The Prince Who Learned Everything Out of Books/Act 2, Scene 2
Third Daughter. Oh! But aren't you weary, sisters? What are you thinking about?
Eldest Daughter. I am amusing myself looking at the sky.
Second Daughter. I was listening to the rumbling of the sea.
Third Daughter. I was looking down the road to see if anybody was coming to amuse us. I am bored to death. What shall we do to pass the evening?
Eldest Daughter. Sing.
Second Daughter. Say verses.
Third Daughter. But that is so silly.
Eldest Daughter. On these summer nights it is too hot to work with a light.
Second Daughter. Besides, the King, our father, says a light is too expensive.
Eldest Daughter. Otherwise, I should read.
Second Daughter. And I should sew; but we have no more light than the moon.
Eldest Daughter. Let us join hands in a ring, then, and sing. Come, sisters.
Third Daughter. How perfectly silly! That is child's play.
Eldest Daughter. But it is so pretty! There isn't any game that is prettier than singing all together and holding each other's hands, as if we never had to let go and could go on forever singing in our hearts the same childish songs.
Third Daughter. We might sing if you like.
First and Second Daughters. Yes, yes! Do! What shall we sing?
Third Daughter. Whatever has least sense in it.
They join hands and move around in a ring with the Pages, singing.
Who has upset the fountain?
Laughing water.
Sparkling water,
A kiss for the king and a kiss for his daughter.
Skip! Hooray! Come Christmas!"
King Chuchurumbo enters.
Chuchurumbo. How now? What is this? Will you never learn sense? This is no way to get married.
Eldest Daughter. I don't want to get married.
Second Daughter. Neither do I.
Third Daughter. Oh, I do! I do!
Eldest Daughter. Why do you want to get married?
Third Daughter. So that I may wear beautiful clothes and jewels, and have golden carriages with white horses, and plumes of birds of paradise.
Eldest Daughter. How foolish! Suppose you should have a bad husband?
Second Daughter. Suppose you had lots of children and didn't have time to wear clothes?
Third Daughter. I should hire governesses for the children. And I should buy my husband a carriage—one of those that goes by itself—so that he might run off and amuse himself.
Chuchurumbo. You are out of your heads, and that is what everybody thinks and it is a public disgrace! Do you know what they say of me—and of you, too, for that matter—everywhere?
Count one! Count two!
Who had three daughters
And he didn't know what to do.
So, he dressed them all in red.
And he jugged them all in bed.
And out of the window on the head, head, head…"
Third Daughter. Who under the sun ever said that? You ought to have had him hanged!
Second Daughter. No, I should not have had anybody hanged for that. I like it! It amuses me.
Third Daughter. We never all three dressed alike.
Chuchurumbo. No, so as not to agree in anything.
Eldest Daughter. I had rather dress always in purple, which is the color which is royal, and is worn by bishops and great dignitaries, and by ladies who govern in their own houses well.
Second Daughter. I had rather dress in green, which is the color of the fields and of the sea, all hope and all cheer, and happiness for all. For one ought not to be thinking only of oneself and one's house.
Third Daughter. I had rather dress in white, which is the color of the snow, and which takes the color of all lights and all shadows and of all the sunbeams—whiter than the moon, more golden than the noonday, red like fire, blue like the deep water of the mountain lake, silver on the brimming borders of the rippling fountains…
Chuchurumbo. You are out of your heads, and I shall never be able to get you married, and you will ruin my kingdom.
Third Daughter. Oh, look! Look! Here comes a handsome young man.
Eldest Daughter. Yes, here he comes.
Second Daughter. It must be the Blue Prince who is travelling through the world, so they say, in search of an education.
Eldest Daughter. And to get married.
Third Daughter. And have a good time.
Chuchurumbo. If it indeed be he, he shall be welcome, for the King, his father, is my friend and ally, and I should like nothing better than to marry him to one of my children. Be very careful not to do anything to frighten him away, or by the fourteen points of my crown, I will end by doing to you as the people say:
I will jug you all in bed…"
The Prince enters.
Prince. Hail, great King! Beautiful Princesses, hail! Is this the palace of King Chuchurumbo?
Third Daughter. [Aside] The more you look, the less you see. The boy is a numskull!
