Read Online 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) by Bertolt Brecht - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Bertolt Brecht
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evenings. But I get the feeling in autumn too.
BAAL : And in summer, in the sun, over the cornfields.
THE THIRD : That doesn’t fit. It has to be dark.
BAAL : It has to be dark, Teddy.
Silence
.
FOURTH WOODCUTTER : What are we going to do with him?
THE THIRD : He’s got nobody who wants him.
THE OTHER : He was just on his own in the world.
A WOODCUTTER : What about his things?
THE THIRD : There isn’t much. He carried his money off somewhere, to a bank. It’ll stay there even if he doesn’t turn up. Got any idea, Baal?
BAAL : He doesn’t stink yet.
A WOODCUTTER : I’ve just had a good idea.
THE OTHER : Out with it!
THE MAN WITH THE IDEA : The elephant’s not the only one with ideas, mate. What about drinking Teddy’s good health?
BAAL : That’s indecent, Bergmeier.
THE OTHERS : Rot, indecent. What shall we drink? Water? What a lousy idea!
THE MAN WITH THE IDEA : Gin!
BAAL : I vote in favour. Gin is decent. Whose gin?
THE MAN WITH THE IDEA : Teddy’s gin.
THE OTHERS : Teddy’s! – Sounds all right. – Teddy’s ration! – Teddy was careful. – Not a bad idea for an idiot.
THE MAN WITH THE IDEA : A brainwave, what! Something for you blockheads! Teddy’s gin at Teddy’s funeral! Cheap and fitting! Anybody made a speech yet? Isn’t that the proper thing to do?
BAAL : I did.
SOME : When?
BAAL : Earlier. Before you began to talk rubbish. It began with ‘Teddy is at peace’… You don’t notice anything until it’s over.
THE OTHERS : Blockhead! Let’s get the gin!
BAAL : It’s a disgrace!
THE OTHERS : Oho! – Why, you big elephant.
BAAL : It’s Teddy’s property. The bottles must not be opened. Teddy’s got a wife and five poor orphans.
A WOODCUTTER : Four! Four orphans!
ANOTHER : It’s all coming out now.
BAAL : Do you want to drink the gin that belongs to Teddy’s five poor orphans? Is that Christian?
THE PREVIOUS ONE : Four! Four orphans!
BAAL : Taking gin out of the mouths of Teddy’s four orphans.
A WOODCUTTER : Teddy hasn’t any family at all.
BAAL : But orphans, my friend, orphans.
ANOTHER : Do you think these orphans the elephant keepskidding you about are going to drink Teddy’s gin? All right, it’s Teddy’s property …
BAAL
interrupts
: It was …
THE OTHER : What are you getting at?
A WOODCUTTER : He’s jabbering. He’s not all there.
THE OTHER : As I said, it was Teddy’s property and so we’ll pay for it. In cash. That’ll fix the orphans.
EVERYBODY : A good suggestion. So much for the elephant. He must be mad, not to want any gin. Let’s leave him and get Teddy’s drink!
BAAL
calls after them
: Come back, you bloody scavengers!
To Teddy
: Poor Teddy! And the trees are pretty strong today and the air is good and soft, and I feel fortified within. Poor Teddy, don’t you feel a tickle? You’re through, I’m telling you, soon you’ll stink, and everything will go on as before, the wind will blow, and I know where your cabin is, and your property will be taken over by the living, and you abandoned it and only wanted peace. Your body wasn’t so bad, Teddy, it isn’t so bad now, only a little damaged on one side and the legs … it would have finished you with women, you can’t put that on top of a woman.
He lifts the dead man’s leg
. With a bit more luck you could have gone on living, though, in that body, but your soul was too bloody choosy, the building was condemned, and the rats left the sinking ship. You were just a victim of your own habits, Teddy.
THE OTHERS
returning
: Hey, elephant! You’re in for it! Where’s the gin Teddy kept under his old bed? – Where were you when we were looking after Teddy? Teddy wasn’t even dead then. – Where were you then, you son of a bitch, robbing the dead, protecting Teddy’s poor orphans, eh?
BAAL : You’ve got no proof, my friends!
