Episode 1 Five Children and It

-Oh, look! That's it.

-Oh, isn't it white!

EXCITED CHATTERING

MOTHER: Well, here we are.

-Come on, Cyril. Quick.

-Be careful now.

Hurry up! Hello.

-Be careful!

-Come on!

Let's get this stuff inside.

Martha! We're still in a state.

Oh, my Lamb... This is better than London.

CHILDREN SHOUT JOYFULLY

Oh, it's lovely. Magic. A magic bower.

-Talking to yourself, Anthea?

-It doesn't always mean you're mad.

-I found a rabbit hutch.

-Any rabbits in it?

-No, but I'll wish for one.

-Jane, it's no good just wishing.

-Come on, Bobs. Let's explore.

Look sharp now. Madam's going back to the station.

It all seems such a muddle. Don't you worry, Ma'am.

I told the children to be good. Especially Master Robert.

And I've told them to look after their little brother sometimes.

It ain't the Lamb that's any trouble, Ma'am.

-We're free!

-Wonderful! Freedom!

-Look, I've found a path.

-Have you been down here before?

This must be the place Father told me about.

-It's thousands of years old.

-Really?

-It's funny.

-Sort of empty, but not empty.

Well, darlings, will it do? ALL REPLY AT ONCE

-There's a sandy place. Just like the seaside.

-Oh?

I'm SO pleased you like it.

Before you go, Ma'am, I shall have to know what's what.

Are they allowed to play anywhere?

-Oh, please!

-We've been stuck in London for ages!

-Please!

-Are they to be let go, Ma'am?

Oh, I think so, Martha.

I'm sure nothing can happen here.

Now, it's time I was going. Be good, darlings.

I'll be back as soon as ever I can.

Look after Jane. And Robert...be good.

-Have a good journey.

-I'm wishing she's back soon.

Bye-bye, darlings! Bye-bye!

-Goodbye!

-Goodbye, Mother!

-All right, Master Robert?

-Yes, Martha.

-We start digging for Australia first thing tomorrow!

-Yes.

-Yes.

-Here they come.

-Hope they've got lemonade.

-They've got the Lamb.

Oh, no!

-Is this it?

-Oh, he's asleep.

-Doesn't look like the seaside.

-Father said it was once.

-There might be shells and fossils thousands of years old.

-Come on!

-There!

-I think you've made it too big.

-Do they walk upside down?

-What?

-In Australia.

-Australia's too far. It's a castle now.

-You need the sea coming in.

-I'm going to look for fossils.

-Help us to build up the ramparts.

A spade...

Ah-h-h-h-h! There's something there!

-A snake?

-I'm not afraid of snakes.

-I could tame it.

-You couldn't!

Don't be silly. It's not a snake. It's got feet and fur. I saw them.

You'll hurt it. Look, I know this sounds silly, but it spoke.

-It really did.

-Come off it!

-It DID.

-It said, "You let me alone."

-You've gone off your nut!

Ah-h-h... Not the fur again!

-You let me alone!

-We wish you'd come out.

Well, if that's your wish...

CREATURE PUFFS AND PANTS

SPLUTTERING AND COUGHING

I must have dropped off asleep.

What is it?

Is it that hat that makes her talk nonsense?

Please don't be cross. We just want to know...

-who you are.

-You don't know?!

Do you mean to say you don't know a Psammead when you see one?

(What's a Psammead?)

-That's Greek to me.

-Well, in plain English - a sand-fairy.

A fairy?!

-Of course!

-We can see that now.

-Hmph!

-Don't go. I didn't know you were a sand-fairy.

-but I knew you were wonderful. Please, don't go.

-Oh, all right.

If you talk to me nicely, perhaps I'll answer you. Say something!

(Say something.)

Er...how long have you lived here?

Oh, ages. Several thousand years.

-Oh, tell us about it.

-Please!

-We don't know anything about you.

-I am the last of the Psammeads.

What happened to the others?

The nasty, wet, bubbling sea came in.

When a sand-fairy gets wet, it catches cold and dies.

And did YOU get wet?

Only once. The end of my twelfth whisker.

I can still feel it sometimes.

-Are pterodactyls plentiful now?

-(What?)

What do you have for breakfast?

-Porridge.

-And toast and things.

In those days, sand-fairies could grant wishes.

Wishes...

Children would wish for a pterodactyl for breakfast.

-But they're enormous!

-I could...

-I haven't finished.

What was left at sunset turned to stone.

Of course! Fossils!

Now I'm not going to tell you another thing.

Oh, just one more. Please!

-Can you still give wishes?

-Yes.

You wished I'd come out. And I did.

-May we have another?

-All right.

But hurry up. I'm tired of you.

-Come on.

-What do we wish for?

-You're the oldest.

There is one we talked about...

Be quick!

-Go on.

-I wish we were all as beautiful as the day.

Tchhhhhhhh harrrrr... Paaaaaaaaa!

It's no good. I'm out of practice.

-Good!

-Please, try again.

You've already had one wish.

I can only manage one a day.

Oh, please!

-It will hurt itself.

-No, it won't.

Hmmmmmmmmmm! Pffffff...

