The mule-bone : $b a comedy of Negro life in three acts — John Shaqi
The mule-bone : $b a comedy of Negro life in three actsHurston, Zora Neale
General
The mule-bone : $b a comedy of Negro life in three acts
Hurston, Zora Neale
African Americans -- Drama
TEET.
Let her have ’em … nobody don’t keer. They don’t handle de “In God we
trust” lak my Johnson. He’s head bellman at de hotel.
BOOTSIE.
Mr. Cox got money’s grandma and old grandpa change. (The girls exit
huffily.)
LINDSAY.
(To HAMBO, pseudo-seriously) You oughtn’t tease dem gals lak dat.
HAMBO.
Oh, I laks to see gals all mad. But dem boys is crazy sho nuff. Before
Daisy come back here they both had a good-looking gal a piece. Now they
’bout to fall out and fight over half a gal a piece. Neither one won’t
give over and let de other one have her.
LIGE.
And she ain’t thinking too much ’bout no one man. (Looks off left.)
Here she come now. God! She got a mean walk on her!
WALTER.
Yeah, man. She handles a lot of traffic! Oh, mama, throw it in de river
… papa’ll come git it!
LINDSAY.
Aw, shut up, you married men!
LIGE.
Man don’t go blind cause he gits married, do he? (Enter DAISY
hurriedly. Stops at step a moment. She is dressed in sheer organdie,
white shoes and stockings.)
DAISY.
Good evening, everybody. (Walks up on the porch.)
ALL THE MEN.
(Very pleasantly) Good evening, Miss Daisy.
DAISY.
(To CLARK) Mama sent me after some meal and flour and some bacon and
sausage oil.
CLARK.
Senator been here long time ago hunting you.
DAISY.
(Frightened) Did he? Oo … Mist’ Clark, hurry up and fix it for me. (She
starts on in the store.)
LINDSAY.
(Giving her his seat) You better wait here, Daisy.
(WALTER kicks LIGE to call his attention to LINDSAY’S attitude)
It’s powerful hot in dat store. Lemme run fetch ’em out to you.
LIGE.
(To LINDSAY) _Run!_ Joe Lindsay, you ain’t been able to run since de
big bell rung. Look at dat gray beard.
LINDSAY.
Thank God, I ain’t gray all over. I’m just as good a man right now as
any of you young ’uns. (He hurries on into the store.)
WALTER.
Daisy, where’s yo’ two body guards? It don’t look natural to see you
thout nary one of ’em.
DAISY.
(Archly) I ain’t got no body guards. I don’t know what you talkin’
about.
LIGE.
Aw, don’ try to come dat over us, Daisy. You know who we talkin’ ’bout
all right … but if you want me to come out flat footed … where’s Jim
and Dave?
DAISY.
Ain’t they playin’ somewhere for de white folks?
LIGE.
(To WALTER) Will you listen at dis gal, Walter? (To DAISY) When I ain’t
been long seen you and Dave going down to de Lake.
DAISY.
(Frightened) Don’t y’all run tell mama where I been.
WALTER.
Well, you tell us which one you laks de best and we’ll wipe our mouf
(Gesture) and say nothin’. Dem boys been de best of friends all they
life, till both of ’em took after you … then good-bye, Katy bar de
door!
DAISY.
(Affected innocence) Ain’t they still playin’ and dancin’ together?
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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