ROSCH
Bravo! Bravo! that was great!
SIEBEL
All fleas should go to such a fate!
BRANDER
Point your fingers, nip neat and fine!
ALTMAYER
Now long live freedom! And long live wine!
MEPHISTOPHELES
I would, to honour freedom, like to lift my glass,
Were but your wine of somewhat better class.
SIEBEL
Let us not hear of that again!
MEPHISTOPHELES
I merely feared the landlord might complain
Were I to give each honoured guest
A vintage worthy of the best.
SIEBEL
Go on! I’ll shoulder any blame.
FROSCH
Well, if they’re good , then you’ll be praised up to
the skies,
But make your sample some fair size,
For if I am to judge at all,
I like to have my mouth quite full.
ALTMAYER (SOFTLY)
Yes, they’re from Rhineland, now I’m sure.
MEPHISTOPHELES
Get me an augur then.
BRANDER
But what will you
prepare?
You surely don’t have casks outside the door?
ALTMAYER
The landlord’s tools are over there.
MEPHISTOPHELES (TAKING THE AUGER)
(TO FROSCH)
What would you like to taste? Feel free.
FROSCH
What do you mean? Have you so many kinds?
MEPHISTOPHELES
Well, each is free to make up his own mind.
ALTMAYER (TO FROSCH)
Aha! You start to lick your lips, I see.
FROSCH
Good! Now if I am to choose, I’ll have a nice Rhine
wine.
Our fatherland bestows the best of every line.
MEPHISTOPHELES (BORING A HOLE IN THE TABLE WHERE FROSCH
IS SITTING)
Give me a little wax so I can make the stoppers.
ALTMAYER
Oh, it is merely some old trick of jugglers.
MEPHISTOPHELES (TO BRANDER)
And you?
BRANDER
A good champagne for me,
One really sparkling prettily.
MEPHISTOPHELES BORES. SOMEONE, MEANTIME, HAS MADE THE
WAX STOPPERS AND PLUGGED THE HOLES
BRANDER
Don’t pass by all that’s not our own.
Good often lies quite far away.
Although an honest German leaves the French alone,
He’ll drink their wine up any day.
SIEBEL (AS MEPHISTOPHELES NEARS HIS PLACE)
I must confess, I do not like the dry;
Give me a glass that’s really sweet.
MEPHISTOPHELES (BORING A HOLE)
For you Tokay would be a treat.
BRANDER
No, gentlemen, look me in the eye!
I see that this is just a jest.
MEPHISTOPHELES
My, my! With such distinguished guests
That would be tempting gentle fate.
Be quick! Come out and tell me straight-
What wine would you like served, my friend?
ALTMAYER
Why waste time asking? They’re all great.
AFTER ALL THE HOLES HAVE BEEN PIERCED AND STOPPED
MEPHISTOPHELES (WITH CURIOUS GESTURES)
Vines bear grapes aloft,
Billy goat bears horns up top;
The wine is juicy, wood the vine,
The wooden table can thus give wine.
Deep insight into nature’s way!
Here is a wonder, believe just what I
say!
Now pull the corks, enjoy your fill!
ALL (AS THEY PULL THE STOPPERS OUT AND THE DESIRED WINE
FLOWS INTO EACH GLASS)
A lovely fountain flows for us at will!
MEPHISTOPHELES
Just have a care no drop of this stuff spills!
(THEY DRINK REPEATEDLY)
ALL (SINGING)
We feel as fine as cannibals,
Just like five hundred sows.
MEPHISTOPHELES
Just look how well it goes when folk are free!
FAUST
I do not wish to stay here longer.
MEPHISTOPHELES
But first watch this, their bestiality
Will soon be shown in all its splendour.
SIEBEL (DRINKING CARELESSLY SO THAT THE WINE FLOWS TO
THE FLOOR AND TURNS INTO FLAME)
Help! Fire! Help! This flame’s hell-sent!
MEPHISTOPHELES (SPEAKING TO THE FLAME)
Be peaceful, friendly element!
(TO THE COMPANIONS)
This time was but a drop of purgatory’s flame.
SIEBEL
What’s that mean? You’ll pay dearly for this game.
Seems you don’t know us, clever gent.
FROSCH
Just let him try that one on us again.
ALTMAYER
I think we’ll tell him just to quietly go away.
SIEBEL
What sir! You dare to come and play
Your hocus-pocus on good men.
MEPHISTOPHELES
Shut up! old wine cask!
SIEBEL
Broomstick man
Will you try rudeness on us too?
BRANDER
Just wait; for blows shall rain on you!
ALTMAYER (PULLS A CORK OUT OF THE TABLE, FLAMES SPURT
OUT AT HIM)
I’m burning! I’m burning!
SIEBEL
Spells for sure!
Get him! This creep’s outside the law!
THEY DRAW KNIVES AND ADVANCE ON MEPHISTOPHELES
MEPHISTOPHELES (WITH EARNEST GESTURES)
False words, scenes in air,
Make sense and place elsewhere,
Be here, yet be there!
(THEY STAND ASTONISHED AND LOOK AT ONE ANOTHER)
ALTMAYER
Where am I? What a beautiful land!
FROSCH
Look vineyards! Do I see rightly?
SIEBEL
Grapes
right at my hand!
BRANDER
Beneath green-clustered leaves, what shapes!
Look, what a vine! Look, what fine grapes!
HE GRABS SIEBEL BY THE NOSE. THE OTHERS DO SIMILARLY AND
RAISE THEIR KNIVES
MEPHISTOPHELES
Error, loose blindfolds from this band!
And note the jokes the devil throws.
HE DISAPPEARS WITH FAUST. THE COMPANIONS FALL
APART AND SEPARATE
SIEBEL
What’s up?
ALTMAYER
Was that your nose?
BRANDER (TO SIEBEL)
And I’ve got yours too in my hand!
ALTMAYER
That was a shock that went through every limb.
A chair. I’ll faint. My eyes are dim.
FROSCH
Now tell me, what was going on?
SIEBEL
Where is that rat? If I track him,
He will not be alive for long.
ALYMAYER
He rode a cask: I saw the thing-
Out through the cellar door he’s gone-
My feet both feel lead-heavy loads.
TURNING TOWARDS THE TABLE
Say! Do you think the wine still flows?
SIEBEL
It was all lies and tricky show.
FROSCH
It seemed like drinking good wine though.
BRANDER
But how about those grapes we saw?
ALTMAYER
Now tell me you are sure
There are no wonders any more!
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