The Skin of Our Teeth Read Online Free PDF Page A

them. Heroic embraces. Melee of HUMANS and ANIMALS. SABINA included.
    I’ll be scalded and tarred if a man can’t get a little welcome when he comes home. Well, Maggie, you old gunny-sack, how’s the broken down old weather hen?—Sabina, old fishbait, old skunkpot.—And the children,—how’ve the little smellers been?
    GLADYS:
    Papa, Papa, Papa, Papa, Papa.
    MR. ANTROBUS:
    How’ve they been, Maggie?
    MRS. ANTROBUS:
    Well, I must say, they’ve been as good as gold. I haven’t had to raise my voice once. I don’t know what’s the matter with them.
    ANTROBUS:
    Kneeling before GLADYS .
    Papa’s little weasel, eh?—Sabina, there’s some food for you.—Papa’s little gopher?
    GLADYS:
    Her arm around his neck.
    Papa, you’re always teasing me.
    ANTROBUS:
    And Henry? Nothing rash today, I hope. Nothing rash?
    HENRY:
    No, Papa.
    ANTROBUS:
    Roaring.
    Well that’s good, that’s good—I’ll bet Sabina let the fire go out.
    SABINA:
    Mr. Antrobus, I’ve given my notice. I’m leaving two weeks from today. I’m sorry, but I’m leaving.
    ANTROBUS:
    Roar.
    Well, if you leave now you’ll freeze to death, so go and cook the dinner.
    SABINA:
    Two weeks, that’s the law.
    Exit.
    ANTROBUS:
    Did you get my telegram?
    MRS. ANTROBUS:
    Yes.—What’s a wheel?
    He indicates the wheel with a glance. HENRY is rolling it around the floor. Rapid, hoarse interchange: MRS. ANTROBUS : What does this cold weather mean? It’s below freezing. ANTROBUS : Not before the children! MRS. ANTROBUS : Shouldn’t we do something about it?—start off, move? ANTROBUS : Not before the children!!! He gives HENRY a sharp slap.
    HENRY:
    Papa, you hit me!
    ANTROBUS:
    Well, remember it. That’s to make you remember today. Today. The day the alphabet’s finished; and the day that we saw the hundred—the hundred, the hundred, the hundred, the hundred, the hundred—there’s no end to ’em.
    I’ve had a day at the office!
    Take a look at that wheel, Maggie—when I’ve got that to rights: you’ll see a sight.
    There’s a reward there for all the walking you’ve done.
    MRS. ANTROBUS:
    How do you mean?
    ANTROBUS:
    On the hassock looking into the fire; with awe.
    Maggie, we’ve reached the top of the wave. There’s not much more to be done. We’re there!
    MRS. ANTROBUS:
    Cutting across his mood sharply.
    And the ice?
    ANTROBUS:
    The ice!
    HENRY:
    Playing with the wheel.
    Papa, you could put a chair on this.
    ANTROBUS:
    Broodingly.
    Ye-e-s, any booby can fool with it now,—but I thought of it first.
    MRS. ANTROBUS:
    Children, go out in the kitchen. I want to talk to your father alone.
    The CHILDREN go out.
    ANTROBUS has moved to his chair up left. He takes the goldfish bowl on his lap; pulls the canary cage down to the level of his face. Both the ANIMALS put their paws up on the arm of his chair. MRS. ANTROBUS faces him across the room, like a judge.
    MRS. ANTROBUS:
    Well?
    ANTROBUS:
    Shortly.
    It’s cold.—How things been, eh? Keck, keck, keck.—And you, Millicent?
    MRS. ANTROBUS:
    I know it’s cold.
    ANTROBUS:
    To the canary.
    No spilling of sunflower seed, eh? No singing after lights-out, y’know what I mean?
    MRS. ANTROBUS:
    You can try and prevent us freezing to death, can’t you? You can do something? We can start moving. Or we can go on the animals’ backs?
    ANTROBUS:
    The best thing about animals is that they don’t talk much.
    MAMMOTH:
    It’s cold.
    ANTROBUS:
    Eh, eh, eh! Watch that!—
    â€”By midnight we’d turn to ice. The roads are full of people now who can scarcely lift a foot from the ground. The grass out in front is like iron,—which reminds me, I have another needle for you.—The people up north—where are they?
    Frozen . . . crushed . . . .
    MRS. ANTROBUS:
    Is that what’s going to happen to us?—Will you answer