MERMAN AND MERMAID.
(Grand Operatic Phantasmagoria)
KING NEPTUNE.
Owondlo be brave
Seek ye a weapon,
Be brave, be brave.
OWONDLO.
Those fish that are so bold,
With yet no weapon for defense,
Make my thoughts aflame,
While my blood runs cold.
But on I will search,
A weapon for defense.
(Owondlo spies five Sea Nymphs enjoying themselves ; he hides and watches them)
OWONDLO.
What now behold,
This merry feast.
They laugh, they sing,
They joke in secret,
Ten thousand ways untold.
Ha ! ha ! They smack their lips
And dine on sea currants,
From Nature's hidden garden.
(1st Sea Nymph walks proudly about)
OWONDLO.
How fair she is?
This wondrous beauty.
(3rd Sea Nymph, combing sea weeds apart)
OWONDLO.
Quite stunning indeed.
2ND SEA NYMPH.
Listen! Hush!
Be not so loud.
The sea life here
Can hear our sounds
For many miles around.
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