CONTENTS

Cover

About the Book

About the Author

Also by William Faulkner

Title Page

Introduction

April Seventh 1928

June Second 1910

April Sixth 1928

April Eighth 1928

The History of Vintage

Copyright

About the Book

With an introduction by Richard Hughes

Ever since the first furore was created on its publication in 1929, The Sound and the Fury has been considered one of the key novels of this century. Depicting the gradual disintegration of the Compson family through four fractured narratives, The Sound and the Fury explores intense, passionate family relationships where there is no love, only self-centredness. At its heart this is a novel about lovelessness – ‘only an idiot has no grief; only a fool would forget it. What else is there in this world sharp enough to stick to your guts?’

About the Author

Born in 1897 in New Albany, Mississippi, William Faulkner was the son of a family proud of their prominent role in the history of the south. He grew up in Oxford, Mississippi, and left high school at fifteen to work in his grandfather’s bank. Rejected by the US military in 1915, he joined the Canadian flyers with the RAF, but was still in training when the war ended. Returning home he studied at the University of Mississippi and visited Europe briefly in 1925. His first poem was published in The New Republic in 1919. His first book of verse and early novels followed, but his major work began with the publication of The Sound and the Fury in 1929. As I Lay Dying (1930), Sanctuary (1931), Light in August (1932), Absalom, Absalom! (1936) and The Wild Palms (1939) are the key works of his great creative period leading up to Intruder in the Dust (1948). During the 1930s, he worked in Hollywood on film scripts, notably The Blue Dahlia, co-written with Raymond Chandler. William Faulkner was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1949 and the Pulitzer Prize for The Reivers just before his death in July 1962.

Also By William Faulkner

Novels

Soldier’s Pay

Mosquitoes

Sartoris

As I Lay Dying

Sanctuary

Light in August

Pylon

Absalom, Absalom!

The Unvanquished

The Wild Palms

The Hamlet

Go Down, Moses

Intruder in the Dust

Requiem for a Nun

A Fable

The Town

The Mansion

The Reivers

Short Stories

Uncle Willie and Other Stories

These Thirteen

Dr. Martino and Other Stories

Knight’s Gambit

Faulkner’s Country

Collected Stories

INTRODUCTION

THERE IS A story told of a celebrated Russian dancer, who was asked by someone what she meant by a certain dance. She answered with some exasperation, ‘If I could say it in so many words, do you think I should take the very great trouble of dancing it?’

It is an important story, because it is the valid explanation of obscurity in art. A method involving apparent obscurity is surely justified when it is the clearest, the simplest, the only method possible of saying in full what the writer has to say.

This is the case with The Sound and the Fury. I shall not attempt to give either a summary or an explanation of it: for if I could say in three pages what takes Mr Faulkner nearly three hundred there would obviously be no need for the book. All I propose to do is to offer a few introductory, and desultory, comments, my chief purpose being to encourage the reader. For the general reader is quite rightly a little shy of apparently difficult writing. Too often it is used, not because of its intrinsic necessity, but to drape the poverty of the writer: too often the reader, after drilling an arduous passage through the strata of the mountain, finds only the mouse, and has little profit but his exercise.

As a result of several such fiascos I myself share this initial prejudice. Yet I have read The Sound and the Fury three times now, and that not in the least for exercise, but for pure pleasure.

Mr Faulkner’s method in this book is successful, but it is none the less curious. The first sixty pages are told by a congenital imbecile, a man of thirty-three whose development has not advanced beyond babyhood. Benjy has no sense of time: his only thought-process is associative: the event of the day, then, and what it reminds him of in the past are all one to him: the whole of his thirty-three years are present to him in one uninterrupted and streamless flood. This enables the author to begin by giving a general and confused picture of his whole subject. He offers a certain amount of help to the understanding, it is true, in that he changes from roman to italic type whenever there is a change in time: but even then I defy an ordinary reader to disentangle the people and events concerned at a first reading. But the beauty of it is this: there is no need to disentangle anything. If one ceases to make the effort, one soon finds that this strange rigmarole holds one’s attention on its own merits. Vague forms of people and events, apparently unrelated, loom out of the fog and disappear again. One is seeing the world through the eyes of an idiot: but so clever is Mr Faulkner that, for the time being at least, one is content to do so.

With the second part the fog begins to clear. The narrator now is one of these vague figures, a brother Quentin, who committed suicide at Harvard in 1910: and he describes with a beautiful sense of ironical tragedy and ironical farce his last day alive. With the third and fourth parts, which return to the present day, the fog rolls away altogether, the formless, size-less, positionless shapes looming through it condense to living people: the story quickens. It is here this curious method is finally justified: for one finds, in a flash, that one knows all about them, that one has understood more of Benjy’s sound and fury than one had realized: the whole story becomes actual to one at a single moment. It is impossible to describe the effect produced, because it is unparalleled; the thoughtful reader must find it for himself.

It will be seen to be a natural corollary that one can read this book a second time at least. The essential quality of a book that can be read again and again, it seems to me, is that it shall appear different at every reading – that it shall, in short, be a new book. (Poetry has this quality, particularly.) When one comes to read Benjy’s tale a second time, knowing the story, knowing the family; knowing that the name Quentin covers two people, uncle and niece; knowing Benjy’s passionate animal devotion to his sister Caddy, which makes him haunt the golf-course in the hope of hearing the word which is her name, and haunt the gate from which he can see the children coming home from school, in the hope she will be among them again – it is then one begins to realize with what consummate contrapuntal skill these drivellings have been composed, with what exquisite care their pattern fits together.

RICHARD HUGHES

APRIL SEVENTH 1928

THROUGH THE FENCE, between the curling flower spaces, I could see them hitting. They were coming toward where the flag was and I went along the fence. Luster was hunting in the grass by the flower tree. They took the flag out, and they were hitting. Then they put the flag back and they went to the table, and he hit and the other hit. Then they went on, and I went along the fence. Luster came away from the flower tree and we went along the fence and they stopped and we stopped and I looked through the fence while Luster was hunting in the grass.

