Authors: Naomi Mitchison Marina Warner
Who cast their luring, their spell on him!
By day he hides from the light of the sun,
He eats but little, he speaks to none,
But at night he goes to the Green Hill people
To dance in the hill till the dark is done.
Kate:
You should have a watcher with him at night, a strong and careful watcher who is not afraid of the Green Hill people nor of any magic.
Well Prince:
Many a one has stayed at night
To watch by his bed till the morning light,
But every watcher has vanished, vanished,
Magicked away from human sight!
Magicked away by the Green Hill people
Who laugh at loving or faith or right!
And my brother laughs, he laughs in the morning,
With eyes all shadowed and cheeks all white.
Kate:
It is a sad thing to hear that kind of laughter. I have heard laughter that bit at my heart. Well then, prince, are we to have shelter in your castle? Must I sing again?
Well Prince:
Sing, bold maiden, and cheer my heart!
(to Ann)
And you with the hands that flutter and start,
Will you lift the veil and show your beauty,
Your eyes that kindle and looks that dart?
(Ann shrinks and turns away.)
Kate (sings
. Air:
“Over the Water to Charlie”)
:
My sister Ann was good as gold,
My sister Ann was bonny,
Dear to kiss and fine to hold,
As sweet as bread and honey.
A cruel spell on her was laid
Upon her face so bonny,
Although she was a gentle maid
And sweet as bread and honey.
So no man now her face may see,
Nor kiss her lips so bonny,
Though he were a King of Araby,
Or good as bread and honey!
Well Prince:
You shall sing again, for I must know more.
For your sister's sake my heart is sore,
I will away and bid the porter,
Slip back the bolts of my castle door!
(He goes from the window.)
Kate:
Well, dearest, there's a sad prince!
(Ann bleats.)
A sad prince, but a handsome one, you say? Well, maybe. But at least he is giving us shelter at the end of a long day. If only we could stay here and not wear out those pretty feet of yours on the hard roads!
(Ann bleats.)
Not worn out? No, but they will be. And so will mine! Now tell me, Ann, what do you say to this: that I go watch this sick prince at nights and get good pay for it?
(Ann bleats and catches at Kate's hands.)
Silly Ann, there's nothing to fear. 'Tis not your sister Kate will vanish away in smoke for a little watching! It will take more than a spell from any Green Hill people to magic your Kate away!
(Ann bleats.)
Hush, here's the porter, we'll see what he says to it.
(The gate opens and the PORTER looks out; he is an important little man in red.)
Porter:
I am Peter Porter,
The castle Porter,
I open the door in
The stones and mortar,
Let three or four in,
Ladies a-riding
Or knights in armour,
A lovely charmer,
Or a captain striding.
I'm Peter Porter!
I let them all in,
Taller or shorter,
Beggar or gypsy,
I bid them crawl in,
Sober or tipsy!
I'm Peter Porter,
And a curtsy, pleaseâ
The Prince has the castle,
But I have the keys!
Kate:
Mr. Peter Porter, your servants!
(She and Ann curtsy.)
Porter:
The Prince bade me let you in, but 'tis I have the passing of you. What work will you do, beggar maids?
Kate:
I can do most things about a house, and what I've not done yet I can try my hand at.
Porter:
There's but one piece of work needs doing in this castle, and that needs a stouter heart than any beggar maid can put to it.
Kate:
Maybe I can guess the work you mean. I could be a sick-bed watcher, Mr. Peter Porter.
(Ann tugs at her hand.)
No, Ann, I must ask! Tell me, Mr. Peter Porter, what reward would a girl get who watched all night with your sick prince?
(As she says this the SICK PRINCE comes to the window and looks down, watching them, dark and smiling, bareheaded with a wild lock coming down over the forehead.)
Porter:
Mistress beggar maid, the pay that is offered to man or woman who watches a night with the sick prince is a whole peck of silver.
Kate:
Why, I could spend that with a light heart! I need new shoe-laces! Mr. Peter Porter, what kind of a prince is this sick prince of yours?
Porter (with a sideways glance)
: You've but to look at the window, mistress beggar maid, and you'll see.
(Kate looks up. The Sick Prince laughs.)
Ah, he knows you'll go the same way the others went.
Kate:
But all the same, I'll do it.
(Ann bleats.)
Porter (startled)
: What was that?
Kate:
Nothing at all. I will watch your sick prince for you.
(At this the Sick Prince goes from the window.)
Bring us in, Mr. Peter Porter. When I have my peck of silver, you shall have something out of it.
Porter:
Come then, beggar maids.
(He goes in, followed by Ann. Kate still stands for a moment, staring at the window.)
Kate:
This is the thing I have waited for,
This is the thing I left my home for,
All I have loved and hated for,
All that I ever thought to roam for!
Oh prince, sick prince, I will be your healer,
I will be bold as I am bonny,
I will go to the fairy hill,
I will be listener, I will be stealer,
I will dare go down through the black, black mould,
Under the turf of the fairy hill.
If I am bonny, I will be bold,
I will follow my prince to the fairy hill.
I will set my will to the will of the fairies,
A mortal will to the fairy will,
I will follow my prince and keep and hold,
And bring him back from the fairy hill!
(She turns and goes into the castle, after the Porter and sister Ann.)
SCENE II
(The Sick Prince's room in the castle. A chest, a stool by the fire, a low bed spread with a green silken cover. The Sick Prince stands at the window, holding back the curtain and looking out.)
Sick Prince:
Sleep ⦠I will sleep now ⦠I will sleep and sleep.
Soon I must rise and ride. The sky is steep,
I must tread down the stars. Oh set of sun,
In the Green Hill the dancing has begun!
They wait for me. At midnight I will go.
(He turns from the window.)
