LITTLE WILLY (in tears) Mama, Marie doesn’t want to be dead!
LITTLE MARIE We were playing at encirclement, then world war, and now—
LITTLE WILLY (in tears) But all I wanted was a place in the sun, since—
LITTLE MARIE He’s lying!
LITTLE WILLY I managed to bomb her position, and now she doesn’t want to be dead!
LITTLE MARIE (in tears) No, it’s not true, it’s a lie spread by the enemy, it’s just like Reuter’s News Agency! First he takes my advanced position, and now he’s coming at me from the flank! I repulsed the attack easily, and now he says—
LITTLE WILLY Marie’s lying! Her counterattack collapsed under our fire. The last English nests have all been cleaned up. Five of ours didn’t make it back.
LITTLE MARIE A fresh outbreak of fighting at Smorgon in Poland.
LITTLE WILLY We took prisoners.
LITTLE MARIE We took a certain number of prisoners. The waves of attack broken up by our fire had to stream back in disorder, leaving many corpses behind on the ground we held.
LITTLE WILLY That’s the ruthless Russian tactic, driving their hordes forward in mass offensives. We maintained our positions. We scored direct hits.
LITTLE MARIE I went on the attack.
LITTLE WILLY I’m preparing for a third winter campaign.
LITTLE MARIE For God’s sake! Big head!
LITTLE WILLY Just you wait, I’ll fight to the last drop of blood!
LITTLE MARIE You black-faced Brit and Frog!
LITTLE WILLY The Russians managed to gain a foothold in our front-line trenches, but our counterattack at dawn—
LITTLE MARIE —drove them out again.
LITTLE WILLY Several counterattacks attempted by the enemy in the course of the afternoon—
LITTLE MARIE —were thwarted by a bold surprise attack.(She hits him.)
LITTLE WILLY She’s lying! Anyway, those initial successes are normal at the start of every offensive. (He hits her.)
LITTLE MARIE Guard against exaggerating the optimistic prospects of the offensive.
LITTLE WILLY At the last air attack on Fortress London—
LITTLE MARIE I retaliated at once! Karlsruhe—
LITTLE WILLY Yes, three civilians dead, one of them a child. The military damage is insignificant. End of story.
LITTLE MARIE And what about you? Two civilians and a woman! The military damage is insignificant. End of story.
LITTLE WILLY She didn’t respect the flag of the Red Cross. End of story.
LITTLE MARIE He didn’t either! End of story.
LITTLE WILLY Who started it?
LITTLE MARIE It wasn’t me!
FRAU KOMMERZIENRAT WAHNSCHAFFE (who until now has been listening, eyes sparkling) You watch your step, Mariekins. Papa says you’re allowed to play “World War”, but you must respect the bounds of humanity. Willikins wouldn’t hurt a fly, he’s protecting what’s his as best he can. He’s waging a sacred defensive war.
LITTLE WILLY War was not my intention.
LITTLE MARIE Then who’s to blame?
LITTLE WILLY Let ’er have it! (He hits her.) A direct hit!
LITTLE MARIE (hits him) Just wait till you come up against my blocking position!
FRAU KOMMERZIENRAT WAHNSCHAFFE O do stop, sweetie!
LITTLE WILLY Just wait, I’ll bring up my flamethrower!
FRAU KOMMERZIENRAT WAHNSCHAFFE Play on, children, but keep to the rules! If Willikins is a good boy, Papa will bring him an Iron Cross from the office.
LITTLE WILLY Hurrah! Then I’ll strike another blow against Belgium! (He hurls himself at Marie and thrashes her. Marie in tears.)
FRAU KOMMERZIENRAT WAHNSCHAFFE Willikins, Willikins, be humane! Don’t forget your good upbringing! (She goes to Marie with a handkerchief.)
Back to your posts, now, each little fighter.
But here, wipe your nose first, my lass.
LITTLE MARIE (in tears)
He’s shelling my candy shop, cheeky blighter!
And he’s using poisonous gas!
(She gets up and puts Willy to flight.)
LITTLE WILLY A strategic withdrawal, no more. (Running) In expectation of this attack, the evacuation of the arc threatened by a two-sided pincer movement had been envisaged for years and has been under way now for days. That’s why we didn’t fight to the bitter end, but implemented the planned manoeuvres. The enemy could not prevent them. (From a distance) Hurrah, I’ve reached our Siegfried Line!