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[Their light is out. Well before they have finished speaking, WILLY’S form is dimly seen below in the darkened kitchen. He opens the refrigerator, searches in there, and takes out a bottle of milk. The apartment houses are fading out, and the entire house and surroundings become covered with leaves. Music insinuates itself as the leaves appear.]

WILLY: Just wanna be careful with those girls, Biff, that’s all. Don’t make any promises. No promises of any kind. Because a girl, y’know, they always believe what you tell ’em, and you’re very young, Biff, you’re too young to be talking seriously to girls.

[Light rises on the kitchen. WILLY, talking, shuts the refrigerator door and comes downstage to the kitchen table. He pours milk into a glass. He is totally immersed in himself, smiling faintly.]

WILLY: Too young entirely, Biff. You want to watch your schooling first. Then when you’re all set, there’ll be plenty of girls for a boy like you. [He smiles broadly at a kitchen chair.] That so? The girls pay for you? [He laughs.] Boy, you must really be makin’ a hit.

[WILLY is gradually addressing—physically—a point offstage, speaking through the wall of the kitchen, and his voice has been rising in volume to that of a normal conversation.]

WILLY: I been wondering why you polish the car so careful. Ha! Don’t leave the hubcaps, boys. Get the chamois to the hubcaps. Happy, use newspaper on the windows, it’s the easiest thing. Show him how to do it, Biff! You see, Happy? Pad it up, use it like a pad. That’s it, that’s it, good work. You’re doin’ all right, Hap. [He pauses, then nods in approbation for a few seconds, then looks upward.] Biff, first thing we gotta do when we get time is clip that big branch over the house. Afraid it’s gonna fall in a storm and hit the roof. Tell you what. We get a rope and sling her around, and then we climb up there with a couple of saws and take her down. Soon as you finish the car, boys, I wanna see ya. I got a surprise for you, boys.

BIFF [offstage]: Whatta ya got, Dad?

WILLY: No, you finish first. Never leave a job till you’re finished—remember that. [Looking toward the “big trees”] Biff, up in Albany I saw a beautiful hammock. I think I’ll buy it next trip, and we’ll hang it right between those two elms. Wouldn’t that be something? Just swingin’ there under those branches. Boy, that would be . . .

[YOUNG BIFF and YOUNG HAPPY appear from the direction WILLY was addressing. HAPPY carries rags and a pail of water. BIFF, wearing a sweater with a block “S,” carries a football.]

BIFF [pointing in the direction of the car offstage]: How’s that, Pop, professional?

WILLY: Terrific. Terrific job, boys. Good work, Biff.

HAPPY: Where’s the surprise, Pop?

WILLY: In the back seat of the car.

HAPPY: Boy! [He runs off.]

BIFF: What is it, Dad? Tell me, what’d you buy?

WILLY [laughing, cuffs him]: Never mind, something I want you to have.

BIFF [turns and starts off ]: What is it, Hap?

HAPPY [offstage]: It’s a punching bag!

BIFF: Oh, Pop!

WILLY: It’s got Gene Tunney’s signature on it!

[HAPPY runs onstage with a punching bag.]

BIFF: Gee, how’d you know we wanted a punching bag?

WILLY: Well, it’s the finest thing for the timing.

HAPPY [lies down on his back and pedals with his feet]: I’m losing weight, you notice, Pop?

WILLY [to HAPPY]: Jumping rope is good too.

BIFF: Did you see the new football I got?

WILLY [examining the ball]: Where’d you get a new ball?

BIFF: The coach told me to practice my passing.

WILLY: That so? And he gave you the ball, heh?

BIFF: Well, I borrowed it from the locker room. [He laughs confidentially.]

WILLY [laughing with him at the theft]: I want you to return that.

HAPPY: I told you he wouldn’t like it!

BIFF [angrily]: Well, I’m bringing it back!

WILLY [stopping the incipient argument, to HAPPY]: Sure, he’s gotta practice with a regulation ball, doesn’t he? [To BIFF] Coach’ll probably congratulate you on your initiative!

BIFF: Oh, he keeps congratulating my initiative all the time, Pop.

WILLY: That’s because he likes you. If