Chapter VI: Act III: Scene 2

Same as Act II. Scene 3.

(_The tableau is the same, except that great cobwebs are about. The King, Queen, Princess, and attendants are all sleeping quietly. It is growing dusk. A thin thread of light comes in the door. The Prince enters, carrying his candle. He comes slowly and quietly and looks about in wonder. At first he does not see the Princess who is in deep shadow. The Gentleman in Waiting follows him in fear._)

PRINCE.

Shhh--hush, go softly--

GENTLEMAN.

Are they dead, my lord?

PRINCE.

Asleep, I think. They’re breathing easily. (_Flashes his light on
Man at Arms in doorway._)
Look there, a spider’s web about his spear.

GENTLEMAN (_in scorn_).

Some soldier that! bound by a spider’s web.

PRINCE.

Asleep--the whole whole palace is asleep.

GENTLEMAN.

The roof is crumbling in up there, my lord.

PRINCE.

And see, a vine has grown between the stones.
(_Dreamily._) The dust is inches thick upon the floor--
How easily they breathe! How strange--how strange.
Is all this real--or am I in a dream?
I’ve stepped into some minstrel’s tale myself.
And all this glamour of enchantment deep,
The mystery, and silence, and the ache
Of wonder in my heart,--and I myself--
Are all just brilliant, colored words and thoughts,
Told for a moment on a winter’s night,
Told and forgotten e’re the fire dies.

GENTLEMAN (_touching him_).

See, there’s a fly asleep upon the wall.

PRINCE (_jumping_).

There are no flies in dreams, so this is real--

GENTLEMAN.

It’s real enough, my lord--come on, let’s go.
My spine feels just like icicles--come on.

PRINCE.

They’ve slept a long, long time, I think. Those clothes
Are like the ones they wore long, long ago--
I wonder if they’ve dreamed and what they’ve dreamed.
Yes, they’ve slept long enough.
(_He calls_) Wake up--wake up!

(_Silence._)

GENTLEMAN.

Oh come, come home, this is a dreadful place.

PRINCE (_calling again_).

Hi there--haloo--wake up (_he shakes the Courtier_).

GENTLEMAN.

They’re in a spell--
This place is haunted--come away my lord.

PRINCE.

I follow this adventure to the end--

GENTLEMAN.

I didn’t like those rows of men at arms
All sleeping in their armor in the halls,
Nor all the sleeping servants that we passed--
It’s dangerous I tell you--come away--

PRINCE.

Not yet, not yet, the old tales said there was
A princess.

GENTLEMAN (_looking at King_).

Well, here’s someone in a crown.

PRINCE.

Ah--there’s the king, the princess must be near.

GENTLEMAN (_disgusted_).

His crown’s all crooked.

PRINCE (_rebuking him_).

Still--he is a king (_he bows to the sleeping King as he passes
him_).

(_The Gentleman in Waiting stops before the Princess’ Attendant in admiration. The Prince steps up on the dais, and holds his candle so that the light, but not the grease, falls upon her face. He stands silent a moment, gasps in wonder, then takes off his plumed hat reverently._)

Oh wondrous one, the olden tales were true--
Thy beauty, oh, thy beauty floods my soul
With golden visions of eternal joy.
Here let me kneel and worship at thy shrine.

(_He kneels and kisses her--a long kiss. She slowly opens her eyes and gazes at him. The others begin to awaken slowly._)

PRINCESS (_smiling at him dreamily_).

Do it again.

PRINCE (_kissing her hand_).

Beloved.

PRINCESS.

Who are you?

PRINCE.

I am thy prince.

PRINCESS (_half sitting up_).

My prince, my very own?
How glorious! I’ve dreamed that you would come--

PRINCE.

And I of you beloved--

PRINCESS.

But my dreams
Weren’t half as wonderful as you--not half!

(_Gradually the people awaken. The Queen sneezes loudly and suddenly, and all but the Prince and Princess rise._)

QUEEN.

