The Borrowers Page #2

bean before they're seen.

Do you have it?

Yeah. I just like to let your

dad take most of the glory.

You don't, do you?

No, I don't have it. But your dad does.

As did his father and his father before him.

So I might have it?

I thought you didn't want to be like him.

I don't.

CLOCK TICKS:

Hello.

We haven't got much time.

Why, what's happening?

I've been seen. Get your

things. Come on, come on!

Can you give me a hand?

James? What are you doing with those?

You're not to touch your

mum's dolls' house! Ever!

Sorry, I wasn't...

What's the clock doing like that?

Who did this?

- Look, leave it, Gran, I'll get it out.

What are you...? No, Gran, don't!

Don't!

Gran!

Gran, would you please stop?

- Not until I see what's down there.

There isn't anything. Gran, please!

You're tearing the house to pieces!

Dad...?

The table, now!

- Gran!

No!

Please!

Gran!

Stop!

Gran!

My things.

My compact, my old wristwatch.

I was just playing.

That looks like your

grandfather's gold sovereign.

Aaargh! Something just moved down there.

I didn't see anything.

BORROWERS SCREAM

Ugh! They're everywhere!

They've got your grandfather's gold

coin. Thieving little pickpockets!

Run, Arrietty! Run!

Don't hurt them!

- Vermin!

Gran, stop, please!

- Arrietty!

Arrietty!

- Come on! Go, go, go, go, go!

Gran, stop!

- Vermin!

Through there.

Please!

- Ow, get off!

What's going on?

- It was them!

Little thieves, with their

little hands, little faces.

He saw them, too. Tell him!

I didn't see anything.

Liar!

- Carol.

I'm not crazy, Robert. I know

what I saw, and so does he.

Go, go, go! Come on!

Go! Jump! Go!

What was all that about?

I built a den under there for my toys.

You OK?

I'm used to it by now.

Come here.

Try not to let it upset you, OK?

Your gran's still getting

used to having us here.

Leave this lot. I'll sort it out when I get back.

Where are you going?

I've taken a night job, just to tide us over.

You look after your gran for me.

Want a house left to come home to.

ARRIETTY SCREAMS

Aaaargh!

Aaargh!

Help! Help!

Help!

OK?

He called you Arrietty.

What?

- The boy, he knew your name!

Look, if you'd have let me go up with you...

How could you be so stupid?

- I'm sorry!

I made sure he didn't

see... see where we lived.

You should never have spoken

to him in the first place.

You should never have been upstairs.

He could've killed you.

- Pod, breathe!

This isn't funny!

I know it's not, but you're turning

purple and you're scaring her.

Maybe if we wait a while, they'll,

they'll forget. We could go back.

No. Now that we've been seen, it's over.

All that work and what I

did on the house - gone!

Yeah, but shouting at her

isn't going to bring it back.

We're alive, that's all that matters.

Where will we live?

Somewhere new.

I've looked outside. There's

hundreds of houses, thousands.

You know, we might even

find some other Borrowers.

Too many beans.

We'll emigrate.

We'll move somewhere far from here.

Somewhere safe.

Come on.

OK.

Let's go.

Move, move, move!

So, um, if I can ask,

how exactly did you find out about

my particular area of expertise?

On the internet.

- Ah, a silver surfer, eh?

Well, platinum blonde, if you will.

Naturally.

Ahem.

Oh, I'm sorry, this is Jennifer,

my international research student.

She has a rare and inquisitive mind.

Rest assured, Carol, anything

you wish to say to me,

you can say in front of her.

So, how can I help you?

I've seen one of them.

One of what, exactly?

One of the little people.

We should have been honest with her.

You said that there weren't any others!

You said we'd have to travel for months.

You lied to me!

Your dad had his reasons.

- Homily.

Stay with your mother.

Oh, where are you going?

To find someone to get us out of here.

Pod?

It's been a while.

It certainly has.

How do people know Dad?

There's a nest of them under the floor.

It makes my skin crawl thinking about it.

You are certain it was here?

Where's it gone?

It was there. My wristwatch

was on the wall.

They took my husband's half

sovereign, the thieves.

No-one stole anything.

I was only borrowing it.

This watch went missing long before

you and your father moved here.

Tell me the truth now, and I won't

be cross. Well, that's not true.

I will be cross, but not as much as if you lie.

I took it.

Young man, have you any idea of the

scientific value of these creatures?

A species so similar to our own,

we could learn so much from

Homo sapiens redactus!

Huh?

From the little people.

What little people? Are you for real?

Oh, yes, I most assuredly am for real.

Professor? Check this.

Tweezers.

Well, now,

if you were planning to set a

trap for Homo sapiens redactus,

what would be the most

irresistible bait, do you think?

Liquorice shoelaces!

Liquorice shoelaces!

Mum, please don't embarrass me!

What do you mean? What can be

embarrassing about this? It's...

No, Arrietty, you...no.

Watch out!

Are you OK?

- Yeah.

All right, boys, I still

got the top score, yeah?

Mum, where are you going?

You with the hair! I'm talking to you!

Hi.

Hi? Don't 'hi' me. Didn't

you see my daughter there?

Mum, it's OK. I'm fine.

- Hi.

Hi.

- My name's Spiller.

She doesn't care what your name is!

Have you ever been on

the back of a motorbike?

No.

No, and you won't either. Take it

from me, they're not worth the risk.

You've been on a motorbike?

We're not talking about me!

- Well, maybe we should be.

Oh, you keep rubbing me up the

wrong way, see what happens.

I won't rub you up any way.

Apologise!

- For what?

For running her over.

OK, OK! I'm sorry.

Were you hurt?

No, no... I just grazed my hand.

- Oh, well, let me kiss it better.

I don't think so.

Where else are you hurt?

I've got plenty more kisses.

Right, right, let's just get out of here.

You never told me your name.

So close, so close.

And you wonder why your father

kept you under the floorboards.

BEEPING:

It's really changed here.

It's bigger.

Blimey, Pod, that's insightful.

Well, it is.

You've got a fight on your hands

just walking down the street.

Yeah, but it's...it's fun to be

at the heart of it all again.

I found a guide. He's going to take

us to a house far away from here.

Outside the city.

Only one bean.

Plenty of borrowings.

I was thinking maybe we could stay here?

We leave tomorrow.

Yeah, but I think it might be better

for Arrietty. I mean, down here,

we are far from any beans.

I wouldn't be able to keep me eye on her.

Maybe that's a good thing.

We leave tomorrow.

# We are all made of air

# There's stars in my eyes

and there's sun in my hair

# And I'm running away

It makes me feel better

# It's just like you told me it'd be

# It's nothin', nothin', nothin', nothin' at all

# When it comes down to this

# I'm neither sorry nor coarse nor unfit

# And I'm running away

There's smoke on my sweater

# It's just like you told me it'd be

# It's nothin', nothin',

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