The Corn Is Green Page #2

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You mean you've given up hope?

Oh, what a horrid expression.

I don't recall that I ever had any hope.

How very odd.

What's that singing?

Men, boys, coming from the mine.

They burst into song at the slightest

provocation. You mustn't take any notice.

On the contrary, I expect

to take the keenest possible notice.

How many families live around here?

- Families?

- I mean, within a radius of five miles.

Well, there's the squire, of course.

- Mrs. Rempryce in the castle out at...

- No, no, I mean ordinary families.

- The villagers?

- Yes, how many families?

- Really haven't the faintest idea.

- About 20 families in the village.

And 15 in the farms around.

- Many children?

- What age?

Up to 16 or 17.

Here, they are only children

until they are 12...

...then they're sent into the mine.

And after one week, they are old men.

And all for a few pennies.

- What did he say?

- Never mind.

How many can read or write?

- Next to none.

- Why do you ask?

Because she is going to start a school.

Perceptive of you, Mr. Jones.

For the ordinary children, you mean?

Yes, my dear, for the ordinary children...

...who came into the world

by the same process exactly as you and I.

A school for them? What for?

To teach them to read, teach them to write.

The old, the young...

But who will teach them?

- Me.

- You?

- And you.

- Oh, no.

And you.

My goodness, miss, I don't care

if you're not church or chapel, I'm with you.

Well, I couldn't teach those children,

they smell.

If we'd never been taught

to wash, so would we.

We'll put them under the pump. Well?

Well, I can do addition and subtraction.

- But I cannot do multiplication.

- We'll work on it.

The best thing about teaching

is you're learning all the time, you'll see.

Here we are,

three stolid, middle-aged folk...

...and there are those infant creatures

hardly out of their shells...

...when they're pushed back

under the ground.

Under the ground physically, and what

is worse, under the ground mentally.

Why? Because they were silly enough

to be born penniless.

They'll never have a chance unless...

We have the blessed opportunity to raise up

the children from the bowels of the earth...

...where the devil hath imprisoned them

in powers of darkness...

...bringing them to the light

of knowledge.

Well, that's one way

of putting it, Mr. Jones.

Now, the letter about the barn.

Come on. We'll have some tea.

We have to compose a letter...

...that will make Sir Herbert Vesey

want to give us the barn.

Our tea, Watty!

Just one room.

All I need is one big schoolroom.

A floor, a stove, a few windows...

...like this, as simple as can be. No frills.

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