(Maria and the children are rowing a boat along. Seeing the Captain, the children are too excited to balance the boat. All fall into water.)
M: Oh, Captain, you're home!
C: Come out of that water at once!!
M: Oh, you must be Baroness Schneider.
C: Straight line! This is Baroness Schneider. And these are my children.
Baroness: How do you do.
C: All right, go inside, dry off, change your clothes, and report back here. Immediately! Fraulein, you will stay here, please.
Baroness: I ... er... think I'd better go see what Max is up to.
C: Now, Fraulein. I want a truthful answer from you.
M: Yes, Captain?
C: Is it possible, or could I have just imagined it. Have my children by any chance been climbing trees today?
M: Yes, captain.
C: I see. And where, may I ask, did they get these.. er.. these.. er...
M: Plainclothes.
C: Oh, is that what you call them?
M: I made them. From the drapes that used to hang in my bedroom.
C: Drapes?
M: They still have plenty of wear left. The children have been everywhere in them.
C: Do you mean to tell me that my children have been roaming about Salzburg dressed up in nothing but some old drapes?!
M: Hmm-mm, and having a marvelous time.
C: They have uniforms.
M: Straitjackets, if you'll forgive me.
C: I will not forgive you for that!
M: Children cannot do all the things they're supposed to if they have to worry about spoiling their precious clothes.
C: I haven 't heard a complaint yet!
M: Well, they wouldn't dare! They love you too much. They fear you too much.
C: I don't wish you todiscuss my children in this manner.
M: Oh, you've got to hear from someone! You're never home long enough to know them.
C: I said I don't want to hear any more from you about my children.
M: I know you don't, but you've got to! Now, take Liesl.
C: You will not say one word about Liesl, Frauen.
M: She's not a child anymore. One of these days you're going to wake up and find she's a woman. You won't even know her. And Frederick. He's a boy but he wants to be a man, like you, and there's no one to show him how!
C: Don't you dare tell me about my son!
M: Bargitta could tell you, if you'd let her get close to you. She notices everything.
C: Fraulein...
M: And Kurt pretends he's tough not to show how hurt he is when you brush him aside..
C: That will do.
M: The way you do all of them. Louisa I don't know about...
C: I said that will do!
M: But someone has to find out about her, and the little ones just want to be loved! Oh, please, Captain. Love them. Love them all!
C: I don't care to hear anything further from you about my children!
M: I am not finished yet, Captain!
C: Oh, yes you are, Captain Fraulein. Now, you will pace your things this minute and return to the abbey. (Hearing somebody singing.) What's that?
M: It's singing.
C: Yes, I realize it's singing, but who is singing?
M: The children.
C: The children?
M: I taught them something to sing for the Baroness.
M: Oh, Captain, you're home!
C: Come out of that water at once!!
M: Oh, you must be Baroness Schneider.
C: Straight line! This is Baroness Schneider. And these are my children.
Baroness: How do you do.
C: All right, go inside, dry off, change your clothes, and report back here. Immediately! Fraulein, you will stay here, please.
Baroness: I ... er... think I'd better go see what Max is up to.
C: Now, Fraulein. I want a truthful answer from you.
M: Yes, Captain?
C: Is it possible, or could I have just imagined it. Have my children by any chance been climbing trees today?
M: Yes, captain.
C: I see. And where, may I ask, did they get these.. er.. these.. er...
M: Plainclothes.
C: Oh, is that what you call them?
M: I made them. From the drapes that used to hang in my bedroom.
C: Drapes?
M: They still have plenty of wear left. The children have been everywhere in them.
C: Do you mean to tell me that my children have been roaming about Salzburg dressed up in nothing but some old drapes?!
M: Hmm-mm, and having a marvelous time.
C: They have uniforms.
M: Straitjackets, if you'll forgive me.
C: I will not forgive you for that!
M: Children cannot do all the things they're supposed to if they have to worry about spoiling their precious clothes.
C: I haven 't heard a complaint yet!
M: Well, they wouldn't dare! They love you too much. They fear you too much.
C: I don't wish you todiscuss my children in this manner.
M: Oh, you've got to hear from someone! You're never home long enough to know them.
C: I said I don't want to hear any more from you about my children.
M: I know you don't, but you've got to! Now, take Liesl.
C: You will not say one word about Liesl, Frauen.
M: She's not a child anymore. One of these days you're going to wake up and find she's a woman. You won't even know her. And Frederick. He's a boy but he wants to be a man, like you, and there's no one to show him how!
C: Don't you dare tell me about my son!
M: Bargitta could tell you, if you'd let her get close to you. She notices everything.
C: Fraulein...
M: And Kurt pretends he's tough not to show how hurt he is when you brush him aside..
C: That will do.
M: The way you do all of them. Louisa I don't know about...
C: I said that will do!
M: But someone has to find out about her, and the little ones just want to be loved! Oh, please, Captain. Love them. Love them all!
C: I don't care to hear anything further from you about my children!
M: I am not finished yet, Captain!
C: Oh, yes you are, Captain Fraulein. Now, you will pace your things this minute and return to the abbey. (Hearing somebody singing.) What's that?
M: It's singing.
C: Yes, I realize it's singing, but who is singing?
M: The children.
C: The children?
M: I taught them something to sing for the Baroness.