Once upon a time...
there were two sisters called Ume-san and
Kame-san.
For a long time, they lived alone in an old
mansion.
Nobody came to visit them, nor did they
want to see anybody.
Once every day, they would wander off to
town...
and bring back stuff they had found on the
way.
There were so many abandoned things in
the town...
that they never failed to find something
interesting.
Ume-san and Kame-san took very good
care of their find.
So their find grew to like the sisters very
much.
Broken clocks, torn futons and cracked
music boxes.
They all huddled together and watched
over the sisters.
When night came to the mansion...
Ume-san and Kame-san slept peacefully,
surrounded by their numerous finds.
A serene and long dark night.
A thousand nights went past.
But the sisters didn't notice...
the slight sound that had started to flow
into their old ears.
And in that flow...
someone was waiting to be found for the
longest time.
Children.
Gather around.
Get in line.
Now, let's sing that loud for the old ladies.
A sheep that sneezes
A sneeze that echoes
A red red apple...
Fell from a tree
Bleat, atchoo, drop!
It's now the sheep's apple
The sheep ate the apple
The apple is inside the sheep
The red red apple...
is now no longer
Bleat, munch, gulp!
The sheep ate it
The apple became the sheep
The sheep smelt like apple
Then it grew...
Curls of red wool
It's now the apple's sheep
Let's all spin...
The sheep's red yarn
The story of the apple sheep
Please take care of yourselves and live a
long and happy life!
Children...
Wait up!
What is it?
We ran over two old ladies.
You actually saw them.
Saw what?
Never mind.
This is beautiful.
A rarity.
Let me.
Gently.
A helmet.
A microphone.
Boo!
"Picked-up Goods"
"Goldfish Bowl"
"Register"
"Pencil Sharpener"
"Bowling Pins"
"Music Box"
"Barber's Sign"
"Inflatable Pool"
"Accordion"
"Tilting Doll"
"Beauty Seven".
Seven...
"Beauty Seven"
OK.
Damn...
I have to knit it all over again!
Gotta knit again!
Knit again!
Knit again...
Let's go to bed.
Yes, let's.
Good night.
Good night.
She's not here.
Must have gone out.
Oh my!
Boy, oh boy.
What a mess...
I'm glad she's gone.
Damn!
I have to knit it all over again!
Wasn't that her?
Yes, she's still here.
Damn!
I have to knit it all over again!
Gotta knit again!
Knit again!
Will it work?
Nobody can do anything on a full stomach.
She'll fall asleep.
Let's see.
Here.
Taste it.
Go ahead.
If you please.
She ate!
Hurray!
She was just hungry.
Didn't I tell you?
I hope she'll sleep now.
Let's wait and see.
Oh?
This is bad.
"He gradually grew taller and taller..."
"until he became a giant young man."
"Then he picked up a heavy stick with
ease, and..."
Gotta knit again...
Knit again...
"Balls of Red Yarn"
"Knit-Again"
"Knit-Again".
That's right.
Off you go.
You take care.
I'm back.
Nobody home?
What happened?
Look.
How cruel!
Knit-Again!
Her!
You did it!
How could you?
Damn!
I have to knit it all over again!
Damn!
I have to knit it all over again!
Gotta knit again.
Knit again.
Knit again...
"Color Television"
"Tilting Doll"
"Balls of Red Yarn"
"Knit-Again"
Oh, my.
Wake up.
Look.
What is she doing?
Knitting.
Knitting what?
My muffler?
No, my hat.
It's mine.
No, it's mine.
Mommy...
Mommy...
What is she doing?
Knitting.
Knitting what?
My muffler?
No, my hat.
It's mine.
No, it's mine.
Burnable.
Nonburnable.
Burnable.
Nonburnable.
Which is this?
Nonburnable!
"Old-fashioned Phone"
"Cuckoo Clock"
"Wooden Doll"
"Jingdezhen China"
"Teacups"
"Futon"
"Sleepy-Limb"
I'm Sleepy-Limb!
"Tilting Doll"
"Wakey-Wakey"
"Cuckoo Clock"
"What-Time-ls-lt-Now"
Damn!
