THE SAME YEAR SEES THE DEATH OF THE SWEDISH KING GUSTAVUS ADOLPHUS AT THE BATTLE OF LÜTZEN. PEACE THREATENS TO RUIN MOTHER COURAGE'S BUSINESS. COURAGE'S DASHING SON PERFORMS ONE HEROIC DEED TOO MANY AND COMES TO A STICKY END.
- "Camp."
- An old woman and a young man are trying to sell MC some bedding very early in the morning.
- Bells ring, signaling the death of the Swedish king. The war is over.
- Someone else says it's been three weeks since the king died; the news just hadn't reached them yet.
- MC tells Kattrin to get ready for church, it's the "least we can do for Swiss Cheese."
- The old woman collapses from shock.
- MC is glad for peace; even if it means the end of her business, she will at least get to see Eilif again.
- The cook shows up again, looking a little scuffed up. He reports that Eilif is also on his way.
- The chaplain decides to put his religious outfit back on.
- Kattrin feels self-conscious about the scar above her eye, and doesn't want to come up to see the cook.
- MC tells the cook how she took the chaplain's advice, stocked up on supplies during wartime, and now has more than she can sell. She's ruined.
- She should've never trusted him, says the cook. He has an "unhealthy view of women."
- The cook and MC continue their conversation. It turns out the cook is broke, since the regiment never paid him. He says he's tired of cooking; he wants to get into the trade business.
- The chaplain comes back and the cook confronts him about giving MC bad advice.
- When MC sides with the cook, the chaplain calls her "a hyaena of the battlefield."
- He accuses her of wanting war instead of peace, because all she really cares about is profit.
- He tells her, "Whosoever sups with the devil needs a long spoon." In other words, if you're going to bet on war, then you need to accept the consequences.
- MC and the chaplain argue. She points out that he's been pretty happy living off her business, too.
- The cook tells MC she'd better try to sell her stuff while she still can.
- MC goes into the wagon, while the cook and the chaplain bicker some more. The chaplain threatens to murder the cook if he doesn't can it. The cook calls him a "godless s***." How does he expect to preach if he's threatening people with murder?
- The cook says he's become a better person during the war, so he'll have to give up preaching anyway. Talk about ironic.
- Yvette steps in, dressed for full mourning. She has a servant with her and calls herself Countess Starhemberg.
- Yvette recognizes the cook as her ex-boyfriend from Flanders, Pieter.
- MC emerges from the cart. From what Yvette says, it turns out she ended up marrying that old colonel's older brother. Now she's his widow and heiress.
- Yvette warns MC against the cook.
- MC goes off with Yvette to try selling some goods at the market.
- The cook is worried Yvette will gossip about him with MC. He decides he'd better clear out rather than face the consequences.
- The cook has had it with peace. He wants to go back to the old days, when he used to cook for the general.
- The cook and the chaplain reminisce about food.
- Eilif comes in, escorted by soldiers. He's in chains. What now?
- Eilif is only allowed to see his mother one last time. He's been charged with breaking into a peasant's place, stealing their cattle, and killing the wife.
- Sound familiar? He complains that it was the same thing he did before, when he was called a hero. But now, during peace, it's a crime.
- The soldiers say his time's up and lead him off.
- The chaplain follows Eilif to his execution. He tells the cook not to tell MC about it.
- The cook tries to find Kattrin to give her something to eat.
- A gunshot is heard. Eilif is dead.
- MC returns. It turns out the war is back on, they just hadn't heard the news yet. Now she's back in business.
- But she can tell that something's off, by the way the cook is acting. But the cook won't say what gives.
- All he tells her is that Eilif came and went.
- She asks a few questions about Eilif, but the cook doesn't really answer them
- MC starts to pack up and head off, telling the cook to join her.
- MC plans to join the Protestants this time.
- She sings as they get ready, "The war's still hungry. So enlist!"