The Cat That Walked By Himself

Characters:

Man	Woman	Cat
Dog	Horse	Bat

Декорации: пещера, на камнях которой лежат шкуры; на ветках, разложенных у входа в пещеру, сушится одежда.

Звучит музыка. Перед пещерой сидит Женщина, затем встаёт, развешивает шкуры, обустраивает жилище. Появляется Летучая мышь и произносит вступительные слова на фоне приглушённой музыки.

Bat: It happened when the tame animals were wild. The Dog was wild, and the Horse was wild, and the Cow was wild, and the Sheep was wild, and the Pig was wild – they walked in the Wet Wild Woods by their wild lones. But the wildest of all the wild animals was the Cat. He walked by himself and all places were alike to him. Of course the Man was wild too till he met the Woman.

С охоты приходит Mужчина, выкладывает добычу, разводит огонь и заходит в пещеру.

Woman: I don’t like living in this wild way! Wipe your feet, dear, when you come in, and now we’ll keep house.

Звучит музыка. Мужчина засыпает в пещере. Женщина расчёсывает волосы и совершает тайный обряд. Бросает мясо в угли костра. Звери собираются на поляне недалеко от пещеры. Поляна декорирована деревьями и цветами. Лошадь стучит копытом и первая произносит вслух.

Horse: O my Friends and O my Enemies, why have the Man and the Woman made that great light in that great Cave?

Dog: I will go up and see and look, and say. (Вдыхает дошедший до неё запах еды.) I think it is good. Cat, come with me.

Cat: No, I am the Cat who walks by himself and all places are alike to me. I will not come.

Dog: Then we can never be friends again.

Cat (to himself): Why should I not go too and see and look and come away at my own liking.

Кошка крадётся за собакой и прячется так, чтобы можно было всё слышать.

Собака дошла до пещеры, носом подняла шкуру, втянула вкусный запах.

Woman: Here comes the first Wild Thing out of the Wild Woods. What do you want?

Dog: O my Enemy and Wife of my Enemy, what is this that smells so good in the wild woods?

Woman: Taste it and try.

Женщина бросает собаке кость.

Dog: O my Enemy and Wife of my Enemy, give me another.

Woman: I will give you as many roast bones as you need, when you help my Man to hunt through the day and guard this Cave at night.

Cat: This is a wise Woman, but she is not so wise as I am.

Dog: I will help your Man to hunt through the day, and at night I will guard your Cave.

Собака кладёт морду на колени Женщины.

Cat (to himself): That is a very foolish Dog.

Собака уходит, виляя хвостом.

Женщина возится у костра. Затем расчёсывает волосы и опять совершает тайный обряд, сушит ароматную траву. Снова собираются звери на поляне.

Horse: I will go and see and say why Wild Dog has not returned. Cat, come with me.

Cat: No, I am the Cat who walks by himself and all places are alike to me. I will not come.

Кошка крадётся за лошадью и прячется. Лошадь останавливается у пещеры.

Woman: Here comes the second Wild Thing out of the Wild Woods. What do you want?

Horse: O my Enemy and Wife of my Enemy, where is Wild Dog?

Woman: You did not come here for Wild Dog, but for this good grass.

Horse: That is true, give it to me to eat.

Woman: Bend your wild head and wear what I give you. You shall eat the wonderful grass three times a day.

Cat: This is a clever Woman, but she is not so clever as I am.

Лошадь наклоняет голову, и женщина накидывает на неё уздечку.

Horse: I will be your servant for the sake of the wonderful grass.

Cat: That is a very foolish Horse.

Кошка уходит, виляя хвостом.

Женщина у огня расчёсывает волосы, собака грызёт кость, лошадь ест сено.

К пещере направляется корова. Кошка крадётся за ней и затаивается в кустах.

Cow: O my Enemy and Wife of my Enemy, where is Wild Horse?

Woman: You come here for this good grass, I will give you this grass in an exchange for your milk.

Cow: I will give you milk every day.

Мужчина, проснувшись, выходит из пещеры.

Man: What are Wild Dog, Wild Horse and Wild Cow doing here?

Woman: Their names are the First Friend, the First Servant and the Giver of Good Food. (Указывая на них.) Take them with you when you go hunting.

