Man of La Mancha Read Online Free PDF Page B

little bird.
    Beneath this tree, this cinnamon tree,
    We learned to love, we learned to cry;
    For here we met and here we kissed,
    And here one cold and moonless night we said goodbye.
    Little bird, little bird,
    Oh have pity on me,
    Bring her back to me now
    ’Neath the cinnamon tree.
    I have waited too long
    Without a song …
    Little bird, little bird, please fly, please go,
    Little bird, little bird, and tell her so,
    Little bird, little bird!
    ALDONZA    (
Dispassionately
) I spit in the milk of your “little bird.”
    (
She bends over to fill the bucket from the well.
PEDRO
spies the letter
)
    PEDRO    Here, what’s this?
    (
He snatches it
)
    ALDONZA    Give it back!
    PEDRO    (
Fending her off
) It’s a letter.
    ALDONZA    That shows how stupid you are; it’s a missive!
    PEDRO    
Missive?
(
Holding it up
) Who reads?
    (ANSELMO
holds up a hand
. PEDRO
tosses him the letter
. ALDONZA
would try to retrieve it but is held by
PEDRO
and another of the
MULETEERS )
    PEDRO (
Reprovingly, closing her mouth with a hand
) Sh-h-h!
    ALDONZA    Sons of whores!
    (
She bites him
)
    ANSELMO    (
Haltingly, mispronouncing words
) “Most lovely sovereign and highborn lady—!” It’s from her knight. A love letter!
    ALDONZA    A stupid joke!
    TENORIO    Then why so hot about it?
    PEDRO    Has he touched your heart?
    ALDONZA    Nobody touches
my
heart.
    ANSELMO    All these fine words …!
    ALDONZA    (
Snatching back the letter
) Fine words. He’s a man, isn’t he? All right, he wants what every other man wants.
    (
She picks up her buckets of water and starts off.
PEDRO
stops her
)
    PEDRO    Hey, Aldonza … now?
    ALDONZA    (
Sullenly
) Later … when I’m through in the kitchen.
    (
She exits. The
MULETEERS
continue singing softly as the
PADRE
and
DR. CARRASCO
enter
. FERMINA
enters and crosses to them. They indicate in pantomime that she bring
DON QUIXOTE
to them. She exits
)
    PADRE    I confess I shall not know what to say to him.
    DR. CARRASCO    In that case, leave it to me.
    PADRE    He may not even know us!
    DR. CARRASCO    I am prepared for that contingency. Should he fail to recognize us …
    (
He is interrupted
)
    DON QUIXOTE    (
From offstage; he enters during the course of his speech
) Who is it crieth help of Don Quixote de La Mancha? Is there a castle beleaguered by giants? A king who lies under enchantment? An army besieged and awaiting rescue? (
Surprised, he advances toward them
) Why, what is this? (
With cordial welcome
) My friends!
    DR. CARRASCO (
Taken aback
) You know us?
    DON QUIXOTE    (
Equally puzzled
) Should a man not know his friends, Dr. Carrasco? (
With great warmth, taking his hand
)—Padre Perez!
    PADRE    (
In deep relief
) Ah, Señor Quijana—
    DON QUIXOTE    (
In cool reproof
) I should prefer that you address me properly. I am Don Quixote, knight-errant of La Mancha.
    (
The
PADRE
quails and sinks to a seat
)
    DR. CARRASCO    Señor Quijana—
    DON QUIXOTE    Don Quixote.
    DR. CARRASCO    There are no giants. No kings under enchantment. No chivalry. No knights. There have been no knights for three hundred years.
    DON QUIXOTE    (
To the
PADRE ,
pityingly
) So learned, yet so misinformed.
    DR. CARRASCO    These are FACTS .
    DON QUIXOTE    Facts are the enemy of truth.
    SANCHO    (
Entering
) Your Grace—
    DON QUIXOTE    (
Eagerly
) Well? Did she receive thee? (SANCHO
nods
) Ah, most fortunate of squires! The token. What of the token? ( SANCHO
proffers the ragged dishcloth
. QUIXOTE
takes it with reverence
) Sheer gossamer. (
Turning away
) Forgive me. I am overcome.
    SANCHO    (
To the
PADRE
and
CARRASCO ,
confidentially
) It’s from his lady.
    DR. CARRASCO    (
Pouncing
) So there’s a woman!
    DON QUIXOTE    A
lady!
(
Softening
) The lady Dulcinea. Her beauty is more than human. Her quality? Perfection. She is the very meaning of woman … and all meaning