Authors: Bertolt Brecht
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.