Ever After

[NARRATOR, spoken]
And it came to pass, all that seemed wrong was now right, the kingdoms were filled with joy, and those who deserved to were certain to live a long and happy life

Ever after...

[ALL EXCEPT NARRATOR]
Ever after!

[NARRATOR]
Journey over, all is mended
And it's not just for today
But tomorrow, and extended
Ever after!

[ALL EXCEPT NARRATOR]
Ever after!

[NARRATOR]
All the curses have been ended
The reverses wiped away
All is tenderness and laughter
For forever after!

[ALL EXCEPT NARRATOR]
Happy now and happy hence
And happy ever after!

[NARRATOR]
There were dangers—

[ALL EXCEPT NARRATOR]
We were frightened—

[NARRATOR]
And confusions—

[ALL EXCEPT NARRATOR]
But we hid it—

[NARRATOR]
And the paths would often swerve

[ALL EXCEPT NARRATOR]
We did not

[NARRATOR]
There were constant—

[ALL EXCEPT NARRATOR]
It's amazing—

[NARRATOR]
Disillusions—

[ALL EXCEPT NARRATOR]
That we did it

[NARRATOR]
But they never lost their nerve

[ALL EXCEPT NARRATOR]
Not a lot

[NARRATOR & MEN]
And they (we) reached the right conclusions

[NARRATOR & WOMEN]
And we (they) got what we (they) deserve!

[ALL]
Not a sigh and not a sorrow
Tenderness and laughter
Joy today and bliss tomorrow
And forever after!

[FLORINDA]
I was greedy

[LUCINDA]
I was vain

[FLORINDA]
I was haughty

[LUCINDA]
I was smug

[FLORINDA, LUCINDA]
We were happy

[LUCINDA]
It was fun

[FLORINDA]
But we were blind

[FLORINDA & LUCINDA]
Then we went into the woods
To get our wish
And now we're really blind

[WITCH]
I was perfect
I had everything but beauty
I had power
And a daughter like a flower
In a tower
Then I went into the woods
To get my wish
And now I'm ordinary
Lost my power, and my flower

[FLORINDA & LUCINDA, overlapping]
We're unworthy

[FLORINDA, LUCINDA, & WITCH]
We're (I'm) unhappy now, unhappy hence
As well as ever after
Had we used our common sense
Been worthy of our discontents...

[WOMEN]
To be happy, and forever
You must see your wish come true

[ALL]
Don't be careful, don't be clever
When you see your wish, pursue
It's a dangerous endeavor
But the only thing to do—

[in three groups: round]
Though it's fearful
Though it's deep, though it's dark
And though you may lose the path
Though you may encounter wolves
You mustn't stop
You mustn't swerve
You mustn't ponder
You have to act!
When you know your wish
If you want your wish
You can have your wish
But you can't just wish--
No, to get your wish

[ALL]
You go into the woods
Where nothing's clear
Where witches, ghosts
And wolves appear
Into the woods
And through the fear
You have to take the journey

Into the woods
And down the dell
In vain perhaps
But who can tell?

[MEN]
Into the woods to lift the spell

[WOMEN]
Into the woods to lose the longing

[MEN]
Into the woods to have the child

[WOMEN]
To wed the Prince

[MEN]
To get the money

[WOMEN]
To save the house

[MEN]
To kill the wolf

[WOMEN]
To find the father

[MEN]
To conquer the kingdom

[ALL]
To have, to wed
To get, to save
To kill, to keep
To go to the Festival!

Into the woods
Into the woods
Into the woods
Then out of the woods—

[NARRATOR, spoken]
To be continued!

[ALL]
And happy ever after!