The Project Gutenberg eBook of How Robin Hood Once Was a Wait: A Miracle Play or Christmas Masque This ebook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and most other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this ebook or online at www.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the United States, you will have to check the laws of the country where you are located before using this eBook. Title: How Robin Hood Once Was a Wait: A Miracle Play or Christmas Masque Author: Rowland Gibson Hazard Release date: March 18, 2014 [eBook #45166] Language: English Credits: Produced by Charlene Taylor, Ernest Schaal, and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from images generously made available by The Internet Archive/American Libraries.) *** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK HOW ROBIN HOOD ONCE WAS A WAIT: A MIRACLE PLAY OR CHRISTMAS MASQUE *** Produced by Charlene Taylor, Ernest Schaal, and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from images generously made available by The Internet Archive/American Libraries.) HOW ROBIN HOOD ONCE WAS A WAIT A MIRACLE PLAY OR CHRISTMAS MASQUE BY ROWLAND GIBSON HAZARD ACTED AT PEACE DALE ON CHRISTMAS EVE 1910 [Illustration] PRINTED BY S. P. C. PROVIDENCE 1912 COPYRIGHT, 1910 BY R. G. HAZARD _To_ _The Boys and Girls of Peace Dale_-- _the hope of the future_ This little sketch was prepared very hurriedly in order to give scope to the volunteer efforts of certain of the younger members of the community who had undertaken to provide the entertainment for the Christmas celebration of 1910 of the Peace Dale Congregational Sunday School. After looking patiently and long for something which they could act for the entertainment of their fellows, they despaired of finding anything they would like. In their dilemma they appealed to me, saying that their principal desire was to introduce the singing of Christmas carols in some way not too commonplace. The characters were taken by inexperienced actors who, nevertheless, presented the masque in a very genuine and convincing manner. The whole time of action was about thirty-five minutes, including the singing of the Christmas carols. I was urged to amplify the action, in order to somewhat prolong the part played by Robin Hood and his men, but, after some effort in this direction, I gave it up, as the principal merit of the masque seemed to me to be its brevity. Several friends have urged its preservation in print in the hope that it may prove suggestive or useful to others in like predicament. R. G. H. Peace Dale, R. I., July 16, 1912. LIST OF PERSONS ROBIN HOOD LONG JOHN FRIAR TUCK WATT WILL SCARLETT One or two others WAIT (leader) FIDDLER CELLO CLARINET SINGERS--as many as may be WIDOW Eight to twelve children less than fourteen years old SANTA CLAUS COSTUMES Robin Hood--If possible, in a close-fitting green, buttoned to the throat. Long John--In old clothes, with leggings. With a bow and arrows, one arrow stuck in belt. (None of Robin's men show shirts or collars.) Watt--Has a bow. Should be a very short man. Friar Tuck--In a friar's robe, with girdle, holding in his hand a big soup spoon with which he beats time while singing. Will Scarlett--Also with a bow, but no arrows. Waits--Waits dressed poorly, as is the custom. Rather ragged clothes. Widow--With a cap and kerchief and apron. Woollen dress cut full. Children--Dressed in school clothes, as old as may be. Santa Claus--Red coat, white trimming. Red cap, white trimming. White beard. A CHRISTMAS MASQUE How Robin Hood once was a Wait (Curtain rising discloses a wood scene. In center a small house. Snow falls. Robin Hood and his merry men advance from left wings, one singing the XIII Century Rondo)-- King Arthur had three sons, that he had; King Arthur had three sons, that he had; He had three sons of yore, and he kicked them out of door Because they could not sing, that he did. Chorus--the same. (Repeat singing.) Robin--Well, lads, ye've fed full this day, So 'tis well to be gay; * * * * * In spite of the weather Let's merry be together. Yon house stuffed with babes Deserves a kind deed, But we've nothing to give them, Tho 'tis Christmas, as all are agreed. (The Waits enter from right, tuning instruments and show fear of Robin's men, who advance threateningly towards them.) Robin (hectoring)--And who gave ye leave to break the mighty silence of our wood? Wait (deprecatingly)--Softly, Kind Master, we be but simple singers come to joy yon lonely widow with songs of Christmas-tide. Robin--Singers, idle and vain, we'll have ye know 'tis death to enter here without our license. Waits--We be waits, good sir, and have ever license to sing the birth of Christ our Lord, born this day. Robin (scornfully)--And what be waits? Wait (with solemnity)--We wait upon the coming of our Lord, Son of Mary and Heaven's Almighty King. And while we patient wait, we sing. Robin (appeased)--Waits, that's better, and who gave word of this widow and her dozen brats? Wait--My fiddler here is cousin to the widow's dead man. Robin (relenting)--What says't thou, Long John and Watt and Jolly Tuck, how would ye like to join this band of Waits for once and sing like Christians to the widow's brats? Tuck (deep bass)--Ay, 't would be well for once to use the lore I once knew well. I'll go. Long John--I'll go. Watt--I'll go, but I can only buzz. (They advance together towards house grouping towards right, leaving house in full view of audience, who see many children at a lighted window, but not one looking out.) (They sing after more tuning of instruments)-- Good King Wenceslas. 