HARRIET PRESCOi 1 SPOFbUKl) ILLUSTRATED RY FaNNYYCORY Class PS^^^'i Book ^-^ CopyiightN" :v^ COPYRIGHT DEPOSIT. THE FAIRY CHANGELING THE FAIRY-LADY THE FAIRY CHANGELING A FLOWER AND FAIRY PLAY HARRIET PRESCOTT SPOFFORD ILLUSTRATED BY FANNY Y. CORY BOSTON RICHARD G. BADGER THE GORHAM PRESS I9II Copyright 1910 by Richard G Hadg-er All Rights Reserved .>«"» •^'l ,^\^ The Gorham Press, Boston, U. S. A. ©CI.D 21503 DRAMATIS PERSONAE Little Jo. The Rose-Sprite. The Night-Moth. Bees'-Wings. White Owlet. Flitter-Flutter. The Day-Dream. Honour, the Maid. The Little Men in Green (three). The Maidens of the Mist (three or more) The Lost Toys (three). The Broken Dolls (three). The Fairy-Lady. FAIRIES Jack-o'-Lantern. Cockscomb. Monk's-Hood. Wake-Robin. Marigold. Prince's-Feather. Quaker-Ladies. Mourning-Bride. Snapdragon. Sweet-William. Sweet-Peas. Little Mignonette. The Lady Herald. The Voice of Chanticleer. Place. A garden terrace. Time. Between sunset and twilight. lO STAGE DIRECTIONS Music. Cornet and clarinet. If a piano, then an accompanist who can modulate from one key to another for the various songs and choruses. The clarinet will always support the solo. Colored Lights. Toward the last. Pale rose for the dances; pale blue for the Fairy Lady's ap- parition. Dresses. Cheese-cloth, tarlatan, and other inex- pensive material, arranged according to the part. The Little Men in Green entirely in green, with pointed caps, and spears representing grass. The Maidens of the Mist wrapped in white tarlatan, a long piece loosely folding one and passing to the next, folding her and passing to the other. If there are but few to take parts, those who have already ap- peared may represent the Maidens of the Mist by winding the long piece of white tarlatan round their other costumes, and afterward hanging it on bushes in the background. The Fairy Lady in any dress shrouded with flowing white transparent stuff. Flitter-Flutter in a long clinging prin- rose-colored gown, with very large wings. Litttle Mignonette with a waist looking like one bunch of mignonette, from which her head and shoulders rise. Day-Dream in skirts like the scarlet poppy- II STAGE DIRECTIONS petals, green bodice, and scarlet silk scarf to wave. The Night-Moth in black, thin material, the rather long skirts spangled in rows of gold and silver, stomacher all spangles, angel sleeves, long, narrow wings, black ostrich feathers over the head. The Rose-Sprite in very full and rather long pink skirts, cut in large scallops and unhemmed, to be lifted and held out at one side in dancing; wreath of roses round the top of the half-high green cor- sage ; hat like the petals of a huge wild rose, on one side of the head ; stockings and boots. These dresses may be varied according to individual taste. All the lesser Fairies are not indispensable. The Broken Dolls, if unable to sing, may make jerky motions, the chorus giving the words. The Lost Toys may represent a Jumping-Jack, a Ninepin, a Kite. The dancing is to be done like Queen Eliz- abeth's — ''high and disposedly," but with abandon. 12 THE FAIRY CHANGELING COCKSCOMB THE ROSE-SPRITE The Fairy Changeling A hand of Fairies come dancing on the green in opposite directions, each keeping to the right after passing, thus circling in a ring, led by the Night-Moth and the Rose-Sprite, who presently withdraw inside the ring, still sing- ing while the others dance. Chorus. (No. I.) Air: "We are dainty h'ttle fairies." — lolanthe. No. i, Act. i. (Repeat the first part of the tune for the last verse.) Are we flowers or fairy people, always springing, always singing? When the sun forsakes the steeple, when the evening breezes fan, Look across the last ray slanting, purple mist your eyes enchanting; Are we flowers or fairy people ? You may answer, if you can! Many a night-moth flits before us; gayest laughter follows after; (^Laughter behind the scenes.) 