Die Zauberflöte

ACT 1

The young prince Tamino is lost in a distant land and is being chased by a large serpent. Terrified, and without a weapon, Tamino is calling to the Gods for help (“Zu Hilfe! Zu hilfe!”). He is exhausted from the pursuit and faints. Luckily, three ladies, attendants to the Queen-of-the-Night, appear and rescue Tamino by killing the serpent. The ladies see the unconscious prince and examine his state. They find him very attractive and each tries to convince the others to leave them alone to care for the prince. After arguing, they decide to leave together to report the episode to the Queen.

Tamino, waking up from his exhaustion, is surprised to be alive but more surprised to see a strange feathered man approaching him. The man is Papageno, the Queen’s bird-catcher, who is looking for a girlfriend to make him happy (“Der Vogelfänger bin ich ja”). The two introduce themselves to each other and Papageno boasts to Tamino that he killed the serpent that had been chasing him. The three