‘Here, caddie.’ He hit. They went away across the pasture. I held to the fence and watched them going away.

‘Listen at you, now.’ Luster said. ‘Ain’t you something, thirty-three years old, going on that way. After I done went all the way to town to buy you that cake. Hush up that moaning. Ain’t you going to help me find that quarter so I can go to the show tonight.’

They were hitting little, across the pasture. I went back along the fence to where the flag was. It flapped on the bright grass and the trees.

‘Come on.’ Luster said. ‘We done looked there. They ain’t no more coming right now. Let’s go down to the branch and find that quarter before them niggers finds it.’

It was red, flapping on the pasture. Then there was a bird slanting and tilting on it. Luster threw. The flag flapped on the bright grass and the trees. I held to the fence.

‘Shut up that moaning.’ Luster said. ‘I can’t make them come if they ain’t coming, can I. If you don’t hush up, mammy ain’t going to have no birthday for you. If you don’t hush, you know what I going to do. I going to eat that cake all up. Eat them candles, too. Eat all them thirty-three candles. Come on, let’s go down to the branch. I got to find my quarter. Maybe we can find one of they balls. Here. Here they is. Way over yonder. See.’ He came to the fence and pointed his arm. ‘See them. They ain’t coming back here no more. Come on.’

We went along the fence and came to the garden fence, where our shadows were. My shadow was higher than Luster’s on the fence. We came to the broken place and went through it.

‘Wait a minute.’ Luster said. ‘You snagged on that nail again. Can’t you never crawl through here without snagging on that nail.’

Caddy uncaught me and we crawled through. Uncle Maury said to not let anybody see us, so we better stoop over, Caddy said. Stoop over, Benjy. Like this, see. We stooped over and crossed the garden, where the flowers rasped and rattled against us. The ground was hard. We climbed the fence, where the pigs were grunting and snuffing. I expect they’re sorry because one of them got killed today, Caddy said. The ground was hard, churned and knotted.

Keep your hands in your pockets, Caddy said. Or they’ll get froze. You don’t want your hands froze on Christmas, do you.

‘It’s too cold out there.’ Versh said. ‘You don’t want to go out doors.’

‘What is it now.’ Mother said.

‘He want to go out doors.’ Versh said.

‘Let him go.’ Uncle Maury said.

‘It’s too cold.’ Mother said. ‘He’d better stay in. Benjamin. Stop that, now.’

‘It won’t hurt him.’ Uncle Maury said.

‘You, Benjamin.’ Mother said. ‘If you don’t be good, you’ll have to go to the kitchen.’

‘Mammy say keep him out the kitchen today.’ Versh said. ‘She say she got all that cooking to get done.’

‘Let him go, Caroline.’ Uncle Maury said. ‘You’ll worry yourself sick over him.’

‘I know it.’ Mother said. ‘It’s a judgment on me. I sometimes wonder’

‘I know, I know.’ Uncle Maury said. ‘You must keep your strength up. I’ll make you a toddy.’

‘It just upsets me that much more.’ Mother said. ‘Don’t you know it does.’

‘You’ll feel better.’ Uncle Maury said. ‘Wrap him up good, boy, and take him out for a while.’

Uncle Maury went away. Versh went away.

‘Please hush.’ Mother said. ‘We’re trying to get you out as fast as we can. I don’t want you to get sick.’

Versh put my overshoes and overcoat on and we took my cap and went out. Uncle Maury was putting the bottle away in the sideboard in the dining-room.

‘Keep him out about half an hour, boy.’ Uncle Maury said. ‘Keep him in the yard, now.’

‘Yes, sir.’ Versh said. ‘We don’t never let him get off the place.’

We went out doors. The sun was cold and bright.

‘Where you heading for.’ Versh said. ‘You don’t think you going to town, does you.’ We went through the rattling leaves. The gate was cold. ‘You better keep them hands in your pockets.’ Versh said, ‘You get them froze onto that gate, then what you do. Whyn’t you wait for them in the house.’ He put my hands into my pockets. I could hear him rattling in the leaves. I could smell the cold. The gate was cold.

‘Here some hickeynuts. Whooey. Git up that tree. Look here at this squirl, Benjy.’

I couldn’t feel the gate at all, but I could smell the bright cold.

‘You better put them hands back in your pockets.’

Caddy was walking. Then she was running, her book-satchel swinging and jouncing behind her.

‘Hello, Benjy.’ Caddy said. She opened the gate and came in and stooped down. Caddy smelled like leaves. ‘Did you come to meet me.’ she said. ‘Did you come to meet Caddy. What did you let him get his hands so cold for, Versh.’

‘I told him to keep them in his pockets.’ Versh said. ‘Holding onto that ahun gate.’

‘Did you come to meet Caddy.’ she said, rubbing my hands. ‘What is it. What are you trying to tell Caddy.’ Caddy smelled like trees and like when she says we were asleep.

What are you moaning about, Luster said. You can watch them again when we get to the branch. Here. Here’s you a jimson weed. He gave me the flower. We went through the fence, into the lot.

‘What is it.’ Caddy said. ‘What are you trying to tell Caddy. Did they send him out, Versh.’

‘Couldn’t keep him in.’ Versh said. ‘He kept on until they let him go and he come right straight down here, looking through the gate.’

‘What is it.’ Caddy said. ‘Did you think it would be Christmas when I came home from school. Is that what you thought. Christmas is the day after tomorrow. Santy Claus, Benjy. Santy Claus. Come on, let’s run to the house and get warm.’ She took my hand and we ran through the bright rustling leaves. We ran up the steps and out of the bright cold, into the dark cold. Uncle Maury was putting the bottle back in the sideboard. He called Caddy. Caddy said,

‘Take him in to the fire, Versh. Go with Versh.’ she said. ‘I’ll come in a minute.’

We went to the fire. Mother said,

‘Is he cold, Versh.’

‘Nome.’ Versh said.

‘Take his overcoat and overshoes off.’ Mother said. ‘How many times do I have to tell you not to bring him into the house with his overshoes on.’

