Пьеса по мотивам рассказа"The Ransom of Red Chief" after O'Henry (разраб.Синяева Л.Н.)

Действующие лица:

 

Red Chief;

Bill;

Sam;

old Ebenezer Dorset.

I.

 

    R.Ch.(подмигивает): I am Bill, a kidnapped child (У-гу!)These are my poor friends. (обнимает за плечи) Bill and Sam.

And this is my father old Ebenezer Dorset. We hope you’ll like our story.

(выходят из зала; звучит музыка)

II.

 

   Дом Mr. Ebenezer Dorset, на улице веснушчатый ребёнок, бросающий камни в кота.

Bill: Hey, little boy, would you like to have a bag of candy and a nice ride?

(мальчик бросил камень в Била и попал в глаз)

    Old Ebenezer will have to pay an extra five hundred dollars for this.

(Билл схватил ребёнка и потащил за собой. Ребёнок сопротивлялся, но Биллу удалось  

его схватить)

III.

    Сидит Билл с пластырем на лице и руках. Ребёнок сидит недалеко, в волосах –

раскрашенные страусиные перья. Билл приближается к нему; ребёнок берёт палку:

    R.Ch: Ha! You, wicked pale face! Do you dare to enter the camp of Red Chief, the terror of the  land?

    Bill: He’s all right now. (осматривает свои раны) We’re playing Indian. He is Red Chief and 

am his prisoner. Tomorrow at sunrise he is going to scalp me. (с презрением) By God! He can kick hard!

    Sam: He gave me the name of Snake-eye, the Spy. He told me that he is going to burn me in the fire at sunrise.

IV.

 

    (Все трое едят. Ребёнок ест куриную ногу. Говорит с паузами после каждого  предложения)

    R.Ch.: I like it very much. I never camped before. I hate going to school. Are there any real

  Indians in these woods? I want some more bacon. We have two dogs. Are the stars hot? I

  don’t like girls. My father has a lot of money. A parrot can talk but fish can’t. Have you

  beds to sleep on in this cave? What makes your nose so red, Snake-eye? (Вскакивает с

 места): Is there any pale-face spies hiding there? I’ll kill them!

    Sam: red Chief, do you want to go home?

    R.Ch.: What for? I have no fun at home. I hate going to school. I like camping here. Are you

going to take me home, Snake-eye?

    Sam: Not right away. We’ll stay here in the cave for some time.

    Boy: All right, that will be fine. I never had such fun in all my life.

 

V.

    Все трое лежат на полу, R.Ch. между Bill и Sam. R. Ch. Вскакивает и кричит:

    R.Ch.: Somebody is coming. Who is there? (ложится, встает, идёт к Bill, визжит и садится ему на его грудь. Одной рукой держит его волосы, другой нож.):  I’ll take of your

scalp, Snake-eye, I promised to!

    Sam (отбирает нож и укладывает R.Ch. спать.) Go to bed immediately or I’ll give you back to  your father!

VI.

 

    Bill to Sam: Why are you getting so early, Sam?

    Sam: I want a smoke, that’s all!

    Bill: You lie! You are afraid. He said he would burn you at sunrise. You are afraid he would do it, and he will, if he finds a match. What shall we do, Sam? Do you think anybody will pay us money to have this little devil back home?

    Sam: of course, parents love their kids even if they are devils. Now, Sam, you and the Chief get up and cook some breakfast. I’ll go up to the top of the mountain to look around.

Sam (подходит к окну) it’s strange, but nobody’s looking for this devil.

 

VII

 

    (Билл стоит у стены. R.Ch. на расстоянии собирается бросить камень.)

    Bill: He put a hot potato down my back. Then he pressed the potato to my back with the foot, so I had to box his ears. Stop it! Make peace! (Sam отбирает камень у R.Ch.)

    R.Ch.: You’ll be sorry for that!(говорит Биллу): nobody has ever hit the Red Chief. Those who tried had to pay for it…

   (мальчик достаёт рогатку из кармана)

    Bill: What is he going to do now? Is he going to run away?

    Sam: No fear of that. He doesn’t look like a boy who likes to stay at home. Quite on the contrary. And he is having a good time here. But now we must make our plans to get the ransom for him. I don’t think his father has noticed his disappearance yet. Maybe he thinks the boy is sleeping at his aunt’s house. She lives a little way from him. But today that’ll discover that he has disappeared. We must send a letter to his father, demanding 2000 dollars for the boy’s return.

 

VIII

 

    (Слышно что-то вроде военного клича и одновременно делается выстрел из рогатки. Камень попадает в левое ухо Билла. Он падает, Сэм подбегает к нему и оказывает помощь. Он хлопает ему по лицу, но тот не открывает глаза. Наконец открыл.)

    Sam: Take it easy, Bill. You’ll be all right soon.

    Bill: Please, Sam, please. Don’t leave me here alone!

    Sam (хватает R.Ch. и трясёт его): If you don’t stop doing such things I’ll take you home at once. Now, are you going to be good or not?

    R.Ch.: I was only playing. I didn’t want to hit him. I’ll be good, Snake-eye. Don’t send me home. May I play the Black Scout today?

