Otis Escapes, parts 4047 - 4050

 4047. Finally Otis could stand it no longer and made haste to run out into the audience with the intention of doing some mischief to the blind, deaf man, but when he arrived where the man was sitting he found that he had somehow turned into the Blacksmith’s Boy. The Blacksmith’s boy was saying something to him that sounded like a reproach.

 4048. After the boy had replaced the blind man in Otis’ dream as the only person in attendance, a few crows landed in a nearby tree and proceeded to disrupt the performance further with their cawing. The noises the crows made were like the applause of the blind man in that the sounds had no relationship to the actions of the play. After a while the crows settled down to roost as they always do, and became silent and attentive.

 4049. The Blacksmith’s boy seemed to concentrate on the play with rapt attention, but his face betrayed the fact that he could not understand the dialogue he was listening to. Regardless of the action in the play his face was immobile like a mask.

4050. At that moment in the dream Otis was overcome with grief and a confused feeling gripped his soul, and everything seemed to become gray, faded and confused around the edges, and with a feeling of foreboding he woke up with a start.