Page:Joseph and His Brethren A Pageant Play.djvu/43



ISSACHAR: To lord it over us; to carry the tales of every word we speak is he sent.

SIMEON: Ay! And to take his share of the harter. Ours was the heat and the toil, and his is the reward!

ZEBULUN: Are we never to be rid of the dreamer?

SIMEON: [Darkly.] Never—unless….

ALL: Unless what? Speak!

SIMEON: What is not done for us, we must do for ourselves.

LEVI: [With horror.] Simeon!

SIMEON: What else? How long will ye suffer iniquity? Come, now, therefore, and let us slay him.

JUDAH: I will have no bloodshed. The curse of Cain would be upon us.

SIMEON: Why, look, now, look! [Pointing to the dry well.] This pit is deep, and there are evil things within it. The sides are smooth, and we have no rope. If he fell in, by mischance—he could not crawl out, nor could we have him out; and ere we fetched help, the—things— in its depth would have made help of no avail.

JUDAH: Ay—thus we lay no hand upon him.

ISSACHAR: But what shall we say to Jacob, our father?

SIMEON: We will say, some evil beast hath devoured him.

GAD: [Laughing.] And we will see what becomes of his dreams!

ASHER: Yet—there is Reuben. DAN: Reuben is far by this time. SIMEON: Seest thou now why I sent him away? JOSEPH'S VOICE: [Without being seen at the back but revealing in the distance at the front.] Reuben, my brother!

SIMEON: [Mockingly.] Ay! Call upon Reuben! JOSEPH'S VOICE: Reuben! Reuben!