Piper
And your trade?

Peter the Cobbler
Peter the cobbler.—­

Michael
  I?  What, I?  Make shoes?
[Proudly]
I swallow fire.

Piper
  Enough.

Barbara
[aside, bitterly]
I’ll not believe it.

Piper
[to Hans]
Your trade?

Hans the Butcher
  I’m Hans the Butcher.

Michael
  Butcher?

Cheat-the-devil
[unhappily]
  Butcher! 
Oh, no!  I couldn’t hurt them.

[Loud laughter.

Butcher’s wife
’T is a fool!

[The piper motions to Michael and cheat-the-devil, who during the following join the other player-folk, strike their tent, pack their bundles, and wheel off the bar rows that have served them for an Ark, leaving the space clear before the Shrine.  Exeunt Strollers, all but Michael, who hangs about, still gazing at Barbara.

Jacobus
Good people, we have wasted time enow. 
You see this fellow, that he has no writ—­

Piper
Why not, then?  ’T was a bargain.  If your word
Hold only when ’t is writ—­

Kurt
  We cannot spend
Clerkship on them that neither write nor read. 
What good would parchment do thee?

Jacobus
  My good man—­

Piper
Who says I cannot read?—­Who says I cannot?

Old Claus
Piper, don’t tell me you can read in books!

Piper
[at bay]
Books!  Where’s a book?  Shew me a book, I say!

Old Ursula
The Holy Book!  Bring that—­or he’ll bewitch you.

Piper
Oh, never fear.  I charm but fools and children;
Now that the rats are gone.—­Bring me a Book: 
A big one!—­

[Murmurs.  The piper defiant.  The crowd moves towards the Minster.  Enter Anselm the priest, with a little acolyte,—­the two bearing a large illuminated Gospel-book.  Anselm, eyeing the piper gravely, opens the book, which the boy supports on his head and shoulders.

Piper
Ho, ’t is too heavy!  Come, you cherub-head,
Here’s too much laid upon one guardian angel!
[Beckons another small boy, and sets the book on their two backs. 
Well?—­well?  What now?
[He looks in frank bewilderment at the eager crowd.

Crowd
  Read, read!

Kurt
  He cannot read.

Piper
[to Anselm]
Turn—­turn—­there’s nothing there.
[Anselm turns pages.  Piper looks on blankly]
  . . .  Ah, turn again! 
The red one!—­
[He takes his fife from his belt]
No, the green!  The green one.  So.
[Starts to pipe, looking on the book.]

Crowd
  ( Sure ’t is a mad-man!
  ( But hear him piping!
  ( What is he doing?