A Little Princess (1986) s01e06 Episode Script

1
(dramatic music)
(gentle music)
(gentle music)
- It's a dream Emily.
Its funny, because I feel
as if my eyes were open.
I must still be asleep.
I'm sitting up.
I'm definitely sitting up.
So why am I still dreaming?
Suppose if I got out of
bed, it would all disappear.
Come on Emily, let's see.
I can't be dreaming. That
fire, I can feel the heat.
It's real. Emily it's all real.
"To the little girl in
the attic, from a friend."
See that Emily? That's
not my imagination is it?
(knocking on door)
Becky.
Becky!
- Yes miss.
- Come with me.
- Blimey!
- Do you remember when I told you
that when things were at their blackest,
the magic always comes to their rescue.
Well it's come.
- But who's the magician?
You can't have magic without a magician.
- I don't know. Some anonymous friend.
- Anonymous?
- Someone who doesn't
want me to know who he is.
Bacon, eggs, toast and hot tea.
Come on Becky, let's
see if it tastes real.
- If your friend can make things appear
it can make 'em disappear right?
And that food might as well disappear
in our stomachs as out here.
- Yes.
Perhaps it's like Cinderella's ball gown.
It'll all disappear when
the clock strikes 12.
- I'll tell you something Miss,
that magician of yours is a smashing cook.
Do you reckon he could
magic us up some more eggs?
- And she never stirred?
- No Sahib. The poor
creature was so exhausted,
she would have slept
through a thunder storm.
- Oh, I should like to have seen her face
when she saw your handiwork.
- Your handiwork Sahib, I was merely
the humble instrument of your will.
- There's nothing humble
about you Ram Dass.
And if you were truly
an instrument of my will
you'd bring me the whiskey decanter.
- I cannot find it Sahib.
I have looked everywhere.
- Isn't it against the Sikh
religion to tell a lie?
- Gobind teaches that if a
lie is told with sincerity-
- Oh don't be ridiculous.
How can you possibly tell
a lie with sincerity?
- It is what you would call a white lie,
for the sake of a greater good.
- My recovery you mean,
you really think that's worth lying for?
- Certainly Sahib.
If you were to die,
who would take care of
the little servant girl.
(solemn music)
(knocking on door)
- Morning ducks. Special delivery.
- Thank you.
- Sign here please.
Right there.
- Who is it for?
- I don't know, it's on the label.
Ta, thanks a lot miss.
- Thank you.
- Don't just stand there
staring at it Sara.
To whom is it addressed?
- To me ma'am.
- To you?
- It says, "To the little
girl in the right hand attic."
That's me.
- Well! Better open it then hadn't you.
- What a beautiful coat.
- "To be worn every day.
Will be replaced by
others when necessary."
Do you have any idea who sent this?
- No ma'am.
- Some relative perhaps?
A rich uncle you have forgotten about?
- I don't think so.
My father didn't have
any brothers or sisters.
- But if it was on your mama's side,
it may have been a Frenchman,
which would explain
why he's taken so long to find you.
- It wouldn't explain how he knew
I lived in the right hand attic.
- Well, whoever it is
it appears you are no longer destitute.
Take these clothes and put them on.
It's high time, you started
looking respectable.
And Sara.
- Yes ma'am.
- There will be no more work today.
You may join the other
pupils in the school room.
- Yes ma'am.
- But if this mysterious
benefactor is a relative
why wasn't the parcel
address to her by name?
- Presumably it is someone
who wishes to provide for her
without necessarily becoming involved.
- Well it looks as if he intends
to continue to provide for her.
In which case you've
made a terrible mistake
haven't you sister?
- Mistake?
- Turning her into a slave.
If he were to find out how
you've been treating her.
- How I have been treating her?
May I remind you Amelia
that you are the co-proprietoress
of this seminary.
- I know. I should've protested.
Made sure she had enough to eat.
Had a fire in her room. I'm
deeply ashamed of myself.
- I see no reason why either
of us should be ashamed.
Her father died owing us over 270 pounds.
And yet we gave her a roof over her head.
We gave her a home.
(bell ringing)
- Only to get our money
back. Not out of charity.
- We are not a charitable institution.
(gentle music)
- [Girl] Where did she get those clothes?
- Probably stolen.
