Swallows and Amazons (2 page)

ROGER. But I can't whistle. You know I can't.

TITTY. We'll have to try. We'll all have to try.

Song – ‘Whistle for a Wind'

SWALLOWS.

Not a whisper in the beech trees,

Not a ripple on the lake,

The wind has gone to sleep, we've

Got to whistle her awake.

Whistle for a wind, whistle for a wind,

Then and only then can it begin.

MOTHER
enters
.

MOTHER (
speaking
). Come on, time for bed!

Scene Three

The bedroom at the farmhouse on Jackson's Farm
. MOTHER,
holding Fat Vicky under her arm, settles them all into bed. The
SWALLOWS
continue to sing
.

SWALLOWS.

All of us are thirsting,

For what tomorrow holds,

But we are at the mercy,

Of things we can't control,

Let's whistle for a wind, whistle for a wind,

Then and only then can we begin.

MOTHER (
speaking
). Goodnight, John.

JOHN. Goodnight.

MOTHER. A big day tomorrow. Your maiden voyage as Captain.

JOHN. Yes.

MOTHER. Quite a thing, being responsible for a crew.

JOHN. I think I'm up to it.

MOTHER. I'm sure you are. I'm sure you'll make Daddy proud. (
Kisses
JOHN.)

ROGER. I'm going to learn to swim on the island.

MOTHER. That's a very good idea. But only go in the water if one of the others is with you.

ROGER. I can nearly swim.

MOTHER. I know. And if you manage to swim properly, without your foot on the bottom, I shall give you a penknife of your own.

ROGER. Like John's? With a pearly handle?

MOTHER. Yes. Just like John's.

ROGER. Thanks! I'm definitely going to swim.

MOTHER (
kissing him
). Goodnight, darling.

TITTY (
singing
).

I want to be a pirate, the terror of the seas.

SUSAN.

I want to build a fireplace and make us all some tea.

JOHN.

I'll be
Swallow
's captain.

SUSAN, TITTY
and
ROGER.

And we her willing crew.

SUSAN.

First Mate.

TITTY.

Able Seaman.

ROGER.

And I am coming too!

MOTHER (
speaking
). Get back in your beds.

TITTY. You will come and wave us off, won't you?

MOTHER. Of course.

TITTY. You can be Queen Isabella waving goodbye to the Spanish Armada. And John can be Stout Cortez and we'll be the conquistadors.

MOTHER. And you can bring me back some treasure.

TITTY. Pirate treasure buried hundreds of years ago!

MOTHER. I'll ask the farm opposite the island if they'll give you milk and bread every day.

SUSAN. And eggs too. I'm best at buttered eggs.

MOTHER. Just be sure to clean out the milk can very thoroughly. We don't want any sickness in the crew.

SUSAN. Or scurvy.

TITTY. You don't mind us all going, do you? And leaving you, I mean?

SUSAN. At least you'll have Vicky.

TITTY. But Vicky can't chat.

SUSAN. She says more than Mr Jackson.

TITTY. I'll miss our chats.

MOTHER. So will I.

ROGER. Is that the wind?

They all sing
.

ALL.

Like another lonely planet,

Like a strange and distant star,

Stretch out, you can almost touch it,

So near but yet so far.

Whistle for a wind, whistle for a wind,

Then and only then can it begin,

Then and only then can it begin.

ROGER (
speaking
). Goodnight for tonight. And goodnight for tomorrow night. And goodnight for the next night, and the next night.

MOTHER. Sleep!

MOTHER
leaves, putting the light out as she does so
. ROGER
manages to whistle
.

ROGER. I whistled!

ALL. Go to sleep, Roger!

The sun sets. The
CHILDREN
settle down to sleep. Night falls and it grows completely dark. The faintest whisper of a wind begins to blow the curtain. Gradually it grows. Trees begin to sway, and things begin to blow about. At last the wind fills the whole auditorium so that the audience feels it too
.

Scene Four

The sun comes out. The four
CHILDREN
rush outside and spin round and round in the wind, laughing and whooping for joy
.

ROGER. It worked! The whistling worked!

SUSAN. What sort of wind is it, John?

