Tales Before Tolkien

by Douglas A. Anderson

  But anyway, my plan is spoilt—

  That I can understand

  What I don’t understand

  Is why she sends me to this dreadful cave

  All toads, mice, spiders and things!

  And why must I meet old Mother Nightshade—

  The wickedest of witches?

  I’d rather not

  Yet if I fly the spot and disobey

  I know—I know I’ll have to rue the day!

  Whatever shall I do?

  (Enter Mother Nightshade. She peers into the shadow of the grotto, makes out Emerald, utters a screeching laugh of surprise, and scuttles forward to offer to embrace her—but Emerald shrinks back, and they face each other.)

  Nightshade. Hail, Emerald!

  Emerald. Hail, you!

  Nightshade. I have a name.

  Emerald. I know—a horrid name!

  My mouth refuses it.

  Nightshade. Night and shade are praised by all.

  When doth set the stupid sun

  And the glare of day is done

  Shall not magic twilight fall?

  Emerald. But not for wickedness.

  You move by night to work men harm—

  The sleep of living things you care not for

  You’d see them dead.

  Nightshade. When cuckoo calls on winter’s morn

  When April sees the golden corn

  When maid disdains to go in silk

  When toper’s nose is white as milk

  When owl sits by the kitchen fire

  When dainty mistress seeks the mire

  When foot is shapen to the shoe

  When five is made of two and two

  When pampered beauty has no moods

  When unicorn gallops through the woods

  When rich man sleeps on sanded floor

  When never in all a house a door

  When yellow sun moves from west to east

  When water is wine and bread a feast

  Then—not till then—

  Then will I love all living things.

  Emerald. When old wife huddles by the fire

  When Brindle crunches in the byre

  When cook tries gravy from the ladle

  When fat babe chuckles in the cradle

  When ancient hobbles on his crutch

  When rabbit’s bright eyes peer from hutch

  When boy throws stones in chestnut tree

  When homeward sails the tired bee

  When lark sings unseen in the air

  When sewing-maid sews in the sunny chair

  When frog hops leisurely to ditch

  When cheese makes a banquet and penny makes rich

  When yellow sun moves from east to west

  When rest moves to work, and work to rest

  Then—even then—

  Then do I love all living things.

  Nightshade. What want you here?

  Emerald. Nothing, be sure. Titania sent me.

  Nightshade. For what?

  Emerald. Here is her letter. I shan’t show it to you, neither can you take anything

  from a fairy. I detest you—I do not fear you.

  I know three sisters

  Fair as the dawn

  And of an age to marry

  Them I would wed to Princes

  But times are changed

  Titania offers me two only

  I fear

  One girl must wed a millionaire

  Of whom there are more.

  And so my Queen has sent me here

  Perchance to use you in the business

  Or else I cannot guess the reason why.

  Nightshade. (with a screeching laugh) He! he!

  Fairies can change things

  They cannot make them

  Witches can make them—

  Fairies can season pies

  They cannot bake them

  Witches can bake them.

  Emerald. Pies!

  Nightshade. In honour of this holy time of year

  Mince-pies are eaten.

  Emerald. Spare me your scoffs and riddles!

  Nightshade. Addle-pate!

  Now mark you well my words

  For maybe your simple Queen

  Has told me of your business

  Or maybe

  I know it of myself.

  Wise I am

  Passing wise

  Few things go not

  Before my eyes

  Well! here is the shop

  Where that is sold

  Which you can buy

  With fairy gold.

  Emerald. I have no gold.

  Nightshade. Indeed you have!

  Gold untold!

  Gold in your heart

  Gold in your eyes

  Pay me well

  I’ll bake you the pies.

  Emerald. But to what plan?

  Nightshade. In this high season

  Of neighbourly joy

  ’Tis merely fitting

  We should enjoy

  Ourselves and our friends

  In one common action

  Whose different ends

  (Between you and me)

  Will in equal degree

  Give us all satisfaction.

  I’ll bake three pies

  For your three maids

  They’ll eat them, never fear!

  In two I’ll put your Princes

  By fairy spell

  The third is mine

  Then let them choose by wit

  Or lot

  Or how they like.

  Emerald. (doubtfully) What will you do with yours?

  Nightshade. That is my payment!

  I can without your will do nothing

  And so

  There is your fairy gold

  To pay me with.

  Emerald. You’ll do some ugly work, I know!—

  If I refuse—?

  Nightshade. I’ll then not bake the pies—

  Your double-prize

  Of Princes

  Shall go elsewhere.

  You cannot do without my help

  Titania knows it

  She sent you here.

  Emerald. It’s true she sent me here—

  You mean to give a husband to the third

  Of these poor dears?

  Nightshade. Why not?

  Should she have none?

  Emerald. Oh, no. But not from you.

  Nightshade. A wretch or rogue

  You think I’ll give!

  But what if he has brains—

  Your princes none?