‘Yessum.’ Versh said. ‘Hold still, now.’ He took my overshoes off and unbuttoned my coat. Caddy said,

‘Wait, Versh. Can’t he go out again, Mother. I want him to go with me.’

‘You’d better leave him here.’ Uncle Maury said. ‘He’s been out enough today.’

‘I think you’d both better stay in.’ Mother said. ‘It’s getting colder, Dilsey says.’

‘Oh, Mother.’ Caddy said.

‘Nonsense.’ Uncle Maury said. ‘She’s been in school all day. She needs the fresh air. Run along, Candace.’

‘Let him go, Mother.’ Caddy said. ‘Please. You know he’ll cry.’

‘Then why did you mention it before him.’ Mother said. ‘Why did you come in here. To give him some excuse to worry me again. You’ve been out enough today. I think you’d better sit down here and play with him.’

‘Let them go, Caroline.’ Uncle Maury said. ‘A little cold won’t hurt them. Remember, you’ve got to keep your strength up.’

‘I know.’ Mother said. ‘Nobody knows how I dread Christmas. Nobody knows. I am not one of those women who can stand things. I wish for Jason’s and the children’s sakes I was stronger.’

‘You must do the best you can and not let them worry you.’ Uncle Maury said. ‘Run along, you two. But don’t stay out long, now. Your mother will worry.’

‘Yes, sir.’ Caddy said. ‘Come on, Benjy. We’re going out doors again.’ She buttoned my coat and we went toward the door.

‘Are you going to take that baby out without his overshoes.’ Mother said. ‘Do you want to make him sick, with the house full of company.’

‘I forgot.’ Caddy said. ‘I thought he had them on.’

We went back. ‘You must think.’ Mother said. Hold still now Versh said. He put my overshoes on. ‘Someday I’ll be gone, and you’ll have to think for him.’ Now stomp Versh said. ‘Come here and kiss Mother, Benjamin.’

Caddy took me to Mother’s chair and Mother took my face in her hands and then she held me against her.

‘My poor baby.’ she said. She let me go. ‘You and Versh take good care of him, honey.’

‘Yessum.’ Caddy said. We went out. Caddy said,

‘You needn’t go, Versh. I’ll keep him for a while.’

‘All right.’ Versh said. ‘I ain’t going out in that cold for no fun.’ He went on and we stopped in the hall and Caddy knelt and put her arms around me and her cold bright face against mine. She smelled like trees.

‘You’re not a poor baby. Are you. You’ve got your Caddy. Haven’t you got your Caddy.’

Can’t you shut up that moaning and slobbering, Luster said. Ain’t you shamed of yourself, making all this racket. We passed the carriage house, where the carriage was. It had a new wheel.

‘Git in, now, and set still until your maw come.’ Dilsey said. She shoved me into the carriage. T. P. held the reins. ‘’Clare I don’t see how come Jason won’t get a new surrey.’ Dilsey said. ‘This thing going to fall to pieces under you all some day. Look at them wheels.’

Mother came out, pulling her veil down. She had some flowers.

‘Where’s Roskus.’ she said.

‘Roskus can’t lift his arms, today.’ Dilsey said. ‘T. P. can drive all right.’

‘I’m afraid to.’ Mother said. ‘It seems to me you all could furnish me with a driver for the carriage once a week. It’s little enough I ask, Lord knows.’

‘You know just as well as me that Roskus got the rheumatism too bad to do more than he have to, Miss Cahline.’ Dilsey said. ‘You come on and get in, now. T. P. can drive you just as good as Roskus.’

‘I’m afraid to.’ Mother said. ‘With the baby.’

Dilsey went up the steps. ‘You calling that thing a baby.’ she said. She took Mother’s arm. ‘A man big as T. P. Come on, now, if you going.’

‘I’m afraid to.’ Mother said. They came down the steps and Dilsey helped Mother in. ‘Perhaps it’ll be the best thing, for all of us.’ Mother said.

‘Ain’t you shamed, talking that way.’ Dilsey said. ‘Don’t you know it’ll take more than a eighteen year old nigger to make Queenie run away. She older than him and Benjy put together. And don’t you start no projecking with Queenie, you hear me, T. P. If you don’t drive to suit Miss Cahline, I going to put Roskus on you. He ain’t too tied up to do that.’

‘Yessum.’ T. P. said.

‘I just know something will happen.’ Mother said. ‘Stop, Benjamin.’

‘Give him a flower to hold.’ Dilsey said, ‘That what he wanting.’ She reached her hand in.

‘No, no.’ Mother said. ‘You’ll have them all scattered.’

‘You hold them.’ Dilsey said. ‘I’ll get him one out.’ She gave me a flower and her hand went away.

‘Go on now, ’fore Quentin see you and have to go too.’ Dilsey said.

‘Where is she.’ Mother said.

‘She down to the house playing with Luster.’ Dilsey said. ‘Go on, T. P. Drive that surrey like Roskus told you, now.’

‘Yessum.’ T. P. said. ‘Hum up, Queenie.’

‘Quentin.’ Mother said. ‘Don’t let’

‘Course I is.’ Dilsey said.

The carriage jolted and crunched on the drive. ‘I’m afraid to go and leave Quentin.’ Mother said. ‘I’d better not go. T. P.’ We went through the gate, where it didn’t jolt any more. T. P. hit Queenie with the whip.

‘You, T. P.’ Mother said.

‘Got to get her going.’ T. P. said. ‘Keep her wake up till we get back to the barn.’

‘Turn around.’ Mother said. ‘I’m afraid to go and leave Quentin.’

‘Can’t turn here.’ T. P. said. Then it was broader.

‘Can’t you turn here.’ Mother said.

‘All right.’ T. P. said. We began to turn.

‘You, T. P.’ Mother said, clutching me.

‘I got to turn around somehow.’ T. P. said. ‘Whoa, Queenie.’ We stopped.

‘You’ll turn us over.’ Mother said.

