In literature a drama genre deserves your attention. Dramas are usually called plays. Every person is made up of two parts: good and evil. Due to life circumstances, the human reveals one or another side of his nature. In drama we can see the full range of emotions : it can be love, jealousy, hatred, fear, etc. The best drama books are full of dialogue. This type of drama is one of the oldest forms of storytelling and has existed almost since the beginning of humanity. Drama genre - these are events that involve a lot of people. People most often suffer in this genre, because they are selfish. People always think to themselves first, they want have a benefit.The Little Clay Cart by Sudraka (summer beach reads .txt) š
- Author: Sudraka
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MadanikÄ. Is that the reason why you left your jewels with him?
VasantasenÄ. You have guessed it.
A voice[40] behind the scenes. Oh, sir, a shampooer owes me ten gold-pieces, and he got away from us. Hold him, hold him! [To the fleeing shampooer.] Stop, stop! I see you from here. [Enter hurriedly a frightened shampooer.]
Shampooer. Oh, confound this gambling business!
Freed from its tether, the aceā
I might better say "ass"āhow it kicks me!
And the cast of the dice called the "spear"
Proves true to its name; for it sticks me.1
The keeper's whole attention
Was busy with the score;
So it took no great invention
To vanish through the door.
But I cannot stand forever
In the unprotected street.
Is there no one to deliver?
I would fall before his feet.2
While the keeper and the gambler are looking somewhere else for me, I'll just walk backwards into this empty temple and turn goddess. [He makes all sorts of gestures, takes his place, and waits.]
[Enter MÄthura and the gambler.]
[30.1. S.
MÄthura. Oh, sir, a shampooer owes me ten gold-pieces, and he got away from us. Hold him, hold him! Stop, stop! I see you from here.
Gambler.
With Indra, the god, you may stay:
For there's never a god can save your skin.
While MÄthura wants his pay.3
MÄthura.
You that cheat an honest gambler?
You that shake with fear and shiver.
All a-tremble, all a-quiver;
You that cannot trip enough.
On the level ground and rough;
You that stain your social station,
Family, and reputation!4
Gambler. [Examining the footprints.] Here he goes. And here the tracks are lost.
MÄthura. [Gazes at the footprints. Reflectively.] Look! The feet are turned around. And the temple hasn't any image. [After a moment's thought.] That rogue of a shampooer has gone into the temple with his feet turned around.
Gambler. Let's follow him.
MÄthura. All right. [They enter the temple and take a good look, then make signs to each other.]
Gambler. What! a wooden image?
MÄthura. Of course not. It's stone. [He shakes it with all his might, then makes signs.] What do we care? Come, let's have a game. [He starts to gamble as hard as he can.]
Shampooer. [Trying with all his might to repress the gambling fever. Aside.] Oh, oh!
Oh, the rattle of dice is a charming thing,
When you haven't a copper left;
It works like a drum on the heart of a king,
Of all his realm bereft.5
For gamblers leap down a mountain steepā
I know I shall not play.
Yet the rattle of dice is as sweet as the peep
Of nightingales in May.6
Gambler. My turn, my turn!
P. 56.10]
MÄthura. Not much! it's my turn.
Shampooer. [Coming up quickly from behind.] Isn't it my turn?
Gambler. We've got our man.
MÄthura. [Seizing him.] You jail-bird, you're caught. Pay me my ten gold-pieces.
Shampooer. I'll pay you this very day.
MÄthura. Pay me this very minute!
Shampooer. I'll pay you. Only have mercy!
MÄthura. Come, will you pay me now?
Shampooer. My head is getting dizzy. [He falls to the ground. The others beat him with all their might.]
MÄthura. There [drawing the gamblers ring] you're bound by the gamblers' ring.
Shampooer. [Rises. Despairingly.] What! bound by the gamblers' ring? Confound it! That is a limit which we gamblers can't pass. Where can I get the money to pay him?
MÄthura. Well then, you must give surety.
