eS 20 MOTHER COURAGE AND HER CHILDREN ‘A CHRONICLE OF THE THIRTY YEARS’ WAR Bertolt Brecht TRANSLATED BY JOHN WILLETT —— cuaracrers — MoTHER couRAGE ATTRIN, ber dm danghier LR, heed sn SWISS CHEESE, the younger son ‘THE YOUNG MAN THE CHAPLAIN is wire ‘THE ARMOURER “THE YOUNG PEASANT ANOTHER SERGEANT Avorce — scene one Spring 1624. The Swedish Commandet-in-Chief Coun Oxenstierna is raising troops ia Dalecatia forthe Polish | campaign. The canteen woman Anna Feting, known under che name of Mother Courage, loses one son, Country raad mer a town A SERGEANT and a RECRUITER stand shivering, RECRUITER: How can you muster a unit ina place like this? Fve been thinking about suicide, sergeane. Here am I, got to find our commander four companies before the twelfth of the month, and people round here are 0 nasty I cane sleep Rights. S'pose I get hold of some bloke and shut my eye his pigeon chest and vacicose veins, I get him proper drunk, he signs on he line, 'm just setting up, he goes fora pis, follow him to the door because I smell a tat; bob's your uncle, he's off like a fla wich the itch. No notion of word of honour, loyaley, faith, sense of duty. This place has shat- ‘ered my confidence in the human rate, sergeant. SEKGEANT: Is too long since chey had a war here; stand eo rea- son. Where's cheit sense of morality ro come from? Peace ‘hav's just a mess; cakes a war to restore order. Peacetime, the human race runs wild. People and cattle get buggered bout, who cates? Everyone eas just as he feels inclined, a hhunk of cheese on cop of his nice white bread, and a slice of fac on top of the cheese. How many young blokes and good horses in ehat town there, nobody knows; they never thought of counting. I been in places ain't seen a war for nigh seventy years: folks hadn't got names to them, coulda’ tell one another apart. Takes a war to get proper nominal rolls and inventories—shoes in bundles and corn in bags, and man and beast properly aumbered and carted ff, cause ic stands co teason: ao ores, no War RECRUITER: Too true, SERGEANT: Same with all good things it's a job to gee a war go- ing, Bue once it's blossomed out there's no holding i; folk scart fighting shy of peace like punters what can’ stop fot fear of having co tot up wha they lost, Before that itt war they're fighting shy of. I's something new co them, RECRUITER: Hey, here's a cart coming. Two tarts with ewo young fellows. Sop her, sergeant, If this one's a flop I'm not standing around in your spring winds any longer I can tell (Sound of jew'-barp. Drawn by tw» young fellow, a covered cart rolls in. On it sit MOTHER COURAGE and ber amb deaghow array.) MOTHER COURAGE: Morning, segeant SERGEANT: (Blocking the way.) Morning, all. And who are you? Morin coURAGE: Busines folk, (Sings) You capcains, cell the drums o slacken And give your infanters a break Tes Mother Courage with her waggon Fall of the finest Boots they make: With crawling lice and looted cattle With lumbering guns and straggling kit— How can you flog them into batele Unless you gee them boots that fir? The new year’s come, The watchmen shout. ‘The chaw sets in. The dead remain. ‘Whatever life has not died out Te staggers to its fet again, ‘Capeains, how can you make them face it— Marching co deach without brew? CCoucage has rum with which to lace ic ‘And boil theie souls and bodies through, Their musket primed, chee stomach hollow— Caprains, your men don’t look so well. So feed them up and let them follow 0 4% 0 a@ 6 % 100 10s hs SCENE 1 While you command them into hell. The new year's come, The watchmen shout, ‘The thaw sets in. The dead remain. ‘Wherever life has not died out Te staggers to its feet agai, sexceav Hal! Who ate you with, you trash? “it DER SON: Second Fianish Regiment Stacean Wheres your papers? ominn covRace: Papen? “THE YOUNGER SON: What, mean to sy you don't know Mother Courage? senza? Never heard of het. Wh’ she called Courage for? ¥NomiER COURAGE: Courage isthe mame they gave me bese Twas scared of going broke, sergeant, 201 drove me care righe rough the bombardment of Rigs with ty loves of bread aboard, They were going mould, it was high time, hada any choice ally, ssxgeant. Don't be funny with me, Your papers Morisn COURAGE: (Pulling dof pert from a tin bx amd climbing dawn off he cart) That’ al my papers, sergeane Youll find x whole big missl fom Altting in Bava for wrapping gherkin in, and a oud map of Marvin the Lord Krome whenever gee there, might a» well chuck ic away, ane! heres stamped cetfeae that my horse hasnt Bot foot-and-mouth, only hes dead wore lick, cont fifteen fins he dd—nox me luckily. That enough paper fr you? You polling my leg? Tl knock that sae oxt of you. Spoe you know you got to have a licence MOTH COURAGE: Talk proper to me, do you min and don’ you dace say I'm pling your lg non of my unsaid Ehildeen, n't decene, 1 go no time for you. My hovest face, hase licence withthe Second Regiment and ft ‘oo difcal for you to read there's nowt Tan do about ie Nobody’ putting «ump on that RECRUITER Sergeant methinks I smell insobondation in thi individ. What's needed in our camp is obedience oTHEk COURAGE: Seusage, you ask me soncran. Name omitn cooRAGE: Anna Feling SenceaNr. You al called Ferlng then? omit COURAGE: What dyou mean? e's me's called Fesin, or them senGEan Arenal his loc your children? MOTHER COURAGE: You bee they ae, but why shoud they all ve be clle these, eh (Poiing br ler sm) Ft inwance, tha on called Elif Nojocki--Why? his father always claimed he was call Kojack or Mojocki or some ‘hing. The boy remembers him clay, excepe ta the one he emembers wat someone else, Frenchie witha ile beat. Asie rom ehat hes go his father’ wits that man enw bow co sitch a peasants pants off his bum wiehout him noticing, ‘This way each of ts as his own tame, ee. sengeane What, each one different? oTnsR CouRAGE: Dont cell me you ain't never come across the SERGEANT So I s'pose he Chinaman? (Poning to be younger Mottte COURAGE: Wrong Swiss. SexcEaNt. After the Frenchman? BRECHT @ MOTHER COURAGE AND HER CHILDREN 509 MOTHER COURAGE: What Frenchman? I never heard tell of no Frenchman. You keep muddling things up, we'll be hang ing around here tll dark. A Swiss, but called Fejos, and che name has nowe co do with his father. He was called some- 120 thing quite different and was a fortifications engineer, only drunk all the time, (ovis cen beams and nod; dumb KATTRIN G0 is mast) senGEANT: How in hell can he be called Fejos? MOTHER