29 February, 1940.
Scene. — A British aircraft carrier/destroyer off the coast of Poland. As the curtain rises groups of young women dressed in blue uniform are discovered assembled in ranks around a table which holds a large cake. FREDERIC, now an old man but still in pirate costume, is enthroned on a deck chair. MABEL stands beside him, hand on his shoulder, and raises her glass to the assembled women.
ALL.
Pour, O pour the birthday sherry;
Fill, O fill the birthday glass;
And, to make us more than merry,
Let the cake and biscuits pass.
GRANDDAUGHTERS.
For today our fathers' father
Celebrates four score and four;
Honor him and dear Grandmother
Long life now and evermore!
ALL.
Although the date's quadrennial
Our love endures perennial.
DAUGHTERS.
Papa Frederic leads us on, our
Privateering patriarch
His our duty and our honor
After him we gaily march.
ALL.
Although the date's quadrennial
Our love endures perennial.Pour, O pour the birthday sherry, etc.
MABEL.
Thank you, daughters and granddaughters all, for gathering on our foredeck to celebrate our dear Frederic's eighty-fourth year.
ALL.
Hear, hear!
MABEL.
It is his courage — and our love for one another — that brings you all here today. Not only in the ancestral sense, but as members of this crew.
ALL.
Hear, hear!
CAPTAIN.
To-day we honor him, as forefather and as founder of our brave seafaring service.SONG – CAPTAIN
CAPTAIN.
When Frederic was apprenticed, well, you've all heard how his nurse erred
And by ingenious paradox, his contract's end was deferred
His conscience and his duty warred within him, 'til at long last
His pirate crew was exposed to all as noblemen, not outcasts.
Then they reformed, or at least performed their legislative duties
And Frederic and the rest of them were wed to landed beauties.They passed the decades pleasantly in lawful occupation
'Til the Great War put a halt to peace for four years' long duration.
The pirate crew went to sea again to defeat the Central Powers
And we daughters vowed to emulate their loyalty with ours.
True Britons all, we heard the call to service, and enlisted
But we quickly found we were landbound, and stubbornly resisted.We didn't want to free men for the fleet with landbound service
We meant to sail the ships ourselves, but it made the Navy nervous.
Dear Papa saw our plight and he approached His Royal Highness
With a plea that balanced perfectly necessity and slyness.
Let them all embark, with a Writ of Marque, as private commerce raiders —
The King agreed, and we were freed to hinder German traders.We all played merry havoc with supply lines for the Allies
And many a supply ship added to our captive tallies.
Yet the gratitude of nations is but transient and fleeting;
At the conflict's end we found ourselves to home and hearth retreating.
We were not resigned; for the sea we pined, and we raised our many daughters
Preparing them for the moment when we could reclaim the waters.In autumn of last year poor hapless Poland's annexation
By Germany and Russia entered into the equation
And going to His Highness we most humbly petitioned
That we might once more by royal writ or warrant be commissioned.
And now at last it's come to pass that our hopes have been requited;
As privateers in wartime years, we are once more united.
ALL.
Huzzah!
CAPTAIN.
And now, our dear patriarch, we would be honored if you would grace us with a speech.
ALL.
Speech! Speech!
FRED.
(Standing) I confess that as a young man, I once longed for the occasion of my twenty-first birthday, that I might be released from my indentures. But now that the day has come, I feel only a deep gratitude and satisfaction at seeing —(The CAPTAIN holds up a hand to silence FREDERIC, as a young communications officer, out of breath after rushing across the foredeck, speaks urgently in her ear)
CAPTAIN.
Father, though we long to celebrate with you, as a slave to duty yourself for so many years you will no doubt understand that when we are called to action, we may not tarry. A Russian supply ship has been spotted approaching the blockade, hoping to bring succor to the Germans. It is our solemn duty to intercept them, without delay, in the name of King Edward.
ALL.
Hail, King Edward!SONG – CREW
CREW.
We'll go deflect
The hapless Cossack prize;
They won't expect
An ambush from the skies
Divert their course
And intercept their aid,
As we enforce
Our privateer blockade!Come, daughters of the sea
King and Country call us;
We must let nothing stall us;
Let's harry Germany
With a little piracy!(The deck bursts into a flurry of activity as the women run to their stations, don their flight gear, and prepare to engage the enemy.)
RECITATIVE.
FRED.
Oh, Mabel, behold our daughters!
MABEL.
Our daughters, and daughters' daughters!
FRED.
Yes, behold them!DUET — FREDERIC and MABEL.
FRED.
They do their duty willingly;
MABEL.
As pilots and as seamen.
FRED.
A privateering legacy!
MABEL.
It makes me proud to see them.
FRED.
Upon the enemy they fall!
MABEL.
So brave and fearless are they
FRED.
By air and sea they heed the call
MABEL.
They will accept no parley.
FRED.
Forth they go upon the waters
To attack their prize!
MABEL.
Forth they go, our lovely daughters
Soaring through the skies.Frederic, my true love,
They're something to be proud of,
Every single woman of them bent on piracy.
Implacable young ladies
All bent on raising Hades
What a legacy — what a legacy.ENSEMBLE.
MABEL.
Beholding them in action
Gives such satisfaction
They will crush the enemies of
England by the score!
What better birthday present
Could consecrate the event
Of your four score and four —
Your four score and four! | FRED.
I share your reaction
To seeing them in action
What a bold and formidable
privateering corps!
I could not be more content
With witnessing their ascent
For my four score and four —
My four score and four! |
(FREDERIC leans against MABEL, and they stand on the deck embracing as the planes roar overhead.)
