Lesson-6

On the Face of it

By Susan Hill

On the Face of it Introduction

Derry, a teenage boy with a burnt face, and Mr. Lamb, a disabled old man with a tin artificial leg, are the main characters in the storey. Derry accidentally enters his garden in order to hide from people who hate him because of his unattractive appearance. Mr. Lamb not only welcomes him to his garden, but also encourages him to live a normal life and leave his past behind.

On the Face of it Summary

The plot begins with a teenage boy walking into a garden. His face has been burned on one side as a result of an accident in which acid fell on half of his face. He went there to hide because he is afraid of people. He is afraid of being teased by others because he has such a face. However, when he enters, he discovers that someone has already arrived. He tries to leave, but is stopped by the garden's owner, an elderly gentleman named Mr. Lamb. Derry feels bad about walking into the garden without permission. Mr. Lamb greets him and tells him not to leave just because he is there.

Derry wants to leave because he believes people dislike his face and are afraid of him. Mr. Lamb, on the other hand, insists on his presence. They start talking about how Derry is disliked by everyone and how he hates people who treat him this way. Mr. Lamb makes an attempt to console him. He tells him that he has a tin leg and that kids tease him about it. Nonetheless, he is not depressed and is happy with his life. They both talk about various topics, which leads to the revelation of Derry's fear, depression, and hatred for his current situation. Mr. Lamb, on the other hand, keeps telling him to focus on the positive. They quickly become friends, and Mr. Lamb asks him to assist him in plucking crab apples from his garden. Derry tells him that he has travelled too far from his home and has not told his mother about this. Mr. Lamb tells him to seek approval from his mother. Derry finds it difficult, which leads to a minor quarrel between them. Finally, Derry tells him that he will return after obtaining his mother's permission. His mother does not want him to return, but he returns to fulfil his promise.

Meanwhile, Mr. Lamb climbs the ladder by himself to pluck the crab apples because he is certain Derry will not return. He was disabled, and climbing was difficult for him. Mr. Lamb dies after falling from his ladder. Derry, on the other hand, goes back to the garden to assist him. When he walks into the garden, he notices Mr. Lamb lying on the ground. Derry tries everything he can to get him to move, but he doesn't respond. Finally, he realises he is dead and begins to cry.

On the Face of it Lesson Explanation

Scene One

Mr. Lamb’s garden [There is the occasional sound of birdsong and of tree leaves rustling. Derry’s footsteps are heard as he walks slowly and tentatively through the long grass. He pauses, then walks on again. He comes round a screen of bushes so that when Mr. Lamb speaks to him he is close at hand and Derry is startled]

  • Occasional: sometimes
  • Rustling: whisper, low sound
  • Tentatively: hesitantly, without confidence
  • Startled: feeling a sudden shock

The setting of Scene 1 is described by the narrator. Mr. Lamb's garden is the location. Birds singing and the low sound of tree leaves can be heard on occasion. Derry, a young boy, enters the garden with hesitancy. When he comes up from the bushes, he is surprised to hear Mr. Lamb talking to him.

MR LAMB: Mind the apples!
DERRY: What? Who’s that? Who’s there?
MR LAMB: Lamb’s my name. Mind the apples. Crab apples those are. Windfalls in the long grass. You could trip.
DERRY: I….there….I thought this was an empty place. I didn’t know there was anybody here….
MR LAMB: That’s all right. I’m here. What are you afraid of, boy? That’s all right.
DERRY: I thought it was empty….an empty house.
MR LAMB: So it is. Since I’m out here in the garden. It is empty. Until I go back inside. In the meantime, I’m out here and likely to stop. A day like this. Beautiful day. Not a day to be indoors.
DERRY: [Panic] I’ve got to go.

  • Crab apples: a small sour apple
  • Windfalls: unexpected gain, jackpot

Mr. Lamb warns him about the crab apples that fall from the tree above and land in the long grass. Derry was shocked when he heard a voice. He inquired as to who it was. Mr. Lamb introduced himself and mentioned that small, sour apples known as crab apples had fallen to the ground. Derry could trip over them and get hurt if he isn't careful while walking through the grass. Derry stated that he was unaware that someone was in the garden. He considered it to be empty, as did the house itself. Mr. Lamb tried to comfort him by telling him that the house was empty because he was in the garden. He also asked that he not be afraid. Derry wanted to get out of there.