What are you doing here skivvie?
You're not allowed in the school room.
It's only for girls whose
parents could afford the fees.
- Oh shut up Lavinia.
You look beautiful Sara.
How did it happen?
- I don't know.
Ever since I woke up this morning,
everything's been different.
I thought it was a dream, but it isn't.
It's just the magic.
- Magic mama?
You never told me you could do magic.
- Not me Lottie, someone else, a magician.
- Where is he? Can we go meet him?
- No. Even I haven't met him.
I don't think he wants
me to know who he is.
- Why not?
- Some magicians like to
remain hidden you see.
Makes them seem more mysterious.
- Good morning young ladies.
- [Students] Good morning Miss Minchin.
- Be seated.
Oh Lottie!
- Sorry Miss Minchin.
- Run along.
Sara you may resume your old desk.
Elizabeth move out of there.
Quickly! Come along!
- Yes Miss Minchin.
- All right?
- Yes ma'am.
- Oh, and you need not
call me ma'am anymore.
Quite sure it won't be long
before you're a pupil again.
(gentle music)
- I took the liberty of peeking
in case the magic had
worn off during the day.
But it's still here, large as life.
- It's not only still here Becky.
The magician's been back.
- Soup! Thick steaks. Apple pie.
Now that's what I call magic.
But how did he get in?
- Magicians can get in anywhere.
They don't have to worry
about walls and doors.
They just pass straight through them.
- You mean like a ghost.
- Yes, but they're more real than ghosts.
Because their magic, you can
actually touch it and feel it.
- And taste it.
I'll tell you something miss.
Magic food tastes better
than ordinary food.
- It's papa.
- It's papa!
Mama! Mama.
Papa's home. Donald! Donald!
Papa! Papa!
- You're back.
- Hello dear! How are you all?
- Fine, but we missed you so much.
- How was Moscow?
- Oh cold, bitterly cold.
- Did you find the little girl?
- Well.
- Well?
- I'm afraid not.
- I knew it.
(children groan)
- Poor Mr. Carrisford.
He'll be so disappointed.
- I know. I only wish I had
better news to give him.
- Are you sure they can read miss?
- Of course, how else
would they be able to learn
their spells and things?
How's this?
"Dear magician.
We know you want to keep yourself a secret
but Becky and I thought you wouldn't mind
if I wrote to thank you for your kindness
over the last few weeks.
We were so cold and hungry and
now we're warm and well fed.
Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.
The Little Girl in the Attic."
- Sounds all right.
But, can you ask him not to stop?
(monkey chittering)
Blimey, miss. It's a monkey.
(gentle music)
- Hello evil one. So you've
escaped again have you?
The Sikh will be very cross with him.
And so will the Indian gentlemen.
Afraid I'm going to have to take him back.
- Oh.
- He doesn't belong to me you see.
He belongs to them.
You're very lucky to have a family.
He doesn't know how lucky he is.
- Not the right child.
Then who was she?
- Madame Pascal was right.
Her name is Sonia Caroux.
I met both her and the Russian
couple who adopted her.
There's no possible doubt.
- But the fact that her
father died out in India-
- Just an unfortunate coincidence.
- Then we should have
to begin all over again.
(Carmichael sighs)
- Not I, Mr. Carrisford.
I promised my wife I'd make
no further trips abroad.
- Perhaps that won't be necessary.
While you were away I had a
great deal of time to think.
And it occurred to me that I might have
misinterpreted Crewe's words.
- Misinterpreted.
- Yes.
He said to me that he was
taking his little soldier
on a tour of Europe.
And I assumed that meant
that her school was in Europe
and in view of the fact
that her mother was French.
The most obvious place to
start looking was Paris.
But as her father is English.
- Oh, you mean search in London?
- Yes.
(monkey chitters)
(gentle music)
(knocking on door)
- Hello.
The monkey seems to
prefer my attic to yours.
I can't think why.
- He must have climbed up the chimney.
Oh, I'm sorry you have
been troubling Mrs. Sahib.
- Well, good bye then.
- Just a moment.
I'm sure my master would
wish to thank you also.
Will you come inside.
If you'd be good enough to
wait here while I announce you.
Come Mrs. Sahib.
- My servant tells me you
brought our monkey back.
