Three Travelers Watch a Sunrise

But it is me he will see

At the window, as before.

"He will be thinking in strange countries

Of the green gown I wore.

He was saying good-by to her."

The maid drops her eyes and says to her mistress, "I shall sing to myself no more."

Third Chinese. That affects the white stones,
To be sure. [They laugh.]

First Chinese. And it affects the green gown.
Second Chinese. Here comes our black man.

[The Second Negro returns, somewhat agitated, with water but without his lantern. He hands the jug to the Third Chinese. The First Chinese from time to time strikes the instrument. The Third Chinese, who faces the left, peers in the direction from which the negro has come.]

Third Chinese. You have left your lantern behind you. It shines, among the trees,

Like evening Venus in a cloud-top.

[The Second Negro grins but makes no explanation. He seats himself behind the Chinese to the right.]

First Chinese. Or like a ripe strawberry

Among its leaves. [They laugh.]

I heard tonight

That they are searching the hill

For an Italian.

He disappeared with his neighbor's daughter.

Second Chinese. [Confidingly.] I am sure you heard The first eloping footfall,

And the drum

Of pursuing feet.

First Chinese. [Amusedly.] It was not an elopement. The young gentleman was seen

To climb the hill,

In the manner of a tragedian

Who sweats.

Such things happen in the evening.

He was

Un misérable.

Second Chinese. Reach the lady quickly.

[The First Chinese strikes the instrument twice as a prelude to his narrative.]

First Chinese. There are as many points of view

From which to regard her

As there are sides to a round bottle.

bottle.]

She was represented to me

As beautiful.

[Pointing to the water

[They laugh. The First Chinese strikes the instrument, and looks at the Third Chinese, who yawns.]

First Chinese. [Reciting.] She was as beautiful as a porcelain water bottle.

[He strikes the instrument in an insinuating manner.] First Chinese. She was represented to me

As young.

Three Travelers Watch a Sunrise

should go

Therefore my song
Of the color of blood.

[He strikes the instrument. The limb of the tree creaks. The First Chinese notices it and puts his hand on the knee of the Second Chinese, who is seated between him and the Third Chinese, to call attention to the sound. They are all seated so that they do not face the spot from which the sound comes. A dark object, hanging to the limb of the tree, becomes a dim silhouette. The sky grows constantly brighter. No color is to be seen until the end of the play.] Second Chinese. [To First Chinese.] It is only a tree Creaking in the night wind.

Third Chinese. [Shrugging his shoulders.] There would be no creaking

In the windless pavilions.

First Chinese. [Resuming.] So far the lady of the present ballad

Would have been studied

By the hermit and his candle

With much philosophy;

And possibly the emperor would have cried,

"More light!"

But it is a way with ballads

That the more pleasing they are

The worse end they come to;

For here it was also represented

That the lady was poor

The hermit's candle would have thrown

Alarming shadows,

And the emperor would have held
The porcelain in one hand..

She was represented as clinging

To that sweaty tragedian,

And weeping up the hill.

Second Chinese. [With a grimace.] It does not sound

like an elopement.

[He turns toward the light in the sky to the right, darkening the candle with his hands.]

In the meantime, the candle shines, [Indicating the sunrise.]

As you say, [To the Third Chinese.]

For the beauty of shining.

First Chinese. [Sympathetically.] Oh! it will end badly. The lady's father

Came clapping behind them

To the foot of the hill.

He came crying,

Three Travelers Watch a Sunrise

"Anna, Anna, Anna!" [Imitating.]

He was alone without her,

Just as the young gentleman
Was alone without her:

Three beggars, you see,
Begging for one another.

[The First Negro, carrying two lanterns, approaches cautiously through the trees. At the sight of him, the Second Negro, seated near the Chinese, jumps to his feet. The Chinese get up in alarm. The Second Negro goes around the Chinese toward the First Negro. All see the body of a man hanging to the limb of the tree. They gather together, keeping their eyes fixed on it. The First Negro comes out of the trees and places the lanterns on the ground. He looks at the group and then at the body.]

First Chinese. [Moved.] The young gentleman of the ballad.

Third Chinese. [Slowly, approaching the body.] And the end of the ballad.

Take away the bushes.

[The negroes commence to pull away the bushes.] Second Chinese. Death, the hermit,

Needs no candle

In his hermitage.

[The Second Chinese snuffs out the candle. The First

Chinese puts out the lanterns. As the bushes are pulled