    Sam: What kind of game is it? I don’t know it. Now I am going away on business for some time. You play with Mr. Bill today. Come in and make peace with him. Say you are sorry that you have hit him. Do what I tell you pr you will go home at once!

    (Ch. и Bill пожали друг другу руки. Сэм отвёл Билла в сторону)

    Sam: I am going to send a letter to the boy’s father from the nearest post-office. I’ll demand the ransom of 2000 dollars and tell him how to pay the money.

    Bill: You know, Sam, I have always stood by you. I have helped you in everything you did. I have never been afraid of the police or anything till we kidnapped this 2-legged sky-rocket. The more I stay with him the more nervous I become. Please, don’t leave me with him for a long time!

    Sam: I’ll be back in the afternoon. Play with the kid and be kind to him. And now let’s write the letter. (они взяли бумагу, ручку и начали писать)

    Bill: So I start writing. Let’s have 1500$. You will have 1000$.  and I’ll take only 500$.

  A letter:

    “ Ebenezer Dorset!

    We are hiding your boy in a place which is very far from your town. Don’t look for him. It is useless! Neither you nor the police can find him. So, don’t try! You can have him back only on these terms: we demand 1500$ for his return. If you agree – write a note and send it you’re your messenger tonight at half past 8. A little way from the wood there are 3 large trees on the road.     There is a fence opposite these trees and there you’ll find a small paper box. If you do not do as we ask you to do – you will never see your boy again. If you pay the money – it will take us only 3 hours to bring him back.

                                                                                     Two Desperate Men.”

(кладёт письмо в карман и уходит)

 

    R.Ch.: Snake-eye, you said I could play the Black Scout while you are away.

    Sam: Play it, of course. Mr. Bill will play with you. What kind of game is it?

    R.Ch.: I’m the Black Scout and I have to ride a horse. I am tired of playing Indian. I want to be the Black Scout.

    Bill: But what shall I do? (Удивление)

    R.Ch.: You are the horse. Get down on your hands and knees and I’ll ride on you.

   Bill: How far are you going to ride?

    R.Ch.: Ninety miles.

    Bill: Ninety miles! For Heaven’s sake, Sam, hurry back. Return as quickly as you can. I’m sorry we didn’t ask for a 1000$ only!

    Sam (уходит): By-bye! I’ll come back very soon.

    (Сэм возвращается, зовёт R.Ch. и Билла, но их нигде нет. Он курит трубку и ходит туда-сюда)

      Sam: Where are they?

    (Появляется Билл. За ним, осторожно ступая, крадётся R.Ch..Он улыбается и указывает пальцем на Билла. Билл останавливается, смахивает пот, снимает шляпу. R.Ch. останавливается тоже и прячется)

    Bill: Sam, you may think I am a bad friend but I couldn’t help it. You know I used to take part in many dangerous plans. You know I have always stood by you and was of great help to you in everything you did. But this time I couldn’t help it… The boy’s gone. I have sent him home. Everything is lost. My patience has come to an end.

    Sam: What’s the matter, Bill?

    Bill: He rode me. He rode me ninety miles. Then he gave me oats to eat. And it was not real oats of course. It was earth. And then for an hour he asked me questions and I had to explain why there is nothing on the holes, why a road runs in both directions; why grass is green. So at the end of 2 hours I took him by the ear and dragged him down the mountain. On the way down he kicked my legs back and blue from the knees to down. He hit my hand so hard that I have to use some iodine now. But I am glad to say he is gone. He is gone home. I showed him the road to the town and kicked him so hard that he fell down. I am sorry we have lost the ransom. But we had to choose: either the ransom or Bill Driscoll goes to the madhouse.(пауза)

    Sam: Bill, is your heart strong?

    Bill: I think so, why do you ask?

    Sam: If your heart strong, you may turn around and look.

    Bill (поворачивается и медленно садится на землю)

 

IX

 

    (R.Ch.’s dad находит коробку, бросает письмо и уходит. Sam с биноклем наблюдает. Подходит к коробке, хватает письмо и бежит обратно. Читает письмо.)

    Sam: God! The old man is mad.

    Bill несчастным видом): What’s 250$ after all? We have the money. One more night with the boy and you’ll have to take me to the madhouse... Oh, Sam, please, let’s pay the money and go away from here!

    Sam: to tell you the truth I’m tied of our little friend too. We’ll take him home, pay the ransom and leave the town at once.

 

X

 

Sam: Johnny, you’ll have to visit your poor father. He has bought you a rifle and mоcassins. We’ll take it and go hunting.

 

XI.

 

    (Папа Джонни и Сэм)    

    Sam: Take it!(даёт деньги. Отец забирает сына, но тот визжит и бежит за ними. Отец хватает сына и тащит его за собой)

    Bill: How long can you hold him?

    Mr. Dorset: I am not as strong as I used to be, but I think I can promise you 10 minutes.

    Bill: Enough. In 10 minutes I’ll cross the Central, Southern and Middle Western States. In 15 min. I’ll be in Canada. (Он убегает.)

 

 

Обсуждение создано: Синяева Людмила Николаевна , 31 Август 03:08
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