Act II.--The Castle of Giant Greatbig.

Costumes

KIT, JOSCELIN, MAYSIE, GILLIAN: Summer clothing, of the present fashion.

GIANT: A father, uncle, or big brother, tall, deep-voiced. Scarlet shirt, loose, elephant-colored jacket and knickerbockers, scarlet hose, rough shoes. Needless to say, he should be stuffed out as much as possible. A scarlet sash stuck full of swords and daggers. An alarm-clock, with a brass chain, in his breast-pocket. Beard black and full, mustache large and fierce, eyebrows corked heavily, nose and cheeks reddened. Red bandanna bound about his head. He should _not_ look as if he had just stepped out of a bandbox.

LITTLE GIANTS: Boys of twelve, the fattest that can be found. No matter how fat they are, they should be stuffed out, just the same. Fluffy, light wigs, short gingham frocks, legs bare except for gay-colored socks,--say of emerald, scarlet, and vivid blue. Low shoes with a strap across them, after the fashion of French dolls.

GIANT’S BABY: A boy or girl of ten, well stuffed out. White long clothes, tight white cap, ruddy face. The Baby should carry a policeman’s rattle.

JACK: A trim boy of eleven, handsomely dressed. Brown jacket, slashed with Lincoln green; long green hose, pointed brown shoes. A gilt belt, and a sword and a dagger in gilt scabbards. A curling horn slung over his shoulder. A small brown cap with green feathers.

SAND MAN: A boy of ten or eleven. Buff or light-gray jacket and knickerbockers, pointed cap, long white beard, brown stockings, canvas slippers. A sack, apparently filled with sand, slung over his shoulders. A sand-pail fastened to a leather belt, and in one hand a child’s sand-shovel.

BEAR: A good-sized boy of fourteen, with a gruff voice. A skin of a polar or black bear thrown about loosely-fitting white or black clothing. Clumsy shoes. Better still, a regulation costumer’s bear’s head, a long fur coat, and Indian moccasins of fur.

OGRE: A boy of twelve. Jacket and knickerbockers in red and white stripes, red sash, high boots. Huge nose, brown beard, Turkish fez.

DRAGON: A slim boy of ten or twelve in tight-fitting clothes striped in orange and red. Gold belt, long claws on hands and feet. If possible, a rented crocodile’s head; but a head can be constructed of red and orange cloth sewed over pasteboard, a large cone representing the snout, two smaller cones the horns. A long, crinkly tail,--orange and red strips wound about a heavy rope.

ROBBER: A piratical-looking boy of ten in a green jacket, red knickerbockers, and top-boots. A blue sash stuck full of weapons, large mustache, wide felt hat with green plumes.

GIANTESS: A mother, aunt, or big sister, dressed to look as large as possible. Yellow gown, a long white apron.

WITCH: A nimble little girl of nine or ten. Black, pointed cap, black cape and skirt.

Scenery

ACT. I. SCENE 1. The best trees are real ones, saplings and evergreens, cut the morning before the performance. Painted scenery of course should be used to help out. Palms and shrubs can be rented for the evening. A great many pieces of candy--say, molasses drops wrapped in tissue-paper--should be laid in the branches of the sugar-plum tree. The bean-stalk can be made of three good-sized poles, set close together in openings cut through the stage. The tops should go up out of sight of the audience and be secured to a platform where actors can hide at the right time. The poles should be wound with real foliage, or with green tissue-paper. The trunk of the telephone tree might be a hollow log, in which a small door is cut. The bell and cardboard receiver are hung inside the opening. Branches should be skilfully thrust into the top of the log, to finish the tree. Branches should be heaped also about the “roots” of all the trees, and the more green things there are scattered about the stage, the better. The blunderbuss is made by fitting a cardboard horn to the end of a rifle, shot-gun, or toy gun; but the entire weapon can be made of wood and cardboard.