Authors: Bertolt Brecht
MOTHER COURAGE
: I don’t wish to lose my sense of sight and hearing. Where’d that leave me?
THE CHAPLAIN
: Courage, I have often thought that your dry way of talking conceals more than just a warm heart. You too are human and need warmth.
MOTHER COURAGE
: Best way for us to get this tent warm is have plenty of firewood.
THE CHAPLAIN
: Don’t change the subject. Seriously, Courage,
I sometimes ask myself what it would be like if our relationship were to become somewhat closer. I mean, given that the whirlwind of war has so strangely whirled us together.
MOTHER COURAGE
: I’d say it was close enough. I cook meals for you and you run around and chop firewood for instance.
THE CHAPLAIN
coming closer:
You know what I mean by closer; it’s not a relationship founded on meals and wood-chopping and other such base necessities. Let your heart speak, harden thyself not.
MOTHER COURAGE
: Don’t you come at me with that axe. That’d be too close a relationship.
THE CHAPLAIN
: You shouldn’t make a joke of it. I’m a serious person and I’ve thought about what I’m saying.
MOTHER COURAGE
: Be sensible, padre. I like you. I don’t want to row you. All I’m after is get myself and children through all this with my cart. I don’t see it as mine, and I ain’t in the mood for private affairs. Right now I’m taking a gamble, buying stores just when commander in chief’s fallen and all the talk’s of peace. Where d’you reckon you’d turn if I’m ruined? Don’t know, do you? You chop us some kindling wood, then we can keep warm at night, that’s quite something these times. What’s this?
She gets up. Enter Kattrin, out of breath, with a wound above her eye. She is carrying a variety of stuff: parcels, leather goods, a drum and so on
.
MOTHER COURAGE
: What happened, someone assault you? On way back? She was assaulted on her way back. Bet it was that trooper was getting drunk here. I shouldn’t have let you go, love. Drop that stuff. Not too bad, just a flesh wound you got. I’ll bandage it and in a week it’ll be all right. Worse than wild beasts, they are.
She ties up the wound
.
THE CHAPLAIN
: It’s not them I blame. They never went raping back home. The fault lies with those that start wars, it brings humanity’s lowest instincts to the surface.
MOTHER COURAGE
: Calm down. Didn’t clerk come back with you? That’s because you’re respectable, they don’t bother. Wound ain’t a deep one, won’t leave no mark. There you are, all bandaged up. You’ll get something, love, keep calm.
Something I put aside for you, wait till you see.
She delves into a sack and brings out Yvette’s red high-heeled boots
. Made you open your eyes, eh? Something you always wanted. They’re yours. Put ’em on quick, before I change me mind. Won’t leave no mark, and what if it does? Ones I’m really sorry for’s the ones they fancy. Drag them around till they’re worn out, they do. Those they don’t care for they leaves alive. I seen girls before now had pretty faces, then in no time looking fit to frighten a hyaena. Can’t even go behind a bush without risking trouble, horrible life they lead. Same like with trees, straight well-shaped ones get chopped down to make beams for houses and crooked ones live happily ever after. So it’s a stroke of luck for you really. Them boots’ll be all right, I greased them before putting them away.
Kattrin leaves the boots where they are and crawls into the cart
.
THE CHAPLAIN
: Let’s hope she’s not disfigured.
MOTHER COURAGE
: She’ll have a scar. No use her waiting for peacetime now.
THE CHAPLAIN
: She didn’t let them steal the things.
MOTHER COURAGE
: Maybe I shouldn’t have dinned that into her so. Wish I knew what went on in that head of hers. Just once she stayed out all night, once in all those years. Afterwards she went around like before, except she worked harder. Couldn’t get her to tell what had happened. Worried me quite a while, that did.
She collects the articles brought by Kattrin, and sorts them angrily
. That’s war for you. Nice way to get a living!
Sound of cannon fire
.
THE CHAPLAIN
: Now they’ll be burying the commander in chief. This is a historic moment.
