The Complete Dramatic Works (8 page)

POZZO:
Wait!
[
All
three
take
off
their
hats
simultaneously,
press
their
hands
to
their
foreheads,
concentrate.
]

ESTRAGON:
[
Triumphantly
.]
Ah!

VLADIMIR:
He has it.

POZZO:
[
Impatient
.]
Well?

ESTRAGON:
Why doesn’t he put down his bags?

VLADIMIR:
Rubbish!

POZZO:
Are you sure?

VLADIMIR:
Damn it, haven’t you already told us!

POZZO:
I’ve already told you?

ESTRAGON:
He’s already told us?

VLADIMIR:
Anyway he has put them down.

ESTRAGON:
[
Glance
at
 
LUCKY
.] So he has. And what of it?

VLADIMIR:
Since he has put down his bags it is impossible we should have asked why he does
not do so.

POZZO:
Stoutly reasoned!

ESTRAGON:
And why has he put them down?

POZZO:
Answer us that.

VLADIMIR:
In order to dance.

ESTRAGON:
True!

POZZO:
True!
[
Silence.
They
put
on
their
hats
.]

ESTRAGON:
Nothing happens, nobody comes, nobody goes, it’s awful!

VLADIMIR:
[
To
 
POZZO
.] Tell him to think.

POZZO:
Give him his hat.

VLADIMIR:
His hat?

POZZO:
He can’t think without his hat.

VLADIMIR:
[
To
ESTRAGON
.] Give him his hat.

ESTRAGON:
Me! After what he did to me! Never!

VLADIMIR:
I’ll give it to him.
[
He
does
not
move.
]

ESTRAGON:
[
To
pozzo.] Tell him to go and fetch it.

POZZO:
It’s better to give it to him.

VLADIMIR:
I’ll give it to him.
[
He
picks
up
the
hat
and
tenders
it
at
arm’s
length
to
 
LUCKY
,
who
does
not
move.
]

POZZO:
You must put it on his head.

ESTRAGON:
[
To
 
POZZO
.] Tell him to take it.

POZZO:
It’s better to put it on his head.

VLADIMIR:
I’ll put it on his head.
[
He
goes
round
behind
 
LUCKY
,
approaches
him
cautiously,
puts
the
hat
on
his
head
and
recoils
smartly.
 
LUCKY
does
not
move.
Silence
.]

ESTRAGON:
What’s he waiting for?

POZZO:
Stand back! [
VLADIMIR
and
 
ESTRAGON
move
away
from 
LUCKY
,
POZZO
jerks
the
rope,
 
LUCKY
looks
at
 
POZZO
.] Think, pig! [
Pause,
 
LUCKY
begins
to
dance.
] Stop! [
LUCKY
stops
.] Forward! [
LUCKY
advances
.]
Stop! [
LUCKY
stops
.]
Think!
[
Silence
.]

LUCKY:
On the other hand with regard to –

POZZO:
Stop! [
LUCKY
stops.
]
Back! [
LUCKY
moves
back
.] Stop! [
LUCKY
stops
.]
Turn! [
LUCKY
turns
towards
auditorium
.]
Think!
[
During
LUCKY
’
s
tirade
the
others
react
as
follows:
(1) 
VLADIMIR
and 
ESTRAGON
all
attention,
 
POZZO
dejected
and
disgusted.
(2)
VLADIMIR
and
 
ESTRAGON
begin
to
protest,
 
POZZO
’
s
sufferings
increase.
(3)
VLADIMIR
and
 
ESTRAGON
attentive
again,
 
POZZO
more
and
more
agitated
and
groaning.
(4)
VLADIMIR
and
 
ESTRAGON
 
protest
violently. 
POZZO
jumps
up,
pulls
on
the
rope.
General
outcry.
 
LUCKY
pulls
on
the
rope,
staggers,
shouts
his
text.
All
three
throw
themselves
on
 
LUCKY
who
struggles
and
shouts
his
text
.]

