I am a very little girl,
An’ has’nt much to thay,
But I’ll throw you a sweet kiss,
An’ then I’ll run away.
(_Throws a kiss then stands grinning._)
TILLY—Come on, Corabell, run to your seat.
CORABELL—I don’t want to (_stands grinning_).
TILLY—Why not?
CORABELL—I want you to come fetch me to my seat.
TILLY—All right (_she goes and takes Corabell to seat_).
MRS. HILL—My, my, aint she the cute little thing?
MRS. SKAGGS—Aint she though? Billy, can’t you speak like that little
girl?
BILLY—No, no (_clings to his mother_).
VIRGIL—Teacher, can’t Mis’ Hill speak her piece now?
THE OTHERS—Oh, yes, ma’am, yes, ma’am!
MRS. HILL—My, my, me! It’s so long sence I’ve spoke I guess I’ve forgot
how. Wal, I’ll try, but don’t you laugh at me (_goes to front, makes
sweeping gesture with both hands and bows low_).
Some folks there be, but they aint like me,
That whines an’ almost has a fit,
An’ pouts if Santy don’t bring jes’ what
They was wishin’ fer to git.
(_Pouts and stands looking very ugly._)
But some folks there be, an’ they’re like me,
That smiles an’ says “Ho, ho, ho”,
No matter what Santy brings ’em,
They’re jolly an’ laugh jes’ like so.
(_Hands on hips and laughs, ha-ha-ha, ho-ho-ho, then makes another low
bow and takes seat._)
TEACHER—That was splendid, wasn’t it children? (_Virgil goes off_).
CHILDREN (_heartily_)—Yes, ma’am.
MR. JUDD—Very good, very good!
TEACHER—Now, children, we are very, very glad to have our esteemed an’
highly respected clerk of the Skule board here with us today. It was
very, very nice for him to take so much interest in you an’ come to
hear your pieces. Now we shall be very, very glad to have him make us a
speech, won’t we, children?
CHILDREN—Yes, ma’am.
MR. JUDD (_going to front and rubbing hands together as he talks_)—Wal,
teacher and children and visiters, I can say with great truth an’ much
joy that I be glad to been here today. Yes, childern, I allus like fer
to hear the childern speak pieces an’ I can said that I been proud of
the way you speaked an’ sung. Yes, childern, I can say with truth an’
not a tellin’ nuthin’ that haint so, that you all done good, very good,
in your speakin’. Your nice teacher has been a learnin’ you fine an’
as I said, you done good. Yes, childern. An’ you mus’ all been proper
behaved in skule, childern, fer nobody can’t larn good when they been a
cuttin’ up, an’ misbehavin’ an’ not a mindin’ the nice teacher’s rule.
Yes, childern. So I want fer to tell you as how you mus’ study hard an’
behave good. Now, childern, do you know what I be? (_pause_).
FLORILDY—I guess mebbe you’re teacher’s beau (_children giggle_).
TEACHER (_smiling_)—W’y, w’y, w’y, Florildy, dear, how can you SAY such
a thing?
MR. JUDD (_wiping face vigorously with bandanna_)—Yes, yes, that is, I
mean to said, I, yes, wal, (_twists bandanna nervously_) I wanted fer
to have you said I were CLERK of the SKULE BOARD, childern, yes, CLERK
of SKAGGS’S SKULE, childern, an’ I was goin’ fer to say as how if you
study hard an’ been good mebbe some day—yes, who knows, childern, mebbe
some o’ you’ll git to been clerk. Wouldn’t that be grand, childern?
Yes. So you mus’ study hard an’ been good behaved. Now I can truthful
say I been glad to been here today with you an’ your nice teacher, an’
I hope you can all said the same. An’ I wish you all a merry Chris’mus,
childern, very merry. Yes (_sits, mops face with bandanna_).
TEACHER (_beaming_)—Now, wasn’t that a splendid speech? An’ we thank
Mr. Judd very, very much, don’t we, children?
CHILDREN—Yes, ma’am.
TEACHER—An’ now, children, we will sing our Santy Claus song, an’ who
knows, children, mebbe Santy Claus will come right here an’ serprise us
all (_beats time with ruler_).