02x03 - Integrity - For Want of a Horseshoe Nail / Charlemagne and the Robber Knight

[bunniefuu]

♪ Tell me a story

♪ Read me a poem ♪

♪ Wrap it in melody ♪

♪ Sing me the song ♪

♪ Then let me hold it ♪

♪ Deep in my heart ♪

♪ Where it can speak to me ♪

♪ All the day long ♪

♪ The adventure of virtue ♪

♪ The adventure of truth ♪

♪ The thrill of knowing ♪

♪ That it's up to you ♪

♪ Building a new day shining in the sun ♪

♪ This is my story ♪

♪ The adventure has ♪

♪ Begun. ♪

Step right up, folks.

Get weather vanes while you can.

Each one handmade by my friend annie redfeather.

Sure is mighty different-looking.

I'll take one, son.

Thanks.

Here you go.

I got to get one of those.

Those look pretty nifty.

Better finish up that next batch pronto, annie.

These weather vanes are selling up a storm.

I'm doing the best I can, zach.

At this rate

You'll raise the most money

For our new playground.

No contest.

Thanks.

You must be very proud of annie.

Her weather vanes are so unique, so original.

They're the hit of the school crafts fair.

In fact, I'd better get in line.

Good job, annie.

The money goes to a good cause.

( Aurora laughs )

Annie put us on her weather vanes.

Wait till the others hear.

They were selling like night crawlers

At the crack of dawn.

What did you expect?

She's selling

Weather vanes with my picture on them.

Don't you mean our pictures?

Right. But in my case, she had so much to work with.

Mirror, mirror

What a cat.

What a cat.

( Gasps )

Hmm! What craftsmanship.

You would have been proud, plato.

Customers were lined up to buy annie's weather vanes.

That's our annie.

Annie, I've got customers waiting out here.

Oh, at this rate, I'll run out of screws.

Unless...

Four screws will hold these together as well as eight.

Great. Get me more as soon as you can.

Two more, zach, and that's it.

Almost out of wire.

Not enough to double-reinforce these two.

But one strand should be sturdy enough.

Sorry, folks.

This is the last one.

( Moaning and groaning )

You lucked out, principal mathers.

I feel very lucky.

Perhaps next year, you'll make more, annie.

I think I'll need a year to recover.

But you made money

For the school.

Good job, annie.

I'm really proud of you.

Thanks, mom.

How about some cookies, kid?

You've earned them.

Mmm, thanks.

I think I could eat two dozen.

( Gasps )

( Sobbing ): mommy, broken.

( Crying )

Oh, my!

This is not good.

I just hope the others annie made

Are holding up better than mine.

Huh?

( Clamoring )

We bought two weather vanes for our parents.

Now what will we give them?

These weather vanes are poorly made.

My little girl was disappointed and so am i.

You should have made these better.

We should get our money back.

What?

I was doing the best I could for a good cause.

That doesn't mean you should sell a bad product.

Oh!

( Yells )

Whoa! I heard you put me on a weather vane

But how about letting me live to see it?

Zach: annie, wait up.

( Yells )

( Coughing and spitting )

Hey, is there a road rally going on around here?

She came tearing up the peak

Like a swarm of bees were on her tail.

Thanks for putting me on your weather vane.

We're flattered you used our images

For your weather vane.

Aurora told us.

Yeah!

Next year, how about making a bobcat weather vane

With me on all the points?

I'm not sure I'll make weather vanes.

Some of my customers aren't happy.

I don't get it. What's the problem?

If you hadn't

Sold them so fast

I wouldn't have made them so fast.

Me? It's not my fault

Your weather vanes were so popular.

And from what I saw, they looked great.

Yeah, but a couple of them broke

And now some customers want their money back.

Did you cut a few corners

When you made some weather vanes?

Well, maybe a few.

But I was doing something good.

I raised the most money for school.

That is admirable, but cutting corners

Was like cutting corners on your own character.

I know you have more integrity than that.

Integrity?

When we have integrity

It means that the things we say and do are reliable.

Our work is good, dependable and sound.

If we lack integrity

Our work may not hold together and may fall apart.

Hmm. Like not enough wire and some loose screws

Made my weather vanes fall apart.

Exactly. And would you believe

A loose nail could cost a king his throne?

How? Whoa!

It's story time.

Hey, big guy, tell them the tale

Of "for want of a horseshoe nail."

It's all about a king of england named richard iii.

Shakespeare even wrote a play about him.

Way back in

King richard was preparing for battle

Against an army led by henry, earl of richmond

A rival for the throne.