  The world you know not, silly Emerald—

  I do

  To-day men rise from naught

  To be Dictators.

  Emerald. What’s that?

  Nightshade. Wizards, too

  But unlike witches

  Their spell moves millions.

  Emerald. How odd! And I have never heard of them!

  But are they good?

  Nightshade. Nobody, nothing, is good for all

  The road for one, for another’s a wall

  The slaying of one is another’s food

  Bad for you, for me is good

  Dictators are good, if you think them good.

  Emerald. Then is it to be a—a—one of those

  For my third girl?

  Nightshade. I did not say so

  And it is not so.

  Emerald. Cease teasing me, unpleasant crone!

  Who shall it be?

  Nightshade. (impressively) A man . . . without a friend!

  Emerald. (starting back) What!

  Nightshade. No more, no less.

  Emerald. (shuddering) How black—how wicked of you!

  No friend!

  Nightshade. Desolation—

  Consolation—

  Between these two

  Men stagger on through life.

  So many friends have some

  They lose themselves

  Others have none.

&n
bsp; I did not make the world

  From this man I not took away

  His friends.

  Emerald. I will not suffer it!

  I’ll leave it all

  And go away.

  Nightshade. Fool! If you dare!

  This is Titania’s will.

  Emerald. I’m sure she would not countenance

  A thing so frightful.

  Nightshade. (searching in her skirt) Here is her ring!

  She gave it to me.

  Emerald. I see it is her ring.

  Nightshade. Who bears this ring

  May give command

  To all the fairies.

  Emerald. Would I could contradict you

  But it is even so.

  Nightshade. So sensible at last!

  Then do her bidding

  And mine.

  Emerald. (sadly) What do you want?

  Nightshade. Beneath this mountain

  Full many a pace

  The cave winds on

  To blacker space

  There is my kitchen

  My oven and pots

  I’ll make the pies

  While the fire-stone hots.

  Emerald. What will you make them of?

  Something evil?

  Nightshade. Common flour and common water

  Common mincemeat shall come after

  But then—he! he!—to flavour all—

  One tiny drop of cordial

  The witch’s magic!

  Then when those three weird mincemeat-pies

  Shall ready be for your fairy cries

  Of other magic—

  I’ll call you!

  Emerald. You mean to leave me here alone

  In this dark noisome hole of slime and stone?

  Nightshade. I found you here alone.

  Emerald. Only so lately

  Another Emerald was with me—

  My doing right.

  But now I fear I’m doing wrong

  Although commanded

  And so I am indeed alone.

  Nightshade. At fairy conscience I needs must grin

  Nameless princes heart-ease win

  Nameless man is a mortal sin!

  Emerald. I cannot answer you, I’m too unhappy—

  Shall you be long?

  How shall I pass the time while you’re away?

  Nightshade. Sing if you will!

  Dance if you will!

  Toads won’t bite you

  Spiders won’t kill.

  I won’t be long

  I’ll hear your song

  It will make me smile

  In the midst of my kneading

  A fairy’s song

  Should show good breeding!

  (Exit Mother Nightshade)

  Emerald. I don’t feel very much like singing

  I feel like crying.

  (She sings)

  Who praise the fairies little know

  How ill at ease they come and go

  For nothing of the world they see

  But bird, and beast, and flower, and tree.

  The human heart they cannot read

  What a man loves, or is, or does

  And so too seldom they succeed

  In helping him where’er he goes

  Who praise the fairies little think

  They’d give up sleep, and food, and drink

  To know a man’s heart and what he needs

  In that strange human life he leads.

  (While she sings, the three sisters enter the cave from behind her, wrapped in snowy cloaks. Rosa is 20, Violetta 18, and Lila 16. One by one, they absently let fall their cloaks, while staring at Emerald and edging round to see her face.)

  Rosa. Who is it?

  Lila. How beautiful!

  Violetta. How strange!

  Rosa, Lila. Is it a fairy?

  Violetta. It is my dream.

  (Emerald turns round to them.)

  Lila. Are you a fairy?

  Emerald. (smiling) Yes.

  Lila. I never thought I should see one.

  Rosa. Tell us, please, what you are doing here

  And who you are

  And where we are.

  Answer me, please—

  I am the eldest.

  Emerald. I know you are

  I know you all, and all about you.

  You are in the witch’s cave

  But I am here to help you, if I can.

  Lila. The witch’s cave!

  I don’t like that a bit.

  Rosa. Tell us your name.

  Emerald. Emerald.

  Lila. How pretty!

  Violetta. What was that lovely music

  That drew us here

  To this sad eerie place?

  Lila. Though we are miles from home

  And have no right to be

  On such an evening.

  Rosa. I hope the Providence that brought us here

  Through drifts and pathless ways

  Will see us safely back!

  I’ve a responsibility for these two girls—

  I am the eldest.

