Waiting for Godot (10 page)

Try as one may.

ESTRAGON:

I beg your pardon?

VLADIMIR:

Try as one may.

ESTRAGON:

We should turn resolutely towards Nature.

VLADIMIR:

We've tried that.

ESTRAGON:

True.

VLADIMIR:

Oh it's not the worst, I know.

ESTRAGON:

What?

VLADIMIR:

To have thought.

ESTRAGON:

Obviously.

VLADIMIR:

But we could have done without it.

ESTRAGON:

Que voulez-vous?

VLADIMIR:

I beg your pardon?

ESTRAGON:

Que voulez-vouz.

VLADIMIR:

Ah! que voulez-vous. Exactly.

Silence.

ESTRAGON:

That wasn't such a bad little canter.

VLADIMIR:

Yes, but now we'll have to find something else.

ESTRAGON:

Let me see.

He takes off his hat, concentrates.

VLADIMIR:

Let me see. (
He takes off his hat, concentrates. Long silence.
) Ah!

They put on their hats, relax.

ESTRAGON:

Well?

VLADIMIR:

What was I saying, we could go on from there.

ESTRAGON:

What were you saying when?

VLADIMIR:

At the very beginning.

ESTRAGON:

The very beginning of WHAT?

VLADIMIR:

This evening . . . I was saying . . . I was saying . . .

ESTRAGON:

I'm not a historian.

VLADIMIR:

Wait . . . we embraced . . . we were happy . . . happy . . . what do we do now that we're happy . . . go on waiting . . . waiting . . . let me think . . . it's coming . . . go on waiting . . . now that we're happy . . . let me see . . . ah! The tree!

ESTRAGON:

The tree?

VLADIMIR:

Do you not remember?

ESTRAGON:

I'm tired.

VLADIMIR:

Look at it.

They look at the tree.

ESTRAGON:

I see nothing.

VLADIMIR:

But yesterday evening it was all black and bare. And now it's covered with leaves.

ESTRAGON:

Leaves?

VLADIMIR:

In a single night.

ESTRAGON:

It must be the Spring.

VLADIMIR:

But in a single night!

ESTRAGON:

I tell you we weren't here yesterday. Another of your nightmares.

VLADIMIR:

And where were we yesterday evening according to you?

ESTRAGON:

How would I know? In another compartment. There's no lack of void.

VLADIMIR:

(
sure of himself
)
.
Good. We weren't here yesterday evening. Now what did we do yesterday evening?

ESTRAGON:

Do?

VLADIMIR:

Try and remember.

ESTRAGON:

Do . . . I suppose we blathered.

VLADIMIR:

(
controlling himself
)
.
About what?

ESTRAGON:

Oh . . . this and that I suppose, nothing in particular. (
With assurance.
) Yes, now I remember, yesterday evening we spent blathering about nothing in particular. That's been going on now for half a century.

VLADIMIR:

You don't remember any fact, any circumstance?

ESTRAGON:

(
weary
)
.
Don't torment me, Didi.

VLADIMIR:

The sun. The moon. Do you not remember?

ESTRAGON:

They must have been there, as usual.

VLADIMIR:

You didn't notice anything out of the ordinary?

ESTRAGON:

Alas!

VLADIMIR:

And Pozzo? And Lucky?

ESTRAGON:

Pozzo?

VLADIMIR:

The bones.

ESTRAGON:

They were like fishbones.

VLADIMIR:

It was Pozzo gave them to you.

ESTRAGON:

I don't know.

VLADIMIR:

And the kick.

ESTRAGON:

That's right, someone gave me a kick.

VLADIMIR:

It was Lucky gave it to you.

ESTRAGON:

And all that was yesterday?

VLADIMIR:

Show me your leg.

ESTRAGON:

Which?

VLADIMIR:

Both. Pull up your trousers. (
Estragon gives a leg to Vladimir, staggers. Vladimir takes the leg. They stagger.
) Pull up your trousers.

ESTRAGON:

I can't.

Vladimir pulls up the trousers, looks at the leg, lets it go. Estragon almost falls.

VLADIMIR:

The other. (
Estragon gives the same leg.
) The other, pig! (
Estragon gives the other leg. Triumphantly.
) There's the wound! Beginning to fester!

ESTRAGON:

And what about it?

VLADIMIR:

(
letting go the leg
)
.
Where are your boots?

ESTRAGON:

I must have thrown them away.

VLADIMIR:

When?

ESTRAGON:

I don't know.

VLADIMIR:

Why?

ESTRAGON:

(
exasperated
)
.
I don't know why I don't know!

VLADIMIR:

No, I mean why did you throw them away?

ESTRAGON:

(
exasperated
)
.
Because they were hurting me!

VLADIMIR:

(
triumphantly, pointing to the boots
)
.
There they are! (
Estragon looks at the boots.
) At the very spot where you left them yesterday!

Estragon goes towards the boots, inspects them closely.

ESTRAGON:

They're not mine.

VLADIMIR:

(
stupefied
)
.
Not yours!

ESTRAGON:

Mine were black. These are brown.

VLADIMIR:

You're sure yours were black?

ESTRAGON:

Well they were a kind of gray.

VLADIMIR:

And these are brown. Show me.

ESTRAGON:

(
picking up a boot
)
.
Well they're a kind of green.

VLADIMIR:

Show me. (
Estragon hands him the boot. Vladimir inspects it, throws it down angrily.
) Well of all the—

ESTRAGON:

You see, all that's a lot of bloody—

VLADIMIR:

Ah! I see what it is. Yes, I see what's happened.

ESTRAGON:

All that's a lot of bloody—

VLADIMIR:

It's elementary. Someone came and took yours and left you his.

ESTRAGON:

Why?

VLADIMIR:

His were too tight for him, so he took yours.

ESTRAGON:

But mine were too tight.

VLADIMIR:

For you. Not for him.

ESTRAGON:

(
having tried in vain to work it out
)
.
I'm tired! (
Pause.
) Let's go.

VLADIMIR:

We can't.

ESTRAGON:

Why not?

VLADIMIR:

We're waiting for Godot.

ESTRAGON:

Ah! (
Pause. Despairing.
) What'll we do, what'll we do!

VLADIMIR:

There's nothing we can do.

ESTRAGON:

But I can't go on like this!

VLADIMIR:

Would you like a radish?

ESTRAGON:

Is that all there is?

VLADIMIR:

There are radishes and turnips.

ESTRAGON:

Are there no carrots?

VLADIMIR:

No. Anyway you overdo it with your carrots.

ESTRAGON:

Then give me a radish. (
Vladimir fumbles in his pockets, finds nothing but turnips, finally brings out a radish and hands it to Estragon who examines it, sniffs it.
) It's black!

VLADIMIR:

It's a radish.

ESTRAGON:

I only like the pink ones, you know that!

VLADIMIR:

Then you don't want it?

ESTRAGON:

I only like the pink ones!

VLADIMIR:

Then give it back to me.

Estragon gives it back.

ESTRAGON:

I'll go and get a carrot.

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– #