The Story of the Amulet: Lyrics

The Story of the Amulet     When printing, each song will start on a new page.  This heading box will not be printed.

Bloomsbury

LONDONERS:Bloomsbury, Bloomsbury, It's the heart of London.
Everything that you could need:
It's a treasure trove indeed.
All the wonders you can think of, here in Bloomsbury.
In the streets, in the squares, In the high-class houses,
There are people great and small;
You can't hope to meet them all.
Lords and ladies, intellectuals, here in Bloomsbury.
There are parks and great museums,
And the first time that you see 'em
You will say that it's amazing
How much there can be in Bloomsbury.
The members of the Bloomsbury set move ostentatiously to the front.
BLOOMSBURY SET:We are the Bloomsbury set, the cream of the cream.
We are the thinkers and dreamers,
We can live without regret
While we dare to dream.
There will be some who object to how we behave.
We are above their displeasure.
All their judgements we reject!
They are going to continue when the Animal Dealer steps forward and determinedly sings.
ANIMAL DEALER:If you're looking for a creature like a rabbit or a weasel,
You can grab it very easily and take it home with you.
I've got everything you need to start a little private zoo,
and if you fancy something bigger I can get that too!
CHORUS:If you fancy something bigger he can get that too!
ANIMAL DEALER:I've got centipedes and millipedes and
other creepy-crawly things, and
birds and bats and butterflies and
anything that uses wings.
Jellyfish and smelly fish and angel fish and such:
You can find a fresh inhabitant in every hutch.
CHORUS:You can find a fresh inhabitant in every hutch.
ANIMAL DEALER:If it's not too idiotic wanting something more exotic, I can
show you some amazing things and never overcharge.
Now the one we see before us is a little brontosaurus:
It's a baby but I'm hoping it will grow quite large.
CHORUS:It's a baby but he's hoping it will grow quite large.
ANIMAL DEALER:There's a funny looking animal that
must have come from far away.  It's
something like a spider and a monkey and I couldn't say.
I could show it to you but I think you'll understand:
Every time I open up the hutch it bites my hand.
CHORUS:Every time he opens up the hutch it bites his hand.
LONDONERS and BLOOMSBURY SET now sing their parts together.  During this the four children enter and make their way to the Animal Dealer's shop.

Heart's Desire

CYRIL:Heart's Desire.  Heart's Desire.
What does it mean to you?
What will it lead you to?
Heart's Desire.  Heart's Desire.
How could you make your dreams come true?
What would you need to do?
ANTHEA:Heart's Desire.  Heart's Desire.
How could you bear to choose?
What would you fear to lose?
Heart's Desire.  Heart's Desire.
So many good things you could use.
Which could you then refuse?
BOTH:Can you just ignore the magic,
When you're stranded in the mire
And you know it would be tragic
Not to gain your Heart's Desire?
ROBERT:Heart's Desire.  Heart's Desire.
What if it could be real?
Ice-cream for every meal!
JANE:Heart's Desire.  Heart's Desire.
Mother and father here with me:
That's all I need to see.
The onlookers get interested and start to gather round.
ANTHEA:Will it change you for the better?
CYRIL:Might it change you for the worse?
ANTHEA:Will your friends and loved ones see it as a blessing?
CYRIL:Or a curse?
4 CHILDREN:If you end up rich and famous
With the loss of all your friends,
Then we hope that you won't blame us
when you find that's where your journey ends.
ALL:Use your mind.  Use your heart.
Don't keep the two apart.
Then you can make a start.
Don't delay.  Seize the day.
Don't let a thing stand in your way.
That's what we really want to say.
Just let your passion blaze like a fire,
And you'll find your Heart's Desire.

People of the Nile

HEADMAN:We are the people of the Nile.
Living here for countless generations.
This is our village, built by our ancestors.
Now it is we who must protect it.
Who plants the crops and makes them grow?
MEN:We the people of the Nile.  (repeat after each question)
HEADMAN:Who are the hunters of the plains?
Who builds the huts of sticks and mud?
Who chips the flint to make the tools?
Who makes the boats to catch the fish?
Who keeps the weapons sharp and strong?
WOMEN:We are a peaceful people.
When we meet the other tribes, we will not attack them.
They will not attack us.  They have their own place;
we have ours.  There is peace between us.
MEN:But we have heard of strangers who do not look like us.
They fight with strange weapons, and with fire.
No-one knows where they come from, or what they want.
WOMEN:We have heard of strangers, not at all like us,
who fight with strange weapons, and with fire.
Where do they come from? What do they want?
MEN:We warriors are brave men, and not afraid to die.
So if it is needful, we will fight.
Give us strength to win the battle that is to come.
WOMEN:Warriors are brave men, not afraid to die.
So if it is needful, they will fight.
Give them the strength to conquer our foes.
ALL:We are the people of the Nile.
Living here for countless generations.
Just as the river flows on its endless way,
We shall be living here for ever.
We are the people of the Nile.

