1914
First performed: September 12, 1913
TO
ERNEST HAROLD BAYNES
'WILD NATURE'S HUMAN SYMPATHIZER'
IN ADMIRATION OF HIS DAUNTLESS
SERVICE TO THE BIRDS
PERSONS OF THE MASQUE [Footnote: 1Kb ] The complete programme of the original production of the masque, as first enacted at Meriden, New Hampshire, by members of the Cornish Colony and the Meriden Bird Club, is printed in the AFTERWORD of this volume.
in the order of their appearance
QUERCUS, faun
ALWYN, poet
SHY, naturalist
TACITA, dryad
ORNIS, bird spirit
STARK, plume hunter
Hunter Attendants of Stark
Many species of birds — in human form, garbed symbolically
PARTICIPANTS IN PANTOMIME
Hunter Attendants of Stark
Many species of birds — in human form, garbed symbolically
SCENE
The sylvan glade of a bird sanctuary .
THE PRELUDE
Wandering in the quiet of the bird sanctuary, a little girl hears the voice of a hermit thrush, and meditates this song:
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Passing on deeper into the wood, the little girl thinks dreamily of all wild birds and the wrongs done to them by their human brothers and sisters .
Out of her reverie grows the Masque which follows .
THE MASQUE
I
Dawn .
The woods are silent, save for bird pipings .
In the background, verdure of young pines and ancient boles of oaks form the dim-pillared entrance to a forest shrine .
Artfully placed on tree trunk and bough are nest boxes of bark .
On one side stands a low weathercock food-house; on the other, a tall martin-house pole .
In the shade of a great oak glimmers the shallow pool of a bird bath .
Peeping at this from behind the oak, appears, vanishes and appears again the horned head of QUERCUS, a faun .
Stealing forth , QUERCUS approaches the pool, bearing in one hand an enormous pitcher plant .
Peering upward among the boughs, he raises his voice in quaint falsetto, and sings .
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From his pitcher plant QUERCUS pours into the bird bath. Skipping then to a little swinging bird-house, he sprinkles its shelf with seed from a pouch. Here he pauses dreamily; furtively takes out and fingers a pipe; blows a few notes, pauses, starts, puts it quickly away, stoops his ear to the ground, springs away to the oak, and snatches an ivied staff which stands against the trunk. The staff is designed like a martin-house pole in miniature. Placing himself on guard where a foot-path enters the glade, he calls:
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Outside
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II
QUERCUS. ALWYN.
[A YOUNG MAN enters, pausing in the path
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Flourishing his staff
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Pointing at QUERCUS' staff
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Pointing toward a tall martin-house pole
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With lowered voice, he looks around warily
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Taking out his pipe, he plays again a few languorous strains, but breaks off abruptly
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III
SHY. QUERCUS. ALWYN.
Enters, carrying a nest-box
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He greets ALWYN.]
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Smiling
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Patting QUERCUS' shoulder
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Holding it behind him
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In pantomime, he demands and receives the pipe from QUERCUS. SHY then addresses QUERCUS.]
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He nods shrewdly
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Grinning
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Skipping to the maple tree
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Climbing among the branches, he disappears, whistling bird-notes
IV
ALWYN. SHY.
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Eagerly
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They sit upon a log and listen
V
TACITA. ALWYN. SHY.
Dreamily, the fluting of birds sounds in the forest. Dimly from the background TACITA appears. With steps of reverie, she approaches, and pauses before them . looks up and, touching SHY'S arm, speaks low
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To mysterious music , TACITA treads a dance of invocation, appealing in pantomime to the unseen spirit of wings, which flits and sings and broods in the boughs above her . ALWYN and SHY watch her, rapt and expectant .
Suddenly a sharp gun-shot sounds, shivering the music, which ceases. Through the boughs, a bird falls fluttering to the earth
VI
ORNIS. ALWYN. SHY.
With a gesture of startled wildness , TACITA breaks abruptly from her rhythmic motions, and flees into the wood, while simultaneously from the other side there enters, swift but staggering , ORNIS — a maiden, garbed symbolically as a bird. On one of her wing-like sleeves blood shows. With shrill, melodious cry, she flutters forward .