MOTHER COURAGE
: What I call a historic moment is them bashing my daughter over the eye. She’s half wrecked already, won’t get no husband now, and her so crazy about kids; any road she’s only dumb from war, soldier stuffed something in her mouth when she was little. As for Swiss
Cheese I’ll never see him again, and where Eilif is God alone knows. War be damned.
7
Mother Courage at the peak of her business career
High road
.
The chaplain, Mother Courage and Kattrin are pulling the cart, which is hung with new wares. Mother Courage is wearing a necklace of silver coins
.
MOTHER COURAGE
: I won’t have you folk spoiling my war for me. I’m told it kills off the weak, but they’re write-off in peacetime too. And war gives its people a better deal.
She sings:
And if you feel your forces fading
You won’t be there to share the fruits.
But what is war but private trading
That deals in blood instead of boots?
And what’s the use of settling down? Them as does are first to go.
Sings:
Some people think to live by looting
The goods some others haven’t got.
You think it’s just a line they’re shooting
Until you hear they have been shot.
And some I saw dig six feet under
In haste to lie down and pass out.
Now they’re at rest perhaps they wonder
Just what was all their haste about.
They pull it further
.
8
The same year sees the death of the Swedish king Gustavus Adolphus at the battle of Lützen. Peace threatens to ruin Mother Courage’s business. Courage’s dashing son performs one heroic deed too many and comes to a sticky end
Camp
.
A summer morning. In front of the cart stand an old woman and her son. The son carries a large sack of bedding
.
MOTHER COURAGE’S VOICE
from inside the cart:
Does it need to be this ungodly hour?
THE YOUNG MAN
: We walked twenty miles in the night and got to be back today.
MOTHER COURAGE’S VOICE
: What am I to do with bedding? Folk’ve got no houses.
THE YOUNG MAN
: Best have a look first.
THE OLD WOMAN
: This place is no good either. Come on.
THE YOUNG MAN
: What, and have them sell the roof over our head for taxes? She might pay three florins if you throw in the bracelet.
Bells start ringing
. Listen, mother.
VOICES
from the rear:
Peace! Swedish king’s been killed.
MOTHER COURAGE
sticks her head out of the cart. She has not yet done her hair:
What’s that bell-ringing about in midweek?
THE CHAPLAIN
crawling out from under the cart:
What are they shouting? Peace?
MOTHER COURAGE
: Don’t tell me peace has broken out just after I laid in new stock.
THE CHAPLAIN
calling to the rear:
That true? Peace?
VOICES
: Three weeks ago, they say, only no one told us.
THE CHAPLAIN
to Courage:
What else would they be ringing the bells for?
VOICES
: A whole lot of Lutherans have driven into town, they brought the news.
THE YOUNG MAN
: Mother, it’s peace. What’s the matter?
The old woman has collapsed
.
MOTHER COURAGE
speaking into the cart:
Holy cow! Kattrin, peace! Put your black dress on, we’re going to church. Least we can do for Swiss Cheese. Is it true, though?
THE YOUNG MAN
: The people here say so. They’ve made peace. Can you get up?
The old woman stands up dumbfounded
. I’ll get the saddlery going again, I promise. It’ll all work out. Father will get his bedding back. Can you walk?
To the chaplain:
She came over queer. It’s the news. She never thought there’d be peace again. Father always said so. We’re going straight home.
They go off
.
MOTHER COURAGE’S VOICE
: Give her a schnapps.
THE CHAPLAIN
: They’ve already gone.
MOTHER COURAGE’S VOICE
: What’s up in camp?
THE CHAPLAIN
: They’re assembling. I’ll go on over. Shouldn’t I put on my clerical garb?
MOTHER COURAGE’S VOICE
: Best check up before parading yourself as heretic. I’m glad about peace, never mind if I’m ruined. Any road I’ll have got two of me children through the war. Be seeing Eilif again now.
THE CHAPLAIN
: And who’s that walking down the lines? Bless me, the army commander’s cook.
THE COOK
somewhat bedraggled and carrying a bundle:
What do I behold? The padre!
