Read Online Waiting for Godot by Samuel Beckett - Free Book Online Page A

laces, no laces!
    VLADIMIR : You’ll be sorry. Let’s try the other. (As
before
.)
    Well?
    ESTRAGON : (
grudgingly
). It fits too.
    VLADIMIR : They don’t hurt you?
    ESTRAGON : Not yet.
    VLADIMIR : Then you can keep them.
    ESTRAGON : They’re too big.
    VLADIMIR : Perhaps you’ll have socks some day.
    ESTRAGON : True.
    VLADIMIR : Then you’ll keep them?
    ESTRAGON : That’s enough about these boots.
    VLADIMIR : Yes, but—
    ESTRAGON : (
violently
). Enough! (
Silence
.) I suppose I might as well sit down.
    He looks for a place to sit down, then goes and sits down on the mound
.
    VLADIMIR : That’s where you were sitting yesterday evening.
    ESTRAGON : If I could only sleep.
    VLADIMIR : Yesterday you slept.
    ESTRAGON : I’ll try.
    He resumes his foetal posture, his head between his knees
.
    VLADIMIR : Wait. (
He goes over and sits down beside Estragon and begins to sing in a loud voice
.)
    Bye bye bye bye
    Bye bye—
    ESTRAGON : (
looking up angrily
). Not so loud!
    VLADIMIR : (
softly
). Bye bye bye bye
    Bye bye bye bye
    Bye bye bye bye
    Bye bye . . .
    Estragon sleeps. Vladimir gets up softly, takes off his coat and lays it across Estragon’s shoulders, then starts walking up and down, swinging his arms to keep himself warm. Estragon wakes with a start, jumps up, casts about wildly. Vladimir runs to him, puts his arms round him.)
There . . . there . . . Didi is there . . . don’t be afraid . . .
    ESTRAGON : Ah!
    VLADIMIR : There . . . there . . . it’s all over.
    ESTRAGON : I was falling—
    VLADIMIR : It’s all over, it’s all over.
    ESTRAGON : I was on top of a—
    VLADIMIR : Don’t tell me! Come, we’ll walk it off.
    He takes Estragon by the arm and walks him up and down until Estragon refuses to go any further
.
    ESTRAGON : That’s enough. I’m tired.
    VLADIMIR : You’d rather be stuck there doing nothing?
    ESTRAGON : Yes.
    VLADIMIR : Please yourself.
    He releases Estragon, picks up his coat and puts it on
.
    ESTRAGON : Let’s go.
    VLADIMIR : We can’t.
    ESTRAGON : Why not?
    VLADIMIR : We’re waiting for Godot.
    ESTRAGON : Ah! (
Vladimir walks up and down
.) Can you not stay still?
    VLADIMIR : I’m cold.
    ESTRAGON : We came too soon.
    VLADIMIR : It’s always at nightfall.
    ESTRAGON : But night doesn’t fall.
    VLADIMIR : It’ll fall all of a sudden, like yesterday.
    ESTRAGON : Then it’ll be night.
    VLADIMIR : And we can go.
    ESTRAGON : Then it’ll be day again. (
Pause. Despairing
.)
    What’ll we do, what’ll we do!
    VLADIMIR : (
halting, violently
). Will you stop whining! I’ve had about my bellyful of your lamentations!
    ESTRAGON : I’m going.
    VLADIMIR : (
seeing Lucky’s hat
). Well!
    ESTRAGON : Farewell.
    VLADIMIR : Lucky’s hat. (
He goes towards it
.) I’ve been here an hour and never saw it. (
Very pleased
.) Fine!
    ESTRAGON : You’ll never see me again.
    VLADIMIR : I knew it was the right place. Now our troubles are over. (
He picks up the hat, contemplates it, straightens it
.) Must have been a very fine hat. (
He puts it on in place of his own which he hands to Estragon
.) Here.
    ESTRAGON : What?
    VLADIMIR : Hold that.
    Estragon takes Vladimir’s hat. Vladimir adjusts Lucky’s hat on his head. Estragon puts on Vladimir’s hat in place of his own which he hands to Vladimir. Vladimir takes Estragon’s hat. Estragon adjusts Vladimir’s hat on his head. Vladimir puts on Estragon’s hat in place of Lucky’s which he hands to Estragon. Estragon takes Lucky’s hat. Vladimir adjusts Estragon’s
hat on his head. Estragon puts on Lucky’s hat in place of Vladimir’s which he hands to Vladimir. Vladimir takes his hat. Estragon adjusts Lucky’s hat on his head. Vladimir puts on his hat in place of Estragon’s which he hands to Estragon. Estragon takes his hat. Vladimir adjusts his hat on his head. Estragon puts on his hat