_The sugar-cane filling itself with juice Is chewed and sucked dry by all beggars. O foolish men, take your lesson from this; Those trees are saved, which are fruitful._ You will understand that the sugar-cane gets into trouble, simply because it tries to keep its juice. But nobody is so foolish as to kill the tree that freely gives fruit. _Watchman_ What splendid writing, Ferryman! _Ferryman_ Yes, Watchman, it contains great lessons for us. _Watchman_ It gives me food for thought. If only I had here our neighbour, the Scribe! I should like to take this down. Do send round to tell the people of the place to assemble. _Chandra_ But, Ferryman, you promised to come out with us. Yet, if once Dada begins to quote his quatrains, there will be---- _Ferryman_ Go along with you. None of your madness here. We are fortunate now in having met our master. Let us improve the occasion with good words. We are all of us getting old. Who knows when we shall die? All the more reason why you should cultivate our company. _Chandra_ You can always find another Dada. But when once we are dead, God will never repeat the blunder of another absurdity like us again. (_Enter Oilman._) _Oilman_ Ho! Watchman. _Watchman_ Who is there? Is that the Oilman? _Oilman_ The child I was bringing up was kidnapped last night. _Watchman_ By whom? _Oilman_ By the Old Man. _Youths_ [_Together._] Old Man? You don't mean it. Old Man? _Oilman_ Yes, Sirs, the Old Man; what makes you so glad? Oh, that's a bad habit of ours. We become glad for no reason whatever. _Watchman_ [_Aside._] Mad! Raving mad! Have you seen the Old Man? _Oilman_ I think I saw him in the distance last night. _First Youth_ What did he look like? _Oilman_ Black. More black than our brother here, the Watchman. Black as night, with two eyes on his breast shining like two glow-worms. That won't suit us. That would be awkward for our Spring Festival. _Chandra_ We shall have to change our date from the full moon to the dark moon. For the dark moon has no end of eyes on her breast. _Watchman_ But I warn you, my friends, you are not doing wisely. No, we are not. We are found out again. We never do anything wisely. It is contrary to our habit. _Watchman_ Do you take this to be a joke? I warn you, my friends, it is dangerous. Dangerous? That's the best joke of all. (_They sing._) _We are neither too good nor wise, That is all the merit we have. Our calumny spreads from land to land, And danger dogs our steps. We take great care to forget what is taught us, We say things different from the book, Bringing upon us trouble, And rebuke from the learned._ _Watchman_ Ah, Sir, you spoke about some Leader. Where is he? He could have kept you in order, if he were with you. He never stays with us, lest he should have to keep us in order. He simply launches us on our way, and then slips off. _Watchman_