The Story of Little Mook (Die Geschichte vom kleinen Muck)

THE STORY OF LITTLE MOOK

Yussef, deliver the wares.

Now? It's the end of the working day.

The Imam doesn't like to be kept waiting.

Always me. I've had no time at all today.

Mook, can't you go to the Imam for me?

You know I don't like going out.

Fresh air is good for you.

It's not the air, it's the people.

Ignore them.

Why can't you go?

My friend is waiting for me.

Your friend.

Okay then. I'll go.

Shake on it. I'm tired of standing here.

Plus your turban.

I haven't seen him in ages.

Little man, evil guy, Don't look at us with evil eye.

- Look there. - It's the evil man.

I know him. Let's follow them.

- What is it? - A camel, idiot.

- There are no shards for the hump. - Not enough glass shards in the world.

Make way for the Sultan's elephants!

Make way for the Sultan's elephants!

He must pay, by the beard of the Prophet!

Don't let him escape!

- Let's get out of here! - The vases! The vases!

Let us out now, evil man!

- I won't let you out! - We won't do it again!

Let us go home!

I shall not let you out.

Not before you have all listened

to the story of the little evil man.

We want no stories! We want to get out!

- A real story? - That'll be the day!

He won't let us out otherwise.

Okay then. The story. But quickly!

I shall tell my story until...

the clock you see over there has fully wound down.

Wind it up for us, Mustafa!

When the last ball has gone clack,

then shall I cease.

"Once upon a time..." No.

I cannot start like that.

I should say: "Once upon my time..."

I used to be like you.

Like you, Mustafa. Like all of you.

I bartered.

I played with colorful glass shards just like you.

When the dolls were sick,

I fixed them up.

One day, however, my father announced

that he had some important news for me.

I was very excited.

But my father made me wait.

He rummaged in his chest and then suddenly said:

The Golden Spoon is not here!

Look, Father! Here it is!

Is it important, Father?

Listen to me.

You must know that we have nothing of greater value in the house...

than the Golden Spoon.

- Apart from my books, of course! - I never use it.

You can use it.

It is coveted by my aunt and my greedy brother-in-law.

You are the cruelest thief under Allah's sun.

You want to steal the Spoon while he's alive.

- You wish him plague and death! - He told me I'd inherit everything!

I have been thinking long about your future.

What will you be?

I don't know.

Mother told me of the merchant of fortune.

I thought that it would be best if I set out to seek this merchant.

But you must learn a trade.

- What do you do all day? - I play.

- What with? - Different things.

The glass shards are my favorite.

You make beautiful pictures with them. Look!

There is no purpose to that! Come with me.

Tomorrow I'll take you to a schoolmaster I know.

You must learn something decent.

I am honored by your visit. Please step inside.

- What do you want? Get out! - But...

Immediately, my master. Get out!

Excuse the disturbance.

That was not one of our students. We have no hunchbacked pupils here.

I am sure that you are come hither, honored master,

to spread the fresh buds of knowledge once more among our avid pupils!

- How honorable! - No, something else.

Actually, I wanted to bring my son to you.

- So that he can learn. - But of course!

That would be a joy for us.

Why did you not bring the dear child today?

- I did bring him with me! - He's waiting outside!

Such modesty! You have brought him up well.

He was here in your study.

In my study? I cannot remember that!

Yes! You asked him... to go back out again.

Really? Did I do that?

My poor memory! Recently it has been...

You mean... That was him? The boy with the...

Clear out!

Come in.

Come in.

I have just realized...

How could I forget that?

But as I said, my memory...

We have no places for him.

So many sons of rich fathers!

It is a source of deep regret!

What do you have on your chest?

My boy wanted to know what the children here learn.

Above all, the wisdom of the Koran.

Is it written in the Koran that they should hit me on the turban?

Be quiet!

This is a source of deep regret. We shall try elsewhere.

So, my son.

I do not know where we should go from here.

It is a great misfortune that we lost Mother so early.

Maybe I should seek the merchant of fortune.

Merchant! They didn't want you in the school.

You can't even become a scholar and learn to read and write.

- But I can read and write! - How come?

But Father, you taught me!

Oh yes, of course I did! So what should we do now?

Someone will need me somewhere.

Do you really think so? But I have so much to think about.

It is a matter of this question: what revolves around what?

Does the earth revolve around the moon?

Or does the moon revolve around the earth?

Yes, Father. Go and think.

He's here.

- Does he know? - No.

- He's not been home three days. - You won't tell him?

- I can't tell him. - Poor devil.

- Who are you? - I'm Little Mook.

- What do you want here? - What I want?

I live here!

- Where is the key for this? - I don't know either.

- Do you know now? You'll remember! - Father! Father!

- But we're relatives! We know you! - Father! Father!

But your father is dead! He died very suddenly!

I'm his brother-in-law. It's all very sad.

Tell me then where he hid all the money.

- My money was in the coffer. - Mook has it!

Where is Mook? Where is he?

- Where is it? - Where?

- Tell your aunt where the coffer is. - No, tell your uncle!

- He stole it! - To court!

- To the Mufti! - I don't have it!

You thief! You thief!

I'll tell you. Under Father's divan.

Stop! Stay here!

Well then, Little Mook?

What do you want to do now?

Nothing at all. I don't have anything to do now.

That is a great misfortune.

Is there anyone on earth who can help you now?

Nobody can help me anymore.

Really? Nobody, Little Mook?

Yes. There is someone, but nobody knows where he is.

- Who? - The merchant of fortune.

You must seek him.

You'll get nothing from them.

If I only knew where to find him!

Now I remember!

The merchant of fortune!

- He passed through here yesterday! - Yesterday? Here? Where?

- Does he come here often? - Rarely.

The merchant of fortune is very difficult to find.

- Do you have enough money? - You pay with little shards of glass!

You should go, Little Mook.

Did the merchant go from there to there or there to there?

From there to there! Now go!

- Allah be with you! - And with you!

- Did you see Little Mook? - He ran away.

- Which way? - From there to there!

Avarice makes speedy feet!

They won't get Little Mook, and he won't find his merchant.

- Merchant? - The merchant of fortune!

A merchant of fortune?

I have journeyed across the land for 50 years.

I have never met such a man.

Well, thank you. May Allah be with you.

Little man!

Stay and journey across the land with us?

- The desert is perilous. - Where are you headed?

From there to there.

No, I can't. I must go from there to there.

Where are you from?

Poor creature! All alone in the desert!

How glad I am!

At last I have somebody to talk to.

I shall tell you that I seek the merchant of fortune.

Come. You can help.

I have asked for him in many bazaars, in houses and huts.

Everywhere...

The merchant! You really do exist!

Ibrahim!

My Ibrahim!