God knows, Jake don't fee-eed me!

(MR. CLARK sits unmoved. MRS. ROBERTS advances upon him)

Mist' Clark!

CLARK: I God, woman, don't keep on after me! Every time I look, youse
round here beggin' for everything you see.

LIGE: And whut she don't see she whoops for it just de same.

MRS. ROBERTS: (In dramatic begging pose) Mist' Clark! Ain't you boin'
do nuthin' for me? And you see me and my poor chillun is starvin'....

CLARK: (Exasperated rises) I God, woman, a man can't git no peace wid
somebody like you in town. (He goes angrily into the store followed by
MRS. ROBERTS. The boy sits down on the edge of the porch sucking the
baby's thumb.)

VOICE OF MRS. ROBERTS: A piece 'bout dis wide....

VOICE OF CLARK: I God, naw! Yo' husband done bought you plenty meat,
nohow.

VOICE OF MRS. ROBERTS: (In great anguish) Ow! Mist' Clark! Don't you
cut dat lil tee-ninchy piece of meat for me and my chillun! (Sound of
running feet inside the store.) I ain't a going to tetch it!

VOICE OF CLARK: Well, don't touch it then. That's all you'll git outa
me.

VOICE OF MRS. ROBERTS: (Calmer) Well, hand it chear den. Lawd, me and
my chillun is _so_ hongry.... Jake don't fee-eed me. (She re-enters by
door of store with the slab of meat in her hand and an outraged look
on her face. She gazes all about her for sympathy.) Lawd, me and my
poor chillun is _so_ hongry ... and some folks has _every_thing and
they's so _stingy_ and gripin'.... Lawd knows, Jake don't fee-eed me!
(She exits right on this line followed by the boy with the baby on his
back.)

(All the men gaze behind her, then at each other and shake their
heads.)

HAMBO: Poor Jak.... I'm really sorry for dat man. If she was mine I'd
beat her till her ears hung down like a Georgy mule.

WALTER THOMAS: I'd beat her till she smell like onions.

LIGE: I'd romp on her till she slack like lime.

NIXON: I'd stomp her till she rope like okra.

VOICE OF MRS. ROBERTS: (Off stage right) Lawd, Miz Lewis, you goin'
give me dat lil han'ful of greens for me and my chillun. Why dat ain't
a eye-full. I ought not to take 'em ... but me and my chillun is _so_
hongry.... Some folks is so stingy and gripin'! Lawd knows, Tony don't
_feed_ me!

(The noise of cane-chewing is heard again. Enter JOE LINDSAY left with
a gun over his shoulder and the large leg bone of a mule in the other
hand. He approaches the step wearily.)

HAMBO: Well, did you git any partridges, Joe?

JOE: (Resting hi