CAPITULO IV IV) RESULTADOS
IV. 1.7) Muestreo de julio de 1996
(First Investigation)
THE LEADER OF THE LEARNED CHORUS Steps forward:
One of us has crossed the ocean And has found a new continent.
Many, however, after him Have built up great cities there, With much hard work and intelligence.
THE LEARNED CHORUS replies:
Yes, and our bread was no cheaper.
THE LEADER OF THE LEARNED CHORUS:
One of us has invented a machine Which turns a wheel by steam, and this Was the mother of many machines.
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Many, however, must work them Day after day.
THE LEARNED CHORUS replies:
Yes, and our bread was no cheaper.
THE LEADER OF THE LEARNED CHORUS:
Many of us have pondered
The movement of the earth round the sun, The inner life of man, the laws
Of all things, the composition of air And the fish of the deep sea.
And they have discovered great things.
THE LEARNED CHORUS replies:
Yes, and our bread was no cheaper.
Instead
The poverty has increased in our cities And for a long time nobody has known Just what a man is.
For example, while you flew One just like you crawled the earth, And not like a man!
THE LEADER OF THE LEARNED CHORUS turns to THE CROWD:
So. Does man help man?
THE CROWD replies:
No.
(Second Investigation)
THE LEADER OF THE LEARNED CHORUS turns to THE CROWD:
Observe our pictures and then see If you can say that man helps man!
(Twenty photographs are shown which demonstrate how, in our time, men are slaughtered by men.)
THE CROWD shouts:
Man does not help man!
(Third Investigation)
THE LEADER OF THE LEARNED CHORUS turns to THE CROWD:
Observe our Clown Act, In which men help a man!
(Three circus clowns climb onto the podium. One, called MR.SMITH, is a giant. They speak very loudly.)
FIRST: This is a very fine evening, Mr. Smith.
SECOND: What’s that about the evening, Mr. Smith?
SMITH: I don’t think it’s so fine.
FIRST: Won’t you sit down, Mr. Smith?
SECOND: Here’s a chair, Mr. Smith, now why don’t you answer us?
FIRST: Can’t you see—Mr. Smith wishes to observe the moon.
SECOND: You, tell me, why do you always crawl into Mr. Smith’s ass? It annoys Mr. Smith.
FIRST: Because Mr. Smith is so strong, that’s why I crawl into Mr.
Smith’s ass.
SECOND: Me too.
FIRST: Ask Mr. Smith to sit down with us.
SMITH: This day does not please me.
FIRST: You must cheer up, Mr. Smith.
SMITH: I don’t think I can ever cheer up again.
(Pause.)
What color is my face?
FIRST: Rosy, Mr. Smith, always rosy.
SMITH: You see, and I thought my face was pale.
FIRST: But that’s queer, you say, you think, your face is pale? Do you know that when I look at you now just so, then I must admit it, I think so too now, your face is pale.
SECOND: If I were in your place I’d sit down, Mr. Smith, looking the way you do.
SMITH: I do not wish to sit today.
FIRST: Oh no no, don’t sit, on no account sit down, rather remain standing.
SMITH: And why do you think I should remain standing?
FIRST to SECOND: He can’t sit down today, ‘cause if he does perhaps he can’t ever get up again.
SMITH: My gosh!
FIRST: Do you hear, he already notices it himself. Mr. Smith would rather remain standing.
SMITH: Do you know, I almost believe my left foot hurts me a bit.
FIRST: Much?
SMITH, in pain: What?
FIRST: Does it hurt you much?
SMITH: Yes, already it hurts me much.
SECOND: That comes from standing.
SMITH: You’re right, do you think I should sit down?
FIRST: No, on no account, we must avoid that.
SECOND: If your left foot hurts you, then there’s only one thing to be done—off with the left foot.
FIRST: And the quicker the better.
SMITH: Well, if you think so…
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SECOND: Of course.
(They saw off his left foot.)
SMITH: A cane, please.
(They give him a cane.)
FIRST: Well, can you stand any better now, Mr. Smith?
SMITH: Yes, on the left. But you must give me back my foot, I wouldn’t like to lose it.
FIRST: Please, if you have suspicions…
SECOND: We can leave, you know…
SMITH: No no, you must stay now, you know I can’t get around alone any more.
FIRST: Here is your foot.
(SMITH tucks the foot under his arm.)
SMITH: Now I’ve gone and dropped my cane.
