The Red Inn (L'Auberge rouge)

Christians, come all listen...

to a true complaint...

about three inhuman monsters...

their crimes were gruesome...

one hundred and twenty years ago they murdered passersby...

in Peyrebeille, in Vivarais, in the department of Ardèche...

where they opened their inn...

at the end of a dead-end road...

the inn stood along a busy road... where people were slaughtered...

these monsters had a daughter, well cared for...

although she had much charm, she found no lover...

we know many inns where from evening to morning...

a girl remains virgin, like the Martin girl...

we will never know how many victims there were...

one suspects one hundred and thirty-three...

but there could be many more...

stir up all nations over the crimes of this house...

we had in the mountains, from Tuillette to Coucouron...

Martin held his wife in high esteem...

because we knew them well, we believed in their virtue...

for esteem often follows in the wake of wealth...

organ grinder of death...

the poor devil on a snowy evening...

accompanied by a transvestite-monkey...

he came into the inn...

where he fell into a trap...

There he is, there he is.

- There. - Hey Marie... look there.

- He must die! - Let him go.

How do we know that these beasts cannot talk?

- Filthy beast, shoot him. - No, that makes noise! Here, my knife.

Watch carefully!

- Shoot him! - No, not with a gun.

You look just like an organ grinder.

If you believe that, the monkey will believe it too. Hide yourselves.

Say, if we split it... will you give me that organ then? I didn't steal it.

Damn!

- Dirty nigger! - It wasn't me, it was her.

Oh, what does it matter, give me that thing here... Just wait. Wait...

Missed!

- Refugium peccatorum... - Ora pro nobis.

- Domus aurea... - Ora pro nobis.

- Foederis arca... - Ora pro nobis.

- Stella matutina... - Ora pro nobis.

- Janua coeli... - Ora pro nobis.

- Salus infirmorum... - Ora pro nobis.

- Consolatrix afflictorum... - Ora pro nobis.

They are hunters...

- Delicious, a hare stew. - Ora pro nobis.

- Or an omelet with bacon. - Ora pro nobis.

- I am talking about serious matters. - What?

- Aren't you hungry then? - Oh, yes.

- Is the monastery still far? - Certainly not before midnight.

Then we will keep walking.

- Turris eburnea... - Ora pro nobis.

Christianorum... Oh, mother of God, my stick!

- I feel a draft between my legs. - Oh, my father!

- Where are we? Where? - Oh, my father...

- What is it? - There is a hole.

A hole? Where is that hole? My God, a hole in a bridge.

It indeed looks like a bridge.

If there is a bridge, there is also an inn.

- Which inn, father? - A good inn, my son.

- Have you already been there? - Oh no!

I've never been there, but it is famous.

Now that I think about it... it will be the good Lord who led us to this inn.

The Lord sees everything, He also sees that we are exhausted.

- Refugium peccatorum... - Ora pro nobis.

Maybe it's a tasty wild boar...

with red wine sauce and chestnut purée?

- Are we almost there? - We still have to drive four more hours, surely.

- What did he say? - Another four hours.

In that time we can be ambushed a hundred times.

What madness! What have I come to do in this land of robbers?

If you're so afraid of highwaymen, then don't walk around with all your diamonds.

First of all, I am not walking around! I have just attended the

funeral of my dear sister.

This jewel is all I have left of her. Poor little Adélaïde.

It's easy not to be afraid when you have nothing to lose.

I would like to have what she has to lose!

You will not get rich from it, sir.

Mittens for mama, a snuffbox for papa and a spelling book for the household staff.

I teach him, but he has a hard head. He is a negro.

But they are savages! You are not afraid?

No, this one is very sweet and very friendly.

- The monkey... - Where?

There...

Help! Your axe!

- What is wrong with my axe? - The bandits, the highwaymen!

You don't mean that?

I don't care about bandits. I have no money, so they do nothing to me.

He would let us suffocate because sir has no money.

- Sir, you must protect me! - Calm down, madam...

- Close that door! - What happened?

A vision from hell, with feathers and a long tail like a devil.

The beast bit my nose and flew away, and we broke the brake lever.

- We are left to our fate. - No, sit down again.

I know an inn, we repair it there.

- Is it far? - No, nearby.

- We can stay there overnight. - We can play cards.

What do you think, sir?

