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THE THREE。 Three little maids from school are we；
Pert as a school…girl well can be；
Filled to the brim with girlish glee；
Three little maids from school！
YUM…YUM。 Everything is a source of fun。 （Chuckle。）
PEEP…BO。 Nobody's safe； for we care for none！ （Chuckle。）
PITTI…SING。 Life is a joke that's just begun！ （Chuckle。）
THE THREE。 Three little maids from school！
ALL （dancing）。 Three little maids who； all unwary；
Come from a ladies' seminary；
Freed from its genius tutelary
THE THREE （suddenly demure）。 Three little maids from school！
YUM…YUM。 One little maid is a bride； Yum…Yum
PEEP…BO。 Two little maids in attendance come
PITTI…SING。 Three little maids is the total sum。
THE THREE。 Three little maids from school！
YUM…YUM。 From three little maids take one away。
PEEP…BO。 Two little maids remain； and they
PITTI…SING。 Won't have to wait very long； they say
THE THREE。 Three little maids from school！
ALL （dancing）。 Three little maids who； all unwary；
Come from a ladies' seminary；
Freed from its genius tutelary
THE THREE （suddenly demure）。 Three little maids from school！
Enter Ko…Ko and Pooh…Bah。
KO。 At last； my bride that is to be！ （About to embrace
her。）
YUM。 You're not going to kiss me before all these people？
KO。 Well； that was the idea。
YUM （aside to Peep…Bo）。 It seems odd； doesn't it？
PEEP。 It's rather peculiar。
PITTI。 Oh； I expect it's all right。 Must have a beginning；
you know。
YUM。 Well； of course I know nothing about these things； but
I've no objection if it's usual。
KO。 Oh； it's quite usual； I think。 Eh； Lord Chamberlain？
（Appealing to Pooh…Bah。）
POOH。 I have known it done。 （Ko…Ko embraces her。）
YUM。 Thank goodness that's over！ （Sees Nanki…Poo； and
rushes to him。） Why； that's never you？ （The three Girls rush to
him and shake his hands； all speaking at once。）
YUM。 Oh； I'm so glad！ I haven't seen you for ever so long；
and I'm right at the top of the school； and I've got three
prizes； and I've come home for good； and I'm not going back any
more！
PEEP。 And have you got an engagement？Yum…Yum's got one；
but she doesn't like it； and she'd ever so much rather it was
you！ I've come home for good； and I'm not going back any more！
PITTI。 Now tell us all the news； because you go about
everywhere； and we've been at school； but； thank goodness； that's
all over now； and we've come home for good； and we're not going
back any more！
（These three speeches are spoken together in one breath。）
KO。 I beg your pardon。 Will you present me？
YUM。 Oh； this is the musician who used
PEEP。 Oh； this is the gentleman…who used
PITTI。 Oh； it is only Nanki…Poo who used
KO。 One at a time； if you please。
YUM。 Oh； if you please he's the gentleman who used to play
so beautifully on theon the
PITTI。 On the Marine Parade。
YUM。 Yes； I think that was the name of the instrument。
NANK。 Sir； I have the misfortune to love your ward；
Yum…Yumoh； I know I deserve your anger！
KO。 Anger！ not a bit； my boy。 Why； I love her myself。
Charming little girl； isn't she？ Pretty eyes； nice hair。 Taking
little thing； altogether。 Very glad to hear my opinion backed by
a competent authority。 Thank you very much。 Good…bye。 （To
Pish…Tush。） Take him away。 （Pish…Tush removes him。）
PITTI （who has been examining Pooh…Bah）。 I beg your pardon；
but what is this？ Customer come to try on？
KO。 That is a Tremendous Swell。
PITTI。 Oh； it's alive。 （She starts back in alarm。）
POOH。 Go away； little girls。 Can't talk to little girls
like you。 Go away； there's dears。
KO。 Allow me to present you； Pooh…Bah。 These are my three
wards。 The one in the middle is my bride elect。
POOH。 What do you want me to do to them？ Mind； I will not
kiss them。
KO。 No； no； you shan't kiss them； a little bowa mere
nothingyou needn't mean it； you know。
POOH。 It goes against the grain。 They are not young
