H-how I grieve!
S-sad is love!
Stru-struggles threaten me!
G-girl has escaped!
M-mother'll scold me!
H-heart‘s like butter!
We-Wenzel, poor fellow!
He-help me, my Lord!
SCENE II.
(Wenzel, SpringerandEsmeralda, Supers.)
Springer (calls out).
We humbly make known
To the highly respected public,
That this afternoon, a performance
By two and four-legged celebrities
Of unprecedented fame,
At three o'clock sharp,
Will take place, partly on the ground,
And partly in the air.
The Company’s special attractions are:
(Flare of trumpets.)
First, the beautiful Esmeralda,
Of Spanish birth from Napagedos,
"The Tight-Rope Queen," "Daughter of the Air"—
Jumps, by request, over your shadow.
(Flare of trumpets.)
Then the Indian chief, Murru,
Caught in the Bummerang Island,
Thousands of miles away,
Fast-color and brown in sunshine and rain,
From childhood a cannibal and man-eater—
He won't harm you!—Now he eats only hens
And doves—which must be brought to him!
With skin and hair and forks besides, he swallows them.
(Flare of trumpets.)
But the most wonderful of all
Comes now: "The wonder of training."
A large live bear from America,
Which I have tamed myself. With Esmeralda
He can dance a two-step as in the ballet,
Dances on his toes and jumps on one leg
So you can see that I have not
Exaggerated, the rehearsal will soon take place.
The rest will follow. . . Ho there! Holla! Begin!
(Dance and performance of the comedians, who then go away, and the people after them.)
Wenzel.
(looking atEsmeraldawith delight.)
O, o, o, o, how cha-cha-charming!
What
Da-da-dainty feet the Spaniard has!
Esmeralda (to Wenzel.)
Is the fine gentleman coming this afternoon?
Wenzel.
Certainly! If you will dance on the tight-rope
I'll surely come!
Muff
(the Indian—comes hurriedly and frightened.)
Manager! Manager!
I told you so: an accident took place!
Michael is drunk, just dead drunk!
He is lying under the table
In the inn and does not budge!
And there's no one else can play the bear!
