SCENE I
[Enter Uncle.]
Uncle. Oh, I am a bold, bad man,
And I have a bold, bad plan.
Now mind what you're about,
Just watch and see how I carry it out!
For I am a bold, bad man,
And I have a bold, bad plan.
[He beckons, and from either side, in cloaks and masks, and armed with daggers, enter Remorseless Fiends.]
Fiends. Two remorseless fiends are we,
As anybody can see.
When a deed of blood's to do,
Just send for us and we'll carry it through;
For remorseless fiends are we,
As anybody can see.
[Uncle gives them gold, in bags, and indicates stabbing. They express comprehension. Dance. Curtain.]
SCENE II:
Wood
[Enter Fiends, dragging Babes. They threaten to kill them, but are disarmed by their pleading; they weep, and sing.]
Fiends. Two remorseless fiends are we,
As anybody can see.
But even for a villain
There may come a time when Barkis ain't willin',
Though remorseless fiends are we,
As anybody can see.
[Dance and exeunt.]
Babes. We are poor little babes in the wood,
And we've tried all the week to be good.
But they've gone and left us here,
And we really think it's a little bit queer,
For we're poor little babes in the wood,
And we've tried all the week to be good.
[They lie down and die.]
[Enter Robin, hopping.]
Robin. I'm a tender-hearted robin,
And this sad scene sets me sobbin'.
So, to give my heart relief,
I will cover them up with a little green leaf,
Like a tender-hearted robin,
Whom this sad scene sets a-sobbin'.
[Covers Babes with leaves, and exit.]
[Curtain]
[Curtain rises again on all the performers, who sing]
We are campers [or “comrades”] bold and true,
And we've made this play for you.
And if you like it not,
Let us see you make a better one on the spot,
For we're campers [or “comrades”] bold and true,
And we've made this play for you.
[Dance and Curtain.]
Footnotes:
[1] May be left out of cast without interfering with action.
[2] May be left out of cast without interfering with action.
[3] May be left out of cast without interfering with action.
[4] Mountains, plains, and valleys in the Moon.
[5] Mountains, plains, and valleys in the Moon.
[6] Mountains, plains, and valleys in the Moon.
[7] These speeches can be divided and assigned to different fairies.
Transcriber’s Notes:
The illustrations have been moved so that they do not break up paragraphs and so that they are next to the text they illustrate.
Typographical and punctuation errors have been silently corrected.