The Carp Web Opera



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No. 4 — TRIO

PISCATORE.	It's really very hard, When you sit upon the sward
		In a carefully selected situation,
	How many foolish folks Will crack their silly jokes
		And intrude upon your peaceful meditation,
	With a "Have you any sport?" And silly questions of a sort
		That their idiocy utter plainly show!
	Their remarks excite my ire; And, to all who thus inquire,
		My rebuttal is emphatically "No!"

Now sunset, right at six — Is the time to-day I fix
	My labour piscatorial to leave;
Till then, leave me alone; And your header please postpone
	Till the advent of the over-dewy eve.
Till that hour I must decline To put up my rod and line,
	And home with creel untenanted to go!
Have a little patience, please!
		(Amanda kneels to him.)
Psha! don't go on your knees:
	My decision is emphatically "No!" "No!" "No!" "No!"

AMANDA.	Gentle fisher, hear my prayer, hear, hear, hear! Gentle fisher, hear my prayer!
		Turn not from me thus away!
	Eye me not with stony stare;
		Hear a love-lorn maiden's lay!
	Vainly do I pray — protest!
		He doth pity not my pain;
	Hope deserts my aching breast —
		Dark Despair begins his reign!

AMANDUS.	Whom have we here? A maiden gay.
(aside)		She little knows what I intend!
	Prithee, fair one, trip away;
		Leave me to my gloomy end!
	Woman, woman, born to vex,
		Ever 'cross our path ye stray;

AMANDA & AMANDUS	PISCATOR
Haste on, ye hours, with flying feet!	It's really very hard, when you sit upon the shard
Your silver sandals cast away:	in a carefully selected situation, how
Enwrap with twilight's winding-sheet	many foolish folks will crack their silly jokes
The beauties of the dying day!	and intrude upon your peaceful meditation,
	with a
Haste on, ye hours! Ye stay too long	"Have you any sport?" and silly questions of a sort that
For lovers who are lorn and lone;	their idiocy utter plainly show!
For everything on earth goes wrong!	Their remarks excite my ire; and, to all who thus inquire,
	my re-
Haste on, ye hours! haste on!	buttal is emphatically "No!"
Hasten on, hasten on,
	It is emphati-
for lov-	cally "No!"
	It is emphati-
ers who are lorn and lone,	cally "No!" "No!" "No!"
Hasten on, hasten on,
	It is emphati-
for lovers	cally "No!" It is emphatically
lorn and lone,	"No!" "No!" "No!" "No!" "No!"
	"No!"
haste
	"No!" "No!"
on,	"No!" "No!" "No!"
haste on!	"No!" "No!"

Haste on, haste on!	"No!" "No!" "No!" "No!"