why?" "Because I will never return to Florence." "I keep chatting and telling stories as if I was roving with gammers, Your Grace." "It was quite pleasant." "I wish I had a friend like you, Grandmother." "Who would always be sincere to me." "Well, a sincere talk is sometimes pleasant and sometimes not and friendship ends." " You are quite right." "From now on you can come here at any time and tell me anything." "And should you come with a wish, be sure that if it is in my powers," "I shall fulfil it." "Look, Grandmother, what Miss Hortensia gave me." "And we got a book full of pictures." " And I got a doll." "You don't say!" "Did you thank for all the gifts?" " We did." "Take it, Grandmother, Miss Hortensia gave me money for Kudrna's children and I could lose it." "May the Lord reward you well, Your Ladyship." "They can buy some clothes now." " I'll add something myself." "To help them." " You would do a good turn, if you help those poor people, Your Grace." "But not by alms." "Alms don't last long." "I know that Kudrna would like to work as a watchman or a thresher." "This way you would help him and yourself as well by getting a hard and loyal worker." "I shall take care of that." "Let's have something to eat now, shall we?" "Don't stamp, children, don't be so noisy." "What a fortunate woman!" "What a bizarre caprice to talk with a common old woman." "Athousand greetings to you, Our Lady!" "Can you show me where Turin is, where the deaf and dumb girl lived?" "If you're in a procession, you must have the Lord in your mind and think of nothing else." "Sing or pray in silence." "You are the grace of heaven!" "To you the whole world bows!" "You are the first after Our Lord!" "We honour and praise you foremost!" "Give us your blessing, Our Lady!" "We pray to you with devoted hearts!" "You are our safest haven!" "Praise the Lord, the mightiest of all!" "I do not know when we will return." "Give my regards to Grandmother." "Love and kisses to all, John." "Don't be sad, Terrie." "Nothing doing, you knew it when you married him that he would accompany Her Grace to Vienna." "You must put up with it with patience." "Who knows when he'll return now that Comtesse Hortensia is ill." "Poor child." "Just when she was to be engaged to that count." "Perhaps they didn't even ask her, whether she loves him." "Recruiters." "Poor Christa, you're better off than her." "She won't see Jacob for fourteen years." "I must make a cross on his forehead." "I'm scared, Grandmother." "Don't be afraid, my dear, pray to the Lord to protect you." "Praise the Lord." "Terrible weather." "One wouldn't turn a dog out." "Lord bless us." "Our Father, who art in heaven..." "The Lord loved her." "Let us wish her eternal peace." "She didn't suffer." "You will never die, Grandmother, will you?" "All in good time, my dear." "God will take me one day." "I'm like the apple-tree." "We are both old." "We will perish together." "You'll stay with us, won't you, Daddy?" "We would miss you very much." "And will you take us with you in that beautiful sled in winter and put bells on the horses?" "Will you take me to Vienna one day, Daddy?" "Of course." " Let your father get some rest, children." "At home at last!" " Welcome." "I welcome you!" "We missed you a lot." "Look what I brought you." "I caught a bigger one." "What would I do with this one?" "Put it on your nose, you little rascal." "Tell us how it went in Vienna?" "I forgot to ask, whether Comtesse Hortensia is in good health now?" "They say she is." "But I don't think so." "Did she come with you?" " Of course." "You're so pale." "What's the matter?" " Nothing, Grandmother." "Well, if the Lord sends illness on someone, there's little one can do." "We all felt so sorry for you, and prayed to the Lord to restore your health." "You are so kind, Grandmother." "You know what I would like, Grandmother?" "I would like to paint you, with your permission of course." "And old woman like me?" "That wouldn't be proper, Your Ladyship." "Do it for me and for the children to have something to remember you." "Very well, if you wish." "I beg you not to tell anyone." "Else they'd say I'm becoming foppish." "And where did you learn it?" "Good heavens!" "It's the valley above the weir!" "And this is Viktorka, may she rest in peace!" "Did you draw this as well?" "No, I got this picture from a painter, who was my teacher in Florence." "Is it him?" "It seems Her Grace is coming for me." "Perhaps I was mistaken." "Her Grace will come here?" "Yes, she promised to pick me up." "It's as if the Lord sends her here." "I would like to ask her something, though, I don't know whether I may." "Don't be afraid, I myself will put in a word for them if need be." "Her Grace!" "Grandmother would like to ask you something, don't refuse her." "She wishes to plead for unfortunate lovers." "Help her, please." "Good day, Grandmother." " Welcome at Stare Belidlo," "Your Grace." " Who is it you wish to plead for." "I told you before I shall gladly fulfil any wish that you may have." "I know you wouldn't plead for those who are unworthy." "I wouldn't dare, Your Grace." "They recruited