[Transcriber's Notes: This play transcribed from an originaltypewritten manuscript at the Library of Congress in the Zora NealeHurston collection. There are pencilled notations probably by Ms. Hurston herself. These pencilled edits have been transcribed as [Note:(text)] Any other questionable transcription is similarly noted. Nothing in the dialect has been changed. Occasional obvious typos inthe stage directions have been corrected. There are inconsistencies inboth bracketing and punctuation, which have been left as in theoriginal manuscript. There seems to be an irregularity in the spellingof "Simms"; "Sims" seems randomly substituted. ]

DE TURKEY AND DE LAW

A COMEDY IN THREE ACTS

by

ZORA HURSTON

CAST

Jim Weston A young man and the town bully (A Methodist)

Dave Carter The town's best hunter and fisherman (Baptist)

Joe Clarke The Mayor, Postmaster, storekeeper

Daisy Blunt The town vamp

Lum Boger The Marshall

Walter Thomas A villager (Methodist)

Lige Moseley A villager (Methodist)

Joe Lindsay A villager (Baptist)

Della Lewis A villager (Baptist)

Tod Hambo A villager (Baptist)

Lucy Taylor A villager (Methodist)

Rev. Singletary (Baptist)

Rev. Simms (Methodist)

Villagers, children, dogs. 

ACT I

SETTING: A Negro village in Florida in our own time. All action fromviewpoint of an actor facing audience. 

PLACE: Joe Clarke's store porch in the village. A frame building witha false front. A low porch with two steps up. Door in center of porch. A window on each side of the door. A bench on each side of the porch. Axhandles, hoes and shovels, etc. Are displayed leaning against thewall. Exits right and left. Street is unpaved. Grass and weeds growingall over. 

TIME: It is late afternoon on a Saturday in summer. 

Before the curtain rises the voices of children are heard, boisterousat play. Shouts and laughter. 

VOICE OF ONE BOYNaw, I don't want to play wringing no dish rag! We gointer play chickmah chick mah craney crow. 

GIRL'S VOICEYeah, less play dat, and I'm gointer to be de hen. 

BOY'S VOICEAnd I'm gointer be de hawk. Lemme git myself a stick to mark wid. (Thecurtain rises slowly. As it goes up the game is being organized. Theboy who is the hawk is squatting center stage in the street before thestore with a short twig in his hand. The largest girl is lining up theother children behind her. )

THE MOTHER HEN(looking back over her flock) Y'all ketch holt of one 'nother'sclothes so de hauk can't git yuh. (They do. ) Y'all straight now?

CHORUSYeah. (The march around the hawk commences. )

HEN AND CHICKS Chick mah chick mah craney crow Went to de well to wash my toe When I come back my chick was gone. What time ole witch?

HAWK(making a tally on the ground) One!

HEN AND CHICKSChick mah chick etc. --(While this is going on Walter Thomas from thestore door eating peanuts from a bag appears and seats himself on theporch beside the steps. )

HAWK(Scoring again) Two! (Enter a little girl right. She trots up tothe big girl. )

LITTLE GIRL(officiously) Titter, mama say if you don't come on wid dat soap shegointer wear you out. 

HEN AND CHICKSChick mah chick etc. (While this is being sung, enter Joe Lindsay andseats himself on right bench. He lights his pipe. The little girlstands b by the fence rubbing her leg with her foot. 

HAWK(scoring) Three!

LITTLE GIRL(insistent) Titter, titter! Mama say to tell you to come on home widdat soap and rake up dat yard. I bet she gointer beat you good. 

BIG GIRL(angrily) Aw naw, mama ain't sent you after me, nothin' of de kind!Gwan home and leave me alone. 

LITTLE GIRLYou better come on! I'm gointer tell mama how 'omanish you actincause you in front of dese boys. 

BIG GIRL(makes a threatenin' gesture) Aw don't be so fast and showin' off incompany. Ack lak you ain't got no sense!

LITTLE GIRL(starts to cry) Dat's all right. I'm going home and tell mama you downhere playing wid boys and she sho gointer whup you good, too. I'mgointer tell her you called me a fool too, now. (She walks off, wipingher eyes and nose with the back of her hand) Yeah, I'm goin' tell her!Jus' showin' off in front of ole John Wesley Taylor. I'm going to tellher too, now. 

BIG GIRL(flounces her skirt) Tell her! Tell her! Turn her up and smell her!(Game resumed) Chick mah chick etc. 

HAWKFour! (He arises and imitates a hawk flying and trying to catch achicken. Calling in a high voice. ) Chickie!!

HEN(Flapping her wings to protect her young) My chickens' sleep. 

HAWKChickie!!

HENMy chickens' sleep. 

HAWKI shall have a chick. 

HENYou shan't have a chick. 

HAWKI'm going home. (flies off)

HENThere's de road. 

HAWKI'm comin' back. 

(During this dialog the hawk is feinting and darting in his efforts tocatch a chicken and the chickens are dancing defensively. )

HENDon't keer if you do. 

HAWKMy pot's a boiling. 

HENLet it boil. 

HAWKMy guts a growling

HENLet 'em growl. 

HAWKI must have a chick. 

HENYou shan't have nairn. 

HAWKMy mama's sick. 

HENLet her die. 

HAWKChickie!!

HENMy chicken's sleep. 

(Hawk darts quickly around the hen and grabs a chicken and leads himoff and places the captive on his knees at the store porch. After abrief bit of dancing he catches another, then a third who is a chubbylittle boy. The little boy begins to cry. )

LITTLE BOYI ain't gointer play cause you hurt me. 

HAWKAw, naw, I din't hurt you. 

LITTLE BOYYeah you did too. You pecked me right here. (points to top of hishead)

HAWKWell if you so touchous you got to cry every time anybody look at you, you can't play wid us. 

LITTLE BOY(smothering sobs) I ain't cryin'. (He is placed with the othercaptives. Hawk returns to game. )

HAWKChickie. 

HENMy chickens sleep!

VOICE FROM A DISTANCETitter! You Titter!!!

BIG GIRLYessum

VOICEIf you don't come here wid dat soap you better!

BIG GIRL(shakes herself poutingly, half sobs) Soon's I git grown I'm gointerrun away. Everytime a person gits to havin' fun, it's "come here, Titter and rake de yard. " She don't never make Bubber do nothin. (Sheexits into the store. )

HAWKNow we ain't got no hen. 

ALL THE GIRLS(in a clamor) I'll be de mama hen! Lemme be it! (Enter Hambo left andstands looking at the children. )

HAMBOCan't dese young uns keep up a powerful racket, Joe?

LINDSAYThey sho kin. They kin git round so vi'grous when they whoopin andhollerin and rompin and racin, but just put 'em to work now and youkin count dead lice fallin' off of 'em. 

(Enter Tillie from the store with the soap. Hambo pulls out a plug oftobacco from his hip pocket and bites a chunk from it. )

HAMBODe way dese chillun is dese days is, --eat? Yes! Squall and holler?Yes! Kick out shoes? Yes! Work? No!!

LINDSAYYou sho is tellin' de truth. Now look at dese! I'll bet everyone of'em's mammies sent 'em to de store an' they out here frollickin'. Ifone of 'em was mine, I'd whup 'em till they couldn't set down. (to thechildren) Shet up dat racket and gwan home! (The children pay noattention and the game gets hotter. )

DISTANT VOICE(off stage) You Tit-ter!! You Tit-Ter!!

WALTERTitter, don't you hear yo' ma callin' you?

ESSIEYessuh, I mean naw suh. 

LINDSAYHow come you can't answer, then? Lawd knows de folks just ruinschilluns dese days. Deys skeered tuh whup 'em right. Den before theygits twenty de gals done come up wid somethin' in dey arms an' de boyson de chain gang. If you don't whup 'em, they'll whip you. 

HAMBODat sho is whut de Lawd loves. When I wuz a boy they _raised_ chillenthen. Now they lets 'em do as they please. There ain't no realchestizing no more. They takes a lil tee-ninchy switch and tickles em. No wonder de world is in sich uh mess. 

VOICE OFF STAGEYou Tit-ter!! Aw Titter!!

ESSIE(stops to listen) Yessum!!

VOICE OFF STAGEIf you don't come here, you better!

ESSIEYessum! (to her playmates) Aw shucks! I got to go home. (She exitsright, walking sullenly. The game has stopped. )

LINDSAY(pointing at Essie) You see dat gal shakin' herself at her mammy? Desassy lil binch needs her guts stomped out. (to Essie) Run! I'm comin'on down there an' tell yo' ma how 'omanish you is, shakin' yo'self atgrown folks. (Essie walks slower and shakes her skirt contemptously. Lindsay jumps to his feet as if to pursue her. ) You must smellyo'self! (Essie exits. ) Now de rest of you haitians scatter way fromin front dis store. Dis ain't no place for chillen, nohow. (gesture ofshooing) Gwan! Thin out! Every time a grownperson open they mouf y'allright dere to gaze down they throat. Git! (The children exit sullenlyright. In the silence that follows the cracking of Walter's peanutshells can be heard very plainly. )

HAMBOWalter, God a' mighty! You better quit eatin' em ground peas de wayyou do. You gointer die wid de colic. 

LINDSAYAw, taint gointer hurt him. I don't b'lieve uh cord uh wood would layheavy on Walter's belly. He kin eat mo' penders than Brazzle's mule. 

WALTER(laughing) Aw naw, don't throw me in wid dat mule. He could eat upcamp-meetin, back off scociation and drink Jurdan dry. 

LINDSAYAnd still stay so po' till he wuzn't nothin atall but a mule frame. (Enter Lige Moseley right) Taint never been no mule in de world lakdat ole yaller mule since Jonah went to joppy. 

(Lige seats himself on the floor on the other side of the steps. Pullsout a bone toothpick and begins to pick his teeth)

LIGEY'all still talkin bout Brazzle's ole useter-be mule?

HAMBOYeah. Memeber dat time Brazzle hitched him to de plow and took him toEshleman's new ground?

LIGEAnd he laid down before he'd plow a lick. Sho I do! But who ever seenhim work? All you ever did see was him and Brazzle fightin up and downde furrows. (all laugh) He was so mean he would even try to kick youif you went in his stall to carry him some corn. 

WALTERNothin but pure concentrated meanness stuffed into uh mule hide. Thassde reason he wouldn't git fat--just too mean. 

LIGESho was skinny now. You could use his ribs for a washboard and hang declothes up on his hips to dry. (all laugh)

HAMBOLige, you kin lie [Note: "like" crossed out] lak cross ties [Noteinserted text: from Jacksonville to Key West. ]. But layin all sides tojokes, when they told me dat mule was dead, uh just took and knockedoff from work to see him drug out lak all de rest of de folks, andfolkses dat mule wuz too contrary to lay down on his side and die. Helaid on his raw-boney back wid his foots stickin straight up in de airlak he wuz fightin something. 

LINDSAYHe wuz--bet he fought ole death lak a natural man. Ah seen his bonesyistiddy, out dere on de edge of de cypress swamp. De buzzards donepicked em clean and de elements done bleached em. 

LIGEEverybody went to dat draggin out. Even Joe Clarke shet up his storedat mornin and went (turns his head and calls into the store) didn'tyou, Mr. Clarke?

CLARKE'S VOICEDidn't I whut? (enters and stands in door)

LIGEShet up yo' store and go to de draggin out of Brazzle's ole mule. 

CLARKEI, God, Yeah. It was worth it. (sees Hambo) I didn't know you was outhere. Lemme beat you uh game of checkers. 

HAMBOLissen at de ole tush hawg! Well, go git de board, and lemme beat youa pair of games befo' de mail gits in. 

CLARKE(to the others) Beat old me! (to Hambo) Come on here, youse my fish. (calls into store) Mattie bring me dat checker-board and de checkers!(to men on porch) You got to talk to wimmen-folks lak dat--tell 'emevery lil' thing-do she'd come rackin out here wid de board by itself. 

(Enter Mrs. Clarke with homemade checker-board and coffee cancontaining the much-used checkers. Clarke sits on a keg and facesHambo. They put the board on their knees and pour out the checkers)

HAMBOYou want black or red?

CLARKEOh, I don't keer which--I'm gointer beat you anyhow. You take deblack. (they arrange them. The others get near to look on. Hambo sitslooking at the board without moving. )

HAMBOWho's first move?

CLARKEBlack folks always go to work first. Move! (Hambo moves and the sameproceeds with the spectators very interested. Enter Lum Boger [Note:Handwritten correction: Bailey] right and joins the spectators. Awoman enters left with a market basket and goes on in the store. Thecheckers click on the board. A girl about twelve enters right and goesinto the store and comes out with a stick of peppermint candy. 

WALTERNaw you don't Hambo!--Don't you go in dere! Dats a trap--(pointing)come right here and you got him. 

LIGEBack dat man up (pointing) Hambo do he'll git et up. 

(there is the noise of the checkers for a half minute then a generalshout of triumph)

SPECTATORSYou got him now, Hambo! Clarke, he's sho got you. 

CLARKE(Chagrined) Aw, he aint done nothin! Jes' watch ME. 

HAMBO(Jeering) Yeah, gwan move! Ha! Ha! go head and move. 

SPECTATORSAw, he got you, Bro. Mayor--might as well give up. He got you in deLouisville loop. 

CLARKEGive up what? He can't beat me? (peeved) de rest of y'all git fromover me, whoopin and hollerin! I God, a man can't hear his ears. 

(The men fall back revealing the players clearly)

HAMBOAw, neb mind bout them, Joe, go head and move. You aint got but onemove to make nohow--go head on and take it. 

CLARKE(moving a checker) Aw, here. 

HAMBO(triumphant) Now! watch me boys whut Ahm gonna do to him. Ahm gonnalaff in notes, while Ah work on him. (he lifts a checker high in theair preparatory to the jump, laughing to the scale and counting eachchecker he jumps out loud) Do, sol, fa, me, la! One! (jumps a checker)la, sol, fa, me, do! Two! (jumps another) Do, re, fa, me, do, Three!Me, re, la, so, fa! Four! (the crowd is roaring with laughter) Sol, fa, me, la, sol, do! Five! Ha! Ha! boys I got [Note: "the" x-ed out]de ole tush hawg! I got him in de go-long. (He slaps his leg andaccidently knocks the board off his knee and spills the checkers. )

CLARKEToo bad you done dat, Hambo, cause Ah was gointer beat you at dat (herises and starts towards the door of the store as the crowd roars inlaughter)

HAMBOYou mean you was gointer beat me to de door, not a game Of checkers. Ah done run de ole coon in his hole. 

LIGEWell, Hambo, you done got to be so hard at checkers, come on less seewhut you can do wid de cards. (He pulls out a soiled deck from hiscoat pocket and moves toward the bench at the left of the porch) Youtake Lum and me and Walter will wear you out. 

HAMBOYou know I don't play no cards. 

LUMWe aint playin for no money, just a lil Florida flip. 

