Bertolt Brecht: Mutter Courage und ihre Kinder 5

by Bertolt Brecht

  THE CHAPLAIN: What did the mendicant say when he heard the Lutherans were going to turn everything in town and country topsy-turvy? ‘They’ll always need beggars’. Mother Courage disappears into the cart. So she’s still worried about the cash box. So far they’ve taken us all for granted as part of the cart, but how long for?

  SWISS CHEESE: I can get rid of it.

  THE CHAPLAIN: That’s almost more dangerous. Suppose you’re seen. They have spies. Yesterday a fellow popped up out of the ditch in front of me just as I was relieving myself first thing. I was so scared I only just suppressed an ejaculatory prayer. That would have given me away all right. I think what they’d like best is to go sniffing people’s excrement to see if they’re Protestants. The spy was a little runt with a patch over one eye.

  MOTHER COURAGE clambering out of the cart with a basket: What have I found, you shameless creature? She holds up the red boots in triumph. Yvette’s red high-heeled boots! Coolly went and pinched them, she did. Cause you put it in her head she was an enchanting young person. She lays them in the basket. I’m giving them back. Stealing Yvette’s boots! She’s wrecking herself for money. That’s understandable. But you’d do it for nothing, for pleasure. What did I tell you: you’re to wait till it’s peace. No soldiers for you. You’re not to start exhibiting yourself till it’s peacetime.

  THE CHAPLAIN: I don’t find she exhibits herself.

  MOTHER COURAGE: Too much for my liking. Let her be like a stone in Dalecarlia, where there’s nowt else, so folk say ‘Can’t see that cripple’, that’s how I’d lief have her. Then nowt’ll happen to her. To Swiss Cheese: You leave that box where it is, d’you hear? And keep an eye on your sister, she needs it. The pair of you’ll have me in grave yet. Sooner be minding a bagful of fleas.

  She leaves with the chaplain. Kattrin clears away the dishes.

  SWISS CHEESE: Won’t be able to sit out in the sun in shirt-sleeves much longer. Kattrin points at a tree. Aye, leaves turning yellow. Kattrin asks by gestures if he wants a drink. Don’t want no drink. I’m thinking. Pause. Said she can’t sleep. Best if I got rid of that box, found a good place for it. All right, let’s have a glass. Kattrin goes behind the cart. I’ll stuff it down the rat-hole by the river for the time being. Probably pick it up tonight before first light and take it to Regiment. How far can they have retreated in three days? Bet sergeant’s surprised. I’m agreeably disappointed in you, Swiss Cheese, he’ll say. I make you responsible for the cash, and you go and bring it back.

  As Kattrin emerges from behind the cart with a full glass in her hand, two men confront her. One is a sergeant, the other doffs his hat to her. He has a patch over one eye.

  THE MAN WITH THE PATCH: God be with you, mistress. Have you seen anyone round here from Second Finnish Regimental Headquarters?

  Kattrin, badly frightened, runs downstage, spilling the brandy. The two men look at one another, then withdraw on seeing Swiss Cheese sitting there.

  SWISS CHEESE interrupted in his thoughts: You spilt half of it. What are those faces for? Jabbed yourself in eye? I don’t get it. And I’ll have to be off, I’ve thought it over, it’s the only way. He gets up. She does everything possible to make him realise the danger. He only shrugs her off. Wish I knew what you’re trying to say. Sure you mean well, poor creature, just can’t get words out. What’s it matter your spilling my brandy, I’ll drink plenty more glasses yet, what’s one more or less? He gets the box from the cart and takes it under his tunic. Be back in a moment. Don’t hold me up now, or I’ll be angry. I know you mean well. Too bad you can’t speak. As she tries to hold him back he kisses her and tears himself away. Exit. She is desperate, running hither and thither uttering little noises. The chaplain and Mother Courage return. Kattrin rushes to her mother.

  MOTHER COURAGE: What’s all this? Pull yourself together, love. They done something to you? Where’s Swiss Cheese? Tell it me step by step, Kattrin. Mother understands you.

  What, so that bastard did take the box? I’ll wrap it round his ears, the little hypocrite. Take your time and don’t gabble, use your hands, I don’t like it when you howl like a dog, what’ll his reverence say? Makes him uncomfortable. What, a one-eyed man came along?

  THE CHAPLAIN: That one-eyed man is a spy. Have they arrested Swiss Cheese? Kattrin shakes her head, shrugs her shoulders. We’re done for.