- Yes sir. I live in the
attic next door you see,
and he was scratching at my skylight.
- I understand he's visited you before.
Please forgive him.
It's just that London is such
a new and exciting place.
- There's nothing to forgive sir.
The Sikh calls him the evil
one, but he's not evil at all,
just curious.
- How did you know that
Ram Dass was a Sikh?
- There's lots of Sikhs out in India.
- India? You used to live in India?
- Yes, I was born there.
- Come here my dear.
Are you the little girl
did my son give you sixpence at Christmas?
- Yes sir.
- And you live next door, the seminary?
- Yes.
- But you're not one of the pupils
- I used to be.
Now. I'm just
I don't know what I am.
(Capt. Crewe indistinct voiceover)
- You became a servant why?
- Because my papa lost all
his money just before he died
so there was no one to take care of me.
- How did he lose it?
- A friend lost it for him.
At least, papa thought he was a friend.
He should never have trusted him.
- What are you looking at?
- Statue of Kali. It's just like
- Like what?
- Like papa's.
- What was his name?
- Crewe, Captain Ralph Crewe.
- You see, it was your papa's.
I was the friend you
thought had betrayed him.
I've been searching all
over Europe for you.
Ever since he died.
And all the time, you were just next door.
(gentle music continues)
- I don't like telling tales
ma'am and I could be wrong.
- I shall have to get
to the bottom of this.
Can't have a member of my household
making unsolicited visits to a neighbor.
He deserves an apology.
- So it was you, you're the magician.
- No. The magic was performed by Ram Dass.
It was he who slipped
through your skylight
while you were asleep.
- Oh, but at your request Sahib,
I was only following your orders.
- And you didn't even know I was the girl
you've been looking for.
- No, I wanted to help
you for Sara Crewe's sake
because I thought I
would never have a chance
to repay her for my debt.
And then when Ram Dass
told me of the conditions
in which you were living.
- I'm sorry, I said what
I did, Mr. Carrisford.
I know now you were a true friend to papa.
(bell ringing)
- If only he'd known that.
If only I could have told him
that I had made him a millionaire.
- You mean the diamond mine!
- Contains the richest deposit
in the whole of Africa.
Unfortunately, we discovered it too late.
- You couldn't have helped that,
you couldn't have helped any of it.
It was karma.
- But the sin was mine.
And why should karma have
treated you so cruelly?
- Well, that's all in the past.
The point is young lady that
you are now extremely wealthy.
- I won't have to go back
to the school will I?
- No, no of course not.
I want you to come and live here with me
and we can organize a
private tutor for you.
- [Ram Dass] Excuse me sir.
- [Carisford] Yes Ram Dass.
- The head mistress is here.
- Oh good.
It will save me the
trouble of calling on her.
- You better show her in.
- [Ram Dass] Sahib.
- Good morning, mister-
- Carrisford.
- Carrisford.
I am Ms. Minchin, the proprietoress
of the young ladies seminary next door.
- This is Mr. Carmichael, my solicitor.
- [Ms. Minchin] How do you do?
- He was just about to come and see you-
- To protest about the
intrusion of my charity pupil.
I have come to apologize
for her presumption.
Go home Sara. She will
be severely punished.
Go home at once.
- No Ms. Minchin.
This is her home now.
- Captain Crewe entrusted Sara
to my care Mr. Carrisford.
She must return to my seminary.
The law requires it.
- The law requires nothing
of the kind Ms. Minchin.
Whether she returns or not is up to her.
- Then I appeal to you, Sara.
I have not spoiled you perhaps
but I have always been
extremely fond of you.
- No Ms. Minchin, you never cared for me
and you know quite well that
I won't come back with you.
(bell rings)
- Well Mr. Carrisford,
you may think that you
are doing the right thing
but you have not undertaken an easy task.
The child is both
untruthful and ungrateful
and no school on earth could transform
such a hardened character.
She thinks she's a princess you know?
- No, I don't Ms. Minchin.
All I ever did was try to behave like one.
(Minchin scoffs)
- Well, I can't say I'm surprised.
If I was Sara, I wouldn't
dream of coming back.
- Why not? She should be grateful to us.
- Grateful?
grateful for what?
Days of hard labor, a few crusts of bread-
- Oh nonsense.
