Merman & Mermaid/Argument
MERMAN AND MERMAID.
(Grand Operatic Phantasmagoria)
Words and Music by
Erwin E. Harder.
Prologue
(THE ARGUMENT)
Two orphans, a young man and a young lady, not acquainted with each other, have left their home, and boarded the great liner, Gigantic, bound for the New World, each in search of a lover and a fortune.
The first scene, the prologue, is open sea. And then near the sunken ship, Gigantic. In the North Atlantic Ocean opposite New Foundland.
Curious fish and strange deep sea denizens of all kinds are swimming about. After a lapse of about seven minutes, during which time mysterious music plays on, a fish of golden color suddenly takes on convulsions and coughs out a living being (strange sea life) transformed, with double tail and water breathing gills, which had been previously swallowed by this deep sea fish.
King Neptune blesses this curious being of the sea, and names him Owondlo (Merman), and tells him to be brave and seek for a weapon to protect himself from dangerous enemies of the sea.
Act I—Scene 1.
THE ARGUMENT.
Owondlo searches the staterooms and other places of the Gigantic for a weapon. While he begins his search he has visions, and also sees ghosts dance before him. Then the captain of the ship appears, waiters, messenger boy, two stokers, a vision of his former sweetheart left in England. He (Owondlo) searches on, converses with the bartender's ghost, and two detectives who are guarding the ship's treasure. He sees five real Sea Nymphs, and watches them as they converse and make dresses from sea-weeds and plants, golden chains, gold rings and diamond rings from the ship's lost souls.
The Nymphs converse with each other, one of them apparently is in love, while one Nymph tells her to lay a golden ring on the Magic Table Rock in the Garden of the Gods, in Nature's Submarine Garden. She wishes that the sea, by magic, may bring her a lover in her own image. Owondlo eagerly listens, and talks to himself, but at times he becomes frightened at a strange noise (seemingly of an earthquake or eruption). But one Nymph tells an inquisitive companion that it is only a monster fish, that measures in length two miles or more, gritting his teeth and scolding. This frightens Owondlo, who wishes now that he could have a spear or sword. At times Owondlo is almost tempted to go within, as the Nymphs almost charm him.
Suddenly Owondlo hides in a stateroom as one of the Nymphs leaves and goes to the Garden of the Gods, to place a diamond ring on the Magic Table Rock.
Owondlo meets Major Booth in a stateroom, who asks what he seeks here, and Owondlo tells him, a weapon to protect himself from dangerous enemies of the sea. Then Major Booth loans him his sword, and Owondlo thanks him and bids him farewell.
Scene 2.
Owondlo enters near the Magic Table Rock in the Garden of the Gods, and sees petrified sea currants, fossils, toadstools, etc. He declares that some foolish ghost had tried to feed the Gods in the Garden on petrified food. He picks up and keeps the diamond ring, just then a rumbling noise startles the sea with vibrations again.
Then suddenly appears a large gold fish which comes closer and closer, Owondlo takes his sword and slays the fish, whereupon Fleehion, the Mermaid, issues out just where he severed the fish. Owondlo is dazed and soon holds his bride-to-be in his arms. King Neptune blesses both as curtain falls.
End of Act I.
Act II — Scene 1.
THE ARGUMENT.
Owondlo and Fleehion fifteen years later, in Nature's Submarine Garden, feasting and making love, they lived in caves and sunken vessels, and had twenty children born to them, who are in the Submarine Garden picking fruit. Owondlo, who had been informed of the dangers in the sea by King Neptune, had also taken possession of a life boat, which was covered with sea shells of peculiar shapes and colors.
Owondlo tells Fleehion, who fears that the treasure vaults are being ransacked by sea Nymphs, that he had locked all the doors in all sunken vessels they have been in, and that the fish have lost their color of gold. Their magic and treachery appeared to have vanished. No Nymphs had been seen since her birth. Then Fleehion suddenly becomes infatuated with an oval sea plant and its colors, and enters the plant to reap its fruit, whereupon the plant suddenly closes about her, just as Owondlo warns her. Owondlo immediately severs the plant at the bottom, and rescues Fleehion in the nick of time. Owondlo hurries to the sea shell boat, assisting Fleehion, recovering from a fainting spell.
This incident caused so much commotion from nearby sea plants, who were angry and frightened, and weeping, that curious fish swam about and threatened Owondlo and Fleehion's lives.
Owondlo's boat was fastened to a sea plant by sea plant rope; fish gnawed the rope apart and their boat just floats away in a sea current as curtain falls.
Act II — Scene 2.
Their boat, which, after having entered a river, passed through a mountain from the Submarine World into a new world called "The Vapor World."
Here they are questioned by King Reignall, ruler of Supreme. (Spirits.)
The bodies lost at sea, only their spirits can enter this Vapor World.
Owondlo and Fleehion breathe through their nostrils now, and anchor their boat. King Reignall summons his spiritual staff and they lead Owondlo and Fleehion to the Spiritual Dungeon, where their lives are threatened. Their parents see Owondlo and Fleehion while they sleep; and when they awaken converse with them.
Then suddenly King Reignall appears and condemns their parents (spirits) to be banished into the Spiritual Dungeon forever. They plead. Then Owondlo and Fleehion flee from the Spiritual Dungeon, which is made of vapor, created by the Supreme Being.
The vapor walls of the Spiritual Dungeon were strong enough to permit Owondlo and Fleehion to rest on, but now they have to keep moving or else drop into depths unknown. Now Owondlo and Fleehion tell King Reignall that they will tear the Spiritual Dungeon apart and destroy it forever. Thereupon God appears and warns Owondlo and Fleehion to be careful.
King Reignall, surprised, summons his army of spirits, commanding Owondlo and Fleehion to leave this sacred sphere. They refuse to leave, and tell King Reignall to release their parents (spirits) from within their confounded dungeon.
Suddenly King Reignall orders a charge on the enemy, but Owondlo and Fleehion, being immune, are not molested or hurt in the least, as spirits pass through and about them. King Reignall is dumfounded now. The almighty warns all to be careful and begone. Then King Reignall proclaims their parents sacred and free. All sing praises of love and joy.
Owondlo and Fleehion enter their boat and leave for Submarine World.
End of Act II.
Epilogue
In the Submarine World.
Here Owondlo and Fleehion seek their children. After a hopeless search they die in each others arms, lamenting for their children, at the very mouth of cave where their children and grandchildren are.
Curious Sea Nymphs appear, their curiosity is aroused, they blow their magic horns as they leave.
The sea echoes forth, Merman and Mermaids soon arrive, who begin to think that the disappearing Nymphs have entrapped their parents souls to the Garden of the Gods.
All lament and sing praises of love.
King Neptune appears and blesses all.
THE END.