What is the good of praying? father says.

SHEMUS. My curse upon the rich.

Nailed like dead vermin to the doors of God.

Shall pull apart the pale ribs of the moon

Leave that door open.

When they are seated they take money out of embroidered purses at their girdles and begin arranging it on the

That would be served by Comfortable men.

SHEMUS. Ill have no bolts, for there is not a thing

To ask if theres a thing youd have of us.

Call devils from the wood, call them in here?

And call up a whey face and a whining voice,

SHEMUS. (to MARY) Bestir yourself,

But it is certain that you are men like us.

SHEMUS. What can it be but nothing?

MARY. Where shall the starving come at merchandise?

For theres a work I have to set you to.

SHEMUS.)

I had not rather welcome to this house

Why should we starve for what may be but nothing?

SHEMUS. You might be starved before youve dug it out.

I would to God he were home??ah, there he is.

FIRST MERCHANT. We travel for the Master of all merchants.

SHEMUS. Whats in the house?

CATHLEEN. Ah, do not blame the finger on the string;

SECOND MERCHANT.

SHEMUS. (coming nearer)

For seven halfpence and a silver bit?

I welcome you. Come, sit beside the fire.

MARY. What, did you beg?

FIRST MERCHANT. Youve but to cry aloud at every cross?road, At every house door, that we buy mens

MARY. God help us all!

but now,

done.

SHEMUS. Come, lets away.

And seen the seven wonders of the world,

Its time that poverty should bolt the door.

That is to show whos master.

But thats a dream, for the old worm o the world

TEIG. And that is not the worst; at Tubber?vanach

Than any more of mankind, rich or poor.

Youll find a crock of gold.

MARY. We have all she had;

And ask in what I pleased or who I pleased

Why should the like of us complain?

Weigh on her mind as if they had been her own.

That every wicked sight is hid from the eye,

They are as common as the grass, and ride

SHEMUS. You come to buy our souls?

FIRST MERCHANT. Weve travelled a long road,

Had we been through as many doors, and seen

TEIG. Mother!

The silver clasps ont may be worth a trifle.

FIRST MERCHANT. If we knew how to find deserving poor

Knives thrown into a basket to be cleaned.

And dandelion, till our mouths are green?

TEIG. There is many a one, they say, had money from them.

Squeal like a rabbit under a weasels tooth?

Cover it up with a lonely tune,

TEIG. But maybe if you called, something would come,

(SHEMUS goes to take money.)

Your servants take when they are marketing.

TEIG. But dream of gold

SHEMUS. No, you.

And they moved up and down like a bats wing.

For who can say what walks, or 九_九_藏_书_网in what shape

Are sold and gone.

Two grey?horned owls hooted above our heads.

Is now worth fifty.

SHEMUS. When the hens gone,

SHEMUS (to MARY, who has gone to close the door)

Feathers instead of hair, thats but a straw,

And all that talk of buying whats but a vapour

Or youve a horses tail to whip your flank,

Id make so bold, if you would pardon it,

That buy and sell you.

Outside this door.

As though worlds trouble could not find it out.

TEIG. Twas you that called them.

MARY., God is all powerful.

A pigeon or a seagull or the like,

TEIG. And when thats gone?

But if youll come to?morrow to my house

TEIG. A bit of mouldy bread.

MARY. Youll bring misfortune with your blasphemies

And all fool talk from the ear.

souls,

(A stringed instrument without.)

In what unlucky shape you sat but now

We shall be near you.

And so. . . . but that is nothing to the point,

There were five doors that I looked through this day

And hunted me away with sticks and stones.

There had been words between my wife and me

They would not have another share their alms,

MARY. You have still some way,

MARY. Oh, God, why are you still?

MARY. Is it call devils?

MARY. What can have made the grey hen flutter so?

Is so wrapped up in dreams of terrors to come

(MARY faints.) (The FIRST MERCHANT takes up the carPet, spreads it before the fire and stands in front of

And quench the stars in the ancestral night.

MARY. There is the hen in the coop.

TEIG. Call them in.

I sat among the beggars at the cross?roads,

At times like this, that overset the scale

FIRST MERCHANT. Our faces go unscratched,

SHEMUS. I had no chance to beg,

Theres an old woman and a lady with him.

And curse all men and women. Come in, come in.

Lay out the plates and make a better fire.

For the nights gathering in.

For three nights running, and theres always gold.

There are two birds??if you can call them birds??

And find distraction for my thoughts, or else

What can we do but live on sorrel and dock)

TEIG. Then you have brought no dinner.

TEIG. In the bush beyond,

(MERCHANTS begin putting money on carpet.)

And let your head be bowed upon your knees,

Theres something that appears like a white bird,

TREIG> I shall keep running till Ive earned the price.

Up to a price no man has heard the like of

And trampled measure down.

TEIG. The same for me.

Where I had thought I would find nothing changed.

That he can give no help.

SHEMUS. Whos passing there?

Although I tramped the woods for half a day,

For I lived all my childhood in that house.

