Читать книгу Children's Classics in Dramatic Form, A Reader for the Fourth Grade - Augusta Stevenson - Страница 6
THE OLD MAN AND HIS GRANDSON
ОглавлениеTIME: now. PLACE: a certain MAN'S house.
| THE MAN. |
| HIS WIFE. |
| THEIR SON—LITTLE HANS. |
| THE GRANDFATHER. |
[The MAN, his WIFE, little HANS, and the GRANDFATHER sit at the table eating the noon meal.]
MAN. Be careful, father! You are spilling the soup on your coat.
GRANDFATHER (trying to steady his trembling hand). Yes, yes, I'll be careful.
[Short pause.]
WIFE (sharply). Grandfather! You have spilled the soup on my clean tablecloth!
GRANDFATHER (embarrassed). Dear me! Dear me!
[Short pause.]
MAN. Here, father, is your plate of meat.
[The old man takes the plate, but lets it fall.]
WIFE (angrily). There now! Just see what you have done!
GRANDFATHER. My hand shook so—I'm sorry—so sorry!
WIFE. That won't mend the plate!
MAN. Nor buy a new one!
WIFE (to her husband). He should eat from wooden dishes.
MAN (nodding, pointing to a wooden dish). Let him have that one for his meat.
[The Grandfather sighs sadly. The Wife gets a wooden dish and fills it with meat. Little Hans leaves the table and plays with his blocks on the floor.]
WIFE (handing the wooden dish to the Grandfather). Here's one you can't break. Go now and sit in the corner behind the oven. You shall eat there hereafter. I cannot have my tablecloths soiled—that I cannot!
[The Grandfather takes his wooden plate and goes to the seat in the corner behind the oven. His eyes are filled with tears.]
MAN. Come, little Hans, and finish your dinner.
WIFE (turning to Hans). Bless me! What are you making, child?
HANS. A wooden trough for you and father to eat out of when I grow big.
[The Man and his Wife look at each other; there is a pause.]
MAN (showing shame). He will treat us as we have treated father!
WIFE (weeping). 'T will serve us right!
MAN (kindly). Father, throw that wooden dish out of the window. I am ashamed of what I have done; forgive me!
WIFE (kindly). Father, come back to the table. I too am ashamed. Forgive me, dear father.
