Waiting for Godot Read Free Page B

(he
calculates) . . . yes, six hours, that's right, six hours on end, and never a soul in
sight. (To Lucky.) Coat! (Lucky puts down the bag, advances, gives the coat,
goes back to his place, takes up the bag.) Hold that! (Pozzo holds out the whip.
Lucky advances and, both his hands being occupied, takes the whip in his mouth,
then goes back to his place. Pozzo begins to put on his coat, stops.) Coat! (Lucky
puts down the bag, basket and stool, helps Pozzo on with his coat, goes back to
his place and takes up bag, basket and stool.) Touch of autumn in the air this
evening. (Pozzo finishes buttoning up his coat, stoops, inspects himself,
straightens up.) Whip! (Lucky advances, stoops, Pozzo snatches the whip from
his mouth, Lucky goes back to his place.) Yes, gentlemen, I cannot go for long
without the society of my likes (he puts on his glasses and looks at the two likes)
even when the likeness is an imperfect one. (He takes off his glasses.) Stool!
(Lucky puts down bag and basket, advances, opens stool, puts it down, goes
back to his place, takes up bag and basket.) Closer! (Lucky puts down bag and
basket, advances, moves stool, goes back to his place, takes up bag and basket.
Pozzo sits down, places the butt of his whip against Lucky's chest and pushes.)
Back! (Lucky takes a step back.) Further! (Lucky takes another step back.) Stop!
(Lucky stops. To Vladimir and Estragon.) That is why, with your permission, I
propose to dally with you a moment, before I venture any further. Basket! (Lucky
advances, gives the basket, goes back to his place.) The fresh air stimulates the
jaded appetite. (He opens the basket, takes out a piece of chicken and a bottle of
wine.) Basket! (Lucky advances, picks up the basket and goes back to his place.)
Further! (Lucky takes a step back.) He stinks. Happy days!
He drinks from the bottle, puts it down and begins to eat. Silence. Vladimir and
Estragon, cautiously at first, then more boldly, begin to circle about Lucky,
inspecting him up and down. Pozzo eats his chicken voraciously, throwing away
the bones after having sucked them. Lucky sags slowly, until bag and basket
touch the ground, then straightens up with a start and begins to sag again.
Rhythm of one sleeping on his feet.
     
    ESTRAGON:
What ails him?
     
    VLADIMIR:
He looks tired.
     
    ESTRAGON:
Why doesn't he put down his bags?
     
    VLADIMIR:
How do I know? (They close in on him.) Careful!
     
    ESTRAGON:
Say something to him.
     
    VLADIMIR:
Look!
     
    ESTRAGON:
What?
     
    VLADIMIR:
(pointing). His neck!
     
    ESTRAGON:
(looking at the neck). I see nothing.
     
    VLADIMIR:
Here.
Estragon goes over beside Vladimir.
     
    ESTRAGON:
Oh I say!
     
    VLADIMIR:
A running sore!
     
    ESTRAGON:
It's the rope.
     
    VLADIMIR:
It's the rubbing.
     
    ESTRAGON:
It's inevitable.
     
    VLADIMIR:
It's the knot.
     
    ESTRAGON:
It's the chafing.
They resume their inspection, dwell on the face.
     
    VLADIMIR:
(grudgingly). He's not bad looking.
     
    ESTRAGON:
(shrugging his shoulders, wry face.) Would you say so?
     
    VLADIMIR:
A trifle effeminate.
     
    ESTRAGON:
Look at the slobber.
     
    VLADIMIR:
It's inevitable.
     
    ESTRAGON:
Look at the slaver.
     
    VLADIMIR:
Perhaps he's a halfwit.
     
    ESTRAGON:
A cretin.
     
    VLADIMIR:
(looking closer). Looks like a goiter.
     
    ESTRAGON:
(ditto). It's not certain.
     
    VLADIMIR:
He's panting.
     
    ESTRAGON:
It's inevitable.
     
    VLADIMIR:
And his eyes!
     
    ESTRAGON:
What about them?
     
    VLADIMIR:
Goggling out of his head.
     
    ESTRAGON:
Looks like his last gasp to me.
     
    VLADIMIR:
It's not certain. (Pause.) Ask him a question.
     
    ESTRAGON:
Would that be a good thing?
     
    VLADIMIR:
What do we risk?
     
    ESTRAGON:
(timidly). Mister . . .
     
    VLADIMIR:
Louder.
     
    ESTRAGON:
(louder). Mister . . .
     
    POZZO:
Leave him in peace! (They turn toward Pozzo who, having finished eating, wipes
his mouth with the back of his hand.) Can't you see he wants to rest? Basket!
(He strikes a