What
fluttered
in the window?
Yeats
_
Why did the house dog bay?
SHEMUS.
He heard me coming and smelt food--what else?
TEIG.
We will not starve awhile.
SHEMUS.
What food is within?
TEIG.
There is a bag half full of meal, a pan
Half full of milk.
SHEMUS.
And we have one old hen.
TEIG.
The bogwood were less hard.
MAIRE.
Before you came
She made a great noise in the hencoop, Shemus.
What fluttered in the window?
TEIG.
Two horned owls
Have blinked and fluttered on the window sill
From when the dog began to bay.
SHEMUS.
Hush, hush.
[_He fits an arrow to the crossbow, and goes towards
the door. A sudden burst of music without. _
They are off again: ladies or gentlemen
Travel in the woods with tympan and with harp.
Teig, put the wolf upon the biggest hook
And shut the door.
[_TEIG goes into the cupboard with the wolf: returns
and fastens the door behind him. _
Sit on the creepy stool
And call up a whey face and a crying voice,
And let your head be bowed upon your knees.
[_He opens the door of the cabin. _
Come in, your honours: a full score of evenings
This threshold worn away by many a foot
Has been passed only by the snails and birds
And by our own poor hunger-shaken feet.
[_The COUNTESS CATHLEEN, ALEEL, who carries a small
square harp, OONA, and a little group of fantastically
dressed musicians come in. _
CATHLEEN.
Are you so hungry?
Why did the house dog bay?
SHEMUS.
He heard me coming and smelt food--what else?
TEIG.
We will not starve awhile.
SHEMUS.
What food is within?
TEIG.
There is a bag half full of meal, a pan
Half full of milk.
SHEMUS.
And we have one old hen.
TEIG.
The bogwood were less hard.
MAIRE.
Before you came
She made a great noise in the hencoop, Shemus.
What fluttered in the window?
TEIG.
Two horned owls
Have blinked and fluttered on the window sill
From when the dog began to bay.
SHEMUS.
Hush, hush.
[_He fits an arrow to the crossbow, and goes towards
the door. A sudden burst of music without. _
They are off again: ladies or gentlemen
Travel in the woods with tympan and with harp.
Teig, put the wolf upon the biggest hook
And shut the door.
[_TEIG goes into the cupboard with the wolf: returns
and fastens the door behind him. _
Sit on the creepy stool
And call up a whey face and a crying voice,
And let your head be bowed upon your knees.
[_He opens the door of the cabin. _
Come in, your honours: a full score of evenings
This threshold worn away by many a foot
Has been passed only by the snails and birds
And by our own poor hunger-shaken feet.
[_The COUNTESS CATHLEEN, ALEEL, who carries a small
square harp, OONA, and a little group of fantastically
dressed musicians come in. _
CATHLEEN.
Are you so hungry?