MR LAMB: Not on my account. I don’t mind who comes into the garden. The gate’s always open. Only you climbed the garden wall.
DERRY: [Angry] You were watching me.
MR LAMB: I saw you. But the gate’s open. All welcome. You’re welcome. I sit here. I like sitting.
DERRY: I’d not come to steal anything.
MR LAMB: No, no. The young lads steal….scrump the apples. You’re not so young.
DERRY: I just….wanted to come in. Into the garden.
MR LAMB: So you did. Here we are, then.
DERRY: You don’t know who I am.
MR LAMB: A boy. Thirteen or so.
DERRY: Fourteen. [Pause] But I’ve got to go now. Good-bye.
MR LAMB: Nothing to be afraid of. Just a garden. Just me.
DERRY: But I’m not….I’m not afraid. [Pause] People are afraid of me.
MR LAMB: Why should that be?
DERRY: Everyone is. It doesn’t matter who they are, or what they say, or how they look. How they pretend. I know. I can see.
MR LAMB: See what?
DERRY: What they think.
MR LAMB: What do they think, then?
DERRY: You think…. ‘Here’s a boy.’ You look at me…and then you see my face and you think. ‘That’s bad. That’s a terrible thing. That’s the ugliest thing I ever saw.’ You think, ‘Poor boy.’ But I’m not. Not poor. Underneath, you are afraid. Anybody would be. I am. When I look in the mirror, and see it, I’m afraid of me.

  • Scrump: steal from garden
  • Pretend: to behave as if something is true when you know that it is not
  • Underneath: directly below

Mr. Lamb tried to stop him, saying that there was no reason for him to leave the garden. He also told him that he kept the gate open for people and that Derry was the only one who jumped the wall. Derry became angered after being pointed at in this manner. He also stated that he had not come to steal anything from there. Mr. Lamb agreed, saying that apples were frequently stolen by young boys, and that Derry was not so young. Derry, on the other hand, wanted to leave. Mr. Lamb told him not to be afraid and asked him to stay for a while. Derry explained that he was not afraid of anyone, but rather that people were afraid of him. Lamb asked as to the reason for this. He told him that he knew what people were thinking and how they acted in front of him. Mr. Lamb confronted him with questions about what others thought of him. People were scared when they saw Derry's face, according to him. Some thought it was bad or ugly, while others felt sorry for him and said he was a poor boy. He went on to say that they were fake. Actually, they were all terrified of his face. When he looked in the mirror, he became terrified of his own face. He went on to say that while Mr Lamb will sympathise with him, he will also be scared of Derry.

MR LAMB: No, Not the whole of you. Not of you.
DERRY: Yes!
[Pause]
MR LAMB: Later on, when it’s a bit cooler, I’ll get the ladder and a stick, and pull down those crab apples.
They’re ripe for it. I make jelly. It’s a good time of year, September. Look at them….orange and golden. That’s magic fruit. I often say. But it’s best picked and made into jelly. You could give me a hand.
DERRY: What have you changed the subject for? People always do that. Why don’t you ask me? Why do you do what they all do and pretend it isn’t true and isn’t there? In case I see you looking and mind and get upset? I’ll tell….you don’t ask me because you’re afraid to.
MR LAMB: You want me to ask….say so, then.
DERRY: I don’t like being with people. Any people.
MR LAMB: I should say….to look at it…. I should say, you got burned in a fire.
DERRY: Not in a fire. I got acid all down that side of my face and it burned it all away. It ate my face up. It ate me up. And now it’s like this and it won’t ever be any different

Mr. Lamb stated that he is not scared of Derry. Derry was shocked when he heard that. Then Mr Lamb said he'd bring a ladder and a stick and pick fine and ripe crab apples because they made good jelly. He also told him that in September, they ripen and turn into a magical fruit with orange and golden colours. He also asked him to join him in this activity. Derry chastised him for changing the subject, as others had done. Mr. Lamb, he added, didn't ask him about his face because he was afraid to ask. Derry became irritated and stated that he disliked being in the company of others. Mr. Lamb predicted that his face had been burned in a fire. Derry told him that the acid had burned half of his face. He was so distressed (sad) that he kept repeating that acid had eaten his face and that it would never cure.

MR LAMB: No.
DERRY: Aren’t you interested?
MR LAMB: You’re a boy who came into the garden. Plenty do. I’m interested in anybody. Anything. There’s nothing God made that doesn’t interest me. Look over there….over beside the far wall. What can you see?
DERRY: Rubbish.
MR LAMB: Rubbish? Look, boy, look….what do you see?
DERRY: Just….grass and stuff. Weeds.
MR LAMB: Some call them weeds. If you like, then….a weed garden, that. There’s fruit and there are flowers, and trees and herbs. All sorts. But over there….weeds. I grow weeds there. Why is one green, growing plant called a weed and another ‘flower’? Where’s the difference. It’s all life…. growing. Same as you and me.
DERRY: We’re not the same.
MR LAMB: I’m old. You’re young. You’ve got a burned face, I’ve got a tin leg. Not important. You’re standing there…. I’m sitting here. Where’s the difference?
DERRY: Why have you got a tin leg?
MR LAMB: Real one got blown off, years back. Lamey-Lamb, some kids say. Haven’t you heard them? You will. Lamey-Lamb. It fits. Doesn’t trouble me.
DERRY: But you can put on trousers and cover it up and no one sees, they don’t have to notice and stare.
MR LAMB: Some do. Some don’t. They get tired of it, in the end. There’s plenty of other things to stare at.
DERRY: Like my face.
MR LAMB: Like crab apples or the weeds or a spider climbing up a silken ladder, or my tall sun-flowers.

