, but
these are necessary, for you are now in a radio broadcasting studio,
talking in front of a microphone. The word [_in_] means that the
character is standing close to the microphone, while [_off_] indicates
that he is farther away, so that his voice sounds faint. When the
directions [_off_, _coming in_] are given, the person speaking is away
from the microphone at first but gradually comes closer. The words
[_mob_] or [_crowd noise_] you will understand mean the sound of many
people talking in the distance.

Both the English and the dialect used help make the characters live,
so the speeches have been written in the way in which these men and
women would talk. This means that sometimes the character may use what
seems to you unusual English. The punctuation helps, too, to make the
speeches sound like real conversation; for example, you will find that
a dash is often used to show that a character is talking very
excitedly.

The Landing of the Pilgrims

_CAST_

PASTOR ROBINSON
ELDER CARVER
WILHELM KIEFT
VOICE
THOMAS WESTON
CAPTAIN JONES
PETER BROWN
MOB

ANNOUNCER

It was in the month of December in 1620 that the Pilgrim Fathers
landed on Plymouth Rock and proceeded to establish the first permanent
white settlement in New England. But the Pilgrims had not set out for
America to establish their new home in New England--far from it--they
had a charter permitting their settlement in the northern portion of
the Virginia plantation, and it was toward Virginia that the little
band of passengers aboard the Mayflower thought they were heading. The
story of how they happened to come to the stern and rockbound coast of
New England and of how they happened to stay there and carve out of
the wilderness a great commonwealth is told here.

Let us begin our story in Leyden, Holland, where for some eleven years
the Pilgrims have lived in exile from England, driven out because of
their religious faith. It is early in the year 1620, and John
Robinson, who is the pastor and leader of the Pilgrims, is talking to
John Carver, who is one of the elders of the church.

ROBINSON

No word yet from Elder Brewster?

CARVER

Nay, not a word. I fear me that he and Master Cushman have found it
impossible to raise such a large sum of money.

ROBINSON

If we delay much longer King James may repent himself of his
generosity in allowing us to settle in Virginia.

CARVER

I begin to fear that we are doomed to spend