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 Page B

to be! That’s a strange phrase!
    GOUGOU
to Ekart
: The best of all is nothingness.
    BOLLEBOLL : Pst! We’re going to have Gougou’s aria. A song from the old bag of worms.
    GOUGOU : It’s as if the air was quivering on a summer evening. Sunshine. But it isn’t quivering. Nothing. Nothing at all. You just stop. The wind blows, and you don’t feel, cold. It rains, and you don’t get wet. Funny things happen, and you don’t laugh with the others. You rot, and you don’t need to wait. General strike.
    THE BEGGAR : That’s Hell’s Paradise.
    GOUGOU : Yes, that’s paradise. No wish unfulfilled. You have none left. You learn to abandon all your habits. Even wishing. That’s how you become free.
    MAJA : What happened in the end?
    GOUGOU
grins
: Nothing. Nothing at all. There is no end. Nothingness lasts for ever.
    BOLLEBOLL : Amen.
    BAAL
gets up, to Ekart
: Ekart, get up. Were fallen among murderers.
He supports himself by putting his arm round Ekart’s shoulders
. The vermin multiply. The rot sets in. The maggots sing and show off.
    EKART : It’s the second time that’s happened to you. I wonder if it’s just the drink.
    BAAL : My guts are hanging out … this is no mud bath.
    EKART : Sit down. Get drunk. Warm yourself.
    MAJA
drunk, sings
:
    Summer and winter and snowstorms and rain
    If we aren’t sober we won’t feel the pain.
    BOLLEBOLL
takes hold of Maja and pummels her
: Your aria tickles me, little Gougou. Itsiwitsi, little Maja.
    The child cries
.
    BAAL
drinks
: Who are you?
Amused, to Gougou
: Your name’s bag of worms. Are you a candidate for the mortuary? Your health!
He sits down
.
    THE BEGGAR : Watch out, Bolleboll! Champagne doesn’t agree with me.
    MAJA
hanging on to Bolleboll, sings
:
    Seeing is suffering, keep your eyes shut
    All go to sleep now, and nothing will hurt.
    BAAL
brutally
:
    Float down the river with rats in your hair
    Everything’s lovely, the sky is still there.
    He gets up, glass in hand
. The sky is black! Did that scare you?
Drums on the table
. You have to stand the roundabout. It’s wonderful.
He sways
. I want to be an elephant in a circus and pee when things go wrong
… He begins to dance and sing
. Dance with the wind, poor corpse! Sleep with a cloud, you degenerate God!
He goes up to the table, swaying
.
    EKART
gets up, drunk
: I’m not going with you any farther. I’ve got a soul too. You corrupted my soul. You corrupt everything. And then I shall start on my Mass again.
    BAAL : Your health! I love you.
    EKART : But I’m not going with you any farther.
He sits down
.
    THE BEGGAR
to Bolleboll’
: Hands off, you pig!
    MAJA : What’s it got to do with you?
    THE BEGGAR : Shut up, you poor thing!
    MAJA : You’re raving!
    BOLLEBOLL
venomously
: He’s a fraud. There’s nothing wrong with him. That’s right. It’s all a fraud!
    THE BEGGAR : And you’ve got cancer.
    BOLLEBOLL
uncannily quiet
: I’ve got cancer?
    THE BEGGAR
turning coward
: I didn’t say anything. Leave her alone!
Maja laughs
.
    BAAL : Why’s it crying?
Sways to the box
.
    THE BEGGAR
angry
: What do you want?
    BAAL
leans over the box
: Why are you crying? Have you never seen them at it before? Or do you cry every time?
    THE BEGGAR : Leave it alone, you!
He throws his glass at Baal
.
    MAJA : You pig!
    BOLLEBOLL : He’s only having a peep under her skirt!
    BAAL
gets up slowly
: Oh you swine! You don’t know what’s human any more. Come on, Ekart! We’ll wash ourselves in the river.
He leaves with Ekart
.
Green Thicket. River Beyond
    Baal. Ekart
.
    BAAL
sitting in the thicket
: The water’s warm. You can lie like a crab on the sand. And the shrubs and white clouds in the sky. Ekart!
    EKART
concealed
: What do you want?
    BAAL : I love you.
    EKART : I’m too comfortable here.
    BAAL : Did you see the clouds earlier?
    EKART : Yes, they’re shameless.
Silence
. A while ago a woman went by on the other side.
    BAAL : I don’t care for women any longer …
Country Road. Willows
    Wind.