One big battle at a place called bosworth

Would determine who would rule england--

Richard or henry.

As the sun rose over bosworth, richard prepared for combat.

I can finish this myself.

Make sure my horse is ready.

As you command, your highness.

( Grunts )

Put horseshoes on king richard's mount

And make quick about it.

I've already put horseshoes on all the mounts

In the king's army.

There's not much iron ore left, but it should do.

The young blacksmith made do with what he had.

He took an old bar

Of scrap iron and made horseshoes

For the king's favorite horse.

Then one by one

The blacksmith began to nail on

The horseshoes...

But after the third horseshoe

Discovered he did not have enough nails to finish the job.

Uh-oh. Oh...

What is it, man?

Why do you hesitate?

I have run out of nails.

I usually put one or two more in to fasten the shoe properly.

Huh?

( Sighs )

But these will do.

A nail or two will not matter.

Ah. That'll do it.

( Sighs )

( Men grunting and yelling )

Forward, men!

Forward!

Drive henry back!

Ooh! Take that!

We shall win this day!

We are no match

For henry's army!

Flee for your lives!

Stop!

I command you!

I command you!

King richard galloped

Toward the fleeing soldiers

Afraid that if the rest

Of his troops saw them, they might retreat.

And that's when it happened.

King richard's horse threw a shoe.

Blasted horse!

Man: henry's troops are almost upon us!

Flee for your lives!

Run, men, run!

Richard: halt!

I command you!

Stand and fight, you cowards!

But with the king on foot

Richard's scared soldiers paid him no heed.

Everywhere he looked

They were fleeing in total disarray.

( Grunting )

Richard: a horse!

A horse! My kingdom for a horse!

But richard's horse was long gone.

His army had fallen apart

And they were too busy trying to save themselves

To find a horse for their king.

In moments the battle was over.

Richard: no!

Richard had lost his kingdom

And his life.

For want of a shoe, a horse was lost.

For want of a horse, a battle was lost.

For want of a battle, a kingdom was lost.

And all for the want of a horseshoe nail.

If that blacksmith had cared more about his work

He would've put those horseshoes on better.

And the king would've kept his crown.

Guess integrity is important.

Hmm, maybe I gave up some of my integrity

By trying to sell too many weather vanes.

Is there any way to get it back?

Yes. Your integrity can be regained, annie.

Even a thief found that out.

A thief?

Follow me.

In the story of charlemagne

And the robber knight

Way back in the middle ages

During the reign of charles the first

King of france, emperor of germany

And emperor of the holy

Roman empire-- whew!

The great king charlemagne

Built a magnificent castle on the river rhine

But the first time he slept there

He didn't get

A very good night's sleep.

( Snoring )

( Gasping )

What?

Who... Who are you?

Arise, good king charlemagne, and heed this angel's words.

Go forth secretly into your kingdom tonight

And steal.

Steal? Impossible.

Stealing is wrong.

No angel would order an emperor to become a robber.

( Grunts )

I must be having a bad dream.

( Groans )

Arise, emperor.

Go steal from your own people.

Huh?

This cannot be real.

It must have been the wild boar I consumed at dinner.

( Gasps )

Do not tarry.

Go into your forest and steal

Or do not blame me for the consequences.

But...

Hmm... Perhaps it is unwise

To disregard the words of an angel...

However puzzling they might seem.

All the castle was asleep

So it was easy for charlemagne

To reach his stable, saddle his horse

And ride into the dark forest

Of the night.

I must discover what the angel's strange command meant

But no matter what, I will do no wrong.

Suddenly, the emperor

Heard someone approaching.

h*!

Halt!

h*!

What mission brings you

To this dark wood at such a late hour?

Elbegast answers to no man.

Hi-ya!

Ha!

( Both grunting )

I have committed many bold deeds

But you are the first to vanquish

This robber knight.

I, elbegast, am at your mercy.

Hmm...

( Quietly ): perhaps the angel meant me to follow this man.

I will play along.

Arise, elbegast, for I mean you no harm.

In fact, I am a robber like yourself.

( Grunts )

Why don't we join forces?

And why not?

( Laughing )

Cannot two thieves rob more than one?

( Laughing )

And I know just the mansion ripe for robbing.

I recognize this house.

It belongs to arnot

One of emperor charlemagne's most trusted ministers.

And it is full of plunder

For two clever thieves like ourselves.

Come.

There should be plenty of jewels in his bedroom.

I hear the emperor rewards his loyal followers well.

Well enough, I suppose.

Woman: stop pacing, arnot, and come to bed.

