William Faulkner - The Sound and the Fury (Vintage)

F IRST V INTAGE I NTERNATIONAL E DITION , O CTOBER 1990

Copyright 1984 by Jill Faulkner Summers

All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. Published in the United States by Vintage Books, a division of Random House, Inc., New York, and simultaneously in Canada by Random House of Canada Limited, Toronto. The Sound and the Fury was originally published by Jonathan Cape & Harrison Smith, Inc., in 1929.
Copyright 1929 by William Faulkner. Copyright renewed 1956 by William Faulkner. This new and corrected edition was originally published, in hardcover, by Random House, Inc., in 1984.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Faulkner, William, 18971962.
The sound and the fury/William Faulkner
p. cm.(Vintage international)
Reprint. Originally published: Harrison Smith and Jonathan Cape, 1929.
eISBN: 978-0-307-79215-0
I. Title
PS3511.A86S7 1990
81352dc20 90-50274

CIP

v3.1_r1

This edition of The Sound and the Fury follows the text as corrected in 1984. The text is based on a comparisonunder the direction of Noel Polkof the first edition and Faulkners original manuscript and carbon typescript. An editors note on the corrections follows the text.

The Appendix to The Sound and the Fury was originally written for The Portable Faulkner, edited by Malcolm Cowley, and published in 1946 by The Viking Press.

April Seventh, 1928.

Through the fence, between the curling flower spaces, I could see them hitting. They were coming toward where the flag was and I went along the fence. Luster was hunting in the grass by the flower tree. They took the flag out, and they were hitting. Then they put the flag back and they went to the table, and he hit and the other hit. Then they went on, and I went along the fence. Luster came away from the flower tree and we went along the fence and they stopped and we stopped and I looked through the fence while Luster was hunting in the grass.

Here, caddie. He hit. They went away across the pasture. I held to the fence and watched them going away.

Listen at you, now. Luster said. Aint you something, thirty three years old, going on that way. After I done went all the way to town to buy you that cake. Hush up that moaning. Aint you going to help me find that quarter so I can go to the show tonight.

They were hitting little, across the pasture. I went back along the fence to where the flag was. It flapped on the bright grass and the trees.

Come on. Luster said. We done looked there. They aint no more coming right now. Les go down to the branch and find that quarter before them niggers finds it.

It was red, flapping on the pasture. Then there was a bird slanting and tilting on it. Luster threw. The flag flapped on the bright grass and the trees. I held to the fence.

Shut up that moaning. Luster said. I cant make them come if they aint coming, can I. If you dont hush up, mammy aint going to have no birthday for you. If you dont hush, you know what I going to do. I going to eat that cake all up. Eat them candles, too. Eat all them thirty three candles. Come on, les go down to the branch. I got to find my quarter. Maybe we can find one of they balls. Here. Here they is. Way over yonder. See. He came to the fence and pointed his arm. See them. They aint coming back here no more. Come on.

We went along the fence and came to the garden fence, where our shadows were. My shadow was higher than Lusters on the fence. We came to the broken place and went through it.

Wait a minute. Luster said. You snagged on that nail again. Cant you never crawl through here without snagging on that nail.

Caddy uncaught me and we crawled through. Uncle Maury said to not let anybody see us, so we better stoop over, Caddy said. Stoop over, Benjy. Like this, see. We stooped over and crossed the garden, where the flowers rasped and rattled against us. The ground was hard. We climbed the fence, where the pigs were grunting and snuffing. I expect theyre sorry because one of them got killed today, Caddy said. The ground was hard, churned and knotted.

Keep your hands in your pockets, Caddy said. Or theyll get froze. You dont want your hands froze on Christmas, do you.

Its too cold out there. Versh said. You dont want to go out doors.

What is it now. Mother said.

He want to go out doors. Versh said.

Let him go. Uncle Maury said.

Its too cold. Mother said. Hed better stay in. Benjamin. Stop that, now.

It wont hurt him. Uncle Maury said.

You, Benjamin. Mother said. If you dont be good, youll have to go to the kitchen.

Mammy say keep him out the kitchen today. Versh said. She say she got all that cooking to get done.

Let him go, Caroline. Uncle Maury said. Youll worry yourself sick over him.

I know it. Mother said. Its a judgment on me. I sometimes wonder.

I know, I know. Uncle Maury said. You must keep your strength up. Ill make you a toddy.

It just upsets me that much more. Mother said. Dont you know it does.

Youll feel better. Uncle Maury said. Wrap him up good, boy, and take him out for a while.

Uncle Maury went away. Versh went away.

Please hush. Mother said. Were trying to get you out as fast as we can. I dont want you to get sick.

Versh put my overshoes and overcoat on and we took my cap and went out. Uncle Maury was putting the bottle away in the sideboard in the diningroom.

Keep him out about half an hour, boy. Uncle Maury said. Keep him in the yard, now.

Yes, sir. Versh said. We dont never let him get off the place.

We went out doors. The sun was cold and bright.

Where you heading for. Versh said. You dont think you going to town, does you. We went through the rattling leaves. The gate was cold. You better keep them hands in your pockets. Versh said. You get them froze onto that gate, then what you do. Whynt you wait for them in the house. He put my hands into my pockets. I could hear him rattling in the leaves. I could smell the cold. The gate was cold.

Here some hickeynuts. Whooey. Git up that tree. Look here at this squirl, Benjy.

I couldnt feel the gate at all, but I could smell the bright cold.

You better put them hands back in your pockets.

Caddy was walking. Then she was running, her booksatchel swinging and jouncing behind her.

Hello, Benjy. Caddy said. She opened the gate and came in and stooped down. Caddy smelled like leaves. Did you come to meet me. she said. Did you come to meet Caddy. What did you let him get his hands so cold for, Versh.

I told him to keep them in his pockets. Versh said. Holding on to that ahun gate.

Did you come to meet Caddy, she said, rubbing my hands. What is it. What are you trying to tell Caddy. Caddy smelled like trees and like when she says we were asleep.

What are you moaning about, Luster said. You can watch them again when we get to the branch. Here. Heres you a jimson weed. He gave me the flower. We went through the fence, into the lot