CHAPTER XXVI

LIVING ALPHABET

CHARACTERS: _All the letters of the alphabet, half girls, half boys; teacher._

COSTUMES: _Girls dressed entirely in red, boys in white. Teacher wears a pretty Dolly Varden costume, and carries a white switch tied with red ribbon._

_The back of the stage is decorated with palms and other greens. The overture is played, which glides into a march as the curtain rises._

_Enter the teacher and letters from the right. The letters march in single file in the order of the alphabet (alternately a girl and boy) headed by the teacher, who keeps time with her switch. After crossing the stage the teacher leaves the procession and stands at the left. The letters turn, march back to the right behind the advancing line, turn again, forming a reversed S, march to the left, then around the front of the stage to the right, marching in a circle until a half circle is formed at the back of the stage, where they halt and remain standing. Fig. 589 shows the order of march. As the letters enter they carry their shields on their left arms; as they turn to the right they shift them onto their right arms, always keeping the face of the shield toward the audience. When standing the shield is held with both hands directly in front so that the letters may be plainly visible._

TEACHER. Attention! Present a greeting to our friends!

The letters A E L S T U step to the front of the stage and stand in line.

TEACHER. Well, what do you say?

The letters change places and form the word SALUTE.

TEACHER. Very good. Retire to your places.

The letters step back in line of the alphabet.

TEACHER. We all know the alphabet is made up of two families. The name of one family is Vowel, and the name of the other is Consonant. The vowels will please step forward.

The letters A E I O U advance to the front.

TEACHER. There are two step-sisters which we sometimes call Vowels. Where are they?

The letters W and Y join the others.

TEACHER. That will do.

The vowels return to their places.

TEACHER. Consonants come forward!

All of the letters except A E I O U W and Y advance then W and Y join the consonants.

TEACHER. Very well.

The letters return to their places.

TEACHER. We will now have our spelling-class, and be careful that you spell correctly. The letters for “Cat” step forward.

The letters ACT run to the front and stand spelling ACT.

TEACHER. You are not spelling “Cat.” Try again.

The letters shift their position to form TAC.

TEACHER. Dear me!

You haven’t got it right yet. I'm surprised!

The letters change, forming the word CAT.

TEACHER. Right at last. Now spell something that cats love.

The letters NIP join CAT, spelling CATNIP.

TEACHER. Can you spell another word?

C turns her back, while the others change places to spell PAINT.

TEACHER. Another.

P turns his back, and the rest spell ANTIC.

TEACHER. Spell one more word.

P remains with his back to the audience, I turns away, and the others spell CANT, and then return to their places in the alphabet line.

TEACHER. Are you ready for your grammar?

The letters YES run to the front, spell YES, and then retire.

TEACHER. Well, then, we will try verbs. Verbs signify action. Give me a word that denotes action.

The letters remain quiet.

TEACHER. I will illustrate. Your sister _runs_. What does that signify?

The letters A M O U S E run out, spell A MOUSE, and return.

TEACHER. We will try conjugating the verb “to be.” It begins: I am, you are—well?

The letters TIRED walk slowly forward, spell TIRED, and return to their places.

TEACHER. So am I; we might sit. What do we stand for?

_Here, for the first time, the letters speak. A steps forward two steps, answers immediately, and steps backward to her place. Then B does the same, followed by each letter of the alphabet in turn._

A. A stands for Action, and that means to run. B. B stands for Baker and also for Bun. C. C stands for Catnip, the best of all tea. D. D stands for Darling, and that stands for me. E. E stands for Emerald, a most precious stone. F. F stands for Fun and my own Funny-bone. G. G stands for Gold, which is yellow and bright. H. H stands for Hope, Heaven, Holy and Height. I. I stands for Ink, which is not a good toy. J. J stands for Jelly and Jumping and Joy. K. K stands for Kitchen with a dear little stove. L. L stands for Laddie and Labor and Love. M. M stands for Maiden and Merry and May. N. N stands for Nonsense and Noddle and Neigh. O. O stands for Omelet and Only and Off. P. P stands for Painter and Palace and Puff. Q. Q stands for Quaker and Quiet and Queer. R. R stands for Rabbit and Racing and Rear. S. S stands for Sampler and Sewing and Shears. T. T stands for Taffy and Tar-drops and Tears. U. U stands for Upper and Under and Urn. V. V stands for Vane, which the winds always turn. W. W stands for Winter, snowy and white. X. X stands for Xylite, I think I am right. Y. Y stands for Yes, but never for no. Z. Z stands for Zero, and now we must go.

_Music. Here the march music strikes up, the pianist playing “Marching Through Georgia.”_

_The teacher leads the procession, and the letters follow, singing to the air “Marching Through Georgia” these words_:

We are going now, Alphabet at play, Holding in our hands all that’s grave or gay; See how we are marching all the letters in array, Marching onward to Dreamland

CHORUS.

Speak low, speak low, we sing a lullaby; Speak low, speak low, pray children do not cry, Though we now must leave you and say a sweet—

_Here the letters G O Q D B Y leave the ranks and stand at the front of the stage. D places his hand over the quirk of the letter Q, making it an O, and they form the word GOOD-BY._

_The march has carried the rest of the letters to the back, where they stand in a semicircle. The music accommodates itself to the movement, so that the GOOD-BY comes in at the right time, then all take up the song again with the words_:

While we are marching to Dreamland.

_Curtain._

=After-word=

The endeavor throughout this little play has been to keep it as simple as possible and quite within the capacity of the children taking part. The girls and boys should be well drilled in the marches, that they may keep step and perfect time, also in the song; and they should know to a certainty what places they are to take in spelling the words. Then if, when speaking, they enunciate clearly and speak slowly the success of the play is assured. Very slowly and clearly each word must be spoken, otherwise the meaning and point will be lost.

The character of the teacher should be taken by a young girl old enough to lead and direct children. The marches may be as elaborate as the manager chooses, but they should not be too long or intricate.

The shields are made of heavy white card-board after the pattern shown in Fig. 590, and the handles are strips of tin fastened in the middle of the shield. To secure the handle in place, with a sharp knife cut two horizontal slits about one inch long in the shield near the centre. These must be about five inches apart, and one directly over the other. Then make two more slits of the same size, one two inches above the top slit, the other two inches below the bottom slit. Pass one end of the tin through the [Illustration: Fig. 590.] lower top slit, working from the inside of the shield, and bend the end up, slipping it back through the upper top slit as if taking a stitch; then fasten the end by bending it up close to the inner surface of the shield. Care must be taken not to tear the card-board during this process. Now reverse the order of work, and passing the other end of this tin through the two lower slits in the shield, fasten it by bending the end down. The loop of the handle must be sufficiently large to allow a child’s hand to slide in and grasp it easily. When the tin is well wrapped in strips of cotton cloth there is no danger of a cut from the sharp edges.

Large black letters are either painted on the shields or cut from black paper or cloth and pasted on. These letters must be simple and plain in design, that they may be instantly recognized. All the shields should be of one size, and as a rule should reach from the shoulder almost to the knee of the bearer. The children, also, should be as nearly of one height as possible.