Saturday 18 February 2012

Young Werther goes to war....

The speeches are done, farewells have been said, the troops are embarking, The force commander, Duke Werther's troublesome younger brother Leopold, has delivered his tear jerking faerewell speech (later to be picked up in song): 

And so, I go, To fight a savage foe, Although I know  
That I'll be sometimes missed by the girls I've kissed. 
In some Prussian land or French Dominion I shall do my bit, 
And fall for the flag if I must.  
Where the foreign sand is nice and handy, I'll be full of grit  
You won't see my heels for the dust. 
I'll do or die 
You'll know the reason why  
When told, of bold 
Leopold's last stand 
For the Märchenland.

....when The Duke's 18 year old son, Young Werther, espied Mme Charlotte, mistress of the Comte de Syrah, on the barge deck. His heart was immediately smitten and he felt all sorts of emotions (and other things) rise within him..

"Father", he says, "I want to go to war. I want to go with the army"

"What"? Duke Werther was stunned.

Up 'till now Young Werther had been an poetically inclined dreamer (according to the Duchess....a wimp according to Leopold). But still, mused the Dule, this may yet make a man of him, thought the Duke. Besides, we have an heir and spare....

"Good Idea - we'll make a man of you"  said Leopold.

 "Ja. Dis vill bu gut for ypu" boomed Graf Malthus, gruffly "You vill not be sorry".

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