The Complete Dramatic Works (12 page)

[
He
does
not
move.
]

VLADIMIR:
This is becoming really insignificant.

ESTRAGON:
Not enough.

[
Silence.
]

VLADIMIR:
What about trying them?

ESTRAGON:
I’ve tried everything.

VLADIMIR:
No, I mean the boots.

ESTRAGON:
Would that be a good thing?

VLADIMIR:
It’d pass the time, [
ESTRAGON
hesitates.
]
I assure you, it’d be an occupation.

ESTRAGON:
A relaxation.

VLADIMIR:
A recreation.

ESTRAGON:
A relaxation.

VLADIMIR:
Try.

ESTRAGON:
You’ll help me?

VLADIMIR:
I will of course.

ESTRAGON:
We don’t manage too badly, eh Didi, between the two of us?

VLADIMIR:
Yes yes. Come on, we’ll try the left first.

ESTRAGON:
We always find something, eh Didi, to give us the impression we exist?

VLADIMIR:
[
Impatiently.
]
Yes yes, we’re magicians. But let us persevere in what we have resolved, before we
forget. [
He
picks
up
a
boot.
]
Come on, give me your foot.

[
ESTRAGON
raises
his
foot.
]
The other, hog! [
ESTRAGON
 
raises
the
other
foot.
]
Higher! [
Wreathed
together
they
stagger
about
the
stage. 
VLADIMIR
succeeds
finally
in
getting
on
the
boot.
]
Try and walk, [
ESTRAGON
walks.
] Well?

ESTRAGON:
It fits.

VLADIMIR:
[
Taking
string
from
his
pocket.
] We’ll try and lace it.

ESTRAGON:
[
Vehemently.
]
No no, no laces, no laces!

VLADIMIR:
You’ll be sorry. Let’s try the other. [
As
before.
] Well?

ESTRAGON:
[
Grudgingly.
]
It fits too.

VLADIMIR:
They don’t hurt you?

ESTRAGON:
Not yet.

VLADIMIR:
Then you can keep them.

ESTRAGON:
They’re too big.

VLADIMIR:
Perhaps you’ll have socks some day.

ESTRAGON:
True.

VLADIMIR:
Then you’ll keep them?

ESTRAGON:
That’s enough about these boots.

VLADIMIR:
Yes, but –

ESTRAGON:
[
Violently.
]
Enough! [
Silence.
] I suppose I might as well sit down.

[
He
looks
for
a
place
to
sit
down,
then
goes
and
sits
down
on
the
mound.
]

VLADIMIR:
That’s where you were sitting yesterday evening.

ESTRAGON:
If I could only sleep.

VLADIMIR:
Yesterday you slept.

ESTRAGON:
I’ll try.

[
He
resumes
his
foetal
posture,
his
head
between
his
knees.
]

VLADIMIR:
Wait. [
He
goes
over
and
sits
down
beside
ESTRAGON
and
begins
to
sing
in
a
loud
voice.
]

Bye bye bye bye

Bye bye —

ESTRAGON:
[
Looking
up
angrily.
]
Not so loud!

VLADIMIR:
[
Softly.
]

Bye bye bye bye

Bye bye bye bye

Bye bye bye bye

Bye bye …

[
ESTRAGON
sleeps. 
VLADIMIR
gets
up
softly,
takes
off
his
coat
and
lays
it
across
 
ESTRAGON
’
s
shoulders,
then
starts
walking
up
and
down,
swinging
his
arms
to
keep
himself
warm,
 
ESTRAGON
wakes
with
a
start,
jumps
up,
casts
about
wildly. 
VLADIMIR
runs
to
him,
puts
his
arms
round
him.
]
There … there … Didi is there … don’t be afraid …

ESTRAGON:
Ah!

VLADIMIR:
There … there … it’s all over.

ESTRAGON:
I was falling –

VLADIMIR:
It’s all over, it’s all over.

ESTRAGON:
I was on top of a –

VLADIMIR:
Don’t tell me! Come, we’ll walk it off.

[
He
takes
 
ESTRAGON
by
the
arm
and
walks
him
up
and
down
until 
ESTRAGON
refuses
to
go
any
further.
]

ESTRAGON:
That’s enough. I’m tired.

VLADIMIR:
You’d rather be stuck there doing nothing?

ESTRAGON:
Yes.

VLADIMIR:
Please yourself.

[
He
releases
ESTRAGON
,
picks
up
his
coat
and
puts
it
on.
]

ESTRAGON:
Let’s go.

VLADIMIR:
We can’t.

ESTRAGON:
Why not?