‘What you want to do, then.’ T. P. said.

‘I’m afraid for you to try to turn around.’ Mother said.

‘Get up, Queenie.’ T. P. said. We went on.

‘I just know Dilsey will let something happen to Quentin while I’m gone.’ Mother said. ‘We must hurry back.’

‘Hum up, there.’ T. P. said. He hit Queenie with the whip.

‘You, T. P.’ Mother said, clutching me. I could hear Queenie’s feet and the bright shapes went smooth and steady on both sides, the shadows of them flowing across Queenie’s back. They went on like the bright tops of wheels. Then those on one side stopped at the tall white post where the soldier was. But on the other side they went on smooth and steady, but a little slower.

‘What do you want.’ Jason said. He had his hands in his pockets and a pencil behind his ear.

‘We’re going to the cemetery.’ Mother said.

‘All right.’ Jason said. ‘I don’t aim to stop you, do I. Was that all you wanted with me, just to tell me that.’

‘I know you won’t come.’ Mother said. ‘I’d feel safer if you would.’

‘Safe from what.’ Jason said. ‘Father and Quentin can’t hurt you.’

Mother put her handkerchief under her veil. ‘Stop it, Mother.’ Jason said. ‘Do you want to get that damn loony to bawling in the middle of the square. Drive on, T. P.’

‘Hum up, Queenie.’ T. P. said.

‘It’s a judgment on me.’ Mother said. ‘But I’ll be gone too, soon.’

‘Here.’ Jason said.

‘Whoa.’ T. P. said. Jason said,

‘Uncle Maury’s drawing on you for fifty. What do you want to do about it.’

‘Why ask me.’ Mother said. ‘I don’t have any say so. I try not to worry you and Dilsey. I’ll be gone soon, and then you’

‘Go on, T. P.’ Jason said.

‘Hum up, Queenie.’ T. P. said. The shapes flowed on. The ones on the other side began again, bright and fast and smooth, like when Caddy says we are going to sleep.

Cry baby, Luster said. Ain’t you shamed. We went through the barn. The stalls were all open. You ain’t got no spotted pony to ride now, Luster said. The floor was dry and dusty. The roof was falling. The slanting holes were full of spinning yellow. What do you want to go that way for. You want to get your head knocked off with one of them balls.

‘Keep your hands in your pockets.’ Caddy said, ‘Or they’ll be froze. You don’t want your hands froze on Christmas, do you.’

We went around the barn. The big cow and the little one were standing in the door, and we could hear Prince and Queenie and Fancy stomping inside the barn. ‘If it wasn’t so cold, we’d ride Fancy.’ Caddy said, ‘But it’s too cold to hold on today.’ Then we could see the branch, where the smoke was blowing. ‘That’s where they are killing the pig.’ Caddy said. ‘We can come back by there and see them.’ We went down the hill.

‘You want to carry the letter.’ Caddy said. ‘You can carry it.’ She took the letter out of her pocket and put it in mine. ‘It’s a Christmas present.’ Caddy said. ‘Uncle Maury is going to surprise Mrs Patterson with it. We got to give it to her without letting anybody see it. Keep your hands in your pockets good, now.’ We came to the branch.

‘It’s froze.’ Caddy said, ‘Look.’ She broke the top of the water and held a piece of it against my face. ‘Ice. That means how cold it is.’ She helped me across and we went up the hill. ‘We can’t even tell Mother and Father. You know what I think it is. I think it’s a surprise for Mother and Father and Mr Patterson both, because Mr Patterson sent you some candy. Do you remember when Mr Patterson sent you some candy last summer.’

There was a fence. The vine was dry, and the wind rattled in it.

‘Only I don’t see why Uncle Maury didn’t send Versh.’ Caddy said. ‘Versh won’t tell.’ Mrs Patterson was looking out the window. ‘You wait here.’ Caddy said. ‘Wait right here, now. I’ll be back in a minute. Give me the letter.’ She took the letter out of my pocket. ‘Keep your hands in your pockets.’ She climbed the fence with the letter in her hand and went through the brown, rattling flowers. Mrs Patterson came to the door and opened it and stood there.

Mr Patterson was chopping in the green flowers. He stopped chopping and looked at me. Mrs Patterson came across the garden, running. When I saw her eyes I began to cry. You idiot, Mrs Patterson said, I told him never to send you alone again. Give it to me. Quick. Mr Patterson came fast, with the hoe. Mrs Patterson leaned across the fence, reaching her hand. She was trying to climb the fence. Give it to me, she said, Give it to me. Mr Patterson climbed the fence. He took the letter. Mrs Patterson’s dress was caught on the fence. I saw her eyes again and I ran down the hill.

‘They ain’t nothing over yonder but houses.’ Luster said. ‘We going down to the branch.’

They were washing down at the branch. One of them was singing. I could smell the clothes flapping, and the smoke blowing across the branch.

‘You stay down here.’ Luster said. ‘You ain’t got no business up yonder. Them folks hit you, sho.’

‘What he want to do.’

‘He don’t know what he want to do.’ Luster said. ‘He think he want to go up yonder where they knocking that ball. You sit down here and play with your jimson weed. Look at them chillen playing in the branch, if you got to look at something. How come you can’t behave yourself like folks.’ I sat down on the bank, where they were washing, and the smoke blowing blue.

‘Is you all seen anything of a quarter down here.’ Luster said.

‘What quarter.’

‘The one I had here this morning.’ Luster said. ‘I lost it somewhere. It fell through this here hole in my pocket. If I don’t find it I can’t go to the show tonight.’

‘Where’d you get a quarter, boy. Find it in white folks’ pocket while they ain’t looking.’

‘Got it at the getting place.’ Luster said. ‘Plenty more where that one come from. Only I got to find that one. Is you all found it yet.’

‘I ain’t studying no quarter. I got my own business to tend to.’

‘Come on here.’ Luster said. ‘Help me look for it.’

‘He wouldn’t know a quarter if he was to see it, would he.’

‘He can help look just the same.’ Luster said. ‘You all going to the show tonight.’

