Judge
How long you been outa work?

Cliff
Seventeen years—­

Judge
Seventeen years?
                             (to woman)
You been takin’ keer of dis man for seventeen years?

Woman
Naw, but he been so mean to me, it seems lak seventeen
years.

Judge
Now you tell me just where he hurt you.

Woman
Judge, tell you de truth, I’m hurt all over. 
                             (Rubs her buttocks)
Fact is I’m cut.

Judge
Did you git cut in de fracas?

Woman
                             (feeling the back of her left thigh
                             below her buttocks)
Not in de fracas, Judge—­just below it. 
                             (She starts to show the Judge where
                             she has been cut.  He motions to stop
                             her.)

Judge
Stop!
                              (to Officer Simpson)
Grab him.  Put him in de shade.

Cliff
Judge, I’m unguilty!  I ain’t laid de weight of my hand on her in malice. 
You got me ’cused of murder and I ain’t harmed a child.

Judge
Lemme ast you something.  Didn’t you know dat all de women in dis town
belongs to me?  Beat my women and I’ll stuff you in jail. 90 years.  Take
’im away. 
                             (Cliff is led off to jail.  Judge looks
                             angrily at the boy who is holding
                             hands with the pretty girl)
You runs me hot and I’m just dyin’ to sit on yo’ case. 
Whut you in here for?

Boy
Nothin’.

Judge
Well, whut you doin’ in my court, you gater-faced rascal?

Boy
My girl wanted to see whut was goin’ on, so I brought
her in.

Judge
Oh yeah! 
                             (Smiles at girl)
She was usin’ good sense to come see whut I’m doin’, but how come you
come in here?  You gointer have a hard time gittin’ out.

Boy
I ain’t done a thing.  I ain’t never done nothin’.  I’m just as clean as a
fish, and he been bathin’ all his life.

Judge
You ain’t done nothin’, hunh?  Well den youse guilty of vacancy.  Grab
’im, Simpson, and search ’im—­and if he got any concealed weapons, I’m
gointer give ‘im life-time and eight years mo’. 
                             (The officer seizes the boy and frisks
                             him.  All he finds is a new deck of
                             cards.  The Judge looks at them in
                             triumph.)
Unh hunh!  I knowed it, one of dese skin game jelly-beans.  Robbin’ hard
workin’ men out they money.