ACT II

_Place_: A country road. The Gingerbread Boy is discovered, sitting on top of the wall, talking to himself.

The Gingerbread Boy: “Here I am, out by myself, seeing the world. The world’s a very pleasant place, only I do wish I were not made of gingerbread, and I do wish that everybody wasn’t so hungry. Wherever I travel some one wants to eat me. Bless my buttons, there comes some one now!”

The Mowers come slowly along with their scythes over their shoulders. They sing as they walk:

“On Chopnose Day the Mowers rise, As every one supposes, And march upon the grass and flowers, And cut off all their noses.”

Suddenly the Mowers discover the Gingerbread Boy.

First Mower: “Who sits there on top of the wall?”

Second Mower: “It is a little boy made of gingerbread.”

First Mower: “Let us eat him!”

Second Mower, going up to the Gingerbread Boy: “Good morning, my lad, where do you come from, and where are you going this fine morning?”

The Gingerbread Boy hops down from the wall, and dances away on the tips of his toes:

“I’ve run away from a Little Old Woman, And a Little Old Man. I can run away from you, I can! Run, run, as fast as you can, You can’t catch me, I’m the Gingerbread Man!”

He disappears, followed by the Mowers, but reappears at the other end of the road, looking frightened and out of breath.

The Gingerbread Boy: “They didn’t catch me that time, but you never can tell what’s going to happen next. There comes somebody else.”

The Threshers are seen passing with their flails over their backs.

One of the Threshers: “Who is that by the side of the road?”

A Second Thresher: “That is a Gingerbread Boy!”

Both of the Threshers, going up to the Gingerbread Boy very fiercely: “Come with us and be eaten, my lad!”

The Gingerbread Boy dances a little way ahead of the Threshers as he calls back to them:

“I’ve run away from a Little Old Woman, And a Little Old Man, Some Mowers--and-- I can run away from you, I can. Run, run, as fast as you can, You can’t catch me, I’m the Gingerbread Man.”

He runs away a second time, followed by the Threshers, but he is seen in a moment at the end of the road. He climbs up on the wall again.

The Gingerbread Boy: “I wonder who will try and eat me next!”

He puts his hand up to his eyes. “There comes some one now!”

The Pig enters, grunting.

The Pig:

“One of us went to market; and one of us stayed at home. One of us had roast beef, but I’m the Pig who had _none_!”

“I’m hungry enough to eat green apples. Ahe! What do I see? A Gingerbread Boy!” He walks up to the wall, and stands on his back feet, but he cannot reach to the top. The Gingerbread Boy dances on top of the wall.

“I’ve run away from a Little Old Woman, And a Little Old Man, Some Mowers, some Threshers--and-- I can get away from you, I can. Jump, jump, as high as you can, You can’t catch me, I’m the Gingerbread Man!”

The Pig tries to get the Gingerbread Boy, but he is not able to, and he walks away, still grunting.

The Gingerbread Boy: “Well, he didn’t get me. I believe I am able to take care of myself after all. Why, who is that great creature, coming down the road?”

The Fox enters. He sees the Gingerbread Boy, but he pretends that he does not. He sits down and waits. The Gingerbread Boy watches the Fox. Then he speaks to him.

“I’ve run away from a Little Old Woman, A Little Old Man, _Some Mowers, some Threshers, a Pig--and--_ I can run away from you, I can!”

the Gingerbread Boy says.

The Fox speaks in a deep, gruff voice, without moving.

The Fox: “Step a little closer, Sonny. I’m very hard of hearing.”

The Gingerbread Boy jumps down from the wall, and goes quite close to the Fox, speaking very loudly:

“_I’ve run away from a Little Old Woman, A Little Old Man. Some Mowers, some Threshers, a Pig--and-- I can run away from you, I can!_”

The Fox speaks again, without moving.

The Fox: “You will have to step closer yet, Sonny, I’m very, very hard of hearing.”

The Gingerbread Boy goes up to the Fox, shouting in his ear. As he does so, the Fox eats him up.