THE OTHERS : Where’s the gin, then? In your esteemed opinion, did the bottle drink it? – This is a serious matter, old chap! – Stand up, you,
BAAL : And in summer, in the sun, over the cornfields.
THE THIRD : That doesn’t fit. It has to be dark.
BAAL : It has to be dark, Teddy.
Silence
.
FOURTH WOODCUTTER : What are we going to do with him?
THE THIRD : He’s got nobody who wants him.
THE OTHER : He was just on his own in the world.
A WOODCUTTER : What about his things?
THE THIRD : There isn’t much. He carried his money off somewhere, to a bank. It’ll stay there even if he doesn’t turn up. Got any idea, Baal?
BAAL : He doesn’t stink yet.
A WOODCUTTER : I’ve just had a good idea.
THE OTHER : Out with it!
THE MAN WITH THE IDEA : The elephant’s not the only one with ideas, mate. What about drinking Teddy’s good health?
BAAL : That’s indecent, Bergmeier.
THE OTHERS : Rot, indecent. What shall we drink? Water? What a lousy idea!
THE MAN WITH THE IDEA : Gin!
BAAL : I vote in favour. Gin is decent. Whose gin?
THE MAN WITH THE IDEA : Teddy’s gin.
THE OTHERS : Teddy’s! – Sounds all right. – Teddy’s ration! – Teddy was careful. – Not a bad idea for an idiot.
THE MAN WITH THE IDEA : A brainwave, what! Something for you blockheads! Teddy’s gin at Teddy’s funeral! Cheap and fitting! Anybody made a speech yet? Isn’t that the proper thing to do?
BAAL : I did.
SOME : When?
BAAL : Earlier. Before you began to talk rubbish. It began with ‘Teddy is at peace’… You don’t notice anything until it’s over.
THE OTHERS : Blockhead! Let’s get the gin!
BAAL : It’s a disgrace!
THE OTHERS : Oho! – Why, you big elephant.
BAAL : It’s Teddy’s property. The bottles must not be opened. Teddy’s got a wife and five poor orphans.
A WOODCUTTER : Four! Four orphans!
ANOTHER : It’s all coming out now.
BAAL : Do you want to drink the gin that belongs to Teddy’s five poor orphans? Is that Christian?
THE PREVIOUS ONE : Four! Four orphans!
BAAL : Taking gin out of the mouths of Teddy’s four orphans.
A WOODCUTTER : Teddy hasn’t any family at all.
BAAL : But orphans, my friend, orphans.
ANOTHER : Do you think these orphans the elephant keepskidding you about are going to drink Teddy’s gin? All right, it’s Teddy’s property …
BAAL
interrupts
: It was …
THE OTHER : What are you getting at?
A WOODCUTTER : He’s jabbering. He’s not all there.
THE OTHER : As I said, it was Teddy’s property and so we’ll pay for it. In cash. That’ll fix the orphans.
EVERYBODY : A good suggestion. So much for the elephant. He must be mad, not to want any gin. Let’s leave him and get Teddy’s drink!
BAAL
calls after them
: Come back, you bloody scavengers!
To Teddy
: Poor Teddy! And the trees are pretty strong today and the air is good and soft, and I feel fortified within. Poor Teddy, don’t you feel a tickle? You’re through, I’m telling you, soon you’ll stink, and everything will go on as before, the wind will blow, and I know where your cabin is, and your property will be taken over by the living, and you abandoned it and only wanted peace. Your body wasn’t so bad, Teddy, it isn’t so bad now, only a little damaged on one side and the legs … it would have finished you with women, you can’t put that on top of a woman.
He lifts the dead man’s leg
. With a bit more luck you could have gone on living, though, in that body, but your soul was too bloody choosy, the building was condemned, and the rats left the sinking ship. You were just a victim of your own habits, Teddy.
THE OTHERS
returning
: Hey, elephant! You’re in for it! Where’s the gin Teddy kept under his old bed? – Where were you when we were looking after Teddy? Teddy wasn’t even dead then. – Where were you then, you son of a bitch, robbing the dead, protecting Teddy’s poor orphans, eh?
BAAL : You’ve got no proof, my friends!
THE OTHERS : Where’s the gin, then? In your esteemed opinion, did the bottle drink it? – This is a serious matter, old chap! – Stand up, you,
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