her! Come! Come! Wolf! Wolf! Wolf!
Wolf!
(_No one comes or answers._)
What shall I do? They think I am playing a joke again. What shall I do?
I cannot save my sheep! I must run to save myself!
THE WISH-BIRD
TIME: _a few years ago._
PLACE: _the palace gardens._
* * * * *
BIRD.
PRINCE.
NURSE.
* * * * *
[_The_ PRINCE _and his_ NURSE _walk in the palace gardens. The_
WISH-BIRD _is flying among the trees._]
PRINCE. I am tired of the gardens, Nurse.
NURSE. Look at your pretty flowers, dear Prince.
PRINCE. I am tired of the flowers.
NURSE. Look at your pretty doves, dear Prince.
PRINCE. I am tired of my doves.
NURSE. Then look at your white, white rabbits, Prince.
PRINCE. I am tired of my rabbits.
NURSE. Dear me! Dear me!
PRINCE. What shall I look at, Nurse?
[Illustration: 'I AM TIRED OF MY RABBITS']
NURSE. I do not know, dear Prince.
PRINCE. You must tell me what to look at.
NURSE. Dear me! Dear me!
PRINCE. I will send you to the king.
NURSE. Do not send me to the king, dear Prince!
PRINCE. Then tell me what to look at.
BIRD. Look at me, Prince! Look at me!
PRINCE. Where are you?
BIRD. I am in the cedar tree.
NURSE. It is the Wish-Bird, Prince!
BIRD. Make a wish, Prince. I will give you what you ask for. But do not
ask too much!
PRINCE. I wish these flowers were feathers!
BIRD. Flowers, flowers, to feathers change!
PRINCE. Look, Nurse, look! The flowers have changed to feathers! Let me
wish again, Wish-Bird!
BIRD. Make a wish. I will give you what you ask for. But do not ask too
much!
PRINCE. I wish my rabbits with wings could fly!
BIRD. Rabbits, rabbits, fly with wings!
PRINCE. Ha, ha! My rabbits now have wings! Let me wish again, Wish-Bird!
BIRD. Make a wish. I will give you what you ask for. But do not ask too
much!
PRINCE. I wish to have the moon, I do!
BIRD. Do not ask too much, Prince!
PRINCE. I wish to have the moon, I say! Do you hear, Wish-Bird? I wish
to have the moon!
BIRD. You ask too much! Feathers, feathers, fly away!
NURSE. Prince, Prince, your feather flowers are flying away!
BIRD. Rabbits, rabbits, fly away!
NURSE. Prince, Prince, your pretty rabbits are flying away!
PRINCE. I want my pretty flowers, I do! I want my pretty rabbits, too!
BIRD. You asked too much, Prince! You asked too much!
PRINCE. What will the king say?
NUR
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