Welcome to the Monkey House by Kurt Vonnegut; David Strathairn; Maria Tucci

Author:Kurt Vonnegut; David Strathairn; Maria Tucci
Language: eng
Format: mobi
ISBN: 9780385333504
Publisher: Caedmon
Published: 1968-01-02T00:00:00+00:00

Every time Joe tried to explain his mission, they laughed in amazement.

"How he learn German? Tell me that."

"Where your daddy, boy?"

"Where your mammy, boy?"

"Sprecken zee Dutch, boy? Looky there. See him nod. He talks it, all right."

"Oh, you’re fluent, man, mighty fluent. Ask him some more".

"Go get the lieutenant," said the sergeant. "He can talk to this boy, and understand what he’s tryin’ to say. Look at him shake. Scared to death. Come here, boy; don’t be afraid, now." He enclosed Joe in his great arms. "Just take it easy, now— everything’s gonna be all-1-1-1 right. See what got? By golly, I don’t believe the boy’s ever seen chocolate before. Go on— taste it. Won’t hurt you."

Joe, safe in a fort of bone and sinew, ringed by luminous eyes, bit into the chocolate bar. The pink lining of his mouth, and then his whole soul, was flooded with warm, rich pleasure, and he beamed.

"He smiled!"

"Look at him light up!"

"Doggone if he didn’t stumble right into heaven! I mean!"

"Talk about displaced persons," said the sergeant, hugging Joe, "this here’s the most displaced little old person I ever saw. Upside down and inside out and ever’ which way."

"Here, boy—here’s some more chocolate."

"Don’t give him no more," said the sergeant reproachfully. "You want to make him sick?"

"Naw, sarge, naw—don’t wanna make him sick. No, sir."

"What’s going on here?" The lieutenant, a small, elegant Negro, the beam of his flashlight dancing before him, approached the group.

"Got a little boy here, lieutenant," said the sergeant. "Just wandered into the battery. Must of crawled past the guards."

"Well, send him on home, sergeant."

"Yessir. I planned to." He cleared his throat. "But this ain’t no ordinary little boy, lieutenant." He opened his arms so that the light fell on Joe’s face.

The lieutenant laughed incredulously, and knelt before Joe. "How’d you get here?"

"All he talks is German, lieutenant," said the sergeant.

"Where’s your home?" said the lieutenant in German.

"Over more water than you’ve ever seen," said Joe.

"Where do you come from?"

"God made me," said Joe.

"This boy is going to be a lawyer when he grows up," said the lieutenant in English. "Now, listen to me," he said to Joe, "what’s your name, and where are your people?"

"Joe Louis," said Joe, "and you are my people. I ran away from the orphanage, because I belong with you."

The lieutenant stood, shaking his head, and translated what Joe had said.

The woods echoed with glee.

"Joe Louis! I thought he was awful big and powerfullookin’!"

"Jus’ keep away from that left—tha’s all!"

"If he’s Joe, he’s sure found his people. He’s got us there!"

"Shut up!" commanded the sergeant suddenly. "All of you just shut up. This ain’t no joke! Ain’t nothing funny in it! Boy’s all alone in the world. Ain’t no joke."

A small voice finally broke the solemn silence that followed. "Naw—ain’t no joke at all."

"We better take the jeep and run him back into town, sergeant," said the lieutenant. "Corporal Jackson, you’re in charge."

"You tell ’em Joe was a good boy," said Jackson.

"Now, Joe," said the lieutenant in German, softly, "you come with the sergeant and me.

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