Читать книгу Patriotic Plays and Pageants for Young People - Constance D'Arcy Mackay - Страница 8
PILGRIM INTERLUDE
ОглавлениеPILGRIM CHANT
(Tune: Oxford. To be sung off stage by the Puritan maidens before they enter to take part in the episode.)
Gone is now the sullen winter,
Gone the famine and the snow;
In the forest, like a promise,
See the first white mayflowers blow.
Fresh hope thrills us with their coming,
They, too, braved the winter long;
Then at Springtime took new leafage,
Frail yet steadfast, small but strong.
Cling we thus to our new country,
Let us struggle and endure;
We have found a land of Freedom,
And our heritage is sure.
THE SPINNING LESSON
(A Pilgrim Interlude)
CHARACTERS
PRISCILLA MULLINS
Lads of Plymouth Town
JOHN BILLINGTON
DEGORY MARTIN
Youthful Pilgrim Maidens
RUTH
PATIENCE
MIRIAM
LETTICE
ANNE
STAR-OF-SPRING, an Indian maiden
NATIQUA, a squaw, her mother
FOREST FLOWER, another Indian maiden
HERON'S WING, a young Indian brave
SCENE: A grassy glade at Plymouth in the Spring of 1621, Trees right, left, and background. At the beginning of the scene the grassy stage is deserted. There presently enters from background Anne, a young Pilgrim maid of about fourteen, whose somber garb shows out darkly against the green background. She looks quickly about her, right and left, shielding her eyes with her hand. Then she calls back over her shoulder to her companions, Diantha and Lettice.
ANNE
(calling).
Come quickly, Diantha. Here is a fair spot for our corn-shelling, and not a prowling Indian in sight.
[Diantha, slender, dark, and somewhat older than Anne, enters with Lettice. They carry between them an Indian basket of capacious size, in which are dried ears of corn.
DIANTHA
(clearly).
Nay, we need have no fear; for on one side Captain Miles Standish keeps watch, and on the other John Alden; so as for Indians——
LETTICE
(as they come to center).
One Indian only have I seen this day, and to see him is ever a sign of good omen.
DIANTHA.
That means that Squanto is in Plymouth Town, our good, true Indian friend. He it was who taught us how to shell the corn, so many months agone; he it was who taught us, this Spring, the manner of sowing it.
LETTICE
(holding up Indian basket).
And here is one of the Indian corn-baskets that Captain Standish found buried in a strange wilderness spot when he first explored these forests.
ANNE
(drawing near to Lettice).
These forests—! Oh, my heart! As night draws on how dark and fearsome they appear! And now that Spring is in the land it sets me longing for English hedgerows.
[Sits on ground, left, and begins to shell corn.
LETTICE
(joining Anne in her work).
Do you remember the Spring in Leyden, Diantha?
DIANTHA
(looking upward as she stands).
Why, even here the Spring is very fair! Do not the sunlight, the blue sky, and the budding trees make your heart sing with joy?
ANNE.
Sit, then, Diantha, and let us have a quiet hour.
DIANTHA
(standing behind them, half-gay, half-mocking).
A quiet hour—! Hither come Patience and Miriam and Ruth, the greatest clatter-tongues in Plymouth. See! They have been gathering wild plum blossoms!
[Enter Miriam, Patience, and Ruth from background. They hasten towards Diantha. The exquisite white of the blossoms they carry makes them look like heralds of the Spring.
MIRIAM
(excitedly).
Diantha, what dost think! Priscilla Mullins hath declared herself weary of spinning in her own door-yard, and since Squanto hath told us that we need not fear the Indians she hath besought Degory Martin and John Billington to bring hither her spinning-wheel.
PATIENCE
(wide-eyed).
Was ever the like known in Plymouth!
RUTH
(as all look eagerly towards background).
Hither she comes!
PRISCILLA
(clearly in distance).
Have a care, Degory.
DEGORY.
Aye, Mistress Priscilla.
PRISCILLA
(as they emerge from background).
Stumble not, John Billington.
JOHN BILLINGTON
(sturdily).
Not while I bear such a burden.
[They set down the spinning-wheel, center.
PRISCILLA.
I thank you. Will you come for me when the shadows o' the pines grow long across my doorway?
[The Pilgrim lads nod, and exeunt, left background.
PRISCILLA
(to Pilgrim maidens).
Well, and have you no word of greeting? Why, they are dumb with astonishment! And is it so strange a thing to bring one's wheel outdoors? 'Twas out of doors that this wood first grew! (Touches wheel.) All day I have longed to be out in these wide spaces—and yet there was work to do. But see—now I weld heart's desire and work together!
[She begins to spin. Meantime Pilgrim maidens group about her. Tableau.
MIRIAM.
You are ever one to see the bright side of things, Priscilla, and———Look, Priscilla—an Indian!