HAMBOY'all can't play no Florida flip. 'Fore Ah joined de church therewasn't a man in de state could beat me wid de cards. But Ahm a deaconnow, in Macedonia Baptist--Ah don't bother wid de cards no mo". (Heand Joe Lindsay go inside store)

LIGEWell, come on Lum. Walter, git yo'self a partner. 

WALTER(Looking about) Taint nobody to git (looks off right) Here come DaveCarter. 

LIGEYou can't do nothin wid him dese days. He useter choose a game ofcards when he wasn't out huntin, but now when he ain't out huntinvarmints he's huntin' Daisy Blunt. (Enter Dave right with a shot-gunslung over his shoulder. )

WALTERCome on, fish, lemme bend a five-up over yo' head. You looks just likemy meat. 

DAVEAhm on mah way to kill me a turkey gobbler, but if you and Lum thinksy'all's tush hawgs Ah'll stop long enough to take you down abutton-hole lower. (He sets his gun down and finds a seat and draws itup to the card table)

WALTERNaw, Dave, we aint going to fool wid no button-holes we gointer tearoff de whole piece dat de button-holes is in. (They all get set) Allright boys, turn it on and let de bad luck happen. 

LIGE(Probbing the deck) My deal. 

WALTERWatch yo'self Dave, don't get to worryin bout Daisy and let 'em ketchyo' jack. 

LUM(Winking) What you reckon he gointer be worryin' bout Daisy for? Dot'sJim's gal. 

DAVEAir Lawd, a heap sees but a few knows. Deal de cards man--youshufflin' a mighty lot. 

WALTERSho is--must be tryin' to carry de cut to us. 

LIGEAw, we ain't gonna cheat you, we gonna beat you. (He slams down thecards for Dave to cut) Wanna cut 'em?

DAVENope. Taint no use cuttin' a rabbit out when you kin twist him out. Deal 'em! (Lige deals and turns up Jack of spades. )

WALTERYee-ee! Did you snatch dat Jack?

LIGEMan, you know I ain't snatched no Jack. Whut you doin'?

WALTERI'm beggin!

LIGEGo ahead and tell 'em I sent you. 

WALTERPlay just like ahm in New York, partner. (scratches his head) Weoughter try to ketch dat Jack. 

LIGEStick out yo' hand an' you'll draw back a nub. 

WALTERWhut you want me to play for you, partner?

DAVEPlay me a baby diamond. (Walter plays, then Lum, then Dave)

LUM(Triumphant) Looka pardner, they doin all dat woofin on uhqueen--sendin' women to do uh man's work. Watch me stomp her wid mahking (He slams his card down and collects the trick. ) Now come ununder dis ace! (They all play and he collects the trick. ) Now whut youwant me to play for you, pardner?

LIGEHow many times you seen de deck. 

LUMTwice

LIGEPull off wid yo' king. 

(Lum plays the king of spades. All the others play. )Look at ole low pardner. Ah knowed ah wuz gointer ketch him! Comeright back at 'em. 

LUM(stands up and slams down the ace) Pack up, pardner. Ahm playin' mahknots, now all play now. Ho! Ho! Dere goes de queen'. De Jack's agentleman! (Lige takes the Jack and sticks it up on his forehead inbraggadocia. ) Here comes de ten spot, pardner, ahm dumpin to yuh!

LIGE(as he plays the Jack) Everybody git up off it and dump. High, low, Jack, game and gone from de first four. 

WALTERGimme dem cards! Y'all carried de cub to us dat time. (riffles thecards elaborately) but de deal is in de high, tall house now. Dis isBooker T Washington spreadin his mess. (offers cards to Lige) Cut?

LIGEYeah, cut 'em and shoot 'em. I'd cut behind mah ma. (He cuts andWalter deals. )

WALTERWell, whut sayin'?

LUMI'm beggin. 

WALTERGet up off yo' knees. Youse dat one. 

LIGEWalter, you sho stacked dese cards. 

WALTERAw, stop cryin' and play, man. Youse too old to be hollerin'titty-mama. 

LUMDis ain't no hand, dis is a foot. What you want me to play for youpartner?

LIGEPlay yo' own hand partner--I ain't nobody. Lead yo' bosses. (He leadsthe ace of clubs. Play goes round to dealer and Walter takes the cardoff the deck and slams it down. )

WALTERGet up ol' deuce of diamonds and gallop off wid yo' load. Pardner, howmany times you seen de deck?

DAVE(Two times--(they make signals. )

WALTERWatch dis ol' queen. Less go! (He begins to sing--Dave joins in. ) Whenyo' card gits lucky, oh pardner, you oughter be in a rollin' game. (Hespeaks. ) Ha! Ha! Wash day and no soap! (He sticks the Jack upon hisforehead. He stands up and sings again. ) Ahm goin' to de 'Bama Lawd. Pardner don't want no change. (He collects that trick and plays again. Dave also stands. )

DAVEHere come de man from de White House--ol' king of diamonds. (Sings, all join. ) Ahm goin' back to de Bama, Lawd. Pardner won't be worriedwid you. (He collects the trick. ) Never had no trouble, Lour pardner, till I stopped by here. 

(They all stand hilariously slam down their cards. 

WALTERAw, wese just too hard for you boys--we eats our dinner out deblacksmith shop. Y'all can't bully dis game. (He solemnly reaches overand takes Dave's hand. )

DAVE(to Walter) Mr. Hoover, you sho is a noble president. We done stuckdese shad-moufs full of cobs. They skeered to play us any mo'. 

LIGEWho skeered? Y'all jus' playin ketch up nohow. Git back down and lemmewrap uh five-up round yo' neck. 

DAVE(looking off right) Squat dat rabbit an' less jump another one. Herecome Daisy. 

WALTERAw Lord, you ain't no mo' good now. But Ah don't blame you, Dave, shelooks warm. 

(Enter Daisy right with a scarlet hibiscus over each ear and smilingbroadly. )

LIGE(jumps down and takes Daisy by the arm) Come on up here, Daisy andease Dave's pain. He's so crazy 'bout you his heart 'bout to burn ahole in his shirt. (She steps up on the porch)

DAVE(Bashfully) Aw, y'all gwan. Ah kin talk. 

DAISY(Arms akimbo, impudently) Oh kin you? (She gets up close to Dave)

DAVE(Pleased) You better git way from me fore Jim come long. 

DAISY(Coquettishly) Ain't you man enough to cover de ground you standon?

DAVEOh, Ah can back my crap! Don't worry 'bout me. Where you headed for?

DAISYWhere _you_ goin? (Audaciously)

DAVEOut by de cypress swamp to kill us uh turkey. Its uh great big olegobbler--been slurring me fer six months. Ahm gointer git him todayfor you, and yo' mama gointer cook him. 

DAISYAh sho would love the ham of turkey. 

DAVE(Patting his gun barrel) Well me an' ole Hannah sho gointer git youone. Look here, Daisy, will you choose uh bag of ground peas?

DAISYI jus love goobers

DAVE(Sticking out his right elbow) You lak chicken?

DAISYYeah

DAVETake uh wing. (She locks arms with him and they strut inside thestore. )

LIGEAh blieve dat fool is got some gumption. Jim Weston better watch out. 

WALTEROh I ain't never figgered Dave was no fool. He's uh bottom fish. Jimtalks all de time but Dave will run him uh hot--here he come now. (Looks off left. All look the same way. )

LUMLawd, don't he look mean? (She chuckles) Ah bet he know Daisy's herewid Dave. Ah wouldn't take nothin' for dis. 

(Enter Jim Weston left with a guitar looking very glum. He stopsbeside the step for a moment. Takes off his hat and fans with it. )

JIMHowdy do, folks. 

ALLHowdy do, Jim. 

JIMDon't do all they say. (He sees the gun leaning against the rail) Whogun dat? (Points at the gun)

LIGEYou know so well whose gun dat is. Ah jus' heard him say he's goin outto git his gal uh ham of a turkey gobbler out round de cypress swamp. He's inside now treatin her to penders and candy. (He winks at theothers and they wink back)

WALTER(Turns and calls into the store) Say, Dave! Don't try to keep Daisy indere all day. Her feller out here waitin to scorch her home. 

DAVE (from inside store)Let him come git her if she want him. 

LIGEUmph! dere now, de mule done kicked Rucker! (Calls inside to Dave) Ihear you crowin, rooster. I know yo' nest aint far. 

HAMBO(From inside store) Yeah, dis rooster must know something--he's gittinplenty grit in his craw. 

(General laughter)

(There is a gay burst of laughter from inside the store. In a momentDave enters from the store with Daisy on his left arm. With his righthe is stuffing shells into his pocket. The air is tense. Lindsay, Hambo and Joe Clarke all enter behind the couple)

DAVE(Releases Daisy and steps to the edge of the porch right in front ofJim and looks up at the sky) Well, sun's gettin low--better git on outto de swamp and git dat gobbler. (He turns and picks up de gun andbreaks it)

JIMLo Daisy. (Sullenly)

DAISY(Brightly) Hello Jimmy (She is eating peanuts) Ain't Dave smart? He'sgonna kill me uh turkey an' ah kin eat all ah wants. 

JIMHe aint de onliest person kin shoot round here. 

LIGEYeah, but he's best marksman just de same. Taint no use talkin, Jim. You can't buck Dave in de woods. But you got de world beat wid uhgit-fiddle. Yessuh, Dave is uh sworn marksman but you kin really beatde box. Less have uh tune. 

JIMOh I ain't for pickin no box. I come to git some shells for my rifle. Sorta figgered on uh wild turkey or two. (He comes up on the porch andstarts in the store)

DAISYIf Dave go git me dat big ole turkey an' you go git me one too--gee!Wont I have uh turkey fit?

LINDSAYLord, Daisy, you gointer have dese boys killin up every turkey inOrange County. 

WALTERYou mean _Dave_. Jim couldn't hit de side of uh barn wid uh brassfiddle. 

JIM(Hitching up his trousers) Who can't shoot? (to Clarke) Come on an'gimme un box uh shells. I'll show yuh who kin shoot! (He exits intostore with Clarke behind him)

DAVE(To Daisy) You wait here till ah git back wid yo' turkey. 

DAISYAhm skeered. 

DAVEWhut you skeered of? Jim? He aint no booger boo, if his ears do floplak uh mule. 

DAISYNaw. Ah aint skeered uh no Jim. Ah got tuh git back tuh de white folksan Ahm skeered tuh go round dat lake at night by myself. (Enter Jimfrom store and stands in door with box of shells in his hand)

JIMNo girl look like you don't have to go home by yo' self, if it wasmidnight. 

DAVE(Gun in hand and ready to exit) Naw, cause Ahm right here--

JIMDaisy don't you trust yo'self round dat lake after dark, wid dat(points at Dave) breath and--britches. You needs uh real man toperteck you from dem 'gators and moccasins. 

DAVELet somethin happen and she'll find out who got rabbit blood and whoaint. Well, Ahm gone. (He steps down off the steps but looks back atDaisy). 

JIMAhm goin too--git you uh great big ole turkey-rooster. (Dave takes astep or two towards left exit). 

DAISYJim, aint you gointer knock off a li'l tune fo' you go? Ahm lonesomefor some music. 

(Dave stops in his tracks and looks wistful. Jim sets down the shellson the bench and picks up his box with a swagger and tunes a bit. )

WALTERGeorgy Buck!

JIM(Plays the air thru once then starts to sing. Dave leans his gunagainst the fence and stands there. )

 1. Georgy Buck is dead, last word he said I don't want no shortenin in my bread. 

 2. Rabbit on de log--Aint got no dog How am I goin git him, God knows. 

(Dave walks on back near the step, and begins to buck a wing. Daisycomes down the step admiring both the playing and the dancing. All themen goin in singing and clapping)

 3. Rabbit on de log--aint got no dog Shoot him wid my rifle, bam! bam!

 4. Oh Georgie Buck is dead, last word he said Never let a woman have her way

(The tempo rises. As Dave does a good break he brings up directly infront of Daisy. He grabs her and swings her into a slow drag. Theporch cheers. Jim stops abruptly. (Enter two women, right and hurry upto the porch)

1st WOMAN (LULU)Don't stop, Jim! Hit dat box a couple mo' licks so some of dese menkin scorch us in de store and treat us. 

JIMAw, I dont feel lak no playin. 

DAVE(Grinning triumphantly) Ahm gone dis time to git dat turkey. Daisy runtell yo' ma to put on de hot water kittle (He exits left with gun onshoulder)

DAISYOh lemme see if I got a letter in de postoffice (She exits into store)

JIMHe better git for home fore ah bust dis box over his head. 

2nd WOMAN (Jenny)(Grabbing Lige) Aw, don't worry bout Dave Carter. Play us some musicso I kin make Lige buy me some soda water. (She is playfully draggingLige towards the door). Jenny you grab Walter. 

(Walter makes a break to jump off the porch and run. The woman catcheshim and there is a very gay bit of tussling as the men are draggedtowards the door)

1st WOMAN (Miss Lulu)I bet if this was Daisy, they'd uh done halted inside and toted outhalf de store. 

JENNYYeah. (gets Walter to the door) Everything you hear is Daisy, Daisy, Daisy! Just cause she got a walk on her like she done gone crazy thrude hips! (Yanks Walter into the door) Yeah, y'all goin treat us. Comeon!

WALTERYeah, but Daisy's uh young pullet and you gittin gray headed. 

JENNYThank God I aint gray elsewhere! Come right on. You gointer buy mesome soda water nigger. (to Jim) Play us some music, Jim, so we kingrand march up to de counter. 

JIMI can't play nothin--mad as I is. I'm one minute to boilin and twominutes to steam. I smell blood!

MISS LULUYou don't want to fight, do you?

JIMSho do. You aint never seen a Weston yet dat wouldn't fight, have you?

LIGEThats whut they all got run outa town for--fightin. (Calls into store)Hey, Joe, give Jenny and Lulu some soda water and ground peas on me sothey'll turn us loose. (to Jim) Yeah, y'all Westons blieves infightin. 

JIMAhd ruther get run out for fightin than to be uh coward. (He slingsthe guitar round his neck an' picks up his box of shells. ) Well, Ahreckon Ah'll go git Daisy her turkey cause she sho wont git none lessAh go git it. Here come Elder Simms anyhow now taint no mo' pickin debox. (to Daisy) Don't git lonesome whilst Ahm gone. 

(Enter Daisy from the store smiling, and walks down to where Jim isstanding)

DAISYWhuts all dis talk about fightin?

JIMLige throwin it up to me bout all my folks been run outa town forfightin. But I don't keer!

DAISYMah mouf done got lonesome already. Buy me some chewing gum to keepmah mouf comp'ny till y'all gits back wid dat turkey. 

JIMDon't hafta buy none. (reaches in his pocket and pulls out a stick)What it takes tuh satisfy de ladies, Ah totes it. (He hands her thegum tenderly) 'By, Daisy. (He walks to left exit)

DAISY(Coyly) Bye, till you come back. 

(Enter Elder Simms right)

Good evenin' everybody. 

