THE CHINESE LANTERN

THE CHINESE LANTERN
A PLAY BY LAURENCE HOUSMAN

LONDON: F. SIDGWICK
47 GREAT RUSSELL STREET
1908

NOTE

DRAMATIS PERSONAE

Olangtsi	A Master of Arts.
Mrs. Olangtsi (called Mrs. Back-of-the-House)	His Wife.
Yunglangtsi	His Son.
1. Pee-ah-Bee.	Students, Apprentices, and Craftsmen.
2. Han-Kin.
3. Tee-Pee.
4. Hiti-Titi.
5. New-Lyn.
6. Nau-Tee.
7. Li-Long.
Josi-Mosi	A Chinese Jew Rag-and-Bone Merchant.
Cosi-Mosi	His Brother: a Money-lender.
Tikipu	Bottle-washer and General Drudge.
Mee-Mee	A Korean Slave-girl.
Wiowani	An Old Master.
Street-criers, Bailiffs, Bearers, Townsfolk, etc.

ACT I

A Chinese Studio with windowed walls of woodwork and oil-paper. At back of centre a dais, and behind that a picture showing an interior opening into a garden. In the foreground of the picture appears a hanging lantern, and below it a mandoline and a jar holding a spray of plum-blossom. To the right of the stage a sliding door opens into street: to the left stairs lead upward to interior, forward of that a door also to interior. It is morning: six or seven students squat painting. Between every two of them is a small stand for paint-pots, brushes, etc. All are very lazy and desultory at their work: the only industrious one is Tikipu, who, in shabby menial attire, grinds colours with weary persistence. The students yawn, stretch, and whine; and resume work in a perfunctory way at intervals upon shop-signs, lanterns, etc. On the dais sits Yunglangtsi, a mountain of indolent fat: sunk in profound slumber he squats before his easel. Street-criers are heard without calling their wares.