SECOND THIEF: 'Tis unneighborly ye are. Our stomachs yearn for some of thy rich wine. (_He lays hold of the_ JEW'S _wine bottle._) JEW (_resisting_): Help! Help! Thieves! THIRD THIEF: Bat him over the head. (_They do so; he falls._) FIRST THIEF (_drinking of bottle_): Ah! SECOND THIEF (_opening_ JEW'S _pack and eating_): Ah! THIRD THIEF (_trying on_ JEW'S _outer garment._): Ah--ha! (_The_ FIRST THIEF _makes a grab at the garment. Struggle. All fight for the goods. Suddenly all listen intently, then flee, taking the goods with them._) (_The_ JEW _groans. Enter the_ PRIEST. _He regards the_ JEW.) PRIEST: What's this? Er--r, a dead man surely! I must notify the authorities. Yet--'twould be very awkward to be detained and questioned. They will find him sooner or later. A dead man surely! (_The_ JEW _groans. The_ PRIEST _stops his ears and hastens out. Enter two_ LEVITES.) FIRST LEVITE: Humph! One cannot come by this road without finding signs of thievery and murder. SECOND LEVITE: It gives the district a bad name. FIRST LEVITE: We might carry him as far as your home. SECOND LEVITE: Nay! If I brought the fellow there, my wife might not like it. Let us carry him to your home. FIRST LEVITE: We'd better not meddle, I reckon. After all it's no affair of ours. SECOND LEVITE (_has a bright idea_): We'll tell the inn-keeper to send and fetch him. (_The_ JEW _groans; the_ LEVITES _hurry out. Enter the_ SAMARITAN.) SAMARITAN: Ah! Too bad! (_He bends over_ JEW.) Courage, my friend! (JEW _groans. The_ SAMARITAN _binds up his head._) Canst walk as far as the inn yonder? (_He assists_ JEW _to rise._) JEW (_wails_): They have stolen my all! I am ruined--ruined--ruined! SAMARITAN (_cheerfully_): Better ruined than dead! (_They approach inn. He cries_): Mine host! Ho! Ho! (_Knocks._) (_Enter the_ HOST. _The_ PRIEST _and_ LEVITES _follow, peering over the_ HOST'S _shoulder._) SAMARITAN: I found this poor fellow in the road--beaten by thieves no doubt. FIRST LEVITE (_to_ HOST): It's the fellow I told you of. (_To_ SAMARITAN.) Good heavens, fellow, why did'st carry him hither, and wake honest people up in the dead of night? The thing to do was to notify the authorities. You cannot go to the rescue of every man you see in trouble. SAMARITAN: Why not? We are all brothers. SECOND LEVITE: Bah! (_The_ LEVITES _retire._) PRIEST: But, fellow, it was no concern of yours. He is a Jew and you are a Samaritan. SAMARITAN: Well, sir, we all have one Father. PRIEST (_sourly_): Humph! (_He turns and goes._) SAMARITAN: Will you take him in? Here is two pence for thy care of him; and whatsoever thou spendest more, when I come again, I will repay thee. HOST: I will obey thee, sir. (_He supports_ JEW _with his arm._) SAMARITAN: Farewell. (_He goes._) HOST (_watching him go_): He's a good fellow--that is, for a Samaritan. (_He leads_ JEW _within._)