[Music] the following audio recording is for entertainment purposes only no copyright infringement is intended mice and men by John Steinbeck chapter one a few miles south of Soledad the Salinas River drops in close to the hillside bank and runs deep and green the water is warm to four it has slipped twinkling over the yellow sands in the sunlight before reaching in a narrow pool on one side of the river the golden foot hill slopes curve up to the strong and Rockies cattle and mountains but on the valley side the water is lined with trees willows fresh and green with every spring carrying in their lower leaf junctures the debris of the winters flooding and sycamores was modeled white with humbleth limbs and branches that arch over the pool on the sandy bank under the trees the leaves live deep and so crisp but their lizard makes a great skittering if he runs among them rabbits come out of the brush to sit on the sand in the evening and the damp flats are covered with the night tracks of Coons and with the spread pads of dogs from the ranches and with the split wedged tracks of deer that come to drink in the dark there was a path through the Willows and among the Sycamores a path beaten hard by boys coming down from the ranches to swim into these pools and beaten hard by tramps who come wearily down from the highway in the evening to jungle up near water in front of the low horizontal limb of a giant sycamore there is an ash pile made by many fires the limb is worn smooth by men who have sat on it evening of a hot day started a little wind too moving among the leaves the shade climbed up the hills toward the top on the sand banks the rabbit sat as quietly as little gray sculptured stone and then from the direction of the state highway came the sound of footsteps on crisp Sycamore leaves the rabbit hurried noiselessly fur-covered a stilted heron labored up into the air and pounded down river for a moment the place was lifeless and then two men emerged from the path and came into the opening by the green pool they had walked in single file down the path and even in the open one stayed behind the other both were dressed in denim trousers and in denim coats with brass buttons both wore black shapeless hats and both carried tight blanket rolls slung over their sole the first man was small and quick darker faced with restless eyes and sharp strong features every part of him was defined small strong hands slender arms a thin and bony nose behind him small colossal a huge man shapeless a face with large pale eyes and wide sloping shoulders and he walked heavily dragging his feet a little the way a bear drags his paws his arms did not swing at his sides but hung loosely the first man stopped short in the clearing and the follower nearly ran over him he took off his hat and wiped a sweatband with his forefinger and snaps the moisture off his huge companion dropped his blankets and flung himself down and drank from the surface of the green pool drank with long gulps snorting into the water like a horse the small man stepped nervously deciding leading he said sharply Lenny for God's sakes don't drink so much Lennon continued to snort into the pool the small man leaned over and shook him by the shoulder Lenny you're going to be sick like he was last night Lenny dipped his whole head under hat and home and then he sat up on the bank and his hat dripped down on his blue coat and ran down his back Seth good he said you drink some George you take a good big drink he smiled happily George unslung his bindle and dropped it gently on the bank I ain't sure it's good water he said looks kind of scummy Lenny dabbled his big call in the water and wiggled his fingers so the water arose in little splashes rings widened across the pool to the other side and came back again Lenny watched them go look George look what I'd done George knelt beside the pool and drank from his hand with quick scoops days all right he admitted don't really seem to be running though you never ought to drink water when are they running Lenny he said hopelessly you drink out of a gutter if he was thirsty he threw a scoop of water into his face and rubbed it about with his hand under his chin and around the back of his neck then he replaced his hat pushed himself back from the river drew up his knees and embraced them Lenny who had been watching imitated George exactly he pushed himself back drop his knees embraced them looked over to George to see whether he had it just right he pulled his hat down a little moral to his honors the way George's hat was George stared morosely at the water the rims of his eyes were red with sun glare he said angrily we could just as well a road clear to the ranch at that bastard bus driver knew what he was talking about just a little stretch down the highway she says just a little stretch goddamn near for miles that's what it was didn't want to stop at the ranch gate that's what too goddamn lazy to pull up wonder he is too damn good to stop and solar that at all kicks us out and says just a little stretch down the road I bet it was more than four miles damn hot date Lenny looks timidly over to him George yeah what you want where we go when George the little man jerks down the brim of his hat and scowled over at Lenny so you forgot that already did you I got to tell you again do I Jesus Christ you're a crazy bastard up for God Lenny said softly I tried not to forget honest to God I did George okay okay I'll tell you again ain't got nothing to do might just as well spend all my time telling you things and then you forget them and I tell you again tries and tries said Lenny but it didn't do no good I remember about the rabbit stores the