Drawn together

ANTHEA:All that you breathe is dusty air,
Here with your books and your clutter everywhere.
No time for feelings, no time for games,
Though you can read all kinds of names.
Would you enjoy a different place,
Feeding the birds with the sun upon your face?
Out in the open, free as the air,
to feel the magic everywhere.
She breaks off, embarrassed to show her feelings so openly, but the Learned Gentleman thinks about what she has said and smiles.
LEARNED GENTLEMAN:You are a most unusual girl,
Too young to face all the troubles of the world.
Yet when I met you, right from the start,
I saw you had a loving heart.
Show me your magic: let me breathe
Some other air, through the power of make-believe.
Where could we travel? What could we see
If you would journey there with me?
BOTH:Drawn together by a spell.
No design, as far as I can tell, but we're
Drawn together, here and now.
Two different lives are combined somehow.
ANTHEA:You have wisdom.  I have none.
LEARNED GENTLEMAN:But your life has only just begun
BOTH:And if you could tell me all you knew,
So many things could I learn from you.
Drawn together by a spell.
No design, as far as I can tell, but we're
Drawn together, here and now.
Two different lives are combined somehow.
Two different lives are combined somehow.

Shanty

The sailors may not be pulling ropes, but they are moving rhythmically in time with the music, stamping their feet each time on the words "once more".  They are clearing the deck of obstacles, taking down the sail, bringing out valuable goods to be disembarked, and finally making the ship fast to the quay by golden metal chains.  Possibly a couple of them are dancing a hornpipe.
SHANTYMAN:(possibly banging a small drum to give a regular beat) We've sailed across the seven seas.
SAILORS:We're bound for Atlantis.
SHANTYMAN:Attended by a friendly breeze.
SAILORS:Atlantis rules the waves.
SHANTYMAN:We've traded with all kinds of men.
SAILORS:We're bound for Atlantis.
SHANTYMAN:And now we're heading home again.
SAILORS:Atlantis rules the waves.
ALL:Clear the deck, clear the deck,
for the sail is coming down.
There is no need for sail now we're coming to the town
Stow away, stow away all the gear that we must store,
Till the time we must leave and go to sea once more.
SHANTYMAN:There's just one thing we long to see.
SAILORS:We're bound for Atlantis.
SHANTYMAN:Our wives and children on the quay.
SAILORS:Atlantis rules the waves.
SHANTYMAN:So glad to see us safe returned.
SAILORS:We're bound for Atlantis.
SHANTYMAN:And share the riches we have earned.
SAILORS:Atlantis rules the waves.
ALL:Clear the way, etc.
TAVIN:The sea may be rough, and there's danger close at hand.
And we can't drop our guard
when we're in some foreign land.
So some men will get hurt; we know not where or when.
And some men will never come home again.
But that is the way that a sailor's life must be.
If we sweat on our ship we can live in luxury.
And when we go ashore we climb the mighty hill,
To pray to Poseidon and do his will.
You will see the priests in the temple there
treating us as honoured friends.
For they know full well that an island world
must depend on sailor men.
SHANTYMAN:And now the quay is full in view.
SAILORS:We're bound for Atlantis.
SHANTYMAN:Its marble jetties shine like new.
SAILORS:Atlantis rules the waves.
SHANTYMAN:The palaces are roofed with gold.
SAILORS:We're bound for Atlantis.
SHANTYMAN:And other wonders yet untold.
SAILORS:Atlantis rules the waves.
ALL:Nearly home, nearly home, and our journey cannot fail,
now our ship is within, and we need not fear the gale.
Nearly home, nearly home, we'll be safe upon the shore,
Till the time we must leave and go to sea once more.
Till the time we must leave and go to sea once more.

