The thin ice

(Darkness. We hear a baby crying. As the lights come up, we see the woman and

the man from the hospital. They are holding their baby, which, as they place

him in the crib, is revealed as Dib.)

Mother: Momma loves her baby.

Father: And daddy loves you, too.

Both: And the sea may look warm to you, babe. And the sky may look blue.

Mother: But, oooooh, babe.

Oooh, baby blue.

Oooh,babe.

(They place him in a crib. His cousin, about 10, comes along and stands over

the crib.)

Cousin: If you should go skating

on the thin ice of modern life,

dragging behind you the silent reproach of a million

tear-stained eyes.

Don't be surprised when a crack in the ice

appears under your feet.

You slip out of your depth and out of your mind

with your fear flowing out behind you as you claw the thin ice.

(Baby Dib falls asleep, with his cousin keeping a watchful eye on Dib. It's

almost like he's swearing to watch over Dib for the rest of his life.)