COURAGB: I don't like to be rude, sergeant, but you ain't got much imagination, have you? Course he's called 125 Fejos, because when he arrived I was with a Hungarian, very decent fellow, had terrible kidney trouble though he never couched a drop. The boy takes after him, SERGEANT: But he wasn his father MOTHER COURAGE: Took after him just the same. I call him 150, ‘Swiss Cheese. (Pointing tober daughter) And that’s Katerin Haupt, she's half Geman, SERGEANT. Nice family, I must say. MOTHER COURAGE: Aye, me cart and me have seen the world SERGEANT: I'm writing all chis down, (He writes) And you'te 135 from Bamberg in Bavaria; how d'you come to be here? MOTHER COURAGE: Can’e wai tll war chooses to visit Bam= berg, can 7 RECRUITER: (To KILI) You two should be called Jacob Ox and Esau Ox, pulling the cate like that. 1 "pose you never get four of haeness? ‘uF: Ma, can I clobber him one? I wouldnt half like to. MOTHER COURAGE: And I says you can't just you stop where you are, And now two fine officers like you, I bet you could use a good pistol, ora bele buckle, yours is omits last legs, sergeant. SERGEANT: I could use something else, Those boys ate healthy as young birch eres, observe: chests like barrels, solid leg muscles. So why are they dodging theit miieary service, may Fak? 0. MOTHER COURAGE: (Quick.) Nowe doing, sergeant. Yours is no trade for my kids, RECRUITER: But why nor? Thete's good money in it, glo Flogging boots is women's work. (To sii) Come het, let's sce if you've muscles in you or if you'e a chicken Iss MOTHER COURAGE: He's a chicken. Give him a fierce look, he'll fall over. RECRUITER: Killing a young bull chat happens to be in his way. (Want 10 led bim of) MoTHER COURAGE: Let him alone, will you? He’ nowt for you. 160 folk AECRUTTER: He was crudely offensive and talked about clob bering me. The two of us are going to step into that field and settle i¢ man to ma, HUF: Don't you worry, mum, P' fx him 65 MOTHER COURAGE: Sop there! You varmint! I know you, nowt bus fights. There's a knife down his boot. A slashes, that's what he is RecnUTER: I'll draw ie out of him Like a milk-tooth, Come 40 Ms along, sonny, v0 MOTHER COURAGE: Sergeant, I'll tell the colonel. He'll have you both in iroas. The lieutenant’s going oue with my Gaugheee190 ws 210 as 220 2s 230 510 UNIT V @ MODERN EUROPE sexceawn: No rough stuf, chum. (To MOTHER COURAGE.) Wohae you got against military service? Wasn't his own f ther a soldier? Died a soldier's death, c00? Said ic yourself MOTHER COURAGE: He's nowe but a child, You want to take him off co slaughethouse, I know you lo, They'll give you five Borns for him, RECRUITER: First he’s going to get a smarc cap andl boots, ch? EIU: Not from you Morin COURAGE: Lee's both go Fishing, said angler co worm. (To swiss cet.) Rua off call ous they're eying to Kidnap yous brother. (She pulls a knife) Go on, you kidnap him, just try. I'l slit you open, trash. Tl teach you to make war with him. We'te doing an honest rade in ham and linen, and wee peaceable folk. senceaNT: Peaceable T don't think; look at your knife. You should be ashamed of yourself; pu that knife away, you old harridan. A minuce back you were admitting you live off the war, how else should you live, what from? But how's anyone to have war wichout soldiers? MOTHER COURAGE: No need for it to be my kids SERGEANT: Oh, you'd like wae to eat the pips but spit oue the apple? I co facen up your kids, but you won't invest ia ie Got to look after itself, ch? And you Called Courage, fancy that. Scared of the war that Keeps you going? Your sone aren't scared of i, I can sce that HIF Take more chan a war to scare me, SERGEANT: And why? Look ac me: has army life done all chat badly by me? Joined up at seventeen, MOTHER COURAGE: Still got ro each seventy SERGEANT: I don't mind waiting. orien COURAGE: Under the so, ch? SenGtaNrT. You trying to insule me, saying I'l die? MOTHER COURAGE: Spose i's true? Sipose I can see the mark's ‘on you? S‘pose you look like a corpse on leave to me? Eh? SWISS CHEESE: She's gor second sight, Mother has RECRUITER: Go ahead, tell che sergeant’ fortune, might amuse hie, MOTHER COURAGE: Gimme helmet, (He ite it to ber) SERGEANT: Ie don't mean a bloody sausage. Anything for a laugh though, [MOTHER COURAGE: (Taking ota shet of parchment and tearing it up.) Eilif, Swiss Cheese and Kactrin, may all of us be corn apare Le this if we lets ourselves gee too mixed up in the wat (To the SERGEANT, Just for you I'm doing i for Fee. Blacks for death, 1m putting a big black cross on chi slip of paper ‘swiss cist: Leaving the other one blank, see? MOTHER COURAGE: Then I fold them across and shake them, All of us is jumbled together like this from our mother’. ‘womb, and now draw a slipand you'll know. (The SERGEANT stats) [RECAUTTER: (To mF) I done take just anybody, chey all know ''m choosey, but you got the kind of fie I like tose. SenGEANT: (Fishing in te belmet,) Too silly. Load of eyewash, ‘SWISS CHEESE: Drawn a black cross, he has. Write hio af, RECRUITER: They're having you on; not everybody's name's on a bullee SERGEANT: (Hoarty) You've put me in the shit, MomiiEn COURAGE: Did thae yourself the day you became «sol- dlr. Come along, le’s move on now. “Taint every day we have a war, I got to get sticring Scene 1 straranr: God damn it, you can't kid me. We're taking chat bastard of your for a soir. IL Swiss Cheese'd like eo bea soldier oo. MOTHER COURAGE: First I've heard ofthat. You'll have to draw 00, all three of you. (She got to the rut t mark eats om far ther sips.) [ECAUTTER: (To Ena) One of the tings chey say against us is hae is all holy-holy in the Swedish campy bue that's a malicious ‘umoue to do us down, There's no hyma-singing buc Sundays, just a single verse, and chen only for those got voices MOTHER COURAGE: (Coming back with the si, which ie drops into the SERGEANT: blmet.) Trying to get away feom theit sma, the devils, off to warlike calves ¢o salt-lick. But I'm ‘making you draw los, and that'll show you the world is no vale of joys wich ‘Come along, son, we need «few more gens ens’. Sergeant, 'm so scared they won't get through the war. Such dreadful characters, all cree of them. (She hands ‘he eines tet.) Hey, come on, fish ou your slip. (He fer ‘ne out, unfolds it, She suasche it from bi.) Theve you ate, ies cross, Oh, wretched mother that Lam, o pain-racked giver of birch! Shall he die? Aye, in the springeime of life he is doomed. If he becomes soldier he shall bice