hell with the rabbits that's all you ever can remember is em rabbit okay now you listen and this time you've got to remember so we don't get no trouble you remember setting that gutter on Howard Street and watching that slack board Lenny's face broke into a delighted smile why sure George I remember that but what we do then I remember some girls come by and you said you says the hell with what I said you remember about us going into Murray and Ready's and then give us work cars and bus tickets oh sure George I remember that now his hands went quickly into his side coat pockets he said gently George I he got mine I must have lost it he looks down at the ground in despair you never had none you crazy bastard I got both of them here they cut lets you carry your own work card Lennie grinned with relief I I thought I put it in my side pocket his hand went into the pocket again George looked sharply at him would you take out of that pocket ain't a thing in my pocket when he said cleverly I know their things - got it in your hand what you got in your hand hide me ain't got nothing George honest come on give it air Lennie held his clothes hand away from George's direction it's only a mouth George a mouse a live mouse oh just a dead mouse George I didn't kill it honest I found it I found it dead give it here said George Oh leave me have it George give it here Lennie's closed hands slowly old age George took the mouse and threw it across the pool to the other side among the brush what you want of a dead mouse anyways I could pet it with my thumb while we walked along said Lenny well you ain't petting no mice while you walk with me you remember where we're going now Lenny look startled and then an embarrassment hit his face against his knees now forgot again Jesus Christ George said resignedly well look we're gonna work on a range like the one that comes from up north up north in weed oh sure I remember in weed that ranch were going to is right down there about a quarter mile we're going to go in and see the box now look I'll give him the work tickets but you ain't going to say a word you just stand there and don't say nothing it finds out what a crazy bastard you are we won't get no job but if you cease your work before he hears you talk we're set you got that sure George sure I got it okay now when we go in to see the boss what you're going to do I Lennie thought his face grew tight for thought I ain't going to say nothing just gonna stand there good boy that's swell you say that over to three times so you sure won't forget it Lennie drone to itself softly ain't going to say nothing I ain't going to say nothing I ain't going to say nothing okay said George and you ain't gonna do no bad things like he's done in weed neither Lennie looked puzzled like I've done in weed oh so you forgot that too did you well I ain't going to remind you here you do it again a light of understanding broke on Lenny's face but they run us out of weed he exploded triumphantly run us out Hale said George disgustedly we run they was looking for us but they didn't catch us Lennie giggled happily I didn't forget that to bed George lay back on the sand and crossed his hands under his head and Lennie imitated and raising his head to see whether he was doing it right god you're a lot of trouble said George I could get along so easy and so nice if I didn't have you on my tail I could live so easy and maybe have a girl for a moment Leni lay quiet and then he said hopefully we go to work on a ranch George oh right you got that but we're going to sleep here tonight because I got a reason today was going fast now only the tops of the gabilan Mountains exclaimed with the light of the Sun that had gone from the valley a water snake slipped along on the pool its head held up like a little periscope the reeds jerked slightly in the current far off toward the highway a man shouted something and another man shouted back the sycamore limbs wrestled under a little winds that died immediately George why we going on to the rain can get some supper they got supper at the ranch George rolled on his side no reason at all for you I like it here tomorrow we're going to go to work I've seen threshing machines on the way down that means we'll be bucking grain bags and busting a gut tonight I'm going to lay right here and look up I like it when he got up on his knees and look down at George we're going to have no supper sure we are if you gather up some dead willow sticks I got three cans of beans in my bindle you get a fire ready I'll give you a match when you get the sticks together then we'll heat the beans and have something Lenny said I like beans with ketchup well we ain't got no ketchup you go get wood and don't to fool around it'll be dark before long Lenny lumber to his feet and disappeared in the brush George lay where he was and whistled softly to himself there were sounds of splashing down the river in the direction Lenny had taken George stopped whistling and listened poor bastard he said softly and then went on whistling again in a moment Lenny came crashing back through the brush he carried one small willow stick in his hand George sat up all right he said rusty give me that mouse but Lenny made an elaborate pantomime of innocence what mouth George I got no mouse George held out his hand come on give it to me you ain't putting nothing over Lennie hesitated backed away looked wildly at the brush - oh he contemplated running for his freedom George said coldly you're gonna give me that Mouse or do I have to sock you give you what George you know goddamn well what I want that Mouse Lennie reluctantly reached into his pocket his voice broke a little I don't know why