The VVitch: A New-England Folktale Page #3

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Thomasin!

[attempted whistling]

Fowler!

[heavy breathing]

O God, my Lord, I now begin,

o help me and I'll leave my sin.

For I repentant now shall be,

From evil I will turn to Thee.

None ever shall destroy my faith,

nor do I mind what Satan saith.

O God, my Lord, I now begin,

O, help me and I'll leave my sin,

For I repentant now shall be,

from evil I will turn to Thee.

None ever shall destroy my faith,

nor do I mind what Satan saith.

O God, my Lord, I now begin,

O help me and l...

[dog barking]

[dog screaming]

Caleb!

Caleb!

- Caleb!

- Father!

Thomasin.

Oh, my girl, my girl.

Where is thy brother?

[thunderstorm]

[heavy breathing]

What's the matter with thee, Thomasin?

What's the matter with thee?

I'll set off at first light.

I'll not return until I've found him.

T'would be better to go to the village

to raise up help, I cannot...

[William]

Tis a day's ride and I have no horse.

There's no time to be lost.

Likely you should have left

this morn, then.

You have no gun, William,

nay, not even a dog.

- Be not a fool!

- I am a fool to go.

There is none will help this family.

Let me be!

The moon is bright,

the rain bothers me not.

I'll be back in a two-day,

if any a man will return with me.

- Don't go, Father!

- Enough!

Tell us why you went to the wood.

- I promised.

- I care not!

Let me find favor in your eyes.

Oh, child, tell me and I will!

I, um...

[Katherine]

Speak!

I...

I took thy father's cup.

I sold it.

Forgive me, Kate.

Forgive me, Thomasin.

What is this?

Katherine, I must make confession.

I yestermorn took Caleb

to the wood.

Twas for food,

and the pelts for money, good money.

I knew you were false!

I knew it!

I meant it as a surprise,

that is why I kept secret.

I will trap that wolf, Kate.

You stood by whilst our son lied to me!

Twas for thy sake!

I love thee, Kate.

- You took him to the woods!

- I will find him!

You've broken God's covenant.

You're a liar.

And you've lost another child.

- I will go now.

- You cannot escape the woods.

I will find him!

And kill thyself too?

Will Jonas be the man of the house?

Will you damn all your family to death?!

- Katherine!

- Let go of me!

[crying]

Picking apples.

Mother, have the goats

been bedded down yet?

- Nay.

- I'll to it.

Let it wait til the morrow.

They dare not escape with this rain.

[Thomasin]

Nay, I'll to it.

Please you, Mother.

Come hither, child.

Hurry back.

[humming]

[rustling]

[gasps]

Caleb...

[breathing heavily]

Father!

Caleb, Caleb...

Shh.

[Katherine]

Oh, merciful Father,

both the Lord and giver of life.

Thy sole, Jesus Christ,

we beseech thee.

Look down from Heaven upon him

with those eyes

of grace and compassion.

Pity thy wounded servant...

[rain falling]

Baa, baa. Baa, baa, baa.

What ails Caleb, Black Phillip?

What ails him?

Did Thomasin make 'im sick

in the wood?

What say you?

Black Phillip says you are wicked.

Aye, he told me too.

Damn your Black Phillip.

He says you put the Devil

in Caleb, that's why he's sick.

I'd never hurt Caleb,

nor Sam, nor thee.

- You beat me.

- T'was a jest.

- You said you'd eat of me.

- Mercy!

Mother and Father will find out.

- What?

- That you are a witch!

[goats bleat]

Thomasin!

Thomasin?

[splash]

[splash]

[praying softly]

Dost remember John Kempe's son?

That first winter, he was

tormented of lndian magic.

'Tis not the same.

- This is unnatural providence.

- I know not that.

Look at thy son.

- Will.

- What?

- Think!

- Think what?

- Think!

- I have no thoughts.

Does this not look

like witchcraft?

What witch?

Who does this then? Who?

Thy thoughts are as a child.

What are you doing?

We'll back to the plantation

in the morning.

Find a good family for Thomasin,

take Caleb to the doctor's.

He'll tell if this be

some natural ill or not.

Yet we cannot return as beggars.

I'll scour the field. There must be

some fruit yet untouched by this rot.

I beseech thee, Katherine,

what canst thou do for him presently?

How might we all bare it

to the village with no horse?

Well, the little corn and the goat

should fetch a fair price.

We'll... We'll back with Caleb

and sell them,

return with the horse

for the twins and Thomasin.

- You cannot leave them here!

- Thomasin and thee...

Oh, forget the crop, Will!

What?!

What dost thou want, Katherine?

Tell me and I will give it thee.

I want to be home.

Thou shall be home,

by candle-time tomorrow.

In England.

[Katherine sobs and sighs]

Oh, Will...

I also have a confession to make.

I never meant to be a shrew to thee.

[sobs]

I have become as Job's wife,

I know it.

[sobs]

But since Sam, since...

My heart has turned to stone.

[sigh]

I dreamed once,

t'was when I was of Thomasin's years,

that I was with Christ upon Earth.

Oh, I was so very near Him.

And in many tears for the assurance

of the pardon of me sins.

And I was so ravaged

with His love towards me,

I thought it far exceeding

the affection of the kindest husband.

And since Samuel disappeared...

...I have such a sad weakness

of faith, I cannot shake it.

I cannot see Christ's help as near.

I pray and I pray, but I cannot.

I fear I cannot ever feel

that same measure of love again.

Thou shall have of it in Heaven.

I'll be in field.

If you can spare a while, do.

We'll leave at dawn.

I promise thee that.

Jonas, Mercy, come hither!

Speak not a word!

[Mercy]

Black Phillip is a merry, merry king

- He rules the land with mirth...

- Thomasin:
I cannot abide your songs.

Please you, Mercy.

Black Phillip has

a mighty, mighty sting

He'll knock thee to the Earth

Sing bah, bah,

King Phillip, the black

- Sing bah, bah, bah, bah, bah

- Thomasin:
Peace, thou thing!

Mercy. Thomasin.

[Mercy]

Sing bah, bah, King Phillip, the black

- He'll knock thee on thy back!

- Thomasina:
Enough!

[scream]

Come.

Get the broadaxe

and cut off her head.

Get the narrow axe

and cut off her head.

Get the broadaxe

and cut off her head.

Get the narrow axe

and cut off her head.

[gasps]

She's upon me!

She kneels!

My bowels!

My stomach!

She pinches!

[yelling indistinct]

Sin! Sin! Sin!!

Thomasin, take the children outside.

What does this to thee?

What does this?

His mouth has sealed up.

Oh, God, William!

William! Get him up!

Hold him!

Children, away from this!

Thomasin, help!

[William grunting]

You'll break his jaws.

[Mercy]

Father!

What is...?

[grunt]

[choking]

[heavy breathing]

[Katherine]

William... He is witched!

- 'Tis she!

- No!

- What horrible fancy is this?

- She told me she stole Sam!

Silence!

She gave him to the Devil

in the wood!

- They lie!

- What say you?

She turned Flora's milk to blood!

She had bade us

keep secret from you!

- It was but a jest to quiet her, I...

- She made bargain with Satan!

- She signed his book!

- Silence!

Don't let her near me!

She'll put a curse on me!

- They conspire against me.

- Thomasin is a witch!

Nay, I'll not hear it.

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