the dust, it's plain to see. He i to foolhardy, lke his dad was. And if he aint sensible he'll go the way ofall flesh, his slip proves i (Shouts at bm.) You going to be sensible? sue: Why nor? MOTHER COURAGE: Sensible thing is stay with your mother, never mind if they poke fun at you and call you chicken just you laugh, RECRUTTER: If you's your brother [MOTHER COURAGE: I told you laugh. Go on, laugh. Now you draw, Swiss Cheese. T'm not so scared on your account, you're honest. (He fice in se almet) Oh, why look at yout slip in thae serange way? It got to be a blank, There can't be any cross om i. Surely I'm noe going to lose you (She aes ‘the slip.) A cross? What, you too? Is that because you're 50 simple, pechaps? O Swiss Cheese, you coo will be sunk if you don't say utterly hones all che while, like I caughe you from childhood when you brought the change back fom the bakers. Else you can't save yourself. Look, sergeant, thas a black cross, ain it? SERGEANT: A cross, that's righe. Can't chink how I come to get one. always stay in the cea (To te RECRUITER.) Thee’ no catch, Her owa family gee i to. Swiss CHEESE: I gee it too. But I listen to what I'm cod MOTHER COURAGE: (To KATTRIN.) And now you're the only one Tknow’s allright, you're a cross yourself; got a kind heart you have. (Holds he eles p tober om the car, ut takes the Lip out berlf.) No, that’s too much. That can't be right; must have made a mistake shuffling, Don't be too kind! hearted, Kactri, you'll have to give it up, cherc's m cross above your path too. Lie doggo, git, it can't be chae hard ‘once you'te born dumb. Right, all of you know now. Look ‘out for yourselves, you'll need to. And now up we ace and fon we go. (She climbr on tthe cart.) RECRUITER: (Toth SERGEANT.) Do something SERGHANT: I don' feel very wel RECRUTTER: Must of caught a chill taking your helmet off in that wind. Tavolve her in a deal. (Aloud ) Might as well have sing in your panes 1 make do with 265 230 2s 265, 7 20 2s 290 eis iia $305 a3 x0 scene 2 a look at that belt-buckle, sergeant. After all, our friends haere have co live by their business. Hey, you people, the sergeant wants to buy cha belt-buckle MOTHER COURAGE: Half lorin. Two flocins is what a belt like that’s worth, (Climds dewn again.) SERGEANT. Taint new. Let me get out ofthis damned wind and have a proper look ati. (Goes bind the care with te buckle) MOTHER COURAGE: Ain'e what I call windy. SenGEaNT. I s'pose it might be worch half a foci, ie silver. MOTHER COURAGE: (Joining bim behind tbe cart.) ts six solid RECRUITER: (To HR) And chen we men'll have one together. Got your bounty money here, come along. (EP sand indeed.) MOTHER COURAGE: Half florin ic is, SERGEANT: Ic beats me. T'm always at the reat Sergeants the safest job there is. You can send the others up front, cover themselves with glory. Me dinner hour's properly spoiled Shan’t be able to hold nowe down, I know. NoTHER COURAGE: Mustn’t lt it prey on you ss you cans eat Just stay at the rear Here, take a swig of brandy, man, (Gites him a drink.) RECRUITER: (Has taken SAE by the arm and is leading him awey ‘up stage) Ten florins bounty money, then you're gallant fellow fighting for the king and women'll be after you like flies. And you can clobber me for free for insulting you (sean both (Dumb xasrtnin leans down from te cart and makes boars nis.) MOTHER COURAGE: All right, Kattin, al right, Sergeant's just paying. (Bite be half-forin.) 1 got no faith in any kind of money. Burnt child, that's me, sergeant. This coin's good, though. And now lee’ get moving. Where’ Elif? swiss cHEESE: Went off with che recruiter. MOTHER COURAGE: (Stands quite still, ben.) You simpleton. (To KATTRIN,) Tain‘ youe fault, you can’t speak, I know. sextant: Could do with a swig yourself, ma, That's lie Plenty worse things than being a soldier, Wane eo live off war, but keep yourself and family out of it, eh? MOTHER COURAGE! You'll have to help your brother pull now, Kattin, (Brother and sister bitch sbemudlves tthe cart and start palling walks alongside. The cart ras on) SERGEANT: (Looking after them.) ike the war to nourish you? Hive to feed it something too. —— scene rwo —— In che years 1625 and 1626 Mother Courage crosses Poland in che train of the Swedish armies. Before the foceres of Wallhof she meets her son again. Successful sale of capon and heyday of her dashing son ‘The GENERAL tnt Beside it, bis kitchen. Thunder of cannon. The COOK it arguing with MOTHER COURAGE, who wants to sll him a cap BRECHT @ MOTHER COURAGE AND HER CHILDREN 511 ‘THE COOK: Sixty hellers foes miserable bird like that? MOTHER COURAGE: Miserable bird? This fa beute? Mean to say some greedy old general—and watch your step if you got ‘nowt for his dinner—can’e afford sixcy hellers for hie? "THE COOK: I can get a dozen like that for ten hellers just down the rod. MOTHER COURAGE: What, a capon like this you can get just down the road? In time of siege, which means hunger that tears your guts. A rat you might get: ‘might’ I say because they're all being gobbled up, five men spending best part of day chasing one hungry rat. Fifty hellers for a giant capon in time of siege! ‘THE COOK: But it ain't us having the siege, i's Cother side. We're conducting the siege, can't you gee that in your head? [MOTHER COURAGE: Bur we got now C0 eat (00, even worse than them in the town. Took it with them, didn’t they? They'te hhaving a high old time, everyone says. And look at us! I been to the peasants, there's now there. THE COOK: There’ plenty. They'e sitting on it MOTHER COURAGE: (Triamphantly.) They ain't. They're bust, that's what they are. Just about starving. I saw some, were _zcubbing up roots from sheer hunger, licking their fingers after they boiled some old leather strap. That's way itis And me got acapon here and supposed to take forty hellers fori. ‘THE COOK: Thitey, noe forty. I suid thirty. MOTHER COURAGE: Here, cis ain'e just any old capon, Te was such a gifted beast, I been cold, it could only ea to music, had miliary march ofits own, Ie could count, it was that intelligent. And you say forty bellers is too much? General will make mincemeac of you if there's nowt on his table ‘THE COOK: See what I'm doing? (He taba piste of bef amd puss dis knife it.) Here I gota bit of bee, I'm going co roast it Make up your mind quick. MOTHER COURAGE: Go on, roa it. Ir’ last year’. ‘THE COOK: Last night's. That animal was still alive and kick- ing, I saw him myself MOTHER COURAGE: