Harper's Round Table, April 28, 1896

by Various

A MAY-DAY PLAY.

BY CAROLINE A. CREEVEY AND MARGARET E. SANGSTER.

Characters:

Queen of the May.

First Maid of Honor.

Second Maid of Honor.

First May-pole Dancer (girl).

Second May-pole Dancer (boy).

Third May-pole Dancer (girl).

Fourth May-pole Dancer (boy).

The Philosopher (boy).

The Drummer-boy.

The Messenger-boy.

First Guest (girl).

Second Guest (boy).

Clerk of the Winds and Showers.

Robin Hood.

Maid Marian.

First Hunter.

Second Hunter.

Titania.

Calla-Lily.

Rosemary.

Sweet-William.

Scene.—A lawn or field. Upon a small raised platform a chair covered with green (the throne) is placed. A drum is heard in the distance. It approaches, and appears upon the stage. Behind the Drummer-Boy in procession march the May-Queen, Maids of Honor, May-pole Dancers, Guests, Philosopher, Messenger. They march two or three times around the stage.

Drummer-Boy. Here our long march ends. My lady Queen, behold your rustic throne. Be pleased to grace it, and rest yourself.

Queen. But I am not your Queen yet. I have no crown.

Philosopher. Madam, 'twere wise to secure your throne. A crown is an empty honor. Better a throne without a crown than a crown without a throne.

Queen. But, sweet sir, may I not have them both?

First Guest. Lady, thou mayst. Had I a thousand crowns to give, they should be thine.

Philosopher. Pity of the head with the weight of a thousand crowns upon it. Under one, the neck is often sorely bent.

Queen. There thou art right. One is enough for most mortals. But one I fain would have.

First Maid of Honor. Dear Queen, thy crown is here. Trust me, it has not been forgotten. My sister and I will lightly place it on thy brow.

[The two Maids of Honor hold a wreath over the head of the Queen, who kneels.]

First Maid of Honor } (in concert).

Second Maid of Honor }

We crown thee Queen of May.
Rule gently, fairest maid;
Let flowers strew thy way
On hill and glen and glade.

[The Maids of Honor lead the Queen to her throne, and sit on the platform at her feet. Others sit on the grass or stand about her.]

Messenger-Boy (presents a sceptre).

Take this sceptre, gracious lady,
Hold it with imperial sway.
We are watching, only anxious
All your bidding to obey.

Queen (accepting).

The sceptre is a trust indeed;
I'll bear it lightly as a flower;
And yet no wand like this I need,
So much I trust your hearts this hour.

First Guest. Truly a gracious Queen!

Second Guest. One worthy of the day and the lovely spring.

Queen. Most true and loyal subjects, it is our will that you pass a merry holiday. Leave care behind. Let no one dare to frown. Let all be generous and mirthful. And first let the May-pole dancers come forward. Know ye where a May-pole grows—tall, straight, beautiful?

All the May-pole Dancers. We know.

Queen. Fetch one, then, right soon. See that it be gorgeously bedecked with flowers and greens and waving streamers. (Exeunt May-pole dancers.) And now we desire to secure a fair day. Come hither, Messenger. Take our love to the Clerk of the Winds and Showers, and beseech his attendance at our May-day festival.

Philosopher. Thou must mount to the top of the weather bureau. 'Tis a tall place and hard to climb.

Messenger. I can climb. I go then to bid the Clerk of the Winds and Showers to be thy guest. [Exit.]

Queen. And while we wait, let our Master Philosopher here propose us riddles.

Philosopher. What is the first flower of the spring?

First Maid of Honor. Call'st thou that a riddle?

Philosopher. Canst answer?

First Maid of Honor. Not I.

Second Maid of Honor. Nor I.

Queen. Go, then, search and find. Shame upon us if we cannot answer his riddle. (Exeunt Maids of Honor.) And now another, sir, if it please you.

Philosopher. What is the first bird that comes from the south and sings to the north in spring?

First Guest. Why, that is no better than the other.

Philosopher. Canst answer it?

First Guest. Not I.

Second Guest. Nor I.

Queen. Haste, then, fair Guests, go to the forests and find out. Do not let these riddles go unanswered.

[Exeunt Guests.]

Philosopher. And now I would ask thy Drummer-Boy a riddle.

Queen. Thou mayst ask. Attend, sirrah.

Philosopher. Where maketh the bumblebee his nest?

Drummer-Boy. I think in the hollow of a tree.

Queen. Go, child, find the bumblebee's nest, and answer his riddle.

Philosopher. But look not in hollow trees.

