PAN: — Here are mortal who shall decide between us! (indicates Midas and Silenus)
AP: — They shall judge! Mortals, I am Apollo, inventor of the Lyre, and yonder is Pan, the inventor of the Pipes. You shall listen to the Lyre and the Pipes and decide which makes the most beautiful music!
SIL: — (Fearfully) Excuse me — a mortal has no business mixing in the quarrels of the gods —
MID: — I’ll be your judge!
PAN: — Good!
AP: — You shall!
SIL: — (Entreating) Your Highness, I implore you not to do it! You will offend one or the other of the Gods!
MID: — Go to the bench, Silenus — I’m umpiring this game! (To Silenus) Fetch me yon wooden wart (indicating large stump opposite L 3 E) for a seat! (Silenus goes to the stump and tries in vain to move it)
SIL: — It seems to be fastened to the ground, Your Highness —
AP: — (Waving toward stump) Move! (the stump instantly glides away from Silenus, to his great amazement)
SIL: — (To stump) Good — good-bye! (The stump slides over to Midas, who promptly sits upon it). Thank you. (To Pan and Apollo) Have you agreed upon the batting order —
PAN: — Apollo plays first —
MID: — Then play ball — that is music!
APOLLO begins to play softly upon the Lyre. The Satyrs, with Pan at their head, mass opposite R 1, 2 and 3 E, while the Nymphs hold the centre of the stage and execute a fantastic and rhythmic Dance. The Satyrs continually grimace and gesture at them. During the music and dance, Midas becomes drowsy and npds; finally he goes to sleep sitting on the stump. At the conclusion Pan and the Satyrs laugh loudly and derisively. Midas falls off the stump and strikes the ground heavily; he awakens with a start.
MID: — Time! (he applauds) Fine business, Apollo! (To Pan) Your bat, now! Apollo and the Nymphs mass against 1, 2 and 3E, while Pan plays on the Pipes and the Satyrs execute a ludicrous Dance. Apollo appears bored, and the Nymphs regard the Satyrs scornfully. The tune Pan plays is jolly, and Midas jumps from his seat on the stump and joins the Satyrs in their dance. He laughs loudly and happily, and hums the tune Pan is playing. Atthe conclusion of the music, Midas is almost exhausted by his efforts, and sits on the stump.
PAN & AP: (Singing)
And now, mortal Midas, you’ve listened
To music heard never by man:
Melodious Lyre of Apollo,
The Pipes O’ the mischievous Pan.
Now tell us which one is the better,
That all his just praises may sing:
Decide between Pan and Apollo:
Say which is the musical king!
PAN, AP, (Singing)
NYM & — Tell us, Tell us!
SAT: — Which is the Musical King!
Tell us, Tell us!
Which is the Musical King!
MID: — Ahem! — -
SIL: — (Fearfully) Oh, your Majesty — I beseech you not to make a decision between the gods —
MID: — (To Silenus) Silence, Silenus! (The Nymphs and Satyrs applaud) Now, Gods, (to Pan and Apollo) If you’ll play a little slow music with hot tempo, I’ll pronounce the sentence. (Music begins)
(Singing)
There are two kinds of music —
Now, my frankness do not mind —
The warm and jolly melody,
The cold and classic kind.
Each has its own admirers
As have the Pipes and Lyre,
For mortals are as different
As freezing ice and fire.
Some like the stately classical,
And say it’s simply grand!
And cranks and silly women rave
But do not understand.
But music that is music,
Is the sort that casts a trance,
That tickles at your knee-caps
And makes you want to dance.
And if I’m forced to answer,
Just Speaking as a man:
The classic Lyre’s not in it
With the jolly Pipes O’ Pan!
PAN & SAT: (Singing, meanwhile dancing wildly about the stage and grimacing at the Satyrs and Apollo, who stand dumb-founded).
And now you have his answer,
Just spoken like a man:
He says the Lyre’s not in it
With the Jolly Pipes O’ Pan!
The amazement of Apollo and the Nymphs gives way to anger as the Satyrs caper wildly about them, and for an instant it appears as though the Nymphs might attack Midas and the Satyrs.
AP: — (Wrathfully, to Midas) None but the ears of an ass could prefer the Pipes to the Lyre! (Pan and the Satyrs laugh hilariously)
PAN: — (To Apollo) Keep your kimono on, Polly!
