Published by Good Press, 2019

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      EAN 4057664616852

Table of Contents

       PROLOGUE

       ACT I

       SCENE FIRST

       SCENE SECOND

       SCENE THIRD

       SCENE FOURTH

       SCENE FIFTH

       SCENE SIXTH

       SCENE SEVENTH

       SCENE EIGHTH

       ACT SECOND

       SCENE SECOND

       SCENE THIRD

       SCENE FOURTH

       SCENE FIFTH

       ACT THIRD

       SCENE SECOND

       SCENE THIRD

       SCENE FOURTH

       SCENE FIFTH

       SCENE SIXTH

       ACT FOURTH

       SCENE SECOND

       SCENE THIRD

       SCENE FOURTH. THE SAME, THE PHEASANT-HEN

       SCENE FIFTH

       SCENE SIXTH

       SCENE SEVENTH

       SCENE EIGHTH

      A Gander. A Capon. Chickens. Chicks. A Cockerel.

       A Swan. A Cuckoo. Night-birds. Fancy Cocks.

       Toads. A Turkey-hen. A Goose. A Garden Warbler.

       A Woodland Warbler. A Spider. A Heron. A Pigeon.

       A Guinea-pig. Barnyard animals. Woodland Creatures.

       Rabbits. Birds. Bees. Cicadas. Voices.

PROLOGUE

       Table of Contents

      The customary three knocks are heard. The drop-curtain wavers and is rising, when a voice rings out, "Not yet!" and the MANAGER, a gentleman of important mien in evening dress, springing from his proscenium box, hurries toward the stage, repeating, "Not yet!"

      The curtain is again lowered. The MANAGER turns toward the audience, and resting one hand on the prompter's box, addresses them:

      The curtain is a wall—a flying wall. Assured that presently the wall will fly—why haste? Is it not charming to delay—and just look at it for a while?

      Charming to sit before a great red wall, hanging beneath two gilt masks and a scroll—The thrilling moment is when the curtain thrills, and sounds come from the other side.

      You are desired to-night to listen to those sounds and entering the scene before you see it, to wonder and surmise—

      Bending his ear, the MANAGER listens to the sounds now beginning to come from behind the curtain.

      A footstep—is it a road? A flutter of wings—is it a garden?

      The curtain here rippling as if about to rise, the MANAGER precipitately shouts, "Stop!—Do not raise it yet!" Then again bending his ear, continues making note of the noises, clear or confused, single or combined, that from this onward come without stop from behind the curtain.

      A magpie cawing flies away. Great wooden shoes come running over flags. A courtyard, is it?—If so above a valley—from whence that softened clamour of birds and barking dogs.

      More and more clearly the scene suggests itself—Magically sound creates an atmosphere!—A sheep bell tinkles intermittently—Since there is grazing, we may look for grass.

      A tree, too—a tree must rustle in the breeze, for a bullfinch warbles his little native song; and a blackbird whistling the song he has caught by ear, implies, we may presume, a wicker cage.

      The rattling of a wagon run out of a shed—the dripping of a bucket drawn up overfull—the patter of doves' feet alighting on a roof—Surely it is a farmyard—unless it be a mill!

      Rustling of straw, click of a wooden latch—A stable or a haymow there must be. The locust shrills: the weather then is fine.—Church-bells ring: it is Sunday then.—Chatter of jays: the woods cannot be far!

      Hark! Nature with the scattered voices of a fair midsummer day is composing—in a dream!—the most mysterious of overtures—harmonised by evening distance and the wind!

      And all these sounds—song of a passing girl—laughter of children jogged by the donkey trotting—faraway gun-reports and hunting-horns—these sounds describe a holiday.

      A window opens, a door closes—The harness shakes its bells. Is it not plain in sight, the old farmyard?—The dog sleeps, the cat but feigns to sleep.

      Sunday!—Farmer and farmer's wife are starting for the fair. The old horse paws the ground—

      A ROUGH VOICE [Behind