(While BEAUTY is downstage, a scrim flies in, and we leave the MARKETPLACE. We are in the INTERIOR OF BEAUTY’S COTTAGE. Beauty’s FATHER enters downstage. He carries a candle.)

FATHER: (spoken)
Beauty! My dear, what’s the matter? It was only a nightmare. It was nothing.

BEAUTY:
Oh Papa. I’m sorry I woke you. I’ve been having the strangest dreams lately. I dreamt about a group of traveling players and one of them told my fortune. We were back in the marketplace and my sisters and I wеre wandering through the shops. Likе we used to, remember? We used to buy perfume and books and sweets and pretty things. And flowers. Oh, how I miss the flowers. Do you remember how Mother used to fill the house with beautiful roses every Sunday?

FATHER:
Of course I remember, Beauty. How could I forget? But things were different then. Your mother was alive, and I was a wealthy man with a fleet of ships. Fortune destroyed that life for us all. I lost everything.

BEAUTY:
But you still have your children. And we all love you very much. Papa, I know it was hard on you to sell everything and move to the country, but things will be fine again, you’ll see.

BEAUTY COMFORTS FATHER / LULLABYE

BEAUTY: (singing)
FATHER DON’T WORRY,
YOU MUSTN’T BE ANXIOUS.
OH FATHER, IT SEEMS YOU’RE THE ONE WHO NEEDS COMFORTING.
FATHER I WISH I COULD COMFORT LIKE MOTHER COULD.
FATHER, FATHER

BEAUTY, & (FATHER):
AGES IT’S BEEN SINCE I
SAW YOU CRY (BEAUTY,)
(BEAUTY,)
FATHER:
I KNOW IT’ BEEN HARD SINCE SHE DIED.

BEAUTY:
PAPA, IT SEEMS IT WAS HARDEST ON YOU.
PAPA, YOU KNOW THAT I STILL LOVE HER TOO.

I’LL SING YOU THE SONG SHE SANG TO ME
WHEN I WOULD WEEP.
SHE’D SING ALL THE MONSTERS
BACK UNDER THE BED AND THEN WHISPER,
“BEAUTY, TIME THAT ALL GOOD LITTLE GIRLS WENT TO SLEEP.”

PAPA LISTEN…

(The GHOST OF BEAUTY’S MOTHER and YOUNG BEAUTY appear behind the scrim. GHOST OF BEAUTY’S MOTHER sings to YOUNG BEAUTY, while BEAUTY sings to her FATHER.)

GHOST OF MOTHER, & BEAUTY:
VALLEY GREEN BENEATH THE MOUNTAINS,
SO PEACEFUL AND STILL.
BREEZES BLOW ABOVE THE FLOWERS
THAT GROW WHERE THEY WILL.

GHOST OF MOTHER, BEAUTY, & YOUNG BEAUTY:
IN THE SHADOWS OF THE VALLEY
LIE PATCHES OF SNOW.
‘TWAS THERE THAT WE MET LONG AGO.
(GHOST OF MOTHER and YOUNG BEAUTY play with each other during the interlude. Then, both GHOST OF MOTHER and YOUNG BEAUTY turn and sing to FATHER from behind the scrim. It is a haunting memory.)

GHOST OF MOTHER, & YOUNG BEAUTY:
THERE YOU SWORE YOU’D LOVE ME TILL
THE WORLD CAME TO END.

BEAUTY, & YOUNG BEAUTY:
THERE YOU PROMISED YOU’D NEVER LEAVE ME ALONE.

GHOST OF MOTHER, BEAUTY, & YOUNG BEAUTY:
FAITH YOU WERE AN HONEST MAN,
YOUR PROMISE YOU KEPT.

GHOST OF MOTHER:
WHO COULD KNOW T’WOULD BE I WHO MUST GO?

FATHER:
(He turns away, unable to take any more. Lights go out on GHOST OF MOTHER AND YOUNG BEAUTY.)
GO NO FURTHER BEAUTY!

BEAUTY:
I’M SORRY!

FATHER:
SPARE YOUR FATHER BEAUTY!
BEAUTY:
I ONLY MEANT TO COMFORT YOU…
PAPA…

FATHER:
BEAUTY, YOU KNOW THAT I’VE ASKED YOU
NEVER TO SING THAT SONG.
BEAUTY YOU KNOW
HOW THE MEM’RY STILL HAUNTS NE.

YOU KNOW IN THAT VALLEY
YOUR MOTHER LIES BURIED…
(The memory brings him to gentle tears.)

BEAUTY:
(trying to comfort him)
LOOK, DAWN IS BREAKING.
STARS ALL CLOSE THEIR EYES,
SUNLIGHT IN THE SKIES.
SOON ALL THE HOUSE WILL BE WAKING UP.
YOU MUST STOP CRYING!