  MOTHER COURAGE fishes in her basket and brings out a Catholic flag, which the chaplain fixes to the mast: Better hoist new flag.

  THE CHAPLAIN bitterly: All good Catholics here.

  Voices are heard from the rear. The two men bring in Swiss Cheese.

  SWISS CHEESE: Let me go, I got nowt. Don’t twist my shoulder, I’m innocent.

  SERGEANT: Here’s where he came from. You know each other.

  MOTHER 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, ten hellers it cost. You might have seen me sitting here, it was too salty.

  SERGEANT: Who are you people, eh?

  MOTHER COURAGE: We’re law-abiding folk. That’s right, he bought a dinner. Said it was too salty.

  SERGEANT: Trying to pretend you don’t know each other, that it?

  MOTHER COURAGE: Why should I know him? Can’t know everyone. I don’t go asking ’em what they’re called and are they a heretic; if he pays he ain’t a heretic. You a heretic?

  SWISS CHEESE: Go on.

  THE CHAPLAIN: He sat there very properly, never opening his mouth except when eating. Then he had to.

  SERGEANT: And who are you?

  MOTHER COURAGE: He’s just my potboy. Now I expect you gentlemen are thirsty, I’ll get you a glass of brandy, you must be hot and tired with running.

  SERGEANT: No brandy on duty. To Swiss Cheese: You were carrying something. Must have hidden it by the river. Was a bulge in your tunic when you left here.

  MOTHER COURAGE: You sure it was him?

  SWISS CHEESE: You must be thinking of someone else. I saw someone bounding off with a bulge in his tunic. I’m the wrong man.

  MOTHER COURAGE: I’d say it was a misunderstanding too, such things happen. I’m a good judge of people, I’m Courage, you heard of me, everyone knows me, and I tell you that’s an honest face he has.

  SERGEANT: We’re on the track of the Second Finnish Regiment’s cash box. We got the description of the fellow responsible for it. Been trailing him two days. It’s you.

  SWISS CHEESE: It’s not me.

  SERGEANT: And you better cough it up, or you’re a goner, you know. Where is it?

  MOTHER COURAGE urgently: Of course he’d give it over rather than be a goner. Right out he’d say: I got it, here it is, you’re too strong. He ain’t all that stupid. Speak up, stupid idiot, here’s the sergeant giving you a chance.

  SWISS CHEESE: S’pose I ain’t got it.

  SERGEANT: Then come along. We’ll get it out of you. They lead him off.

  MOTHER COURAGE calls after them: He’d tell you. He’s not that stupid. And don’t you twist his shoulder! Runs after them.

  Evening of the same day. The chaplain and dumb Kattrin are cleaning glasses and polishing knives.

  THE CHAPLAIN: Cases like that, where somebody gets caught, are not unknown in religious history. It reminds me of the Passion of Our Lord and Saviour. There’s an old song about that. He sings the Song of the Hours:

  In the first hour Jesus mild

  Who had prayed since even

  Was betrayed and led before

  Pontius the heathen.

  Pilate found him innocent

  Free from fault and error

  Therefore, having washed his hands

  Sent him to King Herod.

  In the third hour he was scourged

  Stripped and clad in scarlet

  And a plaited crown of thorns

  Set upon his forehead.

  On the Son of Man they spat

  Mocked him and made merry.

  Then the cross of death w
as brought

  Given him to carry.

  At the sixth hour with two thieves

  To the cross they nailed him

  And the people and the thieves

  Mocked him and reviled him.

  This is Jesus King of Jews

  Cried they in derision

  Till the sun withdrew its light

  From that awful vision.

  At the ninth hour Jesus wailed

  Why hast thou me forsaken?

  Soldiers brought him vinegar

  Which he left untaken.

  Then he yielded up the ghost

  And the earth was shaken

  Rended was the temple’s veil

  And the saints were wakened.

  Soldiers broke the two thieves’ legs

  As the night descended

  Thrust a spear in Jesus’ side

  When his life had ended.

  Still they mocked, as from his wound

  Flowed the blood and water

  And blasphemed the Son of Man

  With their cruel laughter. *

  MOTHER COURAGE entering excitedly: It’s touch and go. They say sergeant’s open to reason though. Only we mustn’t let on it’s Swiss Cheese else they’ll say we helped him. It’s a matter of money, that’s all. But where’s money to come from? Hasn’t Yvette been round? I ran into her, she’s got her hooks on some colonel, maybe he’d buy her a canteen business.

