NOAH: Peace! (_The noise stills._) Now forty days are fully gone, Send a dove I will anon, To see if aught of tree or stone Be dry in any place. And if this fowl come not again, It is a sign God stops the rain, And all is dry in hill and plain, By God, his grace. Go forth, O Dove, and quickly see If this flood yet doth cease; If so, return again to me With the olive branch of peace. (_He lets dove loose._) CRIES WITHIN ARK: The dove! The dove! [Illustration: THE ANIMALS LEAVE THE ARK] JAPHETH (_appearing at window_): O father, in the east a dove is seen, And in his bill, an olive branch, right green. (NOAH _disappears within ark and returns, bearing dove and olive twig._) NOAH: O Lord, blessed be thou for aye, That us hath comforted this day, And turned toward us thy face. Yet once again, sweet dove, go forth, To the east, west, south and north, And find a resting place. If thou come not again to me, Then full plainly can I see The flood is over by God's piteous grace. (_He sends dove forth again._) NOAH'S WIFE (_opening door_): The dove returns not; it is gone for aye. Let us go forth out of the ark, I pray. NOAH: Ah, Lord, honored must thou be. All the earth's dry, I can see. NOAH'S WIFE: Son-nes, open wide the door; See the plank be shoved ashore; Lead the animals before Right merrily. FIRST SON'S WIFE (_beckoning others_): Sisters, come; dance and sing! The earth is all a-blossoming. SECOND SON'S WIFE: Sing and dance with glee and mirth; For the floods have left the earth. THIRD SON'S WIFE: Raise your voices with a shout: ALL THREE WIVES: We're out of the ark at last! We're out! (_The wives dance in a little circle and sing._) _Song_ (OLD ENGLISH): [Song: Sum-mer is i-co-men in, ... loud-ly sing, Cuc-koo! Grow-eth seed and blow-eth mead, and spring-eth the wide earth new. Sing, Cuc-koo Ewe bleat-eth af-ter lamb, cow af-ter calf doth moo, Bird greet-eth, ewe bleat-eth, loud-ly sing, Cuc-koo. ] [Illustration: THE RAINBOW] NOAH (_scandalized, descends upon them_): Peace! A psalm of thanks now raise, Unto God with hymns of praise, For his mighty and his wondrous ways. (_All gather about altar of stones._) Lord God in majesty, That such grace hath granted me Alone of mankind saved to be, Therefore make I offering meet, A sacrifice of savor sweet; And let the incense mount unto thy heavenly seat. (JAPHETH _brings a sacrifice;_ NOAH _lays it on altar. If the play be out of doors, they offer it up by fire. Enter the_ MESSENGER.)