Brecht Collected Plays: 1: Baal; Drums in the Night; In the Jungle of Cities; Life of Edward II of England; & 5 One Act Plays: "Baal", "Drums in the Night", "In the Jungle of Ci (World Classics) (43 page)

GIRL
: Better hell.

LAD
: You going to?

GIRL
: Not to you, silly.

LAD
: I’ll make you pay for that.

GIRL
: You make me laugh.

LAD
tries to kiss her
: Go ahead, laugh then.

GIRL
: That was nowhere near my mouth.

LAD
: That’s what you think.

GIRL
: So you think it was, eh?

LAD
: You know it was.

GIRL
: Bit too dark for you, is it?

LAD
: Ah, I’m scared.

GIRL
: Get that arm away. I don’t like it.

LAD
: That’s your arm, that is.

GIRL
:
That’s
the arm I mean.

LAD
: It’s all yours.

GIRL
: I’m off to the cows.

LAD
: Got legs too, have you?

GIRL
: Then into bed.

LAD
: Legs and all?

GIRL
: What’s that supposed to mean?

LAD
: What?

GIRL
: All that nonsense of yours.

LAD
: I don’t give it a thought. Look, there are the stars.

GIRL
: Do you usually see to the cows too?

LAD
: You pulling my leg?

GIRL
: I suppose it rings when it’s pulled.

LAD
: I don’t get you today.

GIRL
: You’re not with us any more, are you?

LAD
: Was I?

GIRL
: You’ve mucked it all up.

LAD
: What have I said?

GIRL
: Nothing. That’s the trouble.

LAD
: You’ll hear something different now, though.

GIRL
: I should think so when you see who’s coming.

The mother enters
.

MOTHER
: Good evening, Richard.

LAD
: Evening.

MOTHER
: Have you done the cows yet?

GIRL
: Plenty of time for that.

MOTHER
: But not for
you
to do them, eh?

GIRL
: Oh? Why not?
Gets up
.

LAD
: We’ve been having a long talk about the cows.

MOTHER
: Is she as fond of them as all that?

LAD
: She says she’s got to see to them.

MOTHER
: And doesn’t.

LAD
: You know how girls are.

GIRL
: A lot of experience you’ve had!

LAD
: Not hard to tell that.

MOTHER
: It’s much too late to be out.

GIRL
: I’ve been at it all day.

LAD
: That’s a fact.

MOTHER
: Thick as thieves, aren’t you?

LAD
: It’s a fact, though.

MOTHER
: The bell will be going for prayers.

GIRL
: I can stay out till then, can’t I?

MOTHER
: You’ll have to be in for that.

LAD
: Go on, why?

MOTHER
: Because it’s the proper thing.

LAD
: And supposing it’s nicer out here?

MOTHER
: That’s just why.

GIRL
: Ah, it’s dangerous out here.

MOTHER
: What do you know about it? I won’t have that way of talking. You don’t know anything.

LAD
: But it’s a fact.

MOTHER
: What, another one?

LAD
: It does happen.

MOTHER
: Nothing happens. Go and do the cows.

GIRL
: It’s much too early.

MOTHER
: What do you mean, too early? It’s pitch-dark.

LAD
: Light enough to be seen.

MOTHER
: But not to see the cows.

GIRL
: I can see a donkey all right.

MOTHER
: Don’t take it amiss, Richard. She’s very young.

LAD
: They always are at that age.

GIRL
: Clever.

FATHER’S VOICE
: Missus!

MOTHER
: He’s calling. We’ll have to go in. Good night, Richard.

LAD
: Good night. Can’t she stay out a bit longer?

GIRL
: No. I’m off.

LAD
: Till the stars are out?

MOTHER
: You get down to those cows.
Goes inside
.

LAD
: Why don’t you want to stay?

GIRL
: Because I don’t feel like it.

LAD
: She’d have let you.

GIRL
: Only because I didn’t feel like it.

LAD
: Is that why you didn’t feel like it?

GIRL
: Think what you please.

LAD
: I’m not thinking at all.

GIRL
: I’m off.

LAD
: Better, or they’ll beat you.

GIRL
: You been listening?

LAD
: Yes: smack smack.

GIRL
: You ought to be ashamed of yourself.

LAD
: I quite like it.

GIRL
: Don’t you take anything seriously?

LAD
: You wouldn’t want me to.

GIRL
: What ideas you get.

LAD
: What have they got against it, I’d like to know?

GIRL
: Against what?

LAD
: People getting together.

GIRL
: You having me on?

LAD
: Do you think they could be right?

GIRL
: Me? Go on.

LAD
: There you are.

GIRL
: Father and Mother do, though.

LAD
: Why?

GIRL
: They don’t know me.

LAD
: You know yourself, though.

GIRL
:
And
I know you.

LAD
: Smart friends you’ve got.

GIRL
: Well, I’m going in.

LAD
: Tired?

GIRL
: And if I am?

LAD
: Then I’ll carry you in.

GIRL
: Fall flat on your face, you will.

LAD
picks her up
: Think so?

