The Post Office by Rabindranath Tagore (e book reader pc .txt) đ
- Author: Rabindranath Tagore
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through the trees which you can follow to the end of the forest
when the sky is quite clear after rain?
GAFFER. Thatâs so. You know all about it already.
AMAL. I do, everything.
GAFFER. So I see, but how?
AMAL. I canât say; but itâs quite clear to me. I fancy Iâve
seen it often in days long gone by. How long ago I canât tell.
Do you know when? I can see it all: there, the Kingâs postman
coming down the hillside alone, a lantern in his left hand and on
his back a bag of letters climbing down for ever so long, for
days and nights, and where at the foot of the mountain the
waterfall becomes a stream he takes to the footpath on the bank
and walks on through the rye; then comes the sugarcane field and
he disappears into the narrow lane cutting through the tall stems
of sugarcanes; then he reaches the open meadow where the cricket
chirps and where there is not a single man to be seen, only the
snipe wagging their tails and poking at the mud with their bills.
I can feel him coming nearer and nearer and my heart becomes
glad.
GAFFER. My eyes arenât young; but you make me see all the same.
AMAL. Say, Fakir, do you know the King who has this Post Office?
GAFFER. I do; I go to him for my alms every day.
AMAL. Good! When I get well, I must have my alms too from him,
maynât I?
GAFFER. You wonât need to ask, my dear, heâll give it to you of
his own accord.
AMAL. No, I would go to his gate and cry, âVictory to thee,
O King!â and dancing to the taborâs sound, ask for alms.
Wonât it be nice?
GAFFER. It would be splendid, and if youâre with me, I shall
have my full share. But whatâll you ask?
AMAL. I shall say, âMake me your postman, that I may go about
lantern in hand, delivering your letters from door to door.
Donât let me stay at home all day!â
GAFFER. What is there to be sad for, my child, even were you to
stay at home?
AMAL. It isnât sad. When they shut me in here first I felt the
day was so long. Since the Kingâs Post Office I like it more and
more being indoors, and as I think I shall get a letter one day,
I feel quite happy and then I donât mind being quiet and alone.
I wonder if I shall make out whatâll be in the Kingâs letter?
GAFFER. Even if you didnât wouldnât it be enough if it just bore
your name?
[MADHAV enters]
MADHAV. Have you any idea of the trouble youâve got me into,
between you two?
GAFFER. Whatâs the matter?
MADHAV. I hear youâve let it get rumored about that the King has
planted his office here to send messages to both of you.
GAFFER. Well, what about it?
MADHAV. Our headman Panchanan has had it told to the King
anonymously.
GAFFER. Arenât we aware that everything reaches the Kingâs ears?
MADHAV. Then why donât you look out? Why take the Kingâs name
in vain? Youâll bring me to ruin if you do.
AMAL. Say, Fakir, will the King be cross?
GAFFER. Cross, nonsense! And with a child like you and a fakir
such as I am. Letâs see if the King be angry, and then wonât I
give him a piece of my mind.
AMAL. Say, Fakir, Iâve been feeling a sort of darkness coming
over my eyes since the morning. Everything seems like a dream.
I long to be quiet. I donât feel like talking at all. Wonât the
Kingâs letter come? Suppose this room melts away all on a
sudden, supposeâ
GAFFER. [Fanning AMAL] The letterâs sure to come to-day, my boy.
[DOCTOR enters]
DOCTOR. And how do you feel to-day?
AMAL. Feel awfully well to-day, Doctor. All pain seems to have
left me.
DOCTOR. [Aside to MADHAV] Donât quite like the look of that smile.
Bad sign that, his feeling well! Chakradhan has observedâ
MADHAV. For goodness sake, Doctor, leave Chakradhan alone. Tell
me whatâs going to happen?
DOCTOR. Canât hold him in much longer, I fear! I warned you
beforeâThis looks like a fresh exposure.
MADHAV. No, Iâve used the utmost care, never let him out of
doors; and the windows have been shut almost all the time.
DOCTOR. Thereâs a peculiar quality in the air to-day. As I came
in I found a fearful draught through your front door. Thatâs
most hurtful. Better lock it at once. Would it matter if this
kept your visitors off for two or three days? If someone happens
to call unexpectedlyâthereâs the back door. You had better shut
this window as well, itâs letting in the sunset rays only to keep
the patient awake.
MADHAV. Amal has shut his eyes. I expect he is sleeping. His
face tells meâOh, Doctor, I bring in a child who is a stranger
and love him as my own, and now I suppose I must lose him!
DOCTOR. Whatâs that? Thereâs your headman sailing in!âWhat a
bother! I must be going, brother. You had better stir about and
see to the doors being properly fastened. I will send on a
strong dose directly I get home. Try it on himâit may save him
at last, if he can be saved at all. [Exeunt MADHAV and DOCTOR.]
[The HEADMAN enters]
HEADMAN. Hello, urchin!
GAFFER. [Rising hastily] âSh, be quiet.
AMAL. No, Fakir, did you think I was asleep? I wasnât. I can
hear everything; yes, and voices far away. I feel that mother
and father are sitting by my pillow and speaking to me.
[MADHAV enters]
HEADMAN. I say, Madhav, I hear you hobnob with bigwigs nowadays.
MADHAV. Spare me your jests, Headman, we are but common people.
