on he done danced enough. Play me "Shake That
Thing".
OLD MAN WITH LANTERN: Sho, you ain't stopped, is you, boy? Music sound
mighty good floatin' down that dark road.
OLD WOMAN: Yeah, Jim, go on play a little more. Don't get to acting so
niggerish this evening.
DAVE: Aw, let the ol' darky alone. Nobody don't want to hear him play,
nohow. I know I don't.
JIM: Well, I'm gonna play. (And he begins to pick "Shake That Thing".
TEETS and BOOTSIE begin to dance with LIGE MOSELY and FRANK WARRICK.
As the tune gets good, DAVE cannot resist the music either.)
DAVE: Old nigger's eveil but he sho can play. (He begins to do a few
steps by himself, then twirls around in front of DAISY and approaches
her. DAISY, overcome by the music, begins to step rhythmically toward
DAVE and together they dance unobserved by JIM, absorbed in picking
his guitar.)
DAISY: Look here, baby, at this new step I learned up North.
DAVE: You can show me anything, sugar lump.
DAISY: Hold me tight now. (But just as they begin the new movement JIM
notices DAISY and DAVE. He stops playing again and lays his guitar
down.)
VOICES IN THE CROWD: (Disgustedly) Aw, come on, Jim.... You must be
jealous....
JIM: No, I ain't jealous. I jus' get tired of seein' that ol' nigger
clownin' all the time.
DAVE: (Laughing and pointing to JIM on porch) Look at that mad baby.
Take that lip up off the ground. Got your mouth stuck out jus' because
some one is enjoying themselves. (He comes up and pushes JIM
playfully.)
JIM: You better go head and let me alone. (TO DAISY) Come here,
Daisy!
LIGE: That's just what I say. Niggers can't have no fun without
someone getting mad ... specially over a woman.
JIM: I ain't mad.... Daisy, 'scuse me, honey, but that fool, Dave....
DAVE: I ain't mad neither.... Jim always tryin' to throw off on me.
But you can't joke him.
DAISY: (Soothingly) Aw, now, now!
JIM: You ain't jokin'. You means that, nigger. And if you tryin' to
get hot, first thing, you can pull of my blue shirt you put on this
morning.
DAVE: Youse a got that wrong. I ain't got on no shirt of yours.
JIM: Yes, you is got on my shirt, too. Don't tell me you ain't got on
my shirt.
DAVE: Well, even if I is, you can just lift your big plantations out
of my shoes. You can just foot it home barefooted.
JIM: You try to take any shoes offa me!
LIGE: (Pacifying them) Aw, there ain't no use of all that. What you
all want to start this quarrelin
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