Chuchurumbo. [Aside] Be prudent and remember your manners. [Aloud] I am King Chuchurumbo, the ninety and ninth of that name, but a duplicate, as I am the second of that number. I have been unwilling in prolonging the line to require my subjects to count above a hundred. This is my palace, and these are my three daughters. And you, my amiable young man, who are you?
Prince. Do you know this ring?
Chuchurumbo. You are the Blue Prince?—the son of my best friend? Ah, you don't know how glad I am to see you, and how fond I am of your dear father! We have been united in the bonds of friendship for twenty-five years, and in all that time we have engaged in only three wars, all of which have been lost by me, so you can readily imagine what interest I have in avoiding a fourth. What do you think of my three daughters?
Prince. Nothing could be more beautiful.
Chuchurumbo. Oh, beauty is the least part of it!—education, my son, it is education. They are very handy about the palace. They cook, they sew. They would make any man happy; that is to say, rather, they would make any three men happy, as the laws of our country do not permit that one man should marry all three, although, believe me, I should be delighted if the law could be altered upon your account.
Third Daughter. [Aside] You are talking stupid nonsense, father.
Chuchurumbo. [Aside] Be quiet, snip! You will frighten him off. Leave this matter to me. Unfortunately, you have no mother, and I am obliged to attend to these details myself.
Prince. I know that I may choose only one, and it will be she whom I have always loved, without knowing her. For I have learned by my books that among the daughters of a king, it is always the youngest who is the most beautiful and the most virtuous.
Eldest Daughter. Did you ever hear of such a fool?
Second Daughter. What a nincompoop!
Chuchurumbo. [Aside] Control yourselves. [Aloud] Yes, so the books and the stories say. And so no doubt… [Aside] I'd better indorse her to him; she will be the hardest to get rid of; she has the worst temper… [Aloud] And so no doubt it is. Here is her hand. You bear away the most precious jewel in my crown.
Second Daughter. [Aside] He is not so bad-looking. Some day he will be a great king.
Chuchurumbo. I shall assemble my ministers at once to approve your betrothal. To-morrow the rejoicings will begin with a sumptuous reception.
Prince. Do you call that rejoicing? Nothing could be a more terrible bore!
Chuchurumbo. To us. But it will be great fun for the courtiers.
The Old Woman, the Tutor, and Tony enter.
Chuchurumbo. Who are these people?
Prince. Your Majesty, they are my train.
Chuchurumbo. Strange escort for a Prince!
Tony. You ran away from the inn. We have been at our wits' end to find you.
Prince. I spied the palace of my Princess, and alone I set out upon the way. I knew that my good fairy would not linger far behind. Princess, here is the good fairy who has led me to your side. Salute my wife, my Princess.
Old Woman. What! Are you married?
Tony. I never heard of such a rapid wedding!
Prince. Princes, when they marry, are of a rapid disposition.
Old Woman. Oh, my poor young man! But are you acquainted with your bride?
Prince. I have known her all my life. She is the youngest daughter of a king, and the youngest daughter of a king is always beautiful and virtuous. You know that, my good fairy. So you see that all my troubles are ended. Speak! What is it that you ask now, in order to reveal yourself in your true likeness?
Old Woman. Alas! Alas! What is it that I ask now? That you come to yourself, that you learn judgment. You don't know what they say of the daughters of this King! You do not belong in this country, you have heard nothing of them. The youngest is a hoyden, a shrew.
Prince. Do you wish to submit me to yet other proofs?
Old Woman. Her want of judgment and her coldness of heart have penetrated even to my wilds. Will you still believe in me?
Prince. Always!
Old Woman. Then leave this matter in my hands and I will attend to it.—Ah, my lady Princesses! As we entered the palace, we heard your attendants crying out. Three beautiful animals—your pets—had escaped from their cages.
Eldest Daughter. My monkey!
Second Daughter. My parrot!
Third Daughter. My white rat!
Old Woman. And the attendants were in tears, because they were afraid that they would be punished severely.
Third Daughter. I shall have them killed! Shall I not, father mine?
Eldest Daughter. It will be sufficient to dismiss them. That is all I ask.
Second Daughter. No! Poor creatures! The loss of an animal is too insignificant to justify the giving of pain.
