Merman & Mermaid/Libretto/Act II

by Erwin E. Harder

Act II — Scene 1.

(Duet)

(Fifteen years later)

(In the Submarine Garden. Rocks and ancient sea shell castles shine with bright colors. There are twenty children, Mermen and Mermaids, playing games and feasting.)

FLEEHION.

Owondlo thou hast charms
To 'witch the sea life.
For all these years
I've been thy faithful wife.
Thou hast protected us
From countless dangers thus,
And yet thou no one harms.
Whil'st caves and sunken vessels
Have been our homes of pleasure,
I fancy now some curious Nymph
Prowling round the vessel's treasure.

OWONDLO.

What sayeth thou?
I've seen no Nymphs around
Not since I spied them
Before I severed the fish
With the sword I loaned.
Brought you to life
For my companion.

FLEEHION.

(Mermen and Mermaids in frolic)

Perhaps no danger will come.

OWONDLO.

Who knows the mystery of the sea?

FLEEHION.

Perhaps King Neptune!

OWONDLO.

Neptune is a goodly King,
And spies round on all new things.
He has the power, perhaps,
Over new life the sea brings.

FLEEHION.

Let us search the treasure vault.

OWONDLO.

All the sunken vessels
That we have entered thus,
I've locked the doors
Of the treasure vaults.
Behold these fish
That were once so bold,
Have almost lost their color of gold.
Their magic power seems vanished.
Their greed for gold forever banished.

FLEEHION.

Thou hast indeed worked wonders.
Behold the oval sea plant
That shines in colors rare,
Reflects from ancient red shell castles,
Appears quite calm and fair,
It's lovely fruit that round it creep,
I shall enter and thus reap.

OWONDLO.

Fleehion, do not enter.
'Tis a magic tree that quickly betrays.
Once more I shall sever
Another luring enemy.

(Owondlo severs the plant below, and rescues Fleehion in the nick of time, and carries her to their sea shell boat, which is tied to a sea plant, called sea plant rope, Fleehion revives fainting spell. Other sea plants and sea flowers vibrate, weeping and causing a great commotion of the waters. The sea flowers' heads are drooped. Curious fish swim about their boat and gnaw the sea plant rope apart. Then their boat drifts in a sea current and hurries away.)

---

(Owondlo and Fleehion passed through a submarine river through a mountain into "The Vapor World." They anchor their boat. Here they are enraptured with enchantment, of beautiful colors, etc. They meet King Reignall, the Supreme Ruler of "The Vapor World.")

(Spirits)

Scene 2. — In the Vapor World.

KING REIGNALL.

(Supreme Ruler of spirits)

I am King Reignall.
How came you here?
What seekest thou?
No living mortal
From the lower world,
Has ever entered this sacred sphere.
Now tell me, what is your object here?

OWONDLO.

Oh wondrous King Reignall,
'Twas with a monster ship
That we had sunk
To the depths of ocean life,
Where curious fish had lain await,
And swallowed us for bait.

OWONDLO AND FLEEHION.

Yes, swallowed us for bait,
After a lapse of time
We were transformed.
Perhaps by magic,
Perhaps by magic,
Behold our tails
And water breathing gills.

KING REIGNALL.

Quite strange indeed.

OWONDLO.

'Twas with enemies I fought
With my trusty sword,
That severed a fish
And brought to life
This beautiful Mermaid,
Who I proclaimed my wife.

OWONDLO AND FLEEHION.

In caves we dwelt;
On sea plants we feasted.
'Twas in a river
That our sea shell boat
Had chosen a course.
Through Nature's currents
That brought us here
In this beautiful sphere.

KING REIGNALL.

I forbade you here
In this sacred sphere.
I'll summon my Spiritual Staff.

(Horns and bugle calls)

SPIRITUAL STAFF.

How strange, King Reignall?
These curious beings here
Have come to take possession,
While we spiritualists
Never dreamt so far
That living mortals could appear.
'Tis wise we judge
To lead them on
Into our Spiritual Dungeon.

CHORUS OF SPIRITS.

Lead on, lead on, lead on.
To our Spiritual Dungeon
May thy spirits be banished forever.
Lead on, lead on, lead on,

---

(Shifting rolling scenery as all move slowly)

(Owondlo and Fleehion rest in Dungeon)

(King Reignall and spirits leave)

OWONDLO.

The spirits have vanished.
And all is still.

(The Spiritual Dungeon is made of heavy vapor; its appearance is like a mysterious castle. The vapor is just strong enough to hold Owondlo and Fleehion.)

OWONDLO AND FLEEHION.

Great magic in this Sacred World.
We're taken in a Spiritual Dungeon.
May God appear, they forbade us here.
It's a holy place, we fear.
What beautiful sounds,
What beautiful colors,
Hath this Vapor World of enchantment;
Quite strange, we crave no hunger,
Oh, King Reignall, cans't thou hear,
Grant us one wish:
Bring our parents near.

(Owondlo and Fleehion doze off in sleep)

THEIR PARENTS.

(Spirits)

Great wonder of wonders,
Our children do we see.

MALE PARENTS.

What! In the Spiritual Dungeon?

THEIR PARENTS.

Let us awaken them
Before King Reignall has time
To condemn them, perhaps,
Into eternity sublime.

ONE MALE PARENT.

Hush! be quiet, be careful for the King.

OTHER MALE PARENT.

Quite so, for in this holy place
The King does hear.
No secret can be made
In this sacred sphere.

ONE PARENT.

(Soprano)

Bosh, bosh, nonsense,
In this spiritual world
We cannot be deceived.

ONE PARENT.

(Contralto)

Quite right art thou.