1. Good King Wenceslas looked out On the Feast of Stephen, When the snow lay round about, Deep and crisp, and even; Brightly shone the moon that night, Though the frost was cruel, When a poor man came in sight, Gathering winter fuel. 2. "Hither, page, and stand by me, If thou know'st, telling, Yonder peasant, who is he? Where and what his dwelling?" "Sire, he lives a good league hence, Underneath the mountain; Right against the forest fence, By Saint Agnes' fountain." 3. "Bring me flesh, and bring me wine, Bring me pine-logs hither; Thou and I will see him dine, When we bear them thither." Page and monarch forth they went, Forth they went together; Through the rude wind's wild lament; And the bitter weather. 4. "Sire, the night is darker now, And the wind blows stronger; Fails my heart, I know not how, I can go no longer." Mark my footsteps, my good page Tread thou in them boldly; Thou shalt find the winter's rage Freeze thy blood less coldly. 5. In his master's steps he trod, Where the snow lay dinted; Heat was in the very sod Which the saint had printed. Therefore, Christian men, be sure, Wealth or rank possessing, Ye who now will bless the poor, Shall yourselves find blessing. The First Noël. 1. The first Noël the Angel did say, Was to certain poor shepherds in fields as they lay; In fields where they lay keeping their sheep, On a cold winter's night that was so deep. Chorus. Noël, Noël, Noël, Noël, Born is the King of Israel. 2. They looked up and saw a Star, Shining in the East, beyond them far, And to the earth it gave great light, And so it continued both day and night. Noël, etc. 3. And by the light of that same Star, Three Wisemen came from country far; To seek for a King was their intent, And to follow the Star wherever it went. Noël, etc. 4. This Star drew nigh to the north-west, O'er Bethlehem it took its rest, And there it did both stop and stay, Right over the place where Jesus lay. Noël, etc. 5. Then entered in those Wisemen three, Full reverently upon their knee, And offered there, in His Presence, Their gold, and myrrh, and frankincense. Noël, etc. 6. Then let us all with one accord, Sing praises to our Heavenly Lord, That hath made Heaven and earth of nought, And with His Blood mankind hath bought. Noël, etc. God Rest You, Merry Gentlemen. (Old English Noël.) 1. God rest you, merry gentlemen, Let nothing you dismay, Remember Christ our Saviour Was born on Christmas Day, To save us all from Satan's power, When we were gone astray; Chorus O tidings of comfort and joy, comfort and joy, O tidings of comfort and joy. 2. In Bethlehem, in Jewry, This blessed Babe was born, And laid within a manger, Upon this blessed morn; The which His Mother, Mary, Did nothing take in scorn. O tidings, etc. 3. From God our Heavenly Father, A blessed Angel came; And unto certain Shepherds Brought tidings of the same: How that in Bethlehem was born The Son of God by Name. O tidings, etc. 4. Now to the Lord sing praises, All you within this place, And with true love and brotherhood Each other now embrace; This holy tide of Christmas All other doth deface. O tidings, etc. (At second carol, the children come out with half-eaten apples and oaten cake, to stand listening to the singing. The children mingle with the waits and offer them bites of their apples, etc. The widow comes out with a big steaming pot of mead to thank the waits. Offers pot. Robin's men each try to take first drink. Robin stops quarrel and hands it to Tuck, who drinks hastily, and so burns his mouth.) Widow--Oh! kind gentlemen, bless your hearts for this. It's many a year since I heard the sound of a Christmas carol. It does my old heart good. Bless ye, bless ye. (Descries the fiddler cousin, falls on his shoulder, and makes talk of his family--_sotto voce_.) (Robin's men draw off and sing again)-- King Arthur had three sons, that he had. (A basket lowered from above with Santa Claus in it begins to appear to the audience. No one on stage sees it. Santa Claus reaches out and taps Robin on the head, smartly, with a bit of rope. Knocks off his hat.) Robin (terrified)--Saints preserve us. Who smote me? (Sees balloon. Points to it. All cry out in alarm.) Robin--An air-man; a Miracle! The day of miracles! Santa Claus (intones high tenor voice)--Fear not, except for thy sins. I came to hear; what music was it ye sang?