The White Ribbon Page #3

Is that so hard?

I'm so sorry, Baron.

You can shove your excuses!

Where did you last see my son?

Here. He left to play

with the other kids.

- Where?

- He didn't say.

My wife noticed nothing either?

The cabbage heads affair upset her.

She retired, indisposed.

Indisposed?

Yes, a terrible migraine attack.

This is a madhouse!

Have you seen my son?

No.

Ask your sons. Sigi has disappeared

with some other kids.

- What does it mean?

- That he's disappeared, dammit!

The steward's kids said

they'd only seen Sigi

very briefly,

that he'd gone off with other kids.

They didn't pay

much attention to it.

The search began

shortly after midnight.

The searchers, tired,

some still drunk,

were divided into two groups:

one searched

all the estate's buildings,

the other combed the countryside.

Around 2.30 AM,

the siren sounded again

calling the men back to the estate.

Sigi had been found.

He was in the sawmill,

tied upside down.

His trousers were pulled down,

his buttocks

bleeding from cane strokes.

He was in a state of shock,

unable to walk.

Lying on his belly,

he was carried home

on a makeshift stretcher.

Next Sunday, after the service,

the Baron asked the pastor

to let him speak.

City policemen questioned

many of you this week.

To no avail.

First I thought

my child was tortured

by those who cut off my cabbages.

To get even!

For what?

Supposedly it was my fault

their mother died in the sawmill,

which is absurd.

At least, young Felder

told the police that was his motive

for his "mowing prowess".

I've always helped

the Felder family.

But people aren't always grateful.

It takes character.

Don't run away, Felder!

It's your honor I want to salvage!

It turns out

the "valiant" Max Felder

boasted of his feat to his fiance.

Then the coward

hid among his family,

so he didn't have time

to torture my son.

As to his father,

he'd bite off his tongue

rather than cover

for his wayward son.

I'll remind you of a fact

that most of you may have forgotten.

Two months ago, our doctor

had a riding accident,

and is still not back from the hospital.

This accident was caused

by a wire strung in his garden,

with the explicit intent

of bringing him down.

There, too, nobody knows,

saw or heard anything.

We all know it:

those who injured my son,

and the doctor,

are here

among us,

in this room.

I won't let such crimes

go unpunished,

and hope nothing like that

happens to any of your children.

That's why I call upon you all:

help me find the culprit

or the culprits!

If we fail to find out the truth,

the peace of our community

will be gone.

The landowner's speech

frightened the locals.

The Baron wasn't popular,

but as a powerful figure

and employer of half the village,

he was respected.

His statement

on the community's peace

was ominous.

And the mysterious character

of these criminal deeds

awakened the old mistrust

of the farmers.

Come in!

Eva!

May I come in?

What a question!

Of course, come in.

What's it about?

What's wrong?

They fired me.

What do you mean?

Nothing. They just fired me.

The tutor was also fired.

I don't know where to go.

I'm afraid on the road alone.

Don't worry. Calm down.

Come, sit here.

Calm down, tell me what happened.

Well?

What happened?

The Baron's son isn't at all well.

His parents are desperate and angry.

Now they say

the tutor and I are to blame,

because we didn't pay

enough attention to him.

But I'm only there for the twins.

I've always taken care of them

very well.

When you and I were dancing,

the Baroness

had given me permission.

I haven't done anything wrong.

I know, come on. Stop crying!

Where can I go now?

My family needs my earnings.

You'll find something else.

You know,

the Baron is quick-tempered.

But his bark is worse than his bite.

No, it's all over now, I know it.

The Baroness doesn't want

to see anyone.

She wants to take the kids

with her, to town,

or to her parents' estate.

I'll try to talk to her.

We used to play piano together,

four-handed.

But I wasn't very good.

Now she's the tutor,

who studied the flute in town.

He doesn't play that well.

That's true.

Who does things like that?

What?

Beating a child like that.

I don't know.

Can I stay here tonight?

Don't send me away, sir, please.

How could you think that?

I'll just wait for daybreak,

here in the classroom.

Then I'll leave.

At home, they won't understand this.

They'll think I did something wrong.

Want me to come with you?

What?

Tomorrow, after school?

I'll find a carriage,

I'll be back by evening.

Why would you do that, sir?

Stop being so formal.

Why would you do that?

Come here,

I'll play something for you.

If you want.

Good morning, Father.

I'm back again.

They set me free.

I can see that. So what?

Can you forgive me, Father?

Forgive you for what?

That the estate

won't give me any work?

That Frieda was fired in disgrace?

That your brothers and sisters

have nothing to eat?

Or what?

The next day, after school,

I went to the estate

to inquire about Sigi's health

and to intercede

for Eva's reinstatement.

I was told

the Baroness had left that morning

with her children.

Reluctantly, the steward

lent me a carriage to take Eva home.

As we left the village,

we crossed the doctor.

A few days

after the Thanksgiving feast,

Rudolf, his four-year-old son,

had suddenly disappeared.

This upset everyone

in view of the previous events.

The boy was finally found

on the main road,

scantily dressed for a trip,

walking eagerly toward the town.

When asked where he was going,

he said he wanted

to visit his father.

He fought tooth and nail

against being taken home.

The doctor was told about this

and, due to be released soon anyway,

he decided to cut short his stay

at the hospital.

Rudi?

He was in the living room.

What do I owe?

Thanks.

Have a nice day.

Rudi, where are you?

Hello, Rudi.

Won't you say hello to your father?

No?

I heard

you wanted to visit me

at the hospital.

And now you lock yourself in?

All right.

Then I don't want to see you.

I'm going away now.

Stay in the toilet, if you want.

Keep well, Rudi.

Your office is ready.

Mrs Wagner did it all.

- Why do you tell me that?

- I don't know.

I thought you'd like to know.

- She took good care of you?

- Yes.

How old are you now?

It's amazing,

you look so like your mother.

... your mother and I

are very worried about you.

Think carefully. Do you sleep badly?

Are you overtired?

No.

Do you have problems at school

I don't know?

No, Father.

You don't understand why we worry.

I'll explain it to you.

As you know,

I'm also the pastor for Birkenbrunn.

One day, a mother came to see me,

as her son,

about the same age as you,

had the same symptoms

you've shown for some time.

The boy suddenly seemed

extremely weary.

His eyes were ringed,

he was depressed and joyless.

He avoided looking his parents

in the eye,

and soon was also caught lying.

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