National Velvet Page #6

"Thank you" as perky as Donald!

- Steady.

- Mi cured him!

He's up on his feet!

The horse is up and you'll be down.

You haven't eaten, haven't slept.

Is it fair to impose illness

on a household?

I won't be ill. I'll show you.

I'm quite well. Like The Pie.

I could sit up a thousand nights!

I'll be late for school!

Are you letting her go to school,

Mrs. Brown?

If that's what she wants.

You think school is the place

for her today?

I like the spirit that makes her go

after no sleep.

She'll collapse by afternoon.

She'll be home in half an hour.

This is Saturday

and there is no school.

Today we'll teach him the Canal Jump.

That's a bad one.

There's a fence and

a sharp turn. That's a teaser!

Got to teach him not to run out.

He's got to start turning while in air.

If he learns the Canal Jump

we'll have taught him plenty.

It's over here.

I'll show you.

There's a guardrail, a 6 foot ditch

and a 5 foot hedge.

The real danger is at the turn.

That's where they pile up and go wild.

That's where things happen.

We'll start him

on the hedge by Tupper's.

Steady now!

Careful!

No, no!

Don't start him straight off!

You'll run him into the canal!

Turn him, I told you!

That's good!

He's well away! That's the canal turn!

Good boy! That's the fastest time yet.

Look at that!

Paper horses just before

the Grand National.

I've been neglecting them.

Somebody's been changing

these all around.

Who's been at my box?

Me.

I.

You too?

Good evening, Ede.

I expected to see

more excitement tonight.

There's nothing to be excited about.

- When do you leave?

- 5 in the morning.

Before breakfast.

Got any tips on the Grand National?

The Pie.

In that case I'll put a pound on him.

That's a pound wasted.

We can't let down the home colors.

Pound to win.

Thank you, I'll put it in

with the other bets.

- Other bets?

- You're the ninth one here.

Mr. Jenkins bet three pounds.

Didn't know Mr. Jenkins

had three pounds.

- Good luck, Velvet.

- Thank you.

Good night, all.

A fool and his money are easily parted.

It's bad enough to see

this family waste money...

...on hired horse vans

and fancy jockey silks...

...but when I see

the village of Sewels...

...throw good money after bad...

...it's enough to make me

lose my faith in humanity!

I'm glad to hear you have

got faith in humanity.

As for me, I'd sometimes

sooner put my faith in a horse.

Tell me that one.

Bedtime, Donald.

I'm busy. We're all busy.

Tell me a horse.

One more.

This was a horse called Moifaa.

Came from...

...New Zealand, on a big ship.

They sent him around the world...

...and finally one day

the ship went down.

And the horse swam off to an island.

There was nothing to eat there...

...so the horse run up and down

the seashore, gazing out at the sea.

And then what?

He whimpered and neighed for help.

The horse did?

There was nothing to eat

on the island but...

...salt grass, and salt water

And him used to a good stable!

Did he die?

No.

Yes, he did, I know he did.

Some fishermen saw him

and fetched him.

He won the Grand National that year.

He died! He died

on that island! I know!

- How do you know?

- I was there!

You weren't! You weren't born.

I was born!

- That's a story.

- You weren't born. You were a star.

I wasn't a star. I was born,

and I was there and that horse died!

He died on that salty place.

And he lied down,

and his eyes was dead...

...and he died! I know he did.

He died! He died!

On that island!

Hysterics. Past his bedtime!

You too, Velvet.

- Bedtime.

- Bedtime now?

But I just ate my supper.

Go to bed, Velvet.

- Good night, Father.

- Good night, Velvet.

We're almost ready.

Goodbye, 'Dwina.

Forgive for what I said about The Pie?

Of course. You didn't mean it.

- Goodbye, Velvet.

- Goodbye, Mally.

- Remember the Finch's canary catalogue.

- Goodbye, Donald.

Bring me back a monkey!

You'll be proud of The Pie, Mother.

I want to be proud of you.

All right, push!

Heave!

You'll understand

I'm not a frivolous man...

...but I'd like to risk

a couple of pounds.

Put it on The Pie for me.

Yes, sir.

I'll not be angry if you say

nothing to the missus about it.

Good luck, my boy.

Father, do you mind about all this?

I'm not angry, Velvet.

Run along with you!

Go on!

Let me see it again, the letter.

Why not settle back and try to sleep?

We got a long trip ahead of us.

Please!

"Lvan Taski. "

I wonder what he'll be like.

It's important.

You think he'll like The Pie?

He'll like him. A jockey knows

a good horse when he sees one.

How do we know

these clothes will fit him?

All jockeys are the same size,

same brain, same vision...

...seeing the world from a horse.

Just this once! I've got the rest

of my life to wear them.

Horses!

Count Carlo, a good horse!

"The Great Count Carlo" they call him.

He jump like no jumper I ever see.

And where is he? Dead.

What's he talking about?

A horse he was going to ride died.

That's bad luck, Mr. Taski.

You've got a fine mount now.

The Pie's great.

This every owner believes,

he has best horse.

Such a little girl.

Her money's as good as anybody's.

I have not seen it yet.

There's your money in advance.

My papers.

We'll take them around tomorrow.

So, business is finished.

Tomorrow I ride your horse,

at night, I take train to Seaport.

You're a man for speed.

Don't you like England?

I must like England too?

Your food? Your climate?

It kill Count Carlo.

It can kill me too.

Little Taski goes home tomorrow night.

When Miss Brown

leads you in as the winner...

...you'll stay for the fun.

Such a little girl.

Only in England can it happen...

...that a child brings

a plow horse from the field.

I know you feel bad now,

about having lost your mount.

That was bad luck.

But wait till you see The Pie.

Eat, then we'll go...

Tonight? You're serious?

Why not? See him, say hello,

get the feel of him!

Shake his hand, give him

a visiting card, make a bow!

Mr. Taski's right, it would be

foolish...

...to go out there tonight.

And just as foolish for you

to ride him tomorrow, Mr. Taski.

You may be a fine rider, but The Pie

would know your heart's not in it.

He'd know you don't believe.

He'd say...

..."Why bring me a rider who

doesn't believe we can win?"

What you call crazy, eh?

No, what you call the truth, Mr. Taski.

Looked everywhere.

Tried everything, asked everybody.

No jockey.

Looks like there'll be

no race for The Pie.

The waste! The sickening waste

of it on a scatterbrain dream.

Snow, slush, mud...

...mornings, nights, Sundays.

The sore back, the rawness

of your hands and face in the wind.

Searching for weeks for a rider...

...then you say,

"No, Mr. Taski, goodbye. "

But that man Taski

lost the race tonight.

You know that.

He didn't believe. What good's

a jockey who's only riding for the fee?

He's a rider. Things happen in a race.

Not with The Pie, he would know.

He'll know when I take him home...

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