If I have children I shall dress them all in pink. Pink hats, pink dresses, pink shoes. Only the stockings----the stockings shall be black as night! When I go for a walk they shall march in front of me.----And you, Wendla?

WENDLA.

How do you know that you will have any?

THEA.

Why shouldn't we have any?

MARTHA.

Well, Aunt Euphemia hasn't any.

THEA.

You goose, that's because she isn't married.

WENDLA.

Aunt Bauer was married three times and she didn't have a single one.

MARTHA.

If you have any, Wendla, which would you rather have, boys or girls?

WENDLA.

Boys! boys!

THEA.

I, too, boys!

MARTHA.

So would I. Better twenty boys than three girls.

THEA.

Girls are tiresome.

MARTHA.

If I weren't a girl already I certainly wouldn't want to be one.

WENDLA.

That's a matter of taste, I believe, Martha. I rejoice every day that I am a girl. Believe me, I wouldn't change places with a king's son.----That's the reason why I only want boys!

THEA.

But that's crazy, pure craziness, Wendla!

WENDLA.

But it must be a thousand times more exciting to be loved by a man than by a girl!

THEA.

But you don't want to a.s.sert that Forest Inspector Pfalle loves Melitta more than she does him.

WENDLA.

That I do, Thea. Pfalle is proud. Pfalle is proud because he is a forest inspector--for Pfalle has nothing.----Melitta is happy because she gets ten thousand times more than she is.

MARTHA.

Aren't you proud of yourself, Wendla?

WENDLA.

That would be silly.

MARTHA.

In your place I should be proud of my appearance.

THEA.

Only look how she steps out----how free her glance is--how she holds herself, Martha. Isn't that pride?

WENDLA.

Why not? I am so happy to be a girl; if I weren't a girl I should break down the next time----

(_Melchior pa.s.ses and greets them._)

THEA.

He has a wonderful head.

MARTHA.

He makes me think of the young Alexander going to school to Aristotle.

THEA.

Oh dear, Greek history!----I only know how Socrates lay in his barrel when Alexander sold him the a.s.s' shadow.