It would give me pleasure, but duty calls: I must go to Privas.

My father died there.

Not to mention the fact that the inn is a nest of bedbugs.

No, madam, we have no bedbugs here.

If Mathilde were still alive, none of this would have happened.

I do not like it either that she has left us.

Without her, we are exactly like three small children.

What is the use of grieving? There is enough work at home.

Is that all?

- That is all. - In fact, that was not worth it.

- The fair was going well, after all? - You should never believe the actors.

- You know I do not smoke. - Do not complain all the time.

- Here. - I have knives in abundance.

Then you do not take it!

- And what is that? - Tarot cards.

My God, death!

- He is dead; the cards never lie. - I turned that card over.

Then turn over another one, it will be better.

The monkey...

I knew it; that monkey will mean our downfall.

Shut up and just throw everything into the fireplace.

And the organ will go in too.

Not the music, madam promised it to me.

I am bored here; I want some distraction.

All right, you get him as a gift. Leave him be; I will take him back later.

Someone is knocking at the door.

- I'm coming! - We are here.

- Yes, yes, all right. - We are here.

We will open immediately.

Oh, Mathilde! But... we actually expected you only tomorrow.

I absolutely wanted to be home.

- You are not alone? - I have brought other travelers with me.

Three, four, five...

How sweet, but that is too much, my little girl.

You see, Marie, we were complaining. Never throw away the handle of the axe.

- Are they armed? - No, only an axe.

- Dear, shall we end the game? - Of course.

We have time for dinner. Always at your disposal.

- We are sitting here. - If you wish.

- Madam, mulled wine for everyone. - I will give it to you.

Thank you, how lovely that warmth is.

- It gives off a strange smell. - We burned old clothes.

You are right; we are attached to many old things that are good for nothing.

- Did you know that our coach was attacked? - They did not rob you, did they?

No, thank God. They would have taken this necklace.

- Have you never seen this before? - No, we do not have such a thing here.

- Would you like to help me? - With pleasure, madam.

- Tell me, innkeeper? - What is it? What is wrong now?

The brake lever is broken; do you have such a brake lever in stock?

A brake lever? I am not sure, I will look in the barn for a moment.

- On farms there are always brake levers. - I hope he finds such a brake lever.

Marie... We will do this again and then we will withdraw to the countryside.

- What are you looking at? - I am looking at the big man with the axe.

Look at that diamond necklace. Oh, my dove, I give you that necklace.

- Oh, it suits you well. - This is madness, my dearest.

Do not worry about the man with the axe, he will not hang around here long.

Your mistake was not that you took my six.

I had thought about it, but then it was already too late.

- Do you have money with you? - No, only my axe.

- I have seen it. - Can I perhaps work for it?

No, thank you, we do not need anyone. We do that ourselves, as a family.

- Come, drink your bowl empty and clear off. - But...

Not for me.

- Will you get warm wine for me? - I will be right back.

- What are you waiting for? - Must I really leave?

Yes, immediately.

I cannot leave in the middle of the night, can I?

Now he is also afraid of robbers...

I am not afraid.

They will not do anything to you; you have no money.

In the coach you were all talk. Now it is our turn.

- Have a good trip. - Come, get going.

- And in the barn? - There is no room.

- I will make myself small. - You are still too big.

Get lost! You do not need to fear robbers. You are strong.

- Far too strong. You are lucky. - Yes, but still...

Sometimes it helps to be strong. Come, boy, goodbye.

- Do you have that brake lever now or not? - I do not have that.

- How so? - I do not have any in stock.

My wife and I looked everywhere, but we found no brake lever.

We do not have a brake lever.

The brake levers we have would not work.

- Then we must stay here overnight. - You will sleep like angels.

That would be nice; I love this house.

I would rather miss a meeting than risk my life.

- I am a widower, so I have all the time. - And my poor father who is waiting for me.

Take it easy, he can still wait one more night, can he not?

- There goes our ham for Christmas. - We do owe them that, after all.

- Sir, they are playing with the cards. - And then?

There is one who collects all the money from the others.

What does it matter? We will slaughter them all.

Which room will you give me, little girl?

A room for rich people.

- Do you regularly receive rich guests? - Not as rich as you, madam.

I hope it is a nice bed.

That is enough for one night.

This room is already occupied.

Forgive me, madam.

This room will be as good as the other one.