I can't keep it it ain't nobody's Mouse I didn't steal it I found it lying right beside the road George's hand remained outstretched imperiously slowly like a terrier who doesn't want to bring a ball to his master then he approached screw back approached again George snapped his fingers sharply and at the sound when he laid the mouse in his hand I wasn't doing nothing bad with the George just stroking it George stood up and threw the mouse as far as he could into the darkening brush and then he stepped to the pool and washed his hand you crazy fool don't you think I could see your feet was wet where you went across the river to get it he heard Lenny's whimper and cry and wheeled about blubbering like a baby Jesus Christ a big guy like Keith Lenny lip quivered and tears started in his eyes Lenny George put his hand on Lenny shoulder ain't taking it away just for meanness that mouth ain't fresh Lenny and besides you broke it picnic you get another Mouse that's fresh I'll let you keep it a little while Lenny sat down on the ground the pumpkin said rejected me I don't know where there is no other mouth I remember a lady used to give them to me everyone she got that lady ain't here George scoff lady huh don't even remember who that lady was that was her own Aunt Clara and she stopped giving them to you you always kill them let me look sadly up at him they were so little he said apologetically I'd pet him and pretty soon they bit my fingers and I pinched their heads a little and then they was dead because they were so little I wished we'd get the rabbits pretty soon too George laying so little the hell with the rabbit and you ain't to be trusted with no live mice your Aunt Clara give you a rubber Mouse and you wouldn't have nothin to do with it it wasn't snow goods two pairs said Lennie the flame of the sunset lifted from the mountaintops and dusk came into the valley and a half darkness came in among the Willows on the Sycamores the big carp rose to the surface of the pool gulped air and then st. mysteriously into the dark water again leaving widening rings on the water overhead the leaves wisp again and little puffs of willow cotton blew down and landed on the pool surface you're going to get that would George demanded there's plenty right up against the back of that sycamore floodwater would now you get it Lennie went behind the tree and brought out a litter of dried leaves and twigs he threw them in a heap on the old ash pile and went back for more and more it was almost nice now a doves wings whistled over the water George walked to the fire pile and lighted the dry leaves the plain cracked up among the twigs and fell to work George M did his bindle and brought out three cans of beans he stood them about the fire slow sinned against the blaze but not quite touching the flame there's enough beans here for four men George said Lennie watched him from over the fire he said patiently I like them with ketchup well we ain't God Annie George exploded whatever we ain't got that's what you want God Almighty if I was alone I could live so easy I could go get a job and work and no troubles no mess at all and when the end of the month come I could take my 50 bucks and go into town and get whatever I want why I could stay in a cathouse all night I could eat any place I want hotel or any place an order any damn thing I could think of and I could do all that every damn must get a gallon of whiskey or set to pool room and play cards or shoot pool Lenny Nelson looked over the fire at the angry George and Lenny's face was drawn with terror and what do I got George went on furiously I've got yous you can't keep a job and you lose me every job I guess just keep me shoving all over the country all the time and that ain't the worst you get in trouble do you do bad things and I got to get you out his voice rose nearly to a shout you crazy son of a you keep me in hot water all the time he took on the elaborate manner of little girls when they are mimicking one another just wanted to feel that girl's dress just wanted to pet it like it was a mouse well how the hell did she know you just wanted to feel her dress she drugs back and you hold on like it was a mess she yells and we've got to hide an irrigation ditch all days with guys looking for us and we got to sneak out in the dark and get out of the country all the time something like that all the time I wished I could put you in a cage with about a million mice and let you have fun his anger less concessions he looked across the fire at Lenny's anguish two-faced and then he looked ashamed Lee at the flames it was quite dark now but the fire lighted the trunks of the trees and the curving branches overhead many crawled slowly and cautiously around the fire until he was close to George he sat back on his heels George turned the bean cans so that another side faced the fire he pretended to be unaware of Lennie so close beside him toward very softly no answer towards what do you want I was only foolin George I don't want no ketchup I wouldn't need no ketchup the fifth was right here beside me if it was here you could have some but I wouldn't eat none and George I'd leave it all for Hugh you could cover your beings with it and I wouldn't touch none of it George still stared mostly at the fire systems when I think of a swell time I could have without you I go nuts I never get no peace let me still melt he looked off into the darkness across the rivers stores you won't I should go away and leave your own where the hell could you go well I could I could go off in the hills there someplace I'd find a cave yeah how would you eat you ain't got sense enough to find nothing eat not find things George