Then followed a dialogue between ninety-year-old, miserly Fabio and his sprightly young wife, to which all present contributed, upon the subject of the great virtues of women and the great failings of men.
The audience joined violently in the discussion, hurling the words of the play back and forward—men and women drawing together in two solid hostile bodies. The women were supported by the words of the play, but the men had the conspicuous example of Laura to draw from. It passed soon into an argument about the virtues and failings of certain married couples in El Oro. The play suspended for some time.
—— Bras, one of the shepherds, stole Fabio's wallet from between his knees as he slept. Then came gossip and backbiting. Bato forced Bras to share with him the contents of the stolen wallet, which they opened, to find none of the food they expected. In their disappointment, both declared their willingness to sell their souls to the Devil for a good meal. Lucifer overheard the declaration and attempted to bind them to it. But after a battle of wits between the rustics and the Devil—the audience solid to a man against the underhanded tactics of Lucifer—it was decided by a throw of the dice, at which the Devil lost. But he had told them where food could be obtained, and they went for it. Lucifer cursed God for interfering in behalf of two worthless shepherds. He marveled that "a hand mightier than Lucifer's has been stretched out to save." He wondered at the Everlasting Mercy toward worthless Man, who has been a persistent sinner down the ages, while he, Lucifer, had felt God's wrath so heavily. Sweet music was suddenly heard—the shepherds singing behind the curtain—and Lucifer mused upon Daniel's prophecy that "the Divine Word shall be made Flesh." The music continued, announcing the birth of Christ among the shepherds. Lucifer, enraged, swore that he would use all his power to the end that all mortals shall at some time "taste Hell," and commanded Hell to open and receive him "in its center."
At the birth of Christ the spectators crossed themselves, the women muttering prayers. Lucifer's impotent raging against God was greeted with shouts of "Blasphemy! Sacrilege! Death to the Devil for insulting God!"
Bras and Bato returned, ill from overeating, and, believing they were about to die, called wildly for help. Then the shepherds and shepherdesses came in, singing and pounding the floor with their crooks, as they promised they would cure them.
At the beginning of Act II, Bato and Bras, fully restored to health, were discovered again plotting to steal and eat the provisions laid by for a village festival, and as they went out to do so Laura appeared, singing of her love for Lucifer. Heavenly music was heard, rebuking her for her "adulterous thoughts," whereupon she renounced all desire for guilty love and declared that she would be content with Arcadio.
The women of the audience rustled and nodded and smiled at these exemplary sentiments. Sighs of relief were heard all over the house that the play was coming out right.
But just afterward the sound of a falling roof was heard, and Comic Relief, in the persons of Bras and Bato, entered, carrying a basket of food and a bottle of wine. Everybody brightened up at the appearance of these beloved crooks; anticipatory mirth went around the room. Bato suggested that he eat his half while Bras stood guard, whereupon Bato ate Bras's share, too. In the midst of the quarrel that followed, before they could hide the traces of their guilt, the shepherds and shepherdesses came back in search of the thief. Many and absurd were the reasons invented by Bato and Bras to explain the presence of the food and drink, which they finally managed to convince the company was of diabolical origin. In order to further cover their traces they invited the others to eat what is left.
This scene, the most comic of the whole play, could hardly be heard for the roars of laughter that interrupted every speech. A young fellow reached over and punched a compadre.
"Do you remember how we got out of it when they caught us milking Don Pedro's cows?"