Princess: Father! Thou art free! Gama: Aye, free! Free as a tethered ass! I come to thee With words from Hildebrand. Those duly given I must return to blank captivity. I'm free so far. Princess: Your message. Gama: Hildebrand Is loth to war with women. Pit my sons, My three brave sons, against these popinjays, These tufted jack-a-dandy featherheads, And on the issue let thy hand depend! Princess: Insult on insult's head! Are we a stake For fighting men? What fiend possesses thee, That thou has come with offers such as these From such as he to such an one as I? Gama: I am possessed By the pale devil of a shaking heart! My stubborn will is bent. I dare not face That devilish monarch's black malignity! He tortures me with torments worse than death, I haven't anything to grumble at! He finds out what particular meats I love, And gives me them. The very choicest wines, The costliest robes — the richest rooms are mine. He suffers none to thwart my simplest plan, And gives strict orders none should contradict me! He's made my life a curse! (Weeps) Princess: My tortured father! SONG (King GAMA with CHORUS of GIRLS) "Whene'er I Spoke" Gama: Whene'er I poke Sarcastic joke Replete with malice spiteful, This people mild Politely smil'd, And voted me delightful! Now, when a wight Sits up all night Ill-natur'd jokes devising, And all his wiles Are met with smiles It's hard, there's no disguising! Ah! Oh, don't the days seem lank and long When all goes right and nothing goes wrong, And isn't your life extremely flat With nothing whatever to grumble at! Chorus: Oh, isn't your life extremely flat With nothing whatever to grumble at!