_SCENE ONE--A forest on the mountain tops, the great trees
glooming with the shadows of nightfall. In the distance,
between the dark boles, patches of sky with the fading
light of evening. The scene slopes down into a clump of
tangle-wood on the left. Up the slope, upon a stump that
stands out from among the trees, Selma is sitting with
her head bowed, her face almost hidden by her hair which
has fallen forward across her shoulders. She is dressed
in dappled fawn-skin. In her hand she has a spray of
dog-wood blossoms from which she is thoughtlessly tearing
the leaves. From the thicket below, three fairies steal in
one after another, having in their hands wild-flowers and
ferns._
_TIME--Early spring, three years later._
FIRST FAIRY-- (_Running a little way up the slope and stopping._)
Sister, see! (_Holding forth her flowers._) Kingcups!
SECOND FAIRY--(_Running closer._) Sister, see, I bring
The laced fern.
THIRD FAIRY--(_Running still closer._) See, see! Violets, sister!
I found them waking in an open place
Where the dew falls. (_Together they approach the stump._)
SECOND FAIRY--(_Softly._) Sister!
THIRD FAIRY-- Flowers, sister.
(_The first stoops down and looks up into Selma's
face. The others whisper together. From the
thicket below, two other fairies enter._)
FOURTH FAIRY--(_Stopping._) Hark, how it tinkles!