[At sound of that dread word all the maidens draw near to Priscilla. From the woods in right background appears Star-of-Spring, the little Indian maiden. She carries a basket of shell-fish on her head, steadying it with her hand. She is so intent on walking carefully that she does not see the group of Pilgrims until she is nearly upon them. There ensues a period of unflagging pantomime. Star-of-Spring, upon seeing the group of dark-clad maidens, starts back, half terrified. Priscilla rises, and as an overture of peace and good-will, takes a few steps towards her. Star-of-Spring retreats still further towards right. Priscilla returns to her wheel.
Star-of-Spring, emboldened, takes a step towards the Pilgrim maidens. Pilgrim maidens, quite as wary of Star-of-Spring as she is of them, retreat a little way to left. At this Star-of-Spring's last fears vanish. She wishes to be friends. With pretty pleading she holds out to them her basket of shell-fish. Places it on the ground and then steps back, bowing, with arms wide and outstretched palms.
PRISCILLA.
She means we should accept it. Is that not truly generous!
DIANTHA
(reassured).
It must be Star-of-Spring, the little Indian maid of whom Squanto has so often told us.
[Diantha takes up basket. Pantomime of delight on part of Star-of-Spring. She draws near to Anne, and with a quaint grace touches Anne's cap and kerchief. Tries on Anne's cap, and looks at herself in a barbaric bit of looking-glass that dangles from one of her many chains of beads. Then laughs, gives back the cap, and is in turn fascinated at the sight of Priscilla when she begins spinning. Star-of-Spring approaches the wheel with pantomime indicating awe and delighted curiosity. She first inspects it, and then begins to talk in dumbshow with quick, animated gestures. The Pilgrim maidens are somewhat bewildered.
DIANTHA
(as the meaning of the scene dawns on her).
Priscilla! She wishes to spin!
ANNE.
Thou hast done many strange things in this new land, Priscilla; but I doubt not that the strangest of all is to give an Indian maiden her first lesson in spinning!
[Priscilla rises. Star-of-Spring seats herself. Business of Priscilla's teaching her to spin. Haltingly and somewhat fumblingly she does at length manage to compass the first rudiments of her lesson. The Pilgrim maidens stand grouped about her. Tableau.
DEGORY
(from background).
The shadows of the pines lengthen across your door-sill, Priscilla!
[At sound of the new voice Star-of-Spring rises, and hastily retreats, right. Degory Martin and John Billington enter from background.
DIANTHA.
Only think, Degory, Star-of-Spring, an Indian maid, hath had a spinning lesson!
DEGORY.
The shadows are lengthening. Twilight comes apace here in the forest. 'Tis time you all came home.
[The maidens of Plymouth follow him as he and John Billington take the spinning-wheel and spinning-stool with them. They make their exit at center background. Star-of-Spring, who has lingered at edge of trees, right, steals out to look after her departing playmates. Stands at place where spinning-wheel was. Again shakes her head, as if in perplexity over the strange arts of the palefaces. Finds on grass part of a skein of flax. Tosses it lightly in the air. Catches it again as it falls. Begins a characteristic dance, swaying, tossing skein, catching it. Each step of the dance takes her further into background. Then she comes down center again, like a tossing bough or a blown flame. She does not perceive the group entering from left. Her mother (Natiqua), Forest Flower, and Heron's Wing. They also are so occupied with portage that they do not perceive Star-of-Spring until they are almost up to her. Heron's Wing and Forest Flower carry between them a birch-bark canoe. Behind them trudges Natiqua, bent beneath a double pile of fagots. They pass, in picturesque silhouette, back of the spot where Priscilla had been seated with her spinning-wheel. Then they and Star-of-Spring become aware of each other. They stop. Natiqua frowns. Star-of-Spring points to place where Priscilla sat with her spinning-wheel, and by animated gestures portrays what has taken place. But neither Natiqua, Forest Flower, nor Heron's Wing is in the least interested. Natiqua shakes her head and frowns. It is evident that the wonders of the palefaces are not to her mind. She lets slip from her back her double pile of fagots, then replaces one, and Star-of-Spring takes up the other. Then, in Indian file, they cross the scene to right, and slowly disappear from view.
COSTUMES
PILGRIM MAIDENS. The Pilgrim maidens should wear plain black dresses ankle length, with white cuffs and Puritan caps, and white kerchiefs. These dresses may be made of black cambric, worn with the glazed side turned in.
THE PILGRIM LADS. The Pilgrim lads wear black suits, with full knee-breeches, black stockings, and low black shoes with silver buckles. Their hair comes to their ears, and they have white collars turned down on their coats, and deep white cuffs on their sleeves.
THE INDIANS. The Indians wear costumes of cotton khaki, the necks gaily painted with Indian designs. Strings of beads and shells. Natiqua has a green and scarlet blanket. She and the Indian maidens wear their hair in braids. They also have a gay strip of cheesecloth—red, green, or yellow—bound about their brows, and a quill stuck upright in the back. Heron's Wing has a head-dress of blue-gray heron's feathers. All wear moccasins. (See description of Indian costumes in "Princess Pocahontas.")
