The first of all our race who has set foot
Upon that wicked world. See! he is here!
Enter Lutin.
Sel. Good welcome, Lutin, back to fairy land!
So thou hast been to earth?
Lut. I have indeed!
Sel. What hast thou seen there?
Lut. Better not inquire.
It is a very, very wicked world!
I went, obedient to our King's command,
To meet him in mid-earth. He bade me go
And send both Ethais and Phyllon there.
Eth. Down to mid-earth?
Lut. Down to mid-earth at once.
He hath some gift, some priceless privilege
With which he would endow our fairy world;
And he hath chosen Phyllon and thyself
To bear his bounty to this home of ours.
Zay. Another boon? Why, brother Ethais,
What can our monarch give that we have not?
Eth. In truth, I can not say—'twould seem that we
Had reached the sum of fairy happiness!
Sel. But then we thought the same, before our King
Endowed us with the gift of melody;
And now, how tame our fairy life would seem
Were melody to perish from our land!
Phyl. Well said, Selene. Come, then, let's away. (going)
