SCENE I
Interior of Fairy Queen’s Palace.
Music: “Christmas Bells.”
Discovered, Fairy Queen, Thomas Page, Billy Bundy, Tiny Tim, Flossie Fixit, Elf Gossip, Extra Fairies, including [if desired] Mary Mixit and Johnnie Jumpup.
All the Little Fairies dancing around Queen suddenly stop as Santa Claus outside, knocks on the door and rings bells.
Thomas Page. I hear a knock at the door—and bells! Oh, it must be Santa Claus!
All the Little Fairies. It is, it is Santa Claus!
Queen. Tiny Tim, let him in.
Tiny Tim [runs to the door and opens it]. Come in, Santa Claus. We are very glad to see you.
Santa Claus. How are you, Tiny Tim? May I see the Queen?
Santa advances as the Queen extends her wand in welcome.
Music: “Holly and Mistletoe.”
Santa and Queen dance together. The Little Fairies again form ring around them and all dance. Queen raises her wand and the ring breaks. Queen and Santa dance out of the ring and exit into the garden. The Little Fairies stop dancing, and curtsey “Good-bye.” A knock is heard on the door.
Thomas Page. Oh, somebody else is coming! I wonder who it is this time?
Tiny Tim ushers in a tall, dignified young man.
Young Man [bows to them all]. I am a messenger from the President of the United States.
All the Fairies. Oh, Mr. Messenger, we are so glad to see you. [They all shake hands with him.]
Young Man. What is the matter here? The little children all over the world are wondering if Christmas is going to be late. There are no Christmas trees growing, no holly or turkeys.
Thomas Page. Santa Claus is madly in love with the Fairy Queen, and he and the Queen have forgotten their Christmas duties. I propose that we break up this love affair.
Billy Bundy. Why doesn’t your President, as Commander in Chief of the United States Army, order troops out to bring Santa Claus to time?
Messenger. That’s just what I’ll ask him to do.
Flossie Fixit. Oh, don’t. He’s not really bad. I suggest that you, Mr. Messenger, allow us to transform you into a fairy prince, so you can win the Queen’s hand in marriage. When Santa Claus recovers from the shock, he’ll be glad enough to attend to his Christmas duties.
All the Fairies. Oh, how delightful!
Messenger. Why, have you no fairy princes already in fairy land?
Thomas Page. None of them are handsome enough or big enough to suit the Queen.
Messenger. And you think I will meet those requirements? You really want me to stay and win the Queen’s hand in marriage? The only problem is my poor old mother, who lives all alone and will wonder what has become of me.
Flossie Fixit. We will look after her.
All the Fairies [sing and dance].
Song
[Air: “Auld Lang Syne.”]
We give you a merry welcome, young man,
In the name of the Fairy Queen,
We’ll transform you to a fairy prince,
Before your face is seen.
We want you to love our Fairy Queen,
And win her hand in marriage.
You’re handsome enough and tall enough,
And have a dignified carriage.
Messenger [sings].
All right, all right, I’ll win the Queen,
I’ll win her love, I’ll win her hand.
Transform me into a fairy prince,
The fairest in the land.
All the Fairies [sing and dance].
We transform you to a fairy prince,
The prince of princes, handsome.
We’ll take you then to see the Queen,
But first you’ll have to dance some.
Fairies continue dancing around Messenger a while.
Messenger [sings and dances].
We’ll dance and sing together,
A fairy prince a-making,
And then I’ll dance with the Fairy Queen,
Her hand and heart a-taking.
All dance and sing, repeating this, a while.
Thomas Page pulls off his Messenger’s long coat and carries it away. Flossie Fixit takes off his hat. Gossip puts on him a fairy prince’s hat, and Billy Bundy puts on him a fairy prince’s jacket. Messenger stands complete as a Fairy Prince. Queen enters. She is astonished to see the Prince. Prince bows gracefully. All the Fairies bowing, exit. Queen graciously extends her wand to Prince.
Prince. Lovely Queen of the Fairies, I have come to win you as my wife. [He kneels.]
[Queen extends her hand. Prince takes it in his own and kisses it, cavalier fashion.]
Queen [lifts him to his feet]. But I have about promised to marry Santa Claus. I love him because he is so good.
Prince [pleadingly]. But I am young and handsome.
Queen. Beauty is in the eye, and old age gives wisdom.
Prince. There is no fool like an old fool.
