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 (brandishing sword):  Now, one, two, three, and off you fly,
  Or ev’ry one of you shall die!