Happy Days by Samuel Beckett Read Free Book Online

day. [ Pause. ] Oh yes, many mercies, many mercies. [ Pause. ] And now? [ Pause. ] And now, Willie? [ Long pause. ] I call to the eye of the mind . . . Mr. Shower—or Cooker. [ She closes her eyes. Bell rings loudly. She opens her eyes. Pause. ] Hand in hand, in the other hands bags. [ Pause. ] Getting on . . . in life. [ Pause. ] No longer young, not yet old. [ Pause. ] Standing there gaping at me. [ Pause. ] Can’t have been a bad bosom, he says, in its day. [ Pause. ] Seen worse shoulders, he says, in my time. [ Pause. ] Does she feel her legs? he says. [ Pause. ] Is there any life in her legs? he says [ Pause. ] Has she anything on underneath? he says. [ Pause. ] Ask her, he says, I’m shy. [ Pause. ] Ask her what? she says. [ Pause. ] Is there any life in her legs.[ Pause. ] Has she anything on underneath. [ Pause. ] Ask her yourself, she says. [ Pause. With sudden violence. ] Let go of me for Christ sake and drop! [ Pause. Do. ] Drop dead! [ Smile. ] But no. [ Smile broader. ] No no. [ Smile off. ] I watch them recede. [ Pause. ] Hand in hand—and the bags. [ Pause. ] Dim. [ Pause. ] Then gone. [ Pause. ] Last human kind—to stray this way. [ Pause. ] Up to date. [ Pause. ] And now? [ Pause. Low. ] Help. [ Pause. Do. ] Help, Willie. [ Pause. Do. ] No? [ Long pause. Narrative. ] Suddenly a mouse . . . [ Pause. ] Suddenly a mouse ran up her little thigh and Mildred, dropping Dolly in her fright, began to scream—[ Winnie gives a sudden piercing scream ] — and screamed and screamed—[ Winnie screams twice ]—screamed and screamed and screamed and screamed till all came running, in their night attire, papa, mamma, Bibby and . . . old Annie, to see what was the matter . . . [ pause ] . . . what on earth could possibly be the matter. [ Pause. ] Too late. [ Pause. ] Too late. [ Long pause. Just audible. ] Willie. [ Pause. Normal voice. ] Ah well, not long now, Winnie, can’t be long now, until the bell for sleep. [ Pause. ] Then you may close your eyes, then you must close your eyes—and keep them closed. [ Pause. ] Why say that again?[ Pause. ] I used to think . . . [ pause ] . . . I say I used to think there was no difference between one fraction of a second and the next. [ Pause. ] I used to say . . . [ pause ] . . . I say I used to say, Winnie, you are changeless, there is never any difference between one fraction of a second and the next. [ Pause. ] Why bring that up again? [ Pause. ] There is so little one can bring up, one brings up all. [ Pause. ] All one can. [ Pause. ] My neck is hurting me. [ Pause. With sudden violence. ] My neck is hurting me! [ Pause. ] Ah that’s better. [ With mild irritation. ] Everything within reason. [ Long pause. ] I can do no more. [ Pause. ] Say no more. [ Pause. ] But I must say more. [ Pause. ] Problem here. [ Pause. ] No, something must move, in the world, I can’t any more. [ Pause. ] A zephyr. [ Pause. ] A breath. [ Pause. ] What are those immortal lines? [ Pause. ] It might be the eternal dark. [ Pause. ] Black night without end. [ Pause. ] Just chance, I take it, happy chance. [ Pause. ] Oh yes, abounding mercies. [ Long pause. ] And now? [ Pause. ] And now, Willie? [ Long pause. ] That day. [ Pause. ] The pink fizz. [ Pause. ] The flute glasses. [ Pause. ] The last guest gone. [ Pause. ] The last bumper with the bodies nearly touching. [ Pause. ] The look. [ Long pause. ]What day? [ Long pause. ] What look? [ Long pause. ] I hear cries. [ Pause. ] Sing. [ Pause. ] Sing your old song, Winnie. [ Long pause. Suddenly alert expression. Eyes switch right. Willie’s head appears to her right round corner of mound. He is on all fours, dressed to kill—top hat, morning coat, striped trousers, etc., white gloves in hand. Very long bushy white Battle of Britain moustache. He halts, gazes front, smooths moustache. He emerges completely from behind mound, turns to his left, halts, looks up at Winnie. He advances on all fours towards centre, halts, turns head front, gazes