Three Major Plays (11 page)

FLORES. It's not a question of being equal, sir.

155

COMMANDER. And the peasant who stole my bow!
Is he to go unpunished?

FLORES. I think
I saw him at Laurencia's door
Last night, or at the very least

Someone whose cloak looked just like his.

160

I gave him a present -- from ear
To ear -- to mark the occasion.

COMMANDER. Where is the fellow now?

FLORES. I'm told
He's around, sir.

COMMANDER. He has a nerve!

Still here after trying to kill me!

165

FLORES. We'll get him soon, like a bird in a snare
Or a fish on a hook.

COMMANDER. Before my sword
Granada and Córdoba
^*
both tremble,
Yet this boy, this peasant, dares point

An arrow at my breast! The world

170

Has gone mad, Flores.

FLORES. The power of love,
My lord. But since he let you live,
You're in his debt.

COMMANDER. I've controlled myself,
ORTUÑO. If I had not, this town

In two short hours would have been

175

Reduced to ashes. Until the time
Is ripe, I shall rein in my longing for
Revenge. What did Pascuala
^*
have
To say?

FLORES. She says she's soon to be married.

COMMANDER. And does she plan to settle her account?

180

-33-

FLORES. She says you can have it in cash, sir.

COMMANDER. And Olalla?

ORTUÑO. An amusing answer.

COMMANDER. She's a spirited creature.

ORTUÑO. She says
Her fiancé's on his guard, because

You send her messages and visit her

185

So often with your servants. But when
He's looking the other way, she'll let
You enter.

COMMANDER. Excellent! But the yokel's careful?

ORTUÑO. He is, but his head's in the clouds.

COMMANDER. And what about Inés?

FLORES. Which one?

190

COMMANDER. Antón's wife.

FLORES. You can have her any time.

I spoke to her in the stable-yard.
It's the back way in with her!

COMMANDER. I love
These easy women well and pay them ill.

Ah, Flores, if they only knew

195

Their true worth!

FLORES. A woman's coolness makes
For better satisfaction. She yields
Too soon, it spoils anticipation.
There are some, as Aristotle
^*
says,

Who long for men as matter longs

200

For form. But where's the surprise
In that?

COMMANDER. A man who's driven mad
By passion cannot complain if she
Yields quickly, even though he then

-34-

Has little time for her. The things

205

We long for, easily obtained,
Are easily forgotten.

Enter
CIMBRANOS,
a soldier.

CIMBRANOS. Is
The Commander here?

ORTUÑO. He stands before you.

CIMBRANOS. Fernán Gómez, bravest of men.

Remove at once this cap of green,

210

This cloak, and in their place put on
Your shining helmet, your suit of armour.
The Master of Santiago,
^*
aided by
The Count of Cabra, both of them

Supporting Isabella's cause,

215

Surround Ciudad Real and thus
Girón. We run the risk of losing what
For Calatrava has cost us so
Much blood. From high upon the battlements

Torchlights illuminate the lions

220

And castles of Castile, the bars
Of Aragon.
^*
And though the King
Of Portugal supports Girón,
He will do well if he survives

To see Almagro. Ride out, my Lord.

225

The very sight of you will make
Them turn and seek the safety of Castile.

COMMANDER. We'll hear no more. ORTUÑO, let
The trumpet sound in the square at once.
What soldiers do we have?

ORTUÑO. Some fifty, sir.

230

COMMANDER. Let all of them be mounted.

CIMBRANOS. Unless
You hurry, Castile will take Ciudad Real.

COMMANDER. I promise you, it will not fall!

-35-

Exit all. Enter
MENGO,
and
LAURENCIA
and
PASCUALA
running.

PASCUALA. Mengo, stay with us!

MENGO. But why so frightened here?

LAURENCIA. It's safest if we go to town

235

Together, when there aren't any men,
In case we meet him.

MENGO. The devil's
^*
ruining
Our lives!

LAURENCIA. He gives us no peace by night
Or day.

MENGO. If only a bolt from Heaven
Would strike this madman!

LAURENCIA. More beast

240

Than madman! Foul pestilence poisoning
Our village.

MENGO. I'm told Frondoso, in this
Meadow, to save you from him, aimed
An arrow at his black heart.

LAURENCIA. I hated men,

As you well know, but since that day

245

I see them differently. Frondoso was
So brave. And yet he could pay dearly
For that.

MENGO. It's best he gets away
From here.

LAURENCIA. I've told him so, as fond

Of him as I've become. But when

250

I try to speak to him, it puts
Him in a furious temper, even though
The Commander's sworn to hang him upside down.

PASCUALA. Let's hope that someone strangles him!

MENGO. I'd rather see him stoned to death.

255

-36-

I swear to God, if I let loose
The stone I carry in my sling,
^*
You'd hear the crack as it split his skull
In two. That Roman Sabalus
Wasn't half as vicious.

LAURENCIA. I think you must

260

Mean Heliogabalus.
^*
He was a real beast.

MENGO. Sabalus, Gabalus, whatever!
I'm no historian. But he was nothing
Compared with this one. Nothing in

The whole of Nature can compare

265

With Fernán Gómez.