Alive and stinking, you mean THE COOK: I'll cook him five hours if ced be. Il just see if he's still cough. (He cats ino fc) MOTHER COURAGE: Put plenty of pepper on i¢ so his lordship the general don't smell the pong. (Tbe GENERAL, @ CHAPLAIN ad BILIF enter te tot.) ‘THE GENERAL: (Sloping ELF on the shoulder) Now then, Eilif my son, into your general’s ent with you and sit ehou ue my ‘ight band. For you accomplished a deed of heroism, like a pious cavalier; and doing what you did for God, and in a war of religion a that, is something I commend in you ‘0st highly, you shall have a gold bracelet as soon as we've taken this town, Here we are, come co save their souls for them, and what do those esolene dung encrusted yokels go and do? Drive their beef away from us. They stuf it into those priests of theirs all right, back and front, but you ‘aught ‘em manners, hal So here’ a poe of red wine for you, the cwo of us'l knock it back atone gulp. (Tey des.) Piss all forthe chaplain, the old bigot. And now, whae would you like for dinner, my daring? HLF: A bit of meat, why not? 20 Ey 30 % 30 ”5 0 9% no 5 "THE GENERAL: Cook! Meat THE COOK: And then he goes and brings guests when there's owe there (1orstee couRAGE silence bm she can User.) IU: Hungry job cucting down peasants. Dorit COURAGE: Jesus Cheist i's my Eilif, THE COOK: Your wit? MOTHER COURAGE: My eldest boy. I's two yeats since I lose sight of him, chey pinched him from me on the coad, must, think wel of him ifthe general's asking him to dinner, and ‘what kind ofa dinner can you offer? Nowe. You heard what the visitor wishes to eat: meat, Take my tip, you settle for the capon, it'll bea forin THE GENERAL: (Has sat down with ext, and bellows.) Food, Lamb, you foul cook, or I'll have your hide ‘THE COOK: Give ie over, dammit, this i blackmail NorHER COURAGE: Didn't someone say ic was a miserable bie TTHE COOK: Miserable; give it over, and a criminal price, fifty bellers, ‘MoritEn COURAGE: A floin, I said. For my eldest boy, the gen eal’s guest, no expense is too great for me THE COOK: (Gines br the money.) You might at least pluck it whl I see to the fe. MOTHER COURAGE: (Sits down ty pluck he fo.) He won't half be surprised to see me. He's my dashing clever son. Then I got a stupid one roo, he's honest though. The girl's nowt. One ood thing, she don’ talk THE GENERAL Drink up, my son, this is my best Falernian ‘only gota barrel o ewo lft, but that's nothing to pay for 8 sign thar’ chee’ sil erue faith robe found in my aemy. As for cha shepherd of souls he can just look on, because all he does is preach, without che least ides how it's co be cartied ‘out. And now, my son Eilif, ell us mote about the neat way you smashed chose yokels and capcuced the ewenty oxen Let’ hope they gee here soon, LP: A day of ewo at most MOTHER COURAGE: Thoughtful of our Eilif not to bring the ‘oxen in till comorrow, else you lot wouldn' have looked ‘wice at my capon. HL: Well, ic was like cis, see. Td heard peasants had been driving the oxen they'd hidden, out of the forest into one particular wood, on the sly and mostly by night, That’ where people from the cown were s'poted to come and pick them up. So I holds off and lees chem dive theie oxen to- gether, reckoning they'd be beter than me at finding ‘em. Thad my blokes slavering after the meat, cut their emer gency rations even further for a couple of days till cheit ‘mouths was watering ac che least sound of any word begin: ning wich ‘me’, like ‘measles. ‘THE GENERAL: Very clever of you. IL Possibly. The rest was a piece of cake. Except that the peasants had cudgels and outnumbered us three to one and ‘made a murderous attack on us. Four ofemn shoved me into «thicker, knocked my sword from my hand and bawled out ‘Surrender!” What's the answer, I wondered; they're going {0 make mincement of me. THE GENERAL: What did you do? IL: I laughed, HE GENERAL: You did what? Bur: Laughed. So we got talking. [pu con a Busines foe ing fom the sat, old them “Twenty fins «hens to ‘much, Tl give you fften’. Asi was meaning to py. That them, and hey began scraching thei hen. Int fash picked up ny sword and was hacking ‘em to pices, Necesiys the mother of invention, ch, sit? re Gaseeal: What is you view, pastor of sous? TH colAMAIN: That phrase is noe strictly speaking in the Bible, but when Our Lord tvrmed the ve loaves ita five hundred thee was no wae on and be could tell people to love cei neighbours x chey'd had enough reat chy ie another cry THE GENERAL (Lang) Quive another story. You can have a swig afterall for ha, you old Phase. (To tur) Hacked ‘em to pices, did you, so my gallant lds ean gta peopce bite to ea? Whae do the Scriptures say? ‘Whatsocre Ho does fo the leas of my brethren, thou does for me. And ‘hat did you dof ehemn? Got them » ood square mel of beet, boca cheyte noe accustomed to monly brew! the oll way was co fia cold meal of rolls and wie Ia Jour hee tet before you went out to fig for Gee stu: Aye, in a fash picked up my sword and was hacking chem to pieces THE GENERAL” You've the rose the King. 1 have from a distance. He kindof glows. I like co "THE GENERAL: You've gor something in commoo already. ap recat soldiers lite you, Eli, men of courage, Sorebay Tike dha reat 8 T would my own son. Hees Bn or the map.) Have Tooke atthe sitanion, iia long haul scl omit couse: serng and nn amerily lacs he ol.) That rst be a oten general ‘THE COOK: He ravenous ll ight, but why ten? MoTiBh COURAGE: Because he got to have men of courage that's why Ihe knew how eo plan proper campaign wae would he be needing men of courage fr? Ordinary ones would do, Ie always the same; whenever there’ load of {pecal vires around in means something ska ru cOOK: T thought ie mean things all ihe Motte coURAGE No, that they sink, Look spose some gen- ‘ral or king is bone stupid sn lead is men up sie ek, then those men've got tobe feces, hers anoher vitae for you. Sipose het singy and hes to few soldiers, then they got 0 be a cowd of Hercules. And spore he slap dash and dont give bugger, then they pot fo be clever ss tmoakeys else hele numbers up, Same Way they got to show exceptional loyalty each time he gives them im possible jobs, Nowe bur virtues no prope country and 0 Aecene king o general would ever ned, Indecent countie folk dn’ have to have virtuy, the whole lo can be per fecly ordinary, sverge intelligence, and forall T ko cowards ‘THE GENERAL: wager your father was a soldier HIF A great soldier, I een cold. My