Scene I. The building place of the Ark.
Reading edition
(The three Sons of Noah enter and work upon the ark with hammer and nails, or any building tools. Occasionally comes a distant cry of, "Ho, ho! Ark-builders!" They look up impatiently. Presently some impish Children run in.)
First Child (jeeringly): Ark-builders, ark-builders, where is your wit?
Second Child: Ark-builders, ark-builders, when do you flit?
(Shem and Ham drop their tools and chase the children out, following them. Japheth continues his work at the door. Presently the children reappear, entering from the other side.)
Children (laughing merrily and pointing at ark): Ho, ho, ho, ho, ho!
(Japheth goes inside and slams the door.)
Third Child: Ark-builder, ark-builder, come out again.
Children: Ark-builder, ark-builder, where is your rain? (They run out.)
(Noah comes out of the door and looks anxiously up at the sky. The Messenger enters; Noah bends prostrate.)
Messenger:
God, who all this world has wrought, Heaven and earth and all of naught, Sees his people in deed and thought Are lost in sin. Man that he made he will destroy, Saving a few who are his joy, And have his servants been. Noah, a righteous man thou be, A ship hast thou ma-de me, Of trees dry and stout. Three hundred cubits is it long, And fifty broad to make it strong, Of height fifty, lest it be wrong, Thus measure it about. One window's made with skill and wit, A cubit of length and breadth is it; A door upon the side doth sit, For to come in and out. Destroy-ed all the world shall be, Save thou, thy wife and children three; And their three wives also with thee, Shall live without a doubt.
(The Messenger goes.)
Noah (rising and raising arms to heaven):
O Lord, I thank thee; thou art kind, That savest me from all man-kind.
A SON OF NOAH
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(Calls.)
Haste ye, children; God doth call. Hie ye, lest the water fall. Shem, Ham, Japheth, come ye here! Haste ye, haste ye, son-nes dear.
(Japheth enters from within ark; Shem and Ham enter shaking their fists angrily at Idolaters without, who mock and jeer.)
Idolaters (without): Ho, ho! Ark-builders! Ark-builders, ho, ho!
Shem:
Father, the people mock at us and jeer. They say, "See Noah and his son-nes dear! Where is the flood of which they have such fear?"
Noah:
Aye, let them mock, for God hath said to me: "Thy house shall live; the rest shall swallowed be E'en in the mighty belly of the sea."
Japheth: But, father, art thou sure?
Noah (sternly): Well? Sure of what?
Japheth (hastily): Nay, nay, I see I'm wrong; I question not.
Noah:
Doubt not, for God hath given a sign. Now let your wives bring food and wine, Water and fodder for the kine, And work right busily.
(All work busily. The Wives enter carrying pitchers and platters of fruits. Noah's Wife enters leisurely, carrying a distaff, or a plate of fruit.)
Noah's Wife:
Noah, my husband, dost thou then believe That the good God would so his children grieve, And drown them all? Thou dost thyself deceive.
Noah: I do believe it.
Noah's Wife:
Nay, how comes it, when The world is drowned that we be sav-ed then, That we alone be saved of living men?
Noah:
Because to no false gods we've bowed the knee, Therefore God hath said to me: "Thou and thy family shall sav-ed be."
Noah's Wife:
And must our friends and all our kindred die? I cannot save myself and hear their cry. If they cannot be saved, no more will I.
Noah: Peace, woman, go within. (Points sternly.)
Noah's Wife: I will not go.
Noah:
Then stand without and watch the waters flow. Thou wilt be glad to enter soon, I know. (She seats herself beside ark and munches apple or plies distaff.) Hark, what was that?
Ham (sullenly):
'Tis the idolaters; they make them merry With worship of false gods—and all contrary To the true God's command.
Noah:
How long, O Lord, how long must we Listen to this mockery? O let the flood appear on sea and land!
(Music. Enter the Idolaters carrying an idol of gold. They sing and dance about it.)
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(One Idolater pours out a libation of wine. Noah strides forward and knocks over idol. The Idolaters huddle back.)
Noah: Cursed be the man that maketh any graven or molten image, an abomination to the Lord!
Idolaters: Sacrilege!
Noah: Cursed shalt thou be in the city, and cursed shalt thou be in the stall! Cursed shalt thou be when thou comest in, and cursed shalt thou be when thou goest out!
Sons (loudly): Amen!
Idolaters: Woe! Woe! Woe! (They surge forward.)
First Idolater: Upon them!
Second Idolater: Scatter them!
Third Idolater: Destroy them!
Fourth Idolater: No! (He pushes others back.)
It is the old ark-builder. Very sad! Cursing of other men hath made him mad.
WIFE OF NOAH'S SON
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A Maiden (holding out her hand to Japheth):
Come, join in the dance; Be glad and sing. For the juice of the grape Is a pleasant thing, And hath sweet fragrance. Be glad and sing.
(The Idolaters start out, Japheth following.)
