King: I will do that! (Stands up.) I swear
by the oath my people swear by, the seven things
common to us all; by sun and moon; sea and dew;
wind and water; the hours of the day and night,
I will give you in marriage and in wedlock to the
first man that will come into the house!

Princess: (Shrinking as from a blow.) It is the
Queen has done this.

Queen: I will give you out the reason, and
see will you put blame on me or praise!

Nurse: Oh, let you stop and not draw it down
upon her!

Queen: It is right for me to tell it; it is true
telling! You not to be married and wed by this
day twelvemonth, there will be a terrible thing
happen you ...

Nurse: Be quiet! Don't you see Fintan himself
looking in the window!

King: Fintan! What is it bring you here
on this day?

Fintan: (A very old man in strange clothes at
window.)
What brings me is to put my curse
upon the whole tribe of kitchen boys that are gone
and vanished out of this, without bringing me my
request, that was a bit of rendered lard that would
limber the swivel of my spy-glass, that is clogged
with the dripping of the cave.

Nurse: And you have no bad news?

Queen: Nothing to say on the head of the
Princess, this being, as it is, her birthday?