'And so ad infinitum' (The Life of the Insects)

For other English-language translations of this work, see The Insect Play.

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‘And so ad infinitum’

(The Life of the Insects)

 

An Entomological Review, in Three Acts
a Prologue and an Epilogue

BY

THE BROTHERS ČAPEK

The authorized translation from the Czech
by Paul Selver

FREELY ADAPTED FOR THE ENGLISH STAGE
BY NIGEL PLAYFAIR AND CLIFFORD BAX

 

So, Naturalists observe, a flea
Has smaller fleas that on him prey;
And these have smaller still to bite ’em,
And so proceed ad infinitum.’

Dean Swift.

 

HUMPHREY MILFORD
OXFORD UNIVERSITY PRESS
LONDONEDINBURGHGLASGOWCOPENHAGEN
NEW YORKTORONTOMELBOURNECAPE TOWN
BOMBAYCALCUTTAMADRASSHANGHAI

 

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First Published 1923
Second Impression 1924

 

PRINTED IN GREAT BRITAIN

 

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SCENES

PAGE

Prologue: In the Woods .          .          .          .          .          .          .          .          .          .          .          .          .          .          .          .          .          .          .          .          .          .          .          .          .          .          .          .

5

Act I: The Butterflies .          .          .          .          .          .          .          .          .          .          .          .          .          .          .          .          .          .          .          .          .          .          .          .          .          .          .          .

8

Act II: Creepers and Crawlers .          .          .          .          .          .          .          .          .          .          .          .          .          .          .          .          .          .          .          .          .          .          .          .          .          .          .          .

24

Act III: The Ants .          .          .          .          .          .          .          .          .          .          .          .          .          .          .          .          .          .          .          .          .          .          .          .          .          .          .          .

24

Epilogue: Death and Life .          .          .          .          .          .          .          .          .          .          .          .          .          .          .          .          .          .          .          .          .          .          .          .          .          .          .          .

63

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DRAMATIS PERSONAE

(In the order of their appearance)

A Tramp
A Lepidopterist
Clytie	$\scriptstyle {\left.{\begin{matrix}\ \\\\\ \\\ \\\ \\\ \ \end{matrix}}\right\}\,}$	Butterflies
Otto
Felix
Iris
Victor
A Chrysalis
Mr. Beetle
Mrs. Beetle
Another Beetle
Ichneumon Fly
His Daughter
Mr. Cricket
Mrs. Cricket
A Parasite
Other Creepers and Crawlers
The Blind Timekeeper			$\scriptstyle {\left.{\begin{matrix}\ \\\\\ \\\ \\\ \\\ \\\ \\\ \\\ \\\ \\\ \ \end{matrix}}\right\}\,}$	Ants
The Chief Engineer
The Second Engineer
An Inventor
A Messenger
A Signal Officer
A Journalist
A Philanthropist
The Commander-in-Chief of the Yellows, &c.
First	$\scriptstyle {\left.{\begin{matrix}\ \\\\\ \\\ \ \end{matrix}}\right\}\,}$	Moths
Second
Third
First Snail
Second Snail
A Woodcutter
A Woman
School Children

 This work is a translation and has a separate copyright status to the applicable copyright protections of the original content.

Original:

This work is in the public domain in the United States because it was published in 1922, before the cutoff of January 1, 1929. The longest-living author of this work died in 1948, so this work is in the public domain in countries and areas where the copyright term is the author's life plus 75 years or less. This work may be in the public domain in countries and areas with longer native copyright terms that apply the rule of the shorter term to foreign works.

Translation:

This work is in the public domain in the United States because it was published in 1924, before the cutoff of January 1, 1929. The longest-living author of this work died in 1970, so this work is in the public domain in countries and areas where the copyright term is the author's life plus 53 years or less. This work may be in the public domain in countries and areas with longer native copyright terms that apply the rule of the shorter term to foreign works.