  • Weed: unwanted plant
  • Stare: to look at

Mr. Lamb disagreed with him. Derry assumed he was uninterested in his story. Mr. Lamb responded that he was interested in all of God's creations. He pointed to a wall and asked what he saw beyond it. There were weeds or unwanted plants, according to Derry. Mr. Lamb explained that his garden contained a variety of plants. There were flowers, trees, and herbs – some plants were considered beneficial, while others were labelled as 'unwanted plants' (weed). It wasn't because they were all different colours; they were all green. It came down to whether they were considered herbs or weeds. In reality, they were all the same as Derry and himself. Derry was not agree with this. Mr. Lamb told him that there was no distinction. Mr. Lamb was old, and he was young. Mr. Lamb had a tin leg and a burned face. These things weren't that important, so they didn't make much of a difference. Derry asks as to the cause of his tin leg. He explained that it had been damaged in an explosion many years before. Kids made fun of him by calling him 'Lamey- lamb.' Derry stated that he could cover up the tin leg with his trousers. Mr. Lamb stated that it did not bother him because people would eventually tired of teasing him and start talking about something else. In response to Lamb's statement, Derry showed his face. Mr. Lamb speculated that crab apples, weeds, spiders, and tall sunflowers might be some of the other things that people would look at and discuss.

DERRY: Things.
MR LAMB: It’s all relative. Beauty and the beast.
DERRY: What’s that supposed to mean?
MR LAMB: You tell me.
DERRY: You needn’t think they haven’t all told me that fairy story before. ‘It’s not what you look like; it’s what you are inside. Handsome is as handsome does. Beauty loved the monstrous beast for himself and when she kissed him he changed into a handsome prince.’ Only he wouldn’t, he’d have stayed a monstrous beast. I won’t change.
MR LAMB: In that way? No, you won’t.
DERRY: And no one’ll kiss me, ever. Only my mother, and she kisses me on the other side of my face, and I don’t like my mother to kiss me, she does it because she has to. Why should I like that? I don’t care if nobody ever kisses me.
MR LAMB: Ah, but do you care if you never kiss them.
DERRY: What?
MR LAMB: Girls. Pretty girls. Long hair and large eyes. People you love.
DERRY: Who’d let me? Not one.
MR LAMB: Who can tell?

  • Monstrous: horrible

Derry remarked that the other things mentioned by Mr Lamb were things, i.e. non-living. Mr. Lamb responded that everything was interconnected. In the same way that beauty is related to the beast, a beautiful creation is related to ugliness. Derry was confused. Mr. Lamb asked about Derry's thoughts. Derry responded that he had often heard people say that beauty is not related to one's appearance, but rather that inner beauty is our true beauty. Even a handsome man who does something good is more attractive than one who looks good. He said that once upon a time, a beautiful girl loved a beast for who he was and kissed him, transforming the beast into a handsome prince. If she hadn't kissed him, he wouldn't have changed. But then he said he wouldn't change his mind. Mr. Lamb stated that Derry was correct. Derry said that no one would ever kiss him because of his face. His mother even kissed him on the right side of his face. This didn't settle well with him. He stated that he didn't mind if no one kissed him. Mr. Lamb asked if Derry had ever wanted to kiss someone. Derry asks as to what he was discussing. Mr. Lamb thought that Derry wanted to kiss pretty girls with long hair and large eyes, or other people Derry admired. No one, Derry replied, would ever allow him to do so. Mr. Lamb said that as "unpredictable."

DERRY: I won’t ever look different. When I’m as old as you, I’ll look the same. I’ll still only have half a face.

MR LAMB: So you will. But the world won’t. The world’s got a whole face, and the world’s there to be looked at.
DERRY: Do you think this is the world? This old garden?
MR LAMB: When I’m here. Not the only one. But the world, as much as anywhere.
DERRY: Does your leg hurt you?
MR LAMB: Tin doesn’t hurt, boy!
DERRY: When it came off, did it?
MR LAMB: Certainly.
DERRY: And now? I mean, where the tin stops, at the top?
MR LAMB: Now and then. In wet weather. It doesn’t signify.
DERRY: Oh, that’s something else they all say. ‘Look at all those people who are in pain and brave and never cry and never complain and don’t feel sorry for themselves.’
MR LAMB: I haven’t said it.
DERRY: And think of all those people worse off than you. Think, you might have been blinded, or born deaf, or have to live in a wheelchair or be daft in your head and dribble.
MR LAMB: And that’s all true, and you know it.