Noah's Wife: My son, and dost thou leave me?
Noah:
Go thy ways. Thou shalt repent thee before many days.
First Idolater (pointing upward mockingly):
I see a cloud in the sky; it grows. Perchance, it is your flood. Who knows? Get into the ark lest it wet your toes.
All the Idolaters (laughing): Get into the ark lest it wet your toes. (They dance out with Japheth.)
Noah (arms upraised):
Woe, woe, woe to the inhabitants of the earth, For the hour of her desolation cometh!
(Turns to other sons.)
Have done, ye men and women all, Hie ye, lest the water fall. Of clean beasts, seven shall be, Of unclean, two; thus God bade me; The flood is nigh, I plainly see; Wherefore hasten ye, And see now that each beastie be in stall.
(Shem and Ham go out. Noah turns his back and laments):
And Japheth hath forsaken me—my son! O my son Japheth, O my son, my son!
Noah's Wife (mocking):
Why dost thou grieve? The Lord hath promised thee, Thou shalt be saved and all thy family.
Noah (turning):
Yea, it is well, and God doth not deceive. He will return again, I do believe.
Ham (returns):
The animals are in the ark, Save those which Shem now bringeth. Hark! Hear ye the roaring and the bark?
(Loud roarings heard outside.)
(Enter Shem with procession of animals. Ham aids him drive the animals. First of all enters a solitary Dragon.)
Noah: Where is your mate, good Dragon? Tell me—where?
Dragon (with a mournful flap of his claw):
She is eating up the village over there. She bade me ask how many there would be Within the ark?
Noah: My sons, their wives and me.
Dragon: I cannot add.
Noah: In all there will be eight.
Dragon (mournfully):
Alack, alack, good Noah, it is fate. I fear she would not enter if she knew. She eats a man a day; ye are too few.
Wives (to Noah, with horror in their faces): O father!
Dragon:
Do not fear; too few ye be, And eke too thin, to suit my wife and me.
(Crawls out.)
Shem (bringing other animals up):
Sir, here are monkeys, frogs and bears, Kangaroos, giraffes and hares, Elephants also in pairs.
(Goes out.)
(The Bear sits down facing audience, and scratches his nose. The Monkey runs away; he is brought back. The other Monkey climbs on roof of ark and pulls the ear of Giraffe as that beast looks out of window. They drag the Elephant in with great difficulty. Noah counts off the animals as they enter.)
Noah:
Enter monkeys—frogs—bears— Kangaroos—giraffes—hares— Elephants also in pairs— Stop! Stop! Too many rabbits far there be.
Rabbit (one of a group of little white rabbits): O sir, I only brought my family. (Weeps.)
Noah: Where are the lions? (One Lion stalks in; Wives flee.) Thou art late; turn ye, O Lion; seek your mate.
(Whereupon the Lion shall turn to audience and roar
A SON OF NOAH
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until his mate shall run to him, and both shall enter the ark together.)
(If so be that any child shall cry or whimper when he heareth the lion roar, then shall the lion remove his mask and say, "Good child, be not afraid.")
Noah:
Now all are in, I plainly see The ark can nowise fuller be, Save should my son return to me.
(Japheth enters running.)
Japheth (kneeling):
Lo, I have sin-ned against thee; I pray forgiveness heartily, And do repent me sore.
Noah (embracing him):
Haste ye, haste ye, son-ne dear! The sky grows dark; the flood is near; And waters 'gin to roar.
(The waters begin to rise. This may be shown by a painted curtain, by folds of green tarlatan or in any way the wisdom of the producer may suggest. Noah's Wife begins to look uneasy and regards the sky.)
Noah: Good wife, wilt thou enter now?
Noah's Wife (hastily): Yes, good Noah, yes, I trow!
(She runs up gang-plank.)
Noah (to sons):
Draw the plank; make all fast. The flood cometh quick at last.
WIFE OF NOAH'S SON
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(They draw up plank; then Shem points to distance. Two Tortoises enter, panting. With grins, the sons shove out the plank and Tortoises enter ark. They close the door and window. Enter a Woman of the Idolaters. carrying a baby. She enters between the flood-curtain and the ark.)
Woman (cries):
Good Noah, I repent me of my sin! O ope the door, good man, and take me in! O ope the door!
Noah (looking out of window):
Call on your gods to lift you from the wave. Are your gods helpless that they cannot save?
Woman (holding up baby): Yet save my child!
Noah's Wife (at the window):
Yea, save the child we must; For God is merciful as well as just.
Noah:
Cry to the gods of gold to give release. I am forbid to save you; go in peace.
(He closes the window; she sinks with her child behind the waves. The water rises; those within the ark chant a psalm.)
Noah (chanting):
The floods have lifted up, O Lord, The floods have lifted up their voice; The floods lift up their waves;
All (chanting):
Above the noise of many waters, And mighty breakers of the sea, The Lord on high is mighty.