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This is a play featuring an old man and a small Soy mecting, im the former's garden. ‘The off man strikes up a friendship, with the boy who is very withdrawn amd defiant. What is, the bond that wmites the two?, , Scent Onze, , Mr Lamb's garden [There is the occasional sound ef birdsong, and of tree leaves rustling Derry's foctsteps are heard as he, walks slowly and tentatively through the long grass. He, pauses, then walks on again. He comes round a screen of, bushes. so that when Mr Lamb speaks to him he ts close at, hand and Derry is startled], , , , Mr Lame: Mind the apples!, , Derry: What? Who's that? Who's, there?, , Mr Lame: Lamb's my name. Mind the, apples. Crab apples those are., Windfalls in the long grass., You could trip., , 1....there....1 thought this was, an empty place. I didn't know, there was anybody here...., , 2021-22

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Mr Lama:, , Mr Lama:, , Mr Lane:, , Mr Lann:, Dery:, , Mr Lama:, Mk Lama:, , Mr Lame:, Dewy:, , Mr Lama:, , Mr Lama:, , Mr Lama:, , Mr Lamu:, Derry:, , That's all right. f'm here. What are you afraid of., boy? That's all right., , I thought it was empty....an empty house., , So it is. Since I'm out here in the garden. It is, empty. Until I go back inside. In the meantime,, I'm out here and likely to step. A day like this., Beautiful day. Nat a day to be indoors., , |Panic] I've got to go., , Not on my account. I don't mind who comes into, the garden. The gate’s always open. Only you, climbed the garden wall., , |Angnj| You were watching me., , I saw you. But the gates open. All welcome. You're, welcome. | sit here. I like sitting., , I'd not came to steal anything., , No, no, The young lads steal....scrump the apples., You're not so young., , I just....wanted ta come in. Into the garden., , So you did. Here we are, then., , You don't know who | am., , A bay. Thirteen ar so., , Fourteen. [Pause] But I've got te go now., Good-bye., , Nothing to be afraid of. Just a garden. Just me., But f'm not..../'m not afraid. [Pause] People are, afraid of me., , Why should that be?, , Everyone is. It doesn't matter who they are, ar, what they say, or how they look. How they, pretend. | know. | can see., , See what?, , What they think., , What do they think, then?, , You think.... ‘Here's a bay.’ You look at me...and, then you see my face and you think. ‘That's bad., That's a terrible thing. That's the ugliest thing |, ever saw.’ You think, ‘Poor boy.’ But ['m nat. Not, pocr. Underneath, you are afraid. Anybody would, be. | am. When | look in the mirror, and see it,, I'm afraid of me., , , , On the Face of it @ 57, , 2021-22

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Mr Lama:, Dexry:, , Mr Lame:, , No, Not the whole of you. Not of you., , Yes!, , [Pause], , Later on, when it's a bit cooler, I'll get the ladder, and a stick, and pull down those crab apples., They're ripe for it. 1 make jelly. It's a good time of, year, September. Look at them....ocrange and, golden. That's magic fruit. | often say. But it's, best picked and made into jelly. You could give, me a hand., , What have you changed the subject for? Peaple, always do that. Why don't you ask me? Why do, you do what they all de and pretend it isn't true, and isn't there? In case I see you looking and, mind and get upset? I'll tell....you don't ask me, because you're afraid to., , : You want me to ask....say so, then., , I don't like being with people. Any people., , : I should say....to look at it... | should say, you, , got burned in a fire., Not in a fire. I got acid all down that side of my, face and it burned it all away. It ate my face up., It ate me up. And now it's like this and it won't, ever be any different., , , , 2021-22

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Mr Lama:, , Mr Lame:, , Mk Lama:, , Dexry:, Mr Lama:, , Derry:, , Mr Lama:, , No., , Aren't you interested?, , You're a boy who came into the garden. Plenty, do. I'm interested in anybody. Anything. There's, nothing God made that doesn't interest me. Look, aver there....aver beside the far wall. What can, you see?, , Rubbish., , Rubbish ? Lock, boy. look....what do you see?, Just....grass and stuff, Weeds., , Some call them weeds. If you like, then....a weed, garden, that. There's fruit and there are flowers,, and trees and herbs. All sarts. But aver, there....weeds. I grow weeds there. Why is one, green, growing plant called a weed and another, ‘flower’? Where's the difference. It's all life...., growing. Same as you and me., , We're not the same., , I'm old. You're young. You've got a burned face,, I've got a tin leg. Not important. You're standing, there.... I'm sitting here. Where's the difference?, Why have you got a tin leg?, , Real one got blown off, years back. Lamey-Lamb,, some kids say. Haven't you heard them? You will., Lamey-Lamb, It fits. Doesn't trouble me., , But you can put on trousers and cover it up and, no ane sees, they don't have to notice and stare., Some do. Some don't. They get tired of it, in the, end. There's plenty of other things to stare at., Like my face., , : Like crab apples or the weeds or a spider climbing, , up a silken ladder. or my tall sun-flowers., , Things., : Its all relative. Beauty and the beast., , What's that supposed to mean?, , : You tell me., , You needn't think they haven't all told me that, fairy story before. ‘It's not what you look like, it's, what you are inside. Handsome is as handsome, , , , On the Face of it @ 59, , 2021-22

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does. Beauty loved the monstrous beast for himself, and when she kissed him he changed into a, handsome prince.’ Only he wouldn't, he'd have, stayed a monstrous beast. | won't change., , , , Mk Lama: In that way? No, you wan't., , Derky: And no one'll kiss me, ever. Only my mother, and, she kisses me on the other side of my face, and I, don't like my mother to kiss me, she does it, because she has to. Why should | like that? I, don't care if nobody ever kisses me., , Mr Lama: Ah, but do you care if you never kiss them., , Dexry: What?, , Mr Lamu: Girls. Pretty girls. Long hair and large eyes. Peaple, you lave., , Dexry: Who'd let me? Not ane., , Mr Lama: Who can tell?, , Derry: I won't ever lock different. When I'm as old as, you, Ill look the same. I'll still only have half a, face., , Mr Lame: So you will. But the world won't. The world’s got a, whole face, and the world's there to be looked at., , Dexky: Do you think this is the world? This old garden?, , Mr Lame: When I'm here. Not the only one. But the world,, as much as anywhere., , Dexry: Does your leg hurt you?, , Mr Lame: Tin doesn't hurt, boy!, , Dexry: When it came aff, did it?, , Mr Lama: Certainly., , Dexey: And now? I mean, where the tin stops, at the top?, , Mr Lama: Now and then. In wet weather. It doesn't signify., , Derry: Oh, that's something else they all say. ‘Look at, all those people who are in pain and brave and, never cry and never complain and don't feel sorry, for themselves.’, , Mr Lama: I haven't said it., , Dexry: And think of all these people worse off than you., Think, you might have been blinded, ar born deaf,, or have to live in a wheelchair, or be daft in your, head and dribble., , 60 — Vistas, , 2021-22