Various

“ SCENE I Little Maiden’s Room on Christmas Eve
[In the bed at center the Maiden lies asleep in her little frilled night cap and gown. Her stocking is hung on the bedpost. At the left on a small table a tiny candle burns.
At the right is a large arm-chair with a picture-book and doll lying upon it.
Enter the Christmas Fairy at right. She wears a loose, white frock with crêpe paper wings and a wreath of holly, and carries a little silver, star-tipped wand.]
Fairy.
Oh, I am Santa Claus’ Fairy!
I’m the Dreams-of-Christmas Fairy!
Where a little child lies sleeping
[Tiptoes to bedside.] ”

“ Ever since I can remember I’ve been distributing gifts to children at Christmas time; and until an hour ago I expected to keep it up always, but now Santa Claus and his Christmas rounds are at an end forever!
Mother Goose. But what has happened, Santa, to put this into your mind? Have you had a fall on the ice and do you feel a little dazed?
Jennie. This is one of your jokes, Santa.
Jack. Oh, come off, now, Santa. You almost gave me a chill. Let’s get a big box of those drums and whistles packed up for the sleigh.
Jack Frost
Santa Claus. ”

“ Little Maiden spies the Bunny, runs over to him, and pats him gently. The Fairy touches him with her wand and he hops back and forth—while Soldiers, Dolls and Maiden applaud.]
Maiden.
Oh, you darling, darling Bunny!
And aren’t your pinky, long ears funny?
But the Kitty, sleek and black,
Is even funnier than that!
[The Fairy touches him with her wand. He begins to turn about, displays his curly tail, and spits at the little Maiden when she slyly pulls it. Little Maiden strokes his back, and he sings a meow solo to the tune of “Auld Lang Syne.” All applaud.] [Pg 7]
Maiden. ”

“ When she is out of sight, the boy sits down in the grass with a toy that she has given him. After a pause, a fairy peeps out from behind a distant tree or bush, then another and another, then many—ten or twelve or more—stealing cautiously forward toward the open grassy spot. ”

“ For King, Queen, and Page copy the pictures in any good fairy-tale book. The Princess requires two costumes, a brown dress to represent the earth in the fall, and one of bright green, hung with spring flowers, to wear when she awakens in the spring. The Prince requires a suit of the brightest gold, with long, flowing sleeves and strings of tinsel hanging from his neck like rays of sunshine. The Fairies dress to represent their respective parts as spring, summer, autumn, and winter. Winter should be all in white, with silver tinsel. ”

“ As last does so, the music changes to a waltz movement, and first three Fairies dance in. They courtesy to the King and Queen.]
King and Queen. Fairies, you are welcome.
Fairies. Your Majesties, we thank you.
Autumn. [Stepping forward.] Graciously permit us to bestow upon the baby the gifts which we have brought. [Touches Baby with wand.] With beauty I endow thee. Beauty not alone of face and form, but loveliness of soul I give thee, so thou shalt be beloved of all the world. ”

“ A narrow strip of rough fur was tacked all around the outer edge of the cat, except around the feet, and this, with a fox tail, through which a strong piece of wire was run, gave her a very real appearance when seen in shadow. The boy or man, who managed her, sat on a stool behind the pedestal, and in addition to working the eyes, tail, mouth, etc., would meow mournfully, or spit fiercely, as the events of the play demanded. ”

“ And joy to tired lives?
[Knowledge turns sorrowfully away. Everygirl kneels, her face in her hands.]
Everygirl. I know not what to do, nor whom to choose!
Mirth
White cotton frock: points of yellow
from neck, with gilded bells: wreath
of daisies, and skipping rope
wound with the same.
[Enter Work, Health, and Love at the back of the garden. Work, advancing, touches Everygirl upon the shoulder.]
Work. It is I, Everygirl, who am the solace
And those who toil with me, though hard their lot,
Find gladness in the joy of working. ”

“ And quite right too, sir. But to leave you four and forty pounds in your present state of mind would be sheer madness. Steady your wits, sir, by making a fair copy of your debts, to show me at five, when Miss Williams shall give you a slice of mutton in the Temple. On your solemn assurance that your creditors shall be satisfied without delay, the balance shall be yours, though it will be wasted on folly, I make no doubt. I have the honor to wish you good day, sir. [Claps his hat on, seizes his stick, and marches out, stopping a moment to pat Margery's curls as she curtseys to him.] ”