PASCUALA. True enough.
He has the nature of a tigress.

Enter
JACINTA.

JACINTA. My friends, you have to help me, please!
LAURENCIA. Jacinta, what's the matter?

PASCUALA. You know
We are your friends.

JACINTA. The Commander's servants . . .

270

They're on their way to Ciudad Real.
Armed less with noble steel than with
Their vile and sordid wickedness,
They plan to take me to him!

LAURENCIA. In that

Case, God be with you! If he's going

275

To take advantage of you, I dread
To think what he'd do to me!

[
She leaves

PASCUALA. And since
I'm not a man, Jacinta, I
Can't help you, either.

[
She leaves

-37-

MENGO. But I am,

And I will. Come here, stand close to me!

280

JACINTA. Do you have any weapons to defend us?

MENGO. The first God made.

JACINTA. You mean you don't?

MENGO. These stones, Jacinta. Lots of them!

Enter
FLORES
and
ORTUÑO.

FLORES. Did you think you could run away
From us?

JACINTA. Mengo, I'm done for!

MENGO. Gentlemen,

285

We are poor peasants!

ORTUÑO. Are you
Intending to defend the girl?

MENGO. I'm asking you to leave her be.
She's a relative. It's my duty to
Protect her.

FLORES. Kill him!

MENGO. I swear to God,

290

Provoke me and I'll use my sling!
It's your life that will be lost!

Enter
the COMMANDER
and
CIMBRANOS.

COMMANDER. What's going on? You get me to dismount
For this?

FLORES. These village scum defy us!

You'd do well to raze their village to

295

The ground. They are nothing but trouble.

MENGO. My lord, I beg you. Punish these men
For what they try to do to us.
In your name they would take this girl

Away with them, despite the fact

300

-38-

She's married and has honourable parents.
I ask for leave to take her home.

COMMANDER. I give them leave to take revenge
On you. Hand over the sling at once!

MENGO. My lord!

COMMANDER. Flores, Ortuño, Cimbranos,

305

Use it to tie his hands.

MENGO. Is this
How you defend her honour?

COMMANDER. Who
Does Fuente Ovejuna and its rabble think
I am?

MENGO. But how have I or any of

The villagers offended you?

310

FLORES. Is he to die?

COMMANDER. Don't tarnish your swords
On him! They'll find more honourable tasks
Ahead.

ORTUÑO. What, then?

COMMANDER. He shall be flogged!
That oak tree there! Tie him fast, remove
His clothes, and use these reins!

MENGO. My lord,

315

Have pity! You are a noble man.

COMMANDER. Beat him, until the studs fly free
From their stitching!

MENGO. Oh, Heavens, will you
Allow such cruel deeds to go
Unpunished?

[
Exit
MENGO
and the
SERVANTS

COMMANDER. Well now, my pretty peasant,

320

-39-

Why run away? Would you prefer
A yokel to a man of my
Great rank?

JACINTA. They offended my honour.
To take me for yourself is not

The way to give it back to me.

325

COMMANDER. To take you for myself?

JACINTA. My father is
An honourable man. Not of
Such noble birth as you, my lord,
But nobler in his deeds and actions.

COMMANDER. You think these peasant insults will

330

Dispel my anger? Come!

JACINTA. Come where?

COMMANDER. With me!

JACINTA. Consider this well, my lord.

COMMANDER. I consider it ill for you, my dear.
You shan't be mine. You shall become
My soldiers' baggage.
^*

JACINTA. As long as I

335

Have life, there's no one in the world
Can do me wrong.

COMMANDER. Get moving!

JACINTA. Have pity!

COMMANDER. You'll find none here!

JACINTA. I call on Heaven
To punish your cruelty!

[
They carry her off. All exit
^*

Enter
LAURENCIA
and
FRONDOSO.

LAURENCIA. You know how dangerous it is,

340

And yet you dare to come here.

-40-

FRONDOSO. Which goes
To show how fond of you I am.
I was up there on the hill. I saw
The Commander leave. My faith in you

Got rid of all my fear. Let's hope

345

He never comes back and rots in Hell!

LAURENCIA. No point in cursing him. They say
The one you want to die lives longest.

FRONDOSO. Then let him live a thousand years

And die the quickest! Laurencia, I want

350

To know if you care for me at all;
If the loyalty I've shown has made
Me in the least deserving. The town
Already sees the two of us as one

And cannot understand why we

355

Are not. Why not forget all past
Disdain? I'm asking you to marry me?

LAURENCIA. Then you and all the village too
Had better know . . . that I agree.

FRONDOSO. I kiss your feet * for such a favour.

360

I promise you it gives my life
New meaning.

LAURENCIA. All right, enough of that.
The thing you have to do is ask
My father. Oh, look! He's coming with

My uncle. Don't worry, Frondoso!

365

I'll be your wife, no problem.

FRONDOSO. I place my trust in God.

She hides. Enter
ESTEBAN
the magistrate
and the
ALDERMAN.
^*

ESTEBAN. The way that he behaved upset
The entire crowd. His actions were

Outrageous. No one is surprised

370

By his excesses. And now Jacinta's made
To suffer for it.

-41-