Die Beiden Schutzen (The Two Guardsmen)

Comic Opera in three acts by Gustav Albert Lortzing
Text adapted from the French

The scene is in a little country town, where we find Busch, a wealthy innkeeper, making preparations for the arrival of his only son. The young man had entered a grenadier regiment at the age of sixteen, ten years before, so the joyful event of his home coming is looked forward to with pleasure by his father and sister Suschen, but with anxiety by a friend of hers, Caroline, to whom young Busch had bee affianced before joining his regiment.

Enter two young grenadiers from the regiment on leave, the younger of whom falls in love with Suschen at first sight. However, as the elder grenadier, Schwarzbart, dolefully remarks, they are both almost penniless, and he reflects how he can possibly help them in their need. His meditation s are interrupted by the arrival of the landlord, who, seeing the two knapsacks and recognizing one of them as that of his son, naturally supposes the owner to be his offspring, in which belief he is confirmed by Schwarzbart, who is induced to practice this deceit, partly by the desire of getting a good dinner and the means of quenching his insatiable thirst, partly by the hope of something turning up in favor of his companion in arms, Wilhelm. As a matter of fact the knapsack does not belong to Wilhelm at all. On leaving the inn at which the banquet following the wedding of one of their comrades had been held, the knapsack's had inadvertently been exchanged much to Wilhelm's dismay, his own containing a lottery ticket which, as he has just learned, had won a great prize. The supposed son is of course received with every demonstration of affection by his fond parent; but, though submitting with a very good grace tot he endearments of his supposed sister, the maiden with whom he has fallen in love so suddenly, he resolutely declines being hugged and made much of by the old landlord, this double part being entirely distasteful to his straightforward nature. Nor does his affianced bride, the daughter of the bailiff, fare any better, his affections being placed elsewhere, and their bewilderment is only somewhat appeased by Schwarzbart's explanation that his comrade suffers occasionally from weakness of the brain.

In the next act Peter, a youth of marvelous stupidity, a cousin of the bailiff, presents himself in a woeful plight, to which he has been reduced by some soldiers at the same wedding festivities, and shortly after Gustav, the real son, appears on the scene. He is a manly fellow, full of tender thoughts for his home. Great is his surprise at finding himself repulsed by his own father, who, not recognizing him, believes him to be an impostor. All the young man's protestations are of no avail, for in his knapsack are found the papers of a certain Wilhelm Stark for whom he is now mistaken. When silly Peter perceives him he believes him to be the grenadier who had so ill treated him at the wedding, though in reality it was Schwarzbart. Gustav is shut up in a large garden house of his father's; the small town lacking a prison.

In the third act the magistrate has found out that Wilhelm's papers prove him to be the bailiff's son, being the offspring of his first love. He had been with a clergyman, and after the death of the bailiff's wife was vainly sought for by his father. Of course this changes everything for the prisoner, who is suddenly accosted graciously by his gruff guardian Barsch, and does not know what to make of his mysterious hints.

Meanwhile Caroline's heart has spoken for the stranger who had addressed her so courteously and chivalrously; she feels that, far from being an impostor, he is a loyal and true hearted young fellow and therefore decides to liberate him. At the same time enters Wilhelm with Scharzbart, seeking Suschen; Peter slips in for the same reason, seeking her, for Suschen is to be his bride. Gustav (the prisoner), hearing footsteps, blows out the candle in order to save Caroline from being recognized, and so they all run about in the dark, playing hide and seek in an infinitely droll manner. At last the bailiff, having heard that his son has been found, comes up with the innkeeper. The whole mystery is cleared up, and both sons embrace their respective fathers and their brides.