Old Woman. What do you say now?
Prince. My Princess has not a kind heart.
Old Woman. Wait! As we came in, I let fall some pieces of money—all that I had in the world. What shall I do to get them back?
Third Daughter. Go and look for them.
Eldest Daughter. I shall send the gardeners to look for them.
Second Daughter. Where did you let them fall? Come with me, and I will help you look.
Old Woman. How does it seem to you?
Prince. My Princess is not the one who has the kindest heart.
Old Woman. Wait! The Prince has brought three gifts for the Princesses—a jewel, a book, and a flower. He does not know which gift to offer to which. Choose each of you for herself.
Third Daughter. I choose the jewel.
Eldest Daughter. I choose the book.
Second Daughter. I choose the flower.
Old Woman. She who chose the jewel was thinking of appearing well before others. She who chose the book was thinking of appearing well to herself. She who chose the flower was thinking of helping her sisters to appear well, for she was thinking of others and not of herself. What do you say now?
Prince. That she is my Princess, and you are the good fairy who has taught me how to live.
Old Woman. A poor old woman, and no fairy.
Third Daughter. And are you going to stand there like a post and listen while he insults me? You ought to declare war on the King, his father.
Chuchurumbo. No! Not a fourth beating, no! I am delighted that your sister should be the chosen one. [To the Prince] You carry away the most precious jewel in my crown.
Third Daughter. I shall tear out his eyes.
Chuchurumbo. Silence, rubbish! [To the Prince] I had not intended to say anything, but tales are tales.
Tutor. Fairy stories, lies! Place no reliance except upon science.
Tony. Take advantage of your opportunities, whatever they may be, say I; that's my science.
Tutor. Here come your parents.
Prince. Happiness at last!
The King and the Queen enter.
Chuchurumbo. Ah! My excellent friend!
Queen. My son!
King. Chuchurumbo, fly to these arms!
Chuchurumbo. You seem remarkably well preserved.
Prince. How did you happen to follow me?
King. We heard that you were wandering about the world doing fearful and foolhardy things, so at the word, accoutred as we were, we set out upon our journey. [To the Tutor] Is this the care that you take of your Prince?
Tutor. Sire, by nature the Prince is impetuous. It is impossible to govern him.
Prince. Pay no attention to what he says. As you see, no harm has come to me.
Queen. You took the fairy-tales literally, and you thought that you saw good fairies and ogres and princesses everywhere, like those in the stories. And you were on the point of losing your life! You might even have married an insufferable woman.
Third Daughter. What is that, your Majesty? What is that you say about being insufferable? The one who is insufferable, the one who has had no bringing up, the jackanapes, is your son. Little monkey! [She sticks out her tongue.
Queen. What sort of Princess is this?
King. Are you undeceived now? Have you learned that life is not a fairy-tale?
Prince. No, on the contrary, I have found all my dreams realized, because I have believed in them. I have found good people, like the good fairies; I have found fierce and cruel robbers, like the ogres; I have found a Princess, like the princesses of the fairy-tales. Upon this good old woman, who has saved me by her pity and undeceived me by her experience, I beg you to bestow rich guerdons and rewards, for she was my good fairy. Upon those ferocious villains, who, like the ogres, oppress the poor and carry misery and suffering everywhere in their train, hardened by their selfishness and enslaved by their greed, I invoke your justice. Upon my dear Princess, who, if she is not the youngest of the daughters of a king, as in the stories, is at least she who has merited my love and won my heart, I implore the blessing of a father's love. You see now that my journey was not so unfortunate; it could not disillusion me of my ideals. I have learned that we all have a good, protecting fairy at our sides, and that if we listen to her always, we can make happy those who surround us and we can be happy also ourselves. I have learned that it is necessary to dream beautiful things in order to do beautiful things. Glory to the fairy-tales! I shall never speak ill of one of them! Happy are they who know how to make out of life one beautiful tale!
Tony. My dear children, the applause of your little hands is the greatest glory for a poet, for you are the future. May the days of your lives, which are the future of our beloved country, be all as a fairy-tale, in which the good may always triumph over everything that is evil. And may you all be happy like the Blue Prince in this story, my dear children.
The Wedding of the Blue Prince
Curtain