mother warmed me abou it. There's a song I koow. THE GENERAL: Sing ie os. (Raor,) When's cha dimmer su rs elled The Song of the Git and dhe olde. Be sing makings of a young Caesar. You bo bas ben F bs Bs Moar 180 0 ws as ns SCENE 3 “The guns blaze away, and ehe bay’nie'l slay ‘And the water can't hardly be colder ‘What's the answer to ice? Keep offs my advice! ‘That's what che giel cold the soldier. [Next thing the soldier, wiv’ a round up the spout Heats che band playing and gives a great shout: ‘Why, it’s marching what makes you a solder! So it's down to the south and chen northwards once more See him catching that bay'nit in his naked paw! ‘That's what his comrades done told ber. (Oh, do not despise the advice of the wise Leata wisdom from those char are older And don’: try for things that are out of your reach— ‘That's what the gel told the soldier. Nexe thing the soldier his bay'nie in place ‘Wades into the river and laughs in hee face ‘Though the water comes up eo his shoulder. When the shingle roof glints inthe light o' the moon. Well be wiv’ you again, nor a moment too soon! ‘That's what his comrades done tol hee. MOTHER COURAGE: (Tabes up the rng in the hitch, beating on o out like a light! And the sun’ eke fight For your courage just makes us fee! colder. Oh, that vanishing light! May God see that ie’ ighe!— Thar’s what che el cold the soldier. SUF: What's char? [Net thing the soldier, his ey'nit in place Was caught by the current and went down without erace [And the water couldn't bardly be colde. Then the shingle roof froze in the light 0 che moon As both soldier and ice drifted down to theie doom— And d'you koow what his comrades done told her? He went out like alight. And the sunshine took flight For his courage just made ‘em feel colder (Oh, do nor despise the advice of the wise! That's what the girl told the soldier THE GENERAL: The things they get up to in my kitchen these days, [HIF (Har gone ints the itcbon. He lings his arms round bis ‘mother Fancy seeing you again, ma! Where's the others? MOTHER COURAGE: (In bis armi.) Sous 8 a bug in a rug. They made Swiss Cheese paymaster of the Second Finnish; any road he'll stay out of fighting that way, I couldn't keep him fou altogether sur: How's the old feet? MOTHER COURAGE: Bit ricky getting me shoes on ofa morning THE GENERAL: (Has joined thom) So you're his mother, I hope you've gor plenty more sas for me like chis or ur Ain‘ it my lucky day? You sitting out there in the kitchen, ma, hearing your son commended MOTHER COURAGE: You bet 1 heard. (Slaps bis fave.) LI: (Holding his check.) What’ tha for? Takin he oxen? WURAGE: No. Not surrendering when those four went for you and wanted to make mincemeat of yoo. Didn't I say you should look after yourse 4 > You Finnish devil RECHT @ MOTHER COURAGE AND HER CHILDREN 513 —— scene miner Three years later Mother Courage is taken prisoner slong with elements of Finnish regiment. She manages to save ber daughter, likewise her covered cart, but her honest son is killed. Milizary camp. Afternoon. A flagpole with the regimental flag. From her cart, fe toonad now with all hinds of good, MOTHER COURAGE bas sre «4 washing line t0 a large cannon, across which she and KATE are folding the washing, She is bargaining atthe same time with an [ARMOURER over 2 sack of shot. SWISS CHEESE, now wearing a pay- ‘masters uniform, is looking om A comely person, “VETTE POTTIER, is sewing a gaily coloured bat, a las of brandy bfore ber. She isin er stackinged fit, baving laid ‘tide br red igh-bald bots. {THE ARNOURER: Tl let you have that shot for a couple of florins. I's cheap at the price, got co have che money be cause the colone’s been boozing with his officers since cwo days back, and the drink’s run out MOTHER COURAGE: That's troops’ munitions. They catch me > with that, 'm for court-marcial. You eeooks flog the shot and eroops got nowe to fie at enemy, THE ARNOURER: Have a heart, can't you; you scratch my back and I'l scratch yours MOTHER COURAGE: I'm not taking army property. Not at ARMOURER: You can sell i€ on the g.t. tonight to the Fourth Regiment's armourer for five fins, eight even, if you let him have a receipt for ewelve. He’ right aut of MOTHER COURAGE: Why not you doit? THE ARMOURER: I don't trust him, he's a pal of mine MOTHER COURAGE: (Takes the cack.) Girome. (To KATTRIN.) Take ie away and pay him « forin and a half. (Th ARMOURER prota.) Lsaid in ada half (KATTRIN drags te sack 4p- 20 ‘tage, the ARMOURER following ber MOTHER COURAGE address SWISS CHEESE.) Here's your Woolies, now look after chem, ies October and autumn may set in any time. I ain't saying ies gor to, cause I've lexened nowe’s got co come when you think ie will, nt even seasons of the year Bue your regi- 25 mental accounts got to add up right, come what may. Do they add up righe? Swiss CHEESE: Yes, mother. MOTHER COURAGE: Don't you forget they made you paymaster cause you was honest, not dashing like your brother, and 30 above all so seupid I et you ain’ even thoughe of clearing ‘off with i, no not you, That's a big consolation to me. And don’ lose those woolies swiss cHEESE: No, mother, ll pur chem under my materess Binet go.) % ‘THE ARMOURER: Ill go along with you, paymaster. MOTHER COURAGE: And don't you stat learning him none of The ARMOURER lester with SWISS CHEESE withuat any farewell4 8 % a 95 514 UNIT V @ MoDERN EUROPE YVETTE: (Waving 1 im.) No reason not co say goodbye, amouter MOTHER COURAGE: (To YVETTE.) I don't like to see them to gether. He's weong company for out Swiss Cheese. Oh wel, war's off co good start, Easily take fou, five years before all councries are in. A bit of foresight, don't do nothing silly, and business'l flourish. Don'e you know you ain't posed to drink before midday with your complaint? LYWETTE: Complaine, who says s, it libel MOTHER COURAGE: They al sy so, ‘WaTTe: Because chey'e all telling lis, Mother Courage, and ‘me at my wits’ end cause they're all avoiding me like some- thing the cat brought in thanks to those lies, what the hell fam I remodelling my hat for? (She throws if away) That’ why I drink before midday. Never used to, gives you crows’ fet, but now what the hell? All the Second Finnish know me. Ought co have stayed at home when my fst fellow did ‘me wrong. No good our sort being proud. Eat shit, that’s ‘what you got to do, oF down you go. MoriiEn COURAGE: Now don'e you stare up again about that Pieter of yours and how ie all happened, in front of my in rnocent