Augusta Stevenson

“ POWHATAN. Your white braves take our corn from us. They will not let us fish in our own rivers.
SMITH. I did not know such wrongs were done you. My braves shall pay for everything in full.
POWHATAN. Then there shall be peace between us. Bring the peace pipe, braves. We will smoke in friendship with our brothers.
SMITH. And Pocahontas will be pardoned? You will take her back as your own daughter?
POWHATAN. Pocahontas will be pardoned, white chief. She shall come and go, as she may please, between our wigwams and yours, my brother. ”

“ JESTER. The Abbot is the real king! Now who is John, ladies? Who is John, lords? Truly, who are you, John?
[All laugh. Enter the KNIGHT and ABBOT.]
KING. Abbot, I hear strange things about you.
ABBOT. Your Majesty! How can that be?
KING. 'Tis said that every day you have one hundred men to dine with you.
ABBOT. Oh, your Majesty, they are only friends.
KING. No matter who they are!
JESTER. 'Tis not their names! 'Tis what they eat!
LORDS. Ha, ha!
LADIES. Ha, ha!
KING. 'Tis said that fifty knights in velvet coats do wait on you! ”

“ POWHATAN. Go, take the peace flag to them, and ask for Pocahontas.
[The MEDICINE MAN raises a white flag and goes to the fort. Captain Smith and many men come out.]
SMITH. Do you come to offer peace?
MEDICINE MAN. We offer peace, great chief, if you will give up Pocahontas.
SMITH. And what if we will not give her up?
MEDICINE MAN. We will make war upon you.
SMITH. We will not give her up.
MEDICINE MAN. Then not a man of you shall live! Nor a woman! Nor a child!
SMITH. Pocahontas is our friend. We will not give her up to you.
MEDICINE MAN. Shoot them, braves! ”

“ GOODWIFE (aside) . What!—King Alfred!—
KING. Rise, my Prince! Rise, my soldiers! Ah, I'm glad they did not find you!
[He grasps their hands.]
GOODWIFE (aside; showing fear) . It is—it is—the king!
KING. We'll fight again, my men! At daybreak we'll surprise them.
SOLDIERS. Aye! Aye!
KING. Goodwife, your king now thanks you.
GOODWIFE (kneeling) . Oh, your Majesty, forgive me! forgive me!
KING (gently) . Arise, goodwife.
GOODWIFE (rising) . Alas the day I made you fry the cakes! Alas the day I would have beaten you! ”

“ SMITH. Come, Pocahontas! There is our fort across the road. You will be safe in there.
POCAHONTAS. How can I leave my father!
[Enter MEN, WOMEN, and CHILDREN, running. They enter the fort.]
SMITH. Come, Pocahontas! Come!
[He leads her into the fort just as the INDIANS creep in from the forest. They see Pocahontas and rush at her, but Rolfe shuts the gates.]
BRAVES. Pocahontas! Pocahontas!
MEDICINE MAN. 'Tis Pocahontas who has warned them!
BRAVES. Yes, yes! 'Tis Pocahontas!
MEDICINE MAN. Do you hear that, Chief Powhatan?
POWHATAN. I hear. ”

“ QUEEN. Go bring Farmer Nix to me.
[A Lady runs to Nix.]
LADY. The queen wants to see you, sir.
[Nix goes to the Queen and bows.]
QUEEN. I heard all from the castle window. I know the colt is yours.
NIX. I thank you, my Queen, I thank you!
QUEEN. Now you must show the king that colts cannot belong to oxen, never have belonged to oxen, and never will belong to oxen.
NIX. I will go to him at once! I will tell him—
QUEEN. Not so fast! I said you must show the king. He would not let you tell him. No one ever dares to tell things to a king. ”

“ GOODWIFE (flourishing stick) . In with you! Now in with you, and get to work!
[The King enters the hut. Enter DANISH CHIEF and DANES from the forest. They carry spears and shields.]
GOODWIFE (with fear; dropping stick) . The Danes!
CHIEF (haughtily) . Aye, Danes!
GOODWIFE. I have no silver! Not a piece, sir!
CHIEF. Burn the hut, men!
DANES. Aye! Aye!
[They start toward the hut. The Goodwife falls on her knees before them.]
GOODWIFE. I pray you, spare my home!
"not one of them fit to eat!"
CHIEF. We spare no home to any English. Do you not know that? ”

“ FIRST SOLDIER. The king!
[Enter KING ALFRED. He is disguised as a beggar. He is young, manly, and courageous.]
PRINCE (bowing) . You can rest safely here, King Alfred.
KING. Do you think the Danes are still in pursuit?
PRINCE. No, your Majesty, I am sure we have escaped them this time.
SECOND SOLDIER. Besides, they would not know your Majesty dressed so.
KING (anxiously) . Gentlemen, disguise yourselves as you have me.
PRINCE. That will not do, Sire. The Danes must not see you dressed as we are. 'Twill make you safer. ”

