Mother Courage and Her Children Read online

  MOTHER COURAGE. Do they have to be mine?

  SERGEANT. So that’s the trouble! The war should swallow the pits and spit out the peach, huh? Tsk, tsk, tsk: call yourself Mother Courage and then get scared of the war, your breadwinner? Your sons aren’t scared, I know that much.

  EILIF. No war can scare me.

  SERGEANT. Of course not! Take me. The soldier’s life hasn’t done me any harm, has it? I enlisted at seventeen.

  MOTHER COURAGE. You haven’t reached seventy.

  SERGEANT. I will, though.

  MOTHER COURAGE. Above ground?

  SERGEANT. Are you trying to rile me, telling me I’ll die?

  MOTHER COURAGE. Suppose it’s the truth? Suppose I see it’s your fate? Suppose I know you’re just a corpse on furlough?

  SWISS CHEESE. She can look into the future. Everyone says so.

  RECRUITING OFFICER. Then by all means look into the Sergeant’s future. It might amuse him.

  SERGEANT. I don’t believe in that stuff.

  MOTHER COURAGE. (obeying the OFFICER) Helmet!

  (SERGEANT gives her his helmet.)

  SERGEANT. Anything for a laugh.

  (MOTHER COURAGE takes a sheet of parchment and tears it in two.)

  MOTHER COURAGE. Eilif, Swiss Cheese, Kattrin! So shall we all be torn asunder if we let ourselves get too deep into this war! (to the SERGEANT:) I’ll give you the bargain rate, and do it for free. Watch! Death is black, so I draw a black cross.

  SWISS CHEESE. (pointing to the second piece of parchment) And the other she leaves blank, see?

  MOTHER COURAGE. I fold them, put them in the helmet, and mix ’em up, the way we’re all mixed up from our mother’s womb on. Now draw!

  RECRUITING OFFICER. (to EILIF) I don’t take just anybody. I’m choosy. And you’ve got guts, I like that.

  SERGEANT. (after hesitating, fishes around in the helmet) It’s a lot of crap!

  SWISS CHEESE. (watching over his shoulder) The black cross! Oh, his number’s up!

  SERGEANT. (hoarsely) You cheated me!

  MOTHER COURAGE. You cheated yourself the day you enlisted. And now we must drive on. There isn’t a war every day in the week.

  SERGEANT. Hell, you’re not getting away with this! We’re taking that bastard of yours with us!

  EILIF. I’d like that, mother.

  MOTHER COURAGE. Quiet – you Finnish devil, you!

  EILIF. And Swiss Cheese wants to be a soldier, too.

  MOTHER COURAGE. That’s news to me. I see I’ll have to draw lots for all three of you. (She goes to one side to do this. )

  RECRUITING OFFICER. (to EILIF:) People’ve been saying the Swedish soldier is religious. That kind of loose talk has hurt us a lot. One verse of a hymn every Sunday – and then only if you have a voice…

  (MOTHER COURAGE returns with the slips and puts them in the SERGEANT’s helmet.)

  MOTHER COURAGE. So they’d desert their old mother, would they, the rascals? They take to war like a cat to cream! Well, there’s yours, Eilif, my boy! (As EILIF takes the slip, she snatches it and holds it up.) See? A cross!

  RECRUITING OFFICER. (to EILIF) If you’re going to wet your pants, I’ll try your kid brother.

  MOTHER COURAGE. Take yours, Swiss Cheese. You should be a better bet – you’re my good boy. (SWISS CHEESE draws.) Don’t tell me it’s a cross? Is there no saving you either? Just look, Sergeant – a black cross!

  SERGEANT. What I don’t see is why I got one: I always stay well in the rear. (to the OFFICER) It can’t be a trick: it gets her own children.

  MOTHER COURAGE. (to KATTRIN) Now all I have left is you. You’re a cross in yourself but you have a kind heart. (She holds the helmet up but takes the slip herself.) Oh dear, there must be some mistake! Don’t be too kind, Kattrin, don’t be too kind – there’s a black cross in your path! So now you all know: be careful! Be very careful! (MOTHER COURAGE climbs on her wagon preparing to leave.)

  RECRUITING OFFICER. (to SERGEANT) Do something!

  SERGEANT. I don’t feel too good.

  RECRUITING OFFICER. Try doing business with her! (in a loud voice) That belt, Sergeant, you could at least take a look at it! Hey, you, the Sergeant will take the belt!

  MOTHER COURAGE. Half a guilder. Worth four times the price.

  SERGEANT. It’s not even a new one. But there’s too much wind here. I’ll go look at it behind the wagon.

  MOTHER COURAGE. It doesn’t seem windy to me.

  SERGEANT. Maybe it’s worth half a guilder at that. There’s silver on it.

