Act 2 — SCENE III
Reading edition
Place: The river bank.
Characters: The Princess, Her Maidens, Soldiers, Moses, Mother of Moses, and Miriam.
[Several soldiers walk across the stage. Enter Princess and her maids.]
Princess [looking around]: What beautiful clear water for my bath!
First Maid: Yea, Princess. Will you bathe here?
[A baby's cry is heard.]
Princess: What is it I hear? It sounds like a baby crying! Look about, maidens! Is there something here?
[All look about.]
Second Maid [finds baby; all come running up to her]: See what is here!
Princess: A baby hidden in a basket! Bring him to me!
[Third maid hands basket to Princess, who takes the baby out.]
Princess: Oh, what a beautiful baby! He is mine, for I have found him! A Hebrew baby! His mother has hidden him in the bulrushes to save his life.
[Miriam runs out.]
Miriam: Lady, would you like a nurse for that baby?
Princess: A nurse for him? Yes, I do need a nurse.
Miriam: I can get you one very quickly.
Princess: Go bring her, child; I will wait here.
[Miriam goes away running.]
Princess: He is my boy, and I will call him Moses, for I drew him out of the water.
[Enter the mother and Miriam.]
Miriam: Here is the nurse, lady.
Princess: Will you take good care of this baby for me until he becomes a youth? I will pay you wages. I am the Princess, King Pharaoh's daughter. I will see that he is educated as a prince in my father's court.
[Princess and her maids go out.]
Mother: My boy is saved! My boy is saved!