The Shrinking Machine stands at the back of the stage, and must be
accessible from behind, for the changing of the doll and the soldier.
There should be doors in front which can be opened wide. At one side
should be the crank. For this an ice cream freezer will serve, well
secured in place, only the handle showing through the cambric side wall
of the Machine. The sound is effective, even though the children in the
audience will announce its identity at once.
For painting the soldier's cheeks, cranberry juice is both brilliant and
harmless.
If gifts or candies are to be distributed, Mother Goose may enter again
immediately after the final curtain, and say something like this:
Well, my dear children, it is all over, and I hope it has pleased you.
I heard you laugh once or twice, and that makes me think that you must
have liked it. But there is one more thing to tell you, and this you
are sure to like very much indeed. You will remember that they had only
looked at the first things, in the very top of their stockings. Well,
after the curtain closed, they had time to look at what was left. And
what do you suppose Father found in the bottom of his stocking, down in
the very toe of it? A little note from Santa Claus, telling him that
if he would look into the fire-place he would find there some boxes of
candy, one for every child in this audience: And sure enough, there they
were: and if you will sit very still, the curtain will open again, and
they will be brought out and given to you. And so, my dears, as I bid
you Good-night, I wish you all (or, I hope you have had) a very Merry
Christmas and (wish you) a Happy New Year.