  THE CHAPLAIN: Do you really wish to sell?

  MOTHER COURAGE: Where’s money for sergeant to come from?

  THE CHAPLAIN: What’ll you live on, then?

  MOTHER COURAGE: That’s just it.

  Yvette Pottier arrives with an extremely ancient colonel.

  YVETTE embracing Mother Courage: My dear Courage, fancy seeing you so soon. Whispers: He’s not unwilling. Aloud:

  This is my good friend who advises me in business matters. I happened to hear you wanted to sell your cart on account of circumstances. I’ll think it over.

  MOTHER COURAGE: Pledge it, not sell, just not too much hurry, ‘tain’t every day you find a cart like this in wartime.

  YVETTE disappointed: Oh, pledge. I thought it was for sale. I’m not so sure I’m interested. To the colonel: How do you feel about it?

  THE COLONEL: Just as you feel, pet.

  MOTHER COURAGE: I’m only pledging it.

  YVETTE: I thought you’d got to have the money.

  MOTHER COURAGE firmly: I got to have it, but sooner run myself ragged looking for a bidder than sell outright. And why? The cart’s our livelihood. It’s a chance for you, Yvette; who knows when you’ll get another like it and have a special friend to advise you, am I right?

  YVETTE: Yes, my friend thinks I should clinch it, but I’m not sure. If it’s only a pledge … so you agree we ought to buy outright?

  THE COLONEL: I agree, pet.

  MOTHER COURAGE: Best look and see if you can find anything for sale then; maybe you will if you don’t rush it, take your friend along with you, say a week or fortnight, might find something suits you.

  YVETTE: Then let’s go looking. I adore going around looking for things, I adore going around with you, Poldi, it’s such fun, isn’t it? No matter if it takes a fortnight. How soon would you pay the money back if you got it?

  MOTHER COURAGE: I’d pay back in two weeks, maybe one.

  YVETTE: I can’t make up my mind, Poldi chéri, you advise me. Takes the colonel aside: She’s got to sell, I know, no problem there. And there’s that ensign, you know, the fair-haired one, he’d be glad to lend me the money. He’s crazy about me, says there’s someone I remind him of. What do you advise?

  THE COLONEL: You steer clear of him. He’s no good. He’s only making use of you. I said I’d buy you something, didn’t I, pussykins?

  YVETTE: I oughtn’t to let you. Of course if you think the ensign might try to take advantage … Poldi, I’ll accept it from you.

  THE COLONEL: That’s how I feel too.

  YVETTE: Is that your advice?

  THE COLONEL: That is my advice.

  YVETTE to Courage once more: My friend’s advice would be to accept. Make me out a receipt saying the cart’s mine once two weeks are up, with all its contents, we’ll check it now, I’ll bring the two hundred florins later. To the colonel: You go back to the camp, I’ll follow, I got to check it all and see there’s nothing missing from my cart. She kisses him. He leaves. She climbs up on the cart. Not all that many boots, are there?

  MOTHER COURAGE: Yvette, it’s no time for checking your cart, s’posing it is yours. You promised you’d talk to sergeant about Swiss Cheese, there ain’t a minute to lose, they say in an hour he’ll be court-martialled.

  YVETTE: Just let me count the shirts.

  MOTHER COURAGE pulling her down by the skirt: You bloody vampire. Swiss Cheese’s life’s at stake. And not a word about who’s making the offer, for God’s sake, pretend it’s your friend, else we’re all done for cause we looked after him.

  YVETTE: I fixed to meet that one-eyed fellow in the copse, he should be there by now.

  THE CHAPLAIN: It doesn’t have to be the whole two hundred either, I’d go up to a hundred and fifty, that may be enough.

  MOTHER COURAGE: Since when has it been your money? You kindly keep out of this. You’ll get your hotpot all right, don’t worry. Hurry up and don’t haggle, it’s life or death. Pushes Yvette off.

  THE CHAPLAIN: Far be it from me to interfere, but what are we going to live on? You’re saddled with a daughter who can’t earn her keep.

  MOTHER COURAGE: I’m counting on regimental cash box, Mr Clever. They’ll allow it as his expenses.

  THE CHAPLAIN: But will she get the message right?

