SIGURD. Why do you lift your fingers?
RUSTER. To make the notes.
SIGURD. Let me try! (RUSTER _places his little fingers over two of the
stops_. SIGURD _blows, but no sound comes_. OSWALD _laughs_.)
OSWALD. Let _me_ try! (RUSTER _shows him also--but still no tone_.) How
do you do it? (_He tries again._)
RUSTER. I blow in here. (_Showing them._) And I keep the holes covered
with my fingers. When I want to make a note, I lift up a finger, like
this. (_He blows._)
SIGURD. Blow another.
RUSTER. (_Blows another. Then both over again_) This is A and this is B.
OSWALD. A and B. You can’t play _them_. They’re letters.
RUSTER. Yes, and in music they are the names of the notes. (_Takes out
a score and with a crayon makes a few notes._) This is the way they
look.
SIGURD. Let me see.
OSWALD. No! That’s not right! That’s not what’s in our storybook!
See--I’ll show you. (_He runs to music cabinet, and from lower cupboard
pulls out a battered cloth book._)
RUSTER. (_To_ SIGURD) Can this boy spell his name?
SIGURD. Yes--S I G U R D!
OSWALD. See--look at _our_ book. There isn’t any A and B like that!
That is A and that is B. (_Pointing._)
RUSTER. Can you read that?
OSWALD. Yes, I can read it.
(_Enter_ OLGA _with tablecloth, glasses and silver. She smiles at
the group and quietly begins to arrange the table._)
OSWALD. (_Reading_) “Far away, in the deep forest there once grew----”
BOTH CHILDREN. “A pretty Fir-_Tree_. The sun shone full upon _him_, the
breeze played freely around _him_, and in the n--n----” (_Looking up
questioningly at_ RUSTER.)
RUSTER. “Neigh-bor-hood.”
OSWALD. “Neighborhood grew many Fir-Trees.”
BOTH CHILDREN. “Some older, some younger.”
OSWALD. (_Turning from the book_) Look--I’ll draw you a fir-tree. (_He
draws on_ RUSTER’S _music score--spreading it on the floor_.)
SIGURD. (_Slowly_) “But the little Fir-Tree was not happy; he was
always long--longing to be tall; he th--th----”
(RUSTER, _who during the last part of the reading has been paying
no attention, suddenly covers his face with his hands. His
shoulders shake a little._ SIGURD _looks up frightened_. OLGA
_crosses quickly to him_.)
OLGA. (_Gently_) Ruster--Ruster! Don’t feel badly!
RUSTER. (_Sobbing softly_) Yes--I am of no use any more.
OLGA. (_Sympathetically_) I know--I know. You cannot make a living by
your music and you are destroying yourself with brandy. You have been
turned away from every door where you have knocked. But, Ruster----
RUSTER. Yes, I am worn out. I ought to be thrown away! Nobody needs me.
OLGA. But don’t you see that to be with the children, as to-night,
would be something for you? If you would teach children you would be
welcomed everywhere. Look at them, Ruster! (_She places the boys in
front of him._) Look at them!
RUSTER. (_Blinking_) I dare not!
OLGA. (_Laughing joyously_) Then you must accustom yourself to them,
Ruster! Perhaps you could help them with their reading. They need a
schoolmaster! (_Turning to children triumphantly._) How would you like
that, children?
(_Enter_ LILJEKRONA, _violin under his arm_. RUSTER _remains
motionless by the fireplace with bowed head_.)
LILJEKRONA. Why are you laughing, Olga, what is it?
OLGA. Nothing--but that Ruster has come again!
LILJEKRONA. (_Perplexed_) Ruster here again?
OLGA. (_Beaming_) Yes, and he is going to stay with us to teach our
little boys.
LILJEKRONA. Ruster! (_With amazement_) You have asked him to teach----?
OLGA. Yes, Oswald and Sigurd. He has been helping them this afternoon.
LILJEKRONA. But--has he promised to give up----?
OLGA. He has promised nothing. But there is much about which he must be
careful when he has to look little children in the eyes every day.
LILJEKRONA. You’re sure he can do it?
OLGA. (_Not heeding_) If it had not been Christmas, perhaps I should
not have ventured; but if our Lord dared to place His own son among us
sinners, surely we can dare to let our children try to save a human
soul.
(LILJEKRONA’S _face twitches and twists. He gently kisses his
wife’s hand as if asking forgiveness._)
LILJEKRONA. The children must come and kiss their Mother’s hand! (_They
do so, though not just knowing why._)
OLGA. (_Going to_ RUSTER _and holding out her hand_) Ruster, it is you
who have made our Christmas happy. (_He kisses her hand._)