From pp. 18-19 (Vintage International, 1984 edition):
“You know she whip you when you get your dress wet.” Versh said.
“It’s not wet.” Caddy said. She stood up in the water and looked at her dress. “I’ll take it off.” She said. “Then it’s dry.”
“I bet you wont.” Quentin said.
“I bet I will.” Caddy said.
“I bet you better not.” Quentin said.
Caddy came to Versh and me and turned her back.
“Unbutton it, Versh.” She said.
“Don’t you do it, Versh.” Quentin said.
“Taint none of y dress.” Versh said.
“You unbutton it, Versh.” Caddy said. “Or I’ll tell Dilsey what you did yesterday.” So Versh unbuttoned it.
“You just take your dress off.” Quentin said. Caddy took her dress off and threw it on the bank. Then she didn’t have on anything but her bodice and drawers, ad Quentin slapped her and she slipped and fell down in the water. When she got up she began to splash water on Quentin, and Quentin splashed water on Caddy. Some of it splashed on Versh and me and Versh picked me up and put me on the bank. He said he was going to tell on Caddy and Quentin, and then Quentin and Caddy began to plash water at Versh. He got behind a bush.
“I’m going to tell mammy on you all.” Versh said.
Quentin climed up the bank and tried to catch Versh, but Versh ran away and Quentin couldn’t. When Quentin came back Versh stopped and hollered that he was going to tell. Caddy told him that if he wouldn’t tell, they’d let him come back. So Versh said he wouldn’t, and they let him.
“Now I guess you’re satisfied.” Quentin said. “We’ll both get whipped now.”
“I don’t care.” Caddy said. “I’ll run away.”
“Yes you will.” Quentin said.
“I’ll run away and never come back.” Caddy said. I began to cry Caddy turned around and said “Hush” So I hushed. Then they played in the branch. Jason was playing too. He was by himself further down the branch. Versh came around the bush and lifted me down into the water again. Caddy was all wet and muddy behind, and I started to cry and she came and squatted in the water.
“Hush now.” She said. “I’m not going to run away.” So I hushed. Caddy smelled like trees in the rain.
What is the matter with you, Luster said. Cant you get done with that moaning and play in the branch like folks.
Whyn’t you take him on home. Didn’t they told you not to take him off the place.
He still think they own this pasture, Luster said. Cant nobody see down here from the house, noways.
We can. And folks don’t like to look at a looney. Taint no luck in it.
Roskus came and said to come to supper and Caddy said it wasn’t supper time yet.
“Yet tis.” Roskus said. “Dilsey say for you all to come on to the house. Bring them on, Versh.” He went up the hill, where the cow was lowing.
“Maybe we’ll be dry by the time we get to the house.” Quentin said.
“It was all your fault.” Caddy said. “I hope we do get whipped.” She put her drew on and Versh buttoned it.
“They wont know you got we.” Versh said. “It don’t show on you. Less me and Jason tells.”
“Are you going to tell, Jason.” Caddy said.
“Tell on who.” Jason said.
“He wont tell.” Quentin said. “Will you, Jason.”
“I bet he does tell.” Caddy said. “He’ll tell Damuddy.”
“He cant tell her.” Quentin said. “She’s sick. If we walk slow it’ll be too dark for them to see.”
“I don’t care whether they see or not.” Caddy said. “I’m going to tell, myself. You carry him up the hill, Versh.”
“Jason wont tell.” Quentin said. “You remember that bow and arrow I made you, Jason.”
“It’s broke now.” Jason said.
“Let him tell.” Caddy said. “I don’t give a cuss. Carry Maury up the hill, Versh.” Versh squatted and I got on his back.
See you all at the show tonight, Luster said. Come on, here. We got to find that quarter.
“If we go slow, it’s be dark when we get there.” Quentin said.
“I’m not going slow.” Caddy said. We went up the hill, but Quentin didn’t come. He was down at the branch when we got to where we could smell the pigs. They were grunting and snuffing in the trough in the corner. Jason came behind us, with his hands in his pockets. Roskus was milking the cow in the barn door.
Some questions to consider about the passage:
–What does this passage tell us about the relationships among all the characters? How do Caddy and Quentin relate to one another? What about Jason and Maury (Benjy before his name was changed)? How does Versh relate to the white characters?
–How does Benjy (Maury) perceive the scene at the branch?
–When do the time and place shift and why?
–Does this scene help predict events that happen later in the novel?