Scene IV. Peru, the Park.

[Enter Raoul, servants, Aufenkamp and Aulterbach in darkness, carrying torches.]
Raoul. Follow closely my great winding circle,
clockwise thus we shall pursue these creatures.
[Enter Grutilda, Patience, Hope, and Virtue.]
Grutilda. Attend me close, children. Circle now your
Conestogas thus, counterclockwise.
Raoul. Aha! Spiral and counterspiral. 5
We drive her to neutrality.
Aufenkamp. Have you noticed, brother, that Patience and
Virtue are well endowed in all their charms.
Aulterbach. Alas, all Hope is lost in her mother’s
haggard looks. 10
Aufenkamp. Rescue four; woo two, I always say.
Aulterbach. Two will do. As for the others,
there are many a Platte bottom bachelor
farmer who find such plain women have their
own rustic charms. 15
Raoul. She does not yet dissipate within these
revolutions. Pour on this scene a few
more old wives fables and favorite
folk lore. You and you, break off and tie a
yellow ribbon round that old oak tree. 20
By witches convention, the weird folk then
will dance in the moonlight. Then we shall pluck
a petal from the sweet Gypsy Rose while
these devils dance in their ruby red dress.
Take heed, you men, and when the delta dawns 25
leap forward, shouting “Spiders and Snakes”.
And as the accursed try to flee, knock
three times and light a candle in the wind,
whereby these fiends will jump into the fire
but they will never be free. And as they 30
are consumed they will be naught but smoke
on the water. Do you have the plan?
1st Servant. Aye, sir. ‘Tis clear. But for this task I should
be a miner for a heart of gold.
2nd Servant. I have heard, sir, that it takes a witch to 35
catch a witch. Thus we must say goodbye to
a yellow brick road, get into a fight
on Saturday night, and dance the
crocodile rock.
3rd Servant. Aye, sir. We should have brought a horse with no 40
name, observed a tequila sunrise, and
stood upon a corner in Winslow, Arizona.
Grutilda. Counter, sisters, with ever more potent folk song.
Put the lime in the coconut.
Patience. And drink them both up. 45
Grutilda. Put the lime in the coconut.
Virtue. And drink them both up.
Grutilda. Put the lime in the coconut.
Hope. Called the Doctor. Woke him up.
Aulterbach. I said. 50
Aufenkamp. Doctor! Ain’t there nothing I can take?
Grutilda. To relieve this belly ache?
Aulterbach. Now let me get this straight.
Patience. You put the lime in the coconut.
Aufenkamp. And drink them both up. 55
Virtue. You put the lime in the coconut.
Aufenkamp. And drink them both up.
Hope. You put the lime in the coconut.
Grutilda. And drink them both together.
Aufenkamp. And then you’ll feel better. 60
Aulterbach. Put the lime in the coconut.
Aufenkamp. And call me in the morning.
[Smoke.]
Aulterbach. Quickly, sisters of the Peruvian night.
Aufenkamp. Come with us, lets flat out light.
Aulterbach. To Ravenna flee! 65
[Exeunt Aufenkamp, Aulterbach, Grutilda, Patience, Hope, and Virtue.]
Raoul. Her evil deed did last but half an hour.
Now all eternity consumes her power.
Great Grutilda goes to witches hell
Where she and her kin can sit a spell.
[Exeunt.]