From Gilbert and Sullivan's Pirates of Penzance.

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Just when you though we were on our way to an early happy ending, the pirates attack. Yes, those pirates. Frederic tries to get the girls away safely, but they are caught. Fortunately, the Major-General happens along just then (who also happens to be the girls father), and saves the day. But I'm getting ahead of myself...


          RECIT--FREDERIC



Stay, we must not lose our senses;
Men who stick at no offences
Will anon be here.
Piracy their dreadful trade is
Pray you, get you hence, young ladies,
While the coast is clear.

{FREDERIC and MABEL retire

GIRLS:
No, we must not lose our senses,
If they stick at no offences
We should not be here.
Piracy their dreadful trade is--
Nice companions for young ladies!
Let us disappear.

{During this chorus the PIRATES have entered stealthily, and formed in a semicircle behind the GIRLS. As the GIRLS move to go off each PIRATE seizes a GIRL. KING seizes EDITH and ISABEL, SAMUEL seizes KATE.)

ALL:
Too late!

PIRATES:
Ha! Ha!

ALL:
Too late!

PIRATES:
Ha! ha!
Ha! ha! ha! ha! Ha! ha! ha! ha!

                            ENSEMBLE

(Pirates pass in front of         (Girls pass in front of
     Girls.)                           Pirates.) 
                                  
            PIRATES                             GIRLS 
                                  
Here's a first-rate opportunity    We have missed our opportunity 
To get married with impunity,      Of escaping with impunity; 
And indulge in the felicity        So farewell to the felicity 
Of unbounded domesticity.          Of our maiden domesticity! 
You shall quickly be               We shall quickly be
     parsonified,                       parsonified, 
Conjugally matrimonified,          Conjugally matrimonified, 
By a doctor of divinity            By a doctor of divinity, 
Who is located in this             Who is located in this
     vicinity.                         vicinity. 
By a doctor of divinity,           By a doctor of divinity, 
Who resides in this vicinity.      Who resides in this vicinity, 

  

MABEL: (coming forward)

          RECIT
          

Hold, monsters! Ere your pirate caravanserai
Proceed, against our will, to wed us all,
Just bear in mind that we are Wards in Chancery,
And father is a Major-General!

SAMUEL:
(cowed)
We'd better pause, or danger may befall,
Their father is a Major-General!

GIRLS:
Yes, yes; he is a Major-General!

The MAJOR-GENERAL has entered unnoticed, on rock

GENERAL:
Yes, I am a Major-General!

SAMUEL:
For he is a Major-General!

ALL:
He is! Hurrah for the Major-General!

GENERAL:
And it is -- it is a glorious thing
To be a Major-General!

ALL:
It is! Hurrah for the Major-General!

Song: I Am The Very Model Of A Modern Major-General

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