Chapter 7

SCENE. _Room in Ogre's tower. Princess Winsome kneeling with arm around Dog's neck._

_Princess_

_Art_ thou my brother? Can it be That thou hast taken such shape? Oh turn those sad eyes not on me! There _must_ be some escape. And yet our parents think us dead. No doubt they weep this very hour, For no one ever has escaped, Ere this, the Ogre's power. Oh cruel fate! We can but die! Each moment seems a week. _Is_ there no hope? Oh, Hero dear, If thou couldst only speak! But no! Within this tower room We're captive, and despair Must settle on us. 'Tis the doom Of all dragged up yon winding stair.

[_Drops her head and weeps. Enter Godmother, who waves wand and throwing back curtain, displays a spinning-wheel._

_Godmother_

Rise, Princess Winsome, Dry your weeping eyes. The way of escape Within your own hand lies.

Waste no time in sorrow, Spin and sing instead. Spin for thy brother's sake, A skein of golden thread.

Question not the future, Mourn not the past, But keep thy wheel a-turning, Spinning well and fast.

All the world helps gladly Those who help themselves, And the thread thou spinnest, Shall be woven by elves.

All good things shall speed thee! Thy knight, the Faithful Feal, Is to thy rescue riding. Up! To thy spinning-wheel!

[_Disappears behind curtain._

_Princess_

All good things shall speed me? Sir Knight, the Faithful Feal, Is to my rescue riding?

[_In joyful surprise._

Turn, turn, my spinning-wheel!

(_She sings._)

_Spinning Wheel Song_

1. My godmother bids me spin, that my heart may not be sad. Spin and sing for my brother's sake, and the spinning makes me glad.

2. Spin, sing with humming whir, the wheel goes round and round. For my brother's sake, the charm I'll break, Prince Hero shall be found.

Spin, sing, the golden thread, Gleams in the sun's bright ray, The humming wheel my grief can heal, For love will find a way.

[_Pauses with uplifted hand._

What's that at my casement tapping? Some messenger, maybe. Pause, good wheel, in thy turning, While I look out and see.

[_Opens casement and leans out, as if welcoming a carrier dove, which may be concealed in basket outside window._

Little white dove, from my faithful knight, Dost thou bring a message to me? Little white dove with the white, white breast, What may that message be?

[_Finds note, tied to wing._

Here is his letter. Ah, well-a-day! I'll open it now, and read. Little carrier dove, with fluttering heart, I'm a happy maiden, indeed. (_She reads._) "O Princess fair, in the Ogre's tower, In the far-off Summer-land I seek the South Wind's silver flute, To summon a fairy band. Now send me a token by the dove That thou hast read my note. Send me the little heart of gold From the chain about thy throat. And I shall bind it upon my shield, My talisman there to stay. And then all foes to me must yield, For Love will find the way.

Here is set the hand and seal Of thy own true knight, the faithful--Feal."

[_Princess takes locket from throat and winds chain around dove's neck._

_Princess sings_

_The Dove Song_

Now, flutter and fly, flutter and fly, Bear him my heart of gold, Bid him be brave little carrier dove! Bid him be brave and bold!

Tell him that I at my spinning wheel, Will sing while it turns and hums, And think all day of his love so leal, Until with the flute he comes.

Now fly, flutter and fly, Now flutter and fly away, away.

[_Sets dove at liberty. Turning to wheel again, repeats song._

_Princess repeats_

My Godmother bids me spin, That my heart may not be sad; Spin and sing for my brother's sake, And the spinning makes me glad.

Sing! Spin! With hum and whir The wheel goes round and round. For my brother's sake the charm I'll break! Prince Hero shall be found.

Spin! Sing! The golden thread Gleams in the sunlight's ray! The humming wheel my grief can heal, For Love will find a way.

[_First messenger appears at window, dressed as a Morning-glory._

_Morning-glory_

Fair Princess, This morning, when the early dawn Was flushing all the sky, Beside the trellis where I bloomed, A knight rode slowly by.

He stopped and plucked me from my stem, And said, "Sweet Morning-glory, Be thou my messenger to-day, And carry back my story.

