Enter Pitti-Sing and Peep-Bo.

Yum-Yum. Yes, everything seems to smile upon me. I am to be married to-day to the man I love best and I believe I am the very happiest girl in Japan!

Peep-Bo. The happiest girl indeed, for she is indeed to be envied who has attained happiness in all but perfection.

Yum-Yum. In "all but" perfection?

Peep-Bo. Well, dear, it can't be denied that the fact that your husband is to be beheaded in a month is, in its way, a
drawback. It does seem to take the top off it, you know.

Pitti-Sing. I don't know about that. It all depends!

Peep-Bo. At all events, he will find it a drawback.

Pitti-Sing. Not necessarily. Bless you, it all depends!

Yum-Yum. (in tears) I think it very indelicate of you to refer to such a subject on such a day. If my married happiness
is to be — to be —

Peep-Bo. Cut short.

Yum-Yum. Well, cut short — in a month, can't you let me forget it? (weeping)

Enter Nanki-Poo, followed by Pish-Tush.

Nanki-Poo. Yum-Yum in tears — and on her wedding morn!

Yum-Yum. (sobbing) They've been reminding me that in a month you're to be beheaded! (Bursts into tears.)

Pitti-Sing. Yes, we've been reminding her that you're to be beheaded. (Bursts into tears.)

Peep-Bo. It's quite true, you know, you are to be beheaded! (Bursts into tears.)

Nanki-Poo. (aside) Humph! Now, some bridegrooms would be depressed by this sort of thing! (aloud) A month? Well, what's a month? Bah! These divisions of time are purely arbitrary. Who says twenty-four hours make a day?

Pitti-Sing. There's a popular impression to that effect.

Nanki-Poo. Then we'll efface it. We'll call each second a minute — each minute an hour — each hour a day — and each day a year. At that rate we've about thirty years of married happiness before us!

Peep-Bo. And, at that rate, this interview has already lasted four hours and three-quarters! (Exit Peep-Bo.)

Yum-Yum. (still sobbing) Yes. How time flies when one is thoroughly enjoying oneself!

Nanki-Poo. That's the way to look at it! Don't let's be downhearted! There's a silver lining to every cloud.

Yum-Yum. Certainly. Let's — let's be perfectly happy! (Almost in tears.)

Pish-Tush. By all means. Let's--let's thoroughly enjoy ourselves.

Pitti-Sing. It's--it's absurd to cry! (Trying to force a laugh.)

Yum-Yum. Quite ridiculous! (Trying to laugh.)

All break into a forced and melancholy laugh.

Page Created 12 November, 2005