GIRL
: No. Let me go. Suppose they see us.

LAD
: They’ll see us all right.

GIRL
: Let go of me.

LAD
: Give us a kiss.

GIRL
: My mother …

LAD
: Doesn’t like the idea.
Puts her down
.

GIRL
: That wasn’t nice.

LAD
: Yes, it was. You kiss pretty well.

GIRL
: That’s why I’m going in now.

LAD
: All right, better go.

GIRL
: Now you’ve satisfied the animal in you.

LAD
: Want me to stay, then?

GIRL
: I didn’t say that.

LAD
: Stars are out now.

GIRL
: I’ll see to the cows, then.

LAD
: Been no thunder today.

GIRL
: Any objection?

LAD
: Yes. There’s a crack in your wall.

GIRL
: Anything wrong with that?

LAD
: Nothing wrong. On the contrary.

GIRL
: Oh, you and your nonsense.

LAD
: When it’s thundery.

GIRL
: Well, what?

LAD
: A fellow can see you.

GIRL
: Can’t he see me now?

LAD
: Not in your slip.

GIRL
: Is that what they see when it’s thundery?

LAD
: Ah, when you’re saying your prayers.

GIRL
: And you’ve seen it?

LAD
: Like to know, wouldn’t you?

GIRL
: You’ve seen nothing.

LAD
: That’s right: nothing to see. Only that your slip’s darned on the right shoulder.

GIRL
: It’s not true.

LAD
: Want me to show you?

GIRL
: What else do you know about?

LAD
: Sleep over the byre, don’t you?

GIRL
: Is that something else you saw through the crack?

LAD
: You haven’t been sleeping there all that long.

GIRL
: Who told you that?

LAD
: I’ve seen worse lookers.

GIRL
: Oh, get on.

LAD
: Much worse lookers.

GIRL
: Seen them, eh?

LAD
: You’re not the worst of them.

GIRL
: Swank.

LAD
: Maybe. But you’re all right up front.

GIRL
: Pooh, you dirty old man.

LAD
: What’s dirty about being all right up front and not flat as a pancake?

FATHER
calls from the house
: Anna!

The girl is scared
.

The lad puts his arm round her waist; they listen
.

GIRL
: Let go of me. I was scared.

LAD
: You might be scared again.

GIRL
: I’ll have to go in. I haven’t any excuse now.

LAD
: Because the stars are out?

GIRL
: Yes. And because he’s calling.

LAD
: Put your head here and you won’t see the stars.

GIRL
: I’m not putting my face there, though.

LAD
: Why? It won’t bite, will it?

GIRL
: I’ll take it away at once, though.

LAD
: You do that.

GIRL
: I’m sure they can see us.

LAD
: It’s pitch-dark.

GIRL
: But you’re to take that hand away.

LAD
: Which hand?

GIRL
: That one and that one. No, you can’t.

LAD
: But I can, you see.

GIRL
: No, I’ll have to go in.

LAD
: You’ve got such a soft body.

GIRL
: You’re hurting.

LAD
: Can you see me?

GIRL
: If I look up.

LAD
: That means you’ve got your eyes shut.

GIRL
: Leave me alone.

LAD
: Does that hurt?

GIRL
: Let me go in. Don’t!

LAD
: You’re so warm.

GIRL
: And you’ve got cold hands.

LAD
: They’ll warm up in no time.

GIRL
: Look out!
They separate
.

LAD
: Bloody hell.
Slips behind the house
.

The father arrives
.

FATHER
: What’s going on, Anna?

GIRL
: Is that you, Father?

FATHER
: What are you up to?

GIRL
: Nothing. Just sitting.

FATHER
: Sitting, eh?

GIRL
: Yes, I was feeling tired.

FATHER
: All by yourself too?

GIRL
: Yes. Nobody ever comes to visit us.

FATHER
: Nobody comes, eh?

GIRL
: Should I see to the cows now?

FATHER
: I should think you bloody well will see to the cows.

Hits her
. I’ll teach you to gallivant about at night with boys and get yourself a bad name!

The girl goes off crying
.

The father exit in pursuit
.

LAD
: Ah, now she’s copped it. Now she’s ripe. Now for the other thing.
Exit
.

The bell rings for prayers
.

Candlelight in the parlour
.

MOTHER
puts her head out of the window
: Such a beautiful evening. You can smell Bellinger’s wheat all the way up here. Nice wind.
Pulling her head in
: Days like this aren’t easy. I’m glad the night’s come.
Her head disappears. The light goes out. Cassiopeia is visible above the roof
.

Enter the lad with a ladder. He moves quietly
.

LAD
: No light. So let’s go. I’ll comfort her. It’s always good when they’re crying. It goes with a swing then. The old folk are quite right.
He leans the ladder left against the unseen front of the house
. People can see you out here. This way they won’t have anything to worry about.
Climbs the ladder. At the top
: Hey! What’s happening?

GIRL’S VOICE
: For God’s sake. Suppose they saw you.

LAD’S VOICE
: All the more reason to open the window wide.

GIRL’S VOICE
: But you can’t come in here.