"Go bid the Princess in the tower Forget all thought of sorrow. Her true knight will return to her With joy, on some glad morrow."

[_Disappears._

_Princess sings_

Spin! spin! The golden thread Holds no thought of sorrow. My true knight he shall come to me With joy on some glad morrow.

[_Second flower messenger, dressed as Pansy, appears at window._

_Pansy_

Gracious Princess, I come from Feal the Faithful. He plucked me from my bower, And said, speed to the Princess And say, "Like this sweet flower The thoughts within my bosom Bloom ever, love, of thee. Oh, read the pansy's message, And give a thought to me."

[_Pansy disappears._

_Princess sings_

Spin, spin, O golden thread! And turn, O humming wheel. This pansy is his thought of me, My true knight, brave and leal.

[_Third flower messenger, a pink Rose._

_Rose_

Thy true knight battled for thee to-day, On a fierce and bloody field, But he won at last in the hot affray, By the heart of gold on his shield.

He saw me blushing beside a wall, My petals pink in the sun With pleasure, because such a valiant knight The hard-fought battle had won.

And he kissed me once on my soft pink cheek, And once in my heart of gold, And bade me hasten to thee and speak. Pray take the message I hold.

[_Princess goes to the window, takes a pink rose from the messenger. As she walks back, kisses it and fastens it on her dress. Then turns to wheel again._

_Princess sings_

Spin, spin, O golden thread, And turn, O happy wheel. The pink rose brought in its heart of gold A kiss, his love to seal.

[_Fourth messenger, a Forget-me-not._

_Forget-me-not_

Fair Princess, Down by the brook, when the sun was low, A brave knight paused to slake His thirst in the water's silver flow, As he journeyed far for thy sake.

He saw me bending above the stream, And he said, "Oh, happy spot! Ye show me the Princess Winsome's eyes In each blue forget-me-not." He bade me bring you my name to hide In your heart of hearts for ever, And say as long as its blooms are blue, No power true hearts can sever.

_Princess sings_

Spin, spin, O golden thread. O wheel, my happy lot It is to hide within my heart That name, forget-me-not.

[_Fifth messenger, a Poppy._

_Poppy_

Dear Princess Winsome, Within the shade of a forest glade He laid him down to sleep, And I, the Poppy, kept faithful guard That it might be sweet and deep. But oft in his dreams he stirred and spoke, And thy name was on his tongue, And I learned his secret ere he woke, When the fair new day was young. And this is what he, whispering, said, As he journeyed on in his way: "Bear her my dreams in your chalice red, For I dream of her night and day."

_Princess sings_

Spin, spin, O golden thread. He dreams of me night and day! The poppy's chalice is sweet and red. Oh, Love will find a way!

[_Sixth messenger, a Daisy_.

_Daisy_

O Princess fair, Far on the edge of the Summer-land I stood with my face to the sun, And the brave knight counted with strong hand My petals, one by one.

And he said, "O Daisy, white and gold, The princess must count them too. By thy petals shall she be told If my long, far quest is through.

"Whether or not her knight has found The South Wind's flute that he sought." So over the hills from the Summer-land, Your true knight's token I've brought.

[_Gives Princess a large artificial daisy. She counts petals, slowly dropping them one by one_.

_Princess_

Far on the edge of the Summer-land, O Daisy, white and gold, My true love held you in his hand. What was the word he told?

He's found it. Found it not. Found it. Found it not.

That magic flute of the South Wind, sweet, Will he blow it, over the lea? Will the fairy folk its call repeat, And hasten to rescue me?

He's found it, found it not. Found it, found it not. Found it, found it not. He's _found_ it!

[_Turning to the dog._

Come, Hero! Hear me, brother mine; Thy gladness must indeed be mute, But oh, the joy! We're saved! We're saved! My knight has found the silver flute!

(_Sings_.)

"_Spin, Wheel, Reel Out Thy Golden Thread_"

Spin, wheel, reel out thy golden thread, My happy heart sings glad and gay,... Hero shall 'scape the Ogre dread, And I my own true love shall wed, For love has found a way, For love has found a way.

[_Curtain._