ï»¿The Project Gutenberg eBook, The Tale of Jemima Puddle-Duck, by BeatrixPotterThis eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and withalmost no restrictions whatsoever.  You may copy it, give it awayorre-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License includedwith this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.netTitle: The Tale of Jemima Puddle-DuckAuthor: Beatrix PotterRelease Date: January 27, 2005  [eBook#14814]Language: EnglishCharacter set encoding: ISO-646-US (US-ASCII)***START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE TALE OF JEMIMA PUDDLE-DUCK***E-text prepared by Robert Cicconetti, Emmy, andthe Project GutenbergOnline Distributed Proofreading Team (http://www.pgdp.net)Note: Project Gutenberg also has an HTML version of this      file which includes the original illustrations.      See 14814-h.htm or14814-h.zip:      (http://www.gutenberg.net/dirs/1/4/8/1/14814/14814-h/14814-h.htm)      or      (http://www.gutenberg.net/dirs/1/4/8/1/14814/14814-h.zip)THE TALE OF JEMIMA PUDDLE-DUCKbyBEATRIXPOTTERAuthor of "The Tale of Peter Rabbit," &cFrederick Warne & Co., Inc.New York1908[Illustration][Illustration]    A FARMYARD TALE    FOR    RALPH AND BETSY[Illustration]What a funny sight it is to see a brood ofducklings with a hen!--Listen to the story of Jemima Puddle-duck, who was annoyed because thefarmer's wife would not let her hatch her own eggs.[Illustration]Her sister-in-law, Mrs. Rebeccah Puddle-duck, wasperfectly willing toleave the hatching to some one else--"I have not the patience to sit on anest for twenty-eight days; and no more have you, Jemima. You would letthem go cold; you know you would!""I wish to hatchmy own eggs; I will hatch them all by myself," quackedJemima Puddle-duck.[Illustration]She tried to hide her eggs; but they were always found and carried off.Jemima Puddle-duck became quite desperate. Shedetermined to make a nestright away from the farm.[Illustration]She set off on a fine spring afternoon along the cart-road that leads overthe hill.She was wearing a shawl and a poke bonnet.[Illustration]When shereached the top of the hill, she saw a wood in the distance.She thought that it looked a safe quiet spot.[Illustration]Jemima Puddle-duck was not much in the habit of flying. She ran downhill afew yards flapping hershawl, and then she jumped off into the air.[Illustration]She flew beautifully when she had got a good start.She skimmed along over the tree-tops until she saw an open place in themiddle of the wood, where the treesand brushwood had been cleared.[Illustration]Jemima alighted rather heavily, and began to waddle about in search of aconvenient dry nesting-place. She rather fancied a tree-stump amongst sometallfox-gloves.But--seated upon the stump, she was startled to find an elegantly dressedgentleman reading a newspaper.He had black prick ears and sandy coloured whiskers."Quack?" said Jemima Puddle-duck, with herhead and her bonnet on oneside--"Quack?"[Illustration]The gentleman raised his eyes above his newspaper and looked curiously atJemima--"Madam, have you lost your way?" said he. He had a long bushy tail whichhewas sitting upon, as the stump was somewhat damp.Jemima thought him mighty civil and handsome. She explained that she hadnot lost her way, but that she was trying to find a convenientdrynesting-place.[Illustration]"Ah! is that so? indeed!" said the gentleman with sandy whiskers, lookingcuriously at Jemima. He folded up the newspaper, and put it in hiscoat-tail pocket.Jemima complained of thesuperfluous hen."Indeed! how interesting! I wish I could meet with that fowl. I wouldteach it to mind its own business!"[Illustration]"But as to a nest--there is no difficulty: I have a sackful of feathers inmy wood-shed.No, my dear madam, you will be in nobody's way. You may sitthere as long as you like," said the bushy long-tailed gentleman.He led the way to a very retired, dismal-looking house amongst thefox-gloves.It was built offaggots and turf, and there were two broken pails, one ontop of another, by way of a chimney.[Illustration]"This is my summer residence; you would not find my earth--my winterhouse--so convenient," said thehospitable gentleman.There was a tumble-down shed at the back of the house, made of oldsoap-boxes. The gentleman opened the door, and showed Jemima in.[Illustration]The shed was almost quite full of feathers--itwas almost suffocating; butit was comfortable and very soft.Jemima Puddle-duck was rather surprised to find such a vast quantity offeathers. But it was very comfortable; and she made a nest without anytrouble atall.[Illustration]When she came out, the sandy whiskered gentleman was sitting on a logreading the newspaper--at least he had it spread out, but he was lookingover the top of it.He was so polite, that he seemedalmost sorry to let Jemima go home forthe night. He promised to take great care of her nest until she came backagain next day.He said he loved eggs and ducklings; he should be proud to see a finenestful in hiswood-shed.[Illustration]Jemima Puddle-duck came every afternoon; she laid nine eggs in the nest.They were greeny white and very large. The foxy gentleman admired themimmensely. He used to turn them over andcount them when Jemima was notthere.At last Jemima told him that she intended to begin to sit next day--"and Iwill bring a bag of corn with me, so that I need never leave my nest untilthe eggs are hatched. Theymight catch cold," said the conscientiousJemima.[Illustration]"Madam, I beg you not to trouble yourself with a bag; I will provide oats.But before you commence your tedious sitting, I intend to give you atreat. Let ushave a dinner-party all to ourselves!"May I ask you to bring up some herbs from the farm-garden to make asavoury omelette? Sage and thyme, and mint and two onions, and someparsley. I will provide lard for thestuff--lard for the omelette," saidthe hospitable gentleman with sandy whiskers.[Illustration]Jemima Puddle-duck was a simpleton: not even the mention of sage andonions made her suspicious.She went round thefarm-garden, nibbling off snippets of all the differentsorts of herbs that are used for stuffing roast duck.[Illustration]And she waddled into the kitchen, and got two onions out of a basket.The collie-dog Kep met hercoming out, "What are you doing with thoseonions? Where do you go every afternoon by yourself, Jemima Puddle-duck?"Jemima was rather in awe of the collie; she told him the whole story.The collie listened, with hiswise head on one side; he grinned when shedescribed the polite gentleman with sandy whiskers.[Illustration]He asked several questions about the wood, and about the exact position ofthe house and shed.Then he wentout, and trotted down the village. He went to look for twofox-hound puppies who were out at walk with the butcher.[Illustration]Jemima Puddle-duck went up the cart-road for the last time, on a sunnyafternoon. Shewas rather burdened with bunches of herbs and two onions ina bag.She flew over the wood, and alighted opposite the house of the bushylong-tailed gentleman.[Illustration]He was sitting on a log; he sniffed the air,and kept glancing uneasilyround the wood. When Jemima alighted he quite jumped."Come into the house as soon as you have looked at your eggs. Give me theherbs for the omelette. Be sharp!"He was rather abrupt.Jemima Puddle-duck had never heard him speak likethat.She felt surprised, and uncomfortable.[Illustration]While she was inside she heard pattering feet round the back of the shed.Some one with a black nose sniffedat the bottom of the door, and thenlocked it.Jemima became much alarmed.[Illustration]A moment afterwards there were most awful noises--barking, baying, growlsand howls, squealing and groans.And nothing morewas ever seen of that foxy-whiskered gentleman.Presently Kep opened the door of the shed, and let out Jemima Puddle-duck.[Illustration]Unfortunately the puppies rushed in and gobbled up all the eggs before hecouldstop them.He had a bite on his ear and both the puppies were limping.[Illustration]Jemima Puddle-duck was escorted home in tears on account of those eggs.[Illustration]She laid some more in June, and she waspermitted to keep them herself:but only four of them hatched.Jemima Puddle-duck said that it was because of her nerves; but she hadalways been a bad sitter.***END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE TALEOF JEMIMA PUDDLE-DUCK********** This file should be named 14814.txt or 14814.zip *******This and all associated files of various formats will be found in:http://www.gutenberg.org/dirs/1/4/8/1/14814Updatededitions will replace the previous one--the old editionswill be renamed.Creating the works from public domain print editions means that noone owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation(and you!)can copy and distribute it in the United States withoutpermission and without paying copyright royalties.  Special rules,set forth in the General Terms of Use part of this license, apply tocopying and distributing ProjectGutenberg-tm electronic works toprotect the PROJECT GUTENBERG-tm concept and trademark.  ProjectGutenberg is a registered trademark, and may not be used if youcharge for the eBooks, unless you receive specificpermission.  If youdo not charge anything for copies of this eBook, complying with therules is very easy.  You may use this eBook for nearly any purposesuch as creation of derivative works, reports, performancesandresearch.  They may be modified and printed and given away--you may dopractically ANYTHING with public domain eBooks.  Redistribution issubject to the trademark license, especially commercialredistribution.***START: FULL LICENSE ***THE FULL PROJECT GUTENBERG LICENSEPLEASE READ THIS BEFORE YOU DISTRIBUTE OR USE THIS WORKTo protect the Project Gutenberg-tm mission of promoting the freedistribution ofelectronic works, by using or distributing this work(or any other work associated in any way with the phrase "ProjectGutenberg"), you agree to comply with all the terms of the Full ProjectGutenberg-tm License(available with this file or online athttp://gutenberg.net/license).Section 1.  General Terms of Use and Redistributing Project Gutenberg-tmelectronic works1.A.  By reading or using any part of this ProjectGutenberg-tmelectronic work, you indicate that you have read, understand, agree toand accept all the terms of this license and intellectual property(trademark/copyright) agreement.  