The White Ribbon Page #7

Can I borrow your bicycle?

- It's not mine.

- Can I borrow it anyway?

I just borrowed it myself.

To visit my fiance.

Please!

Where do you want to go?

- To town.

- What for?

The stubborn steward

won't lend me a carriage.

Please lend it to me.

Why? What for?

To go to the police.

I know who committed those crimes.

Who?

Can I have the bicycle?

Why not tell me?

I'll only talk to the police.

I'm sick of insults.

What about the doctor's horse?

I don't know how to ride.

Please! Believe me!

My son told me who did it to him.

He may lose his eyesight.

Lend it to me!

Thanks!

I was so sorry that I gave in.

But the state of that woman,

usually so level headed, upset me.

What had she found out

that she didn't dare tell?

Back in the village,

I decided to investigate.

Hello, sir.

Hello, Klara.

What are you doing here?

We wanted to see how Karli was.

Can't you see it's closed up?

Yes. We were worried.

We saw Mrs Wagner

bicycling off.

We wondered

what had happened to Karli.

Go home.

You don't belong in here.

Go on home.

Good bye, teacher.

I wondered why the midwife

had closed the shutters.

Nobody in the village

locked their house.

Why had the midwife

locked in her son?

Karli, can you hear me?

I thought of Erna's dream again.

What if Erna hadn't dreamt it,

but knew that Karli

would be tortured,

who had told her?

Who wouldn't she denounce?

The kids' interest in Karli

seemed strange to me.

Usually, because of his disability,

they had no contact with him,

or treated him disdainfully.

When the midwife

couldn't take care of him,

she entrusted him to me

or the doctor.

But since his mishap,

I hadn't seen him again.

Worried,

I decided to ask the doctor.

OFFICE CLOSED:

UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE

- Wasn't his daughter in school?

- Yes, she was.

And she said nothing?

I have a request...

Could I talk to Klara and Martin?

Won't you wait for my husband?

He's at the church.

The service is almost over.

But if you insist, please come in.

Be seated.

I'll fetch them for you.

Good evening, sir.

Won't you sit down?

Yes. Perhaps. With pleasure.

Can I offer you something?

A coffee,

like during the piano lessons?

Yes, with pleasure.

Very kind of you.

I'll be right back.

Did you know the doctor

was leaving Eichwald?

You're not surprised by my question?

Our mother just told us.

Anna didn't tell you?

Not a word?

It's odd not to say

you're going away on a trip.

Anna doesn't say much.

But this was completely different.

You're hiding something from me.

What?

I'm waiting for you to tell me.

When you looked for Karli,

what did you want from him?

We were worried. He's ill.

I'm asking Martin.

Yes. He isn't well.

And since his mother was leaving

we thought we'd pay him a visit.

Did you ever wonder

who mistreated Karli?

And Sigi?

Who tied the wire

to trip the doctor?

Who set fire to the barn?

No?

Of course, we wondered.

Well?

Father said

it must be a sick person.

Sigi was with you at Thanksgiving.

And Karli always wenet along.

I don't understand.

No?

What did they do wrong?

- Who?

- Sigi and Karli.

Why?

They obviously were being punished.

For what?

I don't know.

Erna foresaw that Karli

would be punished. What for?

I don't know!

Why ask us?

You're a smart girl, Klara.

Don't play dumb.

I don't understand.

Talk about this

with Father or Mother.

Shall I get them?

Martin, will you go?

Stay here, Martin.

I'll see them later.

Now, I'm talking to you.

Tell me the truth.

- Where were you when Karli was...

- Here.

I mean, after the confirmation?

Coffee's coming.

Could the children help you?

I'm afraid not. They know nothing.

His daughter said nothing at school?

No.

Sorry I disturbed you.

Stay! My husband is coming,

and the coffee is almost ready.

Thanks, but I'm worried

about the midwife's son.

- She didn't say when she'd be back?

- I didn't ask her.

She caught me off guard.

She was panicked.

Wait, I hear my husband.

Good evening.

The teacher was waiting for you.

Yes. I'd like a word with you.

Please. Let's go to my study.

It's quieter.

What's this about?

I spoke to the midwife:

she said she knew

who tortured her son.

She'll only tell the police,

and went to town.

Well?

She left the boy behind alone

and locked the house.

Locked it?

I went to ask the doctor

if he was caring

for the child, but...

there's a paper saying

that the office is closed.

He and his kids have disappeared.

What does it mean?

I don't know.

I thought you might know.

That's why I'm here.

I have no idea.

Please be seated.

Wasn't his daughter in school?

Yes. She mentioned nothing.

I asked Klara and Martin.

They know nothing either.

Why should they?

I don't know...

I went to Mrs Wagner's place:

they and some others were there.

To do what?

They were looking for the boy.

Why?

They wanted to help him.

So what?

I don't know how to say it...

I think they're hiding something.

What?

I don't know.

When the doctor had his accident,

last year,

they appeared in his garden.

Supposedly, to help Anna.

Yes... and?

Nothing. I had forgotten it.

I just remembered today.

I don't understand.

When the Baron's son was found...

He'd been with the children

just before.

What are you getting at?

The steward's daughter

predicted that Karli

would be beaten.

She says she dreamt it.

The police think she's lying.

From whom did she find out?

Who told her?

You're saying that your pupils,

my children included,

committed these crimes.

Is that right?

You realize what you're saying?

Do you really know...

I assume I'm the first person

to hear these monstrosities.

If you ever dare

to bother others with this,

if you ever accuse

respectable families and their children

and denounce them publicly,

I'll make sure, take my word for it,

that you go to prison.

I've seen a lot

during my work as a pastor,

but never anything so repulsive!

One can tell you have no children.

Or you wouldn't stoop

to such aberrations.

You have a sick mind.

How did they let you loose

among those poor creatures!

I'll speak to the authorities

about this.

Now get out of my house!

I don't want to see you here again.

The midwife didn't come back.

I waited until morning,

two days later.

Then I went to the manor house

to inform the Baron.

He told the steward

and said to open the house

and take care of the disabled boy.

I'll look upstairs.

I'd never been

in the midwife's house

and felt uncomfortable

barging into somebody else's place

without asking.

It was strange,

but while we still searched

and called out Karli's name,

I already knew

our search was in vain.

Anyone who knew how devoted

the midwife was to her son,

knew she'd never have abandoned

her wounded Karli.

During the next few weeks,

the village gossips worked overtime.

Some claimed the doctor

was Karli's father.

He and the midwife

had tried to abort the child

so their relationship

wouldn't be found out,

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