THE CHAPLAIN
: Courage, we’ve got company.
Mother Courage clambers out
.
THE COOK
: I promised I’d drop over for a little talk soon as I had the time. I’ve not forgotten your brandy, Mrs Fierling.
MOTHER COURAGE
: Good grief, the general’s cook! After all these years! Where’s my eldest boy Eilif?
THE COOK
: Hasn’t he got here? He left before me, he was on his way to see you too.
THE CHAPLAIN
: I shall don my clerical garb, just a moment.
Goes off behind the cart
.
MOTHER COURAGE
: Then he may be here any minute.
Calls
into the cart:
Kattrin, Eilif’s on his way. Get cook a glass of brandy, Kattrin!
Kattrin does not appear
. Drag your hair down over it, that’s all right. Mr Lamb’s no stranger.
Fetches the brandy herself
. She don’t like to come out, peace means nowt to her. Took too long coming, it did. They gave her a crack over one eye, you barely notice it now but she thinks folks are staring at her.
THE COOK
: Ah yes. War.
He and Mother Courage sit down
.
MOTHER COURAGE
: Cooky, you caught me at bad moment. I’m ruined.
THE COOK
: What? That’s hard.
MOTHER COURAGE
: Peace’ll wring my neck. I went and took Chaplain’s advice, laid in fresh stocks only t’other day. And now they’re going to demobilise and I’ll be left sitting on me wares.
THE COOK
: What d’you want to go and listen to padre for? If I hadn’t been in such a hurry that time, the Catholics arriving so quickly and all, I’d warned you against that man. All piss and wind, he is. So he’s the authority around here, eh?
MOTHER COURAGE
: He’s been doing washing-up for me and helping pull.
THE COOK
: Him pull! I bet he told you some of those jokes of his too, I know him, got a very unhealthy view of women, he has, all my good influence on him went for nowt. He ain’t steady.
MOTHER COURAGE
: You steady then?
THE COOK
: Whatever else I ain’t, I’m steady. Mud in your eye!
MOTHER COURAGE
: Steady, that’s nowt. I only had one steady fellow, thank God. Hardest I ever had to work in me life; he flogged the kids’ blankets soon as springtime came, and he called me mouth-organ an unchristian instrument. Ask me, you ain’t saying much for yourself admitting you’re steady.
THE COOK
: Still tough as nails, I see; but that’s what I like about you.
MOTHER COURAGE
: Now don’t tell me you been dreaming of me nails.
THE COOK
: Well, well, here we are, along with armistice bells
and your brandy like what nobody else ever serves, it’s famous, that is.
MOTHER COURAGE
: I don’t give two pins for your armistice bells just now. Can’t see ’em handing out all the back pay what’s owing, so where does that leave me with my famous brandy? Had your pay yet?
THE COOK
hesitantly:
Not exactly. That’s why we all shoved off. If that’s how it is, I thought, I’ll go and visit friends. So here I am sitting with you.
MOTHER COURAGE
: Other words you got nowt.
THE COOK
: High time they stopped that bloody clanging. Wouldn’t mind getting into some sort of trade. I’m fed up being cook to that lot. I’m s’posed to rustle them up meals out of tree roots and old bootsoles, then they fling the hot soup in my face. Cook these days is a dog’s life. Sooner do war service, only of course it’s peacetime now.
He sees the chaplain reappearing in his old garments
. More about that later.
THE CHAPLAIN
: It’s still all right, only had a few moths in it.
THE COOK
: Can’t see why you bother. You won’t get your old job back, who are you to inspire now to earn his pay honourably and lay down his life? What’s more I got a bone to pick with you, cause you advised this lady to buy a lot of unnecessary goods saying war would go on for ever.
THE CHAPLAIN
heatedly:
I’d like to know what concern that is of yours.
THE COOK
: Because it’s unscrupulous, that sort of thing is. How dare you meddle in other folks’ business arrangements with your unwanted advice?
THE CHAPLAIN
: Who’s meddling?
To Courage:
I never knew this gentleman was such an intimate you had to account to him for everything.