Rebellion

ACTIVIST:Comrades and fellow workers,
How long must this go on?
Slaving to feed our masters Who live in luxury.
Why do we labour night and day
Earning a bare subsistence wage?
Let's make an end of it now!
CHORUS:Let's make an end of it now!
SOLO 1:How are you going to do it?
SOLO 2:You'll get yourself into trouble!
ROBERT:I've heard all this before, in Hyde Park on Sunday.
ACTIVIST:We should withhold out labour.  We need to go on strike.
More bread, more onions and more beer!
CHORUS:More bread, more onions and more beer!
ACTIVIST:And a longer mid-day rest.
CHORUS:Yes, a longer mid-day rest.
ACTIVIST:Where are the fruits of our labour?
Where is the corn that we gathered?
It's in the granaries.  Let's march on the granaries.
CHORUS:Let's march on the granaries.  Let's march there now.
PACIFIST:No!  We must go to Pharaoh.
He will listen to our voices when we are oppressed.
Let's go to the palace gates!
CHORUS:Let's go to the palace gates.
Let's go there now.
ACTIVIST:Let's march on the granary.
CHORUS:Let's march on the granary.
PACIFIST:No, we must go to Pharaoh.
CHORUS:Yes, we must go to Pharaoh.
March on the granary!
Go to Pharaoh!
Surely the king will not turn his back
on those who support his kingdom.
We must fight for our rights.
Nobody else can help us.
It's Pharaoh's guards.
They're on their way.  Their swords are drawn.
Their horses are galloping, drawing the chariots,
coming to trample us down.
They mean to run us down!
Let's run.  Let's hide somewhere.
Somewhere the guards can't find us.
Somewhere behind the houses,
where no-one ever looks, hiding from Pharaoh's soldiers
until they drive away.  We must hide away.

Tyre for ever!

The men sing a rock anthem with rough voices — they are nothing like the sailors of Atlantis.  Rekh-mara doesn't join in: he just watches the children steadily.
SEA-CAPTAIN:Feast your eyes on the island there.
Walls and towers and a harbour fair.
That's our home, and we proudly boast:
We sail out to the farthest coast.
See the mainland over there,
Where our merchants dwell.
There are gardens and there is farming land,
And it's part of Tyre as well.
SAILORS:Tyre for ever!  Tyre rules the waves.
All tergevver we sing your praise.  Yes it's
Tyre for ever!  (Clap) Tyre rules the waves.  (Clap)
All tergevver (Clap) we sing your praise.  (Clap)
SEA-CAPTAIN:See that ship as she races past.
Sailors glad to be home at last.
She's been out on a three year trip.
They can't wait to unload the ship.
Working in the silver mines,
They'll have earnt their pay.
They can make a splash as they spend their cash,
And you'll hear them proudly say:
SAILORS:[Chorus as before]
SEA-CAPTAIN:These are fish that the merchants buy.
From these fish they can make their dye.
Purple cloth of the finest weave,
Fit for kings as I do believe.
Tyre is powerful; Tyre is free.
Tyre is far above.
And I swear that I would be glad to die
For the city that I love.
SAILORS:[Chorus as before — the final two lines are sung unaccompanied.]

Our country

CYRIL:When I tell you about our country,
There's a pride I will never lose.
We are safe in a land at peace
With the right to live as we choose.
ANTHEA:(spoken) Except for women.
Cyril glares at her.
CYRIL:There are people across the ocean
Who will serve us with no regrets.
All are part of the British Empire,
On which the sun never sets.
The other three stand up to sing the chorus.
ALL 4 CHILDREN:Our country is fearless.  Our country is mighty.
Our parliament rules us, and everyone is free.
Our land is defended by heaven above.
I put my trust in the country that I love.
CYRIL:We have ships that will cross the oceans
Bearing goods to the farthest shore.
Kings and coal miners, rich and poor
Are all equal under the law.
ANTHEA:(together, spoken) Except for women.
JANE:(together, spoken) Except for women.
Cyril and Robert both glare at them.
CYRIL:We won't rest on our former glories;
We still fight at the Empire's call.
See our soldiers and sailors there,
And the union flag over all.
ALL 4 CHILDREN:Our country is fearless.  Our country is mighty.
Our parliament rules us, and everyone is free.
Both boys shoot out a hand to cover their sisters' mouths.
ANTHEA:(together, muffled) Except for women.
JANE:(together, muffled) Except for women.
ALL 4 CHILDREN:Our land is defended by heaven above.
I put my trust in the country that I love.