(Owondlo and Fleehion awaken)

OWONDLO.

Dear Fleehion, I dreamt I heard familiar voices.

FLEEHION.

'Tis perhaps an illusion
Or joyful dream.
Perhaps the spirits
Had gathered around
Planning their secrets.

(Owondlo and Fleehion are amazed ; they see their parents [spirits] through an opening in the vapor walls. All stare at each other as if dumfounded.)

THEIR PARENTS.

My son, my daughter,
How came you here?

OWONDLO AND FLEEHION.

Through a ship that sunk
To the ocean's bed,
Where curious fish
Had lain await
And swallowed us for bait.
Yes swallowed us for bait.
The almighty Creator
Spared our life,
Transformed us in
The living sea.

THEIR PARENTS.

(All)

Oh wonder of wonders,
Seems like an illusion.
The almighty Creator
Left thoughts unknown
In this sacred world,
For our comprehension.

ONE PARENT.

(Soprano)

The King! the King!

ONE PARENT.

(Male)

Fear not.

KING REIGNALL.

(Comes with his Spirit Staff)

What seekest thou?
Do you not know
That I, King Reignall,
Am supreme in this holy sphere?
Condemn all spirits here.
The Spirit Staff will take thee
In the Spiritual Dungeon,
Where supreme magic reigns.

OWONDLO AND FLEEHION.

King Reignall, thou hast the power.
Spare these wishes
That thou hast granted.
Behold we are supreme
In your sacred sphere.
Thy walls we'll rent asunder,
And destroy this dungeon,
That the almighty Creator
Formed in this spiritual place.

---

(Owondlo and Fleehion leave dungeon)

(The Almighty Creator God beckons Owondlo be careful)

KING REIGNALL.

Summon my army of Spirits.

(Trumpet calls)

(The army appears with weapons shaped like the planet Saturn which cast out balls of strong lights.)

I command you strangers
Leave this sphere at once.
Go whence you came.

OWONDLO.

No! never, unless you release
Our parents from within
Your confounded dungeon.

KING REIGNALL.

Charge on the enemy,
Who came to molest us
In this spiritual sphere.

(Rolling scenes, battle of spirits with Owondlo and Fleehion ; no harm is done; Owondlo and Fleehion are immune. Mechanical reflections of various lights in appearance of human forms thrown about them.)

KING REIGNALL.

(Aria)

How strange this mystery.
Can it be
That before me gazes
The Almighty Supreme.
Never I dreamt
Of such disgrace
That befell me
In this spiritual place.
Open the dungeon;
Let the spirits come hither,
I proclaim them sacred and free.

(The Almighty Creator "God" looks down from above as all sing praises of love. He warns Owondlo and Fleehion to begone.)

Finale. Act II.

(Chorus of whole Spiritual World.)

Blessed art thou, blessed art thou,
Forever eternal bliss.
May thy paths in fortune sparkle,
And enemies their distance keep.
Let thy life remain,
In Nature's joys serene,
For thy coming spirits
Shall in peace forever sleep.

(Owondlo and Fleehion, who are now in their boat, start back to the Submarine World again.)

OWONDLO AND FLEEHION.

Thrice blessed art thou,
Thrice blessed art thou,
For thy great prophecy.
Thrice blessed art thou.
Farewell, farewell, farewell.

(Chorus of whole Spiritual World waving star-shaped emblems reflecting with beautiful color.)

End of Act II.

Epilogue.

(The Submarine World)

OWONDLO.

Rise, behold dear Fleehion,
'Tis the Submarine World
We have entered again.

FLEEHION.

Blessed be our God.
Come, let us pray,
That the almighty Creator
Hath spared our children's lives.

OWONDLO.

(Searches caves)

Not a sign of them.

(Pauses)

No not here.

FLEEHION.

Let us call for them.

OWONDLO AND FLEEHION.

(Aria)

Oh merciful God,
Oh merciful God,
We have vainly sought
Our children in vain.
Cans't thou give us
One ray of hope.
Thou hearest not,
Thou seest not.
Thou hidest from us.
Thou hast not
The power to return.
Oh merciful God.

(Owondlo and Fleehion, who are wearied and worried, die; in each other's arms they are embraced. At the entrance of cave where their children and grandchildren are within.)

(Sea Nymphs appear. Each one carries a small horn.)

FIVE SEA NYMPHS.

What mystery here behold?
The sea in sleep had drowned
These wandering, wearisome souls.
Let's not molest them
From peaceful slumber.
How calm, how still,
They do not breathe.
Now our horns we'll sound,
The sea will echo magic round.

(Trumpet and Horn calls)

---

(After the Nymphs have almost disappeared, Mermen and Mermaids arrive)

MERMEN AND MERMAIDS.

(Double chorus)

Those sounds mysteriously
Filled the sea with echoes.
Perhaps may be our parents calling
Or some mystery in the deep.
Great wonders, behold here they are,
Clothed in Nature's garments.
How pale, how calm, their hearts beat not.
Oh merciful God !
The sea claimed their last sleep.

MERMEN.

Those curious, wondrous Nymphs perhaps,
In magic have entrapped
Their souls to the Garden of the Gods.

MERMEN AND MERMAIDS.

The sea, the sea that in magic sways,
Has thousands of tales untold.
Where enemies lay in wait,
Betrays mysteries that never unfold.
The sea, the sea, that in magic sways,
The sea, the sea, that in magic sways,
Has thousands of tales untold.
Where enemies lay in wait,
Betrays mysteries that never unfold.

(King Neptune blesses all)

(Mermen and Mermaids cover them with plants)

(End of Opera)