4-28 BERTHE still attractive ..- LEADING PLAYER stilt attractive. Charlenagne's nother ... Now living in fhe country where she enjoys those .-- (sings) SWEET SUMMER EVENINGS, SAPPEIRE SKIES FEASTING HER BELLY FEASTING BER EYES SIMPLE JOYS HAVE A SIMPLE VOICE _ TT SAYS TIME'S LIVING'S PRIZE AND WOULDN'T YOU RATHER BE A LEFT-HANDED FLEA CRAB ON A SLAB AT THE BOTTOM OF THE SEA A NEWT ON A ROOT OF A BANYAN TREE oR A FIG ON A TWIG IN GALILEE : GEAN A MAN WHO NEVER LEARNS HOW TO BE FREE NOT TILL THE DAY NOT TILL THE DAY NOT TILL THE DAY NO? TILL THE DAY HE DIES! a NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA (HE exits, and as HE does PIPPIN enters) PIPPIN Berthe .-. Sa eee yubIé with her needlework) Damn? i hate ne @ PIPPIN Berthe ..- BERTHE Yes ... ? What is it... ? ‘PIPPIN it's me. Pippin. BERTEE Pippin ... Pippin... ? Pippin. Oh- Pippin, I can't believe it. {sx holds out her ams. PIPPIN embraces her) oh, how good it is to hold-you ... to hold you like I used Co when you were a little boy. Remember, Pippin? PIPPIN Well of course I remenber. That's why I cane here.4-29 BERTEE Oh Pippin, you look terrible. You need some fresh air . some sun -.. and good food ... (Then with a twinkle) ++. some frolicking ... PIPPIN Grandma, you haven't changed a bit. BERTEE But you have, Pippin. Now something is the matter ... what have you been doing with yourself? PIPPIN I went to war, Grandma. BERTHE No wonder you look so terrible. Men and their wars. Sometimes I think men raise flags when they can't get anything else up. PIPPIN Grandma, sometimes you really say shocking things. BERTEE I try my best. But Pippin, what's wrong? PIPPIN I don't know, Grandma. I feel empty and vacant ... BERTEE Empty and vacant? Now, Pippin. You listen to me ... you're going to hear something very ... (Indicating quotes) "wise". Now don't take life so seriously. Just take things as they come along. Don't do too mich planning, and don't do too much thinking. How's that for wisdom so far? PIPPIN (Tentative) Well frankly, Grandma, it sounds pretty dull ... BERTEE It'll sound better with music ... maestro ... (sings) WHEN YOU ARE AS OLD AS I, MY DEAR AND I HOPE THAT YOU NEVER ARE YOU WILL WOEFULLY WONDER WHY, MY DEAR THROUGH YOUR CATARACTS AND CATARRE YOU COULD SQUANDER AWAY OR SEQUESTER A DROP OF A PRECIOUS YEAR FOR WHEN YOUR BEST DAYS ARE YESTER THE REST 'ER TWICE AS DEAR ...