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I was born!

      Peer

      Liar! What I can do, that no one else can.

       I one day conjured him into a nut.

       It was worm-bored, you see!

      Several [laughing]

      Ay, that’s easily guessed!

      Peer

      He cursed, and he wept, and he wanted to bribe me

       with all sorts of things —

      One Of The Crowd

      But he had to go in?

      Peer

      Of course. I stopped up the hole with a peg.

       Hei! If you’d heard him rumbling and grumbling!

      A Girl

      Only think!

      Peer

      It was just like a humble-bee buzzing.

      The Girl

      Have you got him still in the nut?

      Peer

      Why, no;

       by this time that devil has flown on his way.

       The grudge the smith bears me is all his doing.

      A Lad

      Indeed?

      Peer

      I went to the smithy, and begged

       that he would crack that same nutshell for me.

       He promised he would!— laid it down on his anvil;

       but Aslak, you know, is so heavy of hand;—

       for ever swinging that great sledge-hammer —

      A Voice From The Crowd

      Did he kill the foul fiend?

      Peer

      He laid on like a man.

       But the devil showed fight, and tore off in a flame

       through the roof, and shattered the wall asunder.

      Several Voices

      And the smith —?

      Peer

      Stood there with his hands all scorched.

       And from that day onwards, we’ve never been friends.

      [General laughter.]

      Some Of The Crowd

      That yarn is a good one.

      Others

      About his best.

      Peer

      Do you think I am making it up?

      A Man

      Oh no,

       that you’re certainly not; for I’ve heard the most on’t

       from my grandfather —

      Peer

      Liar! It happened to me!

      The Man

      Yes, like everything else.

      Peer [with a fling]

      I can ride, I can,

       clean through the air, on the bravest of steeds!

       Oh, many’s the thing I can do, I tell you!

      [Another roar of laughter.]

      One Of The Group

      Peer, ride through the air a bit!

      Many

      Do, dear Peer Gynt —!

      Peer

      You may spare you the trouble of begging so hard.

       I will ride like a hurricane over you all!

       Every man in the parish shall fall at my feet!

      An Elderly Man

      Now he is clean off his head.

      Another

      The dolt!

      A Third

      Braggart!

      A Fourth

      Liar!

      Peer [threatening them]

      Ay, wait till you see!

      A Man [half drunk]

      Ay, wait; you’ll soon get your jacket dusted!

      Others

      Your back beaten tender! Your eyes painted blue!

      [The crowd disperses, the elder men angry, the younger laughing and jeering.]

      The Bridegroom [close to PEER GYNT]

      Peer, is it true you can ride through the air?

      Peer [shortly]

      It’s all true, Mads! You must know I’m a rare one!

      The Bridegroom

      Then have you got the Invisible Cloak too?

      Peer

      The Invisible Hat, do you mean? Yes, I have.

      [Turns away from him. SOLVEIG crosses the yard, leading little HELGA.]

      Peer [goes towards them; his face lights up]

      Solveig! Oh, it is well you have come!

      [Takes hold of her wrist.]

      Now will I swing you round fast and fine!

      Solveig

      Loose me!

      Peer

      Wherefore?

      Solveig

      You are so wild.

      Peer

      The reindeer is wild, too, when summer is dawning.

       Come then, lass; do not be wayward now!

      Solveig [withdrawing her arm]

      Dare not.

      Peer

      Wherefore?

      Solveig

      No, you’ve been drinking.

      [Moves off with HELGA.]

      Peer

      Oh, if I had but my knife-blade driven

       clean through the heart of them,— one and all!

      The Bridegroom [nudging him with his elbow]

      Peer, can’t you help me to get at the bride?

      Peer [absently]

      The bride? Where is she?

      The Bridegroom

      In the store-house.

      Peer

      Ah.

      The Bridegroom

      Oh, dear Peer Gynt, you must try at least!

      Peer

      No, you must get on without my help.

      [A thought strikes him; he says softly but sharply:]

      Ingrid! The store-house!

      [Goes Up to SOLVEIG.]

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