| The Laughing Matter |
| 1 | The Laughing Matter A serious story by William Saroyan For Henry Saroyan, and Little Henry Chapter 1 "I want a drink," the boy said. "Me, too," the girl said. "Well, we're almost there," the man said. "When we get there you can drink all you want." "Is that the house?" "No, it's a little farther on." They walked on, moving down the dusty road beside the irrigation ditch choked with grass, the afternoon hot, the air full of the smell of leaves, water, fruit, and insects. |
| 2 | The house was old, faded white, and foolish-looking, but that was the way they made them. "You've got the key?" the woman said. "Certainly I've got the key." "Let's see it." "Well, if I didn't have it," the man said, "we'd get in all right, don't worry about that." He showed the key. "I suppose we had to walk.". |
| 3 | "Didn't you enjoy the walk?" the man said. "I did. What's the good of being in the country if you don't walk?" "A mile? After a five-hour train ride?" "Why not? You get settled. I'll go back for the suitcases." "I suppose you'll walk?" "I will." "With two heavy suitcases." "They're not heavy." "Oh, take a taxi!" "I want to walk. Do you like the house?". |
| 4 | "It doesn't look like much from the outside," the woman said. "Not you," the man said. "Red. Do you like it?" "Isn't it falling to pieces?" the boy said. "Yes, with laughter." They went up the steps to the front porch, the man put the key into the lock, turned it, then pushed the door open. The boy turned to look again at the vines. He was the last to enter the house, which was dark and cool. |
| 5 | "Where's the water?" he said. "You can have some out of the tap right away," the man said, "or you can wait a minute until I get the pump primed, and then drink some out of the earth." "I'll wait," the boy said. They were soon in the yard, the pump was primed with water out of the barrel under the mouth of it, and then water was pouring out steadily, as the man pumped. |
| 6 | "Go ahead," he said. "We're going to be here a while. Take off your shoes and walk around in the water." The boy flung off his shoes and walked in the puddle. "O.K.," the man said. "Now, duck your head under there and drink all you want." "No cup?" "No. Watch me." The man put his face alongside the water, and drank; after him the boy, getting his whole face wet. The girl and the woman came out of the house, the girl tried, and got her face wet, too. |
| 7 | The girl removed her shoes and walked in the puddle with the boy. The man walked to the fig tree, took hold of a branch, stretched his body upon it, then lifted himself, the woman watching, the boy and the girl parading in the puddle. The man poked about in the tree and found four ripe figs, one of which he ate, peeling and all. |
| 8 | He then peeled one and handed it to the woman, and peeled the others for the boy and the girl. "What is it?" the girl said. "Fig," the man said. "Well, I'll go get the suitcases. Sit around and talk." He turned and wandered off, but there was the boy beside him. "I'll go with you." "It's a mile, and a mile back." "It's the same place." "Yes. The depot.". |
| 9 | Chapter 2 At the depot a man smiled at the boy and said to the man, "You're Dade's brother, aren't you? I'm Warren Walz. I know this is your boy because he looks so much like you." His father stood out on the platform in front of the tracks talking to Warren Walz, who wore a stiff straw hat. When he took it off Red saw that he had no hair on the top of his head. |
| 10 | Over there was a locomotive. The man leaning out of it was looking straight at Red. "Hi," Red said. "Is that your father?" the man said. "This one," Red said. "That's the one I meant," the engineer said. "That other one's got three girls." "Smart aleck," Walz said to Cody Bone, the engineer, "Cody, this is Dade's brother, Evan.". |
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