THE TOWN MOUSE AND THE COUNTRY MOUSE

_Characters in the Play_:

A Mouse Who Lives in Town. A Mouse Who Lives in the Country. Some other Mice, as many as one wishes, who live in the same hole as the country mouse. They include his Father, his Mother, and a number of Brothers and Sisters; a Cat.

THE FIRST PART OF THE STORY

_Place_: A mouse hole in a barn.

_Time_: The early evening of a day in the fall.

The Father, Mother, and younger mice are seen, sitting about, and nibbling bits of candles, turnips, carrots, and other dainties.

_The Father_, taking a large bite of turnip, and speaking between mouthfuls:

“I have been a mile to the south and a mile back to-day without meeting an enemy. I found a field of corn, and a garden of turnips, and a patch of large, juicy cabbages. For a comfortable, fat old age, there is no place like the country.”

_The Mother_, running about very nimbly, and gathering up all the candle ends:

“You are right, Father. The farmer’s wife cleaned the candlesticks to-day, and she threw away all these ends. This evening I shall make a large tallow pudding!”

_One of the younger Mice_, who jumps up, and begins dancing very gracefully about the mouse hole on the tips of her toes:

“Everybody goes to bed so very, very early in the country. A mouse may dance until morning without being caught.”

As she dances, the other Mice drop whatever they were eating, and they sing in funny, squeaking voices, a tune to which her feet keep time.

This is their song:

“Squeak, squeak, skip, skip! Gather your tail up, and trip, trip! Crickets and grasshoppers dance by day, But night is the time for a mouse to play, When the moon shines round, like a great big cheese-- When only the sleepy Sand Man sees-- Then--Squeak, squeak, skip, skip! Gather your tails up, and trip, trip!”

When the Mice finish their song, the Father looks all about the hole. Then he speaks.

_The Father_: “I do not see your brother. Where is your brother?”

_The Mother_, peering about in all the dark corners of the mouse hole: “Where is my son? Oh, where is my son?”

_All the younger Mice_, speaking together: “Oh, where is our brother?”

As the younger Mice speak, the Country Mouse enters at the back of the mouse hole. He wears a large red necktie which has green spots, and is tied in a bow in front. He seems to be very much excited. All the Mice crowd about him.

_The Father_, taking the Country Mouse by his paw and leading him to the front of the mouse hole:

“Where have you been all day, my son?”

_The Mother_, re-tying the Country Mouse’s necktie: “You seem out of breath, my dear!”

_All the younger Mice_, excitedly: “Where have you been? Oh, do tell us where you have been?”

_The Country Mouse_: “I have had an adventure. I started out early this morning for the dairy, because I heard some one say that there were cheeses being made. On the way to the dairy I met a very fine Mouse, passing by on his way to town. He lives in the town, and he told me all about his home.”

_All the younger Mice_, crowding closer that they may hear what the Country Mouse is saying:

“What did the Town Mouse tell you about his home?”

_The Country Mouse_: “He said that he lived in a pantry!”

_The Father_: “A pantry?”

_The Mother_: “A pantry?”

_All the younger Mice_: “A pantry?”

_The Country Mouse_: “Yes, a pantry! There are pies there, and cakes. There are fat hams, and juicy spare ribs. There are puddings, and there are cheese rinds lying about on the shelves. The servants are careless, and at night they leave the food uncovered. Then the Town Mouse comes out of the wall and sits on the pantry table, and eats his fill.

“No cold gardens to be searched for food. No frozen fields to be dug over for roots and corn stalks.”

The Country Mouse looks disdainfully about the hole. Then he goes on speaking.

_The Country Mouse_: “The Town Mouse invited me to come and visit him this evening!”

_The Younger Mice_: “Oh!”

_The Father_, shaking his head, doubtfully: “Don’t go, my boy. There is a wild animal who lives in town houses. She has eyes as large as saucers. She wears cushions on her feet that no one may hear her when she walks. She has sharp claws and sharper teeth. She can see in the dark.”

_The Mother_: “It is the Cat! Don’t go to town, my son. The Cat eats mice!”