  • Signify: be a sign of
  • Daft: silly, foolish
  • Dribble: to fall slowly

Derry stated that he will never change his look. When he reaches the age of Mr. Lamb, he will also have only half a face. Mr. Lamb stated that, while he will always have half a face, the world is full of interesting things to look at. As a result, he must admire its beauty. Derry questioned him, saying that the garden was the centre of the world for him. Lamb stated that when he was present in the garden, it became his world. He then inquired as to whether his leg hurt. Lamb responded that tin didn't hurt and never pained. Derry asked if he was in pain after losing his leg. Lamb stated that it was painful at the time. He then asked if it hurt now that the artificial leg was stuck into the real one. Lamb stated that it hurt a little in wet weather, but it wasn't a big deal. Derry stated that he understood what he meant because he had heard that you should learn from those who are in pain and never cry or complain about their problems. Mr. Lamb stated that he did not say that. Derry went on to say that people told him to look at those who were in worse conditions than him. They told him that he might have gone blind, been born deaf, or be handicapped and would have to use a wheelchair for the rest of his life. He could have been born with a mental disorder. Mr. Lamb stated that it was true and that Derry knew a lot.

DERRY: It won’t make my face change. Do you know, one day, a woman went by me in the street — I was at a bus-stop — and she was with another woman, and she looked at me, and she said…. whispered….only I heard her…. she said, “Look at that, that’s a terrible thing. That’s a face only a mother could love.”
MR LAMB: So you believe everything you hear, then?
DERRY: It was cruel.
MR LAMB: Maybe not meant as such. Just something said between them.
DERRY: Only I heard it. I heard.
MR LAMB: And is that the only thing you ever heard anyone say, in your life?
DERRY: Oh no! I’ve heard a lot of things.
MR LAMB: So now you keep your ears shut.
DERRY: You’re….peculiar. You say peculiar things. You ask questions I don’t understand.
MR LAMB: I like to talk. Have company. You don’t have to answer questions. You don’t have to stop here at all. The gate’s open.
DERRY: Yes, but…
MR LAMB: I’ve a hive of bees behind those trees over there. Some hear bees and they say, bees buzz. But when you listen to bees for a long while, they humm….and hum means ‘sing’. I hear them singing, my bees.
DERRY: But….I like it here. I came in because I liked it….when I looked over the wall.
MR LAMB: If you’d seen me, you’d not have come in.
DERRY: No.
MR LAMB: No.

  • Whispered: To say something very slow
  • Peculiar: strange, unusual
  • Hive: dome-shaped structure in which bees live

All of this, according to Derry, would not change his face. A woman passed by him while he was waiting at a bus stop one day. He heard her telling another woman that he had such a terrible face that only his mother and no one else could love him. Mr. Lamb asked whether he believed what he had heard. Derry consistently stated that he heard it. Mr. Lamb asked if this was the only thing he had heard from someone. Derry responded that, no, he had heard many other things as well. Lamb advised him to close his ears, implying that he should disregard everything. Derry thought Lamb's words were strange and said he couldn't understand his questions. Mr. Lamb stated that he enjoyed talking and being in the company of others. He also told him there was no need to respond and that because the gates were open, he could leave whenever he wanted. Derry did not leave, and he appeared to be unsure of his decision. Mr. Lamb mentioned a beehive in one of the trees. The buzzing sound of the bees was considered a noise by others, but it was a song sung by the bees to him. Derry explained that he had liked the place from the outside and had entered the garden as a result. Mr. Lamb inquired whether he would have entered if he had seen Mr. Lamb, to which Derry replied in the negative.

DERRY: It’d have been trespassing.
MR LAMB: Ah. That’s not why.
DERRY: I don’t like being near people. When they stare….when I see them being afraid of me.
MR LAMB: You could lock yourself up in a room and never leave it. There was a man who did that. He was afraid, you see. Of everything. Everything in this world. A bus might run him over, or a man might breathe deadly germs onto him, or a donkey might kick him to death, or lightning might strike him down, or he might love a girl and the girl would leave him, and he might slip on a banana skin and fall and people who saw him would laugh their heads off. So he went into this room, and locked the door, and got into his bed, and stayed there.
DERRY: Forever?
MR LAMB: For a while.
DERRY: Then what?
MR LAMB: A picture fell off the wall on to his head and killed him.
[Derry laughs a lot]
MR LAMB: You see?
DERRY: But….you still say peculiar things.
MR LAMB: Peculiar to some.

