Begonia Club Takes Form One Day in the Studio of Autumn Freshness
Characters:
李纨 Ann
探春 Olivia
迎春 Asuna
惜春 Sylvia
宝钗 Echo
黛玉 Eva
宝玉 Jenniier
旁白 Lemon
旁白:He(宝玉)went to the Studio of Autumn Freshness(秋爽斋) where 宝玉, 黛玉, 迎春and 惜春 were assembled.
宝玉, 黛玉, 迎春, 惜春 (cried)(laughing, as he entered.): Here comes another!
探春 (asked gleefully): Not so vulgar, was it, that sudden idea of mine? I wrote a few invitations to see what would happen, and you all turn up in force.
宝玉 (observed): We should have started a club like this long ago.
黛玉: Start one if you like, but don't count me in. I'm not up to it.
迎春 (countered with a smile): If you're not, who is?
宝玉 (declared): This is a serious business. We should encourage each other, not back out of politeness. Let's all give our ideas for general discussion. What suggestions have you, Cousin 宝钗? And Cousin 黛玉?
宝钗(asked): What's the hurry? We're not all here yet.
旁白:Before she had finished speaking 李纨 walked in.
李纨(cried): How very refined! If you're going to start a poetry club, I'll volunteer to preside. I had this very idea last spring, but on second thoughts decided it would only be asking for trouble as I can't write poetry myself, so I dropped the idea and forgot it. Now that Third Sister's so keen, I'll help you get this going.
黛玉: If you're set on starting a poetry club, we must all be poets. And first, to be less conventional, we must stop calling each other 'sister,' 'cousin,' 'sister-in-law' and so forth.
李纨(agreed) : Quite right. Let's choose some elegant pen-names. I'll be The Old Peasant of Sweet Paddy(稻香老农). No one else can have that name.
探春(cried): I'll be Master of Autumn Freshness(秋爽居士).
宝玉 (objected): There's something unreal and awkward about 'master' and 'scholar’. With all these wu-tung trees and plantains here, why not use them in your name?
探春 (agreed): Yes, I know what. I like plantains best so I'll call myself The Stranger Under the Plantain(蕉下客).
旁白:The others approved this as more original.
黛玉 (teased): Drag her off, quick! Stew some slices of her flesh to go with our wine.
旁白:The others looked mystified.
黛玉: (explained with a smile)Didn't an ancient say, 'The deer was covered with the plantain'? If she calls herself The Stranger Under the Plantain, she must be a deer. Let's hurry up and cook this venison.
探春 (cried):Just you wait! You're very clever at making fun of people, but I've got the right name for you, a perfect name. (turning to the rest.) The wives of King Shun shed so many tears on bamboos that thereafter their stems became speckled, and now the speckled bamboo is called by their name. Well, she lives in Bamboo Lodge and she's always crying. When one day she pines for a husband, I'm sure the bamboos there will gr
旁白:The rest applauded while 黛玉 lowered her head, reduced to silence.
李纨 (volunteered): I've thought of a good name for Cousin 宝钗. A short one too.
惜春 and 迎春 (asked): What is it?
李纨 (answered): I'm entitling her Lady of the Alpinia(蘅芜君). How's that?
探春 : An excellent title.
宝玉 (asked): How about me? Think of one for me too.
宝钗 (chuckled): You've already got one. Much Ado About Nothing(无事忙) is just the name for you.
李纨 (suggested): Why not keep your old title of Prince of the Crimson Cavern(绛洞花主)?
宝玉 (smiled sheepishly): Don't bring up the silly things I did as a child.
探春 : You've already got plenty of pen-names. What do you want a new one for? We can just call you by any name we feel like.
宝钗 (offered): I've got one for you. It's vulgar, but it suits you to the ground. The two hardest things to come by are riches and nobility, and the third is leisure. Few people enjoy more than one of these, but you have all three, so you should be called The Rich and Noble Idler(富贵闲人).
宝玉 (grinned): That's too good for me. But just as you please.
李纨 (asked): What about Second Cousin and Fourth Cousin?
迎春 (rejoined)新红楼梦演员: We're no good at writing poetry so we shan't need pen-names.
探春 (urged): Even so, you'd each better have one.
宝钗 (suggested): As 迎春 lives on Purple Caltrop Isle, let her be Mistress of Caltrop Isl
e(菱洲). And 惜春 in the Pavilion of Scented Lotus could be Mistress of Lotus Pavilion(藕榭).
李纨 : Very good. Now as I'm the eldest you must all listen to me. I'm sure you'll agree to my proposal. We seven are starting this club; but as Second Cousin, Fourth Cousin and I are no poetesses you must leave us out when it comes to writing, and we'll each take charge of something.
探春 (giggled): We've already got titles. But we might just as well not have them, the way you're still talking. We must decide on forfeits for mistakes like that from now on.
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