‘Don’t talk to me about no show. Time I get done over this here tub I be too tired to lift my hand to do nothing.’

‘I bet you be there.’ Luster said. ‘I bet you was there last night. I bet you all be right there when that tent open.’

‘Be enough niggers there without me. Was last night.’

‘Nigger’s money good as white folks, I reckon.’

‘White folks gives nigger money because know first white man comes along with a band going to get it all back, so nigger can go to work for some more.’

‘Ain’t nobody going make you go to that show.’

‘Ain’t yet. Ain’t thought of it, I reckon.’

‘What you got against white folks.’

‘Ain’t got nothing against them. I goes my way and lets white folks go theirs. I ain’t studying that show.’

‘Got a man in it can play a tune on a saw. Play it like a banjo.’

‘You go last night.’ Luster said. ‘I going tonight. If I can find where I lost that quarter.’

‘You going take him with you, I reckon.’

‘Me.’ Luster said. ‘You reckon I be found anywhere with him, time he start bellering.’

‘What does you do when he start bellering.’

‘I whips him.’ Luster said. He sat down and rolled up his overalls. They played in the branch.

‘You all found any balls yet.’ Luster said.

‘Ain’t you talking biggity. I bet you better not let your grandmammy hear you talking like that.’

Luster got into the branch, where they were playing. He hunted in the water, along the bank.

‘I had it when we was down here this morning.’ Luster said.

‘Where ’bouts you lose it.’

‘Right out this here hole in my pocket.’ Luster said. They hunted in the branch. Then they all stood up quick and stopped, then they splashed and fought in the branch. Luster got it and they squatted in the water, looking up the hill through the bushes.

‘Where is they.’ Luster said.

‘Ain’t in sight yet.’

Luster put it in his pocket. They came down the hill.

‘Did a ball come down here.’

‘It ought to be in the water. Didn’t any of you boys see it or hear it.’

‘Ain’t heard nothing come down here.’ Luster said. ‘Heard something hit that tree up yonder. Don’t know which way it went.’

They looked in the branch.

‘Hell. Look along the branch. It came down here. I saw it.’

They looked along the branch. Then they went back up the hill.

‘Have you got that ball.’ the boy said.

‘What I want with it.’ Luster said. ‘I ain’t seen no ball.’

The boy got in the water. He went on. He turned and looked at Luster again. He went on down the branch.

The man said ‘Caddie’ up the hill. The boy got out of the water and went up the hill.

‘Now, just listen at you.’ Luster said. ‘Hush up.’

‘What he moaning about now.’

‘Lawd knows.’ Luster said. ‘He just starts like that. He been at it all morning. Cause it his birthday, I reckon.’

‘How old he.’

‘He thirty-three.’ Luster said. ‘Thirty-three this morning.’

‘You mean, he been three years old thirty years.’

‘I going by what mammy say.’ Luster said. ‘I don’t know. We going to have thirty-three candles on a cake, anyway. Little cake. Won’t hardly hold them. Hush up. Come on back here.’ He came and caught my arm. ‘You old loony.’ he said. ‘You want me to whip you.’

‘I bet you will.’

‘I is done it. Hush, now.’ Luster said. ‘Ain’t I told you you can’t go up there. They’ll knock your head clean off with one of them balls. Come on, here.’ He pulled me back. ‘Sit down.’ I sat down and he took off my shoes and rolled up my trousers. ‘Now, git in that water and play and see can you stop that slobbering and moaning.’

I hushed and got in the water and Roskus came and said to come to supper and Caddy said,

It’s not supper time yet. I’m not going.

She was wet. We were playing in the branch and Caddy squatted down and got her dress wet and Versh said,

‘Your mommer going to whip you for getting your dress wet.’

‘She’s not going to do any such thing.’ Caddy said.

‘How do you know.’ Quentin said.

‘That’s all right how I know.’ Caddy said. ‘How do you know.’

‘She said she was.’ Quentin said. ‘Besides, I’m older than you.’

‘I’m seven years old.’ Caddy said, ‘I guess I know.’

‘I’m older than that.’ Quentin said. ‘I go to school. Don’t I, Versh.’

‘I’m going to school next year.’ Caddy said, ‘When it comes. Ain’t I, Versh.’

‘You know she whip you when you get your dress wet.’ Versh said.

‘It’s not wet.’ Caddy said. She stood up in the water and looked at her dress. ‘I’ll take it off,’ she said. ‘Then it’ll dry.’

‘I bet you won’t.’ Quentin said.

‘I bet I will.’ Caddy said.

‘I bet you better not.’ Quentin said.

Caddy came to Versh and me and turned her back.

‘Unbutton it, Versh.’ she said.

‘Don’t you do it, Versh.’ Quentin said.

‘Tain’t none of my dress.’ Versh said.

‘You unbutton it, Versh.’ Caddy said, ‘Or I’ll tell Dilsey what you did yesterday.’ So Versh unbuttoned it.

‘You just take your dress off.’ Quentin said. Caddy took her dress off and threw it on the bank. Then she didn’t have on anything but her bodice and drawers, and Quentin slapped her and she slipped and fell down in the water. When she got up she began to splash water on Quentin, and Quentin splashed water on Caddy. Some of it splashed on Versh and me and Versh picked me up and put me on the bank. He said he was going to tell on Caddy and Quentin, and then Quentin and Caddy began to splash water at Versh. He got behind a bush.

‘I’m going to tell mammy on you all.’ Versh said.

Quentin climbed up the bank and tried to catch Versh, but Versh ran away and Quentin couldn’t. When Quentin came back Versh stopped and hollered that he was going to tell. Caddy told him that if he wouldn’t tell, they’d let him come back. So Versh said he wouldn’t, and they let him.

‘Now I guess you’re satisfied.’ Quentin said, ‘We’ll both get whipped now.’

‘I don’t care.’ Caddy said. ‘I’ll run away.’

‘Yes you will.’ Quentin said.

