Witch

  And I upon my broomstick now must fly
  To woodland tryst.  Come, Horned Owl
  And Venomed Toad!  Now play the spy! 
  Let no one through my orchard prowl.

[Exit Witch and Ogre to dirge music.

SCENE II. Enter King and Queen weeping.  They pace up and down, wringing hands, and showing great signs of grief.  Godmother enters from opposite side.  King speaks.

King

  Good dame, Godmother of our daughter dear,
  Perhaps thou’st heard our tale of woe. 
  Our children twain are stolen away
  By Ogre Grim, mine ancient foe.

  All up and down the land we’ve sought
  For help to break into his tower. 
  And now, our searching all for nought,
  We’ve come to beg the Witch’s power.

[Godmother springs forward, finger to lip, and anxiously waves them away from orchard.

Godmother

  Nay!  Nay!  Your Majesty, go not
  Within that orchard, now I pray! 
  The Witch and Ogre are in league. 
  They’ve wrought you fearful harm this day. 
  She brewed a draught to change the prince
  Into a dog!  Oh, woe is me! 
  I passed the tower and heard him bark: 
  Alack!  That I must tell it thee!

[Queen shrieks and falls back in the King’s arms, then recovering falls to wailing.

Queen

  My noble son a dog?  A beast? 
  It cannot, must not, shall not be! 
  I’ll brave the Ogre in his den,
  And plead upon my bended knee!

Godmother

  Thou couldst not touch his heart of stone. 
  He’d keep thee captive in his lair. 
  The Princess Winsome can alone
  Remove the cause of thy despair. 
  And I unto the tower will climb,
  And ere is gone the sunset’s red,
  Shall bid her spin a counter charm—­
  A skein of Love’s own Golden Thread. 
  Take heart, O mother Queen!  Be brave! 
  Take heart, O gracious King, I pray! 
  Well can she spin Love’s Golden Thread,
  And Love can always find a way!

[Exit Godmother.

Queen

  She’s gone, good dame.  But what if she
  Has made mistake, and thread of gold
  Is not enough to draw our son
  From out the Ogre’s cruel hold? 
  Canst think of nought, your Majesty? 
  Of nothing else?  Must we stand here
  And powerless lift no hand to speed
  The rescue of our children dear?

[King clasps hand to his head in thought, then starts forward.

King

  I have it now!  This hour I’ll send
  Swift heralds through my wide domains,
  To say the knight who rescues them
  Shall wed the Princess for his pains.

Queen

  Quick!  Let us fly!  I hear the sound of feet,
  As if some horseman were approaching nigher. 
  ’Twould not be seemly should he meet
  Our royal selves so near the Witch’s fire.