daughter too LETTE: She's the one should hear i, put he off love, MoTiTER COURAGE: Nobody can put ‘em off that ‘verte: Then I'll go 00, get it off my chest. Ic all starts with yours cruly growing wp in lovely Flanders, else I'd never of seen him and wouldn't be stuck here now in Poland, cause he was an army cook, far-haited, a Dutchman but thin for ‘once. Kartrin, watch out for the chin ones, only in those days I didn't know cha, or thae he'd goc a gil already, of hac they all called him Puffing Piet cause he never cook his Pipe out of his mouth whea he was on the jb, it meant that litle to him. (She sings the Song of Praternsaton ) When I was only sixteen “The foe came into our land He lai aside his sabre And with a smile he took my hand. After the May parade ‘The May light scars to fade, ‘The regiment dressed by the right The drums were beaten, that’s che dri The foe took us behind the hill And fraternised all night. ‘There were so many foes chen, Bur mine worked in the mess loathed hin ia the daytime, ‘Ac night I loved him aone the less Alter the May parade ‘The May lighe stars to fade, ‘The regiment deessed by the right ‘The drums were beaten, cha’ the dei, ‘The foe took us behind the hill And fraternised all night. ‘The love which came upon me ‘Was wished on me by fate. My fiends could never grasp why 1 found i hard co share thet hate ‘The fields were wee with dew When soreow frst I knew. ‘The cegiment dressed by the right The drums were beaten, cha's che dil And thea the foe, my lover still ‘Went marching out of sight 1 followed him, fool that Iwas, but I never found him, and that was five yeas back. (She walls wnseadily bebind the cart.) MoTHER COURAGE: You lee your hae here ‘errs: Anyone wants ic can have i. MOTHER COURAGE: Let that be a lesson, Kattrin. Don't you start anything with them soldiers. Love makes the world go ‘ound, I'm warning you. Even with fellows notin the amy. ies no bed of roses. He says he'd like to kiss the ground yout feet walk on—reminds me, did you wash them yester dday?—and after that you're his skivyy. Be thankful you'te dumb, then you can't contradict yourself and won't be waning co bie your tongue off fr speaking the uth; i 8 godsend, being dumb is. And here comes the general’ cook, now whae's he after? (Emer the COOK and the CHAAR.) THe CHAPLAIN: I have a message for you from yout son Eilif, and che cook has come along because you made such & pro: found impression on him, THE COOK: I just came along to get bit of ai. MoTHER COURAGE: That you can always do here if you behave yourself, and if you don't Ican deal with you. What does he wane? I'got ao spare cash THE CHAPLAIN: Actually T had a message for his brother the paymaster MOTHER COURAGE: He ain't here now nor anywhere else nei= thet: He ain‘ his brocher's paymaster. He's aot to lead him inco tempration noe be clever at his expense. (Giving him ‘money from the purse sng round br) Give him this, isa sin, he's banking on mother’ love and ought to be ashamed of | himself THE COOK: Not for long, he'll have to be moving off with che regiment, might be to his death, Give him a bie extra, you'll be sorry later. You women are tough, then later on you're sorry. A little glass of brandy wouldn't have been problem, but it wasnt offered end, who knows, a bloke may lie beneath the green sod and none of you people will ever be able to dig him up again. THE CHAPLAIN: Don't give way to your feelings, cook. To fallin battle is a blessing, not an inconvenience, ind why? It isa war of faith. None of your common wars but a special one, foughe for the faith and cherefore pleasing to God, ‘THE COOK: Very true. Ie’sa war all right in one sense, what with fequisitioning, murder and looting and the odd bie of rape thrown in, but different from all che ochee wars because it's ‘ war of faith; stands co reason. But it’ cirsty work at that, you must admit "HE CHAPLAIN: (To MOTHER COURAGE, indicating the COOK.) 1 ‘tied to stop him, but he says he's taken a shine to you, you figure in his dreams. THE COOK: (Lighting a stumpy pipe) Just want a glass of brandy from a fair hand, whac hacm in thar? Only I'm groggy al ready cause the chaplain heres been telling such jokes all the way along you bec I'm sil blushing 29 ns ee bs us5 160 165 95 205 bRECHT Moriten COURAGE: Him a clergyman coo. I'd best give the pa of you a drink or you'll start making me immoral sugges- tions cause you've nowt else co do. ‘THE CHAPLAIN: Behold a temptation, suid the court preacher, ‘and fell. (Termin back look at KATTRIN as be leaves.) And who is this entrancing young person? MOTHER COURAGE: That ain’ an entrancing but a decent young, person, (The CHAPLAIN and the COOK go bind the cart with NOTHER COURAGE. KATFRIN lnk afer sm, then walks away from ber washing toward te at. She ich tp and sits down, pulling the red bts towards be. MOTHER COURAGE canbe beard in the background talking politics with the CHAPLAIN and the [MOTHER COURAGE: Those Poles here in Poland had no business sticking their noses in. Right, our king moved in on them, horse and foot, but did they keep the peace? no, went and stuck their noses into their own affairs, they did, and fell on king just as he was quietly clearing off. They commiteed a breach of peace, tha’ what, so blood’ on their own head. tHe CHAPLAIN: All our king minded about was freedom. The ‘emperor had made slaves of them all, Poles and Germans alike, and the king had co liberate chem, rie COOK: Just what I say, your brandy’s first rate, I weren mistaken in yout face, bue talk of the king, it cost the King dear trying to give freedom to Germany, what with siving Sweden the sale eax, what cost the poor folk bit, so T've heard, on top of which he had co have the Germans locked up and drawn and quartered cause chey wanted to ry on slaving for the emperor. Course the king cook 2 serious view when anybody didn’t wane to be fee. He set tout by just crying to procect Poland against bad people, particularly the emperor, chen i started to become a habit till he ended up protecting the whole of Germany. They didn’ half kick. So che poor old king's ble forall his kindness and expenses, and that's something the had to make up for by taxes of course, which caused bad blood, not that he'd let a lieele mateer like chat depress him. One thing he had on his side, God's word, that was help, Because otherwise folk would of been saying he ‘done it all for himself and to make a bit on the side, So he's always had a good