Seven Short Plays Part 31

_Child:_ (_Sitting down and breaking sticks across his knee._) One-and two-O I can break this one into a great many, one, two, three, four.-This one is wet-I don't like a wet one-five, six-that is a great heap.-Let me try that great big one.-That is too hard.-I don't think mother could break that one.-Daddy could break it.

(_Half-door is opened and a travelling man comes in. He wears a ragged white flannel shirt, and mud-stained trousers. He is bareheaded and barefooted, and carries a little branch in his hand._)

_Travelling Man:_ (_Stooping over the child and taking the stick._) Give it here to me and hold this.

(_He puts the branch in the child's hand while he takes the stick and breaks it._)

_Child:_ That is a good branch, apples on it and flowers. The tree at the mill has apples yet, but all the flowers are gone. Where did you get this branch?

_Travelling Man:_ I got it in a garden a long way off.

_Child:_ Where is the garden? Where do you come from?

_Travelling Man:_ (_Pointing southward._) I have come from beyond those hills.

_Child:_ Is it from the Golden Mountain you are come? From Slieve na n-Or?

_Travelling Man:_ That is where I come from surely, from the Golden Mountain. I would like to sit down and rest for a while.

_Child:_ Sit down here beside me. We must not go near the table or touch anything, or mother will be angry. Mother is going to make a beautiful cake, a cake that will be fit for a King that might be coming in to our supper.

_Travelling Man:_ I will sit here with you on the floor.

(_Sits down._)

_Child:_ Tell me now about the Golden Mountain.

_Travelling Man:_ There is a garden in it, and there is a tree in the garden that has fruit and flowers at the one time.

_Child:_ Like this branch?

_Travelling Man:_ Just like that little branch.

_Child:_ What other things are in the garden?

_Travelling Man:_ There are birds of all colours that sing at every hour, the way the people will come to their prayers. And there is a high wall about the garden.

_Child:_ What way can the people get through the wall?

_Travelling Man:_ There are four gates in the wall: a gate of gold, and a gate of silver, and a gate of crystal, and a gate of white bra.s.s.

_Child:_ (_Taking up the sticks._) I will make a garden. I will make a wall with these sticks.

_Travelling Man:_ This big stick will make the first wall.

(_They build a square wall with sticks._)

_Child:_ (_Taking up branch._) I will put this in the middle. This is the tree. I will get something to make it stand up. (_Gets up and looks at dresser._) I can't reach it, get up and give me that shining jug.

(_Travelling Man gets up and gives him the jug._)

_Travelling Man:_ Here it is for you.

_Child:_ (_Puts it within the walls and sets the branch in it._) Tell me something else that is in the garden?

_Travelling Man:_ There are four wells of water in it, that are as clear as gla.s.s.

_Child:_ Get me down those cups, those flowery cups, we will put them for wells. (_He hands them down._) Now I will make the gates, give me those plates for gates, not those ugly ones, those nice ones at the top.

(_He takes them down and they put them on the four sides for gates. The Child gets up and looks at it._)

_Travelling Man:_ There now, it is finished.

_Child:_ Is it as good as the other garden? How can we go to the Golden Mountain to see the other garden?

_Travelling Man:_ We can ride to it.

_Child:_ But we have no horse.

_Travelling Man:_ This form will be our horse. (_He draws a form out of the corner, and sits down astride on it, putting the child before him._) Now, off we go! (_Sings, the child repeating the refrain_)-

Come ride and ride to the garden, Come ride and ride with a will: For the flower comes with the fruit there Beyond a hill and a hill.

_Refrain_

Come ride and ride to the garden, Come ride like the March wind; There's barley there, and water there, And stabling to your mind.

_Travelling Man:_ How did you like that ride, little horseman?

_Child:_ Go on again! I want another ride!

_Travelling Man_ (_sings_)-

The Archangels stand in a row there And all the garden bless, The Archangel Axel, Victor the angel Work at the cider press.

_Refrain_

Come ride and ride to the garden, &c.

_Child:_ We will soon be at the Golden Mountain now. Ride again. Sing another song.

_Travelling Man_ (_sings_)-

O scent of the broken apples!

O shuffling of holy shoes!

Beyond a hill and a hill there In the land that no one knows.