Three Major Plays (12 page)

ALDERMAN. The Catholic Kings
^*
--
The people call them that already --
Will soon have Spain obedient to their laws.

Santiago, their Captain-General,

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Already rides against Girón,
Who holds Ciudad Real. But yes,
Jacinta is a decent girl.
I do feel sorry for her.

ESTEBAN. And Mengo too
Was flogged?

ALDERMAN. His body the colour of

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The blackest cloth or ink.

ESTEBAN. I'll hear
No more. It makes me boil to see
Such wickedness. Everyone speaks ill
Of him. As for myself, what use
Is this rod of office?
^*

ALDERMAN. But if

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His servants were to blame, why be
Upset?

ESTEBAN. You'd like to hear more? I'm told
The other day they came across
Pedro Redondo's wife, down in

The valley, and when he'd had his way

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With her, he gave her to his servants.

ALDERMAN. There's someone there! Who is it?

FRONDOSO. It's me,

Frondoso. I'd like permission to speak
With you.

ESTEBAN. Since when do family

Require permission? Your father gave

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You life and I much love. I've seen
You grow. To me you are a son.

FRONDOSO. Then, trusting in your love, I'd ask

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Of you the greatest favour. You know
My father . . .

ESTEBAN. Has this Fernán Gómez wronged you?

400

FRONDOSO. He has.

ESTEBAN. I thought as much.

FRONDOSO. The fact is, sir,
That knowledge of your love for me
Makes me so bold as to declare
I love Laurencia and wish

To marry her. Forgive me if,

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In asking for her hand, my tongue
Has run away with me or my
Request seems over-bold.

ESTEBAN. No, not
At all, Frondoso. You give me another lease

Of life, allaying my greatest fear.

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I thank the heavens that you do me
This honour; am grateful to your love
That you have shown such honesty.
But now it's only right, of course,

Your father is informed. If he

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Does not object, I am agreed.
That being so, you have my blessing.

ALDERMAN. Should not the girl be asked, before
You agree to anything?

ESTEBAN. Oh, don't

You worry, they'll have seen to that,

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Agreed between themselves before
It's gone this far. We could discuss
The dowry if you want. I'd like
To give you money.

FRONDOSO. But I don't need

A dowry, sir. It's not important.

425

ALDERMAN. Be thankful, Esteban, he'll take

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Her as God made her.

ESTEBAN. I think it best
I ask her what she thinks.

FRONDOSO. Of course.
No point in going against a person's wishes.

ESTEBAN. Daughter! Laurencia!

LAURENCIA. Yes, father?

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ESTEBAN. You see how she always obeys me?
^*
Laurencia, my dear, there's something I'd like
To ask you . . . (come over here a moment) . . .
How do you feel about your friend, Gila,

Taking Frondoso as a husband?

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He's an honourable boy, as good
As any in Fuente Ovejuna.

LAURENCIA. Gila . . . ?

ESTEBAN. A deserving girl, a match
For him in every respect.

LAURENCIA. Well, yes, father,
I have to agree.

ESTEBAN. But even so,

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As ugly as sin! Frondoso's far
Better off with you.

LAURENCIA. Father, that's such
A rotten trick, and at your age!
^*

ESTEBAN. You love him?

LAURENCIA. I'm very fond of him

And have grown fonder still. But as

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You know . . .

ESTEBAN. You want me to say 'yes'?

LAURENCIA. On my behalf.

ESTEBAN. It's in my hands?

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All right, that's settled. Come on, we'll find
My old friend in the square.

ALDERMAN. Let's go.

ESTEBAN. My boy, the question of the dowry.

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What shall we say to him? I'm quite prepared
To give you four thousand maravedis.
^*

FRONDOSO. But, sir, to accept it would offend me.

ESTEBAN. Oh, come along. Such things are soon

Forgotten. If there's no dowry, I tell

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You you'll regret it afterwards.

[
Exit
ESTEBAN
and the
ALDERMAN. FRONDOSO
and
LAURENCIA
remain

LAURENCIA. Are you happy, Frondoso?

FRONDOSO. Why would
I not be? I'm head over heels with joy!
My eyes reveal the feelings of

My heart when they see you are mine,

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My sweet Laurencia!

They leave. Enter the
MASTER,
^*
the
COMMANDER,
FLORES,
and
ORTUÑO.

COMMANDER. You must escape. There's nothing else
To do.

MASTER. The wall was weak, the enemy
Immensely powerful.

COMMANDER. Even so,

They paid for it in blood and lives.

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MASTER. Nor can they boast that their spoils Include the flag of Calatrava.
^*
That would have crowned their enterprise
And been their greatest victory.

COMMANDER. But still, Girón, your hopes now lie

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In ruins.

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MASTER. What can I do if Fortune is
So blind that he who tastes success
Today, must see it snatched away
Tomorrow?

VOICES [
off
]. All hail Castile's great victory!

MASTER. Their torches crown the battlements.

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The flags of victory adorn
The windows of the highest towers.
^*

COMMANDER. They could as easily adorn
Them with their blood. This is more tragedy
Than celebration.

MASTER. I shall return

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To Calatrava.