15 THE FAIRY CHANGELING Bees belated blunder o'er us; whippoor- wills send warning cries. When you hear our airy whistles, down that's blowing off from thistles, {Whistles behind the scences.) You may deem us, you may dream us — but the sunset 's in your eyes ! From the roses faint and heavy, softly stoop- ing, swiftly trooping. From the brambles in a bevy, from the blossoms, from the bells, Whether it is pansies springing, whether it is bluebirds winging. Or canary-bird flowers singing, is a thing white magic tells ! {The Fairies are still dancing when the Rose-Sprite separates from them, comes forward, and sings.) i6 THE NIGHT-MOTH THE FAIRY CHANGELING Rose-Sprite. (No. 2.) Air: "She wore a rose In her hair." — George Osgood. All day I slept In the rose, And I hardly know myself — So sweet is the breath that blows — If I be flower or elf. {The Rose-Sprite whirls back among the others, and the Night-Moth steals forward, and sings to the same air.) Night-Moth. (No. 3.) I curled in the lily's cup The livelong summer day, Till she folded her petals up. And I slipped like the dew away. {As the NiGHT-MoTH slides back, Bee's-Wings comes swiftly zigzag- ing across, pauses, and sings.) 19 THE FAIRY CHANGELING Bees'-Wings. (No. 4.) Air: "If I were king.''— A dolphe Adam. (Beginning at second bar, singing nine bars, omitting the next twenty-five, singing four, omitting all the rest. ) I was just a big brown bee, Buzzing home, hey, nonny, nonny ! When the fairies captured me. Stole my sting, and kept my honey I {Runs off.) Chorus of Fairies {With mischievous glee.) He was just a bim-bome-bim, Buzzing home, hey, nonny, nonny ! When the fairies captured him. Stole his sting, and kept his honey ! {The dance continues, the Fairies swinging one another, moving in and out, and Flitter-Flutter floats for- ward, singing.) 20 BEE S-WINGS THE FAIRY CHANGELING Flitter- Flutter. (No. 5.) Air: Trio, 'Tvery journey has an end." — lolanthe. No. 8, Act. II. Flittering, fluttering out of the sky, Primrose-petal or butterfly. Flittering off on the wind I go. Wherever its soft breath cares to blow. {Floats back.) Fairy Chorus {Blowing kisses into the air.) Flittering, fluttering, off she goes, Wherever the fragrant south wind blows. {The Fairies join hands, and run in a ringj leaving out Day-Dream, wh ^ '^ " "^ — ^ W to Fair - y - land, we 've found it! L — W '^ ^ ^ — -5 ^ * ^- Dust - y, must - y cob - webs on - ly, wea - ry, drear - y gar - rets bound it! - U ^ ■ * k i^ • - V * 3g= When otir lit - tie moth - ers lost us, in the cor - ners where they tost us, m ' 'J t ■ ' ? b - J— J J =q i^ ^ *- ~ All our hearts were broken, and our heads were, tool ss THE FAIRY CHANGELING Oh, had they kissed us, had they missed us, t would as . sist us in our trav - el ! f S Queer -ly, cheer - ly we would twist us # F (iT^ as the cu - rious paths un - rav - el. Fair - y ways are hard and hoi - low ^^ if when you have no nose to fol - low. — One foot gone.and gone theeyes that were soblue. {As they withdrew, the LosT Toys come limping on, singing.) 55 WAKE-ROBIN THE FAIRY CHANGELING (No. 23.) Air: "Virginia Reel." When the days are quite canicular, And the sunshine perpendicular, If you are at all particular, Your should go to Fairyland. There's moonlight there to tease you, and There's strawberry-ice to freeze you, and You think of what would please you, and It's yours, in Fairyland! For no one cares a scrapple there With any task to grapple there; In your mouth the very apple there Drops, when in Fairyland. You never need articulate A wish, but just gesticulate. When once you do matriculate Inside of Fairyland ! 59 THE FAIRY CHANGELING (They stagger off, and the music changes, and soon in the distance is heard ''Annie Rooney." Little Jo, who hase been sitting, whispering to Little Mignonette, in the center of the scene, turns and listens, presently hums, and at the right point sings.) Little Jo. (N. 24.) Air: The chorus of "Annie Rooney." She's my airy, fairy, oh, She's my darhng, I'm her Jo; Soon we'll vanish, won't we, pet? Little — little — {Speaks) Little — {Looks about wonderingly, and exclaims) Dear me! that sounds familiar; I've heard that strain before — In some other star, perhaps. On some other shore. 