Swallows and Amazons by Arthur Ransome Page A

What are they doing?
    SUSAN. It’s one of our blankets. They’re waving it.
    TITTY. It’s a white flag. They’re surrendering.
    ROGER. It’s not very white.
    TITTY. It’s meant to be.
    JOHN. We’ll soon find out.
    TITTY. Cap’n Nancy looks like she’s doing another war dance.
    ROGER. Perhaps she needs the toilet. I do.
    SUSAN. Be quiet, Roger.
    SWALLOWS ( singing ).
    We’re the kings of the castle,
    We have done the impossible,
    We have captured the Amazon ,
    And now that’s done we’ve won the war.
    The AMAZONS are at the lookout point, jumping up and down .
    JOHN ( shouting across ). Do you surrender?
    NANCY. We do. We do. We jolly well do. But buck up.
    PEGGY. Buck up, won’t you?
    JOHN. No trickery?
    NANCY. Honest pirate.
    JOHN. Honest Injun too?
    PEGGY. Honest anything you like, just bring her in.
    JOHN. We’ll take her into port. We only win when she’s in our harbour.
    NANCY. Put your back into it, Mister Mate. Wave it harder.
    PEGGY. How come it’s me who has to wave the white flag?
    NANCY. Captains don’t wave white flags.
    PEGGY. Yes they do. It’s captains who do the surrendering. It was your silly plan that lost the war.
    NANCY. Silence, swab, or I’ll hang you from the yardarm.
    PEGGY. You wave it. Take the shame, Captain Nancy.
    The fleet heads for the harbour .
    SWALLOWS ( singing ).
    We are conquering heroes,
    We have two, you have zero,
    It will go down in history,
    A famous naval victory for the Swallow ,
    Swallow !
    Scene Four
    TITTY sails Amazon into the harbour . SUSAN brings Swallow in behind her. The AMAZONS clap, and help to pull the boats in .
    JOHN. Captain Nancy, which ship is flagship?
    NANCY. Swallow is. And earned it. But do buck up. We’re supposed to be in bed. We have to get home before we’re called for breakfast or we’ll really catch it.
    SUSAN. Oh, I see. Sorry.
    JOHN. You’ll never do it.
    PEGGY. Yes we will. The wind’s fair and it’s getting stronger.
    NANCY. The sun’s only just rising and Dad and Mum are lazyboneses in the holidays.
    The SWALLOWS disembark . TITTY is last . NANCY shakes her by the hand .
    By thunder, Able Seaman, I wish you were in my crew. When I realised what you’d done all on your own, I could have swallowed the anchor.
    TITTY. Anyone would have done the same.
    NANCY. Not in that storm. Peggy wouldn’t.
    PEGGY. Yes, I would, if I had to.
    NANCY. You would not. She was scared to death of that thunder.
    PEGGY. I still would have done it.
    NANCY. Jelly-guts.
    PEGGY. Blabbermouth.
    NANCY. Milksop.
    PEGGY. At least I knew there was someone on the island. I said there was but she said…
    NANCY. Silence your scurvy tongue or I’ll hang you from the yardarm!
    SUSAN. Have you got time for some tea?
    NANCY. Wish we had, but we’d better get under way.
    NANCY and PEGGY board Amazon.
    JOHN. But what was your plan?
    NANCY. I’ll tell you later. It was a good one.
    SUSAN. I hope you don’t get into terrible trouble.
    NANCY. We won’t. We’re old hands. We jump into bed with all our clothes on and pull the covers up high.
    PEGGY. And I pretend to snore.
    TITTY. I’ll get the painter!
    TITTY unfastens the painter .
    ROGER. But you will come back, won’t you?
    NANCY. Try stopping us. Now that we’ve settled who’s flagship, we’re ready to attack Captain Flint. We’re yours to command, Commodore John.
    JOHN. Fleet assembles at eleven hundred hours. We attack the houseboat today!
    TITTY. Hurrah!
    ROGER. And make him walk the plank!
    PEGGY. We’ve stockpiled ammunition. Wait till you see what we’ve got.
    NANCY. Firecrackers and arrows! Lots of them!
    JOHN. Ammunition! Why didn’t I think of that?
    SUSAN. We’ll collect feathers for your arrows.
    TITTY. And pine cones for cannonballs.
    ROGER. And I’ll make spears!
    PEGGY. We’ll be back as soon as we’re in the clear.
    JOHN. I’ll work out