Shampooer. I have an idea. [He nudges the gambler.] I'll give you half, if you'll forgive me the other half.
Gambler. All right.
Shampooer. [To MÄthura.] I'll give you surety for a half. You might forgive me the other half.
MÄthura. All right. Where's the harm?
Shampooer. [Aloud.] You forgave me a half, sir?
[31.24. S.
MÄthura. Yes.
Shampooer. [To the gambler.] And you forgave me a half?
Gambler. Yes.
Shampooer. Then I think I'll be going.
MÄthura. Pay me my ten gold-pieces! Where are you going?
Shampooer. Look at this, gentlemen, look at this! Here I just gave surety to one of them for a half, and the other forgave me a half. And even after that he is dunning me, poor helpless me!
MÄthura. [Seizing him.] My name is MÄthura, the clever swindler, and you're not going to swindle me this time. Pay up, jail-bird, every bit of my money, and this minute, too.
Shampooer. How can I pay?
MÄthura. Sell your father and pay.
Shampooer. Where can I get a father?
MÄthura. Sell your mother and pay.
Shampooer. Where can I get a mother?
MÄthura. Sell yourself and pay.
Shampooer. Have mercy! Lead me to the king's highway.
MÄthura. Go ahead.
Shampooer. If it must be. [He walks about.] Gentlemen, will you buy me for ten gold-pieces from this gambling-master? [He sees a passer-by and calls out.] What is that? You wish to know what I can do? I will be your house-servant. What! he has gone without even answering. Well, here's another. I'll speak to him. [He repeats his offer.] What! this one too takes no notice of me. He is gone. Confound it! I've had hard luck ever since ChÄrudatta lost his fortune.
MÄthura. Will you pay?
Shampooer. How can I pay? [He falls down. MÄthura drags him about.] Good gentlemen, save me, save me!
[Enter Darduraka.]
P. 61.5]
Darduraka. Yes, gambling is a kingdom without a throne.
Great are the sums you spend and win;
While kingly revenues roll in,
Rich men, like slaves, before you fall.7
And again:
Your friends and wife by gambling,
Your gifts and food by gambling;
Your last cent goes by gambling.8
And again:
The deuce then took my health away;
The ace then set me on the street;
The four completed my defeat.9
[He looks before him.] Here comes MÄthura, our sometime gambling-master. Well, as I can't escape, I think I'll put on my veil. [He makes any number of gestures with his cloak, then examines it.]
This lovely cloth lets in a lot of light;
This cloth's protective power is nearly fled;
This cloth is pretty when it's rolled up tight.10
Yet after all, what more could a poor saint do? For you see,
The other on the ground must lie.[41]
The elevation's rather high,
But the sun stands it. Why can't I?11
MÄthura. Pay, pay!
Shampooer. How can I pay? [MÄthura drags him about.]
Darduraka. Well, well, what is this I see? [He addresses a bystander.] What did you say, sir? "This shampooer is being maltreated by the gambling-master, and no one will save him"? I'll save him myself. [He presses forward.] Stand back, stand back!
[33.25. S.
[He takes a look.] Well, if this isn't that swindler MÄthura. And here is the poor saintly shampooer; a saint to be sure,
Who does not hang with bended head
Rigid till set of sun,
Who does not rub his back with sand
Till boils begin to run,
Whose shins dogs may not browse upon,
As they pass him in their rambling.[42]
Why should this tall and dainty man
Be so in love with gambling?12
Well, I must pacify MÄthura. [He approaches.] How do you do, MÄthura? [MÄthura returns the greeting.]
Darduraka. What does this mean?
MÄthura. He owes me ten gold-pieces.
Darduraka. A mere bagatelle!
MÄthura. [Pulling the rolled-up cloak from under Darduraka's arm.] Look, gentlemen, look! The man in the ragged cloak calls ten gold-pieces a mere bagatelle.