If you do not agree to abide byallthe terms of this agreement, you must cease using and return or destroyall copies of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works in your possession.If you paid a fee for obtaining a copy of or access to aProjectGutenberg-tm electronic work and you do not agree to be bound by theterms of this agreement, you may obtain a refund from the person orentity to whom you paid the fee as set forth in paragraph1.E.8.1.B.  "Project Gutenberg" is a registered trademark.  It may only beused on or associated in any way with an electronic work by people whoagree to be bound by the terms of this agreement.  There are afewthings that you can do with most Project Gutenberg-tm electronic workseven without complying with the full terms of this agreement.  Seeparagraph 1.C below.  There are a lot of things you can do withProjectGutenberg-tm electronic works if you follow the terms of this agreementand help preserve free future access to Project Gutenberg-tm electronicworks.  See paragraph 1.E below.1.C.  The Project GutenbergLiterary Archive Foundation ("the Foundation"or PGLAF), owns a compilation copyright in the collection of ProjectGutenberg-tm electronic works.  Nearly all the individual works in thecollection are in the public domain inthe United States.  If anindividual work is in the public domain in the United States and you arelocated in the United States, we do not claim a right to prevent you fromcopying, distributing, performing, displaying orcreating derivativeworks based on the work as long as all references to Project Gutenbergare removed.  Of course, we hope that you will support the ProjectGutenberg-tm mission of promoting free access to electronicworks byfreely sharing Project Gutenberg-tm works in compliance with the terms ofthis agreement for keeping the Project Gutenberg-tm name associated withthe work.  You can easily comply with the terms of thisagreement bykeeping this work in the same format with its attached full ProjectGutenberg-tm License when you share it without charge with others.1.D.  The copyright laws of the place where you are located alsogovernwhat you can do with this work.  Copyright laws in most countries are ina constant state of change.  If you are outside the United States, checkthe laws of your country in addition to the terms of thisagreementbefore downloading, copying, displaying, performing, distributing orcreating derivative works based on this work or any other ProjectGutenberg-tm work.  The Foundation makes no representationsconcerningthe copyright status of any work in any country outside the UnitedStates.1.E.  Unless you have removed all references to Project Gutenberg:1.E.1.  The following sentence, with active links to, or otherimmediateaccess to, the full Project Gutenberg-tm License must appear prominentlywhenever any copy of a Project Gutenberg-tm work (any work on which thephrase "Project Gutenberg" appears, or with which thephrase "ProjectGutenberg" is associated) is accessed, displayed, performed, viewed,copied or distributed:This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and withalmost no restrictions whatsoever.  You maycopy it, give it away orre-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License includedwith this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.net1.E.2.  If an individual Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work is derivedfrom thepublic domain (does not contain a notice indicating that it isposted with permission of the copyright holder), the work can be copiedand distributed to anyone in the United States without paying any feesor charges.  Ifyou are redistributing or providing access to a workwith the phrase "Project Gutenberg" associated with or appearing on thework, you must comply either with the requirements of paragraphs 1.E.1through 1.E.7 orobtain permission for the use of the work and theProject Gutenberg-tm trademark as set forth in paragraphs 1.E.8 or1.E.9.1.E.3.  If an individual Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work is postedwith the permission ofthe copyright holder, your use and distributionmust comply with both paragraphs 1.E.1 through 1.E.7 and any additionalterms imposed by the copyright holder.  Additional terms will be linkedto the ProjectGutenberg-tm License for all works posted with thepermission of the copyright holder found at the beginning of this work.1.E.4.  Do not unlink or detach or remove the full Project Gutenberg-tmLicense terms from thiswork, or any files containing a part of thiswork or any other work associated with Project Gutenberg-tm.1.E.5.  Do not copy, display, perform, distribute or redistribute thiselectronic work, or any part of this electronicwork, withoutprominently displaying the sentence set forth in paragraph 1.E.1 withactive links or immediate access to the full terms of the ProjectGutenberg-tm License.1.E.6.  You may convert to and distribute thiswork in any binary,compressed, marked up, nonproprietary or proprietary form, including anyword processing or hypertext form.  However, if you provide access to ordistribute copies of a Project Gutenberg-tm work ina format other than"Plain Vanilla ASCII" or other format used in the official versionposted on the official Project Gutenberg-tm web site (www.gutenberg.net),you must, at no additional cost, fee or expense to the user,provide acopy, a means of exporting a copy, or a means of obtaining a copy uponrequest, of the work in its original "Plain Vanilla ASCII" or otherform.  Any alternate format must include the full ProjectGutenberg-tmLicense as specified in paragraph 1.E.1.1.E.7.  Do not charge a fee for access to, viewing, displaying,performing, copying or distributing any Project Gutenberg-tm worksunless you comply with paragraph1.E.8 or 1.E.9.1.E.8.  You may charge a reasonable fee for copies of or providingaccess to or distributing Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works providedthat- You pay a royalty fee of 20% of the gross profits you derivefrom     the use of Project Gutenberg-tm works calculated using the method     you already use to calculate your applicable taxes.  The fee is     owed to the owner of the Project Gutenberg-tm trademark, but he     hasagreed to donate royalties under this paragraph to the     Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation.  Royalty payments     must be paid within 60 days following each date on which you     prepare (or are legallyrequired to prepare) your periodic tax     returns.  Royalty payments should be clearly marked as such and     sent to the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation at the     address specified in Section 4,"Information about donations to     the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation."- You provide a full refund of any money paid by a user who notifies     you in writing (or by e-mail) within 30 days of receipt thats/he     does not agree to the terms of the full Project Gutenberg-tm     License.  You must require such a user to return or     destroy all copies of the works possessed in a physical medium     and discontinue all use ofand all access to other copies of     Project Gutenberg-tm works.- You provide, in accordance with paragraph 1.F.3, a full refund of any     money paid for a work or a replacement copy, if a defect in the     electronicwork is discovered and reported to you within 90 days     of receipt of the work.- You comply with all other terms of this agreement for free     distribution of Project Gutenberg-tm works.1.E.9.  If you wish to charge afee or distribute a Project Gutenberg-tmelectronic work or group of works on different terms than are setforth in this agreement, you must obtain permission in writing fromboth the Project Gutenberg Literary ArchiveFoundation and MichaelHart, the owner of the Project Gutenberg-tm trademark.  Contact theFoundation as set forth in Section 3 below.1.F.1.F.1.  Project Gutenberg volunteers and employees expend considerableeffortto identify, do copyright research on, transcribe and proofreadpublic domain works in creating the Project Gutenberg-tmcollection.  Despite these efforts, Project Gutenberg-tm electronicworks, and the medium on whichthey may be stored, may contain"Defects," such as, but not limited to, incomplete, inaccurate orcorrupt data, transcription errors, a copyright or other intellectualproperty infringement, a defective or damaged disk orother medium, acomputer virus, or computer codes that damage or cannot be read byyour equipment.1.F.2.  LIMITED WARRANTY, DISCLAIMER OF DAMAGES - Except for the "Rightof Replacement or Refund" describedin paragraph 1.F.3, the ProjectGutenberg Literary Archive Foundation, the owner of the ProjectGutenberg-tm trademark, and any other party distributing a ProjectGutenberg-tm electronic work under this agreement,disclaim allliability to you for damages, costs and expenses, including legalfees.  YOU AGREE THAT YOU HAVE NO REMEDIES FOR NEGLIGENCE, STRICTLIABILITY, BREACH OF WARRANTY OR BREACH OF CONTRACTEXCEPT THOSEPROVIDED IN PARAGRAPH F3.  YOU AGREE THAT THE FOUNDATION, THETRADEMARK OWNER, AND ANY DISTRIBUTOR UNDER THIS AGREEMENT WILL NOT BELIABLE TO YOU FOR ACTUAL, DIRECT,INDIRECT, CONSEQUENTIAL, PUNITIVE ORINCIDENTAL DAMAGES EVEN IF YOU GIVE NOTICE OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCHDAMAGE.1.F.3.  LIMITED RIGHT OF REPLACEMENT OR REFUND - If you discover adefect inthis electronic work within 90 days of receiving it, you canreceive a refund of the money (if any) you paid for it by sending awritten explanation to the person you received the work from.  If youreceived the work on aphysical medium, you must return the medium withyour written explanation.  The person or entity that provided you withthe defective work may elect to provide a replacement copy in lieu of arefund.  If you receivedthe work electronically, the person or entityproviding it to you may choose to give you a second opportunity toreceive the work electronically in lieu of a refund.  If the second copyis also defective, you may demand arefund in writing without furtheropportunities to fix the problem.1.F.4.  Except for the limited right of replacement or refund set forthin paragraph 1.F.3, this work is provided to you 'AS-IS', WITH NOOTHERWARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TOWARRANTIES OF MERCHANTIBILITY OR FITNESS FOR ANY PURPOSE.1.F.5.  Some states do not allow disclaimers of certain