I have to knit it all over again!
I'm Dance-Crazy...
Shall we dance?
I'm Splash-About...
I'm thirsty.
We're Mini-Mermaids...
Gotta knit again.
I'm Call-Me-Not...
I'm Miss-Pin.
Who could it be?
Somebody's there.
It's red.
A red yarn.
Let's knit something.
Yes, let's.
Damn!
I have to knit it all over again!
Milk is good for you.
So is miso soup.
Delicious.
Sure is.
Like it?
Here.
There's lots of calcium in milk.
And vitamins in miso soup.
Throw it away.
OK. Let's do so.
This, too.
Let's get rid of them.
And this.
What's that?
Count one, two...
What?
It's tight.
But why?
I thought we threw this away.
Wake up.
Wake up, my little darlings.
Rise and shine, girls.
Come on.
Ume-san and Kame-san, both of you
listen to Mommy.
What is it, Mommy?
I'm still sleepy.
My true love is going to take me away.
Let me come with you.
No.
It's too far away from here.
How far?
Beyond the mountain and beyond the sea.
Even beyond an unknown country.
Beyond the mountain and beyond the sea.
Even beyond an unknown country.
Good bye!
Good bye.
Take care!
She's gone.
I wonder where she went.
How far could it be?
Aren't children allowed there?
Boo!
How could I leave you two?
Do it again.
Ume-san and Kame-san and...
Mommy.
Just the three of us.
The three of us forever in this mansion.
Just us three...
"How to Knit"
"Hundred Poems"
"Camera"
"Telephone"
"Color Television"
"TV-Man"
I have to knit it all over again!
Knit-Again!
Knit-Again!
Where are you?
Knit-Again!
Knit-Again.
Knit-Again...
A baby.
A baby?
Wow!
It's inside me.
Where is it?
Let me see.
Right here, see?
In here?
Yes.
Inside your stomach?
It's really there.
Yes, really.
A baby!
A baby!
That's why I can't...
play with you.
Mommy?
Why?
Where are you going?
What is she doing?
Knitting.
Knitting what?
My muffler?
No, my hat.
It's mine.
No, it's mine.
This isn't for either of you.
What?
Don't you know?
When you knit, a baby will come.
A baby will come.
I'm home.
I'm home.
Mommy, we're home.
We're home, Mommy.
Mommy, we're home.
What's the matter?
Is the baby gone?
It's still inside.
Not there.
Not anywhere.
Did it go to its true love?
Beyond the mountain and beyond the sea.
Even beyond an unknown country.
Don't worry. I can knit you a baby.
I can knit you lots of babies, too.
Then we don't need her.
No, we don't.
Just us two.
The two of us.
Let's knit.
Yes, let's.
Are you burning this, too?
We have to evacuate from here.
It's not worth selling it.
Would you let me have it?
Please.
Let's knit.
Yes, let's.
I'll knit his baby.
So will I.
Here?
This page.
Together.
Put the needle through.
One, two...
Here?
One...
Two...
Like this?
One, two, three!
Be careful.
Here?
There.
It's too early for bedtime.
No good.
Oh.
Oh.
It's not enough.
I'm sure there's more.
Look.
"Lllustrated Medical Book, Creation"
I don't know why but...
somehow, I feel I've done wrong to him.
Me, too.
I wonder if he's still living.
What are you doing?
You're cold.
Put your arms through.
That's it.
There you go.
You're fine now.
Sleep tight.
When you awake, you must knit all over
again.
Sleepy-Limb, burnable.
What-Time-ls-lt-Now, nonburnable.
Mini-Mermaid, burnable.
Miss-Pin, nonburnable.
Dance-Crazy, nonburnable.
Splash-About, burnable.
Wakey-Wakey...
Nonburnable.
Beauty-Face...
Nonburnable.
Knit-Again...
Burnable.
Well now...
Off we go.
They bid farewell to their old mansion.
Where could have they gone?
Nobody knows it, but the sisters were sure
of their way.
Written and Directed by Mai Tominaga