[Exit Drummer-Boy.]

Queen. Knowest thou thyself the answers to thine own riddles?

Philosopher. Madam, a true philosopher finds riddles everywhere, but the answers are harder to get.

Queen. Then thou knowest them not. Fie! a child can ask questions.

Philosopher. And a fool can answer them. What would your Majesty for a riddle? A play upon words or a silly question? Nay, then, ask not me for riddles.

[A distant horn is heard.]

Queen. Who comes hither? If friends, Sir Philosopher, we will proffer our hospitality. If foes, why, then, we would best retreat. (Enter two Hunters.) Good-day, sirs. Come ye to grace our May-day festival, or do ye come to disturb our holiday?

First Hunter. Fair Queen, we had forgot that 'tis the first of May. We were bent on duty stern. But far be it from us to mar the pleasure of the Queen of May.

Second Hunter. We marvel that she seems to celebrate in a lone fashion, saving only this old man to attend her.

Philosopher. Old man, sayest thou?

Second Hunter. Old, I said. Thou art not toothless nor blind, but wise, if I mistake not; and how canst thou be wise and not old?

Philosopher. I take no offence. But, sir, I dare say thee now, thou art older than I.

Second Hunter. It may be. I too am old. We are all old beside thy lovely Queen.

Queen. A flatterer. But what is thy stern duty of which thou didst speak?

First Hunter. Our chief hath lost his lady. She did but walk by herself awhile, and hath disappeared. He, her husband, is disconsolate.

Queen. Who is this bereft husband?

First Hunter. The renowned Prince of the woods—no less a person than Robin Hood.

Queen. Ay, we have heard of Robin Hood.

Philosopher. And the lost lady is?

First Hunter. Maid Marian.

Queen. Well, indeed! We sorrow greatly for the Prince. But will not your lord grace our May-day feast with his presence? (To Philosopher.) This is a rare opportunity. We have long wished to see this renowned Robin.

Philosopher. The Queen invites Sir Robin Hood to her feast. Will it please you to find him and bring him hither?

First Hunter. That we will, right gladly.

Queen. And come yourselves.

Both Hunters. Thanks, Queen. We will. [Exeunt.]

Queen. Now if only Maid Marian could be found.

Enter Messenger with Clerk of the Winds and Showers.

Clerk of the Winds and Showers (dropping on one knee). Your Majesty, thanks for your courtesy. It gives me much pleasure to attend your May-day festival.

Queen. Gracious sir, thou honorest us by coming. What is the outlook for the weather?

Clerk of the Winds and Showers. Madam, there is a disturbance in the Barbadoes travelling slowly northward. The storm over the lakes is concentrating its energy along the fiftieth parallel of latitude. It will reach Hudson Bay to-morrow evening. Stationary temperature prevails in the Gulf, cloudy to partly cloudy weather, with high barometer, on the Pacific coast.

Queen. Sir Philosopher, do you make out a pleasant afternoon?

Philosopher. Nay, ask me no weather questions. They are riddles which no man can make out.

Queen. We would we knew if the sun would hold till nightfall.

Clerk of the Winds and Showers. A violent electric disturbance is noticeable around the north pole.

Philosopher. May it shake the north pole to its imperilling. Fellow, why canst thou not give our Queen a straight answer? Will it rain to-day?

Clerk of the Winds and Showers. I have given thee the morning bulletins, and thou mayst gather for thyself—that is, if thy wits be not already gone a wool-gathering.

Queen. No disrespect. I pray thee. We will hope for the best.

Enter May-pole Dancers and Maid Marian.

First May-pole Dancer. Hail, fair Queen! We bring thee a fine pole, tall, straight, well bedecked, as thou didst desire.

Queen. You have indeed found a pretty pole. We will ourself join in a dance around it. But whom hast thou here? What stranger lady?

Second May-pole Dancer. Dear Queen, this is a lost damsel. She hath become separated from her friends. So we asked her to join our merrymaking, and forget for a time her woes.

Queen (to Philosopher). Mayhap this is the lost maid. I will speak to her. Dear lady, who art thou, and why art thou astray in these woods?

Maid Marian. Fair Queen, I am called Maid Marian, but in truth I am the lawful wife of Robin Hood, of whom your Majesty may have heard. I was taking a stroll by myself in the woods, and missed my way, so that I could not return.

Queen. Thou art young to be a wife; but I counsel thee not to mourn. Enjoy thyself with us, and it is possible thy husband may find thee. Thou art our honored guest.

Maid Marian. Thanks, madam. Could I forget him whom I have lost here in your sweet company, I could be well content.