<title>Next Three Days, The Script at IMSDb.</title><meta name="description" content="Next Three Days, The script at the Internet Movie Script Database."><meta name="keywords" content="NextThree Days, The script, Next Three Days, The movie script, Next Three Days, The film script"><meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1" /><meta name="HandheldFriendly"content="true"><meta http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html; charset=iso-8859-1"><meta http-equiv="Content-Language" content="EN"><meta name=objecttype CONTENT=Document><metaname=ROBOTS CONTENT="INDEX, FOLLOW"><meta name=Subject CONTENT="Movie scripts, Film scripts"><meta name=rating CONTENT=General><meta name=distribution content=Global><metaname=revisit-after CONTENT="2 days"><link href="/style.css" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css">

The Internet Movie Script Database(IMSDb)

     <imgsrc="/images/logo_middle.gif" border="0">
      <imgsrc="/images/logo_bottom.gif" width="170" border="0">
 The web's largest
movie script resource!

           Search IMSDb
<form method="post" action="/search.php">            <tdwidth="180">
                <input type="text" name="search_query" maxlength="255" size="15">                <input type="submit" value="Go!"name="submit">
	</form>

Alphabetical<tralign="center">        #         A        B        C        <ahref="/alphabetical/D">D        E        F        G        H<tralign="center">         I        J        K        L        <ahref="/alphabetical/M">M        N        O        P        Q<tralign="center">         R        S        T        U        <ahref="/alphabetical/V">V        W        X        Y        <ahref="/alphabetical/Z">Z

Genre
 ActionAdventure Animation
 Comedy Crime <ahref="/genre/Drama">Drama
 Family Fantasy Film-Noir
 <ahref="/genre/Horror">Horror Musical Mystery
 Romance <ahref="/genre/Sci-Fi">Sci-Fi Short
 Thriller War <ahref="/genre/Western">Western

  Sponsor

TV Transcripts
Futurama
 Seinfeld
 South Park
 Stargate SG-1
 Lost
 The 4400

International
 French scripts

MovieSoftware

 Rip from DVD
 <ahref="/software/rip-blu-ray">Rip Blu-Ray

Latest Comments
Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith10/10
Star Wars: The ForceAwakens10/10
Batman Begins9/10
Collateral10/10
Jackie Brown8/10

Movie Chat
 <tdalign="center"><form class="yellbox" action="https://www.yellbox.com/addmessage.php" method="post" target="ybframe"name="yellform">  <input type="hidden" name="sub_username" value="imsdb"> <input class="yellbox" name="sub_name" value="Name" size=21 maxlength=10 onFocus="if(this.value == 'Name')this.value = '';return;">
 <textarea class="yellbox" cols=15 rows=4 name="sub_message" wrap onFocus="if(this.value == 'Message')this.value = ''; return;">Message</textarea>

 <buttononClick="javascript:makeNewWindow(); return false;"></button> <button type="submit" value="Post" onClick="returnclearMessageBox();">Yell !</button>
</form>

      ALL SCRIPTS

	<tdvalign="top">

                         THE NEXT THREE DAYS                              Written by                              PaulHaggis                                                     SHOOTING SCRIPT                                                      August 6, 2009    FADE IN:1   INT. SUV -- DAY                                                 1    Nosound. We are in a speeding SUV. The passenger, LARA,    unsnaps her seat belt and reaches for the door handle. The    driver, JOHN, sees her door open and dives to GRAB her. The    SUV spins, HORNS BLARE, TIRESSCREECH, cars swerve to avoid    collision. We aren't sure what is happening, but we know    something has gone terribly wrong. Cut to BLACK. Read:                       THE LAST THREE YEARS2   INT.STEAK HOUSE -- NIGHT                                       2    Two couples sit at a table, picking at dessert, JOHN and    LARA BRENNAN on one side, MICK and ERIT on the other. JOHN               is attractive in a wornkind of way, but has the eyes of a    kid with a discipline problem. You have to really know him    to understand if he is mocking you or agreeing with you. He    is a master of irony and has a true enjoyment of theabsurd.    LARA looks beautiful even in her wrinkled suit. She appears    to have had a hard day at the office. She's been drinking    at dinner; it hasn't eased her nerves. John's good-looking    brother, MICK, boasts hisblue collar roots and a gorgeous,              if slightly trashy, girlfriend, ERIT, who isn't ashamed of    her body or sharing her opinions. JOHN and MICK are laughing.            Lara puts cash on the tray beside Mick's creditcard.                                           LARA               You know what? If you were smart               you would stop talking right now.                           ERIT               Sue me. I just know that womenshould                                    never work for women.    John laughs and applauds.   Mick buries his head.                                               LARA               How can you saythat??                           ERIT               They're always threatened. Especially               if you're beautiful and they're not.                           LARA               Erit, you are so full ofshit.                           ERIT               So, your boss isn't threatened by               you?                                                (CONTINUED)                                                               2.2   CONTINUED:                                                       2                             LARA                 Because she's a bitch! --                     (as John and Mick laugh)                                              --Not becauseshe's a woman.                             ERIT                 And you would describe her as                 "attractive"?                             LARA                 That has nothing to do withit!                             ERIT                 And there is my answer.                             JOHN                 Either of you like another drink?    Lara shoots John a burning look as Erit builds on hervictory.                             ERIT                 Women should work under men, men                 under women. That's it.                             JOHN                     (egging her on)                 But menunder men?                             ERIT                 That's fine, too.                     (the men burst into laughter)                 They're used to it! Why areyou                 laughing?                             MICK                                                              (re: Erit)                 I don't know, bro, but I think I'd                 rather work under you thanher.                             ERIT                     (insulted, shoots back)                 Oh please, I'd rather work under                 him, too.    That was a dig at Mick but Lara is primed for afight.                                             LARA                 You'd rather "work under" John?                             ERIT                                                          You have a problem with that, too?                                                                        (CONTINUED)                                                                   3.2   CONTINUED:    (2)                                                   2                             LARA                                                             No, why would I have a problem with                                          your little sexualinnuendo?                                                             ERIT                                                             What is up your ass tonight??    Mick throws John a "This is all your fault and now it is                     going toexplode" look. John feigns complete innocence.                                               LARA                 So, I shouldn't take offense that                 you're coming on to my husbandright                                         in front of me.                                                                          ERIT                     (claws out now)                 Lara, if I wanted your husband I                 would havehim.                             LARA                 How? You couldn't possibly show him                 more of your tits.    The men are on their feet before blows areexchanged.                             ERIT                 -- You know what your problem is?!              JOHN                             MICK                                That was a greatmeal!           Okay--okay!3   EXT. STEAK HOUSE PARKING LOT -- NIGHT                               3    Mick and Erit head toward Mick's sporty pickup.     John and                 Lara step into foreground, Lara stillfuming.                             JOHN                 She is completely full of shit.                             LARA                 DON'T try and agree with me now.                             JOHN                 Youknow what? I don't even believe                 she is in the dental profession.    Lara knows this game; he is trying to get her out of her    black mood, and she has no intention of lettinghim.                             LARA                 Shut up.                                                 (CONTINUED)                                                                  4.3   CONTINUED:                                                         3                             JOHN                 I bet she can't even spell                 anesthesiologist. Woman's a complete                 fraud.                             LARA                 Wewent to her office party, idiot.                             JOHN                 I think she hit on me that night,                 too.    Lara opens the back door of their black Prius and tosses in    the raincoat she wascarrying. They climb in, under....                             LARA                 You are completely delusional. She                 wasn't even hitting on you in there;                 I just don't likeher.                             JOHN                 I understand. People who look like                 that should not be allowed anywhere                 near oral surgery.    She feels a smile coming to her lips and tries toforce it    away.                             LARA                 You are such an asshole.                             JOHN                 You're in the chair trying to stay                 calm; how are you supposed to dothat                 with those things hanging over your--    She can't stand how attractive he is in this moment -- she    stops him short by kissing him passionately. His hands slip    under her blouse; she tugs at hissweater.                             JOHN (CONT'D)                 Someone's going to --    Her hand goes to his pants. He yanks at the seat lever and    it goes crashing back, Lara landing atop him.    After a momenthe sits up quickly and pushes down the visors.    She laughs and kisses him and they disappear into each other.4   INT. BRENNAN HOUSE - BACK DOOR -- NIGHT                            4    Lara and John enter,Lara carrying her raincoat, her hair    sticking up in the back, John's shirt untucked.                                               (CONTINUED)     WHITE    9-10-09                                                   5.4   CONTINUED:                                                              4                               LARA                 Hello!    JENNA, the teenage baby-sitter, sees right through them.                               LARA(CONT'D)                 Did he cry?                             JENNA                 Only when I dropped him down the                                                 stairs.                                                             Lara shootsher a look, hangs up her coat and exits upstairs.5   INT. BRENNAN HOUSE - UPSTAIRS HALLWAY                                   5    She peeks in her son's room, sees him sleeping soundly.6   INT. BRENNANHOUSE - FOYER                                              6    Lara comes down to find John paying Jenna. John nods for    her to check the mirror. She tugs at the knot in herhair.                              JOHN                 Thanks.   See you next weekend.    Jenna exits. Lara shows him that his sweater is inside out.    John reacts: "Oh God." Lara's smile broadens; she kisses    him. Hepins her to the wall and they start all over again.    He feels for the light switch. He finds it; we cut to BLACK.7   INT. JOHN AND LARA'S BEDROOM -- NIGHT                                   7    Lara wakes,troubled.      It's the middle of the night.8   INT. LUKE'S ROOM -- NIGHT                                               8    Lara finds Luke's window closed but unlocked. She locks it    and looks out. Satisfied, she sits andwatches her son sleep.9   INT.    KITCHEN -- MORNING                                              9    Three year-old LUKE holds a knife and fork as he sits at the    table watching his dad cut up hispancakes.                             JOHN                 Okay, your turn.    Luke skewers a piece with his fork.        Lara passes, hustling    to get to work.                             JOHN (CONT'D)                 Verygood, very good...                                                   (CONTINUED)                                                                6.9   CONTINUED:                                                       9    Luke puts it inhis mouth.                             JOHN (CONT'D)                 No, no, no; you feed me.                     (to Lara)                 Your son is hopeless.    Lara grabs her phone and leans over them to take aphoto.                             LARA                 Squeeze in tight.                             JOHN                 You can't do this every morning.   It                 is way toocorny.                              LARA                 Smile.   It's just until he's eighteen.    It flashes. Lara kisses John, puts an alien-looking electric    toothbrush on the table & walks off to pour coffee togo.                              LARA (CONT'D)                 Present.                             JOHN                     (examining it)                 Sweetie, you have to stop believing                 everything you read in a