HEADMAN. But your child here is expecting a letter from the
King.
MADHAV. Donât you take any notice of him, a mere foolish boy!
HEADMAN. Indeed, why not! Itâll beat the King hard to find a
better family! Donât you see why the King plants his new Post
Office right before your window? Why thereâs a letter for you
from the King, urchin.
AMAL. [Starting up] Indeed, really!
HEADMAN. How can it be false? Youâre the Kingâs chum. Hereâs
your letter [showing a blank slip of paper]. Ha, ha, ha! This
is the letter.
AMAL. Please donât mock me. Say, Fakir, is it so?
GAFFER. Yes, my dear. I as Fakir tell you it is his letter.
AMAL. How is it I canât see? It all looks so blank to me. What
is there in the letter, Mr. Headman?
HEADMAN. The King says, âI am calling on you shortly; you had
better arrange puffed rice offerings for me.âPalace fare is
quite tasteless to me now.â Ha! ha! ha!
MADHAV. [With folded palms] I beseech you, headman, donât you joke
about these thingsâ
GAFFER. Cutting jokes indeed, dare he!
MADHAV. Are you out of your mind too, Gaffer?
GAFFER. Out of my mind, well then I am; I can read plainly that
the King writes he will come himself to see Amal, with the state
physician.
AMAL. Fakir, Fakir, âsh, his trumpet! Canât you hear?
HEADMAN. Ha! ha! ha! I fear he wonât until heâs a bit more
off his head.
AMAL. Mr. Headman, I thought you were cross with me and didnât
love me. I never could think you would fetch me the Kingâs
letter. Let me wipe the dust off your feet.
HEADMAN. This little child does have an instinct of reverence.
Though a little silly, he has a good heart.
AMAL. Itâs hard on the fourth watch now, I supposeâHark the
gong, âDong, dong, ding,â âDong, dong, ding.â Is the evening
star up? How is it I canât seeâ
GAFFER. Oh, the windows are all shut, Iâll open them.
[A knocking outside]
MADHAV. Whatâs that?âWho is itâwhat a bother!
VOICE. [From outside] Open the door.
MADHAV Say, HeadmanâHope theyâre not robbers.
HEADMAN. Whoâs there?âItâs Panchanan, the headman, callsâArenât
you afraid of the like of me? Fancy! The noise has ceased!
Panchananâs voice carries far.âYes, show me the biggest robbers!
MADHAV. [Peering out of the window] I should think the noise has
ceased. theyâve smashed the door.
[THE KINGâS HERALD enters]
HERALD. Our Sovereign King comes to-night!
HEADMAN. My God!
AMAL. At what hour of the night, Herald?
HERALD. On the second watch.
AMAL. When from the city gates my friend the watchman will
strike his gong, âding dong ding, ding dong dingââthen?
HERALD. Yes, then. The King sends his greatest physician to
attend on his young friend.
[STATE Physician enters]
STATE PHYSICIAN. Whatâs this? How close it is here! Open wide
all the doors and windows. [Feeling AMALâS body] How do you
feel, my child?
AMAL. I feel very well, Doctor, very well. All pain is gone.
How fresh and open! I can see all the stars now twinkling from
the other side of the dark.
PHYSICIAN. Will you feel well enough to leave your bed with the
King when he comes in the middle watches of the night?
AMAL. Of course, Iâm dying to be about for ever so long. Iâll
ask the King to find me the polar star.âI must have seen it
often, but I donât know exactly which it is.
PHYSICIAN. He will tell you everything. [To MADHAV] Will you go
about and arrange flowers through the room for the Kingâs visit?
[Indicating the HEADMAN] We canât have that person in here.
AMAL. No, let him be, Doctor. He is a friend. It was he who
brought me the Kingâs letter.
PHYSICIAN. Very well, my child. He may remain if he is a friend
of yours.
MADHAV [Whispering into AMALâS ear] My child, the King loves you.
He is coming himself. Beg for a gift from him. You know our
humble circumstances.
AMAL. Donât you worry, Uncle.âIâve made up my mind about it.
MADHAV. What is it, my child?
AMAL. I shall ask him to make me one of his postmen that I may
wander far and wide, delivering his message from door to door.
MADHAV. [Slapping his forehead] Alas, is that all?
AMAL. Whatâll be our offerings to the King, Uncle, when he
comes?
HERALD. He has commanded puffed rice.
AMAL. Puffed rice! Say, Headman, youâre right. You said so.
You knew all we didnât.
HEADMAN. If you send word to my house then I could manage for
the Kingâs advent really niceâ
PHYSICIAN. No need at all. Now be quiet all of you. Sleep is
coming over him. Iâll sit by his pillow; heâs dropping into
slumber. Blow out the oil-lamp. Only let the star-light stream
in. Hush, he slumbers.
MADHAV. [Addressing GAFFER] What are you standing there for like
a statue, folding your palms.âI am nervous.âSay, are they good
omens? Why are they darkening the room? How will star-light
help?
GAFFER. Silence, unbeliever.
[SUDHA enters]
SUDHA. Amal!
PHYSICIAN. Heâs asleep.
SUDHA. I have some flowers for him. Maynât I give them into his
own hand?
PHYSICIAN. Yes, you may.
SUDHA. When will he be awake?
PHYSICIAN. Directly the King comes and calls him.
SUDHA. Will you whisper a word
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