  • Trespassing: enter without permission
  • Strike; hit

Derry stated that if he had entered his garden despite knowing he was there, he would have done so without his permission. Mr. Lamb stated that this was not the true reason. Derry stated that he disliked approaching people because they became afraid of him and stared at him. Mr. Lamb suggested that he lock himself in a room for the rest of his life. He then told a story about a man who locked himself in his room because he was afraid of everything. The man imagined that he would be engaged in a bus accident, that he would catch an infection from someone, that a donkey would kick him to death, that lightning would strike him or that he would die because the girl he loved would leave him, or that he would slip off a banana and people would laugh at him. He locked himself in his room to protect himself from any further incidents. Derry unexpectedly inquired of Mr. Lamb whether he had locked himself away indefinitely. No, he replied, he did so for a while. Derry inquired as to what happened next. Mr Lamb responded that a picture fell on his head and he died as a result. This made him laugh a lot, and he stated that Mr Lamb told strange stories. According to Mr. Lamb, they were strange for some people.

DERRY: What do you do all day?
MR LAMB: Sit in the sun. Read books. Ah, you thought it was an empty house, but inside, it’s full. Books and other things. Full.
DERRY: But there aren’t any curtains at the windows.
MR LAMB: I’m not fond of curtains. Shutting things out, shutting things in. I like the light and the darkness, and the windows open, to hear the wind.
DERRY: Yes. I like that. When it’s raining, I like to hear it on the roof.
MR LAMB: So you’re not lost, are you? Not altogether? You do hear things. You listen.
DERRY: They talk about me. Downstairs, When I’m not there. ‘What’ll he ever do? What’s going to happen to him when we’ve gone? However will he get on in this world? Looking like that? With that on his face?’ That’s what they say.
MR LAMB: Lord, boy, you’ve got two arms, two legs and eyes and ears, you’ve got a tongue and a brain. You’ll get on the way you want, like all the rest. And if you chose, and set your mind to it, you could get on better than all the rest.
DERRY: How?
MR LAMB: Same way as I do.

Deery asked as to what Mr Lamb did all day. He replied that he sat in the sun, reading a book. He said that the house was overflowing with books. Derry took a look around the house and noticed that there were no curtains on the windows. Mr Lamb responded that he disliked curtains. He liked the transparency of light, darkness, and wind. Derry added that he liked all of them, as well as the sound of rain falling on his house's roof. Mr Lamb observed that Derry was aware of what he was hearing. Derry stated that his family was concerned about what he would do in the future with a burned face. Derry, according to Mr Lamb, had everything – two arms, two legs, two eyes, two ears, and so on. He wanted Derry to realise how fortunate he was in comparison to many others. He went on to say that if Derry set his mind to it, he could accomplish a lot. Derry asked as to how this was possible, and Mr Lamb replied that it was the same as he did.

DERRY: Do you have any friends?
MR LAMB: Hundreds.
DERRY: But you live by yourself in that house. It’s a big house, too.
MR LAMB: Friends everywhere. People come in…. everybody knows me. The gate’s always open. They come and sit here. And in front of the fire in winter. Kids come for the apples and pears. And for toffee. I make toffee with honey. Anybody comes. So have you.
DERRY: But I’m not a friend.
MR LAMB: Certainly you are. So far as I’m concerned. What have you done to make me think you’re not?
DERRY: You don’t know me. You don’t know where I come from or even what my name is.
MR LAMB: Why should that signify? Do I have to write all your particulars down and put them in a filing box, before you can be a friend?
DERRY: I suppose…not. No.
MR LAMB: You could tell me your name. If you chose. And not, if you didn’t.
DERRY: Derry. Only it’s Derek….but I hate that. Derry. If I’m your friend, you don’t have to be mine. I choose that.
MR LAMB: Certainly.
DERRY: I might never come here again, you might never see me again and then I couldn’t still be a friend.
MR LAMB: Why not?
DERRY: How could I? You pass people in the street and you might even speak to them, but you never see them again. It doesn’t mean they’re friends.

Derry asked as to whether Mr Lamb had any friends, to which he replied that he had several hundred. Derry went on to say that he still lived alone in such a large house. Mr Lamb said that everyone was his friend, and that many people came to the garden. The gate remained opened. They were sitting by the fire in the winter. Children came to pick apples and pears and to take his honey toffees. Derry stated that he was not Mr Lamb's friend. He stated that Derry was a friend because he had done nothing to end their friendship. Derry stated that they did not know enough about each other to become friends. Mr Lamb didn't think it was significant. He didn't need Derry's information to become friends with him. Mr Lamb said he could tell him his name if he wanted. Deery responded that his name was 'Derek,' but he disliked it and preferred to be called 'Derry.' He went on to say that he might not return to the place in the future, and that they would no longer be friends. Mr Lamb asked as to the reason, to which Derry replied that one encounters many people while walking down the street, may speak with a few of them, and then never see them again. They had not become friends as a result of this.