AP: — (To Midas) And I condemn you henceforth to wear the ears of an ass! Instantly enormous ass’ ears appear on the head of Midas, whereat the Satyrs and Nymphs break into gleeful laughter; they dance about Midas and Silenus for a moment, then PAN and the SATYRS EXIT hurriedly at R 2 and 3 E, and APOLLO and the NYMPHS EXIT at L 2 and 3 E. Midas is dumbfounded at first, as is Silenus; they look at each other, speechless. Midas flaps his ears, then cautiously knocks one about with his hand; pulls it down and tries to look at it; contemplates it gravely.
MID: — (Looking at his ear) Oh mores, oh tempora, oh hell!
SIL: — J told you so, your Majesty! I told you so!
MID: — (Grieving) Oh — oh — oh —
SIL: (In despair) None of the foreign princesses will marry you when they see those ears, and the kingdom will be devasted by war--
MID: — What shall I do? What shall I do?
SIL: The only thing to do, your Majesty, is to wrap the ears in your sash and cover them with your biggest crown, so as to conceal them from everybody. After you’ve married one of the princesses and gotten the money, suppose she does quit you —
MID: — (Musing) And maybe lean drive the mothers-in law away with them, too — (works his ears and stoops and moves forward toward Silenus as though trying to frighten him;
Silenus retreats)
SIL: — Don’t your Majesty, don’t — my heart is weak!
WOOD: (Appearing on tree wherein Splinter is concealed) Haw! Haw!
SPLIN: Oh--ow — oh! (terrified at the proximity of the Woodpecker, releases his hold and falls from the tree. Midas and Silenus are startled. Splinter hobbles to his feet, looks at Midas, gives a roar of laughter and starts to run away, but he is seized by Silenus and led to Midas.
SIL: — (Ominously) An eaves-dropper!
SPLIN: No--a tree-dropper! (Looking at Midas, who is working his ears, breaks into an uncontrolable fit of laughter. Midas is amused and continues to work his ears. Silenus is incensed and roughly handles Splinter.)
SIL: — (Commanding) Cease your laughing!
SPLIN: (Unable to control himself) I’m not laughing--(roaring) It’s just laughing itself —
SIL: — (To Midas) He knows the secret of the ears, your Majesty, and if he is released every one will know it. He must be put to death!
SPLIN: (Terrified) Oh--ow--oh! If it’s just the same to you — I’m — I’m too young to die! Please don’t kill me!
MID: — We will take him to the palace and he shall serve as my barber and body-servant. But if he dares to inform anybody of my (flaps his ears with his hand) fly-catchers, he shall be beheaded!
SPLIN: But I’m no barber, your Uphighness —
MID: — But you’ve got to be a barber! Wrap my ears up and conceal them in this sash, (hands him sash; Splinter begins to wrap the ears in the sash and conceal them, meanwhile making desperate efforts to control his laughter).
SIL: — (Incensed) Cease that laughing, fool!
SPLIN: I’m not laughing — I’m crying, (referring to the ears and addressing Midas) They are not mates, your Majestic. (He has concealed the ears in the sash).
MID: — Now, to the Palace! (Takes Splinter by the arm)
SIL: — He must not escape! (takes Spli
nter’s other arm, and all EXIT at L 2 E, Splinter roaring with laughter and Silenus upbraiding him.
WOOD’S: Goodbye, Splinter!
SPLIN: (Disappearing) Oh--ow--oh!
PAN and the SATYRS ENTER at C, dragging RAMONA, whom they have captured in the forest.
1st SAT: Another mortal!
PAN: — A girl! (Ramona is very frightened at the grimaces of the Satyrs) Why are you in this forest?
2nd SAT: She was listening to the music.
RAM: — (Fearfully) Yes--yes--I was listening to the music. I ran away when you came at first, because the laughter frightened me, but I was ashamed to leave Midas there to face you alone, and I crept back to see that no harm came to him.
PAN: — You heard the musical contest?
RAM: Yes--and King Midas did right in deciding for the pipes.
SATYRS: (Singing and dancing)
Midas did right! Midas did right!
Pan’s the Musician, and
Midas did right!
PAN: — (To Ramona) I like your taste. Who are you?