“ Jack. Oh, forget it, Santa, and take down those horns and drums for the boys on that waiting list. Think of the fun those kiddies will have!
All. Oh, yes, Santa, the world cannot spare you. We love you, and the children love you.
Santa Claus. [Smiling at Mother Goose and the rest.] Your words give me new courage. Yes, I will go on as if nothing had happened. I will never desert the dear children. They shall have their Christmas gifts as long as there is a Santa Claus.
Curtain [and distribution of gifts] . ”

“ The lobster may hang below the stage platform, between it and the curtain, or may lie on the stage floor until needed. When its turn comes to appear, the attendant draws the thread and pulls it up into sight where it hangs flatly against the screen. The spider is hung in the same manner and is held in place at the top of the screen until time to drop upon the maiden’s head. A pasteboard spider is better than a heavier one, as it responds more quickly to the little pulls and jerks given to it and thus appears to have more life. The maiden’s pasteboard heart is about six inches long. ”

“ Hello, Jack! Hello, Jill! Anybody else here?
Jack and Jill. Hello, Boy Blue! Come in!
Jack. We were just talking about Santa Claus.
Boy Blue. [Entering.] Oh, you heard what the children said. So did I.
Jill. And we do need a new pail.
Jack. [Holding out pail.] Look!
Boy Blue. Yes, I suppose you do. But look at my horn! It’s all battered up climbing stone walls after those tiresome cows.
Jill. Of course!
Boy Blue. And once I dropped it down the well. I was helping Johnny Stout get that pussy-cat out that Tommy Green put in.
Jack and Jill. Horrid boy, that Tommy Green! ”

“ Fly appears, and buzzes all around cat’s head.
She still sat on her pedestal
In dignified repose;
She would not move to brush the fly
That lit upon her nose.
Enter lover and maiden, from right of stage. Lover crosses to farther side of cat. They carry a pitcher of cream, and a plate of fish and spiders. Lover also carries a large comb.
Each morning with the rising sun,
Her fond attendants came,
For wilful carelessness or harm,
They never were to blame. [Pg 146]
They offer food to cat.
Then stroke and comb her fur the wrong way. Cat hisses and spits, and wags her tail angrily. ”

“ Miss Muffet. I want a new spider—a yellow one.
Santa Claus. You do, you little minx, you little Muffety minx! Come here!
Do I look as if I kept yellow spiders in that bag?
Miss Muffet. I want a new spider.
Santa Claus. Listen to her! A yellow spider!
Miss Muffet. And a new tuffet.
Santa Claus. And a new tuffet! dear! dear!
Jack. [Severely.] You promised to be good.
Santa Claus. Mother Goose, what do you think of the way you’ve brought up these children? [Pg 58]
Mother Goose. Well, Santa Claus, I can’t help it. Children take things pretty much into their own hands nowadays. ”

“ After the book is taken off the stage by the children, this bit of paper is pulled off, so that when Santa Claus brings the book in again, the hat is red. The inside pages of the book, of course, are never seen at all by the audience.
Real toys are put into the stockings, so that the joy of the “real children” in pulling the things out, especially of the two-and three-year-olds, is entirely genuine and spontaneous.
If it were desired to use fewer characters, one or two of the Mother Goose children can easily be cut out. ”

“ A large Christmas tree should be utilized as part of the scene; place it to right of center, and trim lightly with silver tinsel, “snow,” and glass icicles. Near the tree, a couch or seat should be built up and covered with white, to represent a little mound; upon this the Queen sits, and later, the children recline. The time is about sunset; a red light, if available, will be effective early in the scene, while toward the end it grows darker. A curtain is not absolutely necessary, although of course more “like a play.” ”

“ Nell. Oh, Harry, wait a minute! Look!
Harry. Look what?
Nell. It’s red!
Harry. What’s red?
Nell. The cap. Don’t you see? Mother Goose’s cap.
Harry. That’s soo! Let’s see about the others!
[They sit down side by side with the book before them. As they talk they turn the pages.]
Nell. Look! Boy Blue has a new horn! It used to be tin.
Harry. And Miss Muffet’s tuffet hasn’t any holes in it! [Pg 63]
Nell. And, sure as I live, her spider is yellow! It used to be black. And see! Jack and Jill have a new pail—there’s only one dent in it!
Harry. And just look at Bo-Peep, will you! ”

“ If this is well managed, Scene 1, having already been arranged against the screen, will instantly appear to the audience in sharp, black shadows. At a second quick stroke of the bell, the reader begins the play. Any one with a good clear voice may act as reader. The best place for him to sit is behind the screen near the lamp. As he reads only during the actual performance, he needs no other light, but he should be careful that he does not place himself in such a position that his own shadow is thrown on the screen. The cat and pedestal stand five feet, eight inches in height. ”

