Homepage
Login
Profile
BookClubs
dmBox
Read Ebook: The Piper: A Play in Four Acts by Peabody Josephine Preston
Font size:
Background color:
Text color:
Add to tbrJar First Page Next Page
Ebook has 404 lines and 11582 words, and 9 pages
The Piper
A PLAY IN FOUR ACTS
BOSTON and NEW YORK HOUGHTON MIFFLIN COMPANY
The Riverside Press Cambridge 1910
Published November 1909
SEVENTH IMPRESSION
LIONEL S. MARKS
Anno 1284 Am Dage Johannis et Pauli War der 26 Junii Dorch einen piper mit allerlei farve bekledet Gewesen CXXX kinder verledet binnen Hamelen geboren To Calvarii bi den koppen verloren
CHARACTERS
THE PIPER ) MICHAEL-THE-SWORD-EATER ) Strolling Players CHEAT-THE-DEVIL )
JACOBUS the Burgomeister ) KURT the Syndic ) PETER the Cobbler ) HANS the Butcher ) AXEL the Smith ) Men of Hamelin MARTIN the Watch ) PETER the Sacristan ) ANSELM, a young priest ) OLD CLAUS, a miser ) TOWN CRIER )
JAN ) HANSEL ) ILSE ) Children TRUDE ) RUDI )
VERONIKA, the wife of Kurt BARBARA, daughter of Jacobus WIFE of HANS the Butcher WIFE of AXEL the Smith WIFE of MARTIN the Watch OLD URSULA
Burghers, nuns, priests, and children
SCENE: HAMELIN ON THE WESER, 1284 A.D.
SCENES
The Piper
ACT I
SCENE: The market-place of Hamelin. Right, the Minster, with an open shrine containing a large sculptured figure of the Christ. Right, farther front, the house of KURT; and other narrow house-fronts. Left, the Rathaus, and the home of JACOBUS. Front, to left and right, are corner-houses with projecting stories and casement windows. At the centre rear, a narrow street leads away between houses whose gables all but meet overhead.
It is late summer afternoon, with a holiday crowd. In the open casements, front , sit OLD URSULA and OLD CLAUS, looking on at men and things. --In the centre of the place now stands a rude wooden Ark with a tented top: and out of the openings appear the artificial heads of animals, worn by the players inside. One is a Bear ; one is a large Reynard-the-Fox, later apparent as the PIPER. Close by is the medieval piece of stage-property known as 'Hell-Mouth,' i.e. a red painted cave with a jaw-like opening into which a mountebank dressed in scarlet is poking 'Lost Souls' with a pitchfork.
BARBARA loiters by the tent. VERONIKA, the sad young wife of KURT, watches from the house steps, left, keeping her little lame boy, Jan, close beside her.
Shouts of delight greet the end of the show, a Noah's Ark miracle-play of the rudest; and the Children continue to scream with joy whenever an Animal looks out of the Ark.
Men and women pay scant attention either to JACOBUS, when he speaks --from his doorstep, prompted by the frowning KURT,--or yet to ANSELM, the priest, who stands forth with lifted hands, at the close of the miracle-play.
ANSELM And you, who heed the colors of this show, Look to your laughter!--It doth body forth A Judgment that may take you unaware,-- Sun-struck with mirth, like unto chattering leaves Some wind of wrath shall scourge to nothingness.
HANS, AXEL, AND OTHERS Hurrah, Hurrah!
JACOBUS And now, good townsmen all, Seeing we stand delivered and secure As once yon chosen creatures of the Ark, For a similitude,--our famine gone, Our plague of rats and mice,--
CROWD Hurrah--hurrah!
JACOBUS 'Tis meet we render thanks more soberly--
HANS the Butcher Soberly, soberly, ay!--
JACOBUS For our deliverance. And now, ye wit, it will be full three days Since we beheld--our late departed pest.--
OLD URSULA What does he say?
REYNARD --Oh, how felicitous!
HANS' WIFE He's only saying there be no more rats.
JACOBUS Three days it is; and not one mouse,--one mouse, One mouse, I say!--No-o-o! Quiet. . . as a mouse.
And now. . .
CROWD Long live Jacobus!--
JACOBUS You have seen Noah and the Ark, most aptly happening by With these same play-folk. You have marked the Judgment. You all have seen the lost souls sent to--Hell-- And, nothing more to do.--
Yes, yes.--And now. . .
HANS the Butcher Hath no man seen the Piper?--Please your worships.
OTHERS Ay, ay, so! --Ay, where is he? --Ho, the Piper!
JACOBUS Piper, my good man?
HANS the Butcher --He that charmed the rats!
OTHERS Yes, yes,--that charmed the rats!
JACOBUS Why, no man knows.-- Which proves him such a random instrument As Heaven doth sometimes send us, to our use; Or, as I do conceive, no man at all,-- A man of air; or, I would say--delusion. He'll come no more.
REYNARD Eh?--Oh, indeed, Meaow!
JACOBUS 'Tis clearest providence. The rats are gone. The man is gone. And there is nought to pay, Save peaceful worship.
REYNARD Oh, indeed,--Meaow!
KURT Silence,--you strollers there! Or I will have you Gaoled, one and all.
PEOPLE No, Kurt the Syndic, no!
BARBARA No; no! Ah, father, bid them stay awhile And play it all again.--Or, if not all, Do let us see that same good youth again, Who swallowed swords--between the Ark Preserved And the Last Judgment!
Add to tbrJar First Page Next Page