The Breadwinner Page #5

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Are you stupid?

- Idrees suggested we have

a little arm wrestling match...

to see if you are strong enough

to work for me.

I saw you sitting down

over there instead of working.

Idrees, stop now.

Make me some tea.

Ahh!

Let me see how feeble you are,

little one!

He can't even lift his hands!

Get up and make us tea.

Uncle!

I think you need new workers.

These ones are no good.

Enough, Idrees.

Leave the poor kids alone.

They are a little undercooked.

I know you.

You're the teacher's daughter.

AH!

AHH!

- Idrees!

Bring the gun back! I said,

bring the gun back! IDREES!

IDREES!

COME OUT NOW!

COME OUT NOW!

Idrees! It has begun!

We are moving west!

We have been given orders

to go immediately!

I know who you are!

- Idrees!

- Do you hear?

Get up here!

Come on!

Right now, you little coward!

You want to fight?

Now is your chance to fight!

You'll become a man.

He's gone.

What if he comes back?

He'd be lucky.

Where are we?

I came here once

when I ran away.

I think the way in

has gotten smaller

or I have gotten bigger.

It looks old.

I lost a shoe.

I lost my cap...

although I think it's outside.

Why did you hit him?

When they took my father,

he was one of them.

Tell me more about the boy.

- What boy?

- The story boy.

The boy was cold.

Though the sun

burned in the sky,

it gave no heat.

But he had a warm hat

and a big coat.

- Oh!

- No, he didn't!

He had already found

one of the three things,

a mirror that shone.

But when he looked at it,

he saw something behind him.

Something scary!

Something dreadful!

- A horse!

- No, Shauzia! Not a horse.

Yes, it was!

And it was a very old horse

whose bones clattered together

when it walked.

It wasn't scary at all!

Fine.

The boy felt sad

for the old horse

and fed him hay, and...

- And they all lived happily

ever after!

- It's the middle of the story,

not the end! From a door

carved into the stone,

out came a round man.

You wasted my hay

on an old horse

that will soon be dead!

- The round man threw the boy

deep into the belly of an

ancient well.

At the bottom of the well,

there were emeralds

and the round man wanted them

brought up to him

as payment for the wasted hay.

- You will bring

the emeralds to me!

What's his name?

- The round man?

- No, the boy.

You can't have a story

about a boy

and not give him a name.

Give him a name before I do!

Sulayman. His name is Sulayman.

That's a good name.

Sulayman lay at the bottom

of the well.

Suddenly,

he could see skeletons.

Three skeletons,

each with an emerald

clutched in its bony hands.

He called out for help.

- HELP!

- The poor, old horse

looked back at him

from way above.

But the horse

did something extraordinary!

He neighed with the voice

of all the world's animals.

Sulayman climbed up, up,

all the way to the top

and he thanked the horse

for saving his life.

Thank you for saving my life!

Sulayman had just

three emeralds with him

and he asked the round man

for food in return.

He was hungry.

But the round man

was wicked and cheap.

He threw a fishing net

at Sulayman

and he told him

to get his own food.

That was exactly

what Sulayman needed...

- Ha ha!

- ...something that ensnares.

But as Sulayman left,

the ghosts

of the three skeletons

came out of the three emeralds

and swirled and twirled

and scared the round man

in frightful vengeance for

having lost them their lives.

Sulayman and the horse

continued their journey

toward the mountain,

but the horse was getting

slower and slower.

He needed to rest,

being very, very old.

And so Sulayman made a shelter

for the horse and told him

to wait for him.

The horse protested,

but Sulayman knew

he had to face the Elephant King

and the jaguars all by himself.

- I will see you again,

old horse.

And so on he went alone.

Tomorrow isWednesday.

I'm going back there...

to the prison.

They'll have to let me

see him then.

From now on,

you're staying inside.

It's much too dangerous.

No, Mama-jan.

We manage all right out there.

We?

Me and Deliwar.

She's a girl too.

- We work together.

- We've written to my cousin

to arrange a marriage

for your sister in Mazar.

They wrote back and it was

accepted. Someone will come

for us the day after tomorrow

to take us away.

You don't need to do this anymore!

- What?!

We can't go on like this!

We can't depend on you

to keep us alive!

Why? I provide

for you just fine!

It's not the job of a child!

How can we leave

without Baba?!

Every day, you come home

with cuts and blisters.

Every day, you go out there

and I don't know

if I'll see you back again!

I can't lose you too.

I'm not going.

Baba could come back and no one

will be here waiting for him.

So how long should we wait?

Until you're found out

and taken away from me?

Until I have to send Zaki

out to earn our keep?

Let me go see him before

we leave.

Let me tell him where we are going!

- Parvana!

Let me bring him

his walking stick.

Then I will go with you!

Then I will be a good sister

and a good daughter. I promise.

I promise.

Please don't go. Please.

It is much too dangerous now.

- Mama-jan...

I'm going. I'll be back tonight

before curfew.

- No, Sulayman!

- Mama-jan...

- You won't come back.

- Let her go now.

Let Parvana go.

Oh! Give a kiss!

Parvana...

Deliwar!

You frightened me

half to death!

I've been looking

for you everywhere.

Why? You want to work at the

chai shop with me this morning?

- No, I can't.

- Hey,

you want some candy for Zaki?

We are leaving Kabul tomorrow.

You're leaving me?

It's been arranged.

There's nothing I can do.

My sister is getting married in

Mazar-e-Sharif.

I'm going back to the prison.

I found someone who can help me

and I need to get more money

to bribe the guard.

I'll need it today!

You'll just get

another punch in the guts.

It's a stupid idea.

I won't let that happen

this time!

- I said, It's a stupid idea.

- Please, help me!

- What do you want me to do?

Magic some money into your hand

like in your kid stories?

It doesn't work

like that, Parvana!

I can't help you.

Now run away to Mazar-e-Sharif

and have a nice wedding party.

Maybe they'll find a husband

for you too and your troubles

will be over...

until after the wedding,

at least. You fool!

Deliwar!

Shauzia!

Shauzia... come with us.

I can't.

My father will come

all the way to Mazar to kill me

I can't leave Kabul, Parvana.

Not like this.

Here. Take this.

- I can't take your money!

Please, take it.

Go and see your baba.

Tell him that his daughter

is a good daughter.

Tell him that...

Deliwar said so.

Hey, Deliwar!

What?

I'll meet you at that beach

you were talking about,

where the moon pulls the water!

20 years from today.

I don't think I'll

recognize you then, Aatish.

Well, you can sell me

some pretty blue stones

for a great price.

Until next time, then.

Until next time.

- Peace be upon you.

Are you Fattema?

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