‘I’ll run away and never come back.’ Caddy said. I began to cry. Caddy turned around and said ‘Hush.’ So I hushed. Then they played in the branch. Jason was playing too. He was by himself further down the branch. Versh came around the bush and lifted me down into the water again. Caddy was all wet and muddy behind, and I started to cry and she came and squatted in the water.

‘Hush now.’ she said. ‘I’m not going to run away.’ So I hushed. Caddy smelled like trees in the rain.

What is the matter with you, Luster said. Can’t you get done with that moaning and play in the branch like folks.

Whyn’t you take him on home. Didn’t they told you not to take him off the place.

He still think they own this pasture, Luster said. Can’t nobody see down here from the house, noways.

We can. And folks don’t like to look at a loony. Tain’t no luck in it.

Roskus came and said to come to supper and Caddy said it wasn’t supper time yet.

‘Yes ’tis.’ Roskus said. ‘Dilsey say for you all to come on to the house. Bring them on, Versh.’ He went up the hill, where the cow was lowing.

‘Maybe we’ll be dry by the time we get to the house.’ Quentin said.

‘It was all your fault.’ Caddy said. ‘I hope we do get whipped.’ She put her dress on and Versh buttoned it.

‘They won’t know you got wet.’ Versh said. ‘It don’t show on you. Less me and Jason tells.’

‘Are you going to tell, Jason.’ Caddy said.

‘Tell on who.’ Jason said.

‘He won’t tell.’ Quentin said. ‘Will you, Jason.’

‘I bet he does tell.’ Caddy said. ‘He’ll tell Damuddy.’

‘He can’t tell her.’ Quentin said. ‘She’s sick. If we walk slow it’ll be too dark for them to see.’

‘I don’t care whether they see or not.’ Caddy said. ‘I’m going to tell, myself. You carry him up the hill, Versh.’

‘Jason won’t tell.’ Quentin said. ‘You remember that bow and arrow I made you, Jason.’

‘It’s broke now.’ Jason said.

‘Let him tell.’ Caddy said. ‘I don’t give a cuss. Carry Maury up the hill, Versh.’ Versh squatted and I got on his back.

See you all at the show tonight, Luster said. Come on, here. We got to find that quarter.

‘If we go slow, it’ll be dark when we get there.’ Quentin said.

‘I’m not going slow.’ Caddy said. We went up the hill, but Quentin didn’t come. He was down at the branch when we got to where we could smell the pigs. They were grunting and snuffing in the trough in the corner. Jason came behind us, with his hands in his pockets. Roskus was milking the cow in the barn door.

The cows came jumping out of the barn.

‘Go on.’ T. P. said. ‘Holler again. I going to holler myself. Whooey.’ Quentin kicked T. P. again. He kicked T. P. into the trough where the pigs ate and T. P. lay there. ‘Hot dog.’ T. P. said, ‘Didn’t he get me then. You see that white man kick me that time. Whooey.’

I wasn’t crying, but I couldn’t stop. I wasn’t crying, but the ground wasn’t still, and then I was crying. The ground kept sloping up and the cows ran up the hill. T. P. tried to get up. He fell down again and the cows ran down the hill. Quentin held my arm and we went toward the barn. Then the barn wasn’t there and we had to wait until it came back. I didn’t see it come back. It came behind us and Quentin set me down in the trough where the cows ate. I held on to it. It was going away too, and I held to it. The cows ran down the hill again, across the door. I couldn’t stop. Quentin and T. P. came up the hill, fighting. T. P. was falling down the hill and Quentin dragged him up the hill. Quentin hit T. P. I couldn’t stop.

‘Stand up.’ Quentin said, ‘You stay right here. Don’t you go away until I get back.’

‘Me and Benjy going back to the wedding.’ T. P. said. ‘Whooey.’

Quentin hit T. P. again. Then he began to thump T. P. against the wall. T. P. was laughing. Every time Quentin thumped him against the wall he tried to say Whooey, but he couldn’t say it for laughing. I quit crying, but I couldn’t stop. T. P. fell on me and the barn door went away. It went down the hill and T. P. was fighting by himself and he fell down again. He was still laughing, and I couldn’t stop, and I tried to get up and fell down, and I couldn’t stop. Versh said,

‘You sho done it now. I’ll declare if you ain’t. Shut up that yelling.’

T. P. was still laughing. He flopped on the door and laughed. ‘Whooey.’ he said, ‘Me and Benjy going back to the wedding. Sassprilluh.’ T. P. said.

‘Hush.’ Versh said. ‘Where you get it.’

‘Out the cellar.’ T. P. said. ‘Whooey.’

‘Hush up.’ Versh said, ‘Where’bouts in the cellar.’

‘Anywhere.’ T. P. said. He laughed some more. ‘More’n a hundred bottles left. More’n a million. Look out, nigger, I going to holler.’

Quentin said, ‘Lift him up.’

Versh lifted me up.

‘Drink this, Benjy.’ Quentin said. The glass was hot. ‘Hush, now.’ Quentin said. ‘Drink it.’

‘Sassprilluh.’ T. P. said. ‘Lemme drink it, Mr Quentin.’

‘You shut your mouth.’ Versh said, ‘Mr Quentin wear you out.’

‘Hold him, Versh.’ Quentin said.

They held me. It was hot on my chin and on my shirt. ‘Drink.’ Quentin said. They held my head. It was hot inside me, and I began again. I was crying now, and something was happening inside me and I cried more, and they held me until it stopped happening. Then I hushed. It was still going around, and then the shapes began. ‘Open the crib, Versh.’ They were going slow. ‘Spread those empty sacks on the floor.’ They were going faster, almost fast enough. ‘Now. Pick up his feet.’ They went on, smooth and bright. I could hear T. P. laughing. I went on with them, up the bright hill.

At the top of the hill Versh put me down. ‘Come on here, Quentin.’ he called, looking back down the hill. Quentin was still standing there by the branch. He was chunking into the shadows where the branch was.

‘Let the old skizzard stay there.’ Caddy said. She took my hand and we went on past the barn and through the gate. There was a frog on the brick walk, squatting in the middle of it. Caddy stepped over it and pulled me on.