ALLGood evenin', Elder Sims. 

LUM(Getting up from his seat on the porch) Have mah seat, Elder. Simstakes it with a sigh of pleasure. Lum steps off the porch and sets hishat over one eye) Say, Daisy, you aint goin to sprain yo' lil mouf ondat tough chewin gum, is yuh? Not wid de help _you_ got. Better lemmekinda tender dat gum up for yuh so yo' lil mouf won't hafta strain widit. (He places himself exactly in front of her. She glances up coylyat him)

DAISYAin't you crazy, now? (Lum tries to snatch the gum but she pops itinto her mouth and laughs as he seizes her hands. 

LUMYou don't need no gum to keep yo' mouf company wid me around. Ahm allde compny yo' mouf need. Ahm sweet papa chewin and sweetness change. 

DAISYTell dat to Bootsie Pitts, you cant fool me. (turns right) Guess Ahbetter go home and see mama. Ah ain't been round since Ah come from dewhite folk. You goin walk round there wid me?

LUMNaw, Ah aint gointer _walk_. When Ahm wid de angels ah puts on mahhosanna wings and flies round heben lak de rest. (He falls in besideher and catches her elbow) Less go! (to the porch) See you later andtell you straighter. 

LINDSAYDon't stay round to Daisy's too long, Lum, and get run out from underyo' hat!

LUMWho run?

HAMBOTaint no use in you hollerin "who". Yo' feet don't fit no limb. (General laughter) (Exit Lum and Daisy right)

WALTERLawd! Daisy sho is propaganda. She really handles a lot of traffic. Ahdon't blame de boys. If Ah was uh single man Ah'd be round theremyself. 

LIGEAhm willin tuh serve some time on her gang as it is, but mah wifewon't lissen to reason. (Laughter) Ah tries to show her dis deep pointwhere taint right for one woman to be harboring uh whole man all toherself when theres heaps uh po' young girls aint got no husbandatall. But Ah just can't sense her into it. 

(Laughter)

HAMBONow take Jim and Dave for instant. Here they is, old friends, donefell out and ready to fight--all over Daisy. 

WALTERThass me all over. I don't want no partnership when it comes to mywomen. Its whole hawg uh none. Lawd, what wimmen makes us do!

LINDSAYWhat is it dey don't make us do. Now take for instant Jim Weston. Heknow he can't hunt wid Dave--Dave is uh sworn marksman, but jes' so asnot to be outdone here he go trying to shoot turkeys--wild turkeysmind you, 'ginst Dave. 

JOE CLARKEI God, I hope he finds 'em too. If he get to killin turkeys maybehe'll stay way from my hen house. I God, I done lost nine uh my bestlayin' hens in three weeks. 

(General Laughter)

WALTERDid Jim git em?

CLARKEI ain't personatin' nobody but I been told dat Jim's got uh powerfullot uh chicken feathers buried in his back yard. I know one thing ifI ever ketch his toe-nails in my chicken yard, I God, he's gointerfollow his pappy and his four brothers. He's got to git from dis townof mine. 

(Enter a little girl right, very neat and starchy. She runs up to Rev. Sims. )

GIRLPapa, mama say send her dat witch hazely oil she sent you after rightquick. 

LINDSAYWhuss matter wid Sister Sims--poly today?

SIMSShe don't keep so well since we been here, but I reckon she's onde mend. 

HAMBODon't look like she never would be sick. She look so big and portly. 

CLARKESize don't mean nothin'. My wife is portly and she be's on de sicklist all de time. It's "Jody, pain in de belly all day. Jody, pain inde back all night. 

LIGEBesides, Mrs. Simms ain't very large. She wouldn't weigh more'n twohundred. You ain't seen no big woman. I seen one so big she went towhip her lil boy an' he run up under her belly and stayed up underdere for six months. 

(General laughter)

WALTERYou seen de biggest ones. But I seen uh woman so little till she couldgo out in uh shower uh rain and run between de drops. She had tuh gitup on uh box tuh look over uh grain uh sand. 

SIMMSY'all boys better read yo' Bibles 'stead of studyin foolishness. (Hegets up and starts into the store. Clarke and the little girl followhim. ) Reckon Ah better git dat medicine. (The three exit into store)

HAMBOWell, y'all done seen so much--be y'all ain't never seen uh snake bigas de one Ah seen down round Kissimnee. He was so big he couldn'thardly move his self. He laid in one spot so long he growed moss onhim and everybody thought he was uh log layin' there; till one day Ahset down on him and went to sleep. When Ah woke up ah wuz in MiddleGeorgy. 

(General laughter. Two women enter left and go in store aftereverybody has spoken to them)

LINDSAYLayin' all sides to jokes now, y'all remember dat rattlesnake Ah kilton Lake Hope was 'most big as dat one. 

WALTER(Nudgin' Lige and winking at the crowd) How big did you say it was, Joe?

LINDSAYHe mought not uh been quite as big as dat one--but jes' bout fourteenfeet. 

HAMBOGimme dat lyin' snake! He wasn't but fo' foot long when you kilt himand here you done growed him ten feet after he's dead. 

(Enter Simms followed by the girl with an all day sucker. Simms has asmall package in his hand. 

SIMMS

(Gives the package to the child and resumes his seat. )

Run 'long home now. Tell yo' ma to put on uh pot uh peas. 

(Child exits right trotting and sucking her candy. )

WALTERThey's some powerful big snakes round here. We was choppin' down deweeds in front of our parsonage yistiddy and kilt uh great big ol'cotton mouf moccasin. 

SIMMSYeah, look like me or some of my fambly 'bout to git snake-bit rightat our own front do'. 

LIGEAn' bit by uh Baptist snake at dat. 

LINDSAYHow you make him out uh Baptist snake?

LIGENobody don't love water lak uh Baptist an' uh Moccasin. 

(General laughter)

HAMBOAn' nobody don't hate it lak de devil, uh rattlesnake an uh Meth'dis. 

(General laughter. Enter Joe Clark from store. Stands in door)

SIMMSDis town needs uh cleanin' in more ways than one. Now if this town wasrun right, when folks misbehaves, they oughter be locked up in jailand if they can't pay no fine, they oughter be made to work it out onde streets--chopping weeds. 

LINDSAYHow we gointer do all dat when we ain't got no jail?

SIMMSWell, you orta _have_ uh jail. Y'all needs uh whole heap ofimprovements in dis town. Ah ain't never pastored no town so way backas this one here. 

CLARKE(Stepping out before Simms) What improvements you figgers we needs?

SIMMSA whole heap. Now for one thing, we really does need uh jail, BrotherMayor. Taint no sense in runnin' people out of town that cuts up. Weoughter have jails like other towns. Every town I ever pastored haduh jail. 

CLARKE(Angrily) Now hold on uh minute, Simms! Don't you reckon uh man datknows how to start uh town knows how to run it? You ain't been herelong enough to find out who started dis town yet. (Very emphatic, beating of his palm with other fist) Do you know who started dis town?(Does not pause for an answer) Me! I started _dis_ town. I went to dewhite folks and wid _dis_ right hand I laid down two hundred dollarsfor de land and walked out and started dis town. I ain't like somefolks--come here when grapes was ripe. I was here to cut new ground. 

SIMMSWell, tain't no sense in one man stayin' Mayor all de time, nohow. 

CLARKE(Triumphantly) So dat de tree you barkin' up? Why, you ain't nothin'but uh trunk man. You can't be no mayor. I got roots here. 

SIMMSYou ain't all de voters, tho, Brother Mayor. 

CLARKE(Arrogantly) I don't hafta be. I God, it's my town and I kin be Mayorjes' as long as I want to. (Slaps his chest) I God, it was _me_ datput dis town on de map. 

SIMMSWhat map you put it on, Brother Clarke? You musta misplaced it. Iain't seen it on no map. 

CLARKETain't on no map, hunh? I God, everytime I go to Maitland de whitefolks calls me Mayor. Otherwise, Simms, I God, if you so dissatisfiedwid de way I run dis town, just take yo' Bible and flat foots and gityounder cross de woods. 

SIMMS(Aggressively) Naw, Ah don't like it. You ack lack tain't nobody in decorporation but you? Now look. (Points at the street lamp) Tain't butone street light in town an' you got it in front of yo' place. We paysde taxes an' you got de lamp. 

CLARKEI God, nobody can't tell me how to run dis town. I 'lected myself andI'm gonna run it to suit myself. (Looks all about) Where is datMarshall? He ain't lit de lamp?

WALTERScorched Daisy Blunt home and ain' got back. 

CLARKEI God, call him there, some of you boys. 

(Lige steps to edge of porch left and calls "Lum! Lum!" Lum's voice ata distance: "What!" Lige: "Come on and light de lamp it gittin dark. ")

SIMMSNow, when I pastored in Ocala you oughter seen de lovely jail dey had. 

HAMBOThass all right for white folks. We colored folks don't need no jail. 

WALTERAw, yes we do too. Elder Simms is right. We ain't a bit bottern whitefolks. (Enter the two women from the store. ) You wimmen folks been indat store uh mighty long time. 

MRS. LULUWe been makin' our market. 

HAMBOLooks mighty bad for some man's pocket. But y'all ain't had no treaton me. Go back and tell Mrs. Clark tuh give you some candy. 

LINDSAYHave somethin' on me too. Money ain't no good lessen de women kin helpyou use it. (Hollers inside) Every lady in there take a treat on me. 

MRS. JENNYAin't y'all comin' in tuh help us eat de treat. Come on, Elder Simms!

HAMBO(Getting up quickly. Lindsay and Joe Clarke also get up. They goinside laughing. ) Here, lemme git hold of somebody. (Grabs one of thewomen by the arm as they exit into the store. )

LIGE(Pointing his thumb after the women) Ah wouldn't way lay nothin' lakdat. Too old even tuh chew peanuts if Ah was tuh buy it. 

WALTERPreach it, Brother. But they's all right for mullet heads like Lindsayand Hambo. (Sings)

 When they git old, when they [Note: corrected missing space. ] git old Old folks turns tuh monkeys When they git old. 

(Looks off right) Lawd! They must be havin' recess in heben! Look atdese lil ground angels! (Yells off right) Hello Big 'Oman, an' Teetsand Bootsie! Hurry up! My money jumpin' up and down in my pocket lakuh mule in uh tin stable. (Enter three girls right, dressed in coolcotton dresses. They are all locked armed and giggling)

LIGEHello, folkses. 

BOOTSIE(Coquettishly) Hello yo'self--Want uh piece uh corn bread look on deshelf. (Great burst of laughter from inside the store)

LIGE(Catching Bootsie's arm) Lemme scorch y'all inside en' treat yuh. 

BOOTSIE(Looks at the other girls for confirmation) Not yet, after while. 

WALTERWell, come set on de piazza an' les' have some chat. 

TEETSWe ain't got time. We come tuh git our mail out de postoffice. 

LIGEYouse uh Got-dat-wrong! You come after Dave an' Jim an' Lum. But Daisydone treed de las' one of 'em. She got Jim and Dave out in de swampwhere de mule was drugged out huntin' her uh turkey. An' she got Lumat her house. Thass how come de light ain't lit. 

BIG 'OMANOh, Ah ain't worried 'bout Lum. Ah b'lieve Ah kin straighten him out. 

WALTERSome wimmen kin git yo' man so he won't stand uh straightenin'. 

LIGEDon't come rollin' yo' eyes at me an' gittin' all mad cause y'allstuck on de boys and de boys is stuck on Daisy. (makes a sly faceat Walter)

TEETSWho? Me? Nobody ain't studyin' 'bout ole Daisy. She come before melike a gnat in a whirlwind. 

WALTER(in mock seriousness) Better stop dat talkin' 'bout Daisy, do I'lltell her whut you say. I think I better call her anyhow and seewhether you gointer talk dat big talk to her face. (Makes a move as ifto call Daisy)

LIGE(keeping up the raillery, grabs Walter) Don't do dat, Walter. We don'twant no trouble round here. But sho nuff, [Note: corrected missingspace. ] girls, y'all ain't got no time wid Daisy. Know what Lum say?Says Daisy is a bucket flower--jes' _made_ him to set up on deporch an' look pritty. I ast him how 'bout de rest an' he says "Oh derest is yard flowers jes' plant them any which a way. 

BOOTSIEI don't b'lieve Lum said no sich uh thing. 

LIGEYou tellin' dat flat--Ah knows. (Looks off left) Here come Lum, now, in uh big hurry jus' lak he ain't been gone two hours. 

BIG 'OMANLess we all go git our treat! (They start up on the porch. At thatmoment Hambo, Lindsay, Clarke, Simms, and the two women enter fromthe store. )

CLARKE(to Lige) Looks here, I God! Ain't Lum lit dat lamp yet? (Enter Lumleft hurriedly. Clarke stands akimbo glaring at him. Lum fumbles for amatch, strikes it and drops it. Gets another from his pocket and goesto the lamp and strikes it. ) Somebody reach de numbskull uh box. (Walter hands Lum a box of the porch and he gets up on it and opensthe lamp to light it. )

LUM(to Clarke) Reckon Ah better put some oil in de lamp. Tain't much init. 

CLARKE(Impatiently) Oh, that'll do! That'll do. It'll be time tuh put it outbefo' you git it lit, I God. 

(Lum lights the lamp. The men have resumed their seats and the womenare on the ground and near right exit. Walter and Lige and the threegirls are at the door about to enter the store. Lum has the box in hishand and is still under the lamp. He walks slowly towards the step, box in hand. At the step he looks off left. )

LUMHere come Dave. (All look left. Walter and Lige and the girls abandonthe idea of the treat and wait for Dave)

HAMBOBut ah ain't seen no turkey yet. Dat ole gobbler's too smart for Dave. 

(Enter Dave with gun over his shoulder and holding his head. A littleblood is on his shoulder. He pauses under the lamp a moment then comesto the step)

HAMBOWhuss de matter, Dave? Dat ole turkey gobbler done pecked you in dehead? Whut kind of a huntsman is you?

(General laughter)

DAVENaw, ain't no turkey pecked me. It's Jim. Ah wuz out in de woods andhand don squatted down before he got dere. Ah know jus' where dat olegobbler roost at. Soon's he hit de limb an' squatted hisself, Ah let'im have it. He flopped his wings an' tried to fly off but here hecome tumblin' down right by dem ole mule bones. Jim, he was jus'comin' up when Ah fired. So when he seen dat turkey fallin', whut dohe do? He fires off his gun an' make out he kilt dat turkey. Ah beathim tuh de bird and we got tuh tusslin'. He tries tuh make _me_ givehim _mah_ turkey so's he kin run tuh Daisy an' make out he done kiltit. So we got tuh fightin' an' Ah wuz beatin' him too till he retcheddown an' got de hock bone uh dat mule an' lammed me over de head an'fore Ah could git up, he done took mah turkey an' went wid it. (toClarke) Mist Clarke Ah wants tuh swear out uh warrant ginst JimWeston. Ahm gointer law him outa dis town, too. 