She did a few bits of
housework, ran a few errands.
- You're deceiving yourself.
- And in return we gave
her a roof over her head,
hot wholesome food.
- She's nothing to be grateful
for, nothing at all.
You never showed her a moments kindness
and because I was afraid
of you, neither did I.
We both behaved disgracefully towards her.
- Oh we've done nothing of the sort.
I admit I never liked the girl-
- Because she could see
through you, that's why!
She knew you for what you are.
A pitiless, hard-hearted woman
who cares for nothing but money.
- How dare you Amelia!
Without my care for money, as you put it,
you would still be a frumpish nursemaid
in some dreary establishment-
- I'd rather be a frumpish
nursemaid than accept your
values a moment longer.
I'm resigning as your partner Mariah.
I only hope the pupils
don't follow your example
because if they do,
you would've brought
them nothing but misery.
(everyone laughing)
- I knew you were the
girl he was looking for.
I don't know why, but I just knew.
- No you didn't Donald.
When you first saw her, you
thought she was a beggar girl.
- No I didn't. I just thought
she needed some money.
Didn't mind me offering
you that sixpence did you?
- Mind?
I shall always wear it to remember you by.
(children laughing)
- See, it wasn't a mistake.
- Then why have you gone bright red?
- It's rather hot in here, that's all.
- There are other people
I shall remember too,
people who were my friends
when I really needed them.
I won't have to stop seeing
them will I Mr. Carrisford?
- No, of course not my dear.
Friends like that are
worth more than diamonds.
(gentle music)
- Are you the magician?
- No, I'm just a servant.
But sometimes I have
the power to astonish.
- For me?
- For you, from the Mrs. Sahib.
- I'm not much good at reading.
Can you tell me what she says?
- She says that my master is
to become her legal guardian.
And she asks if you
would accept a position
in his household as her personal maid.
- Oh, miss.
- What are you thinking, Sara?
- I was just thinking about your question.
Why karma should have
treated me so cruelly.
I believe it was to teach me a lesson.
- What lesson?
- There are so many poor
people in the world.
I took papa's money for granted you see.
I had no idea what it
was like not to have any.
- It taught me a lesson too.
The money doesn't buy happiness.
- It prevents people from
starving though doesn't it?
It gives them a roof over their heads.
- Yes.
- I remember one day when
I was particularly hungry
there was a little girl outside a bun shop
who was even hungrier than I was.
I wonder what became of her.
What becomes of all other children
who don't have enough to eat?
I wish I could help them.
- Well, you can't help all of them.
Even your fortune isn't large enough.
- I could help some of
them though, couldn't I?
I'd like to do as much as I can.
- Perhaps you'd care to build
a home for waifs and strays.
- Yes.
Perhaps I could call it-
- The Ralph Crewe Home.
- You're a true magician Mr.
Carisford, you can read minds.
- It wasn't very difficult.
Now. Which hand?
Ah.
- There's something else I'd like to do.
- [Baker] Have you been
into my shop before?
- Yes. You once gave me
six buns for four pence.
- And you gave five of them away.
I've never forgotten that,
how hungry she looked.
I thought that young lady
may be dressed in rags
but she's a real princess.
- Yes she is.
- What happened to the rags?
- Oh, they're gone. I'm very happy now.
I just wish the little
girl I gave the buns to
was as happy.
- Oh. She's quite happy.
You can take my word for it.
- You've seen her.
- I see her every day.
Anne.
- Hello Miss.
- She's my new apprentice,
and a fine hard working girl
she's turned out to be.
She couldn't remember her
name so I called her Anne.
- You're really happy Anne?
- Yeah, thanks to you and the mistress.
(gentle music)
(children laughing)
- [Sara Voiceover] It's the magic.
That's what it is. The magic.
Remember I told you that when
things were at their blackest
the magic always comes to
your rescue, well it's come.
It's just like being a princess after all.
- Sara!
Oh look Jessie, it's Sara.
(girls clamoring)
- Now young ladies.
- [Ermengarde] Hello Mr. Carrisford.
- [Ms. Minchin] Do not
engage in conversation
with strangers Ermengarde.
Eyes front and into school.
- [Ermengarde] Goodbye Sara.
- [Lottie] Goodbye my mama.
(gentle music continues)