--Nay be not affrighted--I'll e'en stand among ye. So shall ye see I bode no ill. (Alights from his car.) Robin--Canst fly? How else cam'st hither? Truly a Miracle art thou. Santa Claus--No Miracle am I, but the dear Christ's Almoner; who comes this night and every Christmas-tide bearing gifts for all good children and a good gift for all, even Jesus' love and Peace on Earth, good will toward men. But this is a miracle, in truth, for here be Waits joined hands with Robin Hood in songs of praise for Christus' birth. Praise God for this and all good deeds, and by such shall these wild hearts (turns to Robin's men) learn gentle love for all mankind. (Exit. Robin leads his men, exit to right. Waits follow.) Santa Claus--And now, good people all, take note of Music; see how she sways rough men and brings the good that's in us all to turn them into better paths. King Arthur did quite right to those three sons who would not sing. I've brought ye Xmas joys For all good girls and boys. I command ye all to sing In praise of our Lord King; The Prince of Peace and God of Love Who sitteth on the throne above. (Exit in balloon-basket upwards, leaving baskets of presents on stage.) (Audience rises and sings)-- Adeste Fideles. O come, all ye faithful, Joyfully triumphant, To Bethlehem hasten now with glad accord; Lo! in a manger Sits the King of angels; :|| O come, let us adore Him, ||: Christ the Lord. Raise, raise, choirs of angels! Songs of loudest triumph, Thro' heavens' high arches be your praises pour'd; Now to our God be, Glory in the highest; :|| O come, let us adore Him, ||: Christ the Lord. Amen! Lord, we bless Thee, Born for our salvation, O Jesus, forever be Thy Name adored; Word of the Father, Now in flesh appearing; :|| O come, let us adore Him, ||: Christ the Lord. *** END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK HOW ROBIN HOOD ONCE WAS A WAIT: A MIRACLE PLAY OR CHRISTMAS MASQUE *** Updated editions will replace the previous one—the old editions will be renamed. Creating the works from print editions not protected by U.S. copyright law means that no one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation (and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without permission and without paying copyright royalties. Special rules, set forth in the General Terms of Use part of this license, apply to copying and distributing Project Gutenberg™ electronic works to protect the PROJECT GUTENBERG™ concept and trademark. Project Gutenberg is a registered trademark, and may not be used if you charge for an eBook, except by following the terms of the trademark license, including paying royalties for use of the Project Gutenberg trademark. If you do not charge anything for copies of this eBook, complying with the trademark license is very easy. You may use this eBook for nearly any purpose such as creation of derivative works, reports, performances and research. Project Gutenberg eBooks may be modified and printed and given away—you may do practically ANYTHING in the United States with eBooks not protected by U.S. copyright law. Redistribution is subject to the trademark license, especially commercial redistribution. START: FULL LICENSE THE FULL PROJECT GUTENBERG LICENSE PLEASE READ THIS BEFORE YOU DISTRIBUTE OR USE THIS WORK To protect the Project Gutenberg™ mission of promoting the free distribution of electronic works, by using or distributing this work (or any other work associated in any way with the phrase “Project Gutenberg”), you agree to comply with all the terms of the Full Project Gutenberg™ License available with this file or online at www.gutenberg.org/license. Section 1. General Terms of Use and Redistributing Project Gutenberg™ electronic works 1.A. By reading or using any part of this Project Gutenberg™ electronic work, you indicate that you have read, understand, agree to and accept all the terms of this license and intellectual property (trademark/copyright) agreement. If you do not agree to abide by all the terms of this agreement, you must cease using and return or destroy all copies of Project Gutenberg™ electronic works in your possession. If you paid a fee for obtaining a copy of or access to a Project Gutenberg™ electronic work and you do not agree to be bound by the terms of this agreement, you may obtain a refund from the person or entity to whom you paid the fee as set forth in paragraph 1.E.8. 1.B. “Project Gutenberg” is a registered trademark. It may only be used on or associated in any way with an electronic work by people who agree to be bound by the terms of this agreement. There are a few things that you can do with most Project Gutenberg™ electronic works even without complying with the full terms of this agreement. See paragraph 1.C below. There are a lot of things you can do with Project Gutenberg™ electronic works if you follow the terms of this agreement and help preserve free future access to Project Gutenberg™ electronic works. See paragraph 1.E below. 