The Grapes of Wrath Page #21

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MA:

On a gallon a gas?

(As Tom grins at her)

Let's set up the tent. Maybe I can

fix us up some stew.

The truck moves into the camp through a lane of children.

The scene dissolves to the JOAD TENT. In front of it, Ma is

on her knees feeding a small fire with broken sticks. On the

fire is a pot of stew. Ruthie and Winfield stand watching

the pot. About fifteen ragged, barefooted children in a half-

circle are now around the fire, their solemn eyes on the pot

of stew. Occasionally they look at Ma, then back at the stew.

Presently one of the older girls speaks.

GIRL:

(shyly)

I could break up some bresh if you

want me, ma'am.

MA:

(gently)

You want to get ast to eat, hunh?

GIRL:

(simply)

Yes, ma'am.

MA:

Didn' you have no breakfast?

GIRL:

No, ma'am. They ain't no work

hereabouts. Pa's in tryin' to sell

some stuff to get gas so's we can

get along.

MA:

Didn' none of these have no breakfast?

There is a long silence. Then:

BOY:

(boastfully)

I did. Me an' my brother did. We et

good.

MA:

Then you ain't hungry, are you?

The boy chokes, his lip sticks out.

BOY:

(doggedly)

We et good.

(Then he breaks and

runs)

MA:

Well, it's a good thing *some* a you

ain't hungry, because they ain't

enough to go all the way roun'.

GIRL:

Aw, he was braggin'. Know what he

done? Las' night, come out an' say

they got chicken to eat. Well, sir,

I looked in whilst they was a-eatin'

an' it was fried dough jus' like

ever'body else.

Pa and John enter.

PA:

How 'bout it?

MA:

(to Ruthie)

Go get Tom an' Al.

(looking helplessly

at the children)

I dunno what to do. I got to feed

the fambly. What'm I gonna do with

these here?

She is dishing the stew into tin plates. The children's eyes

follow the spoon, and then the first plate, to John. He is

raising the first spoonful to his mouth when he notices them

apparently for the first time. He is chewing slowly, his

eyes on the children, their eyes on his face, when Tom and

Al enter.

JOHN:

(standing up)

You take this.

(Handing plate to Tom)

I ain't hungry.

TOM:

Whatta ya mean? You ain't et today.

JOHN:

I know, but I got a stomickache. I

ain't hungry.

TOM:

(after a glance at

the children)

You take that plate inside the tent

an' you eat it.

JOHN:

Wouldn't be no use. I'd still see

'em inside the tent.

TOM:

(to the children)

You git. Go on now, git. You ain't

doin' no good. They ain't enough for

you.

The children retreat a step, but no more, and then look

wonderingly at him.

MA:

We can't send 'em away. Take your

plates an' go inside. Take a plate

to Rosasharn.

(Smiling, to the

children)

Look. You little fellas go an' get

you each a flat stick an' I'll put

what's lef' for you.

(The children scatter)

But they ain't to be no fightin'!

(Dishing plates for

Ruthie and Winfield)

I don't know if I'm doin' right or

not but--go inside, ever'body stay

inside.

(The children are

back)

They ain't enough. All you gonna get

is jus' a taste but--I can't help

it, I can't keep it from you.

She goes in the tent hurriedly to hide the fact that tears

have come into her eyes. The children pounce on the pot,

silently, too busy digging for the stew to speak.

INSIDE THE TENT they have all finished their stew already.

MA:

(bitterly)

I done fine! Now nobody got enough!

At the ROAD a new coupe drives off the highway and into the

camp and stops. It contains two men. One gets out.

A GROUP OF MEN are squatting in a half-circle, the usual

pattern for conversation, but they are silent now as their

eyes fix on the man approaching. He is a labor agent.

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