Scene 3


The same road we saw near the palace with the same clumps of bushes. VASILY appears from the right reading a book and eating an apple. HE sits quietly on a large stone. We hear the clip clop of approaching horses, then see the same FOUR MEN dressed in the same two horse suits leading the same royal carriage and the same COACHMAN brandishing the same whip. MARIANNE is glimpsed inside the coach behind the heavy veil.


FIRST HORSE

Life has little color,
All in browns and grays that is;


SECOND HORSE

Clip, clop, clip, clop---
What a stupid phrase that is!


FIRST HORSE

I was abused
When I was young,
Afraid and confused
When I was young.
I was shipped to a farm
In northern Wales
Where I toted barges
And I lifted bales.
They penned me up
With some smelly goats,
Who pulled my forelock
And who swiped my oats.
And I had to sleep in their dung.
I was abused,
Afraid and confused,
Beaten and bruised
When I was young.


SECOND HORSE

Compared to mine,
Your life has been Bacchanalian.
When I was a colt,
Mama ran off with a circus stallion.

I was abused
When I was young.
Mistreated, misused
When I was young.
I was sent to school
At Lippizan;
It was torture
The moment it began.
They whipped my butt
And they had me chained;
My withers withered
And my postern pained.
And they lopped off what had once hung.
I was abused,
Mistreated, misused,
Battered and bruised
When I was young.


FIRST HORSE

I was abused
When I was young,
Molested and cruised
When I was young.
Farmer Brown, who would
Never give a darn,
Would go down on me
Behind the fam'ly barn.


SECOND HORSE

Don't speak unkindly
Of Farmer Brown.
At least you'd something
On which to go down.
I never felt anyone's tongue---


TOGETHER

We were abused,


FIRST HORSE

Afraid and confused,


SECOND HORSE

Mistreated, misused,
 
FIRST HORSE
Molested and cruised,


TOGETHER

Battered and bruised
When we were young.
  (HORSES execute a little dance. MARIANNE leans out the window.)


MARIANNE

Why are we stopping?

COACHMAN

The horses are dancing again.
  (MARIANNE scowls. VASILY, now aware of the royal carriage, rises and begins to exit. MARIANNE sees him, lifts her veil to get a better view.)


MARIANNE

Look at the buns on that gypsy! Young man! Come here.
  (VASILY goes to her reluctantly.)


MARIANNE

Do you know the way to Kielbasa?

VASILY

You have a coachman. Why are you asking me?

MARIANNE

You dare speak like that to a Princess!

VASILY

Royalty sucks.   (MARIANNE gasps, steps down from the coach and slaps him across the face.)


VASILY

I do not abuse women…even princesses.
  (SHE slaps him again. When he still does not respond, she slaps him a third and a fourth time.)


VASILY

You might as well know, you stupid woman, I hate violence of any kind.
  (HE turns on his heel and begins to exit right. SHE follows him, grabs his shirt and rips it down the back.)


VASILY

My new designer shirt! You bitch!
 

(HE is now so furious, HE grabs the neckline of her dress and rips it down the front.)


COACHMAN

Hey, you, gypsy boy, cut that out!

 MARIANNE

Mind your own business.
  (THEY are now ripping each other's clothes and wrestling on the ground. The fight becomes more and more sensual until THEY kiss and bite each other. HORSES look on in horror. THEY bolt from the carriage and gallop offstage left. COACHMAN jumps down.)


COACHMAN

Hey, you two, come back here!
  (HE races after them. MARIANNE and VASILY are oblivious to what is happening. THEY are too intent on rolling around on the ground, roughly, passionately.)
 
 
BLACKOUT
 
 


 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
   
           
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