SIMMSDat wuz uh low-down caper, Jim, cut sho nuff. 

CLARKESho its uh ugly caper tuh cut. Come on inside, Dave, an Ah'll make outde papers. He ain't goin' to carry on lak dat in _my_ town. 

(Exit Dave and Clarke into de store)

LINDSAY(Jokingly to Sims) See whut capers you Meth'dis niggers'llcut--lammin' folks over de head wid mule bones an' stealin' theyturkeys. 

SIMMSOh you Baptist ain't uh lot better'n nobody else. You steals an'fights too. 

LINDSAY(still bantering) Yeah, but we done kotched dis Meth'dis nigger an' wegointer run him right on outa town too. Jus' wait an' see. Yeah, boy. Dat Jim'll be uh gone gator 'fore tomorrow night. 

WALTEROh, I don't know whether he's gointer be gone or not. We Meth'dis gotjus' as much say-so in dis town as anybody else. 

LIGEYeah. You Baptis run yo' mouf but you don't run de town. Furthermo' weain't heard nothin' but Dave's lie. Better wait till we see Jim an'git de straight of dis thing. 

HAMBOWill you lissen at dat? Dese half-washed Christians hates de truth lakuh bed-bug hates de light. God a' mighty! (rising) Ahm goin' in an'see to it dat de Mayor makes dem papers out right. (He exits angrilyinto the store. Simms and all the men rise too)

SIMMSCome on Walter, you an Lige. Less we go inside too. Dat po' boy gottuh git jestice. An' 'tween de Mayor an' dese Baptists he ain't gotmuch chance. (They exit into the store)

1st WOMANCome on you young gals, whut y'all wanta be hangin' round de store an'its way after black dark. Yo' mammies oughter take an frail de las'one of yuh! Come along! (The girls come downoff the porch and join thewomen. Loud angry voices inside the store)

2nd WOMANLawd, lemme git home an' tell my husban' bout all dis. Umph! Umph!(The women and girls exit as the men all emerge from the store. Lumcomes first with the warrant in his hand. Clarke emerges last. )

CLARKECan't have all dat fuss an' racket in my store. All of you git outsidedat wants tuh fight? (He begins to close up)

SIMMSBut Brother Mayor, I said it, an' I'll say it agin, tain't right--

CLARKE(turns angrily) I God, Clarke [Hand written correction: Simms], Ahdon't keer whut you say. 'Taint worth uh hill uh beans nohow. Jim isgointer be 'rested for hittin' Dave an' takin' his turkey, an' if he'sfound guilty he's goin' way from here. Tain't no use uh you swellin'up neither. (to Lum) Go get him, Lum, an' lock 'im in my barn an' putdat turkey under arrest too. I God, de law is gointer be law in mytown. (Exit Lum with an important air. )

WALTERWhere de trial gointer be, Brother Clarke, in de hall?

CLARKENope, it's too little. It'll hafta be in de Baptist Church. Ah reckondat's de bigges' place in town. Three o'clock Monday evening. Now, y'all git on off my porch tuh fuss. Lige, outen dat lamp for Lum. 

(The stage goes black. The crowd is dispersing slowly. Angry voicesare heard. The curtain is descending slowly. Off-stage right the voiceof Lum is heard calling Daisy. )

LUMOh Daisy! Daisy!

DAISY(at a distance) What you want, Lum?

LUMTell yo' mama to put on de hot water kittle. I'll be round therebefore long. 

_CURTAIN_

ACT II

Scene I

SETTING: Village street scene. Huge oak tree upstage center. A houseor two on backdrop. When curtain goes up Sister Lucy Taylor is seenstanding under the tree trying to read a notice posted on the tree. She is painfully spelling it out. Enter Sister Thomas--a younger woman(in her thirties) at left. 

SISTER THOMASEvenin', Sis Taylor. 

SISTER TAYLOREvenin'. (returns to the notice)

SISTER THOMASWhut you doin'? Readin' dat notice Joe Clarke put up 'bout de meetin'?(approaches tree)

SISTER TAYLORIs dat whut it says? I ain't much on readin' since I had my teethpulled out. You know if you pull out dem eye teeth you ruins yo' eyesight. (turns back to notice) Whut it say?

SISTER THOMAS(Reading notice) The trial of Jim Weston for assault and battery onDave Carter wid a dangerous weapon will be held at Macedonia BaptistChurch on Monday November 10, at three o'clock. All are welcome--byorder of J. Clarke, Mayor of Eatonville, Fla. (turning to SisterTaylor) Hit's makin' on to three now. 

SISTER TAYLORYou mean its right _now_. (looks up at sun to tell time) Lemme go gitready to be at de trial--cause I'm sho going to be there and I ain'tgoin' to bite my tongue neither. 

SISTER THOMASI done went and crapped a mess of collard greens for supper--I bettergo put em on--cause Lawd knows when we goin' to git outa there--and myhusband is one of them dats gointer eat don't keer whut happen. I betif Judgment day was to happen tomorrow, he'd speck I orter fix him abucket to carry long. 

(She moves to exit right)

SISTER TAYLORAll men favors they guts, chile. But whut you think of all dis messthey got going on round here?

SISTER THOMASI just think its a sin and a shame before de livin justice de way deseBaptis' niggers is runnin' round here carryin' on. 

SISTER TAYLOROh they been puttin out they brags ever since Sat'day night bout whutthey gointer do to Jim. They thinks they runs this town. They tell meRev. Singleton preached a sermon on it yesterday. 

SISTER THOMASLawd help us! He can't preach and he look like 10� worth of have-mercy, let lone gittin' up dare tryin' to throw slams at us. Now all ElderSims done was to explain to us our rights--Whut you think bout JoeClarke running round here takin' up for those ole Baptist niggers?

SISTER TAYLORDe puzzle-gut rascal--we oughter have him up in conference and put himout de Meth'dis' faith. He don't blong in there--Wanta run dat boyouta town for nothin'. 

SISTER THOMASBut we all know how come he so hot to law Jim outa town--hits to digde foundation out from under Elder Sims--

SISTER TAYLORWhat he wanta do dat for?

SISTER THOMASCause he wants to be a God-knows-it-all an' a God-do-it-all and Simmsis de onliest one in this town whut will buck up to him. 

(Enter Sister Jones, walking leisurely)

SISTER JONESHello Hoyt, Hello Lucy. 

SISTER TAYLORGoin' to de meetin'?

SISTER JONESDone got my clothes on de line and I'm bound to be dere--

SISTER THOMASGointer testify for Jim?

SISTER JONESNaw. I reckon--Don't make much difference to me which way de dropfall--Taint neither one of 'em much good. 

SISTER TAYLORI know it. I know it, Ida. But dat ain't de point. De crow we wants topick is, is we gointer set still and let dese Baptist tell us when toplant and when to pluck up?

SISTER JONESDat _is_ something to think about when you come to think about it. (starts to move on) Guess I better go ahead--See y'all later and tellyou straighter. (Enter Elder Simms right, walking fast, Bible underhis arm, almost collides with Mrs. Jones. She nods and smiles andexits. )

ELDER SIMMSHow you do, Sister Taylor, Sister Thomas. 

BOTHGood evenin', Elder

SIMMSSho is a hot day

SISTER TAYLORYeah, de bear is walkin' de earth lak a natural man. 

SISTER THOMASReverend, look like you headed de wrong way. It's almost time for detrial and youse all de dependence we got. 

ELDER SIMMSI know it. I'm trying to find de Marshall so we kin go after Jim. Iwants a chance to talk wid him a minute before court sits. 

SISTER TAYLORY'think he'll come clear?

ELDER SIMMS(proudly) I _know_ it! (shakes the Bible) I'm going to law 'em fromGenesis to Revelation. 

SISTER THOMASGive it to 'em, Elder. Wear 'em out!

ELDER SIMMSWe'se liable to have a new Mayor when all dis dust settle. Well, Ibetter scuffle on down de road. 

(Exit Sims left)

SISTER THOMASLord, lemme gwan home and put dese greens on. (looks off stage left)Here come Mayor Clark now, wid his belly settin' out in front of himlike a cow-catcher. His name oughter be Mayor Belly. 

SISTER TAYLOR(akimbo) Jus' look at him! Trying to look like a jigadier Breneral. 

(Enter Clarke hot and perspiring. They look at him coldly. )

CLARKEI God, de bear got me! (silence for a moment) How y'all feelin'ladies?

SISTER TAYLORBrother Mayor, I ain't one of these folks dat bite my tongue and bustmy gall--Whuts inside got to come out! I can't see to my rest why youcloakin' in wid dese Baptist buzzards ginst yo' own Church. 

MAYOR CLARKEI ain't cloakin' in wid _none_. I'm de Mayor of dis whole town. I stands for de right and against de wrong. I don't keer who it killor cure. 

SISTER THOMASYou think it's right to be runnin' dat boy off for nothin?

MAYOR CLARKEI God! You call knockin' a man in de head wid a mule bone nothin'?'Nother thing--I done missed nine of my best-layin' hens. I ain'tsayin' Jim got 'em--but different people has told me he buries apowerful lot of feathers in his back yard. I God, I'm a ruint man! (Hestarts towards the right exit, but Lum Rogers enters right. ) I God, Lum, I been lookin' for you all day. It's almost three o'clock. (handshim a key from his ring) Take dis key and go fetch Jim Weston on to dechurch. 

LUMHave you got yo' gavel from de lodge-room?

CLARKEI God, that's right, Lum. I'll go get it from de lodge room whilst yougo git de bone an' de prisoner. Hurry up! You walk like dead licedroppin' off you! (He exits right while Lum crosses stage towardsleft)

SISTER TAYLORLum, Elder Simms been huntin' you--he's gone on down bout de barn. (She gestures. )

LUMI reckon I'll overtake him. (Exit left)

SISTER THOMASI better go put dese greens on--my husband will kill me if he don'tfind no supper ready. Here come Mrs. Blunt. She oughter feel like apenny's worth of have-mercy wid all dis stink behind her daughter. 

SISTER TAYLORChile, some folks don't keer. They don't raise they chillen, theydrags 'em up. God knows if dat Daisy was mine, I'd throw her down andput a hundred lashes on her back wid a plow-line. Here she come in destore Sat'day night (acts coy and coquettish, burlesques Daisy's walk)a wringing and a twisting!

(Enter Mrs. Blunt left. )

MRS. BLUNTHow y'all sisters?

SISTER THOMASVery well, Miz Blunt, how you?

MRS. BLUNTOh so-so. 

SISTER TAYLORI'm kickin' but not high. 

MRS. BLUNTWell, thank God you still on prayin' ground and in a BibleCountry--Me, I ain't many today. De niggers got my Daisy's name allmixed up in diss mess. 

SISTER TAYLORYou musn't mind dat, Sister Blunt. People just _will_ talk. They'stalkin' in New York and they's talkin' in Georgy and they's talkin' inItaly. 

SISTER THOMASChile, if you talk after niggers they'll have you in de graveyard orin Chattahoochee one. You can't pay no tention to talk. 

MRS. BLUNTWell, I know one thing--de man or woman, chick or child, grizzly orgray that tells me to my face anything wrong bout _my_ chile--I'mgoing to take _my_ fist (rolls up right sleeve and gestures with rightfist) and knock they teeth down they throat. (She looks ferocious. )Cause y'll know I raised my Daisy right round my feet till I let hergo up north last year wid them white folks. I'd ruther her to be in dewhite folks kitchen than walkin' de streets like some of dese girlsround here. If I do say so, I done raised a lady. She can't help it ifall dese men get stuck on her. 

SISTER TAYLORYou'se telling de truth, Sister Blunt--that's what I always say--Don'tconfidence dese niggers, do they'll sho put you in de street. 

SISTER THOMASNaw indeed. Never syndicate wid niggers--do--they will distriminateyou. They'll be an _anybody_. You goin to de trial, ain't you?

MRS. BLUNTJust as sho as you snore, and they better leave Daisy's name outer distoo. I done told her and told her to come straight home from her work. Naw, she had to stop by dat store and skin her gums back wid demtrashy niggers. She better not leave them white [Corrected missingspace. ] folks today to come praipsin over here scornin her name all upwid dis nigger mess--do, I'll kill her. No daughter of mine ain'tgoing to do as she please long as she live under de sound of my voice. (She crosses to right. )

SISTER THOMASThat's right, Sister Blunt--I glory in yo' spunk. Lord, I better goput on my supper. (As Mrs. Blunt exits right, Rev. Singletary entersleft with Dave and Deacon Lindsay and Sister Lewis. Very hostileglances from Sisters Thomas and Taylor towards the others. 

ELDER SINGLETARYGood evening, folks. 

(Sister Thomas and Sister Taylor just grunt. Sister Thomas moves astep or two towards exit. Flirts her skirts and exits. )

LINDSAY(Angrily) Whuts de matter, y'all? Cat got yo' tongue?

SISTER TAYLORMore matter than you kin scatter all over Cincinnatti. 

LINDSAYGo head on, Lucy Taylor, go head on. You know a very little of yo'sugar sweetens my coffee. Go head on. Everytime you lift yo' arm yousmell like a nest of yellow hammers. 

SISTER TAYLORGo head on yo'self. Yo' head look like it done wore out threebodies--talking bout _me_ smelling--you smell lak a nest of granddaddies yo'self. 

LINDSAYAw, rack on down de road, 'oman. Ah don't wantuh change words wid yuh. You'se too ugly. 

MRS. TAYLORYou ain't nobody's pretty baby yo'self. You so ugly I betcha yo' wifehave to spread uh sheet over yo' head tuh let sleep slip up on yuh. 

LINDSAY(Threatening) You better git 'way from me while you able. I done toleyou I don't wants break a mouth wid you. It's a whole heap better tuhwalk off on yo own legs than it is to be toted off. I'm tired of yo'achin round here. You fool wid me now an' I'll knock you into dollrags, Tony or no Tony. 

SISTER TAYLOR(jumping up in his face) Hit me! Hit me! I dare you tuh hit me. If youtake dat dare you'll steal a hawg an' eat his hair. 

LINDSAYLemme gwan down to dat church befo' you make me stomp you. (He exits right. )

SISTER TAYLORYou mean you'll _git_ stomped. Ahm going to de trial too. De nex trialgointer be _me_ for kickin some uh you Baptis niggers around. 

(A great noise is heard off stage left. The angry and jeering voicesof children. Mrs. Taylor looks off left and takes a step or twotowards left exit as the noise comes nearer. )

VOICE OF ONE CHILDTell her! Tell her! Turn her up and smell her. Yo' mama ain't gotnothin to do wid me. 

SISTER TAYLOR(Hollering off left) You lil Baptis haitians, leave them chillunalone. If you don't, you better!

(Enter about 10 chidren struggling and wrestling in a bunch. Mrs. Taylor looks about on the ground for a stick to strike the childrenwith. )

VOICE OF CHILD IN CROWDHey! Hey! He's skeered tuh knock it off. Coward!

