Act 1, Scene 4H (3rd Midnight, Break Spell) Flashcards
(Scene start)
JACK’S MOTHER: With such a thud, I would suppose.
(WITCH appears frantic, looks up to sky)
The third midnight is here. You’ve all the objects?
BAKER’S WIFE: Yes. Slipper — Hair.
BAKER: Cape — Cow.
That cow doesn’t look as white as milk to me.
BAKER’S WIFE: Oh, she is. She is!
This cow has been covered with flour!
BAKER: Well, we did have a cow as white as milk. Honestly we did.
Then where is she?
BAKER’S WIFE: She’s dead.
BAKER: We thought you’d prefer a live cow.
Of course I’d prefer a live cow! So bring me the dead cow and I’ll bring her back to life!
BAKER: You could do that?
Now!
JACK: What’s happening?
Milky-White! Now I have two friends. A cow and a harp.
Quiet! Feed the objects to the cow!
BAKER’S WIFE, BAKER, JACK: What?
You heard me. Feed them to the cow.
(Gives goblet to BAKER)
Fill this!
JACK: I’ll do it. She’ll only milk for me. Squeeze, pal.
(No milk, WITCH TURNS GOBLET UPSIDE DOWN)
Wrong ingredients. Forget about a child.
BAKER’S WIFE: No, no — you wait one moment! We followed your instructions. One, the cow as white as milk, correct?
Yes.
BAKER’S WIFE: And two, the cape was certainly as red as blood.
Yes.
BAKER’S WIFE: And three, the slipper —
Yes.
BAKER: And four, I compared the hair with this ear of corn.
BAKER’S WIFE: I pulled it from a maiden in a tower and —
YOU WHAT?! What were you doing there?
BAKER’S WIFE: Well, I happened to be passing by —
I touched that hair! Don’t you understand? I cannot have touched the ingredients!
BAKER, BAKER’S WIFE: Noooo…
MYST. MAN: The corn! The corn!
BAKER: What?
MYST. MAN: The silky hair of the corn. Pull it from the ear and feed it to the cow. Quickly!
This had better work, old man, before the last stroke of midnight, or your son will be the last of your flesh and blood.