ï»¿The Project Gutenberg EBook of Press Cuttings, by George Bernard ShawThis eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and withalmost no restrictions whatsoever.  You may copy it, give it away orre-use itunder the terms of the Project Gutenberg License includedwith this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.orgTitle: Press CuttingsAuthor: George Bernard ShawRelease Date: May, 2004 [EBook #5723]Posting Date: May28, 2009Language: English*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK PRESS CUTTINGS ***Produced by Eve SobolPRESS CUTTINGSBernard Shaw1913TRANSCRIBER'S NOTE: The edition from which this etextwas taken lackscontractions, so it reads dont for don't and Ill for I'll, for example.The play has been reproduced exactly as printed.The forenoon of the first of April, 1911.General Mitchener is at his writing table in theWar Office, openingletters. On his left is the fireplace, with a fire burning. On hisright, against the opposite wall is a standing desk with an officestool. The door is in the wall behind him, half way between the tableandthe desk. The table is not quite in the middle of the room: it isnearer to the hearthrug than to the desk. There is a chair at each endof it for persons having business with the general. There is a telephoneon the table.Long silence.A VOICE OUTSIDE. Votes for Women!The General starts convulsively; snatches a revolver from a drawer,and listens in an agony of apprehension. Nothing happens. He puts therevolver back, ashamed;wipes his brow; and resumes his work. Heis startled afresh by the entry of an Orderly. This Orderly is anunsoldierly, slovenly, discontented young man.MITCHENER. Oh, it's only you. Well?THE ORDERLY. Another one,sir. Shes chained herself.MITCHENER. Chained herself? How? To what? Weve taken away the railingsand everything that a chain can be passed through.THE ORDERLY. We forgot the doorscraper, sir. She laid down onthe flagsand got the chain through before she started hollerin. Shes lying therenow; and she says that youve got the key of the padlock in a letter in abuff envelope, and that you will see her when you openit.MITCHENER. Shes mad. Have the scraper dug up and let her go home with ithanging round her neck.THE ORDERLY. Theres a buff envelope there, sir.MITCHENER. Youre all afraid of these women (picking the letterup). Itdoes seem to have a key in it. (He opens the letter, and takes out a keyand a note.) "Dear Mitch"--Well, I'm dashed!THE ORDERLY. Yes Sir.MITCHENER. What do you mean by Yes Sir?THE ORDERLY. Well, yousaid you was dashed, Sir; and you did look ifyoull excuse my saying it, Sir--well, you looked it.MITCHENER (who has been reading the letter, and is too astonished toattend to the Orderlys reply). This is a letter from thePrime Ministerasking me to release the woman with this key if she padlocks herself,and to have her shown up and see her at once.THE ORDERLY (tremulously). Dont do it, governor.MITCHENER (angrily). How oftenhave I ordered you not to address me asgovernor. Remember that you are a soldier and not a vulgar civilian.Remember also that when a man enters the army he leaves fear behind him.Heres the key. Unlock her andshow her up.THE ORDERLY. Me unlock her! I dursent. Lord knows what she'd do to me.MITCHENER (pepperily, rising). Obey your orders instantly, Sir, and dontpresume to argue. Even if she kills you, it is your duty todie for yourcountry. Right about face. March. (The Orderly goes out, trembling.)THE VOICE OUTSIDE. Votes for Women! Votes for Women! Votes for Women!MITCHENER (mimicking her). Votes for Women! Votes forWomen! Votes forWomen! (in his natural voice) Votes for children! Votes for babies!Votes for monkeys! (He posts himself on the hearthrug, and awaits theenemy.)THE ORDERLY (outside). In you go. (He pushes apanting Suffraget intothe room.) The person sir. (He withdraws.)The Suffraget takes off her tailor made skirt and reveals a pair offashionable trousers.MITCHENER (horrified). Stop, madam. What are you doing? Youmust notundress in my presence. I protest. Not even your letter from the PrimeMinister--THE SUFFRAGET. My dear Mitchener: I AM the Prime Minister. (He tears offhis hat and cloak; throws them on the desk; andconfronts the General inthe ordinary costume of a Cabinet minister.)MITCHENER. Good heavens! Balsquith!BALSQUITH (throwing himself into Mitchener's chair). Yes: it is indeedBalsquith. It has come to this: that theonly way that the PrimeMinister of England can get from Downing Street to the War Office isby assuming this disguise; shrieking "VOTES for Women"; and chaininghimself to your doorscraper. They were at the corner inforce. Theycheered me. Bellachristina herself was there. She shook my hand and toldme to say I was a vegetarian, as the diet was better in Holloway forvegetarians.MITCHENER. Why didnt you telephone?BALSQUITH.They tap the telephone. Every switchboard in London is intheir hands or in those of their young men.MITCHENER. Where on Earth did you get that dress?BALSQUITH. I stole it from a little Exhibition got up by my wifeinDowning Street.MITCHENER. You dont mean to say its a French dress?BALSQUITH. Great Heavens, no. My wife isnt allowed even to put on hergloves with French chalk. Everything labelled Made in Camberwell.Sheadvised me to come to you. And what I have to say must be said here toyou personally, in the most intimate confidence, with the most urgentpersuasion. Mitchener: Sandstone has resigned.MITCHENER (amazed).Old Red resigned!BALSQUITH. Resigned.MITCHENER. But how? Why? Oh, impossible! the proclamation of martial lawlast Tuesday made Sandstone virtually Dictator in the metropolis, and toresign now is flatdesertion.BALSQUITH. Yes, yes, my dear Mitchener; I know all that as well as youdo: I argued with him until I was black in the face and he so redabout the neck that if I had gone on he would have burst. He isfuriousbecause we have abandoned his plan.MITCHENER. But you accepted it unconditionally.BALSQUITH. Yes, before we knew what it was. It was unworkable, you know.MITCHENER. I dont know. Why is itunworkable?BALSQUITH. I mean the part about drawing a cordon round Westminster at adistance of two miles; and turning all women out of it.MITCHENER. A masterpiece of strategy. Let me explain. The Suffragetsarea very small body; but they are numerous enough to be troublesome--evendangerous--when they are all concentrated in one place--say inParliament Square. But by making a two-mile radius and pushingthembeyond it, you scatter their attack over a circular line twelve mileslong. A superb piece of tactics. Just what Wellington would have done.BALSQUITH. But the women wont go.MITCHENER. Nonsense: they mustgo.BALSQUITH. They wont.MITCHENER. What does Sandstone say?BALSQUITH. He says: Shoot them down.MITCHENER. Of course.BALSQUITH. Youre not serious?MITCHENER. Im perfectly serious.BALSQUITH. But youcant shoot them down! Women, you know!MITCHENER (straddling confidently). Yes you can. Strange as it may seemto you as a civilian, Balsquith, if you point a rifle at a woman andfire it, she will drop exactly as a mandrops.BALSQUITH. But suppose your own daughters--Helen and Georgina.MITCHENER. My daughters would not dream of disobeying the proclamation.(As an after thought.) At least Helen wouldnt.BALSQUITH. ButGeorgina?MITCHENER. Georgina would if she knew shed be shot if she didnt. Thatshow the thing would work. Military methods are really the most mercifulin the end. You keep sending these misguided women toHolloway andkilling them slowly and inhumanely by ruining their health; and it doesno good: they go on worse than ever. Shoot a few, promptly and humanely;and there will be an end at once of all resistance and of allthesuffering that resistance entails.BALSQUITH. But public opinion would never stand it.MITCHENER (walking about and laying down the law). Theres no such thingas public opinion.BALSQUITH. No such thing as publicopinion!!MITCHENER. Absolutely no such thing as public opinion. There are certainpersons who entertain certain opinions. Well, shoot them down. When youhave shot them down, there are no longer any personsentertaining thoseopinions alive: consequently there is no longer any more of the publicopinion you are so much afraid of. Grasp that fact, my dear Balsquith;and you have grasped the secret of government. Publicopinion is mind.Mind is inseparable from matter. Shoot down the matter and you kill themind.BALSQUITH. But hang it all--MITCHENER (intolerantly). No I wont hang it all. It's no use comingto me and talking aboutpublic opinion. You have put yourself into thehands of the army; and you are committed to military methods. And thebasis of all military methods is that when people wont do what they aretold to do, you shoot themdown.BALSQUITH. Oh, yes; it's all jolly fine for you and Old Red. You dontdepend on votes for your places. What do you suppose will happen at thenext election?MITCHENER. Have no next election. Bring in a Bill at oncerepealingall the reform Acts and vesting the Government in a properly trainedmagistracy responsible only to a Council of War. It answers perfectly inIndia. If anyone objects, shoot him down.BALSQUITH. But none ofthe members of my party would be on the Councilof War. Neither should I. Do you expect us to vote for making ourselvesnobodies?MITCHENER. You'll have to, sooner or later, or the Socialists will makenobodies of thelot of you by collaring every penny you possess. Do yousuppose this damned democracy can be allowed to go on now that the mobis beginning to take it seriously and using its power to lay hands onproperty?Parliament must abolish itself. The Irish parliament voted forits own extinction. The English parliament will do the same if the samemeans are taken to persuade it.BALSQUITH. That would cost a lot ofmoney.MITCHENER. Not money necessarily. Bribe them with titles.BALSQUITH. Do you think we dare?MITCHENER (scornfully). Dare! Dare! What is life but daring, man? "Todare, to dare, and again to dare"--WOMAN'SVOICE OUTSIDE. Votes for Women!Mitchener, revolver in hand, rushes to the door and locks it. Balsquithhides under the table.A shot is heard.BALSQUITH (emerging in the greatest alarm). Good heavens, youhaventgiven orders to fire on them have you?MITCHENER. No; but its a sentinel's duty