SISTER TAYLORIf y'all don't git on home!

SASSY LITTLE GIRL(Standing akimbo) I know you better not touch me, do my mama will tendto you. 

SISTER TAYLOR(Making as if to strike her) Shet up, you nasty lil heifer, sassingme! You ain't half raised. 

(The little girl shakes herself at Mrs. Taylor and is joined by two orthree others. )

SISTER TAYLOR(Walking towards right exit) I'm going on down to de church an' tellyo' mammy. But she ain't been half raised herself. (She exits rightwith several children making faces behind her. )

A BOY(to sassy girl) Aw haw! Y'all ol' Baptis ain't got no book case in yo'church. We went there one day an' I saw uh soda cracker box settin' upin de corner so I set down on it. (pointing at sassy girl) Know whutole Mary Ella say? (jeering laughter) Willie, you git up off ourlibrary! Haw! Haw!

MARY ELLAY'all ole Meth'dis' ain't got no window panes in yo' ole church. 

A GIRL(Takes center of stage and hands akimbo shakes her hips. ) I don't keerwhut y'allsay. I'm a Methdis' bred an' uh Methdis' born an' when I'mdead there'll be uh Methdis' gone. 

MARY ELLA(snaps fingers under other girl's nose and starts singing. Severaljoin her. )

 Oh Baptis, Baptis is my name My name's written on high I got my lick in de Baptis church Gointer eat up de Methdis pie

(the Methodist children jeer and make faces. The Baptist camp makefaces back for a full minute there is silence while each camp tries tooutdo the other in face making. The Baptist makes the last face. 

METHODIST BOYCome on, less us don't notice em. Less gwan down to de church an' hearde trial. 

MARY ELLAY'all ain't the onliest ones kin go. We goin' too. 

WILLIEAw Haw! Copy cats! (Makes face) Dat's right, follow on behind us lakuh puppy dog tail. (They start walking toward right exit switchingtheir clothes behind. )

(Baptist children stage a rush and struggle to get in front of themethodists. They finally succeed in flinging some of the Methodistchildren to the ground and some behind them and walk towards rightexit haughtily switching their clothes. )

WILLIE(whispers to his crowd) Less go round by Mosely's lot and beat 'emthere!

OTHERSAll right!

WILLIE(Yelling to Baptists) We wouldn't walk behind no ole Baptists! (TheMethodists turn and walk off towards left exit switching their clothesas the Baptists are doing. )

_SLOW CURTAIN_

ACT II

SCENE II

SETTING: Interior of Macedonia Baptist Church, a rectangular room, windows on each side, two "Amen Corners", pulpit with a plush coverwith heavy fringe, practical door in pulpit, practical door in frontof church, two oil brackets with reflectors on each side wall withlamps missing all but one, one big oil lamp in center. 

ACTION: At the rise, church is about full. A buzz and hum fills thechurch. Voices of children angry and jeering heard from the street. The church bell begins to toll for death. Everybody looks shocked. 

SISTER LEWISLawd! Is Dave done died from dat lick?

SISTER THOMAS(to her husband) Walter, go see. (He gets up and starts down the aisleto front door. Enter Deacon Hambo by front door. )

WALTERWho dead?[Note: correction to e]

HAMBO(laughing) Nobody--jus' tollin' de bell for dat Meth'dis gopher dat'sgointer be long long gone after dis trial. (laughter from the Baptistside)

WALTERY'all sho thinks you runs dis town, dontcher? But Elder Simms'll showyou somethin' t'day. If he don't, God's uh gopher. 

HAMBOHe can't show us nothin' cause he don't know nothin' hisself. 

WALTERHe got mo' book-learnin' than Rev. Singletary got. 

HAMBOHe mought be unletter-learnt, but he kin drive over Sims like aroad plow. 

METHODIST CHORUSAw, naw! Dat's a lie!

(Enter Rev. Simms by front door with open Bible in hand. A murmur ofapplause arises on the Methodist side, grunts on the Baptist side. Immediately behind him comes Lum Boger leading Jim Weston. They paradeup to the right Amen Corner and seat themselves on the same bench, Jimbetween the Marshall and the preacher. A great rooster crowing and hencackling arises on the Baptist side. Jim Weston jumps angrily to hisfeet. )

(Enter by front door Rev. Singletary and Dave. Dave's head isbandaged, but he walks firmly and seems not ill at all. They sit inthe left Amen Corner. Jeering grunts from the Methodist side. )

SISTER THOMASLook at ol' Dave trying to make out he's hurt. 

LIGEEverybody know uh Baptis' head is hardern uh rock. Look like they'd beskeered tuh go in swimmin', do they heads would drown 'em. (generallaughter on Methodist side)

(Enter Bro. Nixon with his jumper jacket on his arm and climbs overthe knees of a bench full of people and finds seat against the walldirectly beneath empty lamp bracket. He looks around for some place todispose of his coat. Sees the lamp-bracket and hangs up the coat, hitches up his pants and sits down. )

SISTER LEWIS(rising and glaring at Nixon) Shank Nixon, you take yo' lousy coatdown off these sacred walls. Ain't you Methdis' niggers got nogumption in de house of Wash-up!

(Nixon mocks her by standing akimbo and shaking himself like a woman. General laughter. He prepares to resume his seat but looks over andsees Deacon Hambo on his feet, and glaring angrily at him. He quicklyreaches up and takes the coat down and folds it across his knees. )

(Sister Taylor looks very pointedly at Sister Lewis then takes a dipof snuff and looks sneering at Lewis again. )

SISTER TAYLORSome folks is a whole lot more keerful bout a louse in de church than[Note: corrected missing space] they is in they house. (Lookspointedly at Sister Lewis. )

SISTER LEWIS(bustling) Whut you gazin' at me for? Wid your pop-eyes looking likeskirt ginny-nuts. 

SISTER TAYLORI hate to tell you whut yo' mouf looks like. I sho do you and soap andsoap and water musta had some words. 

SISTER LEWISTalkin' bout other folks being dirty--yo' young 'uns must be sleep inthey draws cause you kin smell 'em a mile down de road. 

SISTER TAYLORTaint no lice on 'em though. 

SISTER LEWISYou got just as many bed-bugs and chinches as anybody else, don't cometrying to hand me dat rough package bout yo' house so clean. 

SISTER TAYLORYeah, but I done seen de bed-bugs munchin' out yo' house in demornin', keepin' step just like soldiers drillin'. An' you got so manylice I seen em on de dish-rag. One day you tried to pick up dedish-rag and put it in de dish water and them lice pulled back andtole you "Aw naw, damned if I'm going to let you drown me. " (Loudlaughter from the Methodist side)

SISTER LEWIS(furious--rises akimbo) Well, my house might not be exactly clean, butthere's no fly-specks on my character! They didn't have to sit desheriff to make Willie marry _me_ like they did to make Tony marry_you_. 

SISTER TAYLOR(Jumping up and starts across the aisle. She is pulled back out of theaisle by friends. ) Yeah, they got de sheriff to make Tony marry me, but he married me and made me a good husband, too. I sits in myrocking cheer on my porch every Sat'day evening and say "here comeTony and them--

SISTER LEWISThem what?

SISTER TAYLORThem dollars. Now you sho orter go git de sheriff and a shot-gun andmake some of dese men marry yo' daughter Ada. 

SISTER LEWIS(Jumping up and starting across the aisle. She is restrained, butstruggles hard. ) Lemme go, Jim Merchant! Turn me go! I'm going tostomp de black heifer till she can't sit down. 

SISTER TAYLOR(Also struggling) Let her come on! If I get my hands on her I'll turnher every way but loose. 

SISTER LEWISJust come on out dis church, Lucy Taylor. I'll beat you on everythingyou got but yo' tongue and I'll bit dat a lick if you stick it out. (to the men holding her) Turn me go! I'm going to fix her so her ownmammy won't know her. She ain't going to slip _me_ into de dozens andlaugh about it. 

SISTER TAYLOR(Trying to free herself) Why don't y'all turn dat ole twist mouth'oman loose. All I wants to do is hit her one lick. I betcha I'll takeher 'way from here faster than de word of God. 

SISTER LEWIS(to men holding Mrs. Taylor) I don't see how come y'all want let oleflat-behind Lucy Taylor aloose--make out she so bad, now. She may bered hot but I kin cool her. I'll ride her just like Jesus rode ajackass. 

(They have subsided into their seats again, but are glaring at eachother. Enter Mayor Clarke thru the pulpit door and is annoyed at theclamor going on. He tries to quell the noise with a frown. )

SISTER TAYLORDat ain't nothin' but talk--You looks lak de Devil before day, but youain't so bad--not half as bad as you smell. 

CLARKEOrder, please. Court is set. 

SISTER LEWISYou looks like all hell and de devil's doll baby, but all I want _you_to do is to hit de ground and I'll crawl you. Put it where I kin gitit and I'll sho use it. 

MAYOR CLARKE(feeling everywhere for the gavel) Lum Boger! Where's dat gavel I toldyou to put here?

LUM(from beside prisoner) You said _you_ were going to git it yo'self. 

CLARKEI God, Lum, you gointer stand there like a bump on a log and see Iain't got nothin' to open court wid? Go head--fetch me dat gavel. Makehaste quick before dese wimmen folks tote off dis church house. (Lumexits by front door)

SISTER TAYLOR(to Lewis) Aw, shut up, you big old he-looking rascal you! Nobodydon't know whether you'se a man or a woman. 

CLARKEYou wimmen, shut up!

SISTER LEWIS(to Taylor) Air Lawd! Dat ain't _yo_ trouble. They all _knows_ whut_you_ is--eg-zackly!

LINDSAYAw, why don't you wimmen cut dat out in de church-house! Jus' jawin'and chewin' de rag!

SISTER TAYLORJoe Lindsay, if you'd go home and feed dat raw-boned horse of yournyou wouldn't have so much time to stick yo' bill in business thatain't yourn. 

LINDSAYYou ain't got nairn to feed--You better go hunt another dead dog andgit some mo' teeth. Great big ole empty mouf, and no cheers in deparlar. 

SISTER TAYLORI kin git all de teeth I wants--I'd ruther not have no cheers in myparlor than to have them ole snags you got in yo' mouf. I'd ruther gumit out. 

LINDSAYYou don't _ruther_ gum it out, you _hafta_ gum it out. You ain't gotno teeth. Dey better send out to dat ole mule and git you someteethes. 

SISTER LEWISJoe Lindsay, don't you know no better than to strain wid folks ain'tgot sense enough to tote guts to a bean? If they ain't born wid nosense you cna't learn 'em none. 

LINDSAYYou sho done tole whut God love now. (Glaring across the aisle) Ain'tgot enough gumption to kill a buzzard. 

(Enter Lum by front door with gavel in one hand and mule bone in theother. He walks importantly up the aisles and hands Clarke the gaveland lays the bone atop the pulpit. )

CLARKE(rapping sharply with gavel) Here! You moufy wimmen shut up. (to Lum)Lum, go on back there and shut dem wimmen up or put 'em outa here. 

(Lum starts walking importantly down the aisle towards Sister Taylor. She almost rises to meet him. )

SISTER TAYLORLum Boger, you fresh little snot you! Don't you dast to come heretrying to put _me_ out--Many diapers as I done pinned on _you_! Gitway from me befo' I knock every nap off of yo' head, one by one. 

(Lum hurries away from her apologetically. He turns towards Mrs. Lewis. )

MRS. LEWISDeed Godknows you better not lay de weight of yo' hand on _me_, Lum. Here you ain't dry behind de ears yert and come telling _me_ what todo. Gwan way from here before I kick yo' clothes up round you' necklike a horse collar. 

(Lum goes on back and takes his seat beside the prisoner. )

CLARKE(glaring ferociously) This court is set and I'm bound to have someorder or else. (The talking ceases. Absolute quiet)

CLARKENow less git down to business. We got folks in dis town dat's justlike a snake in de grass. 

SISTER BOGERBrother Mayor! We ain't got no business going into no trial nornorthin' else 'thout a word of prayer--to be sure de right spirit iswid us. 

VOICE ON METHODIST SIDEThass right, --Elder Simms, give us a word of prayer. (He riseshurriedly. )

VOICE ON BAPTIST SIDEThis is a Baptist Church and de pastor is settin' right here--how comehe can't pray in his own church?

VOICE ON METHODIST SIDEY'all done started all dis mess--how you going to git de right spirithere? Go head, Rev. Simms. 

VOICE ON BAPTIST SIDEHe can't pray over me. Dis Church says one Lord, one faith, oneBaptism--and a man that ain't never been baptised atall ain't got nobusiness praying over nobody. 

CLARKE(rapping with gavel) Less sing! Somebody raise a tune. 

(VOICE ON BAPTIST SIDE begins "Onward Christian Soldiers" and theothers join in. )

(VOICE ON METHODIST SIDE begins "All hail the power of Jesus name" andthe Methodists join in. Both shout as loud as they can to the end ofthe verse. )

(Mayor Clarke raps loudly for order at the end of the verse and liftshis hands as if to bless a table)

CLARKE(praying) Lord be withus and bless these few remarks we are about toreceive, Amen. Now this court is open for business. All of us know wecame here on serious business. This town is bout to be tore up byback-biting and malice. Now everybody that's a witness in this casestand up. I wants the witness to take the front seat. 

(Nearly everybody in the room rises. Brother Hambo frowns across theaisle at Mrs. McDuffy, who is standing. )

BROTHER HAMBOWhut _you_ doing standin' up for a witness? I know you wasn't there. You don't know one thing about it. 

SISTER McDUFFYI got just as much right to testify as you is. I don't keer if Iwasn't there. Any man that treat they wife bad as _you_ can't tellnobody else they eye is black. You clean round yo' _own_ door beforeyou go sweeping round other folks. 

SISTER LINDSAY(to Nixon) What you doin' up there testifying? When you done let yo'hawg root up all my p'tater patch. 

NIXONAw shut up woman--You ain't had no taters for no pit to root up. 

SISTER LINDSAYWho ain't had no taters? (To Lige) Look here, Lige, didn't I git awhole crokus sack full of tater slips from yo' brother Sam?

LIGE(reluctantly) Yeah. 

SISTER LINDSAYCourse I had sweet p'taters! And if you stand up there and tell _me_ Iain't had no p'taters I'll be all over you just like gravy over rice. 

NIXONAw shut up--We ain't come here to talk about yo' tater vines, we come--

SISTER LINDSAY(to her husband) Joe! What kind of a husband is you? Set here and letNixon 'buse me out lak dat!

WALTERHow is he going to give anybody a straightening when he needsstraightening hisself. I bought a load of compost from him and _paidfor it in advance_ and he come there when I wasn't home and dumped ahalf-a-load in there and drove on off wid my money. 

SISTER HAMBOAw, you ain't got no right to talk, Walter, not low down as you is--ifsomebody stump their toe in dis town you won't let yo' shirt-tailtouch you till you bolt over to Maitland and puke yo' guts to de whitefolks--and God knows I 'bominates a white folks nigger. 

