While the snow lay round about deep and crisp and even.
As the carolers’ voices die away, the son returns and tells a marvelous tale. He has saved the son of a nobleman from a wild boar and as a reward the nobleman offers to take him away to his great castle. The mother rejoices in his good fortune, though it means their separation. The son tells his mother that he has refused the reward in order to stay and take care of her.
They sit down to their humble meal, and bow their heads in thanksgiving. One of the King’s messengers enters, tells of his futile quest and asks them if they have heard of anyone who has performed an unselfish deed. The mother tells of her son’s devotion. The messenger rejoices and declares that in all his wanderings he has heard of nothing but selfishness. He bids them follow him to the court. As the curtains close, the chorus sings: “Joy to the World.”
The third scene shows the King and Queen upon the throne, a Lady-in-Waiting and the Counsellor attending them. The unsuccessful messengers return, kneel before the throne, and sadly bow their heads. The triumphant messenger returns, bringing with him the old mother and her son. The reader tells the story of their devotion and there is general rejoicing. The King bestows blessings and favors and then sends for the mummers, who come in led by St. George and the Doctor with his great bottles of pills (“red to cure, and blue to kill”) little Jack, the Giant Killer, the terrible Dragon, and the Morris dancers.
The mummers perform the old English play of St. George and the Dragon. The Morris men give the stick dance. At the close St. George and little Jack beg pennies from the court, while the dancers go begging through the audience and the chorus sings:
Here we come a wassailing among the leaves so green.
Here we come a wandering so fair to be seen.
The King steps forth and blesses all the people. They kneel reverently as the Christmas chimes begin to ring. The King and Queen now come down and kneel with their people, while the chorus triumphantly sings: “Hark, the Herald Angels Sing, Glory to the New-born King.”
The Christmas mask illustrated in these pages was written about the Crusade of St. Louis of France. It sought to re-create, through music, pantomime, costumes, and dance, the spirit of the XVth Century. It was inspired by the wealth of the material of this period in the Cleveland Museum of Art. Here were examples of Gothic sculpture which gave the note of simplicity and reverence, and at the same time accurate information about pose, expression, costume, and line. The stained-glass windows, enamels, and illuminated manuscripts gave suggestions for color and color arrangement. Old Italian chests and the frames of early Siennese paintings influenced the designs of the necessary furniture. In the art library were found photographs and plates of sculptures of the cathedrals of Chartres, Amiens, and Rheims. These were studied for costumes, headdresses, ornaments, and especially for the types of faces which were to be used in the masks. Examples of early textiles were drawn upon for designs of costumes and background.
The King collection of books on costume at the Cleveland Historical Society furnished references on costumes.