“ There must be hundreds of other children who do believe in you. Perhaps these just happened to be the few who don’t believe in fairies, either. There are some such strange children I have heard. [Pg 74]
Jennie. Oh, Peter Pan will convince those foolish children who don’t believe in fairies.
Mother Goose. Never mind, Santa. I am sure there cannot be many children of that unbelieving kind. But I wish you had never had your wireless rigged up. It seems only to make you unhappy.
Santa Claus. [Sighing.] It has made me unhappy. I never felt so sad in all my life before. ”

“ The lobster, spider, fishes, the maiden’s heart, and the immense dollar used by her in Scene 2, her slippers, curling tongs, and brushes, and even the tears she shed, were all cut from pasteboard. Comical hats for the actors were made by taking old shade hats and fastening ridiculous pasteboard shapes upon them. The mice and rats which run by the cat in Scene 1, were cut from pasteboard and were somewhat larger than life size. Four of them were tacked by the feet to a long narrow strip of wood at about a foot apart, and to one end of this board was fastened a small strong cord. ”

“ If the rivals thus caught jump and dance with pain, the effect is increased. The serving maid who brings the tea in Scene 5 wears a cap and apron and carries a tray bearing a number of unbreakable wooden and tin dishes which make a great clatter in falling without causing any damage. The tea table, a small one, supported by a single post in the center, may be cut from brown paper and pinned on the screen before Scene 5 appears. In shadow it will seem to be just as real as an actual table, but of course a real table may be used if preferred. ”

“ To make the cat appear life-like, he should keep all the mechanism at work as much as possible, taking care to have her movements as much as possible in harmony with the play. If he practises a little before the performance, he can make the cat the center of interest. When the actors feed the cat the operator should slowly pull down the jaw, and when the food is received shut it again quickly. ”

“ The box with the lamp should be about on a level with the actors’ feet, or a trifle higher, and should be at least five or six yards behind them, if possible to arrange it so.
All these arrangements are behind the screen. The audience is to be seated on the other side. It is not necessary to conceal the screen with a curtain, for if the light within the box is entirely cut off by placing the cover in front, and if the portion of the room in which the audience is seated is well lighted, no shadows from behind the screen will appear before the proper time. ”

“ Latin. Aye, that I can. I know their home on high—
[As Everychild puts her hand in Latin’s and advances a step, enter Mathematics, also in dark gown, with head covered, carrying slate or compasses.]
Latin. Hail, Sister!
Mathematics. Hail!
Everychild. But who is this? And must she with us go?
Your family are all so dark and slow!
No, I don’t think I like you. What’s your name?
Mathematics. In every tongue my symbols are the same.
2 × 1 are 2, 2 × 2 are 4, 2 × 3 are 6—
My name is Mathematics. Many a year
We’ll doubtless be acquainted—never fear. [Pg 106]
Everychild. ”

“ Where the wire enters the tail at F, fasten it to the cat by means of a staple but in such a way that it will move freely. To the free end of wire fasten a piece of elastic nine inches long. Tack the other end of this elastic to the cat’s body at E, as shown in Fig. 3. [Pg 132] Also fasten a piece of cord to the same end of wire, which may be used to pull down the tail. It will spring up voluntarily as the elastic draws it. The strip of fur is to be tacked all around the edge of cat’s body, except around the feet, which would not show well in shadow if surrounded by fur. ”

“ Now, merry Christmas—and to all good night!
All.
Good night!
[Santa and the children go off L. and the sleigh-bells jingle away into the distance.]
Queen. Quick! Let’s to work, my subjects dear!
And share the joy of spreading Christmas cheer!
[The gifts are taken from the bag by the Queen and Jack Frost, and distributed among the audience by Fairies and Elves. If this ending is not desired, the “Hail to Santa Claus” chorus may be repeated after Santa’s exit, to the accompaniment of his bells, and the play closed in this manner.]
[Pg 29]
WHICH SHALL BE KING? ”

“ Yet I came, and I also brought a gift.
[Touches Baby with wand; other Fairies look on anxiously.]
Winter. Thou, Princess Erda, wilt grow up beautiful and wise according to my cousins’ wishes. But when thou art become a lovely maiden, thou shalt [slowly] one day thrust into thy hand a needle, and [very slowly and very impressively] THOU SHALT SURELY—
[Great excitement. Queen hands Baby to King, and faints in her chair. Ladies tremble. Lords draw swords, and step forward threateningly. Spring jumps forward and interrupts Winter just in time.] ”