For theres a vaporous thing??that may be nothing,

And there was scarce a wind in 藏书网the parched leaves.

OONA. The paths are overgrown with thickets now,

Shut to the door before the night has fallen,

Another man dressed in the same way follows, and sits at the other end. This is done slowly and deliberately.

Welcome, if theyd a mind to eat and drink;

And mocking us with music?

MARY. Look out, and tell me if your fathers coming.

What, is there no one there?

also sees something and begins moving backward. MARY does the same. A man dressed as an

(TEIG lifts one arm slowly and points toward the door and begins moving backwards. SHEMUS turns, he

Can eat its way into what place it pleases.

Care for your words; but Ill call what I please.

Your sorrowful love can never be told,

With the pale stars and the wandering moon.

FIRST MERCHANT. We will ask nothing but what all men have.

TEIG. Yet no thunder stirs.

And after that, lets share and share alike

Fear whats above or whats below the ground,

Badgers, and hedgehogs seem to have died of drought,

Even upon the book in the priests hand.

In the wax candle light, wed be as hard,

(He hits her.)

TEIG. You speak to them.

But I can put you on the trodden path

Have lost it too, yet I should know my way,

FIRST MERCHANT. Thats for the work, each has its separate price; But neither price is paid till the works

Or whats the double of it that she promised?

For my old fathers served your fathers, lady,

Has covered the door of the infinite fold

SHEMUS. Whats that for thanks,

For the days meat.

I could not see them rightly for the leaves.

Satan gives money.

TEIG. Beautiful lady, give me something too;

MARY. What can have kept your father all this while?

CATHLEEN. And this woman,

MARY. Had I but time to put the place to rights.

When the ear is stopped and when the eye is stopped,

TEIG. A young man plays it,

Well give him such a price he never dreamt of.

He that could bend all things to His will

(TEIG goes to door.)

TEIG. And the last penny gone.

CATHLEEN. I gave for all and that was all I had.

FIRST MERCHANT.

That means that what was sold for but a penny

its little that the sleepy ears above

Id welcome you no less. Be what you please

MARY. Gods pity on the rich,

SHEMUS. I heard say

Because of some wild words my father said

Pine to my grave.

And saw the dead and not a soul to wake them.

Will cater for us still.

Longer than books can tell??and it were strange

SHEMUS. Thank her,

Curse to your fill, for saints will have their dreams.

MARY. Mother of God, defend us!

For when the beggars saw me they cried out

Because its certain that you are but merchants.

God and the Mother of God have dropped asleep.

And lay upon the threshold like a log.

Nor eyes, nor ears; his face a wall of flesh;

Ive taken nothing, for the very rats,

They call immortal for a storys sake.

And now we look for supper and a fire

SHEMUS. I said Id make the devils of the wood

An old grey castle with a kitchen garden,

Whatever you are that walk the woods at night,

MARY. Maybe Hed have us die because He knows,

SHEMUS. I have said nothing, lady.

What do they care, he says, though the whole land

That walks above the ground or under it

OONA. Have done. Sorrows that shes but read of in a book

SCENE??A room with lighted fire, and a door into the open air, through which one sees, perhaps, the trees of a wood, and these trees should be painted in flat colour upon a gold or diapered sky. The walls are of one colour. The scene should have the effect of missal Painting. MARY, a woman of forty years or so, is grinding a quern.

Because I struck her in that argument.

Come, share what bread and meat is in the house,

MARY. Then you are Countess Cathleen?

Because I said I would be master here,

(TRIG and SHEMUS have stopped. TEIG takes the money. They go out.)

But if you hit it with a stone or a stick

I had thought there was a pushing to and fro,

(SHEMUS comes in.)

FIRST MERCHANTm Though were but vermin that our Master sent To overrun the world, he at the end

SHEMUS. Not cook! not cook!

Wandering and singing like a wave of the sea??

You shall have twice the sum.

A place thats set among impassable walls

Thats more substantial than the merchants are

Although we are but poor people, if there is,

We rattle one on another as though we were

And youll have supper at the market rate,

MARY. We know it, lady.

And stretch and warm our heels among the ashes.

TEIG. They say that now the land is famine struck

MARY. When those that have read books,

What has God poured out of His bag but famine?

And that if you dig down where it was scratching

FIRST MERCHANT. There is a heap for each.

She thinks you are not of those who cast a shadow.

it warming his hands.)

In mirth and comfort till the famines done,

Well turn the fowl upon the spit and roast it,

TEIG. Its this, your honours:

For such kind welcome but I must be gone,

And stretch your heels and warm them in the ashes.

But no, not yet,

(ALEEL begins to play.)

The doctors bid me fly the unlucky times

So good a price, that all who deal with us

CATHLEEN. And this young man, that should have known the woods?? Because we met him on their border

Since Ive set eyes on bread or on what buys it.

(He takes a step towards the door and藏书网 then turns again.)

For she has fainted. Wring the neck o that fowl,

(OONA, MARY, and CATHLEEN go Out. ALEEL looks defiantly at

(She gives money.)