JOHN (
holding his finger up
). North-westerly.

TITTY. Is that good?

JOHN. It will do us nicely.

ROGER. Can we go? Can we go?

JOHN. Wait, Roger. Where's that list, Mister Mate? Let's start packing.

SUSAN. Aye, aye, Cap'n!

Song – ‘Packing'

A big tin box of books and writing paper.

JOHN.

A small aneroid barometer.

SUSAN.

And other things that need to be kept dry.

TITTY.

Like nightclothes.

JOHN.

I won it as a prize at school…

ROGER (
speaking, over the music
). Hurry up! The wind's getting stronger!

SUSAN (
singing
).

Three biscuit tins with bread and tea and sugar.

TITTY.

Salt and bread, and lots and lots of eggs – separately wrapped for fear of smashes.

SUSAN.

A frying pan, a saucepan and a kettle.

JOHN
and
ROGER.

Jugs and plates and spoons and forks and knives.

SUSAN.

Two groundsheets with tents wrapped up inside.

TITTY.

A seed cake.

JOHN
and
ROGER.

A long coil of stout grass rope.

TITTY.

Two sacks stuffed with blankets and rugs.

SUSAN.

Tins of corned beef. Where's the corned beef?

JOHN (
speaking
). Right, crew, let's get this down to the boathouse.

They head off, continuing to check the list as they go
.

Scene Five

They reach the boathouse. The
CHILDREN
open the doors
.

JOHN. I'll bring her out.

SUSAN. I'll undo the painter.

(
Singing
.)

A piece of chalk, a plaster and some candles.

TITTY (
speaking
). Is her sail up?

SUSAN. No. It's rolled up inside.

JOHN (
singing
).

The fishing rod I got at Christmas time.

SUSAN (
speaking
). And her mast is there. And her boom.

ROGER. Put it up! Put it up!

JOHN
brings
Swallow
out
. JOHN
and
SUSAN
put the mast up and fix the boom. They stare at her in admiration
.

SWALLOWS (
singing
).

Swallow, we've yearned so long for this day to arrive.

TITTY
pulls something from her pocket. It is a little flag, with a blue swallow on it. She hoists it to the top of the mast
.

TITTY (
speaking
). There – a beautiful boat deserves a beautiful flag.

SWALLOWS (
singing
).

And now it has finally come,

And the adventure's begun.

MOTHER
arrives with Fat Vicky and
MR JACKSON,
who is pulling a wheelbarrow loaded with lots of other essentials
.

MOTHER (
speaking
). That is a beautiful flag.

TITTY (
bowing
). Your Majesty. I made it yesterday out of scraps. It's sewn not glued.

MOTHER. Even better.

ROGER. Hello, Mr Jackson. Isn't she a fine boat?

JACKSON. Aye.

SUSAN (
singing
).

A frying pan, a saucepan,

There's the tins of corned beef, tins of sardines.

SUSAN
and
JOHN.

I think we have all that we need.

TITTY (
speaking
). Goodbye, Queen Isabella.

MOTHER. Goodbye, loyal subjects.

ROGER. Goodbye, Fat Vicky! Goodbye, Mr Jackson!

The
SWALLOWS
climb into the boat
. MOTHER
undoes the painter. They push off
.

SWALLOWS (
singing
).

Farewell and adieu to you, fair Spanish ladies,

Adieu and farewell to you, ladies of Spain…

MOTHER (
speaking
). Keep the oil away from the tents!

SWALLOWS (
singing
).

For we're under orders to sail for old England,

And we'll never see all you ladies again…

MOTHER (
speaking
). Don't forget to row for supplies!

SWALLOWS (
singing
).

We'll rant and we'll roar just like true British sailors,

We'll range and we'll roam over all the salt seas…

MOTHER (
speaking
). Leave word that you're all right!

Farewell, my brave explorers!

SWALLOWS (
singing
).

Until we strike sounding for the English Channel,

From Ushant to Scilly 'tis thirty-five leagues…

ROGER (
speaking
). Here it is! Here it is!

Song – ‘Swallow'

SWALLOWS.

Hoist up the mainsail, haul in the anchor,

Make fast the halyard, let go the painter,

It's time to put to sea,

And set the
Swallow
free.