  MOTHER COURAGE. (now following him eagerly behind the wagon) A solid six ounces worth!

  RECRUITING OFFICER. (to EILIF) I can let you have some cash in advance, how about it?

  (EIFIL hesitates. MOTHER COURAGE is behind the wagon.)

  MOTHER COURAGE. Half a guilder then. Quick.

  SERGEANT. I still don’t see why I had to draw a cross. As I told you, I always stay in the rear – it’s the only place that’s safe. You’ve ruined my afternoon, Mother Courage.

  MOTHER COURAGE. You mustn’t say so. Here. Take a shot of brandy. (He does.) And go right on staying in the rear. Half a guilder.

  (The RECRUITING OFFICER has taken EILIF by the arm and drawn him away.)

  RECRUITING OFFICER. Ten guilders in advance, and you’re a soldier of the king! The women’ll be crazy about you, and you can smack me in the puss because I insulted you!

  (They leave. KATTRIN makes harsh noises.)

  MOTHER COURAGE. Coming Kattrin, coming! The Sergeant’s just paying his bill. (She bites the half guilder.) All money is suspect, Sergeant, but your half guilder is good. Let’s go. Where’s Eilif?

  SWISS CHEESE. Gone with the recruiting officer.

  (pause)

  MOTHER COURAGE. Oh, you simpleton! (to KATTRIN) You can’t speak. You couldn’t tell me.

  SERGEANT. That’s life, Mother Courage. Take a shot yourself.

  MOTHER COURAGE. You must help your brother now, Kattrin.

  (BROTHER AND SISTER get into harness together and pull the wagon. They all move off.)

  SERGEANT. (looking after them)

  When a war gives you all you earn

  One day it may claim something in return!

  2.

  (In the years 1625 and 1626 MOTHER COURAGE journeys through Poland in the baggage train of the Swedish army. She meets her brave son again before Wallhof Castle. Of the successful sale of a capon and great days for the brave son.)

  (The tent of the Swedish Commander, and the kitchen next to it. Sound of cannon. In the kitchen. MOTHER COURAGE and the COOK. The COOK has a Dutch accent. )

  COOK. Sixty hellers – for that paltry piece of poultry?

  MOTHER COURAGE. Paltry poultry? He’s the fattest fowl you ever saw. I could get sixty hellers for him – this Commander can eat!

  COOK. They’re ten hellers a dozen on every street corner.

  MOTHER COURAGE. A capon like that on every street corner? With a siege going on and people all skin and bones? Maybe you can find a field rat some place. I said maybe, because we’re all out of them too. All right, then, in a siege, my price for this giant capon is fifty hellers.

  COOK. We’re doing the besieging, it’s the other side that’s “in a siege”!

  MOTHER COURAGE. A fat lot of difference that makes – we don’t have a thing to eat either. Look at the farmers round here. They haven’t a thing.

  COOK. Sure they have. They hide it.

  MOTHER COURAGE. They haven’t a thing! They’re ruined. They’re so hungry they dig up roots to eat. I could boil that leather belt of yours and make their mouths water with it. And I’m supposed to let a capon go for forty hellers?

  COOK. Thirty. I said thirty hellers.

  MOTHER COURAGE. I know your problem. If you don’t find something to eat and quick, the Commander will cut your fat head off!

  COOK. Look! Here’s a piece of beef. I am about to roast it. I give you one more chance.

  MOTHER COURAGE. Roast it. Go a
head. It’s only twelve months old.

  COOK. Twelve hours old! Why, only yesterday it was a cow – I saw it running around!

  MOTHER COURAGE. Then it must have started stinking before it died.

  COOK. I’ll cook it five hours if I have to.

  MOTHER COURAGE. Put plenty of pepper in.

  (THE SWEDISH COMMANDER, THE CHAPLAIN, and EILIF enter the tent. The COMMANDER claps EILIF on the shoulder.)

  COMMANDER. In your Commander’s tent you go, Eilif, my son, sit at my right hand! Well done, good and faithful servant – you’ve played the hero in God’s own war and you’ll get a gold bracelet out of it yet if I have any say in the matter! We come to save their souls and what do they do, the filthy, irreligious sons of bitches? Try to hide their cattle from us – meanwhile stuffing beef into priests at both ends! But you showed ’em – so here’s a can of red wine for you. We’ll drink together. (They do so.) The chaplain gets the dregs, he’s so pious. And now, my hearty, what would you like for dinner?

  EILIF. How about a slice of meat?

  COOK. Nothing to eat – so he brings company to eat it.

  MOTHER COURAGE. Sh!

  COMMANDER. Cook! Meat!!

  EILIF. Tires you out, skinning peasants. Gives you an appetite.

  MOTHER COURAGE. Dear God, it’s my Eilif!