1.C. The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation (“the Foundation” or PGLAF), owns a compilation copyright in the collection of Project Gutenberg™ electronic works. Nearly all the individual works in the collection are in the public domain in the United States. If an individual work is unprotected by copyright law in the United States and you are located in the United States, we do not claim a right to prevent you from copying, distributing, performing, displaying or creating derivative works based on the work as long as all references to Project Gutenberg are removed. Of course, we hope that you will support the Project Gutenberg™ mission of promoting free access to electronic works by freely sharing Project Gutenberg™ works in compliance with the terms of this agreement for keeping the Project Gutenberg™ name associated with the work. You can easily comply with the terms of this agreement by keeping this work in the same format with its attached full Project Gutenberg™ License when you share it without charge with others. 1.D. The copyright laws of the place where you are located also govern what you can do with this work. Copyright laws in most countries are in a constant state of change. If you are outside the United States, check the laws of your country in addition to the terms of this agreement before downloading, copying, displaying, performing, distributing or creating derivative works based on this work or any other Project Gutenberg™ work. The Foundation makes no representations concerning the copyright status of any work in any country other than the United States. 1.E. Unless you have removed all references to Project Gutenberg: 1.E.1. The following sentence, with active links to, or other immediate access to, the full Project Gutenberg™ License must appear prominently whenever any copy of a Project Gutenberg™ work (any work on which the phrase “Project Gutenberg” appears, or with which the phrase “Project Gutenberg” is associated) is accessed, displayed, performed, viewed, copied or distributed: This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and most other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the United States, you will have to check the laws of the country where you are located before using this eBook. 1.E.2. If an individual Project Gutenberg™ electronic work is derived from texts not protected by U.S. copyright law (does not contain a notice indicating that it is posted with permission of the copyright holder), the work can be copied and distributed to anyone in the United States without paying any fees or charges. If you are redistributing or providing access to a work with the phrase “Project Gutenberg” associated with or appearing on the work, you must comply either with the requirements of paragraphs 1.E.1 through 1.E.7 or obtain permission for the use of the work and the Project Gutenberg™ trademark as set forth in paragraphs 1.E.8 or 1.E.9. 1.E.3. If an individual Project Gutenberg™ electronic work is posted with the permission of the copyright holder, your use and distribution must comply with both paragraphs 1.E.1 through 1.E.7 and any additional terms imposed by the copyright holder. Additional terms will be linked to the Project Gutenberg™ License for all works posted with the permission of the copyright holder found at the beginning of this work. 1.E.4. Do not unlink or detach or remove the full Project Gutenberg™ License terms from this work, or any files containing a part of this work or any other work associated with Project Gutenberg™. 1.E.5. Do not copy, display, perform, distribute or redistribute this electronic work, or any part of this electronic work, without prominently displaying the sentence set forth in paragraph 1.E.1 with active links or immediate access to the full terms of the Project Gutenberg™ License. 1.E.6. You may convert to and distribute this work in any binary, compressed, marked up, nonproprietary or proprietary form, including any word processing or hypertext form. However, if you provide access to or distribute copies of a Project Gutenberg™ work in a format other than “Plain Vanilla ASCII” or other format used in the official version posted on the official Project Gutenberg™ website (www.gutenberg.org), you must, at no additional cost, fee or expense to the user, provide a copy, a means of exporting a copy, or a means of obtaining a copy upon request, of the work in its original “Plain Vanilla ASCII” or other form. Any alternate format must include the full Project Gutenberg™ License as specified in paragraph 1.E.1. 1.E.7. Do not charge a fee for access to, viewing, displaying, performing, copying or distributing any Project Gutenberg™ works unless you comply with paragraph 1.E.8 or 1.E.9. 