SURANGAMA. What can be seen in the hide-and-seek of darkness and light? There the wind is wild and restless, everything is dance and swift movement--will it not puzzle the eyes?

KING. The Queen is curious to search me out.

SURANGAMA. Curiosity will have to come back baffled and in tears!

SONG.

Ah, they would fly away, the restless vagrant eyes, the wild birds of the forest!

But the time of their surrender will come, their flights. .h.i.ther and thither will be ended when The music of enchantment will pursue them and pierce their hearts.

Alas, the wild birds would fly to the wilderness!

III

[Before the Pleasure Gardens. Enter AVANTI, KOSHALA, KANCHI, and other KINGS]

AVANTI. Will the King of this place not receive us?

KANCHI. What manner of governing a country is this? The King is having a festival in a forest, where even the meanest and commonest people can have easy access!

KOSHALA. We ought to have had a separate place set apart and ready for our reception.

KANCHI. If he has not prepared such a place yet, we shall compel him to have one erected for us.

KOSHALA. All this makes one naturally suspect if these people have really got any King at all--it looks as if an unfounded rumour has led us astray.

AVANTI. It may be so with regard to the King, but the Queen Sudarshana of this place isn't at all an unfounded rumour.

KOSHALA. It is only for her sake that I have cared to come at all. I don't mind omitting to see one who never makes himself visible, but it would be a stupid mistake if we were to go away without a sight of one who is eminently worth a visit.

KANCHI. Let us make some definite plan, then.

AVANTI. A plan is an excellent thing, so long as you are not yourself entangled in it.

KANCHI. Hang it, who are these vermin swarming this way? Here!

who are you?

[Enter GRANDFATHER and the boys]

GRANDFATHER. We are the Jolly Band of Have-Nothings.

AVANTI. The introduction was superfluous. But you will take yourselves away a little further and leave us in peace.

GRANDFATHER. We never suffer from a want of s.p.a.ce: we can afford to give you as wide a berth as you like. What little suffices for us is never the bone of contention between any rival claimants. Is not that so, my little friends? [They sing.]

SONG.

We have nothing, indeed we have nothing at all!

We sing merrily fol de rol de rol!

Some build high walls of their houses On the bog of the sands of gold.

We stand before them and sing Fol de rol de rol.

Pickpockets hover about us And honour us with covetous glances.

We shake our empty pockets and sing Fol de rol de rol.

When death, the old hag, steals to our doors We snap our fingers at her face, And we sing in a chorus with gay flourishes Fol de rol de rol.

KANCHI. Look over there, Koshala, who are those coming this way?

A pantomime? Somebody is out masquerading as a King.

KOSHALA. The King of this place may tolerate all this tomfoolery, but we won't.

AVANTI. He is perhaps some rural chief.

[Enter GUARDS on foot]

KANCHI. What country does your King come from?

FIRST SOLDIER. He is the King of this country. He is going to command the festivities. [They go out.]

KOSHALA. What! The King of this country come out for the festivities!

AVANTI. Indeed! We shall then have to return with a sight of him only--leaving the delectable Queen unseen.

KANCHI. Do you really think that fellow spoke the truth?

Anybody can pa.s.s himself off as the King of this kingless country. Can you not see that the man looks like a dressed-up King--much too over-dressed?

AVANTI. But he looks handsome--his appearance is not without a certain pleasing attractiveness.

KANCHI. He may be pleasing to your eye, but if you look at him closely enough there can be no mistaking him . You will see how I expose him before you all.

[Enter the trumped-up "KING".]

"KING". Welcome, princes, to our kingdom! I trust your reception has been properly looked after by my officials?

KINGS. [with feigned courtesy] Oh yes--nothing was lacking in the reception.

KANCHI. If there was any shortcoming at all, it has been made up by the honour of our sight of your Majesty.

"KING". We do not show ourselves to the general public, but your great devotion and loyalty to us has made it a pleasure for us not to deny ourselves to you.

KANCHI. It is truly hard for us, your Majesty, to bear the weight of your gracious favours.

"KING". We are afraid we shall not be able to stop here long.