  Emerald. I’ll guide you home

  Fear not for that.

  Violetta. What was the music?

  Emerald. Not mine.

  Perhaps it was Titania’s

  To bring you here.

  Violetta. Have I not seen you in a dream?

  Emerald. Often I’ve watched you while you smiling slept

  You three

  So then you may have dreamt me.

  Violetta. Yes

  I did dream of you.

  Lila. If it’s not impolite, so soon—

  Why are we here?

  Nightshade. (faintly, from far recesses of the cave) Emerald!

  (The girls are startled and bewildered. Emerald also for a moment is disturbed, but then quiets the others with a light motion of her hand.)

  Emerald. Have no alarm!

  Only the Witch is there—old Mother Nightshade

  She needs me for a purpose.

  Lila. (fearfully) A witch!

  And you will leave us!

  Emerald. Soon I’ll be back, and then what you have asked

  And everything, I’ll tell you.

  Lila. Only consider, if she has heard our voices

  She will come out to us!

  Emerald. To-day she cannot harm you

  She does the bidding of my Queen, Titania.

  (aside) Would it were all the truth

  That I am speaking!

  Rosa. Lila, be more controlled!

  When Emerald promises to bring us home

  What thing can hurt us meanwhile?

  But if it merely is you dread to see

  An ugly beldam, why, at every turn

  In the world coarse horrid sights offend our eyes

  Which yet we govern.

  Lila. Your eyes, I know, are governed

  For your tongue is the eldest.

  Rosa. How can you dare to be so rude

  Before a fairy?

  Lila. I’m sorry, Emerald, if I am rude

  But in this queer dark unexpected place

  My words as well drop unexpectedly

  I feel I’m in a dream.

  Violetta. I fancied music came with the witch’s voice

  Like that we have been hearing on the way

  Only it was still quieter and more magic

  And sweeter

  As if it neared its heart.

  Emerald. Mayhap it was Titania’s sovereign ring

  She lent the Witch.

  (She steals an uneasy glance into the darkness of the cave.)

  If the ring be on her finger

  Here with you must I not linger.

  Nightshade. (still more faintly than before, from the far interior)

  Emerald!

  (Lila, frightened, clings to Rosa, who takes her in her arms.)

  Violetta. Again it sounds!

  Emerald. Stay here for me, dear hearts!

  Go now I must,
but quickly I’ll return

  When things of high importance you shall learn.

  (Exit.)

  Lila. (disengaging herself from Rosa) What can she mean?

  What things of high importance can concern us

  Who are so lowly born, so humble?

  Rosa. Sometimes I do not feel so humble

  Sometimes I’ve dreamt of marrying a Prince

  And driving forth in crested open carriage

  With footman tall behind me

  Affably saluting all the people

  (I mean, I saluting them)

  Who with their shouting—

  Their joyful shouting—

  Make the day tremble.

  Sometimes I have such dreams, while now they come

  To mind, I don’t know why.

  Lila. I would not wish to be a fair princess

  For others’ idle shouting, but I’d wish

  To be one for the sake of doing good

  For imagine!

  How many loaves of bread might not one buy

  Even with but ten thousand pounds per year

  Which for a princess—all the world knows—isn’t much

  But in each loaf

  Would be new life for some poor starving person—

  North, south, east, west, should roll my emblazoned vans

  While sometimes I’d put money in the loaves

  To add a zest to blessing.

  Rosa. Benevolence of course I never mentioned

  Because I thought it would be understood

  Just as I should wear jewels and a crown

  And be unimpeachable in my private life

  And hold myself from work.

  Lila. But you, deep-flowing silent Violetta

  Whose very thoughts are timid to yourself

  Whose words are frightened creatures dragged to the light

  From out of darkness—

  What princess would you be, had you the way to it?

  Shyly translated to us your heart’s ambition—

  Its fondest, most ambition!

  Violetta. I would not wed a Prince unless I loved him

  I’d marry only him who needed me

  His rank, for me, should be his need of me.

  Lila. Who can explain how all my fears for the Witch

  Have quite departed?

  I seem not now to care if she comes out

  I’ll laugh, sing, hallo—do anything I please

  I’ll call her forth, for a wager!

  (to Rosa) Let’s have what we have often had before—

  A trial of rhyming song. You second be.

  I never fail my part, and you do fairly.

  Rosa. Say what the theme!

  Lila. We’ll sing of maids obscure and princely wooers.

  (Lila and Rosa sing together. Afterwards Violetta joins in.)

  Lila. Broke the day across the sea

  Rosa. Pale green was the east

  Lila. Sailed a ship was silvery

  Rosa. Like strange phantom beast

  Lila. Heading for the shore it came

  Rosa. Half swift as an arrow

  Lila. On its mast an oriflamme

  Rosa. Lordly, long and narrow

  Lila. Watched it from the darkling sands

  Rosa. Pools and seaweed rocks