(From both sides advance elemental spirits. From the right of stage creatures like gnomes. They have steel-blue-grey bodies, small as compared with men; they are nearly all head, but it is bent forward and downward, and is lilac and purple in color, with tendrils and gills of various shades of the same hue. Their limbs are long and mobile, suitable for gesticulation, but ill-adapted for walking. From the left of stage come sylph-like figures, slender and almost headless; their feet and hands are partly fins and partly wings. Some of them are bluish-green, others yellowish-red. The yellowish-red ones are distinguished by sharper outlines than the bluish green ones. The words spoken by these figures are accompanied by expressive gestures developing into a dance.) CHORUS OF THE GNOMES (dancing, hopping, and gesticulating in rhythm): We harden, we strengthen (said sharply and quickly) The nebulous earth-dust; We loosen, we powder Hard-crusted, earth-boulders; Swift shatter we the hard, Slow harden we the loose. Such is our spirit-kind. Of mental matter formed Full-skilled were we before When human souls still slept (said slowly and dreamily) And dreamed when earth began. CHORUS OF THE SYLPHS (a swaying motion in rhythm): We weave and we unweave The web of watery air; We scatter and divide Seed forces from the sun; Light-force condense with care; Fruit-powers destroy with skill; For such is our soul-kind From rays of feeling poured, Which ever-living glows That mankind may enjoy Earth-evolution's sense. CHORUS OF THE GNOMES (dancing, hopping, and gesticulating in rhythm): We titter and we laugh (said sharply and quickly) We banter and grimace, When stumbling human sense And fumbling human mind Beholds what we have made; They think they understand When spirits from our age Weave charms for their dull eyes (said slowly and emphatically). CHORUS OF THE SYLPHS (a swaying motion in rhythm): We take care, and we tend, Bear fruit and in spirit, When young mankind's dawn-life And old mankind's errors Consume what we have made And childlike or greyhaired Find in time's stream dull joy From our eternal plans. (These spirit-beings collect in two irregular groups in the background, and remain there visible. From the right appear the three soul-forces: Philia, Astrid, and Luna with 'the other Philia.') PHILIA: They ray out the light As loving light-forms To ripeness so blest, So gently they warm And mightily heat Where embryo growth Would reach actual life; That this actual life, May make souls rejoice Who lovingly yield To radiant light. ASTRID: