The Post Office
Book Excerpt
WATCHMAN. Ha! ha! Postman, indeed! Rain or shine, rich or poor, from house to house delivering letters--that's very great work!
AMAL. That's what I'd like best. What makes you smile so? Oh, yes, your work is great too. When it is silent everywhere in the heat of the noonday, your gong sounds, Dong, dong, dong,-- and sometimes when I wake up at night all of a sudden and find our lamp blown out, I can hear through the darkness your gong slowly sounding, Dong, dong, dong!
WATCHMAN. There's the village headman! I must be off. If he catches me gossiping with you there'll be a great to do.
AMAL. The headman? Whereabouts is he?
WATCHMAN. Right down the road there; see that huge palm-leaf umbrella hopping along? That's him!
AMAL. I suppose the King's made him our headman here?
WATCHMAN. Made him? Oh, no! A fussy busy-body! He knows so many ways of making himself unpleasant that everybody is afraid of him. It's just a game for the likes of him, making