to fire on anyone who persistsin attempting to pass without giving the word.BALSQUITH (wiping his brow). This military business isreally awful.MITCHENER. Be calm, Balsquith. These things must happen; they savebloodshed in the long run, believe me. Ive seen plenty of it; and Iknow.BALSQUITH. I havent; and I dont know. I wish those guns didntmake sucha devil of a noise. We must adopt Maxim's Silencer for the army riflesif we are going to shoot women. I really couldnt stand hearing it.Some one outside tries to open the door and then knocks.MITCHENERand BALSQUITH. Whats that?MITCHENER. Whos there?THE ORDERLY. It's only me, governor. Its all right.MITCHENER (unlocking the door and admitting the Orderly, who comesbetween them). What was it?THEORDERLY. Suffraget, Sir.BALSQUITH. Did the sentry shoot her?THE ORDERLY. No, Sir: she shot the sentry.BALSQUITH (relieved). Oh: is that all?MITCHENER (most indignantly). All? A civilian shoots down one ofHisMajesty's soldiers on duty; and the Prime Minister of England asks Isthat all? Have you no regard for the sanctity of human life?BALSQUITH (much relieved). Well, getting shot is what a soldier is for.Besides, hedoesnt vote.MITCHENER. Neither do the Suffragets.BALSQUITH. Their husbands do. (To the Orderly.) By the way, did she killhim?THE ORDERLY. No, Sir. He got a stinger on his trousers, Sir; but itdidnt penetrate. Helost his temper a bit and put down his gun andclouted her head for her. So she said he was no gentleman; and we lether go, thinking she'd had enough, Sir.MITCHENER (groaning). Clouted her head! These women aremaking thearmy as lawless as themselves. Clouted her head indeed! A purely civilprocedure.THE ORDERLY. Any orders, Sir?MITCHENER. No. Yes. No. Yes: send everybody who took part in thisdisgraceful scene to theguardroom. No. Ill address the men on thesubject after lunch. Parade them for that purpose--full kit. Don't grinat me, Sir. Right about face. March. (The Orderly obeys and goes out.)BALSQUITH (taking Mitcheneraffectionately by the arm and walking himpersuasively to and fro). And now, Mitchener, will you come to therescue of the Government and take the command that Old Red has thrownup?MITCHENER. How can I? Youknow that the people are devoted heart andsoul to Sandstone. He is only bringing you "on the knee," as we say inthe army. Could any other living man have persuaded the British nationto accept universal compulsorymilitary service as he did last year?Why, even the Church refused exemption. He is supreme--omnipotent.BALSQUITH. He WAS, a year ago. But ever since your book of reminiscenceswent into two more editions thanhis, and the rush for it led to thewrecking of the Times Book Club, you have become to all intents andpurposes his senior. He lost ground by saying that the wrecking was gotup by the booksellers. It showed jealousy:and the public felt it.MITCHENER. But I cracked him up in my book--you see I could do no lessafter the handsome way he cracked me up in his--and I cant go back on itnow. (Breaking loose from Balsquith.) No: its nouse, Balsquith: he candictate his terms to you.BALSQUITH. Not a bit of it. That affair of the curate--MITCHENER (impatiently). Oh, damn that curate. Ive heard of nothing butthat wretched mutineer for a fortnight past.He is not a curate: whilsthe is serving in the army he is a private soldier and nothing else. Ireally havent time to discuss him further. Im busy. Good morning. (Hesits down at his table and takes up hisletters.)BALSQUITH (near the door). I am sorry you take that tone, Mitchener.Since you do take it, let me tell you frankly that I think LieutenantChubbs-Jenkinson showed a great want of consideration for theGovernmentin giving an unreasonable and unpopular order, and bringing compulsorymilitary service into disrepute. When the leader of the Labor Partyappealed to me and to the House last year not to throw away alltheliberties of Englishmen by accepting universal Compulsory militaryservice without insisting on full civil rights for the soldier--MITCHENER. Rot.BALSQUITH. --I said that no British officer would be capable ofabusingthe authority with which it was absolutely necessary to invest him.MITCHENER. Quite right.BALSQUITH. That carried the House and carried the country--MITCHENER. Naturally.BALSQUITH. --And the feeling wasthat the Labor Party were soullesscads.MITCHENER. So they are.BALSQUITH. And now comes this unmannerly young whelp Chubbs-Jenkinson,the only son of what they call a soda king, and orders a curate to lickhisboots. And when the curate punches his head, you first sentence himto be shot; and then make a great show of clemency by commuting it to aflogging. What did you expect the curate to do?MITCHENER (throwingdown his pen and his letters and jumping up toconfront Balsquith). His duty was perfectly simple. He should haveobeyed the order; and then laid his complaint against the officer inproper form. He would have receivedthe fullest satisfaction.BALSQUITH. What satisfaction?MITCHENER. Chubbs-Jenkinson would have been reprimanded. In fact, heWAS reprimanded. Besides, the man was thoroughly insubordinate. Youcant deny that thevery first thing he did when they took him down afterflogging him was to walk up to Chubbs-Jenkinson and break his jaw. Thatshowed there was no use flogging him; so now he will get two years hardlabor; and servehim right.BALSQUITH. I bet you a guinea he wont get even a week. I bet you anotherthat Chubbs-Jenkinson apologizes abjectly. You evidently havent heardthe news.MITCHENER. What news?BALSQUITH. It turns outthat the curate is well connected. (Mitchenerstaggers at the shock. Speechless he contemplates Balsquith with a wildand ghastly stare; then reels into his chair and buries his face in hishands over the blotter. Balsquithcontinues remorselessly, stoopingover him to rub it in.) He has three aunts in the peerage; and LadyRichmond's one of them; (Mitchener utters a heartrending groan) andthey all adore him. The invitations for sixgarden parties and fourteendances have been cancelled for all the subalterns in Chubbs's regiment.Is it possible you havent heard of it?MITCHENER. Not a word.BALSQUITH (shaking his head). I suppose nobody daredto tell you. (Hesits down carelessly on Mitchener's right.)MITCHENER. What an infernal young fool Chubbs-Jenkinson is, not to knowthe standing of his man better! Why didnt he know? It was his businessto know. Heought to be flogged.BALSQUITH. Probably he will be, by the other subalterns.MITCHENER. I hope so. Anyhow, out he goes! Out of the army! He or I.BALSQUITH. His father has subscribed a million to the party funds.Weowe him a peerage.MITCHENER. I dont care.BALSQUITH. I do. How do you think parties are kept up? Not by thesubscriptions of the local associations, I hope. They dont pay for thegas at the meetings.MITCHENER.Man; can you not be serious? Here are we, face to face withLady Richmond's grave displeasure; and you talk to me about gas andsubscriptions. Her own nephew.BALSQUITH (gloomily). Its unfortunate. He was atOxford with BobbyBassborough.MITCHENER. Worse and worse. What shall we do?Balsquith shakes his head. They contemplate one another in miserablesilence.A VOICE WITHOUT. Votes for Women! Votes for Women!Aterrific explosion shakes the building--they take no notice.MITCHENER (breaking down). You dont know what this means to me,Balsquith. I love the army. I love my country.BALSQUITH. It certainly is ratherawkward.The Orderly comes in.MITCHENER (angrily). What is it? How dare you interrupt us like this?THE ORDERLY. Didnt you hear the explosion, Sir?MITCHENER. Explosion. What explosion? No: I heard no explosion: Ihavesomething more serious to attend to than explosions. Great Heavens: LadyRichmond's nephew has been treated like any common laborer; and whileEngland is reeling under the shock a private comes in and asksme if Iheard an explosion.BALSQUITH. By the way, what was the explosion?THE ORDERLY. Only a sort of bombshell, Sir.BALSQUITH. Bombshell!THE ORDERLY. A pasteboard one, Sir. Full of papers with VotesforWomen in red letters. Fired into the yard from the roof of the AllianceOffice.MITCHENER. Pooh! Go away. Go away.The Orderly, bewildered, goes out.BALSQUITH. Mitchener: you can save the country yet. Put onyourfull-dress uniform and your medals and orders and so forth. Get a guardof honor--something showy--horse guards or something of that sort; andcall on the old girl--MITCHENER. The old girl?BALSQUITH. Well, LadyRichmond. Apologize to her. Ask her leave toaccept the command. Tell her that youve made the curate your adjutant oryour aide-de-camp or whatever is the proper thing. By the way, what canyou makehim?MITCHENER. I might make him my chaplain. I dont see why I shouldnt havea chaplain on my staff. He showed a very proper spirit in punching thatyoung cub's head. I should have done the samemyself.BALSQUITH. Then Ive your promise to take command if Lady Richmondconsents?MITCHENER. On condition that I have a free hand. No nonsense aboutpublic opinion or democracy.BALSQUITH. As far as possible,I think I may say yes.MITCHENER (rising intolerantly and going to the hearthrug). That wont dofor me. Dont be weak-kneed, Balsquith. You know perfectly well that thereal government of this country is and alwaysmust be the government ofthe masses by the classes. You know that democracy is damned nonsense,and that no class stands less of it than the working class. You knowthat we are already discussing the steps that willhave to be taken ifthe country should ever be face to face with the possibility of aLabor majority in parliament. You know that in that case we shoulddisfranchise the mob, and, if they made a fuss, shoot them down.Youknow that if we need public opinion to support us, we can get anyquantity of it manufactured in our papers by poor devils of journalistswho will sell their souls for five shillings. You know--BALSQUITH. Stop. Stop, Isay. I dont know. That is the differencebetween your job and mine, Mitchener. After twenty years in the army aman thinks he knows everything. After twenty months in the Cabinet heknows that he knowsnothing.MITCHENER. We learn from history--BALSQUITH. We learn from history that men never learn anything fromhistory. Thats not my own: its Hegel.MITCHENER. Whos Hegel?BALSQUITH. Dead. A German