ladies； they are young persons。
KO。 Come； come； make an effort； there's a good nobleman。
POOH。 （aside to Ko…Ko）。 Well； I shan't mean it。 （with a
great effort。） How de do； little girls； how de do？ （Aside。）
Oh； my protoplasmal ancestor！
KO。 That's very good。 （Girls indulge in suppressed
laughter。）
POOH。 I see nothing to laugh at。 It is very painful to me
to have to say 〃How de do； little girls； how de do？〃 to young
persons。 I'm not in the habit of saying 〃How de do； little
girls； how de do？〃 to anybody under the rank of a Stockbroker。
KO。 （aside to girls）。 Don't laugh at him； he can't help
ithe's under treatment for it。 （Aside to Pooh…Bah。） Never mind
them； they don't understand the delicacy of your position。
POOH。 We know how delicate it is； don't we？
KO。 I should think we did！ How a nobleman of your
importance can do it at all is a thing I never can； never shall
understand。
＇Ko…Ko retires and
goes off。
QUARTET AND CHORUS OF GIRLS。
YUM…YUM； PEEP…BO； PITTI…SING； and POOH…BAH。
YUM； PEEP。 So please you； Sir； we much regret
and PITTI。 If we have failed in etiquette
Towards a man of rank so high
We shall know better by and by。
YUM。 But youth； of course； must have its fling；
So pardon us；
So pardon us；
PITTI。 And don't； in girlhood's happy spring；
Be hard on us；
Be hard on us；
If we're inclined to dance and sing。
Tra la la； etc。 （Dancing。）
CHORUS OF GIRLS。 But youth； of course； etc。
POOH。 I think you ought to recollect
You cannot show too much respect
Towards the highly titled few；
But nobody does； and why should you？
That youth at us should have its fling；
Is hard on us；
Is hard on us；
To our prerogative we cling
So pardon us；
So pardon us；
If we decline to dance and sing。
Tra la la； etc。 （Dancing。）
CHORUS OF GIRLS。。 But youth； of course； must have its fling； etc。
＇Exeunt all but
Yum…Yum。
Enter Nanki…Poo。
NANK。 Yum…Yum； at last we are alone！ I have sought you
night and day for three weeks； in the belief that your guardian
was beheaded； and I find that you are about to be married to him
this afternoon！
YUM。 Alas； yes！
NANK。 But you do not love him？
YUM。 Alas； no！
NANK。 Modified rapture！ But why do you not refuse him？
YUM。 What good would that do？ He's my guardian； and he
wouldn't let me marry you！
NANK。 But I would wait until you were of age！
YUM。 You forget that in Japan girls do not arrive at years
of discretion until they are fifty。
NANK。 True； from seventeen to forty…nine are considered
years of indiscretion。
YUM。 Besidesa wandering minstrel； who plays a wind
instrument outside tea…houses； is hardly a fitting husband for
the ward of a Lord High Executioner。
NANK。 But （Aside。） Shall I tell her？ Yes！ She will
not betray me！ （Aloud。） What if it should prove that； after
all； I am no musician？
YUM。 There！ I was certain of it； directly I heard you
play！
NANK。 What if it should prove that I am no other than the
son of his Majesty the Mikado？
YUM。 The son of the Mikado！ But why is your Highness
disguised？ And what has your Highness done？ And will your
Highness promise never to do it again？
NANK。 Some years ago I had the misfortune to captivate
Katisha； an elderly lady of my father's Court。 She misconstrued
my customary affability into expressions of affection； and
claimed me in marriage； under my father's law。 My father； the
Lucius Junius Brutus of his race； ordered me to marry her within
a week； or perish ignominiously on the scaffold。 That night I
fled his Court； and； assuming the disguise of a Second Trombone；
I joined the band in which you found me when I had the happiness
of seeing you！ （Approaching her。）
YUM。 （retreating）。 If you please； I think your Highness
had better not come too near。 The laws against flirting are
excessively severe。
NANK。 But we are quite alone； and nobody can see us。
YUM。 Still； that don't make