conscience, which was the main point. MOTHER COURAGE: Anyone can sce you're no Swede or you woulda’ be talking that way about the Hero King. THE CHAPLAIN: Afterall he provides the bread you ea. ‘THE COOK: T doo't eat i, I bake i. MOTHIER COURAGE: They'll never best him, and why, his men ‘got faith in him. (Seriously) To go by what che big shots say, they'te waging war for almighty God and in the name of everything thar’ good and lovely. But look closer, hey ain so silly, they're waging i for wha they can get. Else litle folk like me wouldn’e be in it ar al ‘Tu COOK: That's the way itis. ‘THE CHAPLAIN: As a Dutchman you'd do better co glance at the flag above your head before venting your opinions here in Poland, MOTHER COURAGE: All good Luth ans here, Prosit! area hs and begun strutting around in imitation of her way of walking.) @ MOTHER COURAGE AND HER CHILDREN 515 Saadenly thee sa vse of cannon ie and shoting. Drs. MOTHER ‘COURAGE, the COOK and the CLAPLAIN rah ut from bein te cart, the 1 last-named sill carrying ther glass. The SRMOURER and another SOLDIER raw wp 10 the cannon and try 10 push it away.) MomiiER COURAGE: What's happening? Waie cll I've taken my washing down, you louts! (Se sie rescue br washing.) ‘THE ARMOURER: The Catholics! Broken theough. Doo’t know if ‘well get out of hee, (To he sOLDIER,) Get thac gun shifted! (Ras 7.) THE COOK: God, I must find the general. Courage, I'l drop by ina day of ewo for another tal. [MOTHER COURAGE: Wait, you forgot your pipe. THE COOK: (In te distance.) Keep it for me. I'l be needing it, MOTHER COURAGE: Would happen just as we're making a bic of money. THE CHAPLAIN: Ah well, I'l be going t00. Indeed, ifthe enemy i so close as that it might be dangerous. Blesstd are che peacemakers isthe motto in wartime. If only I had a cloak MOTHER COURAGE: Faint lending no cloaks, nor on your life. I been had c00 often, THE CHAPLAIN: But my faith makes ie particularly dangerous for me MOTHER COURAGE: (Gots bim a claak.) Goes against my con- science, this docs. Now you run along, Tite CHAPLAIN: Thank you, deat lady, cha’ very generous of you, bur I think ie might be wiser for me to remain seated here; ic could arouse suspicion and bring the enemy down, on me if I were seen to run. MOTHER COURAGE: (To the SOLDIER.) Leave it, you fool, who's ‘going to pay you for thar? I'l look fisking your neck. "HE SOLDIER: (Racing any.) You can tll ‘em I etic MOTHER COURAGE: Cross my heart. (Ses ber daugher with the dat.) What you doing with chat strumper’s hat? Take that Tid off, you gone crazy? And che enemy arriving any minute! (alls te ar off karriiN’s bead.) Want ‘em to pick you up and make a prostitute of you? And she's gone and put those boots on, whore of Babylon! OfF with those boots! Tris to tug them off her.) Jesus Chris, chaplain, gimme a hand), get those boots offer, I'l be righ back. (Rams to she cart) YVETTE: (Arrives, powdering br face.) Fancy that, the Catholics ‘ate coming. Where's my hat? Who's been kicking it ‘round? I ean’e go about looking like ehis if che Catholics are coming. Whavll they chink. of me? No mireor either (To the ciariais.) How do | look? Too much powder? ste cuaPuan: Exactly right YEFTE: And where are them red boots? (Fails 1 find thom “ar KATRIN ides her fot ander ber shir.) I lft them here all right. Now T'll have to get to me cent barefoot. I's an outrage. fer it for you, you're (sit) (swiss creese rams in carrying in small box.) COURAGE: (Ai Here it ber band fll of att. To Kat (To swiss cittese.) Whar's chat 210 2s ms 2525 [MOTHER COURAGE: Chuck it away. No mote paymastering for swiss cHRest: I'm eesponsble. (He gr tthe rear) MOTHER COURAGE: (To the CHAPLAIN.) Take yout clerical togs ‘off, padte, or they'll spor you under that cloak. (She ras ATTAIN’ fac with ash.) Keep sill, will you? There you are «bit of muck and you'll be safe. What a disaster. Sencries were drunk. Hide your light under a bushel, it says. Take a soldier, specially a Catholic one, ada clean face, and there's your instant whore. For weeks chey get nowe to eat, then 000 as they manage co get it by looting they'te falling on anything in skirts. That ought to do. Let's havea look Not bad. Looks like you been grabbing in muckheap. Stop twembling. Nothing'll happen to you like that. (To swis Cutts.) Where d'you leave cash box? swiss ciBese: Thoughe Fd pus i in cart. MOTHER COURAGE: (Herrifed,) What, my cart? Sheer criminal idiocy. Only take me eyes off you one instant. Hang us all thee, chey will swiss cise: TL pur ie somewhere else then, of clear out with i MOTHER COURAGE: You sit on i, it’s too late nove THE CHAPLAIN: (Who is changing bis clothes downstage,) For heaven's sake, the fag! MOTHER COURAGR: (Hauls down the regimental fl.) Borhe moi! Td given up noticing ie were there. Twenty-five years I've had ie (The thunder of cannon intensifies) (A morning three days later ‘The cannon bas gone. MOTHER (COURAGE, KATTRIN, the CHAPLAIN and SWISS CHEESE are ting sloomily oor meal, ‘wHSS CHEESE: Thar's cheee days I been sitting around with owe to do, and sergeant’ always been kind to me but any ‘moment now he'll start asking where's Swiss Cheese with the pay box? MoviteR COURAGE: You thank your stars they ain't after you. ‘THE CHAPLAIN: What can I say? I can't even hold a secvice here, it might make trouble for me. Whosoever hatha ull heae, his tongue eunnech over, ic says, but heaven help me if mine starts cunning over. MOTHER COURAGE: That's how ie goes. Here they sit, one with his faith and the other wich his cash box. Dunno which is smoce dangerous, THE CHAPLAIN: We are all of us in God's hands MOTHER COURAGE: Oh, I don't think ics as bad as that yet, ‘hough I must say Tcane sleep nights. Ife weren' for you, Swiss Cheese, things'd be easier. T think I got meselé cleared. I told ‘em I didn’t hold with Antichrist, the Swedish one with horns on, and I'd observed left horn was «bie unserviceable. Half way through thee interrogation I asked where T could gee church candles noc too deat, I knows the lingo cause Swiss Cheese's dad were Catholic, of- ten used co make jokes about it, he did, They didn’t believe ‘me all thac much, bue chey ain't got no cegimental canceen lady. So they're winking an eye. Could carn out forthe best, you know. We're prisoners, bur same like fleas on dog SCENE 3. ‘THE CHAPLARV: Ths good milk. But we'll nced co cut down ‘our Swedish appetites a bic. After all, we've been defeated MOTHER COURAGE: Who's been defeated? Lok, victory and