Almost brothers

LEARNED GENTLEMAN:Almost brothers,
REKH-MARA:Almost brothers
LEARNED GENTLEMAN:since the moment that we met.
REKH-MARA:Almost brothers
LEARNED GENTLEMAN:Almost brothers.
REKH-MARA:in a bond we can't forget.
LEARNED GENTLEMAN:Now my brother is beside me,
Must I lose him straight away?
REKH-MARA:We must never shirk the danger:
The price we have to pay.
LEARNED GENTLEMAN:Has my room become a prison?
Am I forced to stay inside?
If my brother is in danger,
Is it right for me to hide?
REKH-MARA:When the battle is approaching,
Some must stay and some must go,
Though the waiting may be harder
Than fighting with the foe.
LEARNED GENTLEMAN:Though we come from different ages
And different countries too,
There's a powerful bond between us:
We felt it and we knew.
REKH-MARA:Here is knowledge, here is wisdom:
So much for me to learn.
But my friend will be beside me,
So I know where to turn.
LEARNED GENTLEMAN:I have one God, he has many:
There's hours of talk ahead!
If your credo can't be challenged,
You might as well be dead!
REKH-MARA:We both love to gather knowledge.
Our time will come at last,
When we work at things together,
We cannot be surpassed.
BOTH:Almost brothers, almost brothers
since the moment that we met.
Almost brothers, almost brothers
in a bond we can't forget.
We must never be disheartened
by the storm clouds and the rain.
Through the magic of our friendship
the sun will shine again.
Almost brothers.  Almost brothers.

Alone

JANE:I'm alone in the night,
And I know I must keep out of sight.
But I wish that I was like the others.
Like my sister and my brothers.
I'm not brave.  I'm not strong.
I'm afraid I will do something wrong.
But I feel that this is where I'm needed.
Though I haven't yet succeeded.
All I can do is try.
At least being small kept me hidden out of sight.
Not like the rest: oh, I hope that they're all right.
But I'm still free, so it's up to me:
I will find that pin or die!
She realises the truth of what she has said and starts to cry, then pulls herself together.
So I search in the dust.
There is nobody else I can trust.
Though I like Rekh-mara as a person,
Still I never can be certain.
Is he bad? Is he good?
Would he leave us to die if he could?
How I wish that we could work together.
Share the magic of the treasure.
All have our heart's desire.
But now when I think of the sunshine and the rain,
Safe back at home with our parents once again,
I dry my tears and forget my fears:
That is all that I require.
This is the path I must follow
Just like those sailors of Tyre.
And right or wrong, I must still be strong
Till I gain my heart's desire.

What must I do?

REKH-MARA:What must I do? What must I do?
What is my conscience telling me?
Should I use the Amulet to take me home again?
Now that I have learnt so much my future will be bright.
If I can find the missing pieces that I seek
The glory will be mine alone.
I feel it calling me from somewhere lost in time:
The treasure I have sought so long.
Why should I care about those children when they've never trusted me?
I believed that Egypt was the greatest power on Earth.
In their British Empire could I ever find a place?
Although I like them and would gladly be their friend
Not leave them to be put to death,
I didn't ask them to be any part of this:
They brought their problems on themselves!
But what about my newfound brother?
I can see he loves them. 
How am I to tell him that I left them here to die and saved myself?
They opened his eyes to a life outside himself.
Showed him that the world is wide. 
Without them at hand, he will never live his dream.
Hidden in his lonely room.
This Bonaparte, from all I've heard,
Is not as merciful as some.
After he has tortured me he'll kill me like a dog.
Then the wondrous Amulet will be forever lost.
I know that sacrifices sometimes must be made
To bring the greater good to all.
And I could do so much to help my fellow man
If I just left them to their fate.
But would I then betray my calling? All that I believe in?
Can I be the kind of priest who thinks that laws are made for other men?
I've always believed that a man is more than that.
Man can rise and join the gods. 
Though sometimes he needs some assistance from a friend.
I could really use one now!
What must I do? What must I do now? What must I do?

Heart's Desire — Finale

LEARNED GENTLEMAN:Heart's Desire.  Heart's Desire.
Saved from a time that's past.
Here in my hands at last.
Now I know.  Now I see.
So many things are clear to me.
That's all that I could ask.
The lights come up behind the gauze to reveal the whole company (in an assortment of costumes, perhaps the parents with their arms round the four children).
CHORUS:Heart's Desire.  Heart's Desire.
What does it mean to you?
What will it lead you to?
Heart's Desire.  Heart's Desire.
How could you make your dreams come true?
What would you need to do?
4 CHILDREN:There were times when we were worried
that our dreams would not come true.
But we always kept on trying
and if we can do it, so can you!
ALL:Use your mind.  Use your heart.
Don't keep the two apart.
Then you can make a start.
Don't delay.  Seize the day.
Don't let a thing stand in your way.
That's what we really want to say.
Just let your passion blaze like a fire,
And you'll find your Heart's Desire.