I don't be no nice food with ketchup I'd lay out in the Sun and nobody'd hurt me and if I found a mouse I could keep it nobody take it away from me George looked quickly and searchingly at him I've been me and a nice if you don't want me I can go up in the hills and find a cave I can go away any time no look I was just fooling Lennie because I want you to stay with me trouble with mice is you always kill him he paused tell you what I'll do Lenny first chance I get don't give you a pup maybe you wouldn't kill it that'd be better than mice and you could pet it harder Lenny avoided the bait he had sense disadvantage if you don't want me you only just got to say so and I'll go off in those hills right there right up in those hills that live by myself and I won't get no my stole from me George said I want you to stay with me Lenny Jesus Christ somebody shoot you for a coyote if he was by yourself no you stay with me your Aunt Clara wouldn't like you running off by yourself even if she is dead Lenny spoke crackling tell me like you done before tell you what about the rabbits George snap you ain't going to put nothing over on me Lenny pleaded come on George tell me please George like you've done before you get a kick out of that don't you alright I'll tell you then we'll eat our supper George's voice became deeper he repeated his words rhythmically as though he had said them many times before guys like us and working on ranches are the loneliest guys in the world they got no family they don't belong no place they come to a ranch and work up a stake and then they go into town and blow their steak and the first thing you know they're pounding their tail on some other ranch they ain't got nothing to look ahead to Lenny was delighted that's it that's it now tell how it is with us George went on with us it ain't like that we got a future we got somebody to talk to that gives a damn about us we don't have to sit in no bar room blowing in our Jack just because we got no place else to go them other guys gets in jail they can rot for all anybody gives a damn but not us Lenny broke in but not us and why because because I got you to look after me and you got me to look after you and that's why he laughed delightedly go on now George you got it by heart you can do it yourself know you I forget some of the things tell how it's going to be okay someday we're going to get the jack together we're going to have a little house and a couple of acres and a cow and some pigs and and live off the fat of the land let me shout it and have rackets gold George tell about what we're going to have in the garden and about the rabbits and the cages and about the rain in the winter and the stove and how thick the cream is on the milk like you can hardly cut it tell about that George why don't you do it yourself you know I love it no you tell it it ain't the same if I tell it go home George how I get to tend the rabbits well said George we'll have a big vegetable patch and a rabbit hutch and chickens and when it rains in the winter we'll just say the hell look going to work and we'll build up a fire in the stove and set around it and listen to the rain coming down on the roof nuts he took out his pocket knife ain't got time for no more he drove the knife through the top of one of the bean cans salt out the top and passed the candle any then he opened a second can from his side pocket he brought out two spoons and passed one of them to Lennie they sat by the fire until their mouths with beans and huge Madeleine's if you being slipped out of the side of Lenny's mouth George gestured with a spoon what you're going to say tomorrow when the boss asks key questions let me stop chewing and swallowed his face was concentrated I ain't gonna say a word good boy that's fine Lenny maybe you're getting better let me get the couple of acres I can let you tend the rabbits all right especially if you remember as good as that Lenny choked with pride I can remember he said George motion with this spoon again look Lenny I want you to look around here you can remember this place can't you the ranch is about a quarter mile up that place just follow the river sure said Lenny I can remember this didn't I remember about not going to say a word of course you did well look Lenny if you just happen to get in trouble like you always done before I want you to come right here and hide in the brush hide in the brush said Lenny slowly hide in the brush till I come for you can you remember that sure I can George hide in the brush till you cook but you ain't going to get in no trouble because if you do I won't let you tend the rabbits see through his empty can off into the brushes now I won't get in no trouble George I ain't going to say a word now okay bring your Bendel over here by the fire it's going to be nice sleeping here looking up and the leaves don't build up no more fire will let her die down they made their beds on the sand and as the blaze dropped from the fire the sphere of light grew smaller the curling branches disappeared and only a faint glimmer showed where the tree trunks were from the darkness Lenny called out George you sleep no what do you want that's half different color rabbits George sure we will George said sleepily red and blue and green rabbits Lennie millions of them furry ones George like I've seen in the fair and Sacramento sure very ones because I could just as well go away George and live in a cave you can just as well go to hell said George shut up now the red light dimmed on the coals up the hill from the river a coyote hammered and a dog answered from the other side of the stream the Sycamore leaves whispered in a little night breathe [Music] [Music]