Your plan is foolproof.

By tomorrow night, you shall be emperor.

Arnot: you're right, my dear.

Charlemagne will never suspect me

Of scheming to m*rder him.

My men will take him by surprise

And it will all be over quickly.

Still, you cannot blame me for being a trifle nervous

My dear.

Where are you going?

There must be plenty of valuables to steal.

Did you not hear, man?

That treacherous minister

Plans to m*rder emperor charlemagne.

You must warn him.

What was that?

Could be robbers.

Wife: arnot...

Is everything all right?

Uh, just the wind, dear.

Just the wind.

You are quite nimble.

A thief has to be, my friend.

Come. We dare not tarry any longer.

What kind of a thief are you, elbegast?

We still had plenty of time

To rob the rest of that house.

Not while the emperor's life hangs in the balance.

Ride at once to charlemagne.

Warn him of the plot.

Me? Why not warn the emperor yourself?

I would do it gladly.

But who would listen to a notorious thief like me--

A man who has committed so many crimes?

I would risk imprisonment to warn the emperor--

A man who has ruled wisely

And worked for his people's good.

But no one would listen to a man of my reputation.

No, my friend.

A small-time robber like yourself

With no price on your head--

You will be able to warn charlemagne.

Good luck.

So elbegast galloped off toward his mountain stronghold

While charlemagne rode slowly back to his palace

Deep in thought.

The next morning

As arnot and his fellow conspirators

Arrived at the palace, they had a little surprise

Waiting for them.

Is this any way to greet a minister

Here to pay respects to his emperor?

Ha!

Is this how you pay your respects, minister?

My lord!

Arnot: how could he have known?

One of them must have betrayed me.

Please, please, forgive me

For plotting against you

But these men forced me

Into wrongdoing.

They filled my head

With thoughts of usurping your throne.

Lies! He was the one!

You will have plenty of time to dwell on your thoughts

While you dwell in my dungeon.

Guards, take them away.

Captain, take this message into the mountains

To a man called elbegast.

The notorious robber?

But, my lord...

( Growling )

Yes, sire.

At once.

"I, charlemagne, emperor of the holy roman empire

"Request a meeting with elbegast the robber knight.

I promise safe conduct to and from my palace."

The emperor... Wants to see me?

Yes, sir.

It's elbegast himself!

Stand aside.

See anything worth stealing, elbegast?

So the emperor invited you, too.

A reward for saving his life.

My life.

Emperor...

But why were you pretending to be a robber...?

To catch me, I suppose.

( Sighs )

Well, congratulations.

You have caught the robber knight at last.

Put yourself at ease, elbegast.

I know you have done wrong in the past

But that night at arnot's, you cared not about stealing

But about saving the emperor's... My life.

You could have run away

Or spent hours robbing arnot's house.

You cared about making sure an emperor was warned

About a plot against his life.

I will not forget the faithful duty you have done me.

I am offering you a new start, elbegast--

A chance to begin again with a clean slate

All misdeeds forgotten.

I should be honored

To have a man with your courage and loyalty at my side.

You... You honor me, your highness.

I always knew you were a kind and wise ruler, but...

Arise, elbegast.

Let us find you a less menacing suit of armor.

Aurora: elbegast, the robber knight, was so disarmed

By charlemagne's goodness of character

That he gave up his evil life in the forest

And became charlemagne's friend until the end of his days.

To honor the angel whose visit

Had caused him to find this loyal knight

Emperor charlemagne named his new palace engelheim

Which means "angel's home."

So the robber did a good deed

And saved the emperor's life.

Selling those second-rate weather vanes

Wasn't putting my best foot forward.

If a robber could repair his integrity, so can i.

Thanks, guys.

Now, that was a look of integrity.

Well, I certainly hope

She doesn't take me off the weathervane.

After all, I looked pretty good up there.

Sock!

Now I know just what I have to do.

Hey, want some help?

No, thanks. This is something I can do myself.

Good for you, annie.

We're here if you need us.

♪ Just stand behind all you do ♪

♪ Your friends will think the world of you ♪

♪ Build everything the best it can be ♪

♪ That's integrity ♪

♪ When what you make has integrity ♪

♪ You know it functions perfectly ♪

♪ Just stand behind all you do ♪

♪ 'Cause your work is a reflection of you ♪

♪ Your work is a reflection of you ♪

♪ Just stand behind all you are ♪

♪ People will see that you'll go far ♪

♪ Build everything the best it can be ♪

♪ That's integrity ♪

♪ That's integrity. ♪