[The May-pole Dancers set up the pole, and, catching the streamers, dance around it.]

May-pole Dancers.

Merrily, merrily round and round
We dance for the purest pleasure;
Cheerily, cheerily o'er the ground
We tread to a joyful measure.
Happily, happily here we pass,
And the blue sky bending o'er us,
Tenderly, tenderly, clear as glass,
Lists to our lilting chorus.

Queen. That is well danced and sung. But here come our Maids of Honor, and with them pretty children.

Enter Maids of Honor, Titania, Calla-Lily, Rosemary, Sweet-William.

First Maid of Honor. Dear Queen, we have sought far and near for the answer to the Philosopher's riddle. We bring thee several early spring flowers; but now they are blooming all together, how can we tell which was first?

Second Maid of Honor. And as we were looking we found these sweet wood-fairies, and have asked them to join in our mirth to-day.

Queen. Right glad am I to welcome you, sweet wood-fairies. How may we call you?

Titania.

Call us elves and trolls and fays,
Call us friends who love you dear;
Down beneath the tree-roots for you
We are spinning all the year.
Right gladly I will stay awhile,
And bask within the May-Queen's smile,
But soon I'll have to flit away;
The fairy Queen not long can stay.

Calla-Lily.

I bring grace and Parian whiteness,
Where I bloom is loveliest brightness.

Rosemary.

For remembrance, Queen, am I;
Let me in your bosom lie.

Sweet-William.

I am always your true knight;
I will serve you at your will;
Always ready, brave, and steady,
Sweet and cheery still.

Queen. It is well. And now shall we learn about the flowers?

First Maid of Honor. Here are what we have found—anemones, wind-flowers, saxifrages, red columbines.

Second Maid of Honor. Claytonias, beauties of spring, and violets soft and yellow.

[They throw the flowers in the Queen's lap.]

Queen. Are these the first?

Calla-Lily.

Deep in the shadow, where the pine-trees grow,
I found the sweet arbutus, it will blow
Where brown leaves lie; you push them soft away,
There, shy and pink, the darling flowerets stay.

Rosemary.

Blood-root and anemone,
These, fair Queen, my gifts to thee.

Sweet-William.

I know you love the graceful ferns,
The slender maiden-hair;
They seem to suit your style, my Queen,
So innocent and fair.

Titania.

Hepaticas, blue-bells, and buttercups sweet
I will weave a rich carpet to lay at your feet.
And the sweet nodding grasses and dear blushing clover
One day I'll make ready for you to step over;
But the first and the coyest of all the sweet flowers
Is hepatica, favorite of spring's early hours.

Philosopher. Right art thou, Titania. The first and the sweetest flower of spring is the hepatica. (Enter two Guests.) And now methinks we shall hear the reading of the second riddle. Our Guests have returned.

Queen. We are glad to welcome you again. Tell us then, what is the bird that first comes from the south and sings to the north?

First Guest. The woods are full of birds, and how can we tell which came first?

Second Guest. There are sparrows and finches, red-polls, warblers, brown thrushes, and cheery bobolinks. Each one we asked, "Wert thou the first?" and they but cocked their funny little heads one side and warbled sweet notes. How could we tell what they said?

Calla-Lily.

You have to learn bird language
And live among the dears,
And really to know them well
Would take a hundred years.

Titania.

Song-sparrows and robins and bluebirds bring luck
In the very first dawn of the spring.

Queen. Here, then, we have thy second riddle answered.

Sweet-William.

If the mortals choose to look,
Open eyes all secrets read;
Nature's page is but a book,
Never sealed to those who read.

Enter Hunters and Robin Hood.

Maid Marian (rushing into Robin Hood's arms). Oh, my Robin! I truly had thought never to see thy face again, and now thou comest to me.

Robin Hood. Poor little lass! Thou wast hunting for me and I for thee. Didst thou not hear these fellows' horns?

Maid Marian. My ears were closed with fright and grief. But I will present thee to the lovely May-Queen, and do thou, Robin, kneel and kiss her hand after thy most knightly fashion.

Robin Hood. Gracious Queen, thou shalt reckon me one of thy loyal knights and true subjects.

Queen. Our thanks, brave Robin. You shall grace our merrymaking. (Enter Drummer-Boy, crying.) But now we hear a sound that comports not with merrymaking. What ails thee, child?

Drummer-Boy. Madam, do not let Mr. Philosopher send me on more riddle-reading. Truly I have met with many mishaps, yet the bumblebee's nest found I not. I spied a hole in a tree. With much ado I climbed to it and thrust my hand within. Something bit me sorely, so that I cried out with pain and hastened to slide down. A squirrel's saucy eyes peered at me from the hole. Then I would fain have pelted her with a stone, but that she withdrew quickly within her hole.