_The Country Mouse_: “I am not afraid of the Cat. I am tired of this dull life in the country. I want to see sights, and taste the good things that are to be found in pantries. I am going, to-night, to visit the Town Mouse!”

_The Father, Mother, and all the younger Mice_ try to hold the Country Mouse, but he gets away from them. He runs away through the back of the mouse hole.

THE SECOND PART OF THE STORY

_Place_: A pantry.

The Town Mouse sits on the edge of the table, eating, but nervously, and looking all about him as he nibbles.

Under one of the shelves, and behind the Town Mouse, so that he is not able to see her, sits the Cat.

_Time_: Midnight of the same evening.

The Cat plays that she is asleep, but she is really watching the Town Mouse. Suddenly she sneezes.

_The Town Mouse_, dropping a large piece of cheese, which he has been eating, and looking around in a frightened way:

“Oh, my ears and whiskers! Is that a sneeze which I hear?”

He trembles and shakes violently. He sees no one, though, so he picks up the cheese in one paw and a slice of bread in the other. As he nibbles, he talks to himself.

_The Town Mouse_: “I am tired of this life in town. Late suppers, and rich food to disturb one’s digestion; traps, traps everywhere--wooden traps, and wire traps, round traps, and square traps; traps with doors, and traps with windows--and always a Cat hiding in a corner. She may be in the room now for all I know.

“To-day I took a walk in the country and I met a little farmer mouse in a red necktie. He thought he would like to live in town.

“Ough!” the Town Mouse shivers, “I wish I were safe in the country, now!”

There is a little noise at the back of the pantry, and the Country Mouse enters in great glee, looking about at all the food. The Cat sees the Country Mouse, and she creeps, softly, a little farther under the shelf, keeping watch of him all the time.

_The Town Mouse_, jumping down from the table, and motioning with one paw for the Country Mouse to make less noise:

“Oh, why did you come? It isn’t safe here. You should have stayed in the country.”

_The Country Mouse_, paying no attention to the Town Mouse, but running nimbly around the table and tasting all the different things.

_The Country Mouse_: “Cheese, and bread, and cake, and pie--and jam!”

He puts his paw down in a jam pot, and eats a little jam. Then he crosses to the Town Mouse and pats him on his back.

_The Country Mouse_: “A thousand thanks, my fine fellow. This pantry of yours is a palace, and you are the prince. No quiet, country life for me. Here will we live and eat our fill--”

He stops suddenly, as the Cat once more sneezes.

_The Town Mouse_, wringing his paws, and whispering in great fright: “I heard it a moment or so ago. I’ll wager I heard it; and now I hear it again. Some one sneezed.”

_The Country Mouse_, glancing about, but seeing no one: “Who sneezed?”

_The Town Mouse_: “The Cat.”

_The Country Mouse_: “Where is the Cat?”

_The Town Mouse_: “The Cat is everywhere. She isn’t in the room, now, but she may be on her way. Hours and hours she sits at the door of my hole so I can’t come out in the evening. Then she chases me when I try to snatch a bite of supper, and she follows me--follows, wherever I go.”

_The Country Mouse_, in a frightened voice: “Are her eyes as large as saucers? Does she wear cushions on her feet that no one may hear her when she walks? Has she sharp claws, and sharper teeth? Can she see in the dark? Does she eat--mice?”

The Cat suddenly springs from her corner. There is a great scamper, in which the mice make their escape, but the Country Mouse leaves his long tail in the Cat’s paws.

_Dramatic form arranged by Carolyn Sherwin Bailey._

STORIES SELECTED BECAUSE OF THEIR DRAMATIC QUALITIES

JACK AND THE BEANSTALK _Old Fairy Tale_ LITTLE RED RIDING HOOD _Old Fairy Tale_ BRE’R RABBIT AND THE LITTLE TAR BABY _Joel Chandler Harris, in Nights with Uncle Remus_ THE LARK AND HER YOUNG ONES _Æsop’s Fables_ THE LION AND THE MOUSE _Æsop’s Fables_ HANSEL AND GRETEL _Old Fairy Tale_ THE PROUD CHICKEN _Chinese Fable, in The Talking Beasts_