That's all right. It will be easier tomorrow.

-Did it hurt much?

-Only my whisker. Good-day!

-Have you seen...?

-Anthea?! I know that darn in your pinafore.

-Jane?

-Cyril?

-Crikey!

-The wish!

-How do I look?

-Well...I liked you better before.

-You all look like Christmas cards!

Oh, no! The Lamb!

-He's just the same.

-He's too young for wishes.

How long will we look like this?

Robert, I've just had an awful thought.

-Sunset...

-What?

-The pterodactyls turned to stone!

-So what?

-What if WE turned to stone?

-CRYING

He doesn't know me.

-He's our baby.

-You wished it.

-Suppose we stay like this.

-Or turn to stone!

-It's HER fault!

-It is my fault.

It's no good rowing. I want some dinner.

It's all right, puss-cat. Come on!

X marks the spot.

Thanks be, you're safe back.

Where are the others? And who are all of you?

-We're us.

-And who's "us"?

-Us. We're beautiful as the day.

Clear off!

Go on, then.

-Look, Martha...

-Clear off, I said.

-I'm Cyril and we're jolly hungry.

-Let us in.

-Well, I never! Drat your impudence!

-Martha!

-Martha!

-Let us in. It's US.

-YOU again!

-I'm Anthea and I'm ravenous. It's past dinner-time.

Then go home to your dinners, whoever you are!

Hoi! >

I'll fetch the police to you!

We'll get sent to prison!

You don't go to prison for being beautiful.

Clear off, you little varmints!

Ahhhhh!

Well, we just sit here till sunset, I suppose. And see what happens.

'We're all going to turn to stone. I know we are.'

'If we do come out all right,

'we'll ask if the servants won't notice anything.'

'I can't feel my foot. It's turned to stone!

'Oh, no... Perhaps it's just gone to sleep.'

'The sand-fairy will give us another wish tomorrow.

'It would know if we're going to turn to stone.'

Am I here? Ouch! I must be.

We're back to ourselves again!

-Cyril...Robert.

-Ow!

-We're not stone!

-What a relief!

-How nice and ugly you look.

-I hated you all being beautiful.

-Come on, ugly mugs. Supper!

Where have you been? In a ditch by the look of you!

-Four good dinners wasted!

-We did try to come back.

And what stopped you? Did I(?) You'll be lucky to GET any supper!

Go on! And clean yourselves up first.

-They were a good-looking lot, I must say. But impudent!

-I know.

-And where were you all that time? Naughty things!

-Um...in the lane.

-The children kept us there.

-We hated them.

Well, if you see them again, don't speak to them.

You come and you tell me. I'll spoil their beauty for 'em.

-Yippee!

-We don't have the Lamb to push. And Martha's in town.

-What will we wish today?

-Not to be beautiful!

Oh, please let it be there.

Right... Keep back!

SPLUTTERS

How's your whisker this morning?

It had a restless night.

Are you up to giving wishes?

-We'd like a little extra wish.

-What is it?

-We don't want the maids to notice.

-If you don't mind.

And thank you very much.

Done! What's today's wish?

-We want to be rich. Beyond the dreams of...

-Avarice.

-In gold?

-Yes, please! Millions of it!

-This place full be enough?

-Oh, yes!

Then you'd better get out quick.

I hope your whisker's better soon.

Much good may it do you!

-It's not sovereigns!

-Well done!

-How wonderful!

-We're rich! We're rich!

Let's fill our pockets and go and buy things!

-It might turn to stone at sunset.

-It's heavy.

-There's a pony-cart in the village.

-Shall we buy it?

-No, hire it.

Then, we can buy things.

# Half a pound of tuppenny rice Half a pound of treacle

# That's the way the money goes Pop! - goes the weasel

# That's the way the money goes Pop! - goes the weasel. #

-I'll do it. I've got the best manners.

-Huh!

Excuse me...

-'Afternoon!

-Do you know what this is?

That's a spade-guinea, I reckon!

-Yours, is it?

-Oh, yes. Could you drive us to town?

There's four of us. The Lamb's at home.

-Yeah, I reckon. Well done!

-Jolly good!

Just think - kings of all we survey!

I'm going to buy two rabbits!

Mr Crispin, where would you buy a carriage and horses?

Billy Peasemarsh, I reckon. Your pa going to buy one, is he?

Not exactly...

Whoa! Wait, shall I? Take you back?

No, thank you very much.

-Hurray! We're here!

-Ready?

-Yes!

-Yes!

Now remember, Martha's in town!

-Thank you very much, Mr Crispin.

-Thank you!

-Thank you. Goodbye!

-Hurray!

-We're rich!

# When you want your heart's desire And there's nothing but the fire

# Of a madly yearning wild imagination

# All you have to do is choose Otherwise, you're bound to lose

# Something special in your life will pass you by

# Castles in the air or a chest of purest gold

# Cast aside despair Start a quest before you're o-o-o-o-old

# Try wishing a little harder every day

# Try wishing To chase the clouds away

# In the twinkling of an eye You'll grow tall or even fly

# You don't know until you try So, do...

# And with the magic that you find we will dream away. #

Subtitles by Eithne Thomson BBC - 1991