1.E.8. You may charge a reasonable fee for copies of or providing access to or distributing Project Gutenberg™ electronic works provided that: • You pay a royalty fee of 20% of the gross profits you derive from the use of Project Gutenberg™ works calculated using the method you already use to calculate your applicable taxes. The fee is owed to the owner of the Project Gutenberg™ trademark, but he has agreed to donate royalties under this paragraph to the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation. Royalty payments must be paid within 60 days following each date on which you prepare (or are legally required to prepare) your periodic tax returns. Royalty payments should be clearly marked as such and sent to the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation at the address specified in Section 4, “Information about donations to the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation.” • You provide a full refund of any money paid by a user who notifies you in writing (or by e-mail) within 30 days of receipt that s/he does not agree to the terms of the full Project Gutenberg™ License. You must require such a user to return or destroy all copies of the works possessed in a physical medium and discontinue all use of and all access to other copies of Project Gutenberg™ works. • You provide, in accordance with paragraph 1.F.3, a full refund of any money paid for a work or a replacement copy, if a defect in the electronic work is discovered and reported to you within 90 days of receipt of the work. • You comply with all other terms of this agreement for free distribution of Project Gutenberg™ works. 1.E.9. If you wish to charge a fee or distribute a Project Gutenberg™ electronic work or group of works on different terms than are set forth in this agreement, you must obtain permission in writing from the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation, the manager of the Project Gutenberg™ trademark. Contact the Foundation as set forth in Section 3 below. 1.F. 1.F.1. Project Gutenberg volunteers and employees expend considerable effort to identify, do copyright research on, transcribe and proofread works not protected by U.S. copyright law in creating the Project Gutenberg™ collection. Despite these efforts, Project Gutenberg™ electronic works, and the medium on which they may be stored, may contain “Defects,” such as, but not limited to, incomplete, inaccurate or corrupt data, transcription errors, a copyright or other intellectual property infringement, a defective or damaged disk or other medium, a computer virus, or computer codes that damage or cannot be read by your equipment. 1.F.2. LIMITED WARRANTY, DISCLAIMER OF DAMAGES - Except for the “Right of Replacement or Refund” described in paragraph 1.F.3, the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation, the owner of the Project Gutenberg™ trademark, and any other party distributing a Project Gutenberg™ electronic work under this agreement, disclaim all liability to you for damages, costs and expenses, including legal fees. YOU AGREE THAT YOU HAVE NO REMEDIES FOR NEGLIGENCE, STRICT LIABILITY, BREACH OF WARRANTY OR BREACH OF CONTRACT EXCEPT THOSE PROVIDED IN PARAGRAPH 1.F.3. YOU AGREE THAT THE FOUNDATION, THE TRADEMARK OWNER, AND ANY DISTRIBUTOR UNDER THIS AGREEMENT WILL NOT BE LIABLE TO YOU FOR ACTUAL, DIRECT, INDIRECT, CONSEQUENTIAL, PUNITIVE OR INCIDENTAL DAMAGES EVEN IF YOU GIVE NOTICE OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGE. 1.F.3. LIMITED RIGHT OF REPLACEMENT OR REFUND - If you discover a defect in this electronic work within 90 days of receiving it, you can receive a refund of the money (if any) you paid for it by sending a written explanation to the person you received the work from. If you received the work on a physical medium, you must return the medium with your written explanation. The person or entity that provided you with the defective work may elect to provide a replacement copy in lieu of a refund. If you received the work electronically, the person or entity providing it to you may choose to give you a second opportunity to receive the work electronically in lieu of a refund. If the second copy is also defective, you may demand a refund in writing without further opportunities to fix the problem. 1.F.4. Except for the limited right of replacement or refund set forth in paragraph 1.F.3, this work is provided to you ‘AS-IS’, WITH NO OTHER WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR ANY PURPOSE. 1.F.5. Some states do not allow disclaimers of certain implied warranties or the exclusion or limitation of certain types of damages. If any disclaimer or limitation set forth in this agreement violates the law of the state applicable to this agreement, the agreement shall be interpreted to make the maximum disclaimer or limitation permitted by the applicable state law. The invalidity or unenforceability of any provision of this agreement shall not void the remaining provisions. 