LUCKY:
Given the existence as uttered forth in the public works of Puncher and Wattmann
of a personal God quaquaquaqua with white beard quaquaquaqua outside time without
extension who from the heights of divine apathia divine athambia divine aphasia loves
us dearly with some exceptions for reasons unknown but time will tell and suffers
like the divine Miranda with those who for reasons unknown but time will tell are
plunged in torment plunged in fire whose fire flames if that continues and who can
doubt it will fire the firmament that is to say blast hell to heaven so blue still
and calm so calm with a calm which even though intermittent is better than nothing
but not so fast and considering what is more that as a result of the labours left
unfinished crowned by the Acacacacademy of Anthropopopometry of Essy-in-Possy of Testew
and Cunard it is established beyond all doubt all other doubt than that which clings
to the labours of men that as a result of the labours unfinished of Testew and Cunard
it is established as hereinafter but not so fast for reasons unknown that as a result
of the public works of Puncher and Wattmann it is established beyond all doubt that
in view of the labours of Fartov and Belcher left unfinished for reasons unknown of
Testew and Cunard left unfinished it is established what many deny that man in Possy
of Testew and Cunard that man in Essy that man in short that man in brief in spite
of the strides of alimentation and defecation is seen to waste and pine waste and
pine and concurrently simultaneously what is more for reasons unknown in spite of
the strides of physical culture the practice of sports such as tennis football running
cycling swimming flying floating riding gliding conating camogie skating tennis of
all kinds dying flying sports of all sorts autumn summer winter winter tennis of all
kinds hockey of all sorts penicillin and
succedanea in a word I resume and concurrently simultaneously for reasons unknown
to shrink and dwindle in spite of the tennis I resume flying gliding golf over nine
and eighteen holes tennis of all sorts in a word for reasons unknown in Feckham Peckham
Fulham Clapham namely concurrently simultaneously what is more for reasons unknown
but time will tell to shrink and dwindle I resume Fulham Clapham in a word the dead
loss per caput since the death of Bishop Berkeley being to the tune of one inch four
ounce per caput approximately by and large more or less to the nearest decimal good
measure round figures stark naked in the stockinged feet in Connemara in a word for
reasons unknown no matter what matter the facts are there and considering what is
more much more grave that in the light of the labours lost of Steinweg and Peterman
it appears what is more much more grave that in the light the light the light of the
labours lost of Steinweg and Peterman that in the plains in the mountains by the seas
by the rivers running water running fire the air is the same and then the earth namely
the air and then the earth in the great cold the great dark the air and the earth
abode of stones in the great cold alas alas in the year of their Lord six hundred
and something the air the earth the sea the earth abode of stones in the great deeps
the great cold on sea on land and in the air I resume for reasons unknown in spite
of the tennis the facts are there but time will tell I resume alas alas on on in short
in fine on on abode of stones who can doubt it I resume but not so fast I resume the
skull to shrink and waste and concurrently simultaneously what is more for reasons
unknown in spite of the tennis on on the beard the flames the tears the stones so
blue so calm alas alas on on the skull the skull the skull the skull in Connemara
in spite of the tennis the labours abandoned left unfinished graver still abode of
stones in a word I resume alas alas abandoned unfinished the skull the skull in Connemara
in spite of the tennis the skull alas the stones Cunard [
Mêlée,
final
vociferations
]
tennis … the stones … so calm … Cunard … unfinished …

POZZO:
His hat!
[
VLADIMIR
seizes
LUCKY
’
s
hat.
Silence
of
 
LUCKY
.
He
falls.
Silence.
Panting
of
the
victors
.]

ESTRAGON:
Avenged!
[
VLADIMIR
examines
the
hat,
peers
inside
it
.]

POZZO:
Give me that! [
He
snatches
the
hat
from
 
VLADIMIR
,
throws
it
on
the
ground,
tramples
on
it
.]
There’s an end to his thinking!

VLADIMIR:
But will he be able to walk?

POZZO:
Walk or crawl! [
He
kicks
 
LUCKY
.] Up pig!

ESTRAGON:
Perhaps he’s dead.

VLADIMIR:
You’ll kill him.

POZZO:
Up scum! [
He
jerks
the
rope
.]
Help me!

VLADIMIR:
How?

POZZO:
Raise him up!
[
VLADIMIR
and
ESTRAGON
hoist
 
LUCKY
to
his
feet,
support
him
an
instant,
then
let
him
go.
He
falls
.]

ESTRAGON:
He’s doing it on purpose!

POZZO:
You must hold him. [
Pause
.]
Come on, come on, raise him up!

ESTRAGON:
To hell with him!

VLADIMIR:
Come on, once more.

ESTRAGON:
What does he take us for?
[
They
raise
 
LUCKY
,
hold
him
up.
]

POZZO:
Don’t let him go! [
VLADIMIR
and
 
ESTRAGON
totter
.] Don’t move! [
POZZO
fetches
bag
and
basket
and
brings
them
towards
LUCKY
.] Hold him tight! [
He
puts
the
bag
in
 
LUCKY
’s
hand.
 
LUCKY
drops
it
immediately
.]
Don’t let him go! [
He
puts
back
the
bag
in
 
LUCKY
’
s
hand.
Gradually,
at
the
feel
of
the
bag,
LUCKY
recovers
his
senses
and
his
fingers
close
round
the
handle
.]
Hold him tight! [
As
before
with
basket
.]
Now! You can let him go. [
VLADIMIR
and
 
ESTRAGON
move
away
from
LUCKY
,
who
totters,
reels,
sags,
but
succeeds
in
remaining
on
his
feet,
bag
and
basket
in
his
hands.
 
POZZO
steps
back,
cracks
his
whip
.]
Forward! [
LUCKY
totters
forward.
]
Back! [
LUCKY
 
totters
back
.]
Turn! [
LUCKY
turns
.]
Done it! He can walk. [
Turning
towards
VLADIMIR
and 
ESTRAGON
.] Thank you gentlemen, and let me … [
He
fumbles
in
his
pockets
]
…
let me wish you … [
Fumbles
]
… wish you … [
Fumbles
] … what have I done with my watch? [
Fumbles
.]
A genuine half-hunter, gentlemen, with deadbeat escapement! [
Sobbing.
]
’Twas my granpa gave it to me! [
He
searches
on
the
ground, 
VLADIMIR
and 
ESTRAGON
 
likewise.
POZZO
turns
over
with
his
foot
the
remains
of
 
LUCKY
’
s
hat.
]
Well now, isn’t that just –