MR LAMB: Doesn’t mean they’re enemies, either, does it?
DERRY: No they’re just….nothing. People. That’s all.
MR LAMB: People are never just nothing. Never.
DERRY: There are some people I hate.
MR LAMB: That’d do you more harm than any bottle of acid. Acid only burns your face.
DERRY: Only….
MR LAMB: Like a bomb only blew up my leg. There’s worse things can happen. You can burn yourself away inside.
DERRY: After I’d come home, one person said, “He’d have been better off stopping in there. In the hospital. He’d be better off with others like himself.” She thinks blind people only ought to be with other blind people and idiot boys with idiot boys.
MR LAMB: And people with no legs altogether?
DERRY: That’s right.
MR LAMB: What kind of a world would that be?
DERRY: At least there’d be nobody to stare at you because you weren’t like them.
MR LAMB: So you think you’re just the same as all the other people with burned faces? Just by what you look like? Ah….everything’s different. Everything’s the same, but everything is different. Itself.
DERRY: How do you make all that out?
MR LAMB: Watching. Listening. Thinking.
DERRY: I’d like a place like this. A garden. I’d like a house with no curtains.
MR LAMB: The gate’s always open.
DERRY: But this isn’t mine.
MR LAMB: Everything’s yours if you want it. What’s mine is anybody’s.
DERRY: So I could come here again? Even if you were out….I could come here.
MR LAMB: Certainly. You might find others here, of course.
DERRY: Oh….
MR LAMB: Well, that needn’t stop you, you needn’t mind.
DERRY: It’d stop them. They’d mind me. When they saw me here. They look at my face and run.

Mr Lamb commented that this did not imply that strangers were enemies, if not friends. Derry stated that they were nothing more than people. Mr Lamb stated that people could not be nothing to each other. Derry stated that there were some people he hated. Mr Lamb responded that hatred would be more damaging to him than the acid that had 'only' affected his face. Derry commented that it was 'only' his face. Mr Lamb stated that a bomb explosion blew up his leg, but there were worse things that could happen – one could burn himself up on the inside from negative feelings. Derry stated that when he returned from the hospital, someone told him that it would have been better if he had stayed there with people like him. He went on to say that people believe that all disabled people should coexist in one place. Mr Lamb went on to say that this meant that people without legs should stick together, and that the world would become unbalanced as a result. Derry stated that no one would stare at the other because they were all alike. Mr Lamb asked Derry if he meant that he was like all the other people with burned faces because they all looked the same. He went on to say that everything was different. Even though everything is the same, they are not the same. Derry was confused. Mr Lamb stated that our habits of watching, listening, and thinking differently distinguishes us from one another. Derry expressed his admiration for Mr Lamb's home and garden. He responded that Derry was always welcome. Deery stated that the place was not his. Mr Lamb stated that if he so desired, he could have everything. He went on to say that everything he owned belonged to everyone. Derry asked if he could return to the place, to which Mr Lamb replied that he could, and that he would find company as well. He went on to say that Derry didn't have to worry about other people because no one would stop him from entering the premises. Derry stated that they would most probably refuse to enter the place if they saw him. Perhaps they would be scared and flee if they saw his face.

MR LAMB: They might. They might not. You’d have to take the risk. So would they.
DERRY: No, you would. You might have me and lose all your other friends, because nobody wants to stay near me if they can help it.
MR LAMB: I’ve not moved.
DERRY: No….
MR LAMB: When I go down the street, the kids shout ‘Lamey-Lamb.’ But they still come into the garden, into my house; it’s a game. They’re not afraid of me. Why should they be? Because I’m not afraid of them, that’s why not.
DERRY: Did you get your leg blown off in the war?
MR LAMB: Certainly.
DERRY: How will you climb on a ladder and get the crab apples down, then?
MR LAMB: Oh, there’s a lot of things I’ve learned to do, and plenty of time for it. Years. I take it steady.
DERRY: If you fell and broke your neck, you could lie on the grass and die. If you were on your own.
MR LAMB: I could.
DERRY: You said I could help you.
MR LAMB: If you want to.
DERRY: But my mother’ll want to know where I am. It’s three miles home, across the fields. I’m fourteen. but they still want to know where I am.
MR LAMB: People worry.
DERRY: People fuss.
MR LAMB: Go back and tell them.
DERRY: its three miles.
MR LAMB: It’s a fine evening. You’ve got legs.
DERRY: Once I got home, they’d never let me come back.
MR LAMB: Once you got home, you’d never let yourself come back.
DERRY: You don’t know….you don’t know what I could do.
MR LAMB: No. Only you know that.
DERRY: If I chose….
MR LAMB: Ah….if you chose. I don’t know everything, boy. I can’t tell you what to do.