  COOK. Who?

  MOTHER COURAGE. My eldest. It’s two years since I saw him. He must be high in favor – the Commander inviting him to dinner! And what do you have to eat? Nothing. The Commander’s guest wants meat! Take my advice: buy the capon. The price is one hundred hellers.

  (The COMMANDER has sat down with EILIF and the CHAPLAIN.)

  COMMANDER. (roaring) Dinner, you pig! Or I’ll have your head!

  COOK. This is blackmail. Give me the damn thing!

  MOTHER COURAGE. A paltry piece of poultry like this?

  COOK. You were right. Give it here. It’s highway robbery, fifty hellers.

  MOTHER COURAGE. One hundred hellers. No price is too high for the Commander’s guest of honor.

  COOK· Well, you might at least pluck the wretched thing till I have a fire going.

  (MOTHER COURAGE sits down to pluck the capon.)

  MOTHER COURAGE. I can’t wait to see his face when he sees me.

  COMMANDER. Another glass, my son! It’s my favorite Faler-nian. There’s only one keg left but it’s worth it to meet a soldier that still believes in God! Our chaplain here only preaches. He hasn’t a clue how things get done. So now, Eilif my boy, tell us how you fixed the peasants and grabbed the twenty bullocks.

  EILIF. It was like this. I found out the peasants had hidden the oxen in a certain wood. The people from the town were to pick them up there. So I let them go for their oxen in peace – they should know better than me where they are, I said to myself. Meanwhile I made my men crazy for meat. Their rations were short already. I made sure they got shorter. Finally, their mouths would water at the sound of any word beginning with M – like mother.

  COMMANDER Smart kid!

  EILIF. Not bad. The rest was a snap. Only the peasants had clubs – and outnumbered us three to one. They made a murderous attack on us. Four of them drove me into a clump of trees, knocked my sword from my hand, and screamed: Surrender! What now? I said to myself, they’ll make mincemeat of me.

  COMMANDER. So what did you do?

  EILIF. I laughed.

  COMMANDER. You what?

  EILIF. I laughed. And so we got to talking. I came right down to business and said: “Twenty guilders an ox is too much, I bid fifteen.” Like I wanted to buy. That foxed ’em. So while they were scratching their heads. I reached for my good sword and cut ’em to ribbons. Necessity knows no law, huh?

  COMMANDER. What do you say, keeper of souls?

  CHAPLAIN. Strictly speaking, that saying is not in the Bible. Our Lord made five hundred loaves out of five so that no necessity should arise. So when he told men to love their neighbors, their bellies were full. Things have changed since his day.

  COMMANDER. (laughing) Things have changed! Some wine for those wise words, you old Pharisee! Eilif my boy, you cut them to ribbons in a great cause! As for our fellows, “they were hungry and you gave them to eat!” You don’t know how I value a brave soldier like you. (He points to the map.) Let’s take a look at our position. It isn’t all it might be, is it?

  MOTHER COURAGE He must be a very bad commander, this fellow.

  COOK. Just a greedy one. Why bad?

  MOTHER COURAGE. He says he needs brave soldiers. If his plan of campaign was any good, wouldn’t plain ordinary soldiers do? Bravery! In a good country, such virtues wouldn’t be needed. We could all be cowards and relax.

  COMMANDER. I bet your father was a soldier.

  EILIF. A very great soldier. My mother warned me about it. In a little song.

  COMMANDER. Sing it’ (roaring:) Bring that meat!

  EILIF. It’s called The Fishwife and the Soldier.

  Song - THE FISHWIFE AND THE SOLDIER

  TO A SOLDIER LAD COMES AN OLD FISHWIFE

  AND THIS OLD FISHWIFE, SAYS SHE:

  A GUN WILL SHOOT, A KNIFE WILL KNIFE,

  YOU WILL DROWN IF YOU FALL IN THE SEA.

  KEEP AWAY FROM THE ICE IF YOU WANT MY ADVICE,

  SAYS THE OLD FISHWIFE, SAYS SHE.

  THE SOLDIER LAUGHS AND LOADS HIS GUN

  THEN GRABS HIS KNIFE AND STARTS TO RUN:

  IT’S THE LIFE OF A HERO FOR ME!

  FROM THE NORTH TO THE SOUTH I SHALL MARCH THROUGH

  THE LAND

  WITH A KNIFE AT MY SIDE AND A GUN IN MY HAND!

  SAYS THE SOLDIER LAD, SAYS HE.

  WHEN THE LAD DEFIES THE FlSHWlFE’S CRIES

  THE OLD FISHWIFE, SAYS SHE:

  THE YOUNG ARE YOUNG, THE OLD ARE WISE,

  YOU WILL DROWN IF YOU FALL IN THE SEA.

