The Game by Albert Maltz

4.5

The action takes place in America.

In the doorway of the house, a poorer man and his young son are waiting for the arrival of a milkman's van to steal a bottle of milk for their sick daughter. They are talking about how they can steal this milk.

“Then I jump up on the van.. .” said the boy.

“You forgot something,” said the man.

“No, I did not forget anything. I know how to do it.”

“Think again.”

The boy did not answer anything. He was thinking. He was a little boy. His face was blue with cold. It was very early in the morning, and he wanted to sleep.

“Then I jump up on the van,” he said again.

“No, you forgot something. The milkman will catch you.”

“No, he will not catch me. I know how to play this game,” answered the boy.

The man looked at the boy, and thought, “My little monkey. You think that it is a game. It is so early in the morning, and it is so cold. And we must stand here, and wait for the milkman. We must steal a bottle of milk for your sister. Two years ago I had work. We had hot breakfast every morning, and dinner every night. And now?... Now we are hungry every day.”

“You say that you want to help your sister, and you forgot everything,” said the man.

The boy looked at his father and was ready to cry.

“Now you are crying!”

“I am not crying. I am not a girl,” said the boy.

“All right,” said the man, “I shall tell you. You forgot your bag.”

“I did not forget it, Father. It is in my pocket.”

And he showed a paper bag to his father.

“Now, tell me again what you will do when the milkman’s van comes here.”

“The milkman’s van will stop at the corner of the street. Then the milkman will go to that green house. I shall quickly run up to the van, take one bottle and put it into the bag.”

“What will you do then? Will you run?” asked the man quickly.

“No, I shall walk.”

“What will you do if the milkman sees you? Will you run then?”

“No, I shall walk. If the milkman catches me, I shall begin to cry. Then you will come, and tell the milkman that you know me, that my mother is very ill. You will ask the milkman to let me go,” said the boy.

The man looked at the boy again. Now the man was ready to cry. “My boy, my little boy,” thought he, “I must teach you how to steal.”

“Are you hungry?” he asked the boy.

“Yes, I am hungry.”

I am hungry too,” he said. “Let us pretend that we had a good breakfast this morning. The boy laughed.

“I shall pretend that I ate much meat and bread and two eggs this morning.”

The man laughed too.

Suddenly they saw the milkman’s van. The van stopped at the corner.

“Now you go,” said the man.

The boy walked slowly down the street. The milkman went into the green house. Then the boy quickly ran up to the van, took a bottle of milk, put it into the paper bag and walked away.

He waited for his father around the corner.

“I got it, Father. I got the milk,” said the boy.

His father did not answer anything.

“I can take two bottles tomorrow.”

“No,” said his father.

“I can take two bottles tomorrow. Nobody will catch me.”

“No,” said the man, “It is stealing, it is stealing. It is bad to steal.”

“I know, Father,” said the boy, “but let us go. I am cold.” They walked on.

“Are your feet wet?” asked the father.

“Yes, they are.”

“I shall find some work soon. And I shall buy you new shoes.”

The man suddenly stopped.

“You know that it is bad to steal,” said he, “you know that we took this milk because your sister is ill.”

“I know it.”

“I never stole in my life,” the man said. “I worked all my life. I am a good worker. You can ask your mother.”

“I know, Father, I know!” cried the boy. “I know that we took that milk because my sister is ill. I shall never steal. I shall grow up strong like you are. I shall be a good worker like you are.”

The man did not say anything.

And what could he say?