RAM: — I am Ramona, a gypsy.
PAN: — Well, gypsy, what do you long for the most?
RAM: I long most for a beautiful robe and jewels in which to appear before King Midas as a princess —
PAN: — Clothes! Clothes! A woman always wants clothes! I might have known!
RAM: — (Earnestly) But I must have them or I cannot go to the palace. I love Midas with all my heart, and he is going to marry one of the princesses just for her dowry. If I can appear before him arrayed as a princess I know that he will choose me for his wife instead of another.
PAN: — (Laughing) It will be a capital joke on Midas! (To Satyr) Bring a robe and crown! (SATYR instantly EXIT at R 2 E) We will make this gypsy girl a princess!
RAM: — (Delighted) Oh! (dances about)
ENTER SATYR R 2 E bringing robe and jewelled crown, which he and other Satyrs put on Ramona; the Satyrs make mock obeisance to her, as though she were a queen.
RAM: — (Delighted) Oh — oh — oh! How lovely, how lovely!
APOLLO and NYMPHS ENTER L 2 and 3 E.
AP: — (Seeing Satyrs bowing down before Ramona, and noting the robe and crown) What is the meaning of this mummery?
PAN: — Hello, Polly, you back?
AP: — Yes, I am!
PAN: — This is Ramona, a gypsy girl — (introducing) Ramona — Apollo--EX-musician! (The Satyrs laugh and Apollo frowns)
PAN: — Ramona is going to deceive Midas into believing that she is a Princess, so that he will marry her.
AP: — (Taken with the idea) And he deserves it! On account of his outrageous decision (the Satyrs laugh) you shall have my assistance in the deception!
RAM: — (Curtseying) Oh, thank you, thank you!
AP: — A princess should have attendants —
RAM: — (Sadly) But I have none —
AP: — I will furnish Nymphs to attend you to the Palace. Cleo, my favorite shall be your guide and companion.
RAM: — Then I’ll win him! I’ll win him!
AP: — (To Cleo) Cleo!
CLEO: (Approaching) Master —
AP: — Choose three Nymphs, the fairest, and accompany Ramona to the King’s Palace. See that she appears before Midas on an equality with any princess of Christendom!
CLEO: I will obey you, master. (Cleo gestures toward a group of Nymphs, and the three most beautiful step forth, and with Cleo take their places on either side of Ramona.
RAM: — (Enraptured) Oh — oh--I’m so happy--happy, happy!
(To Apollo) How can I thank you? How? How? How?
AP: — By making a bigger fool of Midas! (Pan and the Satyrs laugh derisively; the Nymphs laugh happily. Pan plays on the Pipes, Apollo plays on the Lyre. The Nymphs and Satyrs dance before Ramona, making obeisance.)
“FINALE.”
ALL: — (Singing)
Hail! Hail! Hail!
The sylvan Princess Ramona!
Gypsy once, now Princess free,
Midas’ loving bride-to-be,
Nymphs and Satyrs serving thee,
Success be with Ramona!
CURTAIN
The End of the fragment.
Baumiana
LIST OF BAUM RELATED ARTICLES AND PIECES
Review: The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (1)
Review: The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (2)
Article about Baum: The Theatre, 1909
Biographical account about Baum
Newspaper Interview, 1905
Advertisement
The Origin of the Name ‘Oz’
Obituary
Review: The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (1)
From: The Canadian Bookseller and Library Journal V. 13 No.7 October 1900
But the book that is the best of the lot, and one that any live bookseller can sell by the dozen, even though it is not cheap by any means, is that most fascinating story, “The Wonderful Wizard of Oz,” by L. Frank Baum, with pictures by W. W. Denslow (the creators of Father Goose: His Book). This book is peculiarly novel and unique. In size it is about 9x7 inches, with 275 pages. The binding is of cloth of a peculiar light green, stamped with a grotesque design in dark green and red. The pictures surpass anything of the kind hitherto attempted. There are twenty-four full-page illustrations, inserts on enamel paper, in many colors, and 150 text illustrations printed in six different colors, in accordance with a color plan set forth in the story. Mr. Denslow has shown surprising fertility of invention and his pictures and decorations “set a pace” which will embarrass other artists to follow. Some of the effects are decidedly original and the color-scheme adds greatly to the book.
