Script

SIDE 1

Good Sabbath, sir.
 

(Introducing himself to PERCHIK)
Tevye. And Good Sabbath to you, Reb...

Perchik.

Perchik. You're a newcomer here. As Abraham said, "I am a stranger in a strange land."

Moses said that.

Forgive me. As King David put it, "I am slow of speech and slow of tongue."

That was also Moses.

For a man with a slow tongue, he talked a lot. And where are you from?

Kiev... I was a student in the University there.

So what's the news from the outside world?

Terrible.

How terrible?

In a village called Rajanka, all the Jews were evicted, forced to leave their homes...

For what reason?

Maybe the Tsar wanted their land... maybe a plague...

(TEVYE notices that PERCHIK is eyeing the cheese hungrily)

Here, have a piece.

Thank you, but I have no money.

It's a blessing for me to give. It's no crime to be poor.

It's the rich who are the criminals. Some day their wealth will be ours.

That would be nice. If they would agree, I would agree. But until that golden day comes, Reb Perchik, how will you live?

By giving lessons. Do you have children?

Five daughters.

Five?

Daughters.

Girls should learn too. Girls are people.

A radical!

I would be willing to teach them. Open their minds to great thoughts.

I am a very poor man. Food for lessons?

(PERCHIK nods)

Good. Stay with us for the Sabbath.

Good Sabbath, Reb Tevye.

SIDE 2

(Outside TEVYE'S house. PERCHIK is teaching CHAVA, HODEL, SHPRINTZE and BIELKE while they peel potatoes at a bench)

Now, children, I will tell you the story from the Bible of how Laban cheated Jacob who worked for him. It will show that the Bible clearly teaches ... You can never trust an employer ... Understand?

(THEY nod)

(ENTERING from the barn)
Papa isn't up yet?

No, Mama.

Enough lessons. We have to do Papa's work today. He staggered home last night and fell into bed like a dead man. I couldn't get a word out of him. Put that away and clean the barn.

(SHPRINTZE and BIELKE EXIT into the barn. To HODEL)

Call me when Papa gets up.

(EXITS)

That was a very interesting lesson, Perchik.

Thank you.

But I don't think the Rabbi would agree with your strange ideas.

Certainly! Any new idea would be strange to you. Remember, the Lord said: Let there be light.

Yes. But he was not talking to you personally ... Good day.

You have spirit. Even a little intelligence perhaps.

Thank you.

And you are very brave. Do you know that in the city boys and girls can hold hands together, they even dance together - new dances - like this.

(HE seizes her and starts dancing, humming)

I learned it in Kiev. Do you like it?

(Startled)
It's very nice.

(Stops dancing)
There. We've just changed an old custom.

(Bewildered)
Yes. Well, you're welcome - I mean, thank you - I mean, good day.

Good day.