Black Witch (following a few steps) Fly, fly! Let not your footsteps laggard be. Capture them and, returning hence, let their bones and flesh serve but to fill the pot. (Turns toward kettle, chuckling with glee.) Oh, ho, ho! Ah, ha, ha! Two fairy messengers to grace the witch’s brew. Fine will be the scent as their bones are burned and flesh is boiled into the stew! (Turning) Erebus and Noctis, fail me not!
(Enter Erebus and Noctis returning from chase empty handed, from back of stage.)
Black Witch Didst let them escape thee, dull imps?
Erebus and Noctis (heads hanging) Aye, dread mother.
Black Witch (Beating Erebus and Noctis about shoulders with rod) Stupid dullards! Worthless laggards! See that ye fail me not again! (Indignant) Come with me and gather ’round the cauldron.
(They move over to kettle and take positions around it. Black Witch makes passes with rod and at signal from Black Witch all three chant chorus of incantation song. The solo stanzas of this song, also the chorus are to be droned out in a slow, sing-song chant, no particular tune or melody desired. Make it as weirdly unmusical and inharmonious as possible, but let the words “get across” distinctly.)
Chorus (Black Witch, Erebus and Noctis, while moving around the kettle circling slowly.)
We’re watching the pot and it’s going to boil;
The air will get hot and this region will spoil,
But that matters not for we brew witches’ oil.
(Stop circling. Black Witch waves rod. She reaches over and fingers the head of Erebus, tosses hand toward cauldron. Repeats process with Noctis. The three immediately resume circling around kettle while Black Witch sings first stanza in solo.)