(Curtain rises. The stage is dark except for a spotlight on a hanging cage, backstage left; its door is open, and a ladder connects it to the ground. Inside the cage is a gaunt figure made up to represent a carrion crow. Enter Grobius Shortling.)

Grobius. Good evening. My name is Grobius Shortling and I have composed this short symbolic play for your amusement and edification...

(Lapses into a sing-song chant)

As no work of art
Worth a fart
Lacks a dedication,
Or explication,
It is only reasonable
That such a considerable
Effusion of my heart
Should be dedicated to -- my art.

(Comes forward and speaks informally)

It is customary after the verse prologue to plunge into the play. But first I should like to explain the setting to you; that will save a lot of needless exposition in the dialogue and enable us to join the action in medias res.

Behind me, standing in that cage, is Richard Crowmarsh, who is to be our chorus.

Since this is after all a symbolic play, it would be presumptuous of me to interpret any of the metaphors of sight and sound that are present therein; let me just comment, for the critics, that I have tried to portray a hyperbolic drift from madness to insanity. My characters, therefore, personify the qualities of normal human beings on the verge of psychosis. But of course one should be able to enjoy drama -- true drama -- without any thought or reflection whatsoever. So for those of you who are mindless spectators, let me introduce you to the Nasté family, enjoying a pleasant evening by the fireside.

(Stage lights on)

There, in the rocking chair, is Papa Nasté, reading aloud, as is customary in the well-ordered family. And there, the picture of domestic activity, is his beautiful wife, Nadia -- the lady plucking the chicken. Grandmother is dying or dozing by the fire. At Papa's knees the twins, Tristram and Iseult, are listening raptly. Cousin Droomly, as usual, is enjoying Grandmother's bathtub gin; he is writing letters to prospective employers...prospective employers.

(Shoots paper clip at Crow with rubber band)

Crow.

Sing a song of sixpence,
A pocket full of woe,
Six happy Nasté's
Sitting in the glow,

When the clock starts chiming,
Papa's days have fled;
Nadia's at her nadir,
And Granny will be dead;

The twins will serve a banquet,
I shall flee my perch,
And poor old cousin Droomly
Will be left in the lurch.

Papa (reading). "Myriads of insects were called forth by the warmth; they drank the blood which trickled from Ambrosio's wounds; he had no power to drive them from him, and they fastened upon his sores, darted their stings into his body, covered him with their multitudes..."

Tristram. Daddy, what does multitudes mean?

(Papa stares at him coldly, and with deliberation cuffs him soundly on the ear.)

Papa. "...covered him with their multitudes, and inflicted on him tortures the most exquisite and insupportable.

(with increasing relish)

The eagles of the rock tore his flesh piecemeal, and dug out his eyeballs with their crooked beaks.

(Crow caws and moves excitedly, his eyes on Iseult.)

A burning thirst tormented him..."

(Droomly gulps dregs of bottle and passes out. The clock begins to strike. Enter a masked figure in black.)

Masked Figure. You rat!

(Shoots him five times with a revolver. Papa falls, and Crow strikes a Japanese gong. Exit Masked Figure in Black.)

Crow. From badness to madness
There's no place for sadness.

Grobius. Sing, crow, and crow thy song.

Crow. A fresh corpse is a lovesome thing, God wot.

Grobius. And I shall mulch my lawn with the rot.

Nadia (keening). Oh dear, what will become of me, and he being gone?

Twins. Oh Daddy's dead, he's dead,
He shot him in the head.
And we won't ever know
What happened to Ambrosio.

(Granny, who has not moved since the start of the play, falls dead from her chair. Crow sounds the gong again.)

Crow. From madness to sadness
There's no place for gladness.

Grobius. Sing, crow, and crow thy song.

Nadia (keening). Oh dear, what will become of me, and Mother being gone?

Grobius (aside). Now is the time for my entrance.

(Puts on Viking helmet.)

Oh ravenous raven,
Come down, come down from thy haven.

Crow. Ere I eat
'Tis meet
I beat
the gong,
and sing
my final song.

(Sounds gong.)

From madness to badness
There's no cause for sadness.

(Crow comes down from the cage and seizes the screaming twins. Exeunt.)

Iseult (offstage). EEEK!

Grobius (discarding helmet). And is the beautiful Nadia mine? At long last, she is mine. Come, my dear. We shall make sweet music and wipe thy tears away.

(Drags her away.)

(Droomly wakes up, looks around stupidly, climbs into the cage and shuts the door; sounds of vomiting.)

(Enter or arise all the characters and take up positions as before, with Crow in Droomly's former position, man in black taking Droomly's place.)

Grobius. I have composed this....

(Lights out.... Curtain closes)