defeat ain't bound co be same fr the big shots up top as fr them bee low, noc by no means. Can be times the boteo lot find a de. feat rally pays them. Honour’ lost, nowe else. 1 remember ‘nce up in Livonia our general ook such a beating fom ene cemy I got a horse off our baggage train in che confusion, polled me care seven months, he did before we won and they checked up. AS @ rule you can say victory and defeat bot come expensive (0 us ordinary folk: Best thing for us is when polities get bogged down soli. (To swss CHES.) Eat up, SWISS CHEESE: Gor no appetite for it. What's sergeant to do when pay day comes round? MOTHER COURAGE: They don't have pay days on a reteat. ‘SWISS CHEESE: Ie’ cheir right, chough. They need’ reeeat if they don’ gee paid. Needa' sit a foot MOTHER COURAGE: Swiss Cheese, you'e that conscientious it makes me quite nervous. I brought you up to be honest, you not being clever, but you got ta know where to stp. Chaplain and me, we're off now to buy Catholic fag andl some meat. Dunno anyone s0 good at sniffing meat, like sleepwalking i is, straight to cargee. I'd say he ean pick out a good piece by the way his mouth stars watering, Well thank goodness they're letting me go on trading. You don't ask eradespeople their faith but cir prices. And Lutheran trousers keep cold out too. ‘THE cHtarLaiN: What did the mendicanc say when he heaed the Lutherans were going to cura everything in town and coun ly ropsy-turvy? "They'll always need beggars (MOTHER {COURAGE ditappears int he cat.) So she's sill wortied about the cash box. So far they've taken us all for granted as pare of che care, bue how long for? ‘SWISS CHEESE: T ean get rid of ie ‘THE CHAPLAIN: Thats almost more dangerous. Suppose you'ze seen. They have spies. Yesterday a fellow popped up out of the dich in frone of me juse as I was relieving myselt fist thing. L was so scared [only just suppressed an ejaculatory prayer. That would have given me away al right. 1 chinke ‘whac they'd like best is co go snifing people's excrement t0| see if they're Procescants, The spy was a litle runt with a patch over ane eye. MOTHER COURAGE: (Clambering ous ofthe cart with a basket) ‘Whar have I found, you shammeles creature? (She blds wp the ‘red boots in triompb.) Yeecte’s red high-heeled boots! Coolly ‘went and pinched them, she did, Cause you put it in het hhead she was an enchanting young person. (She lays them in ‘he basket.) 'm giving them back. Stealing Yvewe's boots! ‘She's wrecking herself for money. That's understandable, But you'd do it for noching, for pleasure. What did I tell YOU: you're ro wai ili’ peace. No soldiers fr you. You're ‘ot to start exhibiting yourself till t's peacetime. ‘te CHAPLAIN: I don’ find she exhibits herself. MOTHER COURAGE: Too much for my liking. Lee her be like a sone in Dalecarlia, where there’ nowt else, s0 folk say “Can'e see thae cripple’, that’s how Ta lef have her. Then ‘nowr'll happen co her. (Te SWisS CHEESE) You leave that box ‘where itis, d'you heat? And keep an eye on your sister; she ‘needs it. The par of you'll have me in grave yet. Sooner be minding a bagful of leas. 45 365Ey SCENE 3 (She leaves with the CHAPLAIN. KATTRIN clears aay te dishes.) swiss citsss: Won't be able to sit out in the sun in shire- sleeves much longer. (KATTRIN points ata te) Aye, leaves tucning yellow. (RATTRIN asks by gesture if be wants a drink) Don't want no drink. I'm thinking, (Pause) Said She can't sleep. Best if got rid ofthat box, found a good place frit “ll ighe, les have a glass. (KATTRIN got ebind th car.) TL stulf it down the ritchole by the river for the time being, Probably pick i up tonight before fis light and cake it to Regiment, How far can they have reteated in three days? Bet sergeants surprise. I'm agreeably disappointed in you Swiss Cheese, he'll say. I make you responsible for the cash and you goand bring it back. (As xarrans emerge frm bebind the cart with a fall glass in er Inand, rw» men confrost ber. Ove is a SERGEANT, the other dof bis bat tober He as a patch over one oe) ‘THE MAN WITH THE PATCH: God be with you, mistress. Have yo seen anyone round here from Second Finnish Regimen= tal Headquarters? (carry, badly frightened, rant dewnstage, spilling tbe brandy The tao mon lok at ome mater, the withdraw on seing SWISS comese ising there) Swiss CHEESE: (Intorypad nis shuught,) You spile half of i ‘What ae those faces for? Jabbed yourself in eye? I don't get it, And Tl have to be off, ve thought it over, i's che only way (He gts np. She doer everything posible to mabe im realise the danger He only srs ber off.) Wish 1 knew what you' trying to say. Sure you mean well, poor creature, just can’ leet words oue. What's it matter your spilling my brandy, Til drink plenty more glasses yee, whar's one more or less? (legos the bos: from the cart and tes it wer bit tai.) Be buck in a moment. Don't hold me up now, or I'l be angry. know you mean well. Too bad you can speak. (As she tries to bold im back be kes ber and tears bimslf away Exit. Shes dsperae, rewning hither and thither tering lite nies ‘The CHAPLAIN and MOTHER COURAGE rtwrn, KATTRIN rushes 10 er mother.) MovHIER COURAGE: What's al this? Pull yourself together, love They done something to you? Where's Swiss Cheese? Tell ic me step by step, Kattrin. Mother understands you. What, so chat bastard did take the box? I'll wrap it round his ears, the litle hypocrite. Take your time and don't gabble, use your hands, I don’t like it when you how like a dog, what'll his reverence say? Makes him uncomfortable. What, a one= ‘eyed man came along? matt cHaPLatN: That one-eyed man isa spy. Have they areated Swiss Cheese? (KATTRIN shakes her head shrags ber shoulder.) We're done for MOTHER COURAGE: (Fhe i ber basket and brings out a Catblic ils, which the CHAPLAIN fst 0 the mast.) Better hoise new fag “rue chamtann: (Biterly.) All good Catholies here (Woies are beard from the rar. The two mew bring in SSS CIEE. RECHT @ MOTHER COURAGE AND HER CHILDREN si7 swiss cisnst: Let me go, I got nowe. Don't ewist my shoulder, Tm innocent sexGeaN: Here's where he came from. You know each other. MoTiiER COURAGE: Us? How? ‘Swiss CHEESE: I don’t know her. Got no idea who she is, had ‘nowt to do with them. I bought me dinner here, cen hells, it cost. You might have seen me sitting here, it was too saley SERGEANT: Who are you people, eh? MOTHER COURAGE: We'te law-abiding folk. Thats right, be bough a dinner. Said ic was too salty. SERGEANT Trying