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Swaying, she falls to the ground . ALWYN and SHY spring toward her
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At ORNIS' side
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Seeking to lift her
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Droops, moaning
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Hastening off
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Soothingly strokes ORNIS' arm and shoulder
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Moans dazedly
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Reëntering with ALWYN.]
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Pointing
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Dipping his plant pitcher, hastens with it to SHY.]
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Sprinkling water upon ORNIS, sings gaily ].
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[ORNIS revives
Assisting her
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Bending over her, calls low
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Looking from one to the other
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Rising in glad wonder
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With wonder
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Curiously
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Turning eagerly from one to the other
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Smiling
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Skipping with a bow
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Laughing joyously
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To SHY.]
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To QUERCUS.]
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[TACITA appears remotely
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A crashing resounds in the thicket . TACITA disappears
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Calling off scene
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With excited gestures
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Suddenly recoiling with a cry
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She flies to their protection . QUERCUS also scampers back fearfully, and hides
VII
STARK. ORNIS. ALWYN. SHY.
Enter STARK, in garb of a hunter. He wears a tawny leopard's skin, and his head is gorgeously plumed. Behind him, two panting dogs are held in leash by attendants . STARK rushes toward ORNIS, passes her oblivious, and seizes up the fallen bird
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The ATTENDANTS withdraw with the hounds
As STARK grasps the bird, clutches her own side in pain
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He thrusts the bird into his game pouch. Turning to leave, he sees ALWYN and SHY, and greets them gaily
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Quietly
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With a laugh
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Touching his pouch, he winks
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He points at ORNIS.]
Looking
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Drawing back in dread
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Peeping toward SHY from the bushes
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To STARK.]
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Who has listened with half-amused curiosity
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[QUERCUS goes out
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He sits on the log beside ALWYN. ORNIS still stands apart, under SHY'S protection . QUERCUS enters, beckoning backward into the wood
VIII
TACITA. ALWYN. ORNIS. STARK. (SHY. QUERCUS.)
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Soft music sounds, various and elusive in its rhythmic themes . TACITA approaches STARK, and weaves about him a dance of revelation, lulling, charming, luring him by the appeal of numberless wing-swayings and bird-dartings, for which the music suggests the song-notes. During her dance , STARK rises, bewildered, and is gradually lured and led by her toward ORNIS, before whom — at the consummation of the dance — he stands, staring
Rising, speaks to the music
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[TACITA disappears . STARK beholds ORNIS.]
IX
STARK. ORNIS. (ALWYN. QUERCUS. SHY.)
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Appealing with half-fearful affection
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With sudden cry and gesture
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From his shoulder he looses the net, and flings it over ORNIS, seizing the meshes
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Struggling
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Extricating her
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Seizing STARK.]
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Dropping his net
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Fascinated
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With altered tone of yearning
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Glancing at his gun
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Flinging it from him
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Drawing near
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He takes STARK'S right hand
Taking his left
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Pressing their hands
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Whispering to the faun
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He leaps away
As STARK tears off his headdress of plumes
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He hangs the headdress on a tree
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Turning to ALWYN and SHY.]
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Enter QUERCUS and TACITA.]
X
TACITA. QUERCUS. STARK. ORNIS. SHY. ALWYN.
To ORNIS.]
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Bounding forward
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Taking from his pouch QUERCUS' pipe
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[ALWYN puts the pipe to his lips, while QUERCUS sings to it, calling to the birds. At the end , QUERCUS begs in pantomime for the pipe which ALWYN, smiling, restores to him
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While QUERCUS calls, from all sides Birds of many species and colors — like ORNIS human in form — gather, and peer from the edges of the scene. To these TACITA now beckons, and by her gesture summons to her dance, while QUERCUS plays joyously on his pipe
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[TACITA first dances alone, then with QUERCUS; then, inviting and leading them all in pied procession, she marshals all away into her woodland shrine
FINIS