‘Come on, Maury.’ she said. It still squatted there until Jason poked at it with his toe.

‘He’ll make a wart on you.’ Versh said. The frog hopped away.

‘Come on, Maury.’ Caddy said.

‘They got company tonight.’ Versh said.

‘How do you know.’ Caddy said.

‘With all them lights on.’ Versh said, ‘Light in every window.’

‘I reckon we can turn all the lights on without company, if we want to.’ Caddy said.

‘I bet it’s company.’ Versh said. ‘You all better go in the back and slip upstairs.’

‘I don’t care.’ Caddy said. ‘I’ll walk right in the parlour where they are.’

‘I bet your pappy whip you if you do.’ Versh said.

‘I don’t care.’ Caddy said. ‘I’ll walk right in the parlour. I’ll walk right in the dining-room and eat supper.’

‘Where you sit.’ Versh said.

‘I’d sit in Damuddy’s chair.’ Caddy said. ‘She eats in bed.’

‘I’m hungry.’ Jason said. He passed us and ran on up the walk. He had his hands in his pockets and he fell down. Versh went and picked him up.

‘If you keep them hands out your pockets, you could stay on your feet.’ Versh said. ‘You can’t never get them out in time to catch yourself, fat as you is.’

Father was standing by the kitchen steps.

‘Where’s Quentin.’ he said.

‘He coming up the walk.’ Versh said. Quentin was coming slow. His shirt was a white blur.

‘Oh.’ Father said. Light fell down the steps, on him.

‘Caddy and Quentin threw water on each other.’ Jason said.

We waited.

‘They did.’ Father said. Quentin came, and Father said, ‘You can eat supper in the kitchen tonight.’ He stopped and took me up, and the light came tumbling down the steps on me too, and I could look down at Caddy and Jason and Quentin and Versh. Father turned toward the steps. ‘You must be quiet, though.’ he said.

‘Why must we be quiet, Father.’ Caddy said. ‘Have we got company.’

‘Yes.’ Father said.

‘I told you they was company.’ Versh said.

‘You did not.’ Caddy said, ‘I was the one that said there was. I said I would’

‘Hush.’ Father said. They hushed and Father opened the door and we crossed the back porch and went in to the kitchen. Dilsey was there, and Father put me in the chair and closed the apron down and pushed it to the table, where supper was. It was steaming up.

‘You mind Dilsey, now.’ Father said. ‘Don’t let them make any more noise than they can help, Dilsey.’

‘Yes, sir.’ Dilsey said. Father went away.

‘Remember to mind Dilsey, now.’ he said behind us. I leaned my face over where the supper was. It steamed up on my face.

‘Let them mind me tonight, Father.’ Caddy said.

‘I won’t.’ Jason said. ‘I’m going to mind Dilsey.’

‘You’ll have to, if Father says so.’ Caddy said. ‘Let them mind me, Father.’

‘I won’t.’ Jason said, ‘I won’t mind you.’

‘Hush.’ Father said. ‘You all mind Caddy, then. When they are done, bring them up the back stairs, Dilsey.’

‘Yes, sir.’ Dilsey said.

‘There.’ Caddy said, ‘Now I guess you’ll mind me.’

‘You all hush, now.’ Dilsey said. ‘You got to be quiet tonight.’

‘Why do we have to be quiet tonight.’ Caddy whispered.

‘Never you mind.’ Dilsey said, ‘You’ll know in the Lawd’s own time.’ She brought my bowl. The steam from it came and tickled my face. ‘Come here, Versh.’ Dilsey said.

‘When is the Lawd’s own time, Dilsey.’ Caddy said.

‘It’s Sunday.’ Quentin said. ‘Don’t you know anything.’

‘Shhhhhh.’ Dilsey said. ‘Didn’t Mr Jason say for you all to be quiet. Eat your supper, now. Here, Versh. Git his spoon.’ Versh’s hand came with the spoon, into the bowl. The spoon came up to my mouth. The steam tickled into my mouth. Then we quit eating and we looked at each other and we were quiet, and then we heard it again and I began to cry.

‘What was that.’ Caddy said. She put her hand on my hand.

‘That was Mother.’ Quentin said. The spoon came up and I ate, then I cried again.

‘Hush.’ Caddy said. But I didn’t hush and she came and put her arms around me. Dilsey went and closed both the doors and then we couldn’t hear it.

‘Hush, now.’ Caddy said. I hushed and ate. Quentin wasn’t eating, but Jason was.

‘That was Mother.’ Quentin said. He got up.

‘You set right down.’ Dilsey said. ‘They got company in there, and you in them muddy clothes. You set down too, Caddy, and get done eating.’

‘She was crying.’ Quentin said.

‘It was somebody singing.’ Caddy said. ‘Wasn’t it, Dilsey.’

‘You all eat your supper, now, like Mr Jason said.’ Dilsey said. ‘You’ll know in the Lawd’s own time.’ Caddy went back to her chair.

‘I told you it was a party.’ she said.

Versh said, ‘He done et all that.’

‘Bring his bowl here.’ Dilsey said. The bowl went away.

‘Dilsey.’ Caddy said, ‘Quentin’s not eating his supper. Hasn’t he got to mind me.’

‘Eat your supper, Quentin.’ Dilsey said, ‘You all got to get done and get out of my kitchen.’

‘I don’t want any more supper.’ Quentin said.

‘You’ve got to eat if I say you have.’ Caddy said. ‘Hasn’t he, Dilsey.’

The bowl steamed up to my face, and Versh’s hand dipped the spoon in it and the steam tickled into my mouth.

‘I don’t want any more.’ Quentin said. ‘How can they have a party when Damuddy’s sick.’

‘They’ll have it downstairs.’ Caddy said. ‘She can come to the landing and see it. That’s what I’m going to do when I get my nightie on.’

‘Mother was crying.’ Quentin said. ‘Wasn’t she crying, Dilsey.’

