lays her arm on his shoulder, and they advance through the left-hand door while he plays upon his magic flute. Tongues of flame leap up inside the cavern, and Tamino and Pamina pass through their midst without harm touching them. They cross the stage singing, while on the right-hand side of the cavern the waters pour down and gush forth in torrents. But the two lovers pass through in safety. Sarastro and all the priests greet and congratulate them, and lead them through the middle gateway into the temple itself.

Scene Eight: A garden.

Papageno enters with a rope ending in a noose, and announces that he is ready to hang himself, since life without Papagena is not possible. While he is devising ways of doing away with himself, the three fairies appear and save him as they saved Pamina before. They advise him to use his magic bells, which he had had all along. He rejoices at this with great joy and plays the tune "Let my beloved hear," whereupon a gigantic artichoke opens little by little — and inside it is the beautiful Papagena, waiting for him to sit at her side.

Scene Nine: Near the temple.

The Queen of the Night has massed all her forces outside the walls of the great temple in order to rescue Pamina, whom she has promised in marriage to the dwarf Monostatos. The Queen and her three ladies advance to storm the temple, torches in their hands. But a raging tempest, accompanied by lightning, breaks upon them; their screams rise high, and then they vanish into the bowels of the earth forever.

Dazzling rays flood the place. At the back the gilded temple appears, glowing; before it are gathered Sarastro and the priests in their white vestments,

surrounded by a great throng of worshippers. Sarastro proclaims that the powers of evil have been routed, and all join in chanting the glorification of Isis and Osiris.

As for Prince Tamino and Princess Pamina, their devotion to

one another and their steadiness of heart in the face of danger and death had been made manifest, and they were united forever. At the close the chorus sings the song "Peace be upon you, O truthful and faithful ones!"