Green Pastures Page #7

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What you done here? Where's my boy?

He killed my boy.

- King Pharaoh, here is your son.

- He did it.

Oh, my son! My fine son!

I'm sorry, Pharaoh,

but you can't fight De Lawd.

Will you let his people go?

Let them go.

- What's the matter?

- Why did they stop?

- It ain't sundown yet.

- What they blowing for?

It's Moses.

Something's happened to Moses.

Moses?

- What's the matter, Moses?

- I so weary.

All at once, Aaron.

For 40 years, I've been leading you.

I led you out of the Land of Egypt...

I led you past Sinai

and through the wilderness.

- I can't fall down on you now.

- It's been a hard day.

- The sun's gone down, ain't it?

- The sun ain't gone down, Brother.

- No? Then it's my eyes.

- He's gone blind!

Lawd, they can't have

a blind man leading them.

Aaron, does you think

it's the time he said?

How you mean?

De Lawd said

I was to lead them to the Jordan.

That I was to see the Promised Land...

and that's all the further I could go

on account of I broke the law.

A little while back

I thought I did see a river ahead...

and a pretty land on the other side.

- There they are! Here come the scouts!

- Scout's back!

Where's the young leader of the troops?

Where's Joshua?

- Here he come.

- The river Jordan is right ahead...

and Jericho is just on the other side!

- Moses, we's there!

- Hooray!

At last.

Joshua, you going to take

the city of Jericho...

before sundown.

But it's a big city, Father Moses,

with walls all around it.

Is we got enough men?

What should he do, Lawd?

Move up to the walls with our people.

Tell the priests to go with you

with the rams' horns.

You starts marching round them walls...

- And then...

- Yes, sir?

...De Lawd'll take charge...

just like he's took charge

every time I've led you against a city.

He ain't never failed, has he?

No, Father Moses.

And he ain't going to fail us now.

Oh, Lawd, I'm turning over

all our brave young men to you...

'cause I knows you don't want me

to lead them no further.

Just like you said...

I's got to the river Jordan

and I can't get over it.

And here they's going now

to take the city of Jericho.

In a little while,

they'll be marching round it...

and will you please be so good

as to tell them what to do?

Amen.

Go ahead. Give the signal

that they's moving on with everything.

You camps for the night

in the city of Jericho.

What about you, Father Moses?

I'm staying behind.

De Lawd has got his plans for me.

Sound the signal to march.

Take care of the Ark of the Covenant,

Aaron.

I will.

- Goodbye, my brother.

- Goodbye, Aaron.

Goodbye, children.

Well, Lawd, here I is.

The children has gone

into the Promised Land...

- but you is with me, ain't you, Lawd?

- Of course I is.

I guess I is through

just like you said I'd be, Lawd...

when I broke the tablets of De Lawd.

Just what was it I said to you, Moses?

Do you remember?

That I couldn't go into the land of Canaan.

Moses, you angered me once...

but in your heart you's been a good man.

Now you're going to have

your own promised land.

I've been getting it ready for you

for a long time.

- Can you stand up?

- Yes, sir, Lawd.

Come on, I'm gonna show it to you.

We's going up this hill to get to it.

It's a million times nicer

than the land of Canaan.

I can't hardly see.

Don't worry.

That's just 'cause you're so old.

- What's the matter?

- We can't be doing this.

I forgot about Joshua

and the fighting men.

- What about them?

- They is marching on Jericho.

I told them to march around the walls

and that De Lawd would be there...

to tell them what to do.

That's all right. He's there.

Then who is this helping me up the hill?

Your faith. Your God.

And is you over there

helping them, too, Lawd?

Is you going to tell them

poor children what to do?

Course I is, Moses.

Listen, and I'll show you

how I'm helping them.

You did it, Lawd. You've tooken it.

Listen to the children.

They's in the land of Canaan at last.

Oh, Lawd,

you're the only god there ever was.

Ain't you, Lawd?

Come on, old man.

But even that scheme didn't work...

'cause after they got into

the land of Canaan...

they went to the dogs again.

They even went into bondage again.

But this time,

it was in the wicked city of Babylon.

What did they do that was so wicked?

They blasphemed

and sinned against De Lawd...

and a lots of things

that you wouldn't understand yet.

Just a grownup knows what I mean.

Just like a all-night barrelhouse

over in New Orleans, Mr. Clutty.

King, I want to bid you welcome

in behalf of the management.

- Much obliged. How is the revelry going?

- The sky's the limit.

Good. I invited my friend...

the High Priest of the Hebrews

to drop in later.

You know what he looks like?

No, sir,

but we'll be on the lookout for him.

He look like a grandpappy,

but he knows his way around.

Okay. We'll have a little good times.

Let her go, boys.

Please the king.

Hot fat! That's the way!

There ain't nobody in the world

can squirm like the Babylon gals.

I'm glad I spotted you.

You'd have gone right by this place.

- The king's expecting you.

- The king's expecting me?

Why, I don't know anybody in here.

I wouldn't have come into such a place.

Stop! What's the idea

of busting up my party?

Why, here's the high priest.

What? Why, the high priest

is a fashion plate.

This is just a old drunk.

Why, of course.

Throw this old drunk out of here.

Wait a minute!

What right you got busting into society?

What do you do for a living?

- I'm a prophet of De Lawd.

- You is a prophet, is you?

Well, go ahead and prophesy.

Wait a minute. You heard the king.

Go ahead.

Sons and daughters of Babylon,

the wrath of God...

ain't going to be withheld much longer.

I'm telling you, repent before it's too late.

Repent before

Jehovah casts down upon you...

that same fire that burned up

Sodom and Gomorrah.

Ye children of Israel...

that's given yourselves

over to the evil ways...

- of your oppressors, repent before it's...

- Whoa, there!

What you bothering the king for?

You, the High Priest of all Israel...

walking the town

with the scum of the earth.

Seems to be a friend of yours, Jake.

He used to be a preacher,

but I kicked him out of the church.

He wasn't broad-minded.

Don't let him bother you none.

You have offended our Lawd...

and he's going to smite you down...

just like he's going to smite down

all the rest of this wicked world.

Wait a minute. I'm getting tired of this.

Don't throw him out, shoot him down.

Oh, Lawd.

He's dead, King.

Don't know whether

you should've done that, King.

Why not?

I don't know whether

De Lawd would like it.

Now, Jake...

you know that your Lawd

ain't paying no attention...

to this man's town.

Why, it's thoroughly protected

by the gods of Babylon.

I guess I can square things up.

Lawd, please forgive my old friend,

the King of Babylon.

He didn't know what he was doing.

He was just...

That's about enough!

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