60 MARIGOLD THE FAIRY CHANGELING It seems to me that really — {With recognition.) Oh, they play It on the square, They play it in the parlor. They play it everywhere ! (Little Mignongette turns entirely round, still sitting, and stares amazed at him.) But whatever has become of me? {With surprise.) They've changed me ! I've got wings ! {With fear.) What in the world these waggles are — {With anger.) There they go, the horrid things ! {Tears off his antennae.) (Little Mignonette makes off in ter- ror.) I can^t be some one else, you know — {Bewildered.) 63 THE FAIRY CHANGELING I've dreamed some dream or other — Why — don't you see — I'm all outdoors — {With alarm.) Oh, I want to see my mother ! {The Fairies, who have been in the background, moving about restlessly, and then creeping forward, now sing mockingly.) Fairies {in chorus). (No. 25.) Air: Same as No. 7. Ha, ha, ha, some dream or other ! Oh, he wants to see his mother! Little Jo {Crying loudly and beseechingly). Oh, you voices ! Oh, you people ! Oh, how cruel is your joy! I don't want to be a fairy ! {With exasperation.) I would rather be a boy ! Fairies {Angrily). (No. 26.) Air: Same as No. 5. 64 jack-o'-lantern THE FAIRY CHANGELING He'll destroy all our joy — He would rather be a boy! Little Jo. Mother, help me ! Help me, Honour ! What in the world am I to do? Oh, you know I love you so — Come unfalry me! Boohoo ! Fairies {Wringing their hands). (No. 27.) Air: Same as No. 7. What in the world are we to do? We canU unf airy him ! Boohoo ! Bees'-Wings. Buzz ! White Owlet. Tu-whoo! {Melancholy music in the distance.) Chorus of Fairies {Dejectedly). (No. 28.) Air: '"The Lorelei."— FnV^nV/z 5/7- cher. (Repeat the first nine bars for the sec- ond stanza, and then continue for the third.) We cannot stay where tears are; They melt us quite away Into the bubble's breaking wreath And the water-gleam's pale ray. 67 THE FAIRY CHANGELING Oh, call, oh, call our lady ! Call with your weirdest rune, Call to the star-swale on the sea. And the halo round the moon. {All kneel, having softly surrounded Little Jo in a ring as they sang. A grown-up and beautiful figure, the Fairy-Lady^ appears, pauses, extends her arms a moment toward the implor- ing Fairies, and passes while they con- tinue singing.) O Sovereign of the World of Dreams, Reverse the spell, and then Great Fairy, make this Changeling Only a boy again ! {As they separate, on arising. Little Jo, in his nightgown, is seen lying asleep in the foreground. The NiGHT-MoTH comes stealing across the scene, singing as she moves.) 68 QUAKER LADY THE FAIRY CHANGELING Night-Moth. (No. 29.) Air: "I can not tell what this love may be." — Patience. (Nine and a half bars). Vanishing into the sunset bars, Sister of mystical wings and of stars, When twilight kindles a silver spark I must go — vanishing into the dark. {As she disappears, the Rose-Sprite en- ters from the other side droopingly, and passes, singing to the same air.) Rose-Sprite. (No. 30.) Soon I shall fail, I shall faint, I shall die. As the color fades from the evening sky; Life were too lovely ever to close If never, if never, one lost the rose. Fairies' Chorus {Led by the Rose-Sprite and the NiGHT-MoTH, who reappear). (No. 31.) Air: Same as No. 15. 71 THE FAIRY CHANGELING Where the Will-o'-the-Wisp takes flight, And the Firefly skims with the Shooting- Star, Where the light of other days burns bright. And the yesterdays and to-morrows are, Where the Elfin Knight rides, always young, Over the fields where the wild oats grow. To the tune of the songs that never were sung, Into Fairyland we must go ! Into Fairyland we must go! Into Fairyland, etc. Bees'-Wings. Buzz ! White Owlet. Tu-whoo! (Exit Fairies.) Honour {Running on, picking up Little Jo, speaks). 72 HONOUR, THE MAID monk's-hood THE FAIRY CHANGELING Oh, Master Jo, I am that quaking! For when I found ye gone, me heart was breaking! Sure, It's the lad's own luck that Honour found ye Before the little fairy people bound ye ! Little Jo {Half looking up, as if talking in his sleep, speaks). I thought I saw them. Honour, didn't you? (Exit in Honour's arms.) Voice of Chanticleer (In the distance). Cock-a-doodle-do ! ( Curtain. ) JUL 8 1910 One copy del. to Cat. Div. I- 6 ^'ih.