1.F.6. INDEMNITY - You agree to indemnify and hold the Foundation, the trademark owner, any agent or employee of the Foundation, anyone providing copies of Project Gutenberg™ electronic works in accordance with this agreement, and any volunteers associated with the production, promotion and distribution of Project Gutenberg™ electronic works, harmless from all liability, costs and expenses, including legal fees, that arise directly or indirectly from any of the following which you do or cause to occur: (a) distribution of this or any Project Gutenberg™ work, (b) alteration, modification, or additions or deletions to any Project Gutenberg™ work, and (c) any Defect you cause. Section 2. Information about the Mission of Project Gutenberg™ Project Gutenberg™ is synonymous with the free distribution of electronic works in formats readable by the widest variety of computers including obsolete, old, middle-aged and new computers. It exists because of the efforts of hundreds of volunteers and donations from people in all walks of life. Volunteers and financial support to provide volunteers with the assistance they need are critical to reaching Project Gutenberg™’s goals and ensuring that the Project Gutenberg™ collection will remain freely available for generations to come. In 2001, the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation was created to provide a secure and permanent future for Project Gutenberg™ and future generations. To learn more about the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation and how your efforts and donations can help, see Sections 3 and 4 and the Foundation information page at www.gutenberg.org. Section 3. Information about the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation is a non-profit 501(c)(3) educational corporation organized under the laws of the state of Mississippi and granted tax exempt status by the Internal Revenue Service. The Foundation’s EIN or federal tax identification number is 64-6221541. Contributions to the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation are tax deductible to the full extent permitted by U.S. federal laws and your state’s laws. The Foundation’s business office is located at 809 North 1500 West, Salt Lake City, UT 84116, (801) 596-1887. Email contact links and up to date contact information can be found at the Foundation’s website and official page at www.gutenberg.org/contact Section 4. Information about Donations to the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation Project Gutenberg™ depends upon and cannot survive without widespread public support and donations to carry out its mission of increasing the number of public domain and licensed works that can be freely distributed in machine-readable form accessible by the widest array of equipment including outdated equipment. Many small donations ($1 to $5,000) are particularly important to maintaining tax exempt status with the IRS. The Foundation is committed to complying with the laws regulating charities and charitable donations in all 50 states of the United States. Compliance requirements are not uniform and it takes a considerable effort, much paperwork and many fees to meet and keep up with these requirements. We do not solicit donations in locations where we have not received written confirmation of compliance. To SEND DONATIONS or determine the status of compliance for any particular state visit www.gutenberg.org/donate. While we cannot and do not solicit contributions from states where we have not met the solicitation requirements, we know of no prohibition against accepting unsolicited donations from donors in such states who approach us with offers to donate. International donations are gratefully accepted, but we cannot make any statements concerning tax treatment of donations received from outside the United States. U.S. laws alone swamp our small staff. Please check the Project Gutenberg web pages for current donation methods and addresses. Donations are accepted in a number of other ways including checks, online payments and credit card donations. To donate, please visit: www.gutenberg.org/donate. Section 5. General Information About Project Gutenberg™ electronic works Professor Michael S. Hart was the originator of the Project Gutenberg™ concept of a library of electronic works that could be freely shared with anyone. For forty years, he produced and distributed Project Gutenberg™ eBooks with only a loose network of volunteer support. Project Gutenberg™ eBooks are often created from several printed editions, all of which are confirmed as not protected by copyright in the U.S. unless a copyright notice is included. Thus, we do not necessarily keep eBooks in compliance with any particular paper edition. Most people start at our website which has the main PG search facility: www.gutenberg.org. This website includes information about Project Gutenberg™, including how to make donations to the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation, how to help produce our new eBooks, and how to subscribe to our email newsletter to hear about new eBooks.