A Game Flashcards
H: Ah, here at last. Well, Mr. Edson
I’m not Edson. I’m Baker. Are you Edson?
C: How do you do? I’m Baker and this is Carter
No. You’re Carter and I’m Edson
E: He’s not Edson. I’m Edson. He’s Carter
Are you sure?
C: Mr. Baker
Dr. Henning
C: It’s a pleasure to know you, Mr. Edson. My name is Carter
It’s my pleasure
C: That’s strange. It appears that my name is Edson, after all
And mine is Dr. Henning
C: Did you ever hear such a thing?
That’s deep
C: It’s a pleasure to meet you, Dr. Henning. I’m… I’m not Edson!
How do you do, Dr. Henning. I’m… I’m not Dr. Henning!
H: Gentlemen, gentlemen… please. We must have order
He’s a scientist, all right
E: I’m Edson
I’m Baker
H: No, never mind. I don’t think that will be necessary. Well, gentlemen, I suppose you’re wondering why you are here
I’m not wondering. Were you wondering, Edson?
E: I’ve forgotten. Now what was I wondering about?
I wonder
H: A game
You want us to play a game?
C: All right
What kind of a game?
C: Did you ever hear such a thing?
That’s deep
H: We want to determine the effectiveness of modern advertising in its manipulation of the buying public
Manipulation?
H: Gentlemen, please. You must pay attention. Now, you will notice that there is, in this room, a light, a chair, and the door by which you entered
Hey, I didn’t notice that
E: I noticed it
You did? I didn’t
E: I noticed that, too
You did? I didn’t
E: I didn’t notice that
I didn’t, either
H: Choose one of those sections for this experiment by standing in the middle of it
You want us to stand in the middle of it?
H: Just do as I ask! No, separate sections. Now, that is your territory. You own it
I own this section?
C: I don’t like this game
That isn’t a question
C: It isn’t?
No
H: That’s all
And you want us to repeat this?
H: Yes
Why?
H: Because my presence might affect your response
You won’t affect my response. Will he affect your response, Edson?
E: I don’t know
What response, Dr. Henning?
H: I’ll be watching and listening at my instrument panel. Have fun, gentlemen. Remember, you must enter the game with spirit
This is my land. It is mine. It is beautiful, and it is mine. What’s the name of this game, Edson?
C: What’s the point of this game, Baker?
I don’t know
C: I don’t know
This is my land. It is mine. It is beautiful, and it is mine. Do you think Dr. Henning knows?
C: Scientists are supposed to know all about such things
What things?
C: Games
This is my land. It is mine. It is beautiful, and it is mine.
E: If we don’t know what the game is, how do we know when it’s over?
Dr. Henning will tell us
E: Dr. Henning isn’t here
Hey, that’s right
E: How do we know he won’t?
Hey, that’s right. This is my land. It is mine. It is beautiful, and it is mine. You go ask him, Edson
E: All right
Stop. You didn’t say, “May I.” You go, Carter
C: May I?
Yes
C: I don’t want to
You’ve got to. I gave you permission
C: I don’t like that game
I’ll do it, then. He doesn’t answer
E: Why do you think he locked us in?
Maybe he doesn’t want us to get out
C: That’s probably it
I have to go to the bathroom. This is my land. It is mine. It is beautiful, and it is mine
C: I wonder why there’s only one chair in here?
I wonder why it’s in your territory?
C: Do you think it’ll give me a shock if I touch it?
No, it won’t give you a shock
E: How can it give you a shock? There aren’t any wires
Go ahead. Touch it
C: Why don’t you?
What? And get a concussion?
E: How can you get a concussion? There aren’t any wires
Then you do it
C: I’ll do it
This is my land. It is mine. It is beautiful, and it is mine
E: Get your foot off my property, Carter.
And mine, too, Carter
C: You know, I think Henning made an error
In what way?
C: Look at it. See? Doesn’t mine look smaller?
It’s the shape, that’s all. Yours has a different shape
C: Why don’t we reset the boundaries so that our properties will be the same shape as well as the same size?
Why should we do that?
C: So that there won’t be any doubt about it
There’s no doubt in my mind
C: Well, there is in mine. I think Henning made a mistake
Look, Carter. I’m perfectly satisfied with my borders as they are. I don’t want them moved. Is that clear?
C: They’re my borders, too
Then move them into your own territory, not into ours
E: You’re getting upset over nothing, Carter. Now, calm down
This is my land. It is mine. It is beautiful, and it is mine
C: If my territory is so important to you, go on, take it
I don’t want it
C: What are you doing, Baker?
I’m inspecting my country, of course. What do you think I’m doing?
C: Well, don’t get too close to mine while you’re doing it
Stay off my border
E: You have just as much room as we do
Stay on your own property
E: I wouldn’t try it if I were you, Carter. This is my land. MINE! And you stay off it!
You know, I just realized something. My boundaries are much more strategically placed than yours
E: What do you mean “more strategically placed”? They’re the same as ours
They are not. I have the door
C: You don’t have the door. The door belongs to all of us
It does not. It’s on my property
E: It is not on your property, Baker. It signifies the boundary of your property. Carter’s right. If it belongs to anyone, it belongs to all of us
So you say. But if you had the property, I bet you’d claim the door was yours
E: Don’t be silly, Baker. Of what possible use would a door be to me?
This is my land. It is mine. It is beautiful, and it is mine
C: Well, I have the chair
So what?
C: You don’t have one
Why should I want one?
C: I can sit down on it
Well, we can sit down on the floor
E: Will you shut up. I don’t want your chair. I don’t need it. I’ve got something better
What? What do you have?