  MOTHER COURAGE: It’s her interest I should spend her two hundred so she gets the cart. She’s set on that, God knows how long that colonel of hers’ll last. Kattrin, polish the knives, there’s the pumice. And you, stop hanging round like Jesus on Mount of Olives, get moving, wash them glasses, we’ll have fifty or more of cavalry in tonight and I don’t want to hear a lot of ‘I’m not accustomed to having to run about, oh my poor feet, we never ran in church’. Thank the Lord they’re corruptible. After all, they ain’t wolves, just humans out for money. Corruption in humans is same as compassion in God. Corruption’s our only hope. Long as we have it there’ll be lenient sentences and even an innocent man’ll have a chance of being let off.

  YVETTE comes in panting: They’ll do it for two hundred. But it’s got to be quick. Soon be out of their hands. Best thing is I go right away to my colonel with the one-eyed man. He’s admitted he had the box, they put the thumbscrews on him. But he chucked it in the river soon as he saw they were on his track. The box is a write-off. I’ll go and get the money from my colonel, shall I?

  MOTHER COURAGE: Box is a write-off? How’m I to pay back two hundred then?

  YVETTE: Oh, you thought you’d get it from the box, did you? And I was to be Joe Soap I suppose? Better not count on that. You’ll have to pay up if you want Swiss Cheese back, or would you sooner I dropped the whole thing so’s you can keep your cart?

  MOTHER COURAGE: That’s something I didn’t allow for. Don’t worry, you’ll get your cart, I’ve said goodbye to it, had it seventeen years, I have. I just need a moment to think, it’s bit sudden, what’m I to do, two hundred’s too much for me, pity you didn’t beat ’em down. Must keep a bit back, else any Tom, Dick and Harry’ll be able to shove me in ditch. Go and tell them I’ll pay hundred and twenty florins, else it’s all off, either way I’m losing me cart.

  YVETTE: They won’t do it. That one-eyed man’s impatient already, keeps looking over his shoulder, he’s so worked up. Hadn’t I best pay them the whole two hundred?

  MOTHER COURAGE in despair: I can’t pay that. Thirty years I been working. She’s twenty-five already, and no husband. I got her to think of too. Don’t push me, I know what I’m doing. Say a hundred and twenty, or it’s off.

  YVETTE: It’s up to you. Rushes off.


  Without looking at either the chaplain or her daughter, Mother Courage sits down to help Kattrin polish knives.

  MOTHER COURAGE: Don’t smash them glasses, they ain’t ours now. Watch what you’re doing, you’ll cut yourself. Swiss Cheese’ll be back, I’ll pay two hundred if it comes to the pinch. You’ll get your brother, love. For eighty florins we could fill a pack with goods and start again. Plenty of folk has to make do.

  THE CHAPLAIN: The Lord will provide, it says.

  MOTHER COURAGE: See they’re properly dry. She cleans knives in silence. Kattrin suddenly runs behind the cart, sobbing.

  YVETTE comes running in: They won’t do it. I told you so. The one-eyed man wanted to leave right away, said there was no point. He says he’s just waiting for the drum-roll; that means sentence has been pronounced. I offered a hundred and fifty. He didn’t even blink. I had to convince him to stay there so’s I could have another word with you.

  MOTHER COURAGE: Tell him I’ll pay the two hundred. Hurry! Yvette runs off. They sit in silence. The chaplain has stopped polishing the glasses. I reckon I bargained too long. In the distance drumming is heard. The chaplain gets up and goes to the rear. Mother Courage remains seated. It grows dark. The drumming stops. It grows light once more. Mother Courage is sitting exactly as before.

  YVETTE arrives, very pale: Well, you got what you asked for, with your haggling and trying to keep your cart. Eleven bullets they gave him, that’s all. You don’t deserve I should bother any more about you. But I did hear they don’t believe the box really is in the river. They’ve an idea it’s here and anyhow that you’re connected with him. They’re going to bring him here, see if you gives yourself away when you sees him. Thought I’d better warn you so’s you don’t recognise him, else you’ll all be for it. They’re right on my heels, best tell you quick. Shall I keep Kattrin away? Mother Courage shakes her head. Does she know? She mayn’t have heard the drumming or know what it meant.

  MOTHER COURAGE: She knows. Get her.

  Yvette fetches Kattrin, who goes to her mother and stands beside her. Mother Courage takes her hand. Two lanseque-nets come carrying a stretcher with something lying on it covered by a sheet. The sergeant marches beside them. They set down the stretcher.