ï»¿The Project Gutenberg EBook of Erdgeist (Earth-Spirit), by Frank WedekindThis eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and withalmost no restrictions whatsoever.  You may copy it, give it away orre-useit under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License includedwith this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.netTitle: Erdgeist (Earth-Spirit)       A Tragedy in Four ActsAuthor: Frank WedekindTranslator: SamuelEliotRelease Date: August 13, 2009 [EBook #29682]Language: English*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK ERDGEIST (EARTH-SPIRIT) ***Produced by Michael Roe, Alexander Bauer and theOnlineDistributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net  [ Transcriber's Note:  Every effort has been made to replicate this text as faithfully as  possible, including inconsistencies in spelling andhyphenation;  changes (corrections of spelling and punctuation) made to the  original text are listed at the end of this text.  Text that was _italic_ in the original is marked with _.  Text that was =spaced= in the originalis marked with =.]                           ERDGEIST                             LULU                      BY FRANK WEDEKIND                ERDGEIST (EARTH-SPIRIT) $1.00                PANDORA'S BOX (InPreparation)                           ERDGEIST                        (Earth-Spirit)                    A Tragedy in Four Acts                              BY                        FRANK WEDEKIND              Translated by Samuel A. Eliot,Jr.                           NEW YORK                   ALBERT AND CHARLES BONI                             1914                       Copyright, 1914                              by                   Albert and Charles Boni  "I was created out ofranker stuff  By Nature, and to the earth by Lust am drawn.  Unto the spirit of evil, not of good,  The earth belongs. What deities send to us  From heaven are only universal goods;  Their light gives gladness, but makesno man rich;  And in their state possession not obtains.  Therefore, the stone of price, all-treasured gold,  Must from the powers of falsehood be enticed,  The evil race that dwells beneath the day.  Not without sacrificetheir favor is gained,  And no man liveth who from serving them  Hath extricated undefiled his soul."CHARACTERS  DR. SCHÃN, newspaper owner and editor.  ALVA, his son, a writer.  DR. GOLL, M.D.  SCHWARZ, anartist.  PRINCE ESCERNY, an African explorer.  ESCHERICH, a reporter.  SCHIGOLCH, a beggar.  RODRIGO, an acrobat.  HUGENBERG, a schoolboy (played by a girl.)  FERDINAND, a coachman.  LULU.  COUNTESSGESCHWITZ.  HENRIETTE, a servant.PROLOGUE(At rise, is seen the entrance to a tent, out of which steps ananimal-tamer, with long, black curls, dressed in a white cravat, avermilion dress-coat, white trowsers andwhite top-boots. He carriesin his left hand a dog-whip and in his right a loaded revolver, andenters to the sound of cymbals and kettle-drums.)  Walk in! Walk in to the menagery,  Proud gentlemen and ladies lively andmerry!  With avid lust or cold disgust, the very  Beast without Soul bound and made secondary  To human genius, to stay and see!  Walk in, the show'll begin!--As customary,  One child to each two persons comes infree.  Here battle man and brute in narrow cages  Where one in haught disdain his long whip lashes  And one, with growls as when the thunder rages,  Against the man's throat murderously dashes,--  Where now thecrafty conquers, now the strong,  Now man, now beast, lies cowed the floor along;  The animal rears,--the human on all fours!  One ice-cold look of dominance--  The beast submissive bows before that glance,  And theproud heel upon his neck adores.  Bad are the times! Ladies and gentlemen  Who once before my cage in thronging crescents  Crowded, now honor operas, and then  Ibsen, with their so highly valued presence.  Myboarders here are so in want of fodder  That they reciprocally devour each other.  How well off at the theater is a player,  Sure of the meat upon his ribs, albeit  His frightful hunger may tear him and he it  Andcolleagues' inner cupboards be quite bare!--  Greatness in art we struggle to inherit,  Although the salary never match the merit.  What see you, whether in light or sombre plays?  =House-animals=, whose morals allmust praise,  Who wreak pale spites in vegetarian ways,  And revel in an easy cry or fret,  Just like those others--down in the parquet.  This hero has a head by one dram swirled;  That is in doubt whether his love beright;  A third you hear despairing of the world,--  Full five acts long you hear him wail his plight,  And no man ends him with a merciful sleight!  But the =real= beast, the =beautiful=, =wild= beast,  Your eyes on=that=, _I_, ladies, only feast!  You see the Tiger, that habitually  Devours whatever falls before his bound;  The Bear, so ravenous originally,  Who at a late night-meal sinks dead to ground;  You see the Monkey, littleand amusing,  From sheer ennui his petty powers abusing,--  He has some talent, of all greatness scant,  So, impudently, coquettes with his own want!  Upon my soul, within my tent's a mammal,  See, right behind thecurtain, here,--a Camel!  And all my creatures fawn about my feet  When my revolver cracks--                  (He shoots into the audience.)                                     Behold!  Brutes tremble all around me. I am cold:  The=man= stays cold,--you, with respect, to greet.  Walk in!--You hardly trust yourselves in here?--  Then very well, judge for yourselves! Each sphere  Has sent its crawling creatures to your telling:  Chameleons andserpents, crocodiles,  Dragons, and salamanders chasm-dwelling,--  I know, of course, you're full of quiet smiles  And don't believe a syllable I say.--       (He lifts the entrance-flap and calls into the tent.)  Hi,Charlie!--bring our =Serpent= just this way!  (A stage-hand with a big paunch carries out the actress of =Lulu= in  her Pierrot costume, and sets her down before the animal-tamer.)  She was created to incite tosin,  To lure, seduce, poison--yea, murder, in  A manner no man knows.--My pretty beast,                      (Tickling Lulu's chin.)  Only be =unaffected=, and not pieced  Out with distorted, artificial folly,  Even if thecritics praise thee for 't less wholly.  Thou hast no right to spoil the shape most fitting,  Most =true=, of =woman=, with meows and spitting!  And mind, all foolery and making faces  The =childish simpleness= of=Vice= disgraces.  Thou shouldst--to-day I speak emphatically--  Speak =naturally= and not unnaturally,  For the first principle in every art,  Since earliest times, was =True= and =Plain=, not=Smart=!                       (To the public.)  There's nothing special now to see in her,  But wait and watch what later will occur!  Her strength about the Tiger she coils stricter:  He roars and groans!--Who'll be the finalvictor?--  Hop, Charlie, march! Carry her to her place,  (The stage-hand carries Lulu in his arms; the animal-tamer                    pats her on the hips.)  Sweet innocence--my dearest treasure-case!      (The stage-handcarries Lulu back into the tent.)  And now I'll tell the best thing in the day:  My poll between the teeth of a beast of prey!  Walk in! Tho to be sure the show's not new,  Yet everyone takes pleasure in its view!  Wrenchopen this wild animal's jaws I dare,  And he to bite dares not! My pate's so =fair=,  So =wild=, so =gaily decked=, it wins respect!  I offer it him with confidence unchecked.  One =joke=, and my two templescrack!--but, lo,  The lightning of my eyes I will forego,  Staking my =life= against a =joke=! and throw  My whip, my weapons, down. I am in my skin!  I yield me to this beast!--His name do ye know?  --The honoredpublic! that has just walked in!  (The animal-tamer steps back into the tent, accompanied                by cymbals and kettledrums.)ACT I_A roomy studio. Entrance door at the rear, left. Another door at lowerleft to thebed-room. At centre, a platform for the model, with aSpanish screen behind it and a Smyrna rug in front. Two easels at lowerright. On the upper one is the picture of a young girl's head andshoulders. Against the otherleans a reversed canvas. Below these,toward centre, an ottoman, with a tiger-skin on it. Two chairs alongthe left wall. In the back-ground, right, a step-ladder.__SchÃ¶n sits on the foot of the ottoman, inspectingcritically thepicture on the further easel. Schwarz stands behind the ottoman, hispalette and brushes in his hands._SCHÃN. Do you know, I'm getting acquainted with a brand new side of thelady.SCHWARZ. I havenever painted anyone whose expression changed socontinuously. I could hardly keep a single feature the same two daysrunning.SCHÃN. (Pointing to the picture and observing him.) Do you find that init?SCHWARZ. Ihave done everything imaginable to call forth some sort ofquiet in her mood by my conversation during the sittings.SCHÃN. Then I understand the difference. (Schwarz dips his brush in theoil and draws it over thefeatures of the face.) Do you think thatmakes it look more like her?SCHWARZ. We can only work with art as scientifically as possible.SCHÃN. Tell me--SCHWARZ. (Stepping back.) The color had sunk in pretty well,too.SCHÃN. (Looking at him.) Have you ever loved a woman in your life?SCHWARZ. (Goes to the easel, puts a color on it, and steps back on theother side.) The dress isn't made to stand out enough yet. We don'tseethe living body under it.SCHÃN. I make no doubt that the workmanship is good.SCHWARZ. If you'll step this way....SCHÃN. (Rising.) You must have told her regular ghost-stories.SCHWARZ. As far back as youcan.SCHÃN. (Stepping back, knocks down the canvas that was leaning againstthe lower easel.) Excuse me--SCHWARZ. (Picking it up.) That's all right.SCHÃN. (Surprised.) What is that?SCHWARZ. Do you knowher?SCHÃN. No. (Schwarz sets the picture on the easel. It is of a ladydressed as Pierrot with a long shepherd's crook in her hand.)SCHWARZ. A costume-picture.SCHÃN. But, really, you've succeeded with=her=.SCHWARZ. You know her?SCHÃN. No. And in that costume--?SCHWARZ. It isn't nearly finished yet. (SchÃ¶n nods.) What would youhave? While she is posing for me I have the pleasure of entertainingherhusband.SCHÃN. What?SCHWARZ. We talk about art, of course,--to complete my good fortune!SCHÃN. But how did you make such a charming acquaintance?SCHWARZ. As