The Tell-Tale Heart

by Edgar Allan Poe

The killer: Its true! Yes, I have been ill, very ill! But why do you say that I have lost control of my
mind, why do you say that I am mad? Can you not see that I have full control of my mind? Is it not
clear that I am not mad? Listen, listen, and I will tell you how it happened! You will see, you will hear
how healty my mind is. It is impossible to say how the idea first entered my head. I think it was his
eye! His eye was like the eye of a vulture that terrible bird! Because of it I had decided to kill the
old man and close that eye forever! Every night about twelve oclock i slowly open his door and I
stand there quietly. But his eye is always closed, so is impossible for me to do the work to kill his
evil eye!
The old man: (se trezete brusc i se mic n pat, speriat) Who s there? I can hear you! I know you
are here! Please, dont hurt me!
The killer: I did not move for a whole hour! He was sitting up in his bed, filled with fear when,
finally, I saw that vulture eye! I could not see the old mens face. Only the eye! And I knew the time
had come for him to be killed! (l ucide; amndoi fac zgomot)
The neighbour: (citete ziarul; dup ce aude zgomotele sun la poliie) Hello?! Police? I heard some
strange noises in neighbourhood! Could you come and verify, please? Im scared! (dupa o mic
pauz) Thank you!
The killer: After I killed him I cut off his head, then the arms and the legs. I put the peaces here,
under the floor, very carefully. I finished this work when suddently:
(cei doi polititi bat la u)
The killer: Im coming! (deschide ua) Can I help you, officers?
The first policeman: Your neighbour called us!
The second policeman: He heard something strange in surroundings!
The first policeman: We came to check whats going on!
The killer: I see! Then, come in! But I made the noises! I had a nightmare!
(poliitii intr i ncep s caute, suspicioi)
The second policeman: Are you alone in here?
The killer: Oh, yes! The old man went in the countryside. You can check his room as well!
The first policeman: (dup ce mai verific puin) Ok! Everything seems to be allright! (celui de-al
doilea poliist) We should go!
The killer: No, no! Stay! Take a seat, drink a tea!
The second policeman: Thank you! You are very kind!

(se aeaz toi trei pe scaune i ncep s vorbeasc din ce n ce mai tare; dup primele cuvinte se vor
auzi nite btai, asemanatoare cu batile inimii)
The killer: (dup ce zgomotul devine asurzitor, strig) Yes, yes! I killed him! Hes under the floor! I
killed him!

The end

Personaje:

The killer: Stan Alexandru Octavian

The old man: Stamate Mihai Daniel
The neighbour: Voinea Roxana tefania
The first policeman: Floresc Teodora Cristina
The second policeman: Nae Nicolae

cls. a XI-a A