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