按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
ithe's under treatment for it。 （Aside to Pooh…Bah。） Never mind
them； they don't understand the delicacy of your position。
POOH。 We know how delicate it is； don't we？
KO。 I should think we did！ How a nobleman of your
importance can do it at all is a thing I never can； never shall
understand。
＇Ko…Ko retires and
goes off。
QUARTET AND CHORUS OF GIRLS。
YUM…YUM； PEEP…BO； PITTI…SING； and POOH…BAH。
YUM； PEEP。 So please you； Sir； we much regret
and PITTI。 If we have failed in etiquette
Towards a man of rank so high
We shall know better by and by。
YUM。 But youth； of course； must have its fling；
So pardon us；
So pardon us；
PITTI。 And don't； in girlhood's happy spring；
Be hard on us；
Be hard on us；
If we're inclined to dance and sing。
Tra la la； etc。 （Dancing。）
CHORUS OF GIRLS。 But youth； of course； etc。
POOH。 I think you ought to recollect
You cannot show too much respect
Towards the highly titled few；
But nobody does； and why should you？
That youth at us should have its fling；
Is hard on us；
Is hard on us；
To our prerogative we cling
So pardon us；
So pardon us；
If we decline to dance and sing。
Tra la la； etc。 （Dancing。）
CHORUS OF GIRLS。。 But youth； of course； must have its fling； etc。
＇Exeunt all but
Yum…Yum。
Enter Nanki…Poo。
NANK。 Yum…Yum； at last we are alone！ I have sought you
night and day for three weeks； in the belief that your guardian
was beheaded； and I find that you are about to be married to him
this afternoon！
YUM。 Alas； yes！
NANK。 But you do not love him？
YUM。 Alas； no！
NANK。 Modified rapture！ But why do you not refuse him？
YUM。 What good would that do？ He's my guardian； and he
wouldn't let me marry you！
NANK。 But I would wait until you were of age！
YUM。 You forget that in Japan girls do not arrive at years
of discretion until they are fifty。
NANK。 True； from seventeen to forty…nine are considered
years of indiscretion。
YUM。 Besidesa wandering minstrel； who plays a wind
instrument outside tea…houses； is hardly a fitting husband for
the ward of a Lord High Executioner。
NANK。 But （Aside。） Shall I tell her？ Yes！ She will
not betray me！ （Aloud。） What if it should prove that； after
all； I am no musician？
YUM。 There！ I was certain of it； directly I heard you
play！
NANK。 What if it should prove that I am no other than the
son of his Majesty the Mikado？
YUM。 The son of the Mikado！ But why is your Highness
disguised？ And what has your Highness done？ And will your
Highness promise never to do it again？
NANK。 Some years ago I had the misfortune to captivate
Katisha； an elderly lady of my father's Court。 She misconstrued
my customary affability into expressions of affection； and
claimed me in marriage； under my father's law。 My father； the
Lucius Junius Brutus of his race； ordered me to marry her within
a week； or perish ignominiously on the scaffold。 That night I
fled his Court； and； assuming the disguise of a Second Trombone；
I joined the band in which you found me when I had the happiness
of seeing you！ （Approaching her。）
YUM。 （retreating）。 If you please； I think your Highness
had better not come too near。 The laws against flirting are
excessively severe。
NANK。 But we are quite alone； and nobody can see us。
YUM。 Still； that don't make it right。 To flirt is capital。
NANK。 It is capital！
YUM。 And we must obey the law。
NANK。 Deuce take the law！
YUM。 I wish it would； but it won't！
NANK。 If it were not for that； how happy we might be！
YUM。 Happy indeed！
NANK。 If it were not for the law； we should now be sitting
side by side； like that。 （Sits by her。）
YUM。 Instead of being obliged to sit half a mile off； like
that。 （Crosses and sits at other side of stage。）
NANK。 We should be gazing into each other's eyes； like
that。 （Gazing at her sentimentally。）
YUM。 Breathing sighs of unutterable lovelike that。
（Sighing and gazing lovingly at him。）
NANK。 With our arms round each other's waists； like that。
（Embracing her。）
YUM。 Yes； if it wasn't for the law。
NANK。 If it wasn't for the law。
YUM。 As it is； of course we couldn't do anything of the
kind。
NANK。 Not for worlds！
YUM。 Being engaged to Ko…Ko； you know！
NANK。 Being engaged to Ko…Ko！
DUETYUM…YUM and NANKI…POO。
NANK。 Were you not to Ko…Ko plighted；
I would say in tender tone；
〃Loved one； let us be united
Let us be each other's own！〃
I would merge all rank and station；
Worldly sneers are nought to us；
And； to mark my admiration；
I would kiss you fondly thus （Kisses her。）
BOTH。 I/He would kiss you/me fondly thus （Kiss。）
YUM。 But as I'm engaged to Ko…Ko；
To embrace you thus； con fuoco；
Would distinctly be no giuoco；
And for yam I should get toko
BOTH。 Toko； toko； toko； toko！
NANK。 So； In spite of all temptation；
Such a theme I'll not discuss；
And on no consideration
Will I kiss you fondly thus （Kissing her。）
Let me make it clear to you；
This is what I'll never do！
This； oh； this； oh； this； oh； this；（Kissing
her。）
TOGETHER。 This； oh； this； etc。
＇Exeunt in opposite
directions。
Enter Ko…Ko。
KO。 （looking after Yum…Yum）。 There she goes！ To think how
entirely my future happiness is wrapped up in that little parcel！
Really； it hardly seems worth while！ Oh； matrimony！ （Enter
Pooh…Bah and Pish…Tush。） Now then； what is it？ Can't you see I'm
soliloquizing？ You have interrupted an apostrophe； sir！
PISH。 I am the bearer of a letter from his Majesty the
Mikado。
KO。 （taking it from him reverentially）。 A letter from the
Mikado！ What in the world can he have to say to me？ （Reads
letter。） Ah； here it is at last！ I thought it would come sooner
or later！ The Mikado is struck by the fact that no executions
have taken place in Titipu for a year； and decrees that unless
somebody is beheaded within one month the post of Lord High
Executioner shall be abolished； and the city reduced to the rank
of a village！
PISH。 But that will involve us all in irretrievable ruin！
KO。 Yes。 There is no help for it； I shall have to execute
somebody at once。 The only question is； who shall it be？
POOH。 Well； it seems unkind to say so； but as you're
already under sentence of death for flirting； everything seems to
point to you。
KO。 To me？ What are you talking about？ I can't execute
myself。
POOH。 Why not？
KO。 Why not？ Because； in the first place； self
decapitation is an extremely difficult； not to say dangerous；
thing to attempt； and； in the second； it's suicide； and suicide
is a capital offence。
POOH。 That is so； no doubt。
PISH。 We might reserve that point。
POOH。 True； it could be argued six months hence； before the
full Court。
KO。 Be