mysteriously, to the air: "Whist! whist! whist_!")

_Brownies (pianissimo)_: Whist! whist! whist!
Here comes the Brownie man!
To catch the rascal sleeping
Is now our little plan.
We'll tie the nasty scullion fast
And pinch him till he's sore.
The Christmas pie is ours at last;
The waiting time is o'er.

_Frip (softly)_: As we are so full of fun,
Ere the feasting is begun,
For a pleasant little game
We will make him blind and lame.

_Snip_: Pull his hair and poke his eyes--
Anything we can devise.

_Tip_: Kick him till he's black and blue.

_Pip_: Run with pins his fingers through.

_Frip_: And, because he's dared to scoff,
We will pull his toe-nails off!!!

(_They surround Prince. He wakes_.)

_Prince_: Why, what's this? (_Rising_) The Brownies! Where's the
pepper-pot! (_To dresser_) Gone! (_Brownies cackle_.)

_Frip_: Now you cannot sprinkle us.
It's no use to make a fuss!

(_Brownies dance about impishly_.)

_Tip_: Yes! In vain you squeal and cry.
We shall eat the Christmas pie!

_Snip_: Proud you may be, as Mazeppa!
But we only fear RED PEPPER!

DUET (_Prince_ and _Brownies_).

(Air: "There Lived a King."--_The Gondoliers_.)

_Prince_: If that is so, you'd better trot,
For if you stay you'll get it hot!
I swear that I will thrash the lot
For I'm the Prince, Red Pepper!

_Brownies (cowering, afraid)_: Now if we stay, we plainly see
That very soon there'll ructions be!
Observe his hair, how fi-er-y!
Oh, yes! He's a high-stepper!
And, though he cannot make us sneeze,
His sword will tickle and will tease;
I think the pie we'd better seize,
And run from this Red Pepper!

(_Music. Brownies seize pie_.)

_Prince_: Now, put that pie down straight away,
Or very rude things I shall say,
And run you through and through I may
If I become excited!

_Brownies (consulting together by table)_: I really think he means it, too!
Now what on earth are we to do?
We do not care to be run through!
_(Howling pitifully)_We don't like being fighted.

_Prince_: If that is so, I think you'll see
You'd better kneel at once to me,
And humbly beg for clemency!
For so is vice requited!

_Brownies (repeating chorus, kneeling round Prince)_: Oh, yes, dear sir, we plainly see
That we had better kneel to thee,
And humbly beg for clemency!
For so is vice requited!

_Prince (brandishi