Мужчина уходит, взяв Собаку и Лошадь, на охоту; Корова идёт пастись в поле. Кошка находится у пещеры.

Cat: Hi, I am the Cat who walks by himself and I wish to come into your Cave.

Woman: We have no more need of either friends or servants in our Cave. Go away and walk by yourself in all places alike.

Cat (притворяется виноватой): Must I never come into the Cave? Must I never sit by the warm fire? Must I never drink warm white milk? You are very wise and beautiful. You should not be cruel even to a Cat.

Woman: I will make a bargain with you. If I say one word to praise you, you may come into the Cave. If I say two words to praise you, you may sit by the fire in the Cave. If I say three words to praise you, you may drink the warm white milk three times a day for always.

Cat: Remember what you have said!

Кошка уходит.

Музыка. Пещера. Женщина выносит из пещеры ребёнка (куклу). Летучая мышь облетает пещеру. Летит с вестью к Кошке.

Bat: There is a Baby in the Cave. He is new and pink and fat and small. He is fond of things that are soft and ticklish. He is fond of warm things to hold in his arms when he goes to sleep. He is fond of being played with.

Cat: Then my time has come.

Женщина в пещере, занимается домашними делами. Ребёнок начинает плакать, находясь перед пещерой (звуки детского плача). Кошка подкрадывается и ластится к ребёнку, щекочет его. Ребёнок смеётся (звуки детского смеха).

Woman (улыбается): A blessing on that Wild Thing whoever he may be. I was a busy woman this morning and he has done me a service.

Музыка. Кошка перемещается к входу и садится.

Cat: It’s her first word praising me. And now I can sit within the Cave for always. But still I am the Cat who walks by himself.

Женщина рассердилась. Взяла веретено. Начала ткать. Ребёнок снова плачет.

Cat: O Mother of my Enemy, take a strand and tie it to your spinning-wheel and drag it along the floor. I will show you some magic.

Женщина привязывает нитку к веретену. Кошка играет с веретеном. Звучит музыка. Ребёнок смеётся и засыпает.

Woman: That was wonderfully done. No question but you are very clever, O Cat.

Звучит музыка. Кошка уже у огня.

Cat: It is a second time you offer me praise. And now I can sit by the warm fire at the back of the cave for always. But still I am the Cat who walks by himself.

В этот момент бежит мышь (через сцену проходит верёвка с игрушечной мышью). Женщина испугалась. Прыгает на скамейку.

Woman: Catch it quickly! I will always be grateful to you!

Кошка ловит мышь.

Woman: A hundred thanks. You must be very wise.

Звучит музыка.

Cat: It is your third word of praise for me. And now I can drink the warm white milk three times a day for always. But still I am the Cat who walks by himself and all places are alike to me.

Женщина смеётся, ставит миску молока перед Кошкой.

Возвращаются с охоты Мужчина и Собака.

Man: Now we will make our bargain. If you do not catch mice when you are in the Cave, I will throw these things at you.

Мужчина показывает камень, ботинки, топорик и палку.

Cat: I will catch mice when I am in the Cave; but still I am the Cat who walks by himself, and all places are alike to me.

Man: If you had not said that last, I would have put all these things away.

But I am now going to throw these things at you whenever I meet you. And so shall all Men do after me!

Dog: If you are not kind to the Baby, I will hunt you, catch you and bite you.

Cat: I will be kind to the Baby as long as he doesn’t pull my tail too hard. But still I am the Cat that walks by himself and all places are alike to me.

Dog: If you had not said that last I would have shut my mouth, but now I am going to hunt you up a tree. And so shall all Dogs do after me!

Мужчина бросает камень в Кошку. Собака бежит за Кошкой. Мужчина, Кошка и Собака исчезают за сценой.

Звучит приглушённая музыка. Кошка выходит на сцену.

Cat: From that day to this, I will kill mice and I will be kind to babies when I am in the house.

But when I have done that, and when the moon goes up and night comes, I am the Cat that walks by himself and all places are alike to me!

Литература:

1. Rudyard Kipling. Just So Stories. Macmillan, London. 1928

2. Кулиш В.Г. Путешествие в английскую сказку, М., 2005