VLADIMIR:
We’re waiting for Godot.

ESTRAGON:
Ah! [
VLADIMIR
walks
up
and
down.
] Can you not stay still?

VLADIMIR:
I’m cold.

ESTRAGON:
We came too soon.

VLADIMIR:
It’s always at nightfall.

ESTRAGON:
But night doesn’t fall.

VLADIMIR:
It’ll fall all of a sudden, like yesterday.

ESTRAGON:
Then it’ll be night.

VLADIMIR:
And we can go.

ESTRAGON:
Then it’ll be day again. [
Pause.
Despairing.
] What’ll we do, what’ll we do!

VLADIMIR:
[
Halting,
violently.
]
Will you stop whining! I’ve had about my bellyful of your lamentations!

ESTRAGON:
I’m going.

VLADIMIR:
[
Seeing
Lucky’
s
hat.
]
Well!

ESTRAGON:
Farewell.

VLADIMIR:
Lucky’s hat. [
He
goes
towards
it.
]
I’ve been here an hour and never saw it. [
Very
pleased.
]
Fine!

ESTRAGON:
You’ll never see me again.

VLADIMIR:
I knew it was the right place. Now our troubles are over. [
He
picks
up
the
hat,
contemplates
it,
straightens 
it.
]
Must have been a very fine
hat.
[
He
puts
it
on
in
place
of
his
own
which
he
hands
to
ESTRAGON
.] Here.

ESTRAGON:
What?

VLADIMIR:
Hold that.

[
ESTRAGON
takes
Vladimir’s
hat.
 
VLADIMIR
adjusts
Lucky’s
hat
on
his
head,
ESTRAGON
puts
on
Vladimir’s
hat
in
place
of
his
own
which
he
hands
to 
VLADIMIR
. 
VLADIMIR
takes
Estragon’s
hat.
 
ESTRAGON
adjusts
Vladimir’s
hat
on
his
head.
VLADIMIR
puts
on
Estragon’s
hat
in
place
of
Lucky’s
which
he
hands
to 
ESTRAGON
. 
ESTRAGON
takes
Lucky’s
hat.
VLADIMIR
adjusts
Estragon’s
hat
on
his
head, 
ESTRAGON
puts
on
Lucky’s
hat
in
place
of
Vladimir’s
which
he
hands
to
VLADIMIR
. 
VLADIMIRV
takes
his
hat.
 
ESTRAGON
adjusts
Lucky’s
hat
on
his
head.
VLADIMIR
puts
on
his
hat
in
place
of
Estragon’s
which
he
hands
to
ESTRAGON
,
ESTRAGON
takes
his
hat.
VLADIMIR
adjusts
his
hat
on
his
head.
ESTRAGONV
puts
on
his
hat
in
place
of
Lucky’s
which
he
hands
to
VLADIMIR
.
VLADIMIR
takes
Lucky’s
hat.
 
ESTRAGON
adjusts
his
hat
on
his
head.
VLADIMIR
puts
on
Lucky’s
hat
in
place
of
his
own
which
he
hands
to
ESTRAGON
,
ESTRAGON
takes
Vladimir’s
hat.
VLADIMIR
adjusts
Lucky’s
hat
on
his
head, 
ESTRAGON
hands
Vladimir’s
hat
back
to
VLADIMIR
who
takes
it
and
hands
it
back
to 
ESTRAGON
who
takes
it
and
hands
it
back
to
VLADIMIR
who
takes
it
and
throws
it
down.
]

How does it fit me?

ESTRAGON:
How would I know?

VLADIMIR:
No, but how do I look in it?

[
He
turns
his
head
coquettishly
to
and
fro,
minces
like
a
mannequin.
]

ESTRAGON:
Hideous.

VLADIMIR:
Yes, but not more so than usual?

ESTRAGON:
Neither more nor less.

VLADIMIR:
Then I can keep it. Mine irked me. [
Pause.
]
How shall I say? [
Pause.
]
It itched me.

[
He
takes
of
Lucky’s
hat,
peers
into
it,
shakes
it,
knocks
on
the
crown,
puts
it
on
again.
]

ESTRAGON:
I’m going.

[
Silence
.]

VLADIMIR:
Will you not play?

ESTRAGON:
Play at what?

VLADIMIR:
We could play at Pozzo and Lucky.

ESTRAGON:
Never heard of it.

VLADIMIR:
I’ll do Lucky, you do Pozzo. [
He
imitates
LUCKY
sagging
under
the
weight
of
his
baggage.
 
ESTRAGON
looks
at
him
with
stupefaction.
]
Go on.