Green Pastures

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1

Here, you can look at it.

- Why does they call it the watch?

- 'Cause it watches.

- It ain't got no eyes.

- It don't need none.

We look at it, and it tells us the time.

How did it tell you to ring the bell?

It just look at me and say:

"Don't you think it's time for the

little children to come to Sunday school?"

Hello.

This watch just says, "Tick, tick, tick."

That mean that it wanna go back

into Grandpappy's pocket.

Well, that's the best Sunday dinner

since I was here the last time.

Only that bell could pry me from the table.

- Come again soon, Mr. Deshee.

- Come again soon.

You want to walk

to the Sunday school with me, Carlisle?

Yes, sir.

Maybe by now

his stomach is too big to tote.

- I can tote it.

- Wipe your mouth off.

- Hurry up with Carlotta.

- She all ready.

Every Sunday you can't take him

because you ain't got your dishes done.

You call that getting your dishes done,

what you're doing?

Come on, Randolph.

That thing's gonna break your mind down.

Miss Prohack!

Hello.

Can Viney and Carlotta

take Randolph with them?

Shoo him over.

You behave yourself like a citizen today.

Here he comes.

Come on, Carlotta.

Is the river going to rise again,

Mr. Deshee?

No, the weather's going to be fine now.

See the pretty cloud over there?

- Maybe that'll bring more rain.

- Not that kind of cloud.

What good is a cloud like that, then?

I don't know. Maybe De Lawd

just use them for sofa pillows.

What he do, lay his head on them?

- Maybe so.

- Hello, Myrtle.

- Hello, Carlisle. Hello, Mr. Deshee.

- Hello, Mr. Deshee.

- What's that one?

- Lion.

- What is a tiger?

- A tiger is a lion's wife.

You don't know, either.

- They ain't got anything like that up there.

- Let's see.

Yes, they have.

Will they have that thing

in the circus, Mr. Deshee?

If they do, I want to see it.

Come on. We can't talk about circuses

on De Lawd's time.

What's the story gonna be about today,

Mr. Deshee?

Ain't going to tell no story today.

We're going right to the Good Book itself.

- You're going to hear about Genesis.

- What's Genesis, Mr. Deshee?

Pick up your feet. You'll find out.

Get along there. We's late now.

"And all the days that Adam lived...

"were nine hundred and thirty years:

And he died.

"And Seth lived an hundred and five years,

and begat Enos:

"And Seth lived after he begat Enos

eight hundred and seven years...

"and begat sons and daughters:

"And all days that Seth lived...

"was nine hundred and twelve years:

And he died."

And it go on like that

until we come to Enoch.

And the book say,

"And Enoch lived sixty and five years...

"and begat Methuselah:

"Methuselah lived nine hundred and sixty

and nine years:
And he died."

And that was the oldest man

there ever was.

Well, for goodness' sake.

That's why we call old Mr. Gurney's

mammy "old Miss Methuselah"...

'cause she's so old.

Now how do you think

you're going to like the Bible?

I think it's just wonderful, Mr. Deshee.

I can't understand any of it.

- Well?

- Why did they live so long, Mr. Deshee?

They were mighty men in them days,

but although they was awful mighty...

they always knowed

that God was beyond them all.

What did God look like, Mr. Deshee?

Well, nobody know exactly.

I remember when I was a little boy...

I used to imagine

he looked just like our old preacher...

the Reverend Mr. Dubois.

He was the wisest

and finest looking man I ever seen.

What did the world look like

when De Lawd begin, Mr. Deshee?

How you mean, what it look like?

Carlisle mean

who was in New Orleans then.

There wasn't nobody in New Orleans...

on account of there was no New Orleans.

You got to get your minds fixed.

There wasn't no Rampart Street,

there wasn't no Canal Street...

there wasn't no Louisiana.

There wasn't nothing on Earth...

on occasion of the reason

there wasn't no Earth.

The whole world wasn't nothing

but a mess of bad weather.

- Yes, but what Carlisle wants to know...

- Now, Randolph, if you don't listen...

how you expect to grow up

to be a good man?

You want to grow up to be a transgressor?

No!

You tell his mammy his sister got to come

with him the next time.

She can get the things done

in time enough to fetch him to the school.

Content yourself.

Now what's that Carlisle want to know?

How did De Lawd decide

he wanted the world to be right here...

and how did he get the idea he wanted it?

'Cause the book say. Don't it, Mr. Deshee?

The book say, but at the same time,

that's a good question.

I remember when I was a little boy,

I asked Mr. Dubois the same thing.

And he said, "My son,

the book ain't got time...

"to go into all of the details."

And he was right.

We don't know just where Heaven was at,

but there it was, maybe everywhere.

Then one day De Lawd said,

"I think I'll make me some places."

He made the sun, the moon, the stars,

and he made the Earth.

Who was around then, nothing but angels?

I reckon so.

What were the angels doing up there?

They just flew around, had a good time.

There wasn't no sin.

They must have had a good time.

Did they have Sunday school, too?

They must've had Sunday school

for the little cherubs.

- Did they have picnics?

- Sure. The best kind of picnics.

Fish fries with boiled custard.

10-cent cigars for the adults.

God give us humans

lots of ideas about good-timing.

Maybe from the things

he'd seen the angels do.

Yes, sir,

I bet they had fish fries every week.

Maybe every day.

There wasn't no mankind

to worry about yet.

Did they go fishing?

The fishermen fished, the cooks cooked,

there was plenty to eat for all.

The children played,

the grownups passed the time of day...

excepting, of course, the choir.

God give them songs to sing.

So they sang to De Lawd

the songs he liked to hear.

Where are going?

Hurry up.

This here fat's crying for more fish.

They's coming.

They's got to be catched, ain't they?

We can't say, "Come on, little fish,

come on and get fried."

I'm an Indian!

- Henry, you sure got the prettiest wings.

- They're just my old ones.

Take that cigar out of your mouth.

A child like you shouldn't be smoking.

Let him have a cigar.

Cigars, gentlemen? Cigars?

Just help yourself.

Cigars, gentlemen? Cigars?

Good morning.

- Yes, ma'am. Here it is. Yes, indeed.

- Thank you kindly.

- Anybody here seen Fitzhugh?

- A minute ago he was up in the element.

You fly down here.

You heard me, Fitzhugh.

You want to be put down in the sin book?

That boy must have imp blood in him,

he's so vexing.

You want me to fly up there

and slap you down?

- I told you, you was too little for catfish.

- What's the trouble with Leonetta?

She got a catfish bone down her throat,

doggone it.

I told her to eat grindle instead.

If'n she do get all that ate,

she's gonna have the bellyache.

Ain't I told her that?

Come on, now. Let go of that bone.

- Now, that's good.

- Now she all right.

Go on and play with your cousins.

I ain't seen you lately, Lily.

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