  • Fuss: show of anger, worry

Mr Lamb responded that they might or might not runs away, and that he had to take a chance on it. Derry stated that Mr Lamb had to choose between him and the other visitors because no one wanted to be near him. If Mr Lamb had Derry in his garden, he would lose all of his friends. Mr Lamb stated that he was present and did not flee when he saw Derry. He went on to say that when he went out on the street, kids teased him despite the fact that they had visited his garden and house. It was almost like a game. They weren't afraid of him because he wasn't afraid of them. Derry asked whether his leg had been injured during the war, to which Mr Lamb replied that it had. Derry asked as to how he would climb the ladder to pluck the apples. He replied that he had learned to do a variety of things. Derry went on to say that if he climbed the tree alone, fell from it, and broke his neck, he'd die on the grass. Mr Lamb stated that it was possible. Derry asked if he could assist him in picking the apples. Mr Lamb offered to assist him if he so desired. Derry stated that his mother would be waiting him. His house was located five miles away, across the fields. He was fourteen years old, but he still had to tell her where he was. Mr Lamb went on to say that people had a bad habit of worrying. Derry went on to say that they were in the habit of fussing. Mr Lamb urged Derry to return home and inform his mother of his whereabouts. It was three miles to his house. He could easily go home, tell them, and return because the weather was nice and he had legs. Derry stated that once he left, he would not be permitted to return. Mr Lamb went on to say that once Derry returned home, he would have no desire to return. Mr Lamb, according to Derry, had no idea what he could do. Mr Lamb said that only Derry knew what he was capable of. Mr Lamb interrupted Derry as he began to say, "If he chose..." He stated that Derry had to make a choice and that he couldn't tell him what to do.

DERRY: They tell me.
MR LAMB: Do you have to agree?
DERRY: I don’t know what I want. I want….something no one else has got or ever will have. Something just mine. Like this garden. I don’t know what it is.
MR LAMB: You could find out.
DERRY: How?
MR LAMB: Waiting. Watching. Listening. Sitting here or going there. I’ll have to see to the bees.
DERRY: Those other people who come here….do they talk to you? Ask you things?
MR LAMB: Some do, some don’t. I ask them. I like to learn.
DERRY: I don’t believe in them. I don’t think anybody ever comes. You’re here all by yourself and miserable and no one would know if you were alive or dead and nobody cares.
MR LAMB: You think what you please.
DERRY: All right then, tell me some of their names.
MR LAMB: What are names? Tom, Dick or Harry.
[Getting up] I’m off down to the bees.
DERRY: I think you’re daft….crazy….
MR LAMB: That’s a good excuse.
DERRY: What for? You don’t talk sense.
MR LAMB: Good excuse not to come back. And you’ve got a burned-up face, and that’s other people’s excuse.

DERRY: You’re like the others, you like to say things like that. If you don’t feel sorry for my face, you’re frightened of it, and if you’re not frightened, you think I’m ugly as a devil. I am a devil. Don’t you?
[Shouts]
[Mr Lamb does not reply. He has gone to his bees.]
DERRY: [Quietly] No. You don’t. I like it here.
[Pause. Derry gets up and shouts.] I’m going. But I’ll come back. You see. You wait. I can run. I haven’t got a tin leg. I’ll be back.
[Derry runs off. Silence. The sounds of the garden again.]
MR LAMB: [To himself] There my dears. That’s you seen to. Ah….you know. We all know. I’ll come back. They never do, though. Not them. Never do come back.
[The garden noises fade.]

Derry said that his family pressured him into doing things their way. Mr Lamb stated that it was up to Derry whether or not he agreed with them. Derry was confused about what he desired – something unique to him that no one else had – such as the garden. Mr Lamb told him that he could find out what he wanted. Derry asked as to how he was able to do so. Mr Lamb told him to wait, watch, and listen. He went on to say that he had to see the bees. Derry asked as to whether the other visitors had spoken with Mr Lamb. Mr Lamb responded that some did and others did not. Derry stated that he did not believe anyone had ever visited the place. Mr Lamb entirely lived on his own. Nobody cared about him. Mr Lamb stated that Derry was free to think as he pleased. Derry asked about the visitors' names. Mr Lamb stated that names were meaningless. They could be similar to Tom, Dick, or Harry. He went outside to see the bees. Derry stated that Mr Lamb might be mentally challenged. Mr Lamb said that was a good excuse for Derry, but Derry said that Mr Lamb did not talk sense, which is why he said so. Mr Lamb stated once more that it was a good reason not to return to the garden. Derry's face was burned, which was used as an excuse by others to avoid seeing him. Mr Lamb, according to Derry, was like other people. If he wasn't sorry that his face was burned, it was possible that he was afraid of it. If not that, he might have thought Derry was as ugly as the devil. He went on to say that he was a devil. Derry shouted. Mr Lamb remained silent. He went to see the bees. Derry became calm and stated that Mr Lamb did not believe him to be a devil. He enjoyed spending time in the garden. Derry stood up and shouted that he was leaving and would return to see him. He didn't have a tin leg, he could run, and he'd be back soon. Derry ran off. The sounds of the garden's creatures filled the silence. Mr Lamb spoke with the bees who witnessed everything that occurred. They were all aware that no one had ever returned to the garden.