SECOND: Yes, but you’ve got your foot back again.
(Both roar with laughter.)
SMITH: Now I really can’t stand any longer. Because now naturally the other leg has begun to hurt too.
FIRST: There’s nothing easier to imagine.
SMITH: I don’t wish to trouble you more than is necessary, but without my cane I can scarcely get about.
SECOND: Rather than pick up the cane we can just as well saw off the other leg, which as you say hurts very much.
SMITH: Yes, perhaps it will be better that way.
(They saw off the other leg. SMITH falls down.) SMITH: Now I can’t stand up anymore.
FIRST: How horrible, and that’s just what we absolutely wanted to avoid — that you should sit down.
SMITH: What?!
SECOND: No longer can you stand up, Mr. Smith.
SMITH: Don’t say that to me, it hurts.
SECOND: What shouldn’t I say anymore?
SMITH: That…
SECOND: That you can no longer stand up?
SMITH: Can you not keep your mouth shut?
SECOND: No, Mr. Smith; but I can twist off your left ear, then you won’t hear me say anymore that you can no longer stand up.
SMITH: Yes, perhaps that is better.
(They twist off his left ear.)
SMITH to the FIRST: Now I can hear only you.
(SECOND goes over to that side.) My ear please!
(Becomes enraged.)
And my missing second leg too, please. This is no way for you to treat a sick man.
Give me back at once those now useless limbs, they belong to me.
(They put the other leg under his arm, and lay the ear in his lap.)
Really, if it’s been your idea to play a little joke on me here, then you have just
—now what’s wrong with my arm?
SECOND: What’s wrong is that you’re dragging around all this useless junk.
SMITH, softly: Of course. Couldn’t you perhaps take it from me?
SECOND: But we could take off the entire arm, it would be much better that way.
SMITH: Yes, please do if you think so…
SECOND: Certainly.
(They saw off his left arm.)
SMITH: Thank you, you take much too much trouble over me.
FIRST: There, Mr. Smith; there you have everything which belongs to you, and no one can take it away from you any longer.
(They lay all the amputated limbs in his lap. MR.SMITH observes them.)
SMITH: Funny, but I have such unpleasant ideas in my head. (To FIRST.) I ask you to say something pleasant to me.
FIRST: Gladly, Mr.Smith; would you like to hear a story? Two men come out of a tavern. There they get into a terrible quarrel and plaster each other with horseapples. The first hits the second with a horseapple in the mouth—whereupon the second says: All right, now I’m just going to leave it there until the police come.
(SECOND laughs; MR. SMITH doesn’t.)
SMITH: That’s not a very fine story. Can’t you tell me something finer— I have, as I said, unpleasant ideas in my head.
FIRST: No; I am sorry, Mr. Smith, but except for this story I know of nothing more to say.
SECOND: But we can saw off your head, if you have such stupid ideas in it.
SMITH: Yes, please do; perhaps that will help.
(They saw off the top half of his head.)
FIRST: How’s that, Mr. Smith; does that ease the weight on your mind?
SMITH: Yes. I feel quite lightheaded now. Only, my head is freezing.
SECOND: In that case you must put on your hat. (Bellows.) Put on your hat!
SMITH: But I can’t reach down.
SECOND: Do you want your cane?
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SMITH: Yes, please. (He fishes for his hat.) Now I’ve dropped my cane again, and I can’t get to my hat. I’m very, very cold.
SECOND: How about if we twisted your head off entirely?
SMITH: Well, I don’t know…
FIRST: Oh yes you do…
SMITH: No, truly, I don’t know a thing anymore.
SECOND: For that very reason.
(They twist off his head. SMITH tumbles over backwards.)
SMITH: Wait! Will one of you just put your hand on my forehead?
FIRST: Where?
SMITH: Will one of you just hold my hand?
FIRST: Where?
SECOND: Is your mind lightened any now, Mr. Smith?
SMITH: No. What I mean is, I’m lying with a stone pressing into my back.
SECOND: You know how it is, Mr. Smith; you can’t have everything.
(Both roar with laughter. End of Clown Act.) THE CROWD shouts:
Man does not help man.
THE LEADER OF THE LEARNED CHORUS:
Shall we tear up the pillow?
THE CROWD:
Yes.
THE LEADER OF THE LEARNED CHORUS:
Shall we pour out the water?
THE CROWD:
Yes.
IV.
THE REFUSAL OF HELP