And you will become your own elder brothers, pulling your own ears to set yourselves right. How awful! _Leader_ And---- No more "ands." We are ready to surrender. We will abandon our game of capturing the Old Man. We will put it off till the cold weather. In this Springtime, your company will be enough for us. _Leader_ Ah, I see! You have already got the chill of the Old Man in your bones. Why? What are the symptoms? _Leader_ You have no enthusiasm. You back out at the very start. Why don't you make a trial? Very well. Agreed. Come on. Let us go after the Old Man. We will pluck him out, like a grey hair, wherever we find him. _Leader_ But the Old Man is an adept in the business of plucking out. His best weapon is the hoe. You needn't try to frighten us like that. When we are out for adventure, we must leave behind all fears, all quatrains, all Pundits, and all Scriptures. (_They sing_.) _We are out on our way And we fear not the Robber, the Old Man. Our path is straight, it is broad, Our burden is light, for our pocket is bare, Who can rob us of our folly? For us there is no rest, nor ease, nor praise, nor success, We dance in the measure of fortune's rise and fall, We play our game, or win or lose, And we fear not the Robber._ ACT II SONG-PRELUDE [_Spring's Heralds try to rob Winter of his outfit of age._] _Rear stage lighted up, disclosing Old Winter teased by the boys and girls representing Spring's Heralds._ SONG OF THE HERALDS OF SPRING _We seek our playmates, Waking them up from all corners before it is morning. We call them in bird songs, Beckon them in nodding branches. We spread our spell for them in the splendour of clouds._ _We laugh at solemn Death Till he joins in our laughter. We tear open Time's purse, Taking back his plunder from him. You shall lose your heart to us, O Winter. It will gleam in the trembling leaves And break into flowers._ SONG OF WINTER _Leave me, let me go. I sail for the bleak North, for the peace of the frozen shore. Your laughter is untimely, my friends. You turn my farewell tunes into the welcome song of the Newcomer, And all things draw me back again into the dancing ring of their hearts._ SONG OF THE HERALDS OF SPRING _Life's spies are we, lurking in ambush everywhere. We wait to rob you of your last savings of withered hours to scatter them in the wayward winds. We shall bind you in flower chains where Spring keeps his captives, For we know you carry your jewels of youth hidden in your grey rags._ (_Noon_) [_The rear stage is darkened. The band of Youths enters on the main stage. No actual change in the scenery is necessary--this being left to the imagination of the audience._] Ferryman! Ferryman! Open your door. _Ferryman_ What do you want? We want the Old Man. _Ferryman_ Which old man?