Free Brecht Collected Plays: 1: Baal; Drums in the Night; In the Jungle of Cities; Life of Edward II of England; & 5 One Act Plays: "Baal", "Drums in the Night", "In the Jungle of Ci (World Classics) by Bertolt Brecht

They left you cold, but you stole them from me although I loved them.
    BAAL : Because you loved them. Twice I defiled corpses to keep you clean. I need that. God knows, it gave me no pleasure.
    EKART
to Sophie
: Are you still in love with this depraved animal?
    SOPHIE : I can’t help it, Ekart. I’d love his corpse. I even love his fists. I can’t help it, Ekart.
    BAAL : Don’t ever tell me what you two were up to while I was inside!
    SOPHIE : We stood together in front of the white prison wall and looked up at your window.
    BAAL : You were together.
    SOPHIE : Beat me for it.
    EKART
shouts
: Didn’t you throw her at me?
    BAAL : You might have been stolen from me.
    EKART : I haven’t got your elephant’s hide.
    BAAL : I love you for it.
    EKART : Keep your damned mouth shut about it while she’s still with us!
    BAAL : Tell her to get lost! She’s turning into a bitch!
He puts his hands up to his throat
. She’s washing her dirty laundry in your tears. Can you still not see that she’s running naked between us? I have the patience of a lamb, but I can’t change my skin.
    EKART
sits down beside Sophie
: Go home to your mother.
    SOPHIE : I can’t.
    BAAL : She can’t, Ekart.
    SOPHIE : Beat me if you want, Baal. I won’t ask you to walk slowly again. I didn’t mean to. Let me keep up with you, as long as I can. Then I’ll lie down in the bushes and you needn’t look. Don’t drive me away, Baal.
    BAAL : Throw your fat body into the river. I’m sick of you, and it’s your own doing.
    SOPHIE : Do you want to leave me here or don’t you? You’re still uncertain, Baal. You’re like a child, to talk like that.
    BAAL : I’m fed to the teeth with you.
    SOPHIE : But not at night, Baal, not at night! I’m afraid alone. I’m afraid of the dark. I’m frightened of it.
    BAAL : In your condition? No one will touch you.
    SOPHIE : But tonight! Just wait both of you tonight.
    BAAL : Go to the bargemen! It’s midsummer night. They’ll be drunk.
    SOPHIE : A few minutes!
    BAAL : Come on, Ekart!
    SOPHIE : Where shall I go?
    BAAL : To heaven, darling!
    SOPHIE : With my child?
    BAAL : Bury it.
    SOPHIE : I pray that you’ll never have cause to remember what you’ve just said to me, under this beautiful sky you love. I pray for it on my knees.
    EKART : I’ll stay with you. And then I’ll take you to your mother, if you say you’ll stop loving this swine.
    BAAL : She loves me.
    SOPHIE : I love him.
    EKART : Are you still on your feet, you swine! Haven’t you got knees? Are you besotted with drink or poetry? Depraved swine! Depraved swine!
    BAAL : Simpleton.
    Ekart attacks him, they fight
.
    SOPHIE : Mother of God! They’re like wild animals!
    EKART
fighting
: Did you hear what she said? Back there! And it’s getting dark now. Depraved animal! Depraved animal!
    BAAL
against him, pressing Ekart to himself
: Now you’re close to me. Can you smell me? Now I’m holding you. There’s more than the closeness of women.
He stops
. Look, you can see the stars above the trees now, Ekart.
    EKART
looks hard at Baal, who gazes up into the sky
: I can’t strike this thing!
    BAAL
his arm round Ekart
: It’s getting dark. We must find a place for the night. There are hollows in the wood where the wind never penetrates. Come, I’ll tell you about the animals.
He draws him away
.
    SOPHIE
alone in the dark, screams
: Baal!
Brown Wooden Bar
    Night. Wind. At tables, Gougou, Bolleboll. The old beggar and Maja with a child in a box
.
    BOLLEBOLL
playing cards with Gougou
: I’ve no more money.
    Let’s play for our souls.
    THE BEGGAR : Brother wind wants to come in. But we don’t know our cold brother wind. Heh, heh, heh!
    The child cries
.
    MAJA
the beggar woman
: Listen! Something’s prowling round the house. Pray God it’s no wild beast!
    BOLLEBOLL : Why? Are you feeling randy again?
    Knocking at the door
.
    MAJA : Listen! I won’t open.
    THE BEGGAR : You will open.
    MAJA : No, no, Mother of God, no!
    THE BEGGAR : Bouque