Act I Scene 4: Do you suppose they’re makin’ food in there? (Top, Martin, Laurie)

Act 1: Scene 4

(Martin and Top enter. They have small bundles and wear old work clothes. Top leans on the fence and sniffs the air.)

[TOP]
Do you suppose they're makin' food in there?

(He sniffs again.)

Don't know if I'd recognize food ev'n if I smelled it
Ah! If I close my eyes
I can almost smell my ex-wife's stew a boilin' away
Damn my wife and damn my belly for bein' hungry!

[MARTIN]
The day's agoin', our money's gone
Look at those fields
There's a harvеst that's waitin' to be gathered in

[TOP]
Always work, work!
I'd rathеr eat and after eatin' work at lovin'

[MARTIN]
I've seen you work to eat
You're not as shiftless as you talk
Leastaways where your belly's concerned

[TOP]
Yeah? All I know is it's easier
To my nature bein' shiftless
It's hard bein' other ways
That time I was in jail
Ha! That was a life
Eatin' and doing nothin'…
Except for missin' the air outside
Damn my belly for bein' hungry!
Might as well try to work here as anywhere else

[MARTIN]
It won't be so bad for a few days
A sleep, a sleep, a soft, sound sleep and then
Harvest in we'll shove off on our way again

(They enter the gate. Laurie stays hidden.)

[TOP]
Hey, Martin
Someone's over there, behind the porch

[MARTIN]
That someone's wearin' a gingham skirt
Hello! Miss? Madam?

(Laurie shyly comes from behind the porch.)

[MARTIN, TOP]
Miss!

(They make low bows.)

[MARTIN]
Do you live here?

[LAURIE]
Yes

[MARTIN]
Your men folk home?

[LAURIE]
No

[TOP]
Will they be home soon?

[LAURIE]
Yes!

(Martin and Top look at each other and then begin to laugh.)

Just why are you laughing?

[MARTIN]
We thought a cat had your tongue

[LAURIE]
Well you're strangers, aren't you?

[MARTIN, TOP]
Yes

[LAURIE]
We don't see many strangers `round here
Grandpa doesn't like me to talk to strangers
He says to be skeptical

[MARTIN]
Well, are you skeptical now?

[LAURIE]
Yes

[MARTIN]
Then you've done right by your Grandpa
I'm Martin, this here's Top
We're not strangers to you now
So you don't have to be skeptical anymore

[LAURIE]
I guess you're right

[MARTIN]
But now we're skeptical
You know our names, we don't know yours

[LAURIE]
Mine's Laurie. Laurie Moss

[MARTIN]
Howdy!

[TOP]
Howdy Laurie!

[MARTIN]
Howdy!

[MARTIN, TOP]
Miss Laurie Moss!

(They make another low bow and engage in high jinks.)

[LAURIE]
Where are you from? Where are you going?