SOYUZMULTFILM, 1956
THE OLD FRIENDS
Written and directed by Mstislav Pashchenko, Boris Dyozhkin
Dear children!
Not long ago, our department store hosted an extraordinary football match!
The "Section of Soft Toys" team hosted a home-field match against a famous team of wooden football players.
That's us.
And these famous-yet-altogether- too-arrogant wooden "masters"
showed themselves from their worst side.
That's not us!
They conducted themselves very rudely, and during the game used forbidden hooligan techniques.
They tripped players up, tried to knock down their adversaries...
They even pulled a real dishonorable act!
They abducted the soft toys' goalkeeper from his own goal gate!
That's us!
And what do you think? Did it help them?
No! They were exiled in disgrace from the toy community!
Yep!
Well... I'm here to tell you about more interesting things today.
There will be a new competition held for water polo,
the winners of which will get a big prize!
Prize
Great idea!
If with football it did not work, then we will play water polo!
The prize will be ours!
But we've never even tried to swim!
No matter!
Wood is lighter than water, so we'll swim without any problems.
Got it? Come on!
That's it...
As for those wooden players, I hope we never see them again.
What did you say? It's them? It can't be!
Gee...
Our situation has become a bit more complicated...
Next!
Come on, come on!
There we go!
Even mum and dad would not recognize you now!
Perhaps you made a mistake?
No, it was them. I saw them clearly!
Wearing their blue shirts...
It seems that it's not them...
Wait a little. We can recognize them by their style of walking.
Forward-march, masters! Let's find ourselves some swimming pool!
It's them!
Stop, stop, stop! Not like that!
No, it's not them.
Strange... so who are they?
During the football match, did anyone photograph those players?
Yes, they were photographed.
And do those photographs still exist?
- Yes, they do. - Then quickly, let's telegraph Lucy.
- "Urgently send..." - "Urgently send us photos of the wooden football players, comma,"
"unknown swimmers have turned up, comma,"
"there's a suspicious resemblance, full-stop,"
"Just any case, the water polo players should be ready, full-stop."
Water!
Instructions
Hello, old friends!
- You do not recognize us? - No!
Remember? Football...
- There are photos of you! - Photos?
Destroy them!
Lucy, Lucy! Come here!
Let's peek.
It's awkward, Lucy.
You untie the other end - that's less awkward.
I mean, in a different way. It's awkward not to wait for Bear.
It's harmless. We'll just take a quick peek.
It's them!
Let's hurry! We need to get Bear and Squirrel!
There you are! This is the punishment for premature curiosity!
I'm to blame.
I will go to them myself and I'll ask them who they are.
No, Lucy!
I will go!
Oh, what can I do for you?
My young friend!
Forgive me, please...
I was asked to find out:
are you relatives of the wooden footballers
who recently came to us?
What are you saying?!
We have nothing in common.
We are the masters of water polo!
Swimmers, see?
My dear friend! Please demonstrate!
Allow me to introduce myself to you!
I am the captain of this team... uh... "The Black Swans"!
That's right!
What did I say? Of course, they were other sportsmen.
They are fine lads!
They invite us to play a water polo match with them!
Lucy, please go to your telegraph office. You must send an invitation to our guys.
The team captain is a very polite!
He was very gracious.
He told me: "Sit down, please!"
"I beg you!" "Allow me to introduce myself!"
"I am the captain of the team called "The Black Swans"!
A beautiful name, isn't it?
So, they were sitting, and I sitting with them,
and we were talking about different things...
She's probably flying to get new photos again!
Help me!
The Section of Soft Toys was busy preparing for the upcoming competition.
The team called "The Black Swans" challenges you to compete!
Today, at 10.00 a.m.!
How did you get in there?
We can't hear a thing!
Oh, leave him be!
Come on. He probably does not know himself how he got in there.
Photo Developer. Potash.
They swim like this...
Really?
Yeah?
You say we need bathrobes?
And the bathrobes are mandatory?!
I see!
Everyone, come to the match!
Water polo today!
"The Section of Soft Toys" vs "The Black Swans"
Prize
How clumsy!
Me?
Eliminate the center-forward!
OK!
Come here!
Beat him!
Good! Bad! Come on!
Prize
Well, that's all, lads!
As you can see, Those old bullies were defeated.
They'll know not to be conceited - It's quite tough to be a star!
If you only brag and bully, And discredit yourself fully, You will never get too far!
The End original subs by Gleb21 & Eus (2012) translation rev. by Niffiwan (2022)