Rosemary (picking a leaf). Boy, give me thy hand. So, I will bind it in this leaf, and the wound will quickly heal. Doubtless the squirrel hath young ones, and looked upon thee as an intruder.

Philosopher. Said I not to thee, look not in hollow trees?

Drummer-Boy. Too late I remembered that. Well, I wandered on, and soon I saw what I took to be a bumblebee. I followed him till he came to a fence-post, and I saw him enter a little hole. "Here I have him!" said I, and I gave the post vigorous knocks to make him come forth. He did, indeed, and his fellows with him, and I was well stung for my pains.

Calla-Lily. What kind of a bee was it that stung thee?

Drummer-Boy. A long thin black body had he, and it concealed a wicked needle.

Calla-Lily. Thou hast been stung by a mason-wasp. I have some ointment that will take away the pain, and thou shalt anon forget thy adventures.

Drummer-Boy. The pain is gone already.

Titania. Come here, and I will whisper the answer to the riddle. [Whispers.]

Drummer-Boy. The bumblebee maketh her nest in the ground. She diggeth a long narrow hole, layeth her egg, placeth beside it a lump of pollen and honey, then closeth that cell, and maketh another over it, providing food for the grub in like manner, then closeth that cell, and so on till all her eggs are laid.

Philosopher. Well said, boy. Thou hast found a rare teacher.

Queen. A gracious teacher, surely. And now shall we gather for the dance?

Robin Hood. It were well, my Queen, to proceed with the merrymaking. I see a darkening of the sky in the west, and fear a shower later on.

Queen (to Clerk of the Winds and Showers). Sir, how is that? Did we not desire thee to keep the skies bright?

Clerk of the Winds and Showers. There are signs of wet. The barometer is falling, the wind is shifting. But I will telephone to the weather bureau. The storm may be diverted to another quarter. [Exit.]

Queen. We hope he may succeed. Take partners all and form the dance.

[The May-pole Dancers go about and form the figure for the dance. Queen and Robin Hood, Maid Marian and Philosopher, Titania and Sweet-William, Calla-Lily and Messenger, Rosemary and Second Guest, First Maid of Honor and First Hunter, Second Maid of Honor and Second Hunter, First Guest and Drummer-Boy, First and Second May-pole Dancers, Third and Fourth May-pole Dancers. They march and dance around the pole, singing:]

We dance for love of moving,
Our hearts are light and free;
What joy in pleasant May-time
It is alive to be,
When buds are fast unrolling,
And birds are on the bough,
And all the world is stepping
To merry music now!
We dance, because we cannot
Walk soberly and slow
When round the flowery May-pole
We're moving to and fro.

Enter Clerk of the Winds and Showers.

Clerk of the Winds and Showers. Hasten, Queen, and ye merry men and maidens all. The storm cometh. It is at my heels. I have tried, but could not keep it back. Lightning flashes, thunder rolls. The May-day merrymaking must cease.

Queen. Alas! where shall we fly for shelter?

Maid Marian. Are we so far from our house in the woods, Robin dear?

Robin Hood. No, not far. We may go thither and be safe. It is a rustic place, madam, but not a drop shall fall on thy fair head, so we reach it anon. Huntsmen, take your partners and lead the way. Bid prepare a supper for these friends, and we will follow.

[Exeunt Hunters and partners.]

Queen. So the hospitality is from thee, and not from us. Oh, fie! my Clerk of Winds and Showers! Why couldst thou not make the sun shine till we had finished our dance?

Philosopher. Grieve not for that which cannot be cured. Meet disappointment with a smiling face, and you turn it into good fortune.

First Maid of Honor. Will it not be in the way of pleasant adventure to visit the abode of Robin Hood?

Queen. You are right. It will make our day the merrier. And after the storm there may be time to tread another dance before we go to our homes. Follow, all, and let us run a race with the gathering clouds.

[Exeunt omnes, except Clerk of the Winds and Showers.]

Clerk of the Winds and Showers. Curious. That's the fifth time the weather bureau has had it wrong this week. That storm now, in the lake region. It should have passed to the north. There was no word sent to us of "local showers." Think I'll take a dance around the pole myself. (Dances.) It seems to be growing lighter. That shower is not coming here, after all. See, it is passing by to the north. They will come back and have another dance. And they will thank me for my good offices in their behalf. After all, the weather reports are occasionally correct.