The Collected Plays. Rabindranath Tagore
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It gives me food for thought. If only I had here our neighbour, the Scribe! I should like to take this down. Do send round to tell the people of the place to assemble.
Chandra
But, Ferryman, you promised to come out with us. Yet, if once Dada begins to quote his quatrains, there will be——
Ferryman
Go along with you. None of your madness here. We are fortunate now in having met our master. Let us improve the occasion with good words. We are all of us getting old. Who knows when we shall die?
All the more reason why you should cultivate our company.
Chandra
You can always find another Dada. But when once we are dead, God will never repeat the blunder of another absurdity like us again.
(Enter Oilman.)
Oilman
Ho! Watchman.
Watchman
Who is there? Is that the Oilman?
Oilman
The child I was bringing up was kidnapped last night.
Watchman
By whom?
Oilman
By the Old Man.
Youths
(Together.) Old Man? You don't mean it. Old Man?
Oilman
Yes, Sirs, the Old Man; what makes you so glad?
Oh, that's a bad habit of ours. We become glad for no reason whatever.
Watchman
(Aside.) Mad! Raving mad! Have you seen the Old Man?
Oilman
I think I saw him in the distance last night.
First Youth
What did he look like?
Oilman
Black. More black than our brother here, the Watchman. Black as night, with two eyes on his breast shining like two glow-worms.
That won't suit us. That would be awkward for our Spring Festival.
Chandra
We shall have to change our date from the full moon to the dark moon. For the dark moon has no end of eyes on her breast.
Watchman
But I warn you, my friends, you are not doing wisely.
No, we are not.
We are found out again. We never do anything wisely. It is contrary to our habit.
Watchman
Do you take this to be a joke? I warn you, my friends, it is dangerous.
Dangerous? That's the best joke of all.
(They sing.)
We are neither too good nor wise,
That is all the merit we have.
Our calumny spreads from land to land,
And danger dogs our steps.
We take great care to forget what is taught us,
We say things different from the book,
Bringing upon us trouble,
And rebuke from the learned.
Watchman
Ah, Sir, you spoke about some Leader. Where is he? He could have kept you in order, if he were with you.
He never stays with us, lest he should have to keep us in order.
He simply launches us on our way, and then slips off.
Watchman
That's a poor idea of leadership.
Chandra
He is never concerned about his leadership. That is why we recognize him as our Leader.
Watchman
Then he has got a very easy task.
Chandra
It is no easy task to lead men. But it is easy enough to drive them.
(They sing.)
We are not too good nor wise,
That is all the merit we have.
In a luckless moment we were born,
When the star of wisdom was the dimmest.
We can hope for no profit from our adventures,
We move on, because we must.
Dada, come on. Let us go.
Watchman
No, no, Sir. Don't you get yourself into mischief in their company.
Ferryman
You read your verses, Sir, to us. Our neighbours will be here soon. They will be greatly profited.
Dada
No. I'm not going to move a step from here.
Then let us move. The men in the street can't bear us.
That's because we rattle them too much.
You hear the hum of human bees, they smell the honey of Dada's quatrains.
Youths
(Together.) They come! They come!
(Enter Village folk.)
Villager
Is it true that there is going to be a reading?
Who are you? Are you going to read?
No. We commit all kinds of atrocities, but not that. This one merit will bring us salvation.
Villager
What do they say? They seem to be talking in riddles.
Chandra
We only say things which we perfectly understand ourselves, and they are riddles to you. Dada repeats to you things which you understand perfectly and these sound to you the very essence of wisdom.
(Boy enters.)
Boy
I couldn't catch him.
Whom?
Boy
The Old Man, whom you are seeking.
Have you seen him?
Boy
Yes, I thought I saw him going by in a car.
Where? In what direction?
Boy
I couldn't make out exactly. The dust raised by his wheels is still whirling in the air.
Then let us go.
He has filled the sky with dead leaves.
(They go out.
Watchman
They are mad! Quite mad! Raving mad!
ACT III
SONG-PRELUDE
(Winter is being unmasked—his hidden youth about to be disclosed.)
The