WALTERAw you just mad cause I wouldn't let your old starved-out cow eat upmy cow-peas. 

SISTER HAMBO(triumphantly) Unhumh! I knowed you was the one knocked my cow's hornoff! And you lied like a doodle-bug going backwards in his hole andmade out you didn't do it. 

WALTERI didn't do no such a thing. 

SISTER HAMBOI say you did and belong to Macedonia Baptist Church and I can't lie. 

WALTERYo' mouf is cut cross ways, ain't it? Well then, yo' mouf ain't noprayer-book even if yo' lips do flap like a Bible. You kin lie andthen re-lie. 

DEACON HAMBOWalter Thomas talk dat biggity talk to me, not to my wife. Maybe youkin whip her, but if you can't whip me too, don't bring de mess up. 

CLARKE(rapping) Y'all men folks shut up before I put you both under arrest. Come to order everybody. 

LINDSAYI just wants say this before we go any further. Nobody bet not slur mywife in here--do I'll strow 'em all over de county. 

MRS. NIXONAw, youse de nastiest threatener in three states but I ain't seen youdo nothin'. De seat of yo' pants is too close to de ground for you tobe crowin' so loud. You so short you smell right earthy. 

MRS. LINDSAYDe seat of yo' husband's britches been draggin' de ground ever since Iknowed him. Don't like it dontcher take it, here's my collar come andshake it. (She puts the palms of her hands together and holding theheels together, flaps the fore part of her hands like a gator openingand shutting its mouth. This infuriates Mrs. Nixon. 

CLARKEShut up! We didn't come here to wash and iron niggers. We come herefor a trial. (raps)

MRS. NIXON(to Clarke) I ain't going to shut up nothin' of de kind. Think I'mgoing to let her low-rate me and I take it all? Naw indeed. I'm goingto sack dis female out before we any further go. 

MRS. LINDSAYAw, I done dished you out too many times. Go head on and try to keepyo' lil squatty husband away from down on de lake wid wimmens andyou'll have _all_ you can do. How does old heavy-hipted mama talk?

(snaps her fingers)

MRS. NIXONNobody wouldn't have you if he could get anybody else. (She makes a circle with her thum and first finger andholds it up for Mrs. Lindsay to see. ) Come thru--don'tyou feel cheap?

CLARKESister Nixon, shut up!

SISTER NIXONYou can't shut me up, not the way you live. When you quit beatin Mrs. Mattie and dominizing her all de time then you kin tell other folkswhat to do. You ain't none of my boss. Don't let yo' wooden God andcorn-stalk Jesus fool you now. Now de way you sells rancid bacon forfresh. 

NIXONAw, honey, hush a while, please and less git started. 

(A momentary quiet falls on the place. Mayor glowers all over theplace. Turns to Lum. )

CLARKELum, git a piece of paper and a pencil and take de names of all dewitnesses _who was dere while de fight was going on_. 

LUM(Pulling a small tablet and pencil out of his coat pocket) I broughtit with me. 

CLARKENow everybody who was at de fight hold up yo' hands so Lum can knowwho you are. 

(Several hands go up. Sister Anderson puts up her hand. )

CLARKEYou wasn't there, Sister Anderson, not at that time. 

SISTER ANDERSONI hadn't been gone more'n ten minutes 'fore Dave come in from dewoods. 

CLARKEBut you didn't see it. 

SISTER ANDERSONIt don't make no difference--my husband heered every word was spokeand told me jes' lak it happen. Don't tell _me_ I can't testify. 

DEACON HAMBONobody can't testify but de two boys cause nobody wuz at de fight butdem. 

SISTER ANDERSONDat's all right too, Brother, but I know whut they wuz fightin' aboutan' it wudn't no turkey neither. It wuz Daisy Blunt. 

MRS. BLUNTJust you take my chile's name right out yo' mouf, Becky Anderson. Shewuznt out in dat cypress swamp. Leave her out dis mess. 

REV. SIMMSYou ain't got no call to be so touchous bout yo' girl, but you shosaid a mouthful, Sister Blunt. Dis sho is a mess. Can't help frombeing uh mess. (glares at Mayor) Holdin' a trial in de Baptist Church!Some folks ain't got sense enough todo 'em till four o'clock and itsway after half past tree right now. 

MAYORShet up, dere, Simms! Set down! Who ast yo' pot to boil, nohow! Courtis de best church they is, anyhow, cause you come in court. You betterhave a good experience and a strong determination. (raps vigorously)Now lemme tell _y'all_ something. When de Mayor sets Court--don't keerwhen I sets it nor where I sets it, you got to git quiet and stayquiet till I ast you tuh talk. I God, you sound lak a tree full uhblackbirds! Dis ain't no barbecue, nor neither no camp meetin'. We'sembled here tuh law uh boy on a serious charge. (A great buzz risesfrom the congregation. Mayor raps hard for order and glares all abouthim. ) Hear! Hear! All of us kin sing at de same time, but can't butone of us talk at a time. I'm doin' de talkin' now, so de rest of youdry up till I git through. I God, you sound lak uh passle uh dogfights! We ain't here for no form and no fashion and no outside showto de world. Wese here to law. (to Lum) You done got all de witnessesstraight--Got they names down?

LUMYessuh, I got it all straightened out. 

CLARKEWell, read de names out and let de witnesses take de front seats. 

LUMMr. Clarke, I done found out nobody wasn't at dat fight but Jim andDave and de mule bones. Dere's de bone Dave got hit wid up on derostrum and deres Jim and Dave in de Amen Corners. 

DAVE(rising excitedly) Mist' Clarke! Brother Mayor, I wants to ast uhquestion right now to git some information. 

MAYORAll right, Dave, go head and ast it. 

DAVEBrother Mayor, I wanted to know whut become of my turkey gobbler?

MAYORI God, Dave, youse in order. Lum! I God, I been layin' off to ast youwhut you dont wid dat turkey. Where is it?

(A burst of knowing laughter from the house)

LUM(very embarrassed) Well, when you tole me to go 'rrest Jim and deturkey, I took and went on round to his ma's house and he wudnt dereso I took and turnt round and made it t'wards Daisy's house an' Icaught up wid him under dat China-berry tree jest befo' you gits tuhDaisy's house. He was makin' it on t'wards her house wid de turkey inone hand--his gun crost his shoulder when I hailed 'im. I hollered"Jim, hold on dere uh minute!" He dropped de turkey and wheeled andthrowed de gun on me. 

MAYOR CLARKEI God, he drawed uh gon on de City Marshall?

LUMYessir! He sho did. Thought I was Dave. Tole me: "Don't you comeanother step unless you want to see yuh Jesus. " I hollered back "It'sme, I ain't no Dave Carter. " So he took de gun offa me and I went upto him and put him under arrest, and locked him up in yo' barn andbrought _you_ de key, didn't I?

CLARKEYou sho did, but I God, I ast you whut become of de turkey?

LUMDe turkey wasn't picked or nothin', so I put him under 'rrest too, jus' lak you tole me. (general laughter)

CLARKEI God, Lum, whut did you _do_ wid de turkey after you put him under'rrest?

LUMJim, he didn't want to come wid me till he could make it to Daisy'shouse to give her det turkey but, bein so close up on him till hecouldn't draw his rifle, I throwed my 32:20 in his face an' tole him Isaid "Don't you move! Don't you move uh pig do I'll burn you down! Igot my burner cocked dead in yo' face and I'll keer you down jus' lakgood gas went up. Come on wid me!" So I took his rifle and picked upde turkey and marched him off to yo' cow-lot. Ast him didn't I do it. I tole him, I said "I know you Westons goes for bad but I'm yo' match. I said you may be slick but you kin stand another greasing. Now sir! Iain't skeered uh nobody. I'll put de whole town under 'rrest. 

MAYOR CLARKEI God, Lum, if you don't tell me whut you done wid dat turkey, youbetter! (draws back the gavel as if to hurl it at Lum) I'll lam youover de head wid dis mallet! Whut did you do wid dat gobbler turkey?

LUMBeing as he wasn't picked or nothin', I know you didn't want to bebothered wid it, so I took and carried it over to Mrs. Blunt's houseand she put on some hot water and we set up way Sat'day night pickinde turkey and fixin him so nex' day she cooked him off--just sortabaked him wid a lil stuffin an' such, so he'd keep. 

MAYOR CLARKEDidn't you know my wife knowed how to cook? Go fetch dat turkey here, and don't let no dead lice fall off of you on de way. 

LUM(extremely embarrassed) I don't speck he's dere now, Mist' Clarke. 

CLARKE(ferociously) How come?

LUMI passed by dere on Sunday and et a lil piece of shoulder offa him, an' being everybody else was eatin' turkey too, I et some breast meatan' uh mouf ful or two of stuffin' an' uh drum stick wid de ham partof de leg hung on to it wid a lil gravy. (general laughter) I thoughtI was doin' right cause [Note: corrected missing space] de turkey waskilt for Daisy anyhow. So I jus' took it on to her. Dave was all hurtup and Jim was locked up so--

CLARKEDat'll do! Dat'll do! Dry up, Suh! (turns to Dave) Stand up, Dave. Since youse de one got hurted, you be de first witness and tell mejust whut went on out dere. 

(Dave rises slowly. )

SISTER TAYLORDat's right, Dave. Git up dere and lie lak de cross ties from New Yorkto Texas. You greasy rascal you! You better go wash yo'self before yougo testifying on people. 

DAVEI'm just as clean as you. 

REV. SINGLETARY(jumping to his feet) Wait a minute! Taint none of y'all got no callto be throwin' off on dis boy. He come here to git justice, not to beslurred and low-rated. He ain't 'ssaulted nobody. He ain't stole noturkeys _nor_ chickens. He's a clean boy. He set at my feet in Sundayschool since he was so high, (measures knee height) and he come thrureligion under de sound of my voice an' I baptized him and I know he'sclean. 

SISTER TAYLORIt'll take more'n uh baptizin' to clean dat nigger. 

DAVEI goes in swimmin' nearly every day. I'm just as clean as anybodyelse. 

SISTER TAYLOR(Mayor begins rapping for order. She shouts out) Swimmin! Dat ain'tgointer clean de crust offa _you_. You ain't had a good bath since dedevil was a hatchet. If you ain't been parboiled in de wash pot andscoured wid Red Seal lye, don't bring de mess up. 

CLARKEI'm goin' to have order here or else! Gwan, Dave. 

DAVEIt's just lak I tole you Sat'day night. 

CLARKEYeah, but dat wuz at de store. Dis is in [Note: corrected missingspace] court and it's got to be tole agin. 

ELDER SIMMSJust uh minute, Brother Clarke, before we any further go I wants toast de witness uh question dat oughter be answered before he open hismouf. 

MAYOR CLARKEWhut _kind_ of a question is dat?

SIMMSDave, tell de truth. Ain't yo' heart full of envy and malce 'gainstdis chile? (Gestures towards Jim. Dave shakes his head and starts todeny the charge but Simms hurries on. ) Wait a minute now! Wait till Igit thru. Didn't y'all used to run around everywhere playin' andsinging andeverything till you got so full of envy and malce anddevilment till y'al broke up? Now, Brother Mayor, make him tell detruth. 

DAVEYeah, I useter be crazy bout Jim, and we was buddies till he tried toback bite me wie, wid my girl. 

JIMNever _was_ yo girl. Nohow I ain't none of yo' buddy. I ain't got nobuddy. They kilt my buddy tryin' to raise me. But I did useter lak youtill you acted so low down tryin' to undermine me and root me out widmy girl. 

MAYORAw, table dat business an' less open up new business. We ain't here tofind out whose girl it is. We wants to know 'bout dis fight and whohit de first lick and how come. Go head on Dave and talk. 

DAVEWell, jus lak I tole yuh, Sat'day night, I been watchin' dat flock uhwild turkeys ever since way last summer roostin' in de edge of datcypress swamp out by Howell Creek, where Brazzle's ole mule wasdragged out. It was a great, bit ole gobbler leadin' de flock. So lasttime I seen him I said I was gointer git him for my girl if it takenme uh year. So Sat'day, kinda late, I grabs ole Hannah, my gun, Icalls her Old Hannah, and come to de store to buy some shells. Y'allknow whut went on at de store. Well, it made me feel lak I wuzgointergit dat ole gobbler if I had to follow him clean to Diddy warDiddy or slap into Ginny-Gall. But I didn't have to do nothin'. When Igot out by de ole mule bones, I seen 'em flyin' round lak buzzards. SoI loaded both barrels, squatted down on uh log where I had dead aim ondat big ole cypress pine where they roosts at. Sho nuff, soon's de sunhad done set, here dey come followin' de leader'. He lit way out on deend of de limb kinda off from de rest and I eased ole Hannah up onhim. Man! I got so skeered I wuz gointer miss him till I got de allovers. He gobbled two three times to see if all his fambly was safedden he settled down and bam! I let him have it! He spread his wingslak he wuz gointer fly on off an' I _cried_ lak a chile! But I got himalright and down he come floppin, and me grabbin him before he quitkickin. Gee, I was proud. He felt lak he weighed forty pounds. WhilstI was kinda heftin him in my hands I heard uh rifle fire and I lookedand dere was Jim firin into de turkey flock dat was flyin roundskeered. He didn't hit a God's thing, but he seen me wid my gobblerand come runnin up talking bout give him his turkey. I ast him "whoturkey you talkin bout?[Note: missing double quote?] He says dat oneof hisn I hed done grabbed. I tole him he must gone crazy in de head. He says, I better give him his turkey before he beat my head off. Itole him I wasn't gointer give nobody but Daisy Blunt dat turkey. Otherwise, if he wanted to try my head, I wasn't runnin uh damn step. Come on. So he jumped on me and tried to snatch de turkey. We fit allover de place. First we was just tusslin for de bird, but when hefound out he couldn't take it he hit me wid his fist. Den I ups wid myAfrican soup bone and I bet I plowed up uh acre uh bushes wid hishead. He hit ker-bam! right in dat pack uh mule bones and I turnt andstarted off, when lo and behold, he gits up wid dat hock bone and lamsme in de head and when I come to, him and my turkey was gone. So Icome swore out uh warrant aginst him cause didn't fight fair. I ain'tmad. I always lakted Jim, but he sho done dirty--lammin me wid uh mulebone and takin' [Note: corrected missing space] my turkey. 

(Dave resumes his seat and Jim drops his head for a moment, thensnatches it up arrogantly and glares at the Baptists. The whole placeis very silent for a moment. Then Mayor Clarke clears his throat, rapswith his gavel and looks sternly at Jim. )

CLARKEJim Weston, stand up suh! (Jim rises sullenly. ) Youse charged wid'saulting Dave Carter wid uh dangerous weapon and then stealin hislawful turkey gobbler. You heard de charge--guilty or not guilty?

JIM(arrogantly) Yeah, I hit him and I'll hit him agin if he crowd me. ButI ain't guilty uh no crime. (He hitches up his pants and sits downarrogantly. )

CLARKE(surprised) Whuts dat you say, Jim? (raps sharply) Git up from theresir! Whuts dat you say?

