He Who Gets Slapped by Leonid Andreyev (children's ebooks free online .TXT) đ
Excerpt from the book:
Description
A mysterious gentleman arrives at Papa Briquetâs circus, and applies to be a clown; unable to do a backflip, and with the circus unwilling to accept the idea of political discourse among the clowns, they settle together on the role of He Who Gets Slapped. Unfortunately for the troupe, He has motives for joining that arenât immediately apparent; motives that start to threaten the integrity of the circus.
He Who Gets Slapped was first presented in Moscow in 1915 to enthusiastic audiences, although critics at the time were confused about Leonid Andreyevâs subtexts. It is his most famous play, at least partially due to the later release in 1924 of a film adaptation by the newly-formed MGM Studios.
Read free book «He Who Gets Slapped by Leonid Andreyev (children's ebooks free online .TXT) đ» - read online or download for free at americanlibrarybooks.com
Download in Format:
- Author: Leonid Andreyev
Read book online «He Who Gets Slapped by Leonid Andreyev (children's ebooks free online .TXT) đ». Author - Leonid Andreyev
Now smile. Widerâ âbroaderâ âdo you call that a smile? Soâ âthatâs better. There is something, yesâ âbut for full developmentsâ âSadly. Probably you canât even turn a somersault?
Gentleman
Sighs. No.
Jackson
How old are you?
Gentleman
Thirty-nine. Too late? Jackson moves away with a whistle. There is a silence.
Zinida
Softly. Take him.
Briquet
Indignant. What the hell shall I do with him if he doesnât know a thing? Heâs drunk!
Gentleman
Honestly I am not. Thank you for your support, Madame. Are you not the famous Zinida, the lion tamer, whose regal beauty and audacityâ â
Zinida
Yes. But I do not like flattery.
Gentleman
It is not flattery.
Mancini
You are evidently not accustomed to good society, my dear. Flattery? This gentleman expresses his admiration in sincere and beautiful wordsâ âand youâ âyou are not educated, Zinida. As for myselfâ â
Enter Consuelo and Bezano in circus costume.
Consuelo
You here, Daddy?
Mancini
Yes, my child, you are not tired? Kisses her on the forehead. My daughter, sir, Countess Veronica. Known on the stage as Consuelo, The Bareback Tango Queen. Did you ever see her?
Gentleman
I have enjoyed her work. It is marvellous!
Mancini
Yes! Of course. Everyone admits it. And how do you like the name, Consuelo? I took it from the novel of George Sand. It means âConsolation.â
Gentleman
What a wonderful knowledge of books!
Mancini
A small thing. Despite your strange intention, I can see, sir, that you are a gentleman. My peer! Let me explain to you, that only the strange and fatal misfortunes of our ancient familyâ ââsic transit gloria mundi,â sir.
Consuelo
Itâs a bore, Daddyâ âWhereâs my handkerchief, Alfred?
Bezano
Here it is.
Consuelo
Showing the handkerchief to the gentleman. Genuine Venetian. Do you like it?
Gentleman
Again bowing. My eyes are dazzled, how beautiful! Papa Briquet, the more I look around me the more I want to stay with you. Makes the face of a simpleton. On the one hand a count, on the otherâ â
Jackson
Nods approval. Thatâs not bad. Look here, think a bitâ âfind something. Everyone here thinks for himself.
Silence. The gentleman stands with a finger on his forehead, thinking.
Gentleman
Find somethingâ âfind somethingâ ââ ⊠Eureka!
Polly
That means found. Come!
Gentleman
Eurekaâ âI shall be among you, he who gets slapped. General laughter. Even Briquet smiles.
Gentleman
Looks at them smiling. You see I made even you laughâ âis that easy? All grow serious. Polly sighs.
Tilly
No, itâs not easy. Did you laugh, Polly?
Polly
Sure, a lot. Did you?
Tilly
I did. Imitating an instrument, he plays with his lips a melody at once sad and gay.
Jackson
âHe Who Gets Slapped,â thatâs not bad.
Gentleman
Itâs not, is it? I rather like it myself. It suits my talent. And comrades, I have even found a nameâ âyouâll call me âHe.â Is that all right?
Jackson
Thinking. âHeââ âNot bad.
Consuelo
In a singing, melodic voice. âHeâ is so funnyâ ââHeââ âlike a dog. Daddy, are there such dogs?
Jackson suddenly gives a circus slap to the gentleman. He steps back and grows pale.
Gentleman
What!â âGeneral laughter covers his exclamation.
Jackson
He Who Gets Slapped. Or didnât you get it?
Polly
Comically. He says he wants moreâ âThe gentleman smiles, rubbing his cheek.
Gentleman
So sudden.â âWithout waiting.â âHow funnyâ âyou didnât hurt me, and yet my cheek burns.
Again there is loud laughter. The clowns cackle like ducks, hens, cocks; they bark. Zinida says something to Briquet, casts a glance toward Bezano, and goes out. Mancini assumes a bored air and looks at his watch. The two actresses go out.
Jackson
Take him, Papa Briquetâ âhe will push us.
Mancini
Again looking at his watch. But bear in mind, that Papa Briquet is as close as Harpagon. If you expect to get good money here you are mistaken. He laughs. A slap? Whatâs a slap? Worth only small change, a franc and a half a dozen. Better go back to society; you will make more money there. Why for one slap, just a light tap, you might say, my friend, Marquis Justi, was paid fifty thousand lire!
Briquet
Shut up, Mancini. Will you take care of him, Jackson.
Jackson
I can.
Polly
Do you like music? A Beethoven sonata played on a broom, for instance, or Mozart on a bottle?
He
Alas! No. But I will be exceedingly grateful if you will teach me. A clown! My childhoodâs dream. When all my school friends were thrilled by Plutarchâs heroes, or the light of scienceâ âI dreamed of clowns. Beethoven on a broom, Mozart on bottles! Just what I have sought all my life! Friends, I must have a costume!
Jackson
I see you donât know much! A costume putting his finger on his forehead is a thing which calls for deep thought. Have you seen my Sun here? Strikes his posterior. I looked for it two years.
He
Enthusiastically. I shall think!
Mancini
It is time for me to go. Consuelo, my child, you must get dressed. To He. We are lunching with Baron Regnard, a friend of mine, a banker.
Consuelo
But I donât want to go, Daddy. Alfred says I must rehearse today.
Mancini
Horrified, holding up his hands. Child, think of me, and what a situation you put me in! I promised the Baron, the Baron expects us. Why, it is impossible! Oh, I am in a cold sweat.
Consuelo
Alfred saysâ â
Bezano
Drily. She has to work. Are you rested? Then come on.
Mancini
Butâ âthe devil take me if I know what to make of it. Hey, Bezano, bareback rider! Are you crazy? I gave you permission for Artâs sake, to exercise my daughterâs talentâ âand youâ â
Consuelo
Go along, Papa, and donât be so silly. Weâve got to work, havenât we? Have lunch along with your Baron. And Daddy, you forgot to take a clean handkerchief again, and I washed two for you yesterday. Where did you put them?
Mancini
Ashamed, blushing. Why, my linen is washed by the laundress, and you, Consuelo, are still playing with toys. It is stupid! Youâre a chatterbox. You donât think. These gentlemen might imagine Heaven knows
Free e-book: «He Who Gets Slapped by Leonid Andreyev (children's ebooks free online .TXT) đ» - read online now on website american library books (americanlibrarybooks.com)
Similar e-books:
Comments (0)