THE SELFISH WOMAN

TIME: yesterday.
PLACE: the village.

WOMAN.
BEGGAR.

[The SELFISH WOMAN is taking cakes from her oven. There is a knock at the door.]

WOMAN. Enter!

[The BEGGAR enters. She wears a long cloak.]

BEGGAR. I am hungry, good woman. Will you give me a cake?

WOMAN. The cakes are too large to give away. I will make a cake for you.

[She makes a very small cake and puts it in the oven.]

BEGGAR. I thank you, good woman.

[The woman takes the cake from the oven.]

WOMAN. This cake is too large to give away. I will make another cake for you.

[She makes a very, very small cake and puts it in the oven.]

BEGGAR. I thank you, good woman.

[The woman takes the cake from the oven.]

WOMAN. This cake is too large to give away. I will give you a slice of bread.

[She cuts a slice from a loaf of bread.]

BEGGAR. I thank you—

WOMAN. A slice is too much to give away. Here is a crust for you.

[The beggar shakes her head.]

BEGGAR. May you never taste cake again! May the very cake in your mouth seem to be crust! If you will not give, you shall not have!

WOMAN. Go, go!

[The beggar throws off her cloak; a FAIRY is seen.]

WOMAN. A Fairy! You are a Fairy?

FAIRY. I am the Fairy of Good Deeds. You would not give—you shall not have!

[The Fairy goes.]

WOMAN. As if cake could ever taste like bread! 'Tis impossible—impossible!

(She eats a cake.)

What is this? I seem to be eating crust, dry crust. I'll try another cake.

"will you give me a cake?"

(She eats another cake.)

Why, this too changes to crust! Ah me! The Fairy's words were true. I would not give, I cannot have. Ah me! Ah me!