ROGER (
speaking
). Look! The wind! The wind is in the sail!

SWALLOWS (
singing
).

Swallow
, the wind blows fair in the east,

Feel the breeze,

Show them that you're the best boat ever to be set afloat,

Show them,
Swallow
.

JOHN (
speaking
). Ready about!

SWALLOWS (
singing
).

Swallow
, I almost think you're alive sometimes,

When I am lost and confused,

You seem to know what to do,

Don't you,
Swallow
.

Scene Six

Swallow
is sailing swiftly towards the island
.

ROGER (
waving
). Bye, bye, Peak of Darien! Goodbye, Mr Jackson's cows!

TITTY. The lake is a desolate ocean, and we're the first people to cross it.

ROGER (
taking out a chunk of bread
). Time for refreshments.

SUSAN. Where did you get that?

ROGER. Breakfast. I saved it in my sock. Want some?

SUSAN. No, thank you.

JOHN. Keep a good lookout, Ship's Boy.

ROGER. Aye, aye. What for?

TITTY. Everything.

JOHN. Enemy vessels.

TITTY. Barbarians.

SUSAN. Are we all right about gybing, Captain? We don't want any bashed heads.

JOHN. Look at the flag – it's blowing well over on the same side as the sail. There's no fear of a gybe as long as it's doing that.

ROGER. You can see the whole world in one go.

SUSAN. Everything looks tiny.

We see
MOTHER,
waving
.

TITTY. Goodbye, Queen Isabella!

SUSAN. There's smoke in the woods on that shore across there. It must be the charcoal burners.

TITTY. What do charcoal burners do?

SUSAN. Burn charcoal, I suppose. Mother says they're very mysterious and quiet.

TITTY. Like hermits.

ROGER. Look! I mean, ship ahoy! At least, I think it's a ship.

Some way ahead of them, they can see a houseboat
.

TITTY. Oh, yes. How funny it is.

JOHN. It's a houseboat.

TITTY. What's a houseboat?

JOHN. It's a boat used instead of a house. People live on them all year round.

SUSAN. And have post delivered and everything.

ROGER. There's a man on deck!

TITTY. Barbarian ahoy!

SUSAN. Oh, yes. He's writing.

JOHN. Where?

JOHN
steers off-course and
Swallow
lurches slightly
.

SUSAN. Look what you're doing, John!

JOHN. Oh!

The boom is about to swing over, but
JOHN
puts the helm down just in time
.

Sorry, crew.

TITTY. I wonder if he lives there on his own.

SUSAN. Perhaps his wife is cooking in the cabin.

ROGER
spots a little brass cannon on the deck
.

ROGER. He's got a cannon!

SUSAN. Where?

ROGER. There.

SUSAN. Oh, yes.

TITTY. He's not just a barbarian: he must be a pirate. A retired pirate.

SUSAN. Or a writer – every writer should have a cannon.

There is a loud squawk, and they suddenly see a parrot on a perch close to the man
.

ROGER. A parrot! He's got a parrot!

TITTY. That settles it. He is a pirate!

They sail on
.

JOHN. Ready about, Lee-O!

They pass a small, bare island
.

Look at that island.

SUSAN. Oh, yes. We couldn't see that from Darien.

TITTY. How strange and eerie.

ROGER. What are those black shapes in the trees?

SUSAN. I can't tell.

JOHN. They're cormorants!

SUSAN. Yes!

TITTY. No, no. They're not cormorants. They're harpies.

ROGER. What are harpies?

TITTY. They terrorise all sailors who pass too near.

ROGER. What do they do?

TITTY. They swoop down and peck their heads off.

Unseen by
ROGER,
a cormorant has flown down over the boat. It snatches the bread from his hand
.

ROGER. Hey, don't take my… (
Sees the cormorant
.) Ah! Ah!

JOHN. Keep still, Roger!

SUSAN. Don't fuss, Roger!

ROGER. But… But it got my bread!

TITTY. Lucky it was only your bread.

SUSAN. There it goes. Back to its nest.

JOHN. We'll have to go back there. Explore the terrain and chart it.