Chapter 25

TIME: _once upon a time_. PLACE: _in the house of the poor Spinner_.

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THE DAME. ISABEL, _her daughter_. FLAT-FOOT } HANGING-LIP } _the Three Great-Aunts_. BROAD-THUMB } THE QUEEN.

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[_The living-room in the Dame's cottage is seen. The_ DAME _and the_ THREE GREAT-AUNTS _are spinning._ ISABEL _sits at her spinning-wheel, but has stopped work and looks out of the open door._]

DAME (_sharply_). Isabel! You gaze without!

ISABEL (_nodding_). Upon those great trees, mother. How beautiful they are! How like sentinels they stand at our door guarding us!

FLAT-FOOT (_growling_). What nonsense! You'd better be spinning.

ISABEL (_not heeding_). Mother, see you that old oak! See how proudly it lifts its head up into the sky! 'T is the king of the forest!

HANGING-LIP (_growling_). I never heard such foolish talk!

ISABEL (_not heeding_). Mother, a song has come to me,--'t is a song to the beautiful trees. Let me stop to write it down, while my heart is full of it.

BROAD-THUMB (_to the Dame_). Do not permit it, sister! She should be working. She can scarcely spin at all.

DAME (_showing much feeling_). Isabel! Isabel! Not a maid in the village thinks of anything but spinning.

ISABEL. Mother, let me stop! Soon the song will leave me. I may ne'er hear it again.

FLAT-FOOT (_to the Dame_). Sister, she will bring you to shame.

HANGING-LIP. Already the village folk laugh at her!

BROAD-THUMB (_nodding_). Aye! They call her "the Dreamer." I myself have heard them.

ISABEL. I care not what they call me!

DAME (_raising her voice_). Nay, but I care. I'll not have you different from other folk.

HANGING-LIP. _We_ were never seen gazing upon trees!

BROAD-THUMB (_nodding_). Aye! _We_ never heard songs within _us_!

FLAT-FOOT (_nodding_). Aye! _We_ think only of our work!

ISABEL. What's your work may not be mine!

DAME (_decidedly_). There's no other work for a maid than spinning.

ISABEL (_sighing_). I like it not! Though every other maid in all the world did love to spin, I'd say the same--I like it not!

DAME (_to Flat-foot; showing alarm_). Sister, close the door, that none without may hear such words.

[_Flat-foot rises, but is too late. The_ QUEEN _enters from the street._]

QUEEN (_showing displeasure_). How now! What's all this noise? I heard it from the street!

[_All are frightened; Isabel weeps._]

DAME (_bowing_). 'T will not happen again, your Majesty.

QUEEN (_looking at Isabel_). Have they beaten you, my child?

ISABEL (_still sobbing_). N--o--, your Majesty.

QUEEN (_to the Dame_). Tell me why your daughter weeps.

DAME (_more frightened_). She weeps because--because--

[_She stops in confusion._]

QUEEN. Well--well?

DAME. Because--because--I will not let her spin.

QUEEN (_showing surprise_). Because you will not let her spin?

DAME (_nodding_). Yes, your Majesty.

QUEEN. Why, this is most strange.

DAME (_nodding_). Would I but let her, she'd spin from morn till night, and from then on till morn again.

QUEEN. I see how it can be so. There's nothing I like better than spinning.

DAME. She weeps whenever I make her leave off.

QUEEN. 'T is because she loves it! I am never more pleased than when the wheels are whirring.

DAME. But stop she must, for to-day at least. There is no more flax.

QUEEN. I have rooms full of flax. Let your daughter come to my castle. She may spin there as much as she pleases.

DAME (_now, most frightened_). I--I fear she would be a trouble to you.

QUEEN. Why, no! In fact, I am so pleased with your daughter's industry I will have my son marry her.

DAME (_so frightened she can scarcely breathe_). O your Majesty--

QUEEN (_interrupting_). But first she must spin all my flax. There are three rooms full of it--from top to bottom.

ISABEL (_showing alarm_). Three rooms full!

QUEEN (_nodding_). Aye, my dear, and when you have spun it all, you shall become a princess!

(_Turning to the Dame._)

Bring your daughter to my castle to-morrow.

DAME (_bowing_). Yes, your Majesty.

QUEEN (_going_). To-morrow, mind you.

DAME (_bowing_). Yes, your Majesty.

[_All bow to the Queen, who goes._]

ISABEL. Mother, how could you tell the Queen I love to spin?

DAME. Think you I'd let the truth be known? I'd not shame myself so!

ISABEL. I could not spin three rooms of flax in three hundred years.

DAME. Alas! alas! What shall we do?

FLAT-FOOT (_to Hanging-lip and Broad-thumb_). Sisters, let us speak together.

[_The three Great-Aunts whisper together for a moment._]

HANGING-LIP. Isabel, we will help you--

FLAT-FOOT (_interrupting_). On one condition!

BROAD-THUMB (_nodding_). Aye,--on a certain condition!

ISABEL. What do you mean?

HANGING-LIP. We'll spin the flax for you--

FLAT-FOOT (_interrupting_). On one condition.

BROAD-THUMB (_nodding_). Aye,--on a certain condition!

DAME. You speak in riddles, sisters.

HANGING-LIP. 'T is this--if Isabel will invite us to her wedding, we'll spin the flax.

FLAT-FOOT. That's the condition.

BROAD-THUMB (_nodding_). Aye,--that's the certain condition.

ISABEL. 'T will be deceiving the Queen and the Prince, both.

DAME. There's no other way to mend things. Go now! Since you are so soon to be a princess, I'll give you leave to write down your song.

ISABEL (_sadly_). The song is no longer in my heart.

DAME. 'T is well. Now listen--you must never let the Prince know about your songs. He'd send you from the castle.

BROAD-THUMB (_nodding_). Besides, 't would bring great shame upon us, for we are a family of spinners.

FLAT-FOOT (_nodding_). Aye, aye!

HANGING-LIP (_nodding_). Aye, aye!