Darduraka. My good fool, don't I risk ten gold-pieces on a cast of the dice? Suppose a man has moneyāis that any reason why he should put it in his bosom and show it? But you,
You'll lose your caste, you'll lose your soul,
For ten gold-pieces that he stole,
To kill a man that's sound and whole,
With five good senses in him.13
MÄthura. Ten gold-pieces may be a mere bagatelle to you, sir. To me they are a fortune.
Darduraka. Well then, listen to me. Just give him ten more, and let him go to gambling again.
MÄthura. And what then?
Darduraka. If he wins, he will pay you.
P. 63.12]
MÄthura. And if he doesn't win?
Darduraka. Then he won't pay you.
MÄthura. This is no time for nonsense. If you say that, you can give him the money yourself. My name is MÄthura. I'm a swindler and I play a crooked game, and I'm not afraid of anybody. You are an immoral scoundrel.
Darduraka. Who did you say was immoral?
MÄthura. You're immoral.
Darduraka. Your father is immoral. [He gives the shampooer a sign to escape.]
MÄthura. You cur! That is just the way that you gamble.
Darduraka. That is the way I gamble?
MÄthura. Come, shampooer, pay me my ten gold-pieces.
Shampooer. I'll pay you this very day. I'll pay at once. [MÄthura drags him about.]
Darduraka. Fool! You may maltreat him when I am away, but not before my eyes.
[MÄthura seizes the shampooer and hits him on the nose. The shampooer bleeds, faints, and falls flat. Darduraka approaches and interferes. MÄthura strikes Darduraka, and Darduraka strikes back.]
MÄthura. Oh, oh, you accursĆØd hound! But I'll pay you for this.
Darduraka. My good fool, I was walking peaceably along the street, and you struck me. If you strike me to-morrow in court, then you will open your eyes.
MÄthura. Yes, I'll open my eyes.
Darduraka. How will you open your eyes?
MÄthura. [Opening his eyes wide.] This is the way I'll open my eyes.
[Darduraka throws dust in MÄthura's eyes, and gives the shampooer a sign to escape. MÄthura shuts his eyes and falls down. The shampooer escapes.]
[35.20. S.
Darduraka. [Aside.] I have made an enemy of the influential gambling-master MÄthura. I had better not stay here. Besides, my good friend Sharvilaka told me that a young herdsman named Aryaka has been designated by a soothsayer as our future king. Now everybody in my condition is running after him. I think I will join myself to him.[Exit.
Shampooer. [Trembles as he walks away and looks about him.] Here is a house where somebody has left the side-door open. I will go in. [He enters and perceives VasantasenÄ.] Madam, I throw myself upon your protection.
VasantasenÄ. He who throws himself upon my protection shall be safe. Close the door, girl.
[The maid does so.]
VasantasenÄ. What do you fear?
Shampooer. A creditor, madam.
VasantasenÄ. You may open the door now, girl.
Shampooer. [To himself.] Ah! Her reasons for not fearing a creditor are in proportion to her innocence. The proverb is right:
The man who knows his strength and bears a load
Proportioned to that strength, not more nor less,
Is safe from stumbling and from sore distress,
Although he wander on a dreary road.14
That means me.
MÄthura. [Wiping his eyes. To the gambler.] Pay, pay!
Gambler. While we were quarreling with Darduraka, sir, the man escaped.
MÄthura. I broke that shampooer's nose for him with my fist Come on! Let's trace him by the blood. [They do so.]
Gambler. He went into VasantasenÄ's house, sir.
MÄthura. Then that is the end of the gold-pieces.
Gambler. Let's go to court and lodge a complaint.
P. 67.1]
MÄthura. The swindler would leave the house and escape. No, we must besiege him and so capture him.
[VasantasenÄ gives MadanikÄ a sign.]
MadanikÄ. Whence are you, sir? or who are you, sir? or whose son are you, sir? or what is your business, sir? or what are you afraid of?
Shampooer. Listen, madam. My birthplace is PÄtaliputra, madam. I am the son of a householder. I practise
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