Act II - Scene II

The same, plus two CHILDREN, who have just trotted into the shop

[She stands on a chair and begins to put plates on a shelf.]

[The CHILDREN give him back the bag, grab the pies, and go out.]

[Cyrano enters hurriedly.]

RAGUENEAU:
What would you like, little ones?
FIRST CHILD:
Three pies.
RAGUENEAU:
[serving them] See, hot and well-browned.
SECOND CHILD:
If you don't mind, Sir, will you wrap them up for us?
RAGUENEAU:
[aside] Alas! One of my bags! to the CHILDREN] Must I really wrap them up for you? [He takes a bag, and just as he is about to put in the pies, he reads.] “Ulysses thus, on leaving fair Penelope …” No! Not that one! [He puts it aside, and takes another, and as he is about to put in the pies, he reads.] “The gold-locked Phoebus …” No! Not that one either!
LISE:
[impatiently] What are you dallying for?
RAGUENEAU:
Here! Here! [He chooses a third, resignedly.] The sonnet to Phillis! Oh, but it's also hard to part with!
LISE:
Thank goodness he's made up his mind at last! [shrugging her shoulders] Fool!
RAGUENEAU:
[taking advantage of the moment she turns her back, calls back the CHILDREN, who are already at the door] Psst! Children! Give me back that sonnet and I'll give you six pies instead of three!
RAGUENEAU:
[smoothing out the paper, begins to declaim] “Phillis! …” Oh, a smear of butter on that sweet name! “Phillis! …”

Footnotes

  1. Written in the eighth century BCE, Homer's epic poem the Odyssey, follow Ulysses, also known as Odysseus. Here, Ragueneau's line refers to the moment Ulysses had to leave his wife Penelope to fight in the Trojan War.

    — Owl Eyes Reader