BERTHE

WHEN YOU ARE AS OLD AS I, MY DEAR

AND I HOPE THAT YOU NEVER ARE

YOU WILL WOEFULLY WONDER WHY, MY DEAR

THROUGH YOUR CATARACTS AND CATARRH

YOU COULD SQUANDER AWAY OR SEQUESTER

A DROP OF A PRECIOUS YEAR

FOR WHEN YOUR BEST DAYS ARE YESTER

THE REST 'ER TWICE AS DEAR...



WHAT GOOD IS A FIELD ON A FINE SUMMER NIGHT

IF YOU SIT ALL ALONE WITH THE WEEDS?

OR A SUCCULENT PEAR IF WITH EACH JUICY BITE

YOU SPIT OUT YOUR TEETH WITH THE SEEDS?

BEFORE IT'S TOO LATE STOP TRYING TO WAIT

FOR FORTUNE AND FATE YOU'RE SECURE OF

FOR THERE'S ONE THING TO BE SURE OF, MATE:

THERE'S NOTHING TO BE SURE OF.





(PIPPIN jumps to his feet)



PIPPIN

But Grandma, it's time that I'm worried about.





BERTHE

Now you sit down. And don't say anything until I'm finished. I've got three more choruses to do. But you can all join in with me if you wish...



(To audience)



And that goes for all of you out there, too. But just the choruses, the verses are all mine.



(Sings)



I'VE NEVER WONDERED IF I WAS AFRAID

WHEN THERE WAS A CHALLENGE TO TAKE

I NEVER THOUGHT ABOUT HOW MUCH I WEIGHED

WHEN THERE WAS STILL ONE PIECE OF CAKE

MAYBE IT'S MEANT THE HOURS I'VE SPENT

FEELING BROKEN AND BENT AND UNWELL

BUT THERE'S STILL NO CURE SO HEAVEN-SENT

AS THE CHANCE TO RAISE SOME HELL.



(The BOYS join her. A song sheet is lowered behind her,

and the words of the song are delineated by a bouncing ball of light)

Everybody...



ALL

OH, IT'S TIME TO START LIVIN'

TIME TO TAKE A LITTLE FROM THIS WORLD WE'RE GIVEN

TIME TO TAKE TIME, CAUSE SPRING WILL TURN TO FALL

IN JUST NO TIME AT ALL



BERTHE

Verse!

-a