  DON’T IGNORE WHAT I SAY OR YOU’LL RUE IT ONE DAY!

  SAYS THE OLD FISHWIFE, SAYS SHE.

  BUT GUN IN HAND AND KNIFE AT SIDE

  THE SOLDIER STEPS INTO THE TIDE:

  IT’S THE LIFE OF A HERO FOR ME!

  WHEN THE NEW MOON IS SHINING ON SHINGLE ROOFS WHITE

  WE ARE ALL COMING BACK, GO AND PRAY FOR THAT NIGHT.

  SAYS THE SOLDIER LAD, SAYS HE.

  AND THE FISHWIFE OLD DOES WHAT SHE’S TOLD:

  DOWN ON HER KNEES DROPS SHE.

  WHEN THE SMOKE IS GONE, THE AIR IS COLD,

  YOUR HEROIC DEEDS WON’T WARM ME!

  SEE THE SMOKE, HOW IT GOES! MAY GOD SCATTER HIS FOES!

  DOWN UPON HER KNEES DROPS SHE.

  BUT GUN IN HAND AND KNIFE AT SIDE

  THE LAD IS SWEPT OUT BY THE TIDE:

  HE FLOATS WITH THE ICE TO THE SEA.

  AND THE NEW MOON IS SHINING ON SHINGLE ROOFS WHITE

  BUT THE LAD AND HIS LAUGHTER ARE LOST IN THE NIGHT:

  HE FLOATS WITH THE ICE TO THE SEA.

  (The third stanza has been sung by MOTHER COURAGE , somewhat to the COMMANDER’s surprise.)

  COMMANDER. What goes on in my kitchen? The liberties they take nowadays!

  (EILIF has now left the tent for the kitchen. He embraces his mother.)

  EILIF. You! Mother! Where are the others?

  MOTHER COURAGE. (still in his arms) Happy as ducks in a pond. Swiss Cheese is paymaster with the Second Protestant Regiment.

  EILIF. Paymaster, eh?

  MOTHER COURAGE. At least he isn’t in the fighting.

  EILIF. Your feet holding up?

  MOTHER COURAGE. I have a bit of trouble getting my shoes on in the morning.

  COMMANDER. (also in the kitchen by now) So! You’re his mother? I hope you have more sons for me like this young fellow?

  EILIF. If I’m not the lucky one! To be the Commander’s guest – while you sit listening in the kitchen!

  MOTHER COURAGE. I heard you all right. (She gives him a clout on the ear.)

  EILIF. (grinning) Because I took the oxen?

  MOTHER COURAGE. No. Because you didn’t surrender
when the four peasants tried to make mincemeat out of you! Didn’t I teach you to take care of yourself, you Finnish devil, you?

  3.

  (Three years pass, and MOTHER COURAGE, with parts of a Finnish regiment, is taken prisoner. Her daughter is saved, her wagon likewise, but her honest son dies.)

  (A camp. The regimental flag is flying from a pole. Afternoon. MOTHER COURAGE’s clothes-line is tied to the wagon at one end, to a cannon at the other. She and KATTRIN are folding the wash on the cannon. At the same time she is bargaining with an ORDNANCE OFFICER over a bag of bullets. SWISS CHEESE, wearing his Paymaster’s uniform, looks on. YVETTE POTTIER, a very good-looking young person, is sewing at a colored hat, a glass of brandy before her. Her red boots are nearby; she is in stocking feet.)

  ORDNANCE OFFICER. I’m letting you have the bullets for two guilders. Dirt cheap. ‘Cause I need the money. The Colonel’s been drinking for three days and we’re out of liquor.

  MOTHER COURAGE. They’re army property. If they find them here, I’ll be court-martialled. You sell your bullets, you bastards, and send your men out to fight with nothing to shoot with.

  ORDNANCE OFFICER. If you scratch my back, I’ll scratch yours.

  MOTHER COURAGE. I won’t touch army stuff. Not at that price.

  ORDNANCE OFFICER. You can resell ’em for five guilders, maybe eight – to the Ordnance Officer of the 4th Regiment. All you have to do is give him a receipt for twelve. He hasn’t a bullet left.

  MOTHER COURAGE Why don’t you do it yourself?

  ORDNANCE OFFICER. I don’t trust him: we’re friends.

  MOTHER COURAGE. (taking the bag, to KATTRIN) Take it round the back and pay him a guilder and a half. (as the OFFICER starts to protest) A guilder and a half!

  (KATTRIN drags the bag away, the OFFICER follows. To SWISS CHEESE:)

  MOTHER COURAGE. (cont.) Here’s your underwear. Take care of it. It’s October, autumn may come at any time. I don’t say it must, but it may. Nothing must come, not even the seasons. Only your books must balance. Do your books balance, Mr. Paymaster?