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Chorus of all but Police Chorus of Police
Go and do your best endeavour； Such expressions don't
appear；
And before all links we sever Tarantara；
tarantara！
We will say farewell for ever。 Calculated men to cheer；
Go to glory and the grave！ Tarantara！
For your foes and fierce and Who are going to their fate；
ruthless； Tarantara；
tarantara！
False； unmerciful； and In a highly nervous state
truthless。 Tarantara！
Young and tender； old and We observe too great a
stress；
toothless； Tarantara；
tarantara！
All in vain their mercy crave。 On the risks that on us
press；
Tarantara！
And of reference a lack；
Tarantara；
tarantara！
To our chance of coming back；
Tarantara！
GENERAL： Away； away！
POLICE： （without moving） Yes； yes； we go。
GENERAL： These pirates slay。
POLICE： Tarantara！
GENERAL： Then do not stay。
POLICE： Tarantara！
GENERAL： Then why this delay？
POLICE： All right； we go。
ALL： Yes； forward on the foe！
Yes； forward on the foe！
GENERAL： Yes； but you don't go！
POLICE： We go； we go
ALL： Yes； forward on the foe！
Yes； forward on the foe！
GENERAL： Yes； but you don't go！
POLICE： We go； we go
ALL： At last they go！
At last they really go！
（Exeunt POLICE。 MABEL tears herself from FREDERIC and exits；
followed by her sisters； consoling her。 The MAJOR…GENERAL
and others follow the POLICE off。 FREDERIC remains alone。）
RECIT…FREDERIC
Now for the pirates' lair！ Oh； joy unbounded！
Oh； sweet relief！ Oh； rapture unexampled！
At last I may atone； in some slight measure；
For the repeated acts of theft and pillage
Which； at a sense of duty's stern dictation；
I； circumstance's victim； have been guilty！
（PIRATE KING and RUTH appear at the window； armed。）
KING： Young Frederic！ （Covering him with pistol）
FREDERIC： Who calls？
KING： Your late commander！
RUTH： And I； your little Ruth！ （Covering him with pistol）
FREDERIC： Oh； mad intruders；
How dare ye face me？ Know ye not； oh rash ones；
That I have doomed you to extermination？
（KING and RUTH hold a pistol to each ear）
KING： Have mercy on us！ hear us； ere you slaughter！
FREDERIC： I do not think I ought to listen to you。
Yet； mercy should alloy our stern resentment；
And so I will be merciful say on！
TRIORUTH； KING； and FREDERIC
RUTH： When you had left our pirate fold；
We tried to raise our spirits faint；
According to our custom old；
With quips and quibbles quaint。
But all in vain the quips we heard；
We lay and sobbed upon the rocks；
Until to somebody occurred
A startling paradox。
FREDERIC： A paradox？
KING： （laughing） A paradox！
RUTH： A most ingenious paradox！
We've quips and quibbles heard in flocks；
But none to beat this paradox！
A paradox； a paradox；
A most ingenious paradox！
Ha！ ha！ ha！ ha！ Ha！ ha！ ha！ ha！
KING： We knew your taste for curious quips；
For cranks and contradictions queer；
And with the laughter on our lips；
We wished you there to hear。
We said； 〃If we could tell it him；
How Frederic would the joke enjoy！〃
And so we've risked both life and limb
To tell it to our boy。
FREDERIC： （interested）。 That paradox？ That paradox？
KING and RUTH： （laughing） That most ingenious paradox！
We've quips and quibbles heard in flocks；
But none to beat this paradox！
A paradox； a paradox；
A most ingenious paradox！
Ha！ ha！ ha！ ha！ Ho！ ho！ ho！ ho！
CHANTKING
For some ridiculous reason； to which； however； I've no desire to
be disloyal；
Some person in authority； I don't know who； very likely the
Astronomer Royal；
Has decided that； although for such a beastly month as February；
twenty…eight days as a rule are plenty；
One year in every four his days shall be reckoned as nine and…
twenty。
Through some singular coincidence I shouldn't be surprised if
it were owing to the agency of an ill…natured fairy
You are the victim of this clumsy arrangement； having been born
in leap…year； on the twenty…ninth of February；
And so； by a simple arithmetical process； you'll easily discover；
That though you've lived twenty…one years； yet； if we go by
birthdays； you're only five and a little bit over！
RUTH： Ha！ ha！ ha！ ha！
KING： Ho！ ho！ ho！ ho！
FREDERIC： Dear me！
Let's see！ （counting on fingers）
Yes； yes； with yours my figures do agree！
ALL： Ha！ ha！ ha！ ho！ ho！ ho！ ho！
FREDERIC： （more amused than any） How quaint the ways of Paradox！
At common sense she gaily mocks！
Though counting in the usual way；
Years twenty…one I've been alive；
Yet； reck'ning by my natal day；
Yet； reck'ning by my natal day；
I am a little boy of five！
RUTH/KING： He is a little boy of five！
Ha！ ha！ ha！ ha！ ha！ ha！ ha！ ha！
ALL： A paradox； a paradox；
A most ingenious paradox！
Ha！ ha！ ha！ ha！ ha！ ha！ ha！ ha！ ； etc。
（RUTH and KING throw themselves back on seats； exhausted with
laughter）
FREDERIC： Upon my word； this is most curious most absurdly
whimsical。 Five…and…a…quarter！ No one would think it
to look at me！
RUTH： You are glad now； I'll be bound； that you spared us。
You would never have forgiven yourself when you
discovered that you had killed two of your comrades。
FREDERIC： My comrades？
KING： （rises） I'm afraid you don't appreciate the delicacy
of your position： You were apprenticed to us
FREDERIC： Until I reached my twenty…first year。
KING： No； until you reached your twenty…first birthday
（producing document）； and； going by birthdays； you are
as yet only five…and…a…quarter。
FREDERIC： You don't mean to say you are going to hold me to that？
KING： No； we merely remind you of the fact； and leave the
rest to your sense of duty。
RUTH： Your sense of duty！
FREDERIC： （wildly） Don't put it on that footing！ As I was
merciful to you just now； be merciful to me！ I implore
you not to insist on the letter of your bond just as
the cup of happiness is at my lips！
RUTH： We insist on nothing； we content ourselves with
pointing out to you your duty。
KING： Your duty！
FREDERIC： （after a pause） Well； you have appealed to my sense of
duty； and my duty is only too clear。 I abhor your
infamous calling； I shudder at the thought that I have
ever been mixed up with it； but duty is before all
at any price I will do my duty。
KING： Bravely spoken！ Come； you are one of us once more。
FREDERIC： Lead on； I follow。 （Suddenly） Oh； horror！
KING/RUTH： What is the matter？
FREDERIC： Oug