COMMANDER. And I to Fuente Ovejuna.
You must decide if you'll pursue
Your kinsman's cause or now accept
The Catholic Kings.

MASTER. I'll write and let
You know.

COMMANDER. Time will help you make the right

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Decision.

MASTER. Unless, as often happens in
Our youth, it proves the agent of deception.

They leave. Enter the wedding party:
MUSICIANS,
MENGO, FRONDOSO, LAURENCIA, PASCUALA,
BARRILDO, ESTEBAN, MAGISTRATE, and JUAN ROJO.
^*

MUSICIANS.
Long life to them,
The newly-weds!

Long life!

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MENGO. Come on, you lot! It's the song that needs
More life.

BARRILDO. No doubt you think you could write
A better one!

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FRONDOSO. Mengo knows more
Of whipping than composing.

MENGO. That's true,

But there down in the valley there's

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A chap the Commander . . .

BARRILDO. No! Say
No more! The man's an animal,
Dishonours all of us!

MENGO. He had
A hundred soldiers beat me! I had

A sling, that's all. It was terrible!

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But not as bad as this other fellow, who shall
Be nameless. They pumped
^*
black ink
And stones right up his backside. Can you
Imagine?

BARRILDO. It must have been a joke!

MENGO. Since when are enemas a joke!

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They may be good for you, but I think
It would kill me.

FRONDOSO. Anyway, let's hear
The song now, let's see how good it is.

BARRILDO [
sings
].
I pray to God that their life

Be long and always happy;

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That they will never come to blows
On account of jealousy.
Oh, let them go to their graves,
Worn out by being carefree.

I pray to God that their life

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Be long and always happy.

MENGO. And the devil take the author of
Such dreadful poetry!
^*

BARRILDO. I had to get
It written quickly!

MENGO. I'll tell you what

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I think of such poets. You must

520

Have seen a fellow making fritters.
He throws great lumps of dough into
A pan of boiling oil until its full.
Some come out swollen, some deformed,

Some totally misshapen, some

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Are fine, others not, some burnt to death,
Some soggy. And that's your poetry too.
The subject matter is the poet's dough.
He throws it in the pan, which is

His paper, and after it spoonfuls

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Of honey to cover up the taste
And make it sweeter. Trouble is,
There's no one wants to try it when
It's done. So he's the one who's left
With indigestion.

BARRILDO. Stop fooling about.

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Let the young lovers speak.

LAURENCIA. Let me kiss
Your hand.

JUAN ROJO. My hand? But why, Laurencia?
You should kiss your father's hand,
In gratitude for what he's done
For you and for Frondoso.

ESTEBAN. My friend,

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I pray that Heaven will offer them
Its hand and constant blessing.

FRONDOSO. Why don't
The two of you bless both of us?

JUAN ROJO. Come on! Let's have some music. Sing!

They are as one! *

545

MUSICIANS [
sing
].
The village-girl
^*
came down the path
From Fuente Ovejuna.
She was soon followed by the knight
Who came from Calatrava.

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She hid amongst the branches there,

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She felt such shame and fear;
Pretending she had not seen him,
She drew the leaves around her.
'Why try to hide yourself away?

You really are quite pretty.

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My eyes can see through walls of stone
When someone takes my fancy'.
And so the knight went up to her,
And she grew still more terrified;

She used the trees to form a screen,

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Behind which she could safely hide.
But, as you know, a man in love
Can conquer any mountain;
There's nothing can keep him at bay,

And so he spoke to her again:

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'Why try to hide yourself away?
You really are quite pretty;
My eyes can see through walls of stone
When someone takes my fancy'.

Enter the
COMMANDER
^*
, FLORES, ORTUÑO,
and
CIMBRANOS.

COMMANDER. Stop these celebrations now!

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Let no one cause any trouble here.

JUAN ROJO. This is a serious business, sir,
But if that's what you want. Perhaps
You'd like to join us? But why this show

Of arms? I take it you have been

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Victorious.

FRONDOSO. Heaven help me! I'm as good
As dead!

LAURENCIA. That way, Frondoso! Run!

COMMANDER. Get hold of him and tie him up!

JUAN ROJO. Best give yourself up, lad!

FRONDOSO. You mean
You'll let them kill me?

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JUAN ROJO. Why should they

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Do that?

COMMANDER. I'm not the kind of man
To kill someone who's innocent.
In any case, if he were guilty,
My men would have put an end to him.
Take him away and lock him up! 585
His father
^*
shall be his judge and so
Pass sentence.

PASCUALA. But can't you see, my lord,
He's getting married?

COMMANDER. You think that matters?
There must be someone else to take
His place.

PASCUALA. If he's offended you,

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You should forgive him, being the man
You are.

COMMANDER. Pascuala, I've no authority
In this. His crime
^*
has been against
Téllez Girón, the Master; against

The Order and its sacred honour.

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The punishment must serve as an
Example, just in case others in
The future choose to rise against him.
You know already that he aimed

The crossbow at myself, the Grand

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Commander -- proof enough, I think,
Of his true loyalty!

ESTEBAN. I am
His father-in-law and therefore speak
On his behalf. Are you surprised
That someone so in love should act 605
As he has done? If you attempted to
Abduct his wife, it's natural
That he should want to save her.

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