And give so good a price that all may live

And eat the supper we were bidden to,

A herdsman met a man who had no mouth,

MARY. I will not cook for you, because I know

A cider orchard and a plot for flowers,

Eastern merchant comes in carrying a small carpet. He unrolls it and sits cross?legged at one end of it.

Scatter the flour and search the shelves for bread.

FIRST MERCHANT. But if already

SHEMUS. After that

He saw him plainly by the light of the moon.

SHEMUS. Pray, if you have a mind to.

Or else some change has come upon my sight.

It clangs as though it had been made of brass;

SHEMUS. My curse upon the beggars, my Curse upon them!

Its strange that she should think we cast no shadow,

But first sit down and rest yourself awhile,

(He goes out, his singing dies away. MARY comes in. SHEmus has been counting the money.)

And seeing what great wealth is spread out there,

A woman met a man with ears spread out,

SHEMUS. I thought you were .... but thats no matter now??

CATHLEEN. God save all here. There is a certain house,

TEIG. Two nights ago, at Carrick?orus churchyard,

SHEMUS. Im in no mood to listen to your clatter.

But theyve the shape and colour of horned owls

Stop, for we obey a generous Master,

With bread and flesh and every sort of food

And a safe corner to count money in.

What was it kept you in the wood? You know

FIRST MERCHANT. We know the evils of mere charity.

Shall eat, drink, and be merry.

I fell but now, being weak with hunger and thirst,

FIRST MERCHANT. Our Master bids us pay

The dishes standing on the polished wood

Out of my mind till you are home again.

SHEMUS (muttering). What, music, music!

I cannot get all sorts of accidents

SHEMUS. (at door)

SECOND MERCHANT. Pray, you shall need Him.

CATHLEEN. So you are starving even in this wood,

And have free hands, a friendly trick of speech,

(CATHLEEN, OONA, and ALEEL enter.)

TEIG. But for this empty purse?

And when your hands can scarcely drag your body

SHEMUS. Then down upon that stool, down quick, I say,

She emptied out the purse before our eyes.

MARY. Destroyers of souls, God will destroy you quickly.

CATHLEEN. And it were stranger still were I ungrateful

FIRST MERCHANT. They have not sold all yet.

Wed thought of a more prudent way than that?

END OF SCENE 1

carpet.

Nothing at all or a harsh radishy sauce

MARY. God, that to this hours found bit and sup,

ALEEL. (Singing) Impetuous heart, be still, be still,

MARY. Theres flour enough to make another loa

九_九_藏_书_网

f.

So be it that you have not shouldered up

Now that the house is quiet, praise our master,

Give food or money to the starving poor.

They have been seen of late.

For we are merchants that must tramp the world,

Who or what I am to welcome here.

For we were happy for a long time there.

By starving men and women all this day,

TEIG. You said that you would bring us food or money.

If you and yours should not be welcome here.

You shall at last dry like dry leaves and hang

Out of a grave??for Ill have nothing human??

TEIG. Ill barter mine.

SHEMUS. So then youre as deceitful as the rest,

Do not be angry. She wants to pay me back

But thats the buyers risk??a second self,

The graves are walking.

MARY. Teig and Shemus??

(TEIG, a boy of fourteen, is coming in with turf, which he lays beside the hearth.)

For there is nothing on the ridge of the world

MARY. Those scruples may befit a common time.

Because thats how the trick?o?the?loop man talks.

And they have had the rest; but take the purse,

Wed do our share.

And theres the needles eye at the end of all,

SHEMUS. Yet if you were that I had thought but now

Somewhere among these woods.

TEIG. Theyre looking at me.

SECOND MERCHANT. (who has risen and gone towards fire)

SHEMUS. So youd stand up against me, and youd say

SHEMUS. What is the trouble of the poor to her?

MARY. What is it?

Upon your father, or yourself, or me.

CATHLEEN. It may be that we are that trouble, for we??

Oona, my nurse, should have remembered it,

SHEMUS. It is a long while

MARY. You never thanked her ladyship.

Is fancy bred. I might have known as much,

And rising every day.

TEIG. Theres no good luck in owls, but it may be

Look, my purse is empty. I have passed

(Turning from door)

MARY. If you are not demons,

You shall eat dock and grass, and dandelion,

TEIG. Theyre coming here.

SECOND MERCHANT. If each one brings a bit of merchandise,

Because we are Christian men.

And held a hollow hand among the others.

And Im half certain theyve a human face.

Go kill and draw the fowl, while Teig and I

That the ill lucks to fall upon their heads.

MARY. There is something that the hen hears.

Till that low threshold there becomes a wall,

And yet they say

What matter if your heads below your arms

SHEMUS. His kitchens bare.

Although weve wandered in the wood this hour??

Why, if there is??

MARY. Their swine and cattle, fields and implements

Some devilish creature flies in the air, but now

TEIG. So that they brought us money.

And heres your entertainment on the road.

But shell get sense again. Since the dearth came

MARY. I will not cook for you.

MARY. But seek them patiently.