‘Don’t you come pestering at me, boy.’ Dilsey said. ‘I got to get supper for all them folks soon as you all get done eating.’

After a while even Jason was through eating, and he began to cry.

‘Now you got to tune up.’ Dilsey said.

‘He does it every night since Damuddy was sick and he can’t sleep with her.’ Caddy said. ‘Cry baby.’

‘I’m going to tell on you.’ Jason said.

He was crying. ‘You’ve already told.’ Caddy said. ‘There’s not anything else you can tell, now.’

‘You all needs to go to bed.’ Dilsey said. She came and lifted me down and wiped my face and hands with a warm cloth. ‘Versh, can you get them up the back stairs quiet. You, Jason, shut up that crying.’

‘It’s too early to go to bed now.’ Caddy said. ‘We don’t ever have to go to bed this early.’

‘You is tonight.’ Dilsey said. ‘Your pa say for you to come right on upstairs when you et supper. You heard him.’

‘He said to mind me.’ Caddy said.

‘I’m not going to mind you.’ Jason said.

‘You have to.’ Caddy said. ‘Come on, now. You have to do like I say.’

‘Make them be quiet, Versh.’ Dilsey said. ‘You all going to be quiet, ain’t you.’

‘What do we have to be so quiet for, tonight.’ Caddy said.

‘Your mommer ain’t feeling well.’ Dilsey said. ‘You all go on with Versh, now.’

‘I told you Mother was crying.’ Quentin said. Versh took me up and opened the door onto the back porch. We went out and Versh closed the door black. I could smell Versh and feel him. ‘You all be quiet, now. We’re not going upstairs yet. Mr Jason said for you to come right upstairs. He said to mind me. I’m not going to mind you. But he said for all of us to. Didn’t he, Quentin.’ I could feel Versh’s head. I could hear us. ‘Didn’t he, Versh. Yes, that’s right. Then I say for us to go out doors a while. Come on.’ Versh opened the door and we went out.

We went down the steps.

‘I expect we’d better go down to Versh’s house, so we’ll be quiet.’ Caddy said. Versh put me down and Caddy took my hand and we went down the brick walk.

‘Come on.’ Caddy said, ‘That frog’s gone. He’s hopped way over to the garden, by now. Maybe we’ll see another one.’ Roskus came with the milk buckets. He went on. Quentin wasn’t coming with us. He was sitting on the kitchen steps. We went down to Versh’s house. I liked to smell Versh’s house. There was a fire in it and T. P. squatting in his shirt tail in front of it, chunking it into a blaze.

Then I got up and T. P. dressed me and we went to the kitchen and ate. Dilsey was singing and I began to cry and she stopped.

‘Keep him away from the house, now.’ Dilsey said.

‘We can’t go that way.’ T. P. said.

We played in the branch.

‘We can’t go around yonder.’ T. P. said. ‘Don’t you know mammy say we can’t.’

Dilsey was singing in the kitchen and I began to cry.

‘Hush.’ T. P. said. ‘Come on. Let’s go down to the barn.’

Roskus was milking at the barn. He was milking with one hand, and groaning. Some birds sat on the barn door and watched him. One of them came down and ate with the cows. I watched Roskus milk while T. P. was feeding Queenie and Prince. The calf was in the pig pen. It nuzzled at the wire, bawling.

‘T. P.’ Roskus said. T. P. said Sir, in the barn. Fancy held her head over the door, because T. P. hadn’t fed her yet. ‘Gid done there.’ Roskus said. ‘You got to do this milking. I can’t use my right hand no more.’

T. P. came and milked.

‘Whyn’t you get the doctor.’ T. P. said.

‘Doctor can’t do no good.’ Roskus said. ‘Not on this place.’

‘What wrong with this place.’ T. P. said.

‘Tain’t no luck on this place.’ Roskus said. ‘Turn that calf in if you done.’

Tain’t no luck on this place, Roskus said. The fire rose and fell behind him and Versh, sliding on his and Versh’s face. Dilsey finished putting me to bed. The bed smelled like T. P. I liked it.

‘What you know about it.’ Dilsey said. ‘What trance you been in.’

‘Don’t need no trance.’ Roskus said. ‘Ain’t the sign of it laying right there on that bed. Ain’t the sign of it been here for folks to see fifteen years now.’

‘S’pose it is.’ Dilsey said. ‘It ain’t hurt none of you and yourn, is it. Versh working and Frony married off your hands and T. P. getting big enough to take your place when rheumatism finish getting you.’

‘They been two, now.’ Roskus said. ‘Going to be one more. I seen the sign, and you is too.’

‘I heard a squinch owl that night.’ T. P. said. ‘Dan wouldn’t come and get his supper, neither. Wouldn’t come no closer than the barn. Begun howling right after dark. Versh heard him.’

‘Going to be more than one more.’ Dilsey said. ‘Show me the man what ain’t going to die, bless Jesus.’

‘Dying ain’t all.’ Roskus said.

‘I knows what you thinking.’ Dilsey said. ‘And they ain’t going to be no luck in saying that name, lessen you going to set up with him while he cries.’

‘They ain’t no luck on this place.’ Roskus said. ‘I seen it at first but when they changed his name I knowed it.’

‘Hush your mouth.’ Dilsey said. She pulled the covers up. It smelled like T. P. ‘You all shut up now, till he get to sleep.’

‘I seen the sign.’ Roskus said.

‘Sign T. P. got to do all your work for you.’ Dilsey said. Take him and Quentin down to the house and let them play with Luster, where Frony can watch them, T. P., and go and help your pa.

We finished eating. T. P. took Quentin up and we went down to T. P.’s house. Luster was playing in the dirt. T. P. put Quentin down and she played in the dirt too. Luster had some spools and he and Quentin fought and Quentin had the spools. Luster cried and Frony came and gave Luster a tincan to play with, and then I had the spools and Quentin fought me and I cried.

‘Hush.’ Frony said, ‘Ain’t you shamed of yourself. Taking a baby’s play pretty.’ She took the spools from me and gave them back to Quentin.