Scene 2: At Derry’s house

MOTHER: You think I don’t know about him, you think. I haven’t heard things?
DERRY: You shouldn’t believe all you hear.
MOTHER: Been told. Warned. We’ve not lived here three months, but I know what there is to know and you’re not to go back there.
DERRY: What are you afraid of? What do you think he is? An old man with a tin leg and he lives in a huge house without curtains and has a garden. And I want to be there, and sit and….listen to things.
Listen and look.
MOTHER: Listen to what?
DERRY: Bees singing. Him talking.
MOTHER: And what’s he got to say to you?
DERRY: Things that matter. Things nobody else has ever said. Things I want to think about.
MOTHER: Then you stay here and do your thinking. You’re best off here.

Derry is talking to his mother in the second scene, which takes place at his house.

His mother asked as to what Derry thought of her. Mr. Lamb had already been mentioned to her. Derry told her not to believe what others said, but she warned him that she knew what needed to be known about any person and thus asked him not to return. Derry asked as to the reason of her fear. He explained that Mr Lamb was just an old man with a tin leg who lived in a large house with no curtains and a garden. He stated that he wanted to return and listen to things again. His mother was intrigued as to why he wanted to listen. He responded that he wanted to hear bees sing and to hear what Mr Lamb had to say. But she didn't think it was appropriate, so she told him to stay home and think about what he wanted to do.

DERRY: I hate it here.
MOTHER: You can’t help the things you say. I forgive you. It’s bound to make you feel bad things….and say them. I don’t blame you.
DERRY: It’s got nothing to do with my face and what I look like. I don’t care about that and it isn’t important. It’s what I think and feel and what I want to see and find out and hear. And I’m going back there. Only to help him with the crab apples. Only to look at things and listen. But I’m going.
MOTHER: You’ll stop here.
DERRY: Oh no, oh no. Because if I don’t go back there, I’ll never go anywhere in this world again.
[The door slams. Derry runs, panting.]
And I want the world….I want it….I want it….
[The sound of his panting fades.]

Derry stated that he hated staying at home. His mother excused him for speaking incorrectly because he was upset and thus spoke in that way. Derry insisted that it had nothing to do with his look. What mattered was how he thought and what he saw or heard. He stated that he would return to the garden to assist Mr. Lamb with the crab apples. His mother tries to stop him, but he fled, shutting the door behind him.

SCENE THREE

Mr Lamb’s garden [Garden sounds: the noise of a branch shifting; apples thumping down; the branch shifting again.]
MR LAMB: Steady….that’s….got it. That’s it… [More apples fall] And again. That’s it….and….
[A creak. A crash. The ladder falls back, Mr Lamb with it. A thump. The branch swishes back. Creaks. Then silence. Derry opens the garden gate, still panting.]
DERRY: You see, you see! I came back. You said I wouldn’t and they said….but I came back, I wanted….
[He stops dead. Silence.]
Mr. Lamb, Mr….You’ve…..
[He runs through the grass. Stops. Kneels]
Mr Lamb, It’s all right….You fell….I’m here, Mr Lamb, It’s all right.
[Silence]
I came back. Lamey-Lamb. I did…..come back.
[Derry begins to weep.]

  • Steady: stable
  • Creak: a harsh sound of wood
  • Swish: a hissing sound
  • Panting: quick breaths

The third scene takes place in Mr. Lamb's garden. The sound of branches could be heard. Mr. Lamb was picking apples while talking to himself. The ladder fell to the ground when a harsh sound of crackling wood was heard. Mr. Lamb also fallen. Derry opened the gate, still breathing quickly, and informed Mr. Lamb that he had returned. He looked at him and found him on the ground. He approached him and tried to talk with him, but no one responded. Derry kept calling him by his name and then burst out crying. He did so because he realised Mr. Lamb was no longer alive.

About the Author

Susan Hill is a fiction and nonfiction author from England. Her novels include "The Woman in Black," "The Mist in the Mirror," and "I'm the King of the Castle," for which she won the Somerset Maugham Award in 1971.