What happened in the zoo
Edward Albee
What happened in the zoo
The action takes place in the central park in New York on a summer Sunday
We see two garden benches facing each other, behind them bushes, trees. Peter is sitting on the right bench, he is reading a book. Peter is about forty years old, very ordinary, wearing a tweed suit and horn-rimmed glasses, smoking a pipe; and although he is already entering the middle age, his style of dress and manner of keeping to almost youthful.
Jerry enters. He is also under forty, and he is not so poorly dressed as he is sloppy; his once-pulled figure begins to grow fat. Jerry can not be called beautiful, but traces of the former attractiveness are still quite clear. His heavy gait, sluggish movements are explained not by licentiousness, but by immense fatigue.
Jerry sees Peter and begins an insignificant conversation with him. Peter at first does not pay any attention to Jerry, then still answers, but his answers are brief, absent-minded
Jerry notices what a glorious day, then declares that he was at the zoo, and that tomorrow everything will be read in the newspapers and will be seen on TV. After all, Peter has a TV? Oh, yes, Peter has even two TV sets, a wife and two daughters. Jerry venomously notes that, apparently, Peter would like to have a son, but that did not work, and now the wife does not want to have any more children… In response to this remark, Peter boils, but quickly calms down. He is curious about what happened in the zoo, what will be written in the newspapers and shown on television. Jerry promises to talk about this case, but first he really wants to “really” talk with the person, because he rarely has to talk with people: “Unless you say: give
Jerry absentmindedly responded that he was there today, “and then he went here,” and asks Peter, “what’s the difference between a middle-class middle-class and a lower-middle class?” Peter does not understand, and here it is. Then Jerry asks about Peter’s favorite writers (“Baudelaire and Marquend?”), Then suddenly declares: “Do you know what I did before I went to the zoo?” I walked all over Fifth Avenue – all the way on foot. ” Peter decides that Jerry lives in Greenwich Village, and this consideration, apparently, helps him to understand something. But Jerry does not live in Greenwich Village at all, he just got to him on the subway to get to the zoo from there (“Sometimes a person has to make a big detour to the right and the shortest way to go back”). In fact, Jerry lives in an old four-story apartment building. He lives on the top floor, and his window overlooks the courtyard. His room is a ridiculously cramped closet where, instead of one wall, a wooden partition dividing it from another ridiculously tight little room in which a black fagot lives, he always, when plucking his eyebrows, keeps the door wide: “He plucks his eyebrows, wears a kimono and goes to the closet, that’s all. ” On the floor there are two more rooms: in one there lives a noisy family of Puerto Ricans with a bunch of children, in the other – whoever Jerry has never seen. This house is an unpleasant place, and Jerry does not know why he lives there. Perhaps because he does not have a wife, two daughters, cats and parrots. He has a razor and soap dish, some clothes, an electric cooker, dishes, two empty photo frames, several books, a pile of pornographic cards, an ancient typewriter and a small box-safe without a lock, in which lie the naked pebbles, which Jerry collected as a child. And under the stones of the letter: “ponimestnye” letters (“please do not do this and that and that” or “please do this and that and that”) and later “old” letters (“when will you write?” , “when will you come?”).
Mom Gerry ran away from daddy when Jerry was ten and a half years old. She embarked on an annual adultery tour of the southern states. And among the other very many attachments of Mom, the most important and unchanging was pure whiskey. A year later, dear mother gave her soul to God at a dump in Alabama. Jerry and Daddy found out about this before the New Year. When Daddy returned from the south, he celebrated the New Year two weeks in a row, and then drunk on the bus…
But Jerry did not stay alone – Mom’s sister was found. He remembers little about her, except that she did everything severely – and slept, and ate, and worked, and prayed. And on the day when Jerry graduated from high school, she “suddenly jumped right on the stairs at her apartment” …
Suddenly, Jerry realizes that he forgot to ask the name of his interlocutor. Peter appears. Jerry continues his story, he explains why there is not a single photo in the frame: “I have never met with any lady, and they never came to give me photos.” Jerry admits that he can not make love to a woman more than once. But when he was fifteen years old, he met for a whole week and a half with the buckwheat, the son of a park watchman. Perhaps Jerry was in love with him, or maybe just into sex. But now Jerry really likes pretty ladies. But for an hour. Not more…
