Then Herod, when he saw that he was mocked of the Wise men, was exceeding wroth, and sent forth, and slew all the children that were in Bethlehem, and in all the borders thereof, from two years old and under. THE EVERGREEN TREE FIRST ACTION (“Who Keepeth Watch?”) _STAGE A: THE PLACE OF OUTCASTS_ It is night. In a dark place of the wilderness, a tree is growing. Before it is an open space on a knoll, from which—left and right—a path leads down away into the desert. At one side, in shadow, sit ELF and GNOME. At centre, in starlight, stands TREE, half emerged from dim boughs. [Sidenote: _First Chorus: A,1. Chorus of the Wilderness_] _CHORUS_ _Who keepeth watch in the lone wilderness_ _For the coming of a sign?_ _Who sendeth her roots down into the dark places_ _Seeking the springs of life,_ _And is restored:_ _And lifteth up her boughs in prayer of quiet,_ _And lo, they are filled with starlight?_ _The Tree: the Tree keepeth watch for the coming of a sign._ _Who waiteth very patiently in the night desert_ _For dawn of a new morrow?_ _And the wild beasts draw near unto her: they are tired_ _But none is afraid,_ _For her lap is like to a mother’s, where little children_ _Play till they weary and sleep:_ _There dryads bring her their dreams,_ _And the fairy folk are at home.—_ _Who liveth very old, alive with young green,_ _And waketh her heart with song for the coming of light?_ _The Tree: the Tree:_ _The Tree keepeth watch in her heart for the coming of light._ (A long wailing cry resounds from the dark.) THE VOICE Hi-ih! ELF What’s that? GNOME That is Wolf. He’s coming from the desert. He is lonely. ELF Why is he coming here? GNOME Tree is here. All the creatures come to Tree, when they are lonely. ELF Even Tree seems lonely to-night, With eyes that look far away.— Tree, what are you watching for? TREE A star. ELF But the sky is filled with starlight. TREE I am watching for a new star. I have been waiting for it a long while. I think I shall see it again soon. GNOME Again?—Have you seen it before? TREE Yes: once: One night, not long ago, I saw it rising in the east, across the desert. It made a path of wonderful shining. Then it stood still in the sky—far over yonder!— And seemed I heard shepherds singing. (WOLF enters.) WOLF Hi-ih! It’s a cold night. I want to come out of the wind. GNOME Ask Tree. WOLF High-o! Green-and-alive! Can a fellow come out of the wind, here? TREE Welcome, Wolf. WOLF And what may you three be talking about? ELF A star. GNOME A new star in the east. (Noises of puffing and growling are heard.) THE NOISES Ooff!—Ah-yarrr! ELF Who now? GNOME