“ KING (to a soldier.) Then go and get our horses. We will ride into this Gotham town. (The soldier salutes and goes.)
Where do you roll these stones, old men?
AN OLD MAN. Uphill to help the sun rise.
KING. What! To help the sun rise?
OLD MAN. Yes, your Majesty.
KING. Don't you know that the sun will rise without help?
OLD MAN. Will it? Well, well! Who would have thought of that!
KING. You foolish fellows! Well, go on and roll your stones. Now tell me why you grunt, young men?
A YOUNG MAN. Oh, we do the grunting while our fathers do the work. ”

“ I'll await you here, if the Danes go on.
PRINCE (saluting) . Farewell, my King!
SOLDIERS (saluting) . Farewell, King Alfred, farewell!
[They go. The King crosses to hut, and knocks at door, which is opened by the GOODWIFE. She holds a wooden bowl and a large flat stone in her hands.]
GOODWIFE (aside) . Another beggar, as I live!
(Aloud, sharply) . Well, what do you want?
KING. A bite to eat, goodwife.
GOODWIFE. My cakes are not yet baked.
KING. I will wait, then.
GOODWIFE (indignantly) . Well, and you will not, sir!
KING (alarmed) . You will not drive me off, good woman! ”

“ If this expressive instinct can be utilized in the teaching of reading, we shall be able both to add greatly to the child's enjoyment and to improve the quality of his oral reading. In these days when so many books are hastily read in school, there is a tendency to sacrifice expression to the mechanics and interpretation of reading. Those acquainted with school work know too well the resulting monotonous, indistinct speech and the self-conscious, listless attitude which characterize so much of the reading of pupils in grades above the third. ”

“ HEDGEHOG. The hare will run in the other furrow. When he comes to your end, put up your head and say, "I am already here."
WIFE. Ha, ha! He will think that I am you.
HEDGEHOG. Exactly.
WIFE. Ha, ha, ha! I go, Mr. Hedgehog! I go! You may be short on legs, my dear, but you are long on brains.
[She runs to other end of furrow. Mr. Hedgehog goes to his end.]
[The HARE enters.]
HARE. Well, are you ready?
HEDGEHOG. I am ready.
HARE. One, two, three, go!
[The Hare runs swiftly. The Hedgehog sits. The Hare reaches the other end of his furrow. The Wife puts up her head.] ”

“ OLD JACKDAW. Why do you look for us?
VAIN JACKDAW. I am a jackdaw. I want to be with jackdaws.
OLD JACKDAW. We will have nothing more to do with you! Away!
VAIN JACKDAW. But, brothers, my dear, dear brothers, please let me stay with you!
OLD JACKDAW. You would not walk with jackdaws! Away!
YOUNG JACKDAW. You would not talk with jackdaws! Away!
ANOTHER JACKDAW. You thought yourself too fine for jackdaws! Away!
ALL JACKDAWS. Away! Away!
[They drive the Vain Jackdaw from the park.]
THE LITTLE JACKAL AND THE CAMEL SCENE I TIME: one morning. ”

“ He has lost every battle to the Danes! He is running from them now!
GOODWIFE. 'Tis no fault of his! If the king's men were as brave as he, there would not be a Dane on English land to-day!
KING (still growling) . Well, I'm glad there's one that thinks so well of him!
GOODWIFE. You are a traitor and should be punished!
(Taking up stick.)
I myself will do it!
[Lifting stick. Enter the PRINCE and ENGLISH SOLDIERS.]
PRINCE (kneeling) . Your Majesty is safe!
GOOD WIFE (aside) . What!—Your Majesty, they say!
SOLDIERS (kneeling, joyfully) . King Alfred! King Alfred! ”

“ The dramatic appeal of the stories will cause the child to lose himself in the character he is impersonating and read with a naturalness and expressiveness unknown to him before, and this improvement will be evident in all his oral reading, and even in his speech.
The use of the books permits the whole range of expression, from merely reading the stories effectively, to "acting them out" with as little, or as much, stage-setting or costuming as a parent or teacher may desire. ”

“ You'll fry the cakes yourself, sir! And that you will at once, sir! Go now and mend the fire, and lay this stone upon it.
[The King takes the stone; crosses to the fire, and stirs it; places the stone on the burning wood. When the stone is hot, the Goodwife pours the batter from the bowl on the stone.]
GOODWIFE. Now watch these cakes while I'm within. And watch them well: rye cakes do burn while one is winking.
KING. I'll watch them carefully, goodwife.
(The Goodwife enters hut. The King turns the cakes carefully, then sits on a log; he shows that his thoughts are far away.) ”

“ After the story has been read in this way, if thought advisable it can be played informally and simply, with no attempt at costuming or theatric effects. It will often add to the interest of the play to have some of the children represent certain of the inanimate objects of the scene, as the forest, the town gate, a door, etc. Occasionally, for the "open day," or as a special exercise, a favorite play may be given by the children with the simplest kind of costuming and stage-setting. These can well be made in the school as a part of the manual training and sewing work. ”