Kechew--kechew--what simply frightful dust!
Why there’s a cobweb in your crown--get out!
You nasty thing (_brushes off King’s crown_).

KING (_stretching_).

I think I’ve had a nap. How dark it is!
Open the casement, Courtier. (_The light grows brighter as Courtier
obeys._) I declare!

QUEEN.

Who are those strange young men I’d like to know!

(_The Prince’s Gentleman has been trying to kiss the Princess’ Attendant._)

ATTENDANT.

The brute! He tried to kiss me!

COURTIER (_to Gentleman_).

Here, get out! (_A scuffle ensues._)

KING.

Come, stop this most disgraceful row at once.
(_To Prince_) And who in thunder, sir, are you? And what,
What have you done?!!!

PRINCE.

I’ve kissed your daughter, sire (_All are horrified_).

KING.

And you admit it to my face! What, ho
My guards! You will repent this insult gross
At leisure in my deepest dungeon dark!

PRINCE.

Do with me as you will, I’ll gladly spend
My life in any dungeon that you choose,
To pay for that one kiss. The price is small.

QUEEN.

It’s surely very rude; I’m quite surprised.

KING.

Rude, rude!! Well, I should say! Perhaps you think
Because I just dropped off for forty winks,
That I’m so old and lazy that I can’t
Protect my daughter from such men as you.

PRINCESS.

Papa, papa, oh please don’t be so cross.

KING.

Please tell me how you two got through the hall.
What were my men all doing to allow
Intruders here? That’s what I’d like to know.

PRINCE.

They were all sleeping, sir, as we came past.

QUEEN.

Were they all sleeping, too? How very odd!
I think we must have eaten something queer
For lunch that made us all drop off to sleep.
Perhaps it was those canned pomegranate seeds.

KING.

What nonsense--to the dungeon, sir, you go.

PRINCESS.

Then I go too. I like him very much. (_She takes his hand proudly
and steps toward the front of the dais. As she does so she kicks
the distaff and it rolls into view._)

QUEEN.

Oh there’s that horrid distaff--throw it out.
I’m so afraid you’ll prick your finger, dear.

PRINCESS.

Why, so I did before I went to sleep--

KING.

Before we went to sleep--How long--how long, have we been sleeping?

PRINCE.

Oh, a hundred years or so, I think.

ALL.

It can’t be true!

KING.

The spell has passed, and we’re awake again!
Young sir, pray pardon me. I did not know,
I could not guess--it _seemed_ just like a nap.

PRINCESS.

Besides he’s always cross when first he wakes,
But usually he is a perfect dear.

PRINCE (_bowing_).

He is a perfect father anyway,
I should have done as he did had you been
My daughter, oh beloved. But I’m glad
You’re not.

KING.

Young sir, we owe our life to you.
Now that my rage has passed I see you are
Of noble birth--undoubtedly a prince.

Ask of me what you will, and it is yours.
For you have freed us from this dreadful spell,
And roused us from our hundred years of sleep.

PRINCE (_kneeling_).

I know I am unworthy, but I crave
Your daughter’s hand in marriage.

PRINCESS (_kneeling_).

Father, please--
I do, do like him!

QUEEN (_softly_).

Dear, he seems to be
A very fine young man.

KING.

I’m sure he is.
Rise son, I give my daughter unto you,
And half my kingdom shall be yours as well--[7]

QUEEN.

Come down into the banquet hall!!

PRINCE.

And dance
The dead dust of a hundred years away.

(_All exit joyously. The Prince and Princess lead. The King and Queen follow. Then come the Courtier and the Princess’s Attendant, and the others._)

Curtain.

FOOTNOTES:

[1] (See note 1 at end of play.)

[2] (See note 2 at end of play.)

[3] (See note 3 at end of play.)

[4] (See note 4 at end of play.)

[5] (See note 5. at end of play.)

[6] (See note 6. at end of play.)

[7] (See note 7.)

THE ADDITION OF PAGEANTRY.

