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The Road to Damascus: A Trilogy, a play by August Strindberg |
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Part 1 - Act 1 - Scene 5. On The Road |
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_ PART I ACT I SCENE V. ON THE ROAD [A landscape with hills; a chapel, right, in the far distance on a rise. The road, flanked by fruit trees, winds across the background. Between the trees hills can be seen on which are crucifixes, chapels and memorials to the victims of accidents. In the foreground a sign post with the legend, 'Beggars not allowed in this parish.' The STRANGER and the LADY.] LADY. You're tired. STRANGER. I won't deny it. But it's humiliating to confess I'm hungry, because the money's gone. I never thought that would happen to me. LADY. It seems we must be prepared for anything, for I think we've fallen into disfavour. My shoe's split, and I could weep at our having to go like this, looking like beggars. STRANGER (pointing to the signpost). And beggars are not allowed in this parish. Why must that be stuck up in large letters here? LADY. It's been there as long as I can remember. Think of it, I've not been back since I was a child. And In those days I found the way short and the hills lower. The trees, too, were smaller, and I think I used to hear birds singing. STRANGER. Birds sang all the year for you then! Now they only sing in the spring--and autumn's not far off. But in those days you used to dance along this endless way of Calvaries, plucking flowers at the feet of the crosses. (A horn in the distance.) What's that? LADY. My grandfather coming back from shooting. A good old man. Let's go on and reach the house by dark. STRANGER. Is it still far? LADY. No. Only across the hills and over the river. STRANGER. Is that the river I hear? LADY. The river by which I was born and brought up. I was eighteen before I crossed over to this bank, to see what was in the blue of the distance.... Now I've seen. STRANGER. You're weeping! LADY. Poor old man! When I got into the boat, he said: My child, beyond lies the world. When you've seen enough, come back to your mountains, and they will hide you. Now I've seen enough. Enough! STRANGER. Let's go. It's beginning to grow dusk already. (They pick up their travelling capes and go on.) _ |
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