the lad of innkeeper's Christa." "They were to wed soon." "And you would like him to return home." "Isn't it the girl over which our scribe quarrelled?" "It is her, Your Grace." "Is she really so pretty?" " She's an eyeful of a girl, Your Grace." "She'll carry the corona at the harvest festival, you will see her then." "Yet, suffering does not beautify." "When a girl suffers because of love, her head is down like a wilted blossom." "However, a single word can bring her to life and she'll be happy as before." "Miss Hortensia seems also rather pale." "When, God willing, she sees her land and all that is dear to her heart, her cheeks will be like rose buds." "We shall take care of the lovers." "Come to the chateau tomorrow at this hour." "There's something I want to ask you." "Good speed you, Your Grace." "Yesterday, you told Hortensia that when she returned to her land and saw what was dear to her heart, her cheeks would become rosy." "You stressed the words so much that I couldn't oversee it." "Was I wrong or did you say it on purpose?" "I said it on purpose." "I wear my heart on my sleeve." "I wanted to prompt Your Grace." "An early word often works miracles." "Did Hortensia tell you something?" " Good Lord, no!" "The comtesse is not of the sort who show off their tears." "Yet, who himself suffered, understands." "I found out myself." " What did you find out?" "It's nothing evil, there was no need to sweep out the devil." "Well, it came to my mind, Your Grace, that Miss Hortensia didn't want to marry that count." "I was watching her yesterday and I almost cried." "We looked at the nice pictures she drew, when I came across a picture which, as Miss Hortensia told me, her teacher gave her." "Old people are curious." "Like children." "So I asked her, whether it was him on the picture." "She blushed to the roots of her hair and said nothing." "Her eyes filled with tears." "And this was enough for me." "Your Grace will best know, whether I am right." "It is strange I haven't noticed anything." "She was so happy, so compliant, she never talked about him." "Well, people are of different nature." "One shows happiness and pain to the whole world." "The other holds it inside all one's life." "And takes it to the grave." "Thank you, Grandmother, I wouldn't have found the right path without you." "Your Grace, what we promised we did with God's helping hand." "This year's harvest comes to an end, and we made this corona as its token." "I bring you this corona and wish you on behalf of us all may you have as many scores, as this corona has grains." "May you have as many yields, as this corona has weeds." "May your be as spry, as this corona has rye." "May you be blessed by the Lord at this time and for good." "Vivat!" " Vivat!" "On behalf of all the servants, I give you this harvest bouquet, with ears of rye and corn may the Lord bless your home." "Thank you all for your wishes." "The warden will see to that you all feast to your heart's content." "Vivat!" "Are you thresher Kudrna?" " Yes, Your Grace, I am most grateful." "And I want to thank you for all your kindness in the name of my kids." "You should thank Grandmother, not me." "If it were not for her I wouldn't have learned about your poverty." "And as to you, my dear child, I am especially grateful for your wish." "Maybe I can ingratiate myself best if I find a lad for you to dance with." "Leopold." "Good heavens!" "Jacob!" "And I have a small surprise for you as well." "Let's go, I can't bear looking at all this!" "Grandmother stole a march on us!" "Thank you for everything, Grandmother." "If it weren't for you, we'd be lost." " Don't thank me." "I only mentioned you two, Her Grace helped and the Lord gave His blessing." "Go and love each other." "Grandmother!" "What are you doing?" "It's not fit and proper." "I know what I'm doing." "I know what you did for me." "I'm going to Florence!" "God bless you." "And may you be happy." " Grandmother!" "You're my dear grandmother!" "The young grew up and grew older." "Some left the valley, seeking their happiness elsewhere, like seeds drifting in the wind." "Grandmother did not leave the valley, where she found her second home." "Not a single leaf." "Not a budlet." "Is that you, Barunka?" "No, it's me, Adeline." "Barunka hasn't come yet." "She didn't come." "My feet are so weak." "I can't even walk to church to pray to the Lord." "You see, my dear, every animal is grateful when one loves it." "Go and look if Barunka isn't coming, Adeline." "I won't see Barunka ever again." "How I'd love to see her once more." "Tell them to let the apple-tree stand for a little while." "Barunka!" "Grandmother!" "Barunka, my dear child," "I lived to see you once more after all." "I had a beautiful dream last night." "I dreamt your grandfather George came for me." "I was afraid I'd never see you again." "Grandmother." "I wanted to tell you something." "Never forget the land, where you come from." "It is the mother of us all." "Don't forget what your grandmother used to tell you." "Remember that you are the blood of my blood." "I will never forget, Grandmother." "The End"