Note 1. The Sleeping Beauty is a story especially suitable for Spring presentation, since for many centuries and by many races its meaning has been symbolic of the reawakening of nature. Winter, personified by the Wicked Fairy, lays a spell upon Nature, causing her to fall into a deep sleep. This may be dispelled only by the kiss of Spring, the Prince of the fairy tale.

Note 2. The play as it stands may easily be expanded into a pageant by the addition of more characters, and the interpolation of dances.

The extra characters may be:

Fairies attending the Fairy of the Golden Isles, the
Fairy of the Crystal Mountains, and the Fairy of the
Silver Rivers.

Evil Imps and Goblins to come at the summons of the
Fairy of the Sable Caves.

Pages, Minstrels, Ladies and Gentlemen in Waiting, Men
at Arms, Castle Attendants, Cooks, etc.

Note 3. If the play is presented as a pageant with many additional characters, it is suggested that the action take place in the Best, instead of the Second Best Throne Room of the King and Queen. The Second Best Throne Room was rather small and therefore more appropriate for the few characters of the original cast.

Note 4. The first dance may take place in the First Act, when the three Fairies present their gifts to the baby Princess. As many fairies as are desired may be used for this dance. See note 10 for all music.

Note 5. The second dance may be a dance of Imps and Goblins, also in the First Act. They enter with a screaming rush at the words of the Fairy of the Sable Caves:

“Demons and Trolls who dwell in dungeon moats,
Come near, come near--”

Then they join in a wild sinister dance. The Fairy of the Sable Caves stops speaking until they finish the dance, then she continues with:

“Come weave a spell with me!”

They make their exit as she leaves the stage.

Note 6. The third dance may be in the Second Act when the Princess brings in the Golden Ball. Ladies and Gentlemen in Waiting follow her as she enters. They toss the ball back and forth slowly to music. The extra dancers make their exit after the words, “It’s rolling toward the fountain, stop it, quick!”

Note 7. The last dance takes place at the end of the play. Its participants are the additional Pages, Minstrels, Jesters, Ladies and Gentlemen in Waiting, Men at Arms, Castle Attendants, Cooks, etc.

If this dance is desired it will be necessary to insert a few lines after the King’s speech ending:

“Rise Son, I give my daughter unto you,
And half my kingdom shall be yours as well.”

_INSERT._

QUEEN.

Call all the people of the palace here,
That they may all rejoice in this glad day.

COURTIER (_Goes to the door and calls_).

What ho! Attendants of the palace all
Your presence is desired by the Queen!

KING (_as they enter_).

Let there be revelry and mirth and joy.
The evil spell is broken, and here stands
Your future king!

QUEEN.

Come, minstrels, strike the lute
And let the clarion play.

PRINCESS (_clapping her hands joyfully_).

Let’s dance!

PRINCE.

Yes, dance
The dead dust of a hundred years away.

Note 8. If the play is too long with the suggested additions it is possible to omit Scene 2, Act II., and Scene 1, Act III.

PROPERTIES.

Note 9. The most important properties are tapestries, the cradle, crowns, headdresses, parchments, the Fairies’ gifts, swords, spears, scepter--armor, if there are men at arms, the spinning wheel and distaff.

The tapestries may be made by painting with house paints upon burlap. Crowns, headdresses and armor may be made out of heavy buckram painted with silver paint; the parchments, of strips of ordinary brown wrapping paper, painted with white house paint, then roughly illuminated with lines of gold paint, touches of green and red water colors added, and then hand printed in heavy ink. The white paint must be put on thinly, with a rotary movement of the brush.... The Crystal Globe of Wisdom may be a crystal colored Christmas tree ornament.

For the last scene in the last act, an excellent effect is gained by fastening great cobwebs of woven string across the front of the stage, and by putting smaller ones over the sleeping figures. There is a spider web pattern used in linen hand drawn work, which may be made many times larger.

Note 10. Music for the Sleeping Beauty.