In response to this confession, Peter makes some insignificant remark, to which Jerry responds unexpectedly aggressively. Peter also boils, but then they ask each other’s forgiveness and calm down. Then Jerry notices that he expected that Peter would be more interested in pornographic maps than with photo frames. After all, Peter probably already saw such cards, or he had his own deck, which he threw out before his marriage: “These cards serve as a substitute for practical experience for a boy, but for an adult the practical experience replaces the fantasy, but you seem more interested in what happened in the zoo” . At the mention of the zoo, Peter animates, and Jerry tells…
Jerry again talks about the house in which he lives. In this house, with each floor down the rooms are getting better. And on the third floor there is a woman who keeps on crying all the time. But the story, in fact, about the dog and the mistress of the house. The mistress of the house is a fat, stupid, dirty, spiteful, eternally drunk pile of meat (“you must have noticed: I avoid strong words, so I can not describe it properly”). And this woman with her dog guards Jerry. She always sticks downstairs at the bottom of the stairs and watches Jerry not drag anyone into the house, and in the evenings, after another pint of gin, she stops Jerry and tries to squeeze into a corner. Somewhere on the brink of her bird’s brain a vile parody of passion stirs. And Jerry is the object of her lust. To discourage his aunt, Jerry says: “Is it not enough yesterday and the day before yesterday?” She’s puffing, trying to remember… and then her face blurs into a blissful smile – she remembers something that was not. Then she calls the dog and goes to her room. And Jerry was saved until the next meeting…
So that’s about the dog… Jerry tells and accompanies his long monologue almost uninterrupted movement, hypnotically acting on Peter:
– (As if reading a huge poster) HISTORY OF JERRY AND THE DOG! (Normal tone) This dog is a black monster: a huge muzzle, tiny ears, red eyes, and all the ribs bulge outward. He growled at me as soon as he saw, and from the very first minute of this dog I found no peace. I’m not Saint Francis: animals are indifferent to me… like people. But this dog was not indifferent… Not that he threw himself at me, no – he briskly and persistently hobbled after, although I always managed to escape. This went on for a whole week, and, strangely enough, only when I entered – when I went out, he paid no attention to me… Once I became thoughtful. And he decided. First I’ll try to kill the dog kindness, and if it does not work out… I’ll just kill it. (Peter flinches.)
The next day I bought a whole bag of cutlets. (Next, Jerry portrays his story in faces). I opened the door a little – he was waiting for me. Applied. I entered cautiously and put the cutlets about ten paces from the dog. He stopped growling, sniffed and moved towards them. He came, stopped, looked at me. I smiled ingratiatingly at him. He sniffed and suddenly – din! – Threw on the cutlets. As if in my life I did not eat anything, except for rotten cleaning. He at once devoured everything, then sat down and smiled. I give you my word! And suddenly – one time! – As it rushes at me. But here he did not catch me. I ran into my room and again began to think. To tell the truth, I was very upset, and I got angry. Six excellent cutlets! .. I was just offended. But I decided to try again. You see, the dog was clearly antipathy towards me. And I wanted to know if I could overcome it or not. Five days in a row I wore cutlets for him, and the same thing always happened: roars, sniffs the air, comes up, devours, smiles, growls and – once – at me! I was just offended. And I decided to kill him. (Peter makes pathetic attempts to protest.)
Yes, do not be afraid. I did not succeed… On that day, I bought only one cutlet and, as I thought, a deadly dose of rat poison. On the way home, I mashed the meatball in my hands and mixed it with rat poison. I was sad and disgusted. I open the door, I see – he’s sitting… He, poor fellow, never realized that, while he was smiling, I always have time to escape. I laid the poisoned cutlet, the poor dog swallowed it, smiled and folded! – to me. But I, as always, rushed upstairs, and he, as always, did not catch up with me.
And then the dog heavily ill!
I guessed because he did not lie in wait for me anymore, but the hostess suddenly sobered up. The same evening she stopped me, she even forgot about her vile desire and for the first time she opened her eyes wide. They at it have appeared absolutely as at a dog. She whimpered and begged me to pray for the poor little dog. I wanted to say: Madame, if I really pray, so for all the people in houses like this… but I, ma’am, do not know how to pray. But… I said I would pray. She looked at me. And suddenly she said that I was lying, and I probably want the dog to die. And I answered that I did not want this at all, and it was true. I wanted the dog to survive, not because I poisoned it. Frankly, I wanted to see how he would treat me. (Peter makes an indignant gesture and shows signs of growing dislike.)
It is very important! We need to know the results of our actions… Well, in general, the dog was oklemalsya, and the hostess again pulled on the gin – everything was as before.
After the dog became better, I went home from the movie in the evening. I walked and hoped that the dog was waiting for me… I was… obsessed? .. spellbound? .. I was in pain in my heart I was impatient to meet my friend again. (Peter looks at Jerry with a sneer.) Yes, Peter, with his friend.
