Manderlay Page #2

That's exactly

what you said last time.

Last time?

Remember when you were six?

You thought it was so sad

that your beloved Tweety

was all shut up in a cage,

and nobody could persuade you

not to let him out.

Tweety was a proud little bird.

Well, his dignified exit

didn't do Tweety a hell of a lot of good.

We found him the next morning

underneath your window,

- frozen to death.

- I know!

He'd been bred as an indoor bird.

He really didn't have a chance.

And what do you think

those Negroes in there are?

How many generations do you think

those families made their homes

behind that fence?

I bet you most of them

have taken up employment

in their former jobs

with the family, contracts and all.

Of course, now they'll get

a few dollars for their efforts,

but they'll soon drink that up,

and maybe they'll borrow a bit more

from their employers,

who have, no doubt,

opened a little store

full of colorful wares just for them.

And of course, they'll never

be able to pay back the money,

and they'll be trapped yet again.

What you did was all very noble,

my girl, but...

...when push comes to shove,

you've just made everything far worse,

just as you did with Tweety.

So all we can do...

...is hope there's no frost.

What you said about

contracts and loans...

- that's fraud.

- Fraud.

See, I've read...

...that...

- Yes?

...freed slaves are given

a mule and a plot of land

so that they can

establish themselves.

Yep, that's true.

But when it came down to it,

the fella who owned the mule and the land

had rather keep it all

for himself,

so nothing really

ever happened with it.

Anyhow, it may take them a while

to gather the evidence

against the plantation for when

the family goes on trial.

Trial?

Tater-pie, there are times

when you seem even less with it

than your dear mother.

Oh, I seem to have

underestimated 'em.

We've at least one man

with a genuine thirst for freedom,

and he's gettin' out,

and he's in a hurry.

Yeah, he's hightailin' it, all right.

Yeah, that's Gramps.

- Pardon me.

- Not a lot of dignity there.

He's scared out of his wits.

Would it be possible

to have a word with the young lady?

Yes, yes.

Don't mean to inconvenience you.

That's exactly what you're doin'

You're not inconveniencing anyone.

This is a grave day

for everyone, I know that.

I just thought we must've seemed

a mite bit ungrateful.

We should like to thank you properly

for what you've done.

It'll only take a moment.

- Yes, of course.

- Ten minutes.

Then I'm gone.

Not a second longer.

Grace was conducted

through the wretched living quarters

bestowed upon the slaves

with their pitiful leaky cabins.

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