JIM(rising) I say, heah, I lammed ole Dave wid de mule bone, but I ain'tguilty uh nothin. 

(There is a stark silence for a few seconds. Then Clarke rapsnervously. )

CLARKEHow come you ain't guilty?

(Jim sits down amid jubilant smiles of Methodists. Simms chuckles outloud and wipes his face with his handkerchief. He gets to his feetstill gloating. )

SIMMS(to Jim) Set down, Jim, and lemme show dese people dat walks in dedarkness wid sinners an' republicans de light. 

SINGLETARYYou just as well tuh hush up befo' you start, then, Simms. You can'tshow nobody uh light when you ain't got none tuh show. 

HAMBOAin't dat de gospel?

NIXONAw, let de man talk. Y'all sound lak uh tree full uh blackbirds. Gohead on, Elder Simms. 

WALTERYeah, you can't teach 'em nothin' but talk on. We know whut youtalkin' about. 

CLARKE(raps once or twice) I God, tell it. Whut ever tis you got tuh tell. 

SISTER LEWISAn yeah, hurry up and tell it. I know it ain't goin' tuh be nothin'after you git it told but hurry up and say it so yo' egg-bag kin resteasy. 

WALTERAw shut up an' give de man uh chance. 

SISTER LEWISMy shetters ain't workin' good. Sposin' you come shet me up, Walter. Den you'll know it's done right. 

LIGEAw, whyn't y'all ack lak folks an' leave de man talk. 

CLARKE(rapping repeatedly) Order in dis court, I God, jus' like you was inOrlando! (Silence falls. ) Now, Simms, talk yo' chat. 

SIMMS(glances down into his open Bible then looks all around the room withgreat deliberation. It is evident he enjoys being the center ofattraction. He smiles smugly as he turns his face towards the pulpit. He speaks slowly and accents his words so that none will be lost onhis audience. ) De Bible says, be sho' you're right, then go ahead. (Helooks all around to collect the admiration he feels he has earned. )Now, we all done gethered and 'sembled here tuh law dis young lad ofuh boy on uh might serious charge. Uh whole passle of us is rarin tuhdrive him way from home lak you done done off his daddy an' hisbrothers. 

HAMBOWe never drove off his pappy. De white folks took an' hung him forkillin' dat man [Note: corrected missing space?] in Kissimmee fornothin'. 

SIMMSDat ain't de point, brother Hambo. 

HAMBOIt's jes' as good uh point as any. If you gointer talk--tell de truth. An if you can't tell de truth, set down an' leave Rev. Singletarytalk. 

SIMMSBrother Mayor, how come you let dese people run they mouflak uh passle uh cow-bells? Ain't I got de floor? I ain't nobreath-and-britches. I was _people_ in Middle Georgy befo' I ever cometo Floridy. Whut kind of Chairman is you, nohow?

CLARKE(angrily) Heah! Heah! Don't you come tryin' show yo'self round me! IGod, I don't keer whut you wuz in Georgy. I God, I kin eat friedchicken when you [Note: corrected missing spaces] caint git rain watertuh drink. Hurry up an' say dat mess you got in yo' craw an' set down. We needs yo' space more than we needs yo' comp'ny. 

NIXONDon't let him skeer you, Elder Sims. You got plenty shoulders tuh backyo' fallin. 

HAMBOWell, each an' every shoulder kin hit de ground an' I'll git wid 'em. Don't like it dontcher take, here my collar come an' shake it. 

WALTERHambo, everybody in Orange County knows you love tuh fight. But dis isuh law hearin'--not no wrassle. 

HAMBOOh you Methdis' niggers wants tuh fight bad enough, but youse skeered. Youse jus' as hot as Tucker when de mule kicked his mammy. But youknow you got plenty coolers. 

SISTER TAYLORAw, taint nobody skeered uh you half-pint Baptists. God knows Ahmready an' willin'. (She glares at Mrs. Lewis. )

(Sister Lewis jumps to her feet but is pulled back into her seat. Mayor Clarke raps for order and the room gets quiet. )

CLARKEAw right now, Simms. I God, git through. 

SIMMS(pompously) Now, y'all done up an' took dis po' boy an' had him lockedup in uh barn ever since Sat'day night an' done got him 'coused uhassault an' stealing uh turkey an' I don't know whut all an' you ain'tgot no business wid yo' hands on him stell. He ain't done no crime, an' if y'all knowed anything 'bout law, I wouldn't have tuh tell you so. 

CLARKEI God, he is done uh crime and he's gointer ketch it, too. 

SIMMSBut not by law, Brother Mayor. You tryin' tuh lay uh hearin' on disboy an' you can't do it cause he ain't broke no law--I don't keer whuthe done so long as he don't break no law you can't tetch him. 

SINGLETARYHe committed assault, didn't he? Dat sho is breakin' de law. 

SIMMSNaw, he ain't committed no 'sault. He jus' lammed Dave over de headan' took his own turkey an' come on home, dat's all. (triumphantly)Yuh see y'll don't knoww whut you talkin' 'bout. Now, I done set in decourt house an' heard de white folks law from mornin' till night. (Heflips his Bible shut. ) I done read dis book from lid tuh lid an' Iknows de law. You got tuh have uh weepon tuh commit uh 'sault. An'taint in no white folks law an taint in dis Bible dat no mule bone isno weapon. I

CLARKE(after a moment of dead silence) I God, whut's dat you say?

SIMMS(sitting down and crossing his legs and folding his hands upon hisBible) You heard me. I say you ain't got no case 'ginst dis boy an'you got tuh turn him go. 

SINGLETARY(jumping up) Brother Chairman--

CLARKE(raps once and nods recognition) You got de floor. 

SINGLETARYI ain't book-learnt an' I ain't rubbed de hair offen my head agin nocollege wall, but I know when uh 'sault been committed. I says JimWeston did 'sault Davie. (He points at Dave's head. ) An' steal histurkey. Everybody knows Jim can't hunt wid Dave. An' he 'saulted Davetoo. 

SIMMS(arrogantly) Prove it!

(Singletary stands there silent and puzzled. The Methodist side breaksinto a triumphant shout of "Oh Mary, don't you weep, don't you moan, Pharaoh's army got drownded. " Singletary sinks into his seat. Whenthey have shouted out three choruses, Simms arises to speak. )

I move dat we sing doxology and bring dis meetin' to uh close. We'seall workin' people, Brother Mayor. Dismiss us so we kin gwan back toour work. De sun is two hours high yet. (looks towards the Methodistside) I move dat we adjourn. 

WALTERI second de motion. 

SINGLETARY(arising slowly) Hold on there uh minute wid dat motion. Dis ain't nolodge meetin'. Dis is uh court an' bofe sides got uh right tuh talk. (motions towards Simms' Bible) Youse uh letter learnt man but I kinread dat Bible some too. Lemme take it uh minute. 

SIMMSI ain't gointer do it. Any preacher dat amounts to uh hill uh beanswould have his own Bible. 

CLARKEI God, Singletary, you right here in yo' own church. Come on up herean' read out yo' pulpit Bible. I God, don't mind me being up here. Come on up. 

(A great buzzing breaks out all over the church as Singletary mountsthe pulpit. Clarke raps for order. Simms begins to turn the leaves ofthe Bible. )

SIMMSBrother Mayor, you oughter let us outa here. You ain't got no case'ginst dis boy. Don't waste our time for nothin'. Leave us go home. 

CLARKEAw, dry up, Simms. You done talked yo' talk. I God, leave Singletarytalk his. (to Singletary) Step on out when you ready, Rev. 

REV. SINGLETARY(Reading) It says here in Judges 18:18 dat Samson slewed threethousand [Note: corrected missing space] Philistines wid de jawbone ofan ass. 

SIMMS(on his feet) Yeah, but dis wasn't no ass. Dis was uh mule, BrotherMayor. Dismiss dis meetin' and less all go home. 

SINGLETARYYeah, but he was half-ass. A ass is uh mule's daddy and he's biggernuh ass, too. (emphatic gestures) Everybody knows dat--even de lilchillun. 

SIMMS(standing) Yeah, but we didn't come here to talk about no asses, neither no half asses, nor no mule daddies. (laughter from deMethodists) We come to law uh boy for 'sault an' larceny. 

SINGLETARY(very patiently) We'se comin' to dat pint now. Dat's de second claw uhde sentence wese expoundin'. I say Jim Weston did have uh weepon inhis hand when he 'saulted Dave. Cause y'all knows if de daddy isdangerous, den de son is dangerous too. An' y'all knows dat de furtherback you gits on uh mule de more dangerous he gits an' if de jawboneslewed three thousand people, by de time you gits back tuh his hocks, its pizen enough tuh kill ten thousand. Taint no gun in de world everkilt dat many mens. Taint no knives nor no razors ever kilt no threethousand people. Now, folkses, I ast y'all whut kin be mo' dangarousdan uh mule bone? (to Clarke) Brother Mayor, Jim didn't jes' lam Davean walk off. (very emphatic) He 'saulted him wid de deadliest weeponthere is in de world an' while he was layin' unconscious, he stole histurkey an' went. Brother Mayor, he's uh criminal an' oughter be runouta dis peaceful town. 

(Great chorus of approval from Baptist Clarke begins to rap fororder. )

SIMMS(attending) Brother Mayor, I object. I have studied jury and I knowwhat I'm talkin' about. 

CLARKEAw dry up, Simms. Youse entirely out of order. You may be slick, butyou kin stand another greasing. Rev. Singletary is right. I God, Iknows de law when I hear it. Stand up dere, Jim. 

(Jim rises very slowly. Simms rises also. )

CLARKESet down, Simms. I God, I know where to find you when I want you. (Simms sits. ) Jim, I find you guilty as charged an' I wants you to gitouta my town and stay gone for two years. (to Lum) Brother Marshall, you see dat he gits outa town befo' dark. An' you folks dats soanxious to fight, git on off dis church grounds befo' you start. Anddon't use no knives and no guns and no mule bones. Court's dismissed. 

_CURTAIN_

ACT III

Scene I

SETTING: Curtain goes up on a stretch of railroad track with aluxurious Florida forest on the backdrop. Entrances left and right. Itis near sundown. 

ACTION: When the curtain goes up there is no one on the stage, butthere is a tremendous noise and hub-bub off stage right. There areyells of derision, shouts of anger. Part of the mob is trying to keepJim in town and a part is driving him off. After a full minute ofthis, Jim enters with his guitar hanging around his neck and his coatover his shoulder. The sun is dropping low and red thru the forest. Heis looking back angrily and shouting back at the mob. A small missileis thrown after him. Jim drops his coat and guitar and grabs up apiece of brick and threatens to throw it. 

JIM(Running back the way he came and hurls the brick with all his might. )I'll kill some of youole box-ankled niggers--(grabs up another pieceof brick) I'm out yo' ole town--now jus' some of you ole half-pintBaptists let yo' wooden God and Cornstalk Jesus fool you to hit me!(Threatens to throw. There are some frightened screams and the mob isheard running back. ) I'm glad I'm out yo' ole town, anyhow. I ain'tnever comin' back no more, neither. You ole ugly-rump niggers doneruint de town anyhow. 

(There is complete silence off stage. Jim walks a few steps then sitsdown on the railroad embankment facing the audience. Jim pulls off oneshoe and pours the sand out. He holds the shoe in his hand a momentand looks wistfully back down the railroad track. )

JIMLawd, folks sho is deceitful. (He puts on the shoe and looks back downthe track again. ) I never woulda thought people woulda acted lak dat. (Laces up the shoe) Specially Dave Carter, much as me an' him doneproaged round together goin' in swimmin' and playin' ball an'serenadin' de girls an' de white folks. 

(He sits there gloomily silent for a while, then looks behind him andpicks up his guitar and begins to pick a tune. It is very sad. Hetrails off into "You may leave an' go to Halimuhfack. " When hefinishes he looks back at the sun and picks up his coat also. )

I never woulda thought people woulda acted lak dat. (laces up theshoe) Specially Dave Carter, much as me an' him done proaged roundtogether, goin' in swimmin' and playin' ball an' serenadin' de girlsan' de white folks. (He sits there gloomily silent for a while thenlooks behind him and picks up his guitar and beings to pick a tune. Itis very sad. He trails off into "You may leave and go to Halimuhfack. "When he finishes he looks back at the sun and picks up his coat also. )(He looks back again towards the village. ) Reckon I better git on downde road an' git somewhere, Lawd knows where. (stops suddenly in histracks and turns back towards the village and takes a step or two. )All dat mess and stink for nothin'. Dave knows good an' well I didn'tmean to hurt him much. (He takes off his cap and scratches his headthoroughly, then turns again and starts on down the road towards left. Enter Daisy left walking briskly. )

DAISYHello, Jim. 

JIMHello, Daisy. 

(Embarrassed silence)

DAISYI was just coming over town to see how you come out. 

JIMYou don't have to go way over there to find dat out--you and Dave donegot me run outa town for nothin'. 

DAISY(Putting her hand on his arm) Dey didn't run you outa town, did dey?

JIM(Shaking her hand off) Whut you reckon I'm countin' Mr. Railroad'sties for--just to find out how many ties between here and Orlando?

DAISY(Hand on his arm again) Dey _cain't_ run you off like dat!

JIMTake yo' hands off me, Daisy! How come they can't run me off wid youand Dave an'--_everybody_ gainst me?

DAISYI ain't opened my moff 'gainst you, Jim. I ain't said one word--Iwasn't even at de old trial. My madame wouldn't let me git off. I wuzjust comin' to see 'bout you now. 

JIMAw, go 'head on. You figgered I was gone too long to talk about. Youwas haulin' it over to town to see Dave--dat's whut was doin'--aftergittin _me_ all messed up. 

DAISY(Making as if to cry) I wasn't studying 'bout no Dave. 

JIM(Hopefully) Aw, don't tell me. (Sings) Ashes to ashes, dust to dust, show me a woman that a man can trust. 

(Daisy is crying now. )

JIMWhut you crying for? You know you love Dave. I'm yo' monkey-man. Healways could do more wid you that I could. 

DAISYNaw, you ain't no monkey-man neither. I don't want you to leave town. I didn't want y'all to be fightin' over me, nohow. 

JIMAw, rock on down de road wid dat stuff. A two-timing cloaker like youdon't keer whut come off. Me and Dave been good friends ever since wewas born till you had to go flouncing yourself around. 

DAISYWhat did I do? All I did was to come over town to see you and git amouf-ful of gum. Next thing I now y'all is fighting and carrying on. 

JIM(stands silent for a while) Did you come over there Sat'day to see mesho nuff, sugar babe?

DAISYEverybody could see dat but you. 

JIMJust like I told you, Daisy. I'll say it before yo' face and behindyo' back. I could kiss you every day--just as regular as pig-bracks. 

DAISYAnd I tole you I could stand it too--justa s regular as you could. 