they're generally made. An ancient,tottering little mandrops in on me here to know if I can paint his wife. Why, of course,were she as wrinkled as Mother Earth! Next day at ten prompt the doorsfly open, and the fat-belly drives this little beauty in beforehim. Ican feel even now how my knees shook. Then comes a sap-green lackey,stiff as a ramrod, with a package under his arm. Where is thedressing-room? Imagine my plight. I open the door there (pointingleft). Justluck that everything was in order. The sweet thing vanishesinto it, and the old fellow posts himself outside as a bastion. Twominutes later out she steps in this Pierrot. (Shaking his head.) Inever saw anything like it. (Hegoes left and stares in at thebedroom.)SCHÃN. (Who has followed him with his eyes.) And the fat-belly standsguard?SCHWARZ. (Turning round.) The whole body in harmony with thatimpossible costume as if it hadcome into the world in it! Her way ofburying her elbows in her pockets, of lifting her little feet from therug,--the blood often shoots to my head....SCHÃN. One can see that in the picture.SCHWARZ. (Shaking his head.)People like us, you know--SCHÃN. Here the model is mistress of the conversation.SCHWARZ. She has never yet opened her mouth.SCHÃN. Is it possible?SCHWARZ. Allow me to show the costume to you. (Goes outleft.)SCHÃN. (Before the Pierrot.) A devilish beauty. (Before the otherpicture.) There's more depth here. (Coming down stage.) He is stillrather young for his age. (Schwarz comes back with a whitesatincostume.)SCHWARZ. What sort of material is that?SCHÃN. (Feeling it.) Satin.SCHWARZ. And all in one piece.SCHÃN. How does one get into it then?SCHWARZ. That I can't tell you.SCHÃN. (Taking thecostume by the legs.) What enormous trowser-legs!SCHWARZ. The left one she pulls up.SCHÃN. (Looking at the picture.) Above the knee!SCHWARZ. She does that entrancingly!SCHÃN. And transparentstockings?SCHWARZ. Those have got to be painted, specially.SCHÃN. Oh, you can do that.SCHWARZ. And with it all a coquetry!SCHÃN. What brought you to that horrible suspicion?SCHWARZ. There are things thatour school-philosophy lets itself neverdream of. (He takes the costume back into his bedroom.)SCHÃN. (Alone.) When we sleep....SCHWARZ. (Comes back; looks at his watch.) If you wish to make heracquaintancetoo--SCHÃN. No.SCHWARZ. They must be here in a moment.SCHÃN. How much longer will the lady have to sit?SCHWARZ. I shall probably have to bear the pains of Tantalus threemonths longer.SCHÃN. I meanthe other one.SCHWARZ. I beg your pardon. Three times more at most. (Going to thedoor with him.) If the lady will just leave me the upper part of thedress then....SCHÃN. With pleasure. Let us see you at my houseagain soon. ForHeaven's sake! (As he collides in the door-way with Dr. Goll and Lulu.)SCHWARZ. May I introduce ...DR. GOLL. (To SchÃ¶n.) What are you doing here?LULU. (As SchÃ¶n kisses her hand in greeting.)You're not going already?DR. GOLL. But what wind blows you here?SCHÃN. I've been looking at the picture of my bride.LULU. (Coming forward.) Your bride is here?DR. GOLL. So you're having work done here,too?LULU. (Before the upper picture.) Look at it! Enchanting! Entrancing!DR. GOLL. (Looking round him.) Have you got her hidden somewhere roundhere?LULU. So that is the sweet young prodigy who's made a newperson out ofyou....SCHÃN. She sits in the afternoon mostly.DR. GOLL. And you don't tell anyone about it?LULU. (Turning round.) Is she really so solemn?SCHÃN. Probably the after-effects of the seminary still, dearlady.DR. GOLL. (Before the picture.) One can see that you have beentransformed profoundly.LULU. But now you mustn't let her wait any longer.SCHÃN. In a fortnight I think the engagement will come out.DR. GOLL.(To Lulu.) Let's lose no time. Hop!LULU. (To SchÃ¶n.) Just think, we came at a trot over the new bridge. Iwas driving, myself.DR. GOLL. (As SchÃ¶n prepares to leave.) No, no. We two will talk somemore later. Getalong, Nellie. Hop!LULU. Now you're going to talk about me!DR. GOLL. Our Apelles is already wiping his brushes.LULU. I had imagined it would be much more amusing.SCHÃN. But you have always the satisfaction ofpreparing for us thegreatest and rarest pleasure.LULU. (Going left.) Oh, just wait!SCHWARZ. (Before the bedroom door.) If madame will be so kind....(Shuts the door after her and stands in front of it.)DR. GOLL. Ichristened her Nellie, you know, in our marriage-contract.SCHÃN. Did you?--Yes.DR. GOLL. What do you think of it?SCHÃN. Why not call her rather Mignon?DR. GOLL. That would have been good, too. I didn't thinkof that.SCHÃN. Do you consider the name so important?DR. GOLL. Hm.... You know, I have no children.SCHÃN. But you've only been married a couple of months.DR. GOLL. Thanks, I don't want any.SCHÃN.(Having taken out his cigarette-case.) Have a cigarette?DR. GOLL. (Helps himself.) I've plenty to do with this one. (ToSchwarz.) Say, what's your little danseuse doing now?SCHÃN. (Turning round on Schwarz.) Youand a danseuse?SCHWARZ. The lady was sitting for me at that time only as a favor. Imade her acquaintance on a flying trip of the Cecilia Society.DR. GOLL. (To SchÃ¶n.) Hm.... I think we're getting a changeofweather.SCHÃN. The toilet isn't going so quickly, is it?DR. GOLL. It's going like lightning! Woman has got to be a virtuoso inher job. So must we all, each in his job, if life isn't to turn tobeggary. (Calls.) Hop,Nellie!LULU. (Inside.) Just a second!DR. GOLL. (To SchÃ¶n.) I can't get onto these blockheads. (Referring toSchwarz.)SCHÃN. I can't help envying them. These blockheads know nothing holierthan an altar-cloth, andfeel richer than you and me with 30,000-markincomes. Besides, you can't be judge of a man who from childhood haslived from palette to mouth. Try to get at his finances: it's anarithmetic example! I haven't the moralcourage, and one can easilyburn one's fingers at it, too.LULU. (As Pierrot, steps out of the bed-room.) Here I am!SCHÃN. (Turns; after a pause.) Superb!LULU. (Nearer.) Well?SCHÃN. You put shame on the boldestfancy.LULU. How do you like me?SCHÃN. A picture before which art must despair.DR. GOLL. Don't you think so, too?SCHÃN. (To Lulu.) Have you any notion what you do?LULU. I'm perfectly possessed ofmyself!SCHÃN. Then you might be a little more discreet.LULU. But I'm only doing what's my duty.SCHÃN. You are powdered?LULU. What do you take me for!DR. GOLL. I've never seen such a white skin as she'sgot. I've told ourRaphael here, too, to do just as little with the flesh tints aspossible. For once, I can't get enthusiastic about the modernart-nonsense.SCHWARZ. (By the easels, preparing his paints.) At any rate,it'sthanks to impressionism that present-day art can stand up beside theold masters without blushing.DR. GOLL. Oh, it can do quite well for a bit of butcher's work.SCHÃN. For Heaven's sake don't get excited! (Lulufalls on Goll's neckand kisses him.)DR. GOLL. They can see your undershirt. You must pull it lower.LULU. I would soonest have left it off. It only bothers me.DR. GOLL. He should be able to paint it out.LULU. (Taking theshepherd's crook that leans against the Spanishscreen, and mounting the platform, to SchÃ¶n.) What would you say now,if you had to stand at attention for two hours?SCHÃN. I'd sell my soul to the devil for thechance to exchange withyou.DR. GOLL. (Sitting, left.) Come over here. Here is my post ofobservation.LULU. (Plucking her left trowser-leg up to the knee, to Schwarz.) So?SCHWARZ. Yes....LULU. (Plucking it a thoughthigher.) So?SCHWARZ. Yes, yes....DR. GOLL. (To SchÃ¶n who has seated himself on the chair next him, witha gesture.) From this place I find her still more attractive.LULU. (Without stirring.) I beg pardon! I am equallyattractive on allsides.SCHWARZ. (To Lulu.) The right knee further forward, please.SCHÃN. (With a gesture.) The body does show finer lines perhaps.SCHWARZ. The light to-day can be borne at least half way.DR.GOLL. Oh, you must throw on lots of it! Hold your brush a bitlonger.SCHWARZ. Certainly, Dr. Goll.DR. GOLL. Treat her as a piece of still-life.SCHWARZ. Certainly, Doctor. (To Lulu.) You used to hold your head aweemite higher, Mrs. Goll.LULU. (Raising her head.) Paint my lips a little open.SCHÃN. Paint snow on ice. If you get warm doing that, then instantlyyour art gets inartistic!SCHWARZ. Certainly, Doctor.DR. GOLL. Art,you know, must so reproduce nature that one can find atleast some =spiritual= enjoyment in it!LULU. (Opening her mouth a little, to Schwarz.) So--look. I'll hold ithalf opened, so.SCHWARZ. As soon as the sun comes,the wall opposite throws warmreflections in here.DR. GOLL. (To Lulu.) You must keep your position just as if ourVelasquez here didn't exist at all.LULU. Well, a painter =isn't= a man at all, anyway.SCHÃN. I don'tthink you ought to judge the whole profession by justone famous exception.SCHWARZ. (Stepping back from the easel.) I should have liked to havehad to hire a different studio last fall.SCHÃN. (To Goll.) What Iwanted to ask you--have you seen the littleMurphy girl yet as a Peruvian pearl-fisher?DR. GOLL. I see her to-morrow for the fourth time. Prince Polossov tookme. His hair has already got dark yellow again withdelight.SCHÃN. So you find her quite fabulous too.DR. GOLL. Who ever wants to judge of that beforehand?LULU. I think someone knocked.SCHWARZ. Pardon me a moment. (Goes and opens the door.)DR. GOLL. (ToLulu.) You can safely smile at him with less bashfulness!SCHÃN. He makes nothing of it.DR. GOLL. And if he did!--What are we two sitting here for?ALVA SCHÃN. (Entering, still behind the Spanish screen.) May onecomein?SCHÃN. My son!LULU. Oh! It's Mr. Alva!DR. GOLL. Don't mind. Just come along in.ALVA. (Stepping forward, shakes hands with SchÃ¶n and Goll.) Glad to seeyou. (Turning toward Lulu.) Do I see a-right? Oh, ifonly I couldengage you for my title part!LULU. I don't think I could dance nearly well enough for your show!ALVA. But you do have a dancing-master such as cannot be found on anystage in Europe.SCHÃN. But whatbrings you here?DR. GOLL. Maybe you're having somebody or other painted here, too, insecret!ALVA. (To SchÃ¶n.) I wanted to take you to the dress rehearsal.DR. GOLL. (As SchÃ¶n rises.) Do you have 'em danceto-day in fullcostume?ALVA. Of course. Come along, too. In five minutes I must be on thestage. (To Lulu.) Unhappy!DR. GOLL. I've forgotten--what's the name of your ballet?ALVA. Dalailama.DR. GOLL. I thought =he=


