Julia Ellsworth Ford

“ DWARF
Yes, I had to. You see the flowers didn’t like the notice. The only people who liked it were Winter and his Gnomes. They thought I was asleep, but I heard Winter tell Northwind why Spring had forgotten this garden.
GIANT
[Stands thinking.]
Nicky, go and tell that little boy if he will come back I will give him my kingdom.
DWARF
What part do I get after all those kicks? Well, well, “uneasy lies the head that wears a crown.” Personally I enjoy the simple life, like the colored man. Don’t you know his song? ”

“ DWARF
Walking is such good exercise. Much better than taking a bath. Bathing is such lonely work, you know.
GIANT
Snickerty Nick, if you will unlock the door, I’ll give you the last kick. Then the kingdom will be yours.
CHILBLAINS
[Unlocking the door]
I’ve unlocked the door. Come out, come out, kick me, and give me the kingdom.
GIANT
[Tramping out furious and holding his stick high] This is what I’ll give you!
[They run. Giant chases them. They disappear behind the bushes. Chilblains steals up behind and touches the Dwarf.] ”

“ Spring has taken possession of the garden and flowers are blooming everywhere. Spring, dressed in yellow, appears suddenly out of the bush; then several little figures dressed in yellow—or other colours—appear. They dance in front of the flower beds and scatter flowers. ”

“ Northwind, lock the selfish Giant in.
[Northwind locks the Giant’s door.]
DWARF
[Waking up]
Dear me! What has happened! I’m a bit chilly on the projecting points.
[Dwarf rubs his ears and toes.]
GIANT
[Poking his head out of the window with his night-cap on and roaring] Get out of my garden. Unlock my door, you winter villains. You and your friends have killed all my flowers and the blossoms on my apple trees and there will be no golden fruit in the autumn. If I catch you I will kill you and gobble you all up.
ALL
[Mocking him]
Fee, fi, fo, fum! ”

“ The Giant! The Giant! The Giant is coming; he’ll gobble us up.
GIANT
Who is in my garden? My own garden is my own garden. I will allow nobody to play in it but myself.
CHILDREN
Nicky, Nicky, where shall we hide? If the Giant comes in the front gate he’ll catch us.
DWARF
The Giant always comes in the back gate. Run, run. ”

“ DWARF
You are disturbing my rest with that beastly noise. Go away, I want to sleep.
GIANT
Get out of my garden. Go to the North Pole, there’s where you belong. I wish you would go there and never come back again. I want flowers in my garden.
WINTER
This is nearer and more convenient. Besides we don’t like the Esquimos, they are too fat.
DWARF
You ought to know my friend Jack Sprat. He eats no fat, but his wife——
[Rolls his eyes.]
Personally I dislike fat women.
GIANT
Snickerty Nick, unlock the door. ”

“ Some people are like thistle-tops;
⁠They beckon and divert you,
And look at you with friendly looks
⁠And smile at you—and hurt you.
[The garden being now full of flowers, little children peep through the gate and call, pelting the Dwarf with blossoms.]
Little children peep through the gate
CHILDREN
Nicky, Nicky, will the Giant come back soon? May we come in?
DWARF
[Delighted]
Come in, come in! But the Giant will be home soon and he will eat you up if he catches you. ”

“ We’ve a wonderful game for those that know how— ⁠You don’t, for you’ve never been told.
We plant little icicles neatly in rows,
So small you can’t see them, then each of us goes
And picks one and tickles the end of your nose,
Another one prickles the tips of your toes
And you run saying, Ooh! and you run saying, Ow! ⁠But it’s cold, cold, cold! ”

“ Cowslip, wake the Dwarf. He has slept nearly seven years.
[Cowslip runs to wake the Dwarf, slips and falls.]
SPRING
Sweet William, pick her up. She is always slipping! Always slipping!
[Cowslip slips and falls many times. Sweet William always picks her up.]
SPRING
Buttercup, see if you can wake the Dwarf.
BUTTERCUP
[Picking a buttercup from her dress, tickles the Dwarf‘s nose. The Dwarf makes faces. Buttercup holds the buttercup under the Dwarf‘s chin.] Do you like butter-butter-butter?
DWARF
[In a sleepy voice]
Butter? Butter is no good without bread. ”

“ The gardens that we can’t get into are the ones we like the best, and we like this garden better than any other garden.
DWARF
When the Giant goes away I’ll let you in. I’m afraid you’ll be et up if you stay here.
LITTLE BOY
I’m not afraid.
DWARF
Don’t you see that sign? Out with you!
[Dwarf chases the Boy out of the garden. He stumbles over his easle and the sign falls down with aloud noise. As Snickerty Nick opens the gate the Giant sticks his head out of the door. The Giant is a little deaf and often holds his hand to his ear.] ”

“ He is a selfish old Giant and he doesn’t like us. There aren’t any flowers when he’s here.
THIRD CHILD
[Who is timid]
He won’t let anyone play in his garden, I’m scared. I want to go home.
FIRST CHILD
We like it here and we can run when we hear him coming.
FOURTH CHILD
It is better than playing on the hard road. The road is full of cobble-stones.
DWARF
Quite true, quite true. Cobble-stones gather no moss.
SECOND CHILD
It’s such a nice garden.
DWARF
Yes, geometrically it is very fine. Geometry is very interesting—to those who love it. ”

“ DWARF
Yes, your Stoutness, I hear. Hearing may be better than seeing—sometimes—it depends on what you look at. Personally I prefer seeing, even when——
GIANT
Here, Snickerty Nick, pull off my boots. I am going to bed.
[Dwarf pulls off one boot.]
DWARF
[Looking at it quizzically]
It has always been a puzzle to me, how that old woman lived in the shoe with so many children. Very insanitary.
[As he pulls off the other boot, the Giant kicks him. He rolls over, then gets up and makes the entry in his score book.] 9,999! One more kick and the kingdom’s mine. Hurrah! ”

“ You got the button?
[To a child in the audience.]
I see a little girl and she has a little nose
⁠Right in the middle of her face;
But the nose is gone where a good nose goes—
⁠My button’s in its place. ”

“ SNICKERTY NICK
Scene I.—A flower garden covered with frost and snow. Here and there bushes covered with snow—large enough to hide children. On the right a tower with window and door. In the middle back a wall with a barred gate, through which flowers are seen blooming outside. On the step of the tower is seen the Dwarf. He has a kind quaint face. He ts painting an enormous sign.
TRESPASSERS
WILL BE
ET
DWARF
A Giant owns this garden
⁠Where the children want to play,
But the Giant hates the children
⁠And chases them away ”