The Last Straw

by Bosworth Crocker

Genre: Drama
Setting:
Format of Original Source: Play
Recommended Adaptation Length:

Candidate for Adaptation? Not Reviewed

EXCERPT:

MRS. BAUER. Papa’d know somethin’ was wrong right away. That’d be the end. You mustn’t act as if anything was different from always.

KARL. [Indignantly.] Sayin’ my father’s been to jail!

MRS. BAUER. Karl….

KARL. Papa’d make them stop.

MRS. BAUER. [Panic-stricken.] Karl, don’t you tell papa nothing.

KARL. Not tell papa?

MRS. BAUER. No.

KARL. Why not tell papa?

MRS. BAUER. Because—-

KARL. Yes, mama?

MRS. BAUER. Because he was arrested yesterday.

KARL. [SHOCKED.] What for, mama? Why was he—-

MRS. BAUER. For nothing…. It was all a lie.

KARL. Well–what was it, mama?

MRS. BAUER. The cat got hurt in the dumb-waiter–papa didn’t mean to–then they saw papa chasin’ it–then it died.

KARL. Why did papa chase it?

MRS. BAUER. To see how it hurt itself.

KARL. Whose cat?

MRS. BAUER. The stray cat.

KARL. The little black cat? Is Blacky dead?

MRS. BAUER. Yes, he died on the sidewalk.

KARL. Where was we?

MRS. BAUER. You was at school.

KARL. Papa didn’t want us to keep Blacky.

MRS. BAUER. So many cats and dogs around….

FRITZI. [Wailing at the door.] Blacky was my cat.

MRS. BAUER. S-s-h! What do you know about Blacky?

FRITZI. I was listening. Why did papa kill Blacky?

MRS. BAUER. Hush!

FRITZI. Why was papa took to jail?

MRS. BAUER. Fritzi! If papa was to hear….

[MRS. BAUER goes out.

FRITZI. [Sidling up to KARL.] Miau! Miau!

KARL. You shut up that. Didn’t mama tell you?

FRITZI. When I’m a man I’m going to get arrested. I’ll shoot Henny Nies.

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