“ Near by is a pile of burning fagots. The PRINCE enters from the forest. He carries a great spear. He looks about; creeps to the hut and looks in the window; shows satisfaction; returns to the forest.]
PRINCE (softly) . All is well. Enter!
(Enter Two ENGLISH SOLDIERS from forest. They carry large bows and wear quivers holding arrows.)
We are safe here, my men. Tell King Alfred that.
[The first Soldier salutes and enters forest.]
SECOND SOLDIER. Danes may hide in the hut, Prince—
PRINCE (shaking head) . There's only an old woman within. ”

“ The stories are especially designed to be read as a part of the regular reading work. Many different plans for using the books will suggest themselves to the teacher. After a preliminary reading of a story during the study period, the teacher may assign different parts to various children, she herself reading the stage directions and the other brief descriptions unclosed in brackets. The italicized explanations in parentheses are not intended to be read aloud; they will aid in giving the child the cue as to the way the part should be rendered. ”

“ PLACE: the farmer's vineyard.
THE FARMER.
HIS THREE SONS.
[The THREE SONS dig lazily among the vines.]
FIRST SON. Oh, I am tired of digging! Come, brothers, let us sit and talk!
[He throws down his spade and sits.]
SECOND SON. Father said we should dig at every vine. But I must say I am tired of it.
[He throws down his spade and sits.]
THIRD SON. I was tired when we began.
[He throws down his spade and sits. The FARMER enters. His sons do not see him.]
FIRST SON. Now I should like to go to war and ride a great white horse.
SECOND SON. I should like to be a prince. ”

“ Women, take the children to the wigwams. Pocahontas, fill my quiver full of arrows. You may do this while I sleep. And now, silence.
SCENE II TIME: Midnight of same day.
PLACE: Jamestown.
[POCAHONTAS enters, running. She knocks at the door of Captain Smith's cabin.]
SMITH (within.) Who knocks?
POCAHONTAS. Pocahontas!
[CAPTAIN JOHN SMITH comes from the cabin.]
POCAHONTAS. Powhatan is coming! He is coming with his braves! They come creeping while you sleep!
SMITH. What is this?
POCAHONTAS. They come to kill you and the women and the children! ”

“ SECOND STORY-TELLER. One thousand years, O King! "Then another locust went in and—"
KING. Stop! Stop! Take my daughter! Be king after me! Be king now! Anything to stop the locusts!
THE HOLE IN THE DIKE SCENE I TIME: late afternoon in autumn.
PLACE: Holland.
PETER.
JACOB.
GRETCHEN.
FRIEDA.
[The CHILDREN enter. They carry buckets full of nuts.]
GRETCHEN. How cold it is!
FRIEDA. Let us run. Then we shall not be cold.
PETER. How can we run? We shall spill our nuts.
FRIEDA. We are so far from home! ”

“ The stories given are for the most part adaptations of favorite tales from folklore,—Andersen, Grimm, Æsop, and the Arabian Nights having been freely drawn upon.
Children are dramatic by nature. They are for the time the kings, the fairies, and the heroes that they picture in their imaginations. ”

“ NIX (fishing) . If colts belong to oxen, then I will always fish in dust.
KING. Well, well, I think you may be right, sir!
(Pause. The King thinks deeply.)
Yes, I am now sure that you are right, sir. Go get your colt from Farmer Knave. Go with him, Prince, and see to it. Now come, dear Queen, we'll walk about together, for 'tis a very pleasant day, 'tis very, very pleasant.
THE WISE MEN OF GOTHAM SCENE I TIME: one morning.
PLACE: the highroad to Gotham.
[Enter HODGE, PODGE, NODGE, and SCRODGE; each carries an ax and each chuckles to himself.] ”

“ They are these characters with such abandon and with such intense pleasure that the on-looker must believe that nature intended that they should give play to this dramatic instinct, not so much formally, with all the trappings of the man-made stage, but spontaneously and naturally, as they talk and read. ”

“ It may be King Alfred!
THIRD DANE (whispering) . Disguised as a beggar, sir!
FOURTH DANE (whispering) . 'Twould be safest to take him prisoner, my lord!
CHIEF (nodding) . We'll take him with us to be certain.
GOODWIFE (hearing this) . Yes, take him! 'Twould serve him right! He burnt my cakes just now!
CHIEF. What! Burnt your cakes?
GOODWIFE. Yes, my lord! And I'd have beaten him had not your lordship come.
CHIEF (aside to Danes) . This cannot be the king.
FIRST DANE (shaking head) . No king would fry cakes! ”

“ KING. Nay, goodwife, 'twas that saved my life. I bless the day you made me fry the cakes! I bless the day you would have beaten me! (Lifting his hand over her head.)
And you I bless, goodwife, for your loyalty to England and her king! Soldiers, salute this brave goodwife!
[Soldiers form in a double line from door of hut, and hold their bows aloft to make an arch. The Goodwife passes up this lane, under the bows, and stands in door of hut. The King and the Prince salute her.]
Footnote 1: (return)
The explanations in brackets may be read aloud by the teacher. ”