I entered the door and, no longer cautious, walked up the stairs. He was already there… I stopped. He looked at me, and I looked at him. It seems that we stood so very long… The dog can not stand the human eye for long. But in those twenty seconds or two hours that we were looking at each other’s eyes, contact arose between us. That’s what I wanted: I loved the dog and wanted him to love me. I hoped… I do not know why myself, I was waiting for the dog to understand… (Peter listens as if hypnotized.) Jerry is very tense.) The fact is that… If you can not communicate with people, you need to start with something something else. WITH ANIMALS! (Jerry speaks faster, in a conspiratorial tone.) A person must somehow communicate with at least someone. If not with people… so with something else. With a bed, with a cockroach, with a mirror… no, with a mirror this is the last thing. .. With… with… with a roll of toilet paper… no, that’s not good either. You see how difficult – very little that suits! S. with… with a pack of pornographic cards, with a safe… WITHOUT LOCK… to know with love, with vomit, with tears, with fury because pretty women are not at all pretty and not ladies, with body trade that there is a vessel of love, with a thundering howl, because you do not die… With God. How do you think? With God, and he is in my neighbor that he walks in a kimono and plucks his eyebrows in that woman who always cries behind his door… with a god who, I was told, turned his back on our world long ago. And sometimes… and with people. (Jerry sighs heavily.) With people. Speak. And where better in this humiliating likeness of the prison to share some very simple idea, how not at the entrance, at the stairs? And try… understand and understand you…
So, we looked at each other with a dog. And since then it has gone. Every time we met, we froze, looked at each other, and then depicted indifference. We already understood each other. The dog returned to the pile of rotten garbage, and I walked unhindered to myself. I realized that kindness and cruelty only combine to teach to feel. But what’s the use of it? We with the dog came to a compromise: we do not like each other, but we do not offend, because we do not try to understand. And tell me, what I fed the dog, can be considered a manifestation of love? Or maybe the dog’s efforts to bite me were also a manifestation of love? But if we are not allowed to understand each other, then why did we even come up with the word “love”? (Silence comes in. Jerry walks over to Peter’s bench and sits next to him.) This is the end of the Story of Jerry and the dog.
Peter is silent. Jerry suddenly changes his tone: “Well, Peter?” Do you think you can print this in a magazine and get a couple of hundred? ” Jerry is cheerful and animated, Peter, on the contrary, is alarmed. He is confused, he almost says with tears in his voice: “Why are you telling me all this? I did not understand anything, I DO NOT WANT TO LISTEN TO ANYTHING!” And Jerry gazes eagerly at Peter, his cheerful excitement is replaced by a languid apathy: “I do not know what it took me… of course, you do not understand.” I do not live in your quarter. I’m not married to two parrots. I’m an eternal temporary resident, and my house is a hideous little room in the West Side, in New York, the greatest city in the world. “Amen.” Peter retreats, tries to joke, in response to his ridiculous jokes, Jerry laughs coercedly. Peter looks at his watch and is about to leave. Jerry does not want Peter to leave. He first persuades him to stay, then begins to tickle. Peter is terribly afraid of tickling, he resists, giggles and screams falsetto almost losing his mind… And then Jerry stops tickling. However, from tickling and inner tension with Peter almost hysterical – he laughs and can not stop. Jerry looks at him with a motionless mocking smile, and then pronounces in a mysterious voice: “Peter, want to know what happened at the zoo?” Peter stops laughing, and Jerry continues: “But first I’ll say why I went there.” I went to look at how people behave with animals and how animals behave with each other and with people. Of course, this is quite approximate, since all are fenced off But what do you want, it’s a zoo? “- At these words, Jerry pushes Peter in the shoulder:” Move! ” – and continues, pushing Peter more and more: “There were animals and people, Today it’s Sunday, there was a lot of children [poke in the side] .Today it’s hot, and the stink and cry there were decent, crowds of people, ice cream vendors. .. [Again a poke] “Peter starts to get angry, but obediently moves – and here he sits on the very edge of the bench. Jerry pinches Peter by the arm, punching him from the bench: “Just fed the lions, and the guard entered the cage with one lion.” Want to know what happened next? [Pinch] “Peter is stunned and indignant, he calls on Jerry to stop the disgrace. In response, Jerry softly demands that Peter walk away from the bench and move to another, and then Jerry, so be it, will tell what happened next… Peter plaintively resists, Jerry, laughing, offends Peter (“Idiot, dumb! You Go to the ground! “) Peter responds with effervescence, he settles more tightly on the bench, demonstrating that he will not go anywhere with it:” No, to hell with it! Enough! I will not give up the bench! And get out of here! I warn you, I’ll call the