Queen [smiles, but speaks earnestly]. Santa Claus has no follies except his love for me.
Prince. Queen of my heart, listen to me. Some day you will want a fairy heir to the throne. So you must have a fairy husband.
Queen. Why, Santa is just a big fairy!
Prince. I beg your pardon—Santa is not a fairy. Santa Claus is human. [With this he places on her lips a very tender kiss. That kiss has magic power.]
Music: “Valentine Song.”
Queen’s breast heaves with delight and the spirit of youth and an almost childish happiness takes possession of her. Queen and Prince dance out of the room into the garden.
Gossip enters with old Santa. She takes him where he can look into the garden. Santa Claus looks much surprised and disappointed.
Gossip. Aw! Forget it!
Santa Claus. I suppose love making belongs to youth and to fairies, but not to saints.
Flossie Fixit [entering]. Forget your troubles by making other people happy. All the little children in the world are looking to you for a beautiful Christmas.
Santa Claus [bravely]. That’s so. I had forgotten. I will go right home now where I belong and get the toys and things ready. [Exit.]
Billy Bundy [entering]. Now that you have got Santa Claus down to business, what will you do to get the Queen to do her part? She told us never to interrupt her when a guest is present unless it is a matter of life and death.
Flossie Fixit. I’ll show you. [Exit.]
[Returns with Thomas Page, a telegram in his hand.]
Prince and Queen enter, much absorbed in each other. Thomas Page hands telegram to Prince.
Prince [reads aloud the telegram]. “Come quickly. The house is on fire. I will be burned up if you do not rescue me. Mother.”
Queen. You must fly—at once!
Prince. Oh, my poor Mother! [Gazing into the face of the Queen.] But how can I leave you?
Queen. You must—and quickly!
Exit Prince hurriedly, waving “Good-bye” to Queen.
Queen. Let all the fairies go with him and help him put out the fire except Flossie Fixit, Billy Bundy and Thomas Page.
Fairies exit, Mary Mixit and Johnnie Jumpup leading. Queen becomes absorbed in thought and does not see Santa Claus enter and, unobserved, exit dolefully.
Santa Claus [at doorway to Flossie Fixit]. Her thoughts are with the Prince. We dare not disturb her. I have the toys and gifts all ready, but how are we to get the Queen to make the trees and holly and turkeys grow?
Flossie Fixit. Leave it to us.
Santa Claus exit.
Gossip [at doorway, to Flossie]. I will tell everybody the prince was burned up in the fire.
Flossie Fixit. Don’t let Santa Claus know. He won’t be a party to any mischief.
Gossip exit and re-enter, talking in low voice to Flossie. Queen anxiously awaits the Prince’s return. Goes to the door, watching for him.
Flossie Fixit [with Gossip walks across the room to where the Queen has been standing. She picks up the Queen’s wand and waves it back and forth three times, saying]. This will put the prince into a deep sleep.
Queen [seeing Gossip and Flossie Fixit talking]. What are you people talking about? Have you had any news about the Prince? [Flossie Fixit appears afraid to tell.]
Queen. Tell me.
Flossie Fixit. I hear he was burned up in the fire and all the little fairies who went with him.
Queen. Billy Bundy and Thomas Page, find out if this is true.
Billy Bundy and Thomas Page exit and reappear a few moments later.
Billy Bundy. I cannot find out where the Prince lives, but everybody says he and the fairies who went with him were all burned up in the fire.
Thomas Page. We have searched everywhere and all we hear is that he was burned up in the fire.
[Queen, in despair, weeps, wringing her hands. Peers out of the window, then leans her head sobbing on the window casement.]
Billy Bundy [aside to Flossie Fixit]. This is no joke. What have you done? The poor Queen may die or go mad. If that is a false report, the one who started the lie deserves himself to be burned up in the fire. Lying is never right.
Thomas Page. It is only a proof of our stupidity.
Music: “Lady Autumn.”
Billy Bundy [exit and soon returns with Santa Claus, whom he ushers up to the Queen]. Santa Claus, we are afraid the Queen will die. Won’t you try to comfort her?
Santa Claus lays a gentle hand on the Queen’s shoulder. Shows her the greatest sympathy.
Queen [takes refuge in Santa’s comforting old arms. She says finally]. I love you, Santa. I will marry you.
Music: “Santa Claus Land.”
CURTAIN