JIM(Catching her by the arm and pulling her down with him onto the rail)Set, down here, Daisy. Less talk some chat. You want me shonuff--honest to God?

DAISY(coyly) 'Member whut I told you out on de lake last summer?

JIMSho nuff, Daisy?

(Daisy nods smilingly. )

JIM(Sadly) But I got to go 'way. Whut we gointer to 'bout dat?

DAISYWhere you goin', Jim?

JIM(Looking sadly down the track) God knows. 

(Off stage from the same direction from which Jim entered comes thesound of whistling and tramping of feet on the ties. )

JIM(Brightening) Dat's Dave! (Frowning suspiciously) Wonder whut he doin'walking dis track? (Looks accusingly at Daisy) I bet he's goin' to yo'work-place. 

DAISYWhut for?

JIMHe ain't goin' to see de madame--must be goin' to see you. (He startsto rise petulantly as Dave comes upon the scene. Daisy rises also. )

DAVE(Looks accusingly from one to the other) Whut y'all jumpin' upfor? I.... 

JIMWhut you got to do wid us business? Tain't none of yo' business if westand up, set down or fly like a skeeter hawk. 

DAVEWho said I keered? Dis railroad belongs to de _man_--I kin walk itgood as you, can't I?

JIM(Laughing exultantly) Oh yeah, Mr. Do-Dirty! You figgered you had donerun me on off so you could git Daisy all by yo'self. You was headin'right for her work-place. 

DAVEI wasn't no such a thing. 

JIMYou was. Didn't I lear you coming down de track all whistling andeverything?

DAVEYouse a big old Georgy-something-ain't-so! I done got my belly full ofDaisy Sat'day night. She can't snore in my ear no more. 

DAISY(Indignantly) Whut you come here low-rating me for, Dave Carter? Iain't done nothin' to you but treat you white. Who come rubbed yo' olehead for you yestiddy if it wasn't me?

DAVEYeah, you rubbed my head all right, and I lakted dat. But everybodysay you done toted a pan to Joe Clark's barn for Jim before I seenyou. 

DAISYThink I was going to let Jim there thout nothing fitten for a dog toeat?

DAVEThat's all right, Daisy. If you want to pay Jim for r knockin' me inde head, all right. But I'm a man in a class--in a class to myself andnobody knows my name. 

JIM(Snatching Daisy around to face him) Was you over to Dave's houseyestiddy rubbing his ole head and cloaking wid him to run me outatown--and me locked up in dat barn wid de cows and mules?

DAISY(Sobbing) All both of y'all hollerin' at me an' fussin' me justcause I tries to be nice--and neither one of y'all don't keernothin' bout me. 

(Both boys glare at each other over Daisy's head and both try to hugher at the same time. She violently wrenches herself away from bothand makes as if to move on. )

Leave me go! Take yo' rusty pams offen me. I'm going on back to mywork-place. I just got off to see bout y'all and look how y'alltreat me. 

JIMWait a minute, Daisy. I love you like God loves Gabriel--and dat's Hisbest angel. 

DAVEDaisy, I love you harder than detthunder can bump a stump--if Idon't--God's a gopher. 

DAISY(Brightening) Dat's de first time you ever said so. 

DAVE and JIMWho?

JIMWhut you hollering "who" for? Yo' foot don't fit no limb. 

DAVESpeak when you spoken to--come when you called, next fall you'll be mycoon houn' dog. 

JIMTable dat discussion. (Turning to Daisy) You ain't never give me nochance to talk wid you right. 

DAVEYou made _me_ feel like you was trying to put de Ned book on me all detime. Do you love me sho nuff, Daisy?

DAISY(Blooming again into coquetry) Aw, y'all better stop dat. You know youdon't mean it. 

DAVEWho don't mean it? Lemme tell you something, mama, if you was mine Iwouldn't have you counting no ties wid yo' pretty lil toes. Know whutI'd do?

DAISY(Coyly) Naw, whut would you do?

DAVEI'd buy a whole passenger train and hire some mens to run it for you. 

DAISY(Happily) Oo-ooh, Dave. 

JIM(to Dave)

 De wind may blow, de door may slam Dat whut you shootin' ain't worth a dam. 

(to Daisy) I'd buy you a great big ole ship--and then baby, I'd buyyou a ocean to[Note: corrected missing space] sail yo' ship on. 

DAISY(Happily) Oo-ooh, Jim. 

DAVE(to Jim)

 A long train, a short caboose Dat lie whut you shootin', ain't no use. 

(to Daisy) Miss Daisy, know what I'd do for you?

DAISYNaw, whut?

DAVEI'd like uh job cleanin out de Atlantic Ocean jus for you. 

DAISYDon't fool me now, papa. 

DAVEI couldn't fool _you_, Daisy, cause anything I say bout lovin' you, Idon't keer how big it is, it wouldn't be half de truth. Y

DAVEI'd come down de river riding a mud cat and leading a minnow. 

DAISYLawd, Dave, you sho is propaganda. 

JIM(Peevishly) Naw he ain't--he's just lying--he's a noble liar. Knowwhut I'd do if you was mine?

DAISYNaw, Jim. 

JIMI'd make a panther wash yo' dishes and a 'gator chop yo' wood for you. 

DAVEDaisy, how come you [Note: corrected missing space] let Jim lie lakdat? He's as big a liar as he is a [Note: corrected missing space]man. But sho nuff now, laying all sides to jokes, Jim, there don'teven know how to answer you. If you don't b'lieve it, ast himsomething. 

DAISY(to Jim) You like me much, Jim?

JIM(Enthusiastically) Yeah, Daisy, I sho do. 

DAVE(Triumphant) See dat! I tole you he didn't know how to answer nobocylike you. If he was talking to some of them ol' funny looking galsover town he'd be answering 'em just right. But he got to learn how toanswer _you_. Now you ast _me_ something and see how I answer you. 

DAISYDo you like me, Dave?

DAVE(Very properly in a falsetto voice) Yes ma'am! Dat's de way to answerswell folks like you. Furthermore, less we prove which one [Note:corrected missing space] of us love you de best right now. (To Jim)Jim, how much time owuld you do on de chain-gang for dis 'oman?

JIMTwenty years and like it. 

DAVESee dat, Daisy? Dat nigger ain't willing to do no time for you. I'd_beg_ de judge to gimme life. (Both Jim and Dave laugh)

DAISYY'all doin' all dis bookooing out here on de railroad track but I bety'all crazy 'bout Bootsie and Teets and a whole heap of others. 

JIMCross my feet and hope to die! I'd ruther see all de other wimmenfolksin de world dead than for[Note: corrected missing space] you to have detooth-ache. 

DAVEIf I was dead any any other woman come near my coffin de undertakerwould have to do his job all over--cause I'd git right up and walkoff. Furthermore, Miss Daisy, ma'am, also m'am, which would _you_ruther be a lark a flying or a dove a settin'--ma'am also ma'am?

DAISY'Course I'd ruther be a dove. 

JIMMiss Daisy, ma'am, also ma'am--if you marry dis nigger over my head, I'm going to git me a green hickory club and season it over yo' head. 

DAVEDon't you be skeered, baby--papa kin take keer a _you_. (to Jim)Counting from de finger (suiting the action to the word) back to thethumb--start anything I got you some. 

JIMAw, I don't want no more fight wid you, Dave. 

DAVEWho said anything about fighting? We just provin' who love Daisy debest. (to Daisy) Now, which one of us you think love you de best?

DAISYDeed I don't know, Dave. 

DAVEBaby, I'd walk de water for you--and tote a mountain on my head whileI'm walkin'. 

JIMKnow whut I'd do, honey babe? If you was a thousand miles from homeand you didn't have no ready-made money and you had to walk all deway, walkin' till yo' feet start to rolling, just like a wheel, and Iwas riding way up in de sky, I'd step backwards offa dat airyplanejust to walk home wid you. 

DAISY(Falling on Jim's neck) Jim, when you talk to me like dat I just can'tstand it. Less us git married right now. 

JIMNow you talkin' like a blue-back speller. Less go!

DAVE(Sadly) You gointer leave me lak dis, Daisy?

DAISY(Sadly) I likes you, too, Dave, I sho do. But I can't marry both ofy'all at de same time. 

JIMAw, come on, Daisy--sun's gettin' low. (He starts off pulling Daisy. )

DAVEWhut's I'm gointer do? (Walking after them)

JIMGwan back and hunt turkeys--you make out you so touchous nobody can'ttell you yo' eye is black thout you got to run git de law. 

DAVE(Almost tearfully) Aw Jim, shucks! Where y'all going?

(Daisy comes to an abrupt halt and stops Jim)

DAISYThat's right, Honey. Where _is_ we goin' sho nuff?

JIM (Sadly)Deed I don't know, baby. They just sentenced [Note: corrected missingspace] me to go--they didn't say where and I don't know. 

DAISYHow we goin' know how to go when [Note: corrected missing space] wedon't know where we goin'?

(Jim looks at Dave as if he expects some help but Dave stands sadlysilent. Jim takes a few steps forward as if to go on. Daisy makes astep or two, unwillingly, then looks behind her and stops. Dave looksas if he will follow them. )

DAISYJim! (He stops and turns) Wait a minute! Whut we gointer do when wegit there?

JIMWhere?

DAISYWhere we goin'?

JIMI done tole you I don't know where it is. 

DAISYBut how we gointer git something to eat and a place to stay?

JIMPlay my box for de white folks and dance just like I been doing. 

DAISYYou can't take keer of me on dat, not where we hafta pay rent. 

JIM(Looks appealingly at Dave, then away quickly) Well, I can't help_dat_, can I?

DAISY(Brightly) I tell you whut, Jim! Less us don't go nowhere. Theysentenced you to leave Eatonville and youse almost a mile from de citylimits already. Youse in Maitland now. Supposin' you come live on dewhite folks' place wid me after we git married. Eatonville ain't gotnothin' to do wid you livin' in Maitland. 

JIMDat's a good idea, Daisy. 

DAISY(Jumping into his arms) And lissen, honey, you don't have to bebeholden to nobody. You can throw dat ole box away if you want to. Iknow where you can get a _swell_ job. 

JIM(Sheepishly) Doin' whut? (Looks lovingly at his guitar)

DAISY(Almost dancing) Yard man. All you have to do is wash windows, andsweep de sidewalk, and scrub off de steps and porch and hoe up deweeds and rake up de leaves and dig a few holes now and then with aspade--to plant some trees and things like that. It's a good steadyjob. 

JIM(After a long deliberation) You see, Daisy, de mayor and corporationtold me to go on off and I oughter go. 

DAISYWell, I'm not going tippin' down no railroad track like a Maltese cat. I wasn't brought up knockin' round from here to yonder. 

JIMWell, I wasn't brought up wid no spade in my hand--and ain't going tostart it now. 

DAISYBut sweetheart, we got to live, ain't we? We got to git hold of moneybefore we kin do anything. I don't mean to stay in de white folks'kitchen all my days. 

JIMYeah, all dat's true, but you couldn't buy a flea a waltzing jacketwid de money _I'm_ going to make wid a hoe and spade. 

DAISY(Getting tearful) You don't want me. You don't love me. 

JIMYes, I do, darling, I love you. Youse de one letting a spade comebetween us. (He caresses her. ) I loves you and you only. You don't see_me_ dragging a whole gang of farming tools into us business, do you?

DAISY(stiffly) Well, I ain't going to marry no man that ain't going to workand take care of me. 

JIMI don't mind working if de job ain't too heavy for me. I ain't goingto bother wid nothin' in my hands heavier than dis box--and I totes itround my neck 'most of de time. I kin go out and hunt you some gamewhen times gits tight. 

DAISYDon't strain yo'self huntin' nothin' for me. I ain't goin' to eatnobody's settin' hen. (She turns to DAVE finally. )

JIMWhut ole sittin hen? Ain't you and Lum done et up de turkeyI--I--bought?

DAISYYou might of brought it, but Dave sho kilt it. You couldn't hit deside of uh barn wid uh bass fiddle. 

DAVECourse I kilt it, and I kilt it for you, but I didn't kill none forLum Boger. De clean head hound!

(Daisy turns to Dave finally)

DAISYWell, I reckon you loves me the best anyhow. You wouldn't talk to melike Jim did, would you, Dave?

DAVENaw, I wouldn't say whut he said a-tall. 

DAISY(Cuddling up to him) Whut would _you_ say, honey?

DAVEI'd say dat box was too heavy for me to fool wid. I wouldn't totenothing my gun and my hat and I feel like I'm 'busing myself sometietotin' dat. 

DAISY(Outraged) Don't you mean to work none?

DAVEWouldn't hit a lick at a snake. 

DAISYI don't blame _you_, Dave (looks down at his feet) cause toting demfeet of yourn is enough to break down your constitution. 

DAVEThey carries me wherever I wants to go. Daisy, you marry Jim cause Idon't want to come between y'all. He's my buddy. 

JIMCome to think of it, Dave, she was yourn first. You take and handledat spade for her. 

DAVEYou heard her say it is all I can do to lift up dese feets and put 'emdown. Where I'm going to git any time to wrassle wid any hoes andshovels? You kin git round better'n me. You done won Daisy--I give in. I ain't going to bite no friend of mine in de back. 

DAISYBoth of you niggers can git yo' hat en' yo' heads an' git on down deroad. Neither one of y'all don't have to have me. I got a good job andplenty men begging for yo' chance. 

JIMDat's right, Daisy, you go git you one them mens whut don't mindsmelling mules--and beating de white folks to de barn every morning. Idon't wanta be bothered wid nothin' but dis box. 

DAVEAnd I can't strain wid nothin' but my feets and my gun. I kin git mo'turkey gobblers, but never no job. 

(Daisy walks slowly away in the direction from which she came. Bothwatch her a little wistfully for a minute. The sun is setting. )

DAVEGuess I better be gitin' on back--it's most dark. Where you goin, Jim?

JIMI don't know, Dave. Down de road, I reckon. 

DAVEWhyncher come on back to town? Taint no use you proagin' up and down[Note: corrected missing space] de railroad track when you got a home. 

JIMThey done lawed me way from it for hittin' you wid dat bone. 

DAVEDat ain't nothin'. It was my head you hit. An' if I don't keer whutdem ole ugly-rump niggers got to do wid it?

JIMThey might not let me come in town. 

DAVE(Seizing Jim's arm and facing him back toward the town. ) They better!Look here, Jim, if they try to keep you out dat town we'll go out todat swamp and git us a mule bone a piece and come back and boil datstew down to a low gravy. 

JIMYou mean dat Dave? (Dave nods his head eagerly. )

DAVEUs wasn't mad wid one 'nother nohow. Come on less go back to town. Demmullet heads better leave me be, too. (Picks up a heavy stick) I wishLum would come tellin' me bout de law when I got all dis law in _my_hands. An' de rest of dem 'gator-face jigs--if they ain't got a wholeset of mule bones and a good determination they better not bring demess up. 

_CURTAIN_