<title>Taxi Driver Script at IMSDb.</title><meta name="description" content="Taxi Driver script at the Internet Movie Script Database."><meta name="keywords" content="Taxi Driver script, TaxiDriver movie script, Taxi Driver film script"><meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1" /><meta name="HandheldFriendly" content="true"><meta http-equiv="content-type"content="text/html; charset=iso-8859-1"><meta http-equiv="Content-Language" content="EN"><meta name=objecttype CONTENT=Document><meta name=ROBOTS CONTENT="INDEX, FOLLOW"><metaname=Subject CONTENT="Movie scripts, Film scripts"><meta name=rating CONTENT=General><meta name=distribution content=Global><meta name=revisit-after CONTENT="2 days"><link href="/style.css"rel="stylesheet" type="text/css">

The Internet Movie Script Database (IMSDb)

 Theweb's largest
movie script resource!

           Search IMSDb
<form method="post" action="/search.php">            <tdwidth="180">
                <input type="text" name="search_query" maxlength="255" size="15">                <input type="submit" value="Go!"name="submit">
	</form>

Alphabetical<tralign="center">        #         A        B        C        <ahref="/alphabetical/D">D        E        F        G        H<tralign="center">         I        J        K        L        <ahref="/alphabetical/M">M        N        O        P        Q<tralign="center">         R        S        T        U        <ahref="/alphabetical/V">V        W        X        Y        <ahref="/alphabetical/Z">Z

Genre
 ActionAdventure Animation
 Comedy Crime <ahref="/genre/Drama">Drama
 Family Fantasy Film-Noir
 <ahref="/genre/Horror">Horror Musical Mystery
 Romance <ahref="/genre/Sci-Fi">Sci-Fi Short
 Thriller War <ahref="/genre/Western">Western

  Sponsor

TV Transcripts
Futurama
 Seinfeld
 South Park
 Stargate SG-1
 Lost
 The 4400

International
 French scripts

MovieSoftware

 Rip from DVD
 <ahref="/software/rip-blu-ray">Rip Blu-Ray

Latest Comments
Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith10/10
Star Wars: The ForceAwakens10/10
Batman Begins9/10
Collateral10/10
Jackie Brown8/10

Movie Chat
 <tdalign="center"><form class="yellbox" action="https://www.yellbox.com/addmessage.php" method="post" target="ybframe"name="yellform">  <input type="hidden" name="sub_username" value="imsdb"> <input class="yellbox" name="sub_name" value="Name" size=21 maxlength=10 onFocus="if(this.value == 'Name')this.value = '';return;">
 <textarea class="yellbox" cols=15 rows=4 name="sub_message" wrap onFocus="if(this.value == 'Message')this.value = ''; return;">Message</textarea>

 <buttononClick="javascript:makeNewWindow(); return false;"></button> <button type="submit" value="Post" onClick="returnclearMessageBox();">Yell !</button>
</form>

      ALL SCRIPTS

	<tdvalign="top">

                         TAXIDRIVER                             by                        Paul Schrader                                                PROPERTY OF:                                       �"The whole conviction of my lifenow rests upon the beliefthat loneliness, far from being a rare and curiousphenomenon, is the central and inevitable fact of humanexistence."--Thomas Wolfe,"God's Lonely Man"TRAVIS BICKLE, age26, lean, hard, the consummate loner. Onthe surface he appears good-looking, even handsome; he has aquiet steady look and a disarming smile which flashes fromnowhere, lighting up his whole face. But behind thatsmile,around his dark eyes, in his gaunt cheeks, one can see theominous stains caused by a life of private fear, emptinessand loneliness. He seems to have wandered in from a landwhere it is always cold, a countrywhere the inhabitantsseldom speak. The head moves, the expression changes, butthe eyes remain ever-fixed, unblinking, piercing empty space.Travis is now drifting in and out of the New York City nightlife, a darkshadow among darker shadows.  Not noticed, noreason to be noticed, Travis is one with his surroundings.He wears rider jeans, cowboy boots, a plaid western shirtand a worn beige Army jacket with a patch reading,"KingKong Company 1968-70".He has the smell of sex about him: Sick sex, repressed sex,lonely sex, but sex nonetheless. He is a raw male force,driving forward; toward what, one cannot tell. Thenonelooks closer and sees the evitable. The clock sprig cannotbe wound continually tighter. As the earth moves toward thesun, Travis Bickle moves toward violence.FILM OPENS on EXT. of MANHATTAN CABGARAGE.  Weather-beatensign above driveway reads, "Taxi Enter Here". Yellow cabsscuttle in and out. It is WINTER, snow is piled on thecurbs, the wind is howling.INSIDE GARAGE are parked row upon rowof multi-colored taxis.Echoing SOUNDS of cabs idling, cabbies talking. Steamybreath and exhaust fill the air.INT. CORRIDOR of cab company offices. Lettering on ajar doorreads:                       PERSONALOFFICE                     Marvis Cab Company                   Blue and White Cab Co.                          Acme Taxi                  Dependable Taxi Services                       JRB Cab Company                     Speedo TaxiService�                                                            2.SOUND of office busywork: shuffling, typing, arguing.PERSONAL OFFICE is a cluttered disarray. Sheets with heading"Marvis,B&W, Acme" and so forth are tacked to crumblingplaster wall: It is March. Desk is cluttered with forms,reports and an old upright Royal typewriter.Dishelved middle-aged New Yorker looks up from the desk.WeCUT IN to ongoing conversation between the middle-agedPERSONNEL OFFICER and a YOUNG MAN standing in front on hisdesk.The young man is TRAVIS BICKLE. He wears his jeans, bootsand Army jacket. He takesa drag off his unfiltered cigarette.The PERSONNEL OFFICER is beat and exhausted: he arrives atwork exhausted. TRAVIS is something else again. His intensesteely gaze is enough to jar even the PERSONNEL OFFICERoutof his workaday boredom.                         PERSONNEL OFFICER (O.S.)            No trouble with the Hack Bureau?                         TRAVIS (O.S.)            No Sir.                         PERSONNELOFFICER (O.S.)            Got your license?                         TRAVIS (O.S.)            Yes.                         PERSONNEL OFFICER            So why do you want to be ataxi            driver?                         TRAVIS            I can't sleep nights.                         PERSONNEL OFFICER            There's porno theatres for that.                         TRAVIS            Iknow. I tried that.The PERSONNEL OFFICER, though officious, is mildly probingand curious.  TRAVIS is a cipher, cold and distant. Hespeaks as if his mind doesn't know what his mouth issaying.                         PERSONNEL OFFICER            So whatja do now?�                                                            3.                         TRAVIS            I ride around nightsmostly.            Subways, buses. See things. Figur'd            I might as well get paid for it.                         PERSONNEL OFFICER            We don't need any misfits around            here, son.A thin smile cracksalmost indiscernibly across TRAVIS' lips.                         TRAVIS            You kiddin? Who else would hack            through South Bronx or Harlem at            night?                         PERSONNELOFFICER            You want to work uptown nights?                         TRAVIS            I'll work anywhere, anytime. I know            I can't be choosy.                         PERSONNELOFFICER                   (thinks a moment)            How's your driving record?                         TRAVIS            Clean. Real clean.                   (pause, thin smile)            As clean as myconscience.                         PERSONNEL OFFICER            Listen, son, you gonna get smart,            you can leave right now.                         TRAVIS                   (apologetic)            Sorry, sir. Ididn't mean that.                         PERSONNEL OFFICER            Physical? Criminal?                         TRAVIS            Also clean.                         PERSONNELOFFICER            Age?                         PERSONNEL OFFICER            Twenty-six.                         PERSONNELOFFICER            Education?�                                                            4.                         TRAVIS            Some. Here and there.                         PERSONNELOFFICER            Military record?                         TRAVIS            Honorable discharge. May 1971.                         PERSONNEL OFFICER            Youmoonlightin?                         TRAVIS            No, I want long shifts.                         PERSONNEL OFFICER                   (casually, almost to himself)            We hire a lot of moonlightershere.                         TRAVIS            So I hear.                         PERSONNEL OFFICER                   (looks up at Travis)            Hell, we ain't that much fussy            anyway. There's always openingon            one fleet or another.                   (rummages through his                   drawer, collecting                   various pink, yellow                   and white forms)            Fill out these forms and give them            tothe girl at the desk, and leave            your phone number. You gotta phone?                         TRAVIS            No.                         PERSONNEL OFFICER            Well then check backtomorrow.                         TRAVIS            Yes, Sir.                                            CUT TO:CREDITSCREDITS appear over scenes from MANHATTAN NIGHTLIFE. Thesnow has melted, it isspring.A rainy, slick, wet miserable night in Manhattan's theatredistrict.�                                                            5.Cabs and umbrellas are congested everywhere; well-dressedpedestrians arepushing, running, waving down taxis. Thehigh-class theatre patrons crowding out of the midtown showsare shocked to find that the same rain that falls on thepoor and common is also falling on them.The unremittingSOUNDS of HONKING and SHOUTING play againstthe dull pitter-patter of rain. The glare of yellow, red andgreen lights reflects off the pavements and autos."When it rains, the boss of the city is the taxidriver" -so goes the cabbie's maxim, proven true by this particularnight's activity. Only the taxis seem to rise above thesituation: They glide effortlessly through the rain andtraffic, picking up whom they choose,going where they please.Further uptown, the crowds are neither so frantic nor soglittering.  The rain also falls on the street bums and agedpoor. Junkies still stand around on rainy street corners,hookers still prowl rainysidewalks. And the taxis servicethem too.All through the CREDITS the exterior sounds are muted, as ifcoming from a distant room or storefront around the corner.The listener is at a safe but privileged distance.Afterexamining various strata of Manhattan nightlife,CAMERA begins to CLOSE IN on one particular taxi, and it isassumed that this taxi is being driven by TRAVIS BICKLE.ENDCREDITS                                            CUT TO:Travis's yellow taxi pulls in foreground. On left rear doorare lettered the words "Dependable Taxi Service".We are somewhere on the upperfifties on Fifth Ave. The rainhas not let up.An ELDERLY WOMAN climbs in the right rear door, crushing herumbrella.  Travis waits a moment, then pulls away from thecurb with a start.Later, we see Travis' taxi speedingdown the rain-slickedavenue. The action is periodically accompanied by Travis'narration. He is reading from a haphazard personal diary.                         TRAVIS (V.O.)                   (monotone)            April10, 1972. Thank God for the            rain which has helped wash the            garbage and trash off the sidewalks.�                                                            6.TRAVIS' POV of sleazy midtownside street: Bums, hookers,junkies.                         TRAVIS (V.O.)            I'm working a single now, which            means stretch-shifts, six to six,            sometimes six to eight in the a.m.,            six days aweek.A MAN IN BUSINESS SUIT hails Travis to the curb.                         TRAVIS (V.O.)            It's a hustle, but it keeps me busy.            I can take in three to three-fifty            a week, more withskims.MAN IN BUSINESS SUIT, now seated in back seat, speaks up:                         MAN IN BUSINESS SUIT                   (urgent)            Is Kennedy operating, cabbie? Is it            grounded?On seat next toTRAVIS is half-eaten cheeseburger and orderof french fries. He puts his cigarette down and gulps as heanswers:                         TRAVIS            Why should it be grounded?                         MAN INBUSINESS SUIT            Listen - I mean I just saw the            needle of the Empire State Building.            You can't see it for the fog!                         TRAVIS            Then it's a good guess it'sgrounded.                         MAN IN BUSINESS SUIT            The Empire State in fog means            something, don't it? Do you know,            or don't you? What is yournumber,            cabbie?                         TRAVIS            Have you tried the telephone?                         MAN IN BUSINESS SUIT                   (hostile, impatient)            There isn't time for that. Inother            words, you don't know.                         TRAVIS            No.�                                                            7.                         MAN IN BUSINESS SUIT            Well,