policeman! POLICE! “Jerry laughs and does not move from the bench.” Peter exclaims with helpless indignation: “My God, I came here quietly to read, and suddenly you take my bench from me. You are crazy. “Then he again becomes furious:” Now get off my bench! I want to sit alone! “Jerry teasingly teases Peter, firing him more and more:” You have everything you need – and the house, and the family, and even your own little zoo. You have everything in the world, and now you need this bench as well. Are people fighting for this? You yourself do not know what you are saying. You are a stupid man! You have no idea what others need. I need this bench! “Peter shivers with indignation:” I’ve been coming here for many years. I’m a thorough man, I’m not a boy! This is my bench, and you have no right to take it from me! “Jerry summons Peter to a fight, podozzhivaya:” Then fight for it. Protect yourself and your bench. “Jerry pulls out and opens the frightening knife with a click, Peter scared, but before Peter can figure out what to do, Jerry throws the knife at his feet.” Peter jumps in horror, and Jerry rushes to Peter and grabs him for the collar, their faces almost close to each other. Gerry summons Peter to the battle, giving a slap at every word “Fight!” and Peter screams, trying to break free from Jerry’s hands, but he holds tight. “Finally Jerry exclaims” You can not even make your son’s wife! “And he spits Peter in the face, Peter is furious, he finally breaks out, rushes to the knife, grabs him and, breathing heavily, backs away.” He squeezes the knife, stretching out his hand not to attack, but for protection. “Jerry sighed heavily,” Well, let it be so… “), with a running start, stumbles on a knife in Peter’s hand.” Second of complete silence. “Then Peter screams, pulls his hand away, leaving Jerry’s knife in Jerry’s chest. screams – the cry of an angry and mortally wounded beast. Stumbling, he goes to the bench, falls on it. Agen on his face now changed, became softer, calmer he says, and his voice sometimes breaks down, but he seems to be the death of Jerry perebaryvat smiles.. “Thank you, Peter. Seriously I say thank you. “Peter stands still.” He froze. “Jerry continues:” Oh, Peter, I was so afraid that I would scare you… You do not know how I was afraid that you will leave and I will again be alone. And now I’ll tell you what happened at the zoo. When I was at the zoo, I decided that I would go to the north… until I met you… or someone else… and I decided that I would talk to you… I would impose all… such, that you do not… And that’s what happened. But… I do not know… Am I planning this? No, hardly… Although… probably, that’s it. Well, now you know what happened at the zoo, right? And now you know what you will read in the newspaper and see on TV… Peter! .. Thank you. I met you… And you helped me. Nice Peter. “Peter almost fainted, he does not move and begins to cry.” Jerry continues his weakening voice (death is about to come): “You better go. Somebody can come, you do not want, so that they caught you here? And do not come here any more, this is not your place anymore. You lost the bench, but defended your honor. And here’s what I tell you, Peter, you’re not a plant, you’re an animal. You’re an animal too. Now run, Peter. (Jerry pulls out a handkerchief and paints fingerprints from the knife knife with an effort.) Soon, take it… Soon… “Peter hesitantly approaches the bench, grabs the book, steps back, hesitates for a while, then runs away. eyes, raves: “Run, parrots cooked lunch… cats… put on the table…” From far away, Peter’s plaintive cry: “Oh my GOD!” Jerry with closed eyes shakes his head, contemptuously mimics Peter, and together with the voice in his voice: “Oh… my… my.” Dies. but he defended his honor. And here’s what I tell you, Peter, you’re not a plant, you’re an animal. You’re an animal too. Now run, Peter. (Jerry pulls out a handkerchief and paints fingerprints from the knife knife with an effort.) Soon, take it… Soon… “Peter hesitantly approaches the bench, grabs the book, steps back, hesitates for a while, then runs away. eyes, raves: “Run, parrots cooked lunch… cats… put on the table…” From far away, Peter’s plaintive cry: “Oh my GOD!” Jerry with closed eyes shakes his head, contemptuously mimics Peter, and together with the voice in his voice: “Oh… my… my.” Dies. but he defended his honor. And here’s what I tell you, Peter, you’re not a plant, you’re an animal. You’re an animal too. Now run, Peter. (Jerry pulls out a handkerchief and paints fingerprints from the knife knife with an effort.) Soon, take it… Soon… “Peter hesitantly approaches the bench, grabs the book, steps back, hesitates for a while, then runs away. eyes, raves: “Run, parrots cooked lunch… cats… put on the table…” From far away, Peter’s plaintive cry: “Oh my GOD!” Jerry with closed eyes shakes his head, contemptuously mimics Peter, and together with the voice in his voice: “Oh… my… my.” Dies. From afar, Peter’s mournful cry is heard: “O my GOD!” Jerry with closed eyes shakes his head, contemptuously mimics Peter, and at the same time in his voice his plea: “Oh… my… my.” Dies. From afar, Peter’s mournful cry is heard: “O my GOD!” Jerry with closed eyes shakes his head, contemptuously mimics Peter, and at the same time in his voice his plea: “Oh… my… my.” Dies.
A curtain
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