The principal character in “The Wonderful Wizard” is a little girl named Dorothy, who with her dog, Toto, is carried by a cyclone from Kansas to the strange and beautiful land of Oz. Here she decides to visit the Emerald City to ask its ruler, the Wonderful Wizard Oz, to send her back home again. On the way she meets a Scarecrow, who is in search of brains, a Tin Woodman, who wishes a heart, and a Cowardly Lion, whose one desire is to possess courage.
The little party encounters many dangers and marvellous adventures on the way, but reach the Emerald City in safety, their success being due to the thoughtfulness of the Scarecrow, the tender care of the Tin Woodman and the fearlessness of the Cowardly Lion.
Delightful humor, rare philosophy, and beautiful pictures combine to ensure a large and steady sale for this book.
Review: The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (2)
Excerpted from Book News, October 1900, from Philadelphia Times
“The Wonderful Wizard of Oz,” described by its publishers as a modern fairy story, fairly sustains the claim put forth for it that it is something new. Besides this it is very attractive, not only by reason of the story, which is by L. Frank Baum, but also through its profuse illustrations in color by W. W. Denslow. These gentlemen will be remembered as the author and illustrator respectively of “Father Goose,” and Mr. Denslow has managed to maintain the reputation for originality that he earned in his former pictures. Besides originality, the drawings have life, action, and humor. The story tells the adventures of a little girl who is carried by a cyclone from her home on the Kansas prairie to a strange country. On the way she meets a cowardly lion, a tin woodman, and a scarecrow, and the conversations maintained by these four comrades and their curious experiences constitute the tale. It is not lacking in philosophy and satire which will furnish amusement to the adult and cause the juvenile to think some new and healthy thoughts. At the same time it is not objectionable in being too knowing and cannot be fairly charged with unduly encouraging precocity. The average modern child will understand that it is not a true or a possible story without at all losing interest in it. 259 pp. Square 8vo. — Philadelphia Times.
Article about Baum: The Theatre, 1909
From: The Theatre, V.X No.102, August 1909
L. Frank Baum of “Wizard of Oz” fame, and author of a most delightful series of children’s books
and fairy tales, does not look the part of overworked author and playwright, but in the quiet depths of his dark eyes, the square-cut jaw and firm mouth, are revealed the capacity for sustained effort and the ability to make every whit of that effort count.
The morning sunshine painted dancing yellow patches across the floor of the pleasant room, a room at once typically Southern Californian, and reflective of the artistic temperament of its owner. Lounging chairs, and tables covered with books and magazines, invited repose and entertainment, photographs banked the mantel, and on the piano, piled high with automatic records of the best and latest music, a jolly “Billikens” image grinned the spirit of good cheer that pervaded the place. And everywhere that a vase could perch were bouquets of the California wild flowers in all the vivid glory of their pink and purple and gold.
Winter home of L. Frank Baum, Coronado Beach, Southern California
“Yes, my workshop is a busy place these days. My orders have piled up so during my absence the early part of the winter on a lecture tour, that I am fairly swamped. Not only are the three pieces on which I am working for the coming season approaching completion, but the new fairy book, the fifth of the Oz books, is now reaching its final chapters.
“The new operas will all be put on early in the season. The one that I may say is practically finished is ‘The Pipes o’ Pan.’ Paul Tietjens is writing the score for this, and it is a true comic opera. Tietjens did the music for the ‘Wizard of Oz,’ you will remember. This opera will be presented by the Shuberts at the Lyric, in New York, early in the fall.
“I am not neglecting the musical comedy idea. An extravaganza that will go either by the name of ‘Ozma of Oz’ or ‘The Rainbow’s Daughter,’ will be put on the first week in October by Montgomery and Stone at the Studebaker Theatre in Chicago. This is going to be a big thing scenically, something on the order of Bailey and Austin’s big hit, ‘The Top of the World.’ You can tell that the mechanical effects will be remarkable, for we have working with us Arthur Voegtlin, who is without a doubt the greatest scenic painter in America. His ‘Battle in the Air’ is probably the most wonderful thing ever produced in this line. The music for this play is being written by Manuel Klein, composer of ‘The Land of Nod,’ and several other musical successes.
Complete Works of L. Frank Baum Page 892