C: What is it, then?
Yes, Edson, what is it?
E: My area is larger than yours
It is not. You heard Henning. The room is equally divided. This is my land. It is mine. It is beautiful, and it is mine
E: That is not all. My area is larger. I measured it
How could you measure it? You don’t have a measuring tape
E: I did so
Maybe you did, Edson. But you didn’t pace our area off
E: So?
So if you didn’t pace our area off, how do you know that your area is larger?
E: He did, too
Then why didn’t we hear him?
E: Because he whispered it to me
You’re lying, Edson
E: Why would I lie? What purpose would I have in lying?
Do you think he’s lying, Carter?
E: How should I know?
I’ll tell you why. Because it didn’t happen, that’s why. You invented it
E: If you wish to believe that, you may
How noble of you
C: Well I still have the best territory
You have not
C: The chair, remember?
He’s right, Edson. I forgot about the chair
E: The chair. Don’t you see that it’s to our advantage that he has the chair?
How?
E: With that chair in the middle of his property, he ends up with less room than us
Less… yes, that’s right!
E: Yes, but no matter where you move it, it still takes up space
Carter has less room than uuuus. Carter has less… This is my land. It is mine. It is beautiful, and it is mine
C: I have two levels, and you only have one
But it takes up space
C: No, it provides more space
How?
C: It is, too. Yours is flat and unimaginative. I have mountains
Mountains. Ha, ha, ha. Mountains!
E: Oh come now, Carter. Aren’t you going a little too far? I mean, mountains! Ha, ha, ha
And besides, my ocean is much more attractive than your mountains
E: Ocean? Where is your ocean?
Right there
E: How can that possibly be an ocean?
If I want it to be an ocean, it’ll be an ocean
C: You can’t just make an ocean, you know
Why not?
C: Well, you just can’t, that’s all. It’s not fair
Well if you can have mountains, I don’t see why I can’t have an ocean
E: It’s because you don’t have anything to make an ocean from, that’s why
If a chair can be mountains, why can’t the floor be an ocean?
C: Then where is the land, Baker?
What?
E: Yes, Baker, where is the land?
It’s not fair for Carter to have a chair
C: You should have thought of that before
How were we supposed to know how important it would be?
C: You stay away from my border
This is my land. It is mine. It is beautiful, and it is mine. It’s not fair, is it Edson?
C: This makes me God
It does not make you God
C: Well, it makes me a king, then
It does not
C: It does too
How does it?
C: It makes me a king because I’m master over all I survey
Big deal. I am too
C: No, you can’t. I can see clearer and further. I can see outside the room, even
You can not, Carter. There are no windows
C: The wall is transparent higher up. Why, I can see for miles
Do you think he really can, Edson?
E: Of course not. He’s just making it up
But what if he isn’t?
E: He is, I tell you
It isn’t fair that he should have the chair all to himself. It just isn’t fair
C: You’re talking about me, aren’t you?
What if we are? If we want to talk about you, we will
C: All right. I won’t look out of the room, if you won’t talk about me
Agreed
This is my land. It is mine. It is beautiful, and it is mine
Could you really see for miles, Carter?
E: Of course he couldn’t
How do you know, though? Maybe he really could
C: You said you wouldn’t talk about me
I’m sorry, Carter. I won’t do it again
C: It’s not a chair. It’s mountains
Well, then, you should share your mountains
C: Don’t be silly. How can you share them? You can’t move mountains
We could come to them
C: I will not. Why should I?
Because with the chair, you’ve got more than we have
C: Of course I have. I’ve been telling you that
But it’s not fair
C: You leave my chair alone. It’s mine! Mine!
Well, I still have the door. And you can’t get out of here unless you come onto my property
C: What good is the door? You can’t open it from the inside
But I’ve got it. And that’s as good as a chair
C: You stay away from my border, do you understand? Stay away!
This is my land. It is mine. It is beautiful, and it is mine
E: I know what you were going to do with that chair. You were going to use it to invade us. Go on, admit it. Well, I beat you to it
And I claim this piece for the same reason
C: You get off. That’s my property
Edson was right. You were planning to attack us. You weren’t satisfied with your own territory. You wanted ours, too
E: You stay out of my land, do you hear?
You see? You see? Didn’t I say that’s what you were after all along?
C: That’s my chair!
Was your chair. I claim it by right of conquest
E: It should be mine, Baker. After all, you have the door
I’ll be fair about it. You can have the door
E: What good to me is a door on the other side of your property?
Yea, how about that?
C: I want it back, do you hear, Baker? It’s mine and I want it back
Well, you can’t have it. Now, I’m God!
E: I claim this territory in order to protect my borders from invasion
You get away from there
C: And I claim this territory for the same reason
Get off my land. Get off!
E: It’s my turn to have it
No, it’s mine! I won it! It’s mine!
C: That’s my chair!
I won it!
E: It’s my turn now!
This is my land. It is mine. It is beautiful, and it is mine
H: The game’s over. It’s over. Now, stop it!
This land belongs to Baker. You’re not Baker. I’m Baker!
H: I’m Henning. Remember?
Get off!
C: This land belongs to Carter. You’re not Carter. I’m Carter. Get off!
Get off my property. Get off, it’s mine!
H: It’s just a game, Baker. Just a game
This is my land. It is mine. It is beautiful, and it is mine
E: Get off! It’s my land!
Get off! It’s my land! This is my land. It is mine. It is beautiful, and it is mine
H: No, please! It’s just a game… just a game!
This is MY land. It is MINE. It is BEAUTIFUL, and it is MINE!