All day the hours drag, the clocks are slow;
My brother and the rest would have me gay,
They'd have me laughing all the hateful day!
They talk; they give me food I cannot eat,
They slink about my ways, they lie, they cheat,
I hate their spying looks, their service bought!
And I am hindered, hindered from the thought
Of fairy gladness, fairy wine and bread,
That lovely light about the Green Hill shed,
The thick, close sweetness of the fairy hill!
Oh how I hate these mortals that must still
Press all about me, touch me, drag me back
To the hot slavering of the human pack,
Hold me, possess me, catch me, make me well,
A well, glad devil in the human hell!
They say another's come to watch to-night,
I hate the thought of her, the touch, the sight.
Ah fairies, catch her, hold her in the hill,
Set your fine wills against her mortal will,
This gold-bought human in your green hill keep!
Sleep ⦠I will sleep now ⦠I will sleep and sleep.
(He lies down on the green bed and goes to sleep. Music. After a little time the Porter comes in, on tiptoe.)
Porter (speaking over his shoulder)
:
Yes, yes, come in!
(Kate and Ann come in, looking from him to the sleeping prince.)
He is like this always in the evening. Dead asleep. It is only later that he wakes. As the clock strikes midnight.
Kate (bending over him)
: Poor lad, poor lad. He is dreaming of the fairies. Well, if there is nothing left of me to-morrow morning, you shall give the peck of silver to my sister Ann!
(Ann bleats)
Porter:
What was that?
Kate:
Nothing at all. Give me the stool, Mr. Peter Porter. I will sit there and sing myself awake all night.
(The Porter draws the stool forward. Enter the Well Prince.)
Well Prince:
So you have come, brave beggar maid,
Knowing the peril, but not afraid!
Welcome to you and your bonny sister
With the grey veil still o'er her bright eyes laid!
Kate:
It is I, not she, who will do the watching. Good-night, Ann, good-night, my dear.
(They kiss)
Wish me well and have good dreams. Now go, my Ann.
(Exeunt Ann and the Porter.)
Well Prince (looking after Ann)
:
There she goes with her step so fine,
But I wish I could see her blue eyes shine,
And I wish your sister were my own sister
And I wish her good-night kiss were mine!
Kate:
I would sooner see her go to you than to any other man. If she could. If the spell were off her. Prince, if I am magicked away to-night, will you care for my sick sister Ann?
Well Prince:
If your sick sister were left alone,
I would not leave her to sigh or moan,
But I would care for your sad sick sister
As though your sister had been mine own.
Kate:
I will have that in mind through my watching. And now, Prince, you should go. Only wish me luck after midnight in the fairy time.
Well Prince:
Oh I wish you luck and I wish you well,
May all good counsel be with you still,
Oh I wish you well in the Fairy Hill
And a fine, fine tale at dawn to tell!
(He goes out.)
Kate:
Well now, here's time before midnight and a good fire to spend it by.
(She goes over to the Sick Prince.)
He's sleeping sound enough now. I'll sing and keep me awake.
(She sits on the stool and sings. Air: “Lilliburlero.”)
There was a maid that loved a lad
(The broom is bonny on bank and brae)
A silver penny was all she had
(And I'll go up to the broom to-day).
The lad was noble, the lad was proud
(The broom is bonny on bank and brae)
He scorned the maid in a voice so loud
(And I'll go up to the broom to-day).
He went a-walking to take the air,
(The broom is bonny on bank and brae)
He went a-walking by the mill dam fair.
(And I'll go up to the broom to-day).
He went a-walking, as I am told,
(The broom is bonny on bank and brae)
When by there came a robber bold.
(And I'll go up to the broom to-day).
That robber took his gold so bright,
(The broom is bonny on bank and brae)
And bound his hands behind him tight.
(And I'll go up to the broom to-day).
Proud youth, said he, I'll have your life,
(The broom is bonny on bank and brae)
I'll slay you with my little pen-knife.
(And I'll go up to the broom to-day).
But by there came that silly maid,
(The broom is bonny on bank and brae)
She heard all the bold robber said.
(And I'll go up to the broom to-day).
She tripped up like any lamb
(The broom is bonny on bank and brae)
She pushed the robber into the mill dam.
(And I'll go up to the broom to-day).
That proud lad's hands she straight unbound,
(The broom is bonny on bank and brae)
And woke him out of his sore swound.
(And I'll go up to the broom to-day).
He kissed her lips that were so red:
(The broom is bonny on bank and brae)
“But for you I had been dead”
(And I'll go up to the broom to-day).
“But for you I had lost my life”
(The broom is bonny on bank and brae)
“Now you shall be my dear wife.”
(And I'll go up to the broom to-day).
(She stops singing and speaks.)
There's a silly song! My nurse was used to sing it. And in the last verse of all they are wedded and live happy ever after. Well, I'll not sing that.
(She goes over to the Sick Prince.)
He's asleep still.
(She goes back to the stool.)
Nothing to do but sing again.
(She sings. Air: “Jacket and Petticoat.”)
As I went by with my sister Ann,
I saw a middling fine young man,
Middling fine, middling fine,
I saw a middling fine young man!
As I looked up and as I walked in
Then he looked down and gave me a grin,
Gave me a grin, gave me a grin,
Oh he looked down and gave me a grin!
As I sat there on my little chair,
That fine young man â¦
(She breaks off as the clock strikes twelve. On the twelfth stroke the Sick Prince sits up on his bed.)
Sick Prince:
Yes, I am coming! Yes, the dance is set.
In the Green Hill the company is met â¦
Oh I can hear the thin long notes that come
Across the muffled beating of the drum,
The heavy drum, the fairy drum, the luring
Drum that has set a dance time there's no curing,
A dance time in my head and in my heart.