SCENE III—_In the Garden (after storm)

_Little Tree._ All night the waves of the sea tossed the white foam and dashed the ships about. All around me lie pieces of wood washed up by the sea. What is this at my feet? A piece of a great bamboo tree! Can it be my friend of the forest?

_Boastful Bamboo._ Alas! I am your poor friend.

_Little Tree._ I wish I could help you.

_Boastful Bamboo._ No one can help me. I wish that I had lived in a garden as you have. Then I might have been useful for many years. Farewell, Little Tree.

RETURN OF SPRING

TIME—_Morning—Breakfast_ PLACE—_A Garden on Mt. Olympus_ CHARACTERS—_Spring_, _Columbine_, _Pantaloon_, _Clown_

_Columbine._ Spring, Spring! Oh, you naughty boy. Why are you here?

_Spring._ They didn’t want me, and neither do you.

_Columbine._ Oh, you poor dear boy. Come along at once to the fire and have some breakfast.

_Spring._ I didn’t come in before, because I thought you wouldn’t want me. [_All sit down to breakfast._]

_Clown._ Sausages? I’m tired of sausages; such ages since we had anything else.

_Pantaloon._ Ho! ho! ho! [_Waves his wand._] We’ll have rabbit pie, then. [_Dish of sausages turns to rabbit pie._]

_Clown._ Do you know how they get the rabbits into the pie?

_Spring._ [_Shakes his head._] No.

_Clown._ Would you like to know?

_Spring._ Please, sir.

_Clown._ Well, first of all, you make a nice rich brown crust, and you put it over a large dish. Then you cut a round hole from the pie crust. Fill the dish with lettuce and put it out on the lawn.

_Spring._ On the lawn?

_Clown._ Yes. Then the rabbits come. They pop down the hole in the crust to eat the lettuce. When the pie is full of rabbits, you run from behind a tree, cover the hole in the crust, and then with the dish in your arms, you dash into the kitchen,—pie in the oven, oven hot, fire bright—and, here we are!

_Columbine._ Don’t you believe him.

_Pantaloon._ [_To Spring._] Why did you come back?

_Spring._ The farmers said I made the buds come out too soon. I only stroked the trees and the little sticky buds peeped out to kiss my hand. The gardeners were angry because, where I stepped, the flowers came out too soon, they said, and then—

_Columbine._ Never mind, dear. We are all glad to see you.

_Pantaloon._ And then?

_Spring._ Then East Wind came and Snow and Jack Frost, and they nipped my flowers, and hurt my trees, and made my lambs shiver behind the hedges. The goblins who sing in the fire hobs sang and sang till the people turned their backs on me and crouched up to the fire again and began to tell ghost stories.

_Columbine._ But you must go back now, and fight Jack Frost and scare Winter away. You have had your breakfast, dear, and now like all the world, you must do your work. Yes, dear, you must keep on working till summer wakes up.

_Spring._ Good-by.

WHO HOLDS UP THE SKY?

TIME—_Spring_ PLACE—_A Wood_ CHARACTERS—_Daisy_, _Rose_, _Fir Tree_, _Elm_, _Bird_, _Mountain_

_Daisy._ Oh dear, Miss Rose, do tell me please, Is it you holds up the sky?

_Rose._ Dear Daisy, no, no, indeed, I cannot reach so high. And _very_ far above me Is the blue and lovely sky.

But if you wish to know. To find out I will try. Perhaps that tall fir tree Is holding up the sky.

[_To the fir tree._]

You lift your head so high, Do you hold up the sky?

_Fir Tree._ [_Shaking his head._] Oh no, indeed, sweet Rose It surely is not I! It may be this lofty elm, Who stands to me so nigh.

_Elm._ No, no, it is not I. But a mountain very tall In the distance I can spy, And on his shoulders rests, I think, the wondrous sky.

[_Calling to the mountain._]

You lift your head so high, Do you hold up the sky?

_Mountain._ And who is it who would For these secrets pry? I’ve stood here many an age, But I never touched the sky.

_Rose._ Sweet Daisy, dearest friend, I fear before we die We never shall find out Who is holding up the sky.

[_A bird alights on the fir tree._]

_Daisy and Rose._ [_Together._] O Bird, you fly up so high, Will you not please tell us Who is holding up the sky?

_Bird._ ’Tis He who made the daisy And He who made the rose; ’Tis He who made the fir tree, The elm, and all that grows.

’Tis He who made the mountain And made the bird to fly— The good and Heavenly Father, Who holdeth up the sky.

—Adapted.

THE FOX’S PLAN

CHARACTERS—_Tiger_, _Hunter_, _Fox_

_Tiger._ [_To fox in a net._] So you are here. Caught!

_Fox._ Only to help you, Tiger.

_Tiger._ To help me? How is that?

_Fox._ Why, the other day you said you could not get enough men to eat. So I got into this net. When the men come to take me you may get the men.

_Tiger._ A fine plan! Can I believe you?

_Fox._ Believe me. Hide in the bushes close by. I’ll show you the men when they come.

_Tiger._ Can I believe you?

_Fox._ Believe me, Tiger. Here comes one now. Quick! Behind the bushes! [_Tiger hides._]

_Hunter._ [_To fox._] So here you are. Caught!

_Fox._ Only to help you, Hunter.

_Hunter._ To help me? How is that?

_Fox._ Why, the other day you said you could not get the tiger who has been killing and eating your cattle. So I got into this net to-day that you may have him.

_Hunter._ A fine plan. Can I believe you? But how will I get him?

_Fox._ Believe me, Hunter. [_Quietly._] He came here to eat me up, but he saw you coming. He is now behind the bushes. Let me out of this net, and I will take you right to him.

_Hunter._ Can I believe you?

_Fox._ Believe me, Hunter. Only let me out, and you’ll see. [_Hunter lets fox out._] Come! [_Calling out loud._] Now, Sir Tiger, here is the hunter; and, Mr. Hunter, there is your tiger. I have kept my word to both; you must settle the matter between yourselves.

[_Fox runs off._]

_Hunter._ Alas! Alas!

TOM AND THE LOBSTER

PLACE—_Among the rocks_ CHARACTERS—_Tom_, _Lobster_

_Tom._ [_To lobster caught in a lobster pot._] What, have you been naughty, and have they put you in the lockup?

_Lobster._ I can’t get out.

_Tom._ Why did you get in?

_Lobster._ I came in for that ugly piece of fish.

_Tom._ Where did you get in?

_Lobster._ Through that round hole at the top.

_Tom._ Then why don’t you get out through it?

_Lobster._ Because I can’t. I have jumped upwards, downwards, backwards, and sideways, at least four thousand times, and I can’t get out. I always get up underneath then and can’t find the hole.

_Tom._ Stop a bit. Turn your tail up to me, and I’ll pull you through hindforemost, and then you won’t stick in the spikes. [_Tom pulls lobster._] Hello, here is a pretty business. Now take your great claws and break the point off those spikes, and then we shall both get out easily.

_Lobster._ Dear me, I never thought of that!

WHY THE JELLYFISH HAS NO SHELL

CHARACTERS—_Fishes_, _Turtle_, _three Monkeys_, _Jellyfish_, _Queen Osa_