Interior of Santa Claus’ Home. Two months later.Discovered at the doorFlossie FixitandGossip,singing and dancing.
Song
Air: “Glad Christmas Bells.”
Oh, wedding bells, oh wedding bells,I hear across the lea,For Santa Claus and the Fairy QueenAre married, you shall see.Oh, wedding bells, oh wedding bells,Peel on, peel on, and ring!For Santa Claus the Fairy QueenTo his home he soon will bring.Oh! here they are! Oh! here they are!They dance and sing, they dance and sing;For Santa Claus to his fairy brideHas given the marriage ring.
Oh, wedding bells, oh wedding bells,I hear across the lea,For Santa Claus and the Fairy QueenAre married, you shall see.Oh, wedding bells, oh wedding bells,Peel on, peel on, and ring!For Santa Claus the Fairy QueenTo his home he soon will bring.Oh! here they are! Oh! here they are!They dance and sing, they dance and sing;For Santa Claus to his fairy brideHas given the marriage ring.
Oh, wedding bells, oh wedding bells,I hear across the lea,For Santa Claus and the Fairy QueenAre married, you shall see.
Oh, wedding bells, oh wedding bells,
I hear across the lea,
For Santa Claus and the Fairy Queen
Are married, you shall see.
Oh, wedding bells, oh wedding bells,Peel on, peel on, and ring!For Santa Claus the Fairy QueenTo his home he soon will bring.
Oh, wedding bells, oh wedding bells,
Peel on, peel on, and ring!
For Santa Claus the Fairy Queen
To his home he soon will bring.
Oh! here they are! Oh! here they are!They dance and sing, they dance and sing;For Santa Claus to his fairy brideHas given the marriage ring.
Oh! here they are! Oh! here they are!
They dance and sing, they dance and sing;
For Santa Claus to his fairy bride
Has given the marriage ring.
[Exit.]
Santa Clausand theFairy Queen,dancing and smiling, enter.
Queen[seeing toys everywhere, remarks playfully]. Such housekeeping! Just like an old bachelor!
Santa Claus[hurriedly clears the place up, then hands theQueenhis spy glass and she looks through]. See all the little children looking for Santa Claus. And see, they have no Christmas trees, holly, or turkeys.Won’t you make these things grow right away? The candies, toys and other gifts are all ready.
Queen[playfully]. I’m kind of tired. I’ve only been married one hour, and you want to put me to work.
Santa Claus.But it’s the very day before Christmas, and nothing ready.
Queen.I can see you are going to be a verybossyhusband. Did I promise to obey?
Santa Claus[merrily]. You did.
Fairy Queenraises her wand.Flossie Fixit,Billy BundyandThomas Pageenter.
Queen.Produce the Christmas trees, the holly and turkeys.
Flossie,BillyandThomasexit, curtseying and very happy at receiving this order at last.
Music: “The Happiest Christmas Day.”
Queenkeeps time to the music with her wand.
Santa Clausbusies himself gathering toys together and doing up bundles. Finally points to the clock, as music ceases. It is noon.
Queenwaves her wand.
Flossie,BillyandThomasenter.
Sleigh and reindeer appear at door at the same time.
Billy Bundy.We have it all done.
Santa Claus[gathering up his bundles, hurries to the door and speaks jovially]. Come, Mrs. Santa, we must now distribute the gifts.
Queen[sweetly]. I have done my part.
Santa Claus[stands dumbfounded a moment]. The time is so short now. I cannot distribute all the gifts in time without your help.
[Queenis resolute and will not go.]
Santa Claus[starts regretfully for his sleigh. Coming back, playfully]. You arenota very satisfactory wife for a Santa Claus. [Queenlooks reproachfully at him.]
Santa Clausgathers the littleQueenin his arms for a moment, then exit. Enters sleigh and reindeer prances off, bells ringing.
Queen[throwing herself upon the couch, gracefully, but sadly]. I don’t believe Santa Claus loves me any more. Oh, why did the Prince have to die? [She weeps. Presently she falls asleep.]
Flossie Fixit[toBilly BundyandThomas Page]. Step softly. The Queen is asleep.
Billy Bundy.Sister Flossie, the Queen is very unhappy. You’ve got her married to the wrong man. What can we do? What can we do?
Flossie Fixit.Why, it wasn’t I who did that. It was you.
[Billy Bundysmiles in spite of himself.]
Thomas Page.Tell us the truth about the Prince.
Flossie Fixit.He has been asleep. But I’ll awaken him now. [Picks upQueen’swand and waves it slowly back and forth three times.]
Thomas Page.Why did you not awaken him before?
Flossie Fixit.I could not get hold of the Queen’s wand.
Billy Bundy[apprehensively]. It will only make matters worse now.
Queenawakens.Flossiedrops wand hurriedly.
Queen[noticesSanta’sspy glass, picks it up, and looks through it]. Oh, the Prince is coming! Am I dreaming? The Prince, the Prince! Oh, my beautifulPrince! [She drops the spy glass, and runs out of the door to meet thePrince.]
Music: “The Owl.”
Gossip[enters]. Did you hear the news? The Prince has returned, and the Queen has gone off with him. [Flossiesmiles.]
Billy Bundy[toFlossie]. I suppose now there will be a scandal and a divorce.
Flossie Fixit.Well, we have got the Christmas things all made, and the little children all over the world will be happy.
Thomas Page.But we must find a way to make the Fairy Queen happy, too, or she will die, and the little children won’t have any Christmas trees, holly or turkeys next year.
Gossip[playfully]. Why didn’t some of you goody, goody, wise people frame up a scheme that would have helped the children out without making the Queen suffer?
Billy Bundy.We would have done so in time.
Flossie Fixit.But there wasn’t any time to lose. You’ll see. It will come out all right.
Thomas Page.I’ll have to see what can be done tomakeit come out right. I shall see the Fairy Judge of the Supreme Court.
Billy Bundy[horrified]. That means a divorce!
Gossip[looking through spy glass]. Look here, everybody.
Santa Clausin his travels, as seen through the glass, coming down a certain chimney, finds an old lady dressed all in red. She evidently intends to playMrs. Santa Claus.There is a tree, and stockingsby the fireplace, andSanta Clausreads a sign:
FOR MY LONG LOST SON.
The old lady is crying.
BillyandFlossieclamor to have a look through the glass.
Curtainopens in the direction in which the spy glass is pointing, showing scene described (Scene III).