NOTE: Harold and Ethel in their pursuit of Santa Claus, the
village Toymaker and Shop Keeper, find themselves far from home
and in the grounds immediately surrounding Brereton Hall. The
stage setting should consist of a hedge row built up of small
evergreen trees at the rear of the stage and on both ends, with a
wooden stile set in the hedge on right stage. Evergreen branches
are strewn around, left there by the hedger, who had been
trimming the hedges about the grounds.
The children enter from left and the Poachers, for such are Clews
and Allcock, who later appear, enter from the right, climb over
the stile and soon get busy at the task which brought them there,
namely, the bagging of a brace of rabbits for their Christmas
dinner.
(As the curtain rises, Harold and Ethel are wearily
dragging themselves across stage--when center is reached,
Ethel stops, and in tears she refuses to go any further.)
ETHEL (tearfully): Harold, I just can’t go another step, I want
to go home to mamma.
HAROLD: Don’t cry, Sis, you know I believe we’re almost there--if
you only think of the fun we will have when we find Santa, you
will forget all about being tired.
ETHEL: I know it will be lots of fun to see Santa, and, if
we ever do find him, I’m going to ask him to show me all his
wonderful toys. But I think I’d rather wait until next year. I
want mamma.
(No longer able to restrain herself, she bursts out crying,
much to the undoing of Harold.)
HAROLD: See here, Sis, please don’t cry. When we get home I’ll
give you my new cricket bat and ball. Perhaps if we sit down
for a little while we will get rested. I’ll just gather a few
of these branches--that will be better than sitting on the cold
ground.
(Harold arranges the branches as a little bed down stage,
and places Ethel upon it.)
ETHEL: How lonely it is here at night. Can you see any houses
near?
HAROLD: (Climbing up on stile so as to look over the hedge):
Yes, I see a big house not far away. I’m sure that must be
where Santa is. Let us rest here awhile.
(Harold seats himself beside Ethel--puts his arms around
her, draws her near to him.)
And then we will surely find Santa.
(After pause)
I’m jolly glad the moon is shining, aren’t you, Ethel?
(Ethel does not answer, for she has fallen asleep. Gently
Harold lays her down upon the boughs and with a yawn
says----)
I think I’ll just rest awhile myself.
(And in a minute he, too, is fast asleep.)
(Soon after the children fall asleep, two Poachers arrive
on the scene, and, entirely oblivious to the fact that
there are human beings near them, they proceed to the work
of the evening, just as the bell in the village clock
strikes the hour of ten. All through the work of the
Poachers the children remain fast asleep.)
(Just as the Poachers make ready to leave, the children are
discovered.)
CLEWS: Well. I’ll be blow’ed, if ’ere aint the babes in the wood.
ALLCOCK (rushing to cover): Wo’t, yer don’t mean the Game-keeper
and his gang? W’y don’t yer duck?
CLEWS: (laughing heartily): ’Oo said onythin’ about game-keepers.
Come an’ luk fer thy sel’--’ere are two as fine babbys as yer
hever sot h’eyes on.
ALLCOCK (drawing near to sleeping children): Blime me, if they
haint. I wonder wot they’re doin’ ’ere at this time o’ noight?
CLEWS: I conna tell thi that, mon, w’y doesn’t thi ask ’em thi
sel’?
ALLCOCK (gently shaking Harold): Wake h’up, little mon, does
ta want to catch thi death o’ cold lying out ’ere this cold
night--and what about the little gel, wake ’er h’up tew.
(After some time and much rubbing of eyes, the children
awaken.)
HAROLD: Please, Mr., can you tell us who lives in yonder
house--Sis and I hope that is where Santa lives. If so, we must
be going, or else Santa will have left.
ETHEL: Yes, you know he will go just as soon as the clock strikes
twelve, and we want to see his wonderful toys before he leaves.
CLEWS: ’Earken to that, will yer, these kids want to see Santa
Claus--Ha! Ha! Ha! Say, Kiddie, there haint no Santa.
HAROLD: You are mistaken, sir, for sis and I saw him tonight,
with our own eyes, but he walked so fast we couldn’t catch up to
him.
ALLCOCK: An’ w’ere might it be that yer saw the idol of yer
dreams?
HAROLD: We saw him come from his shop in the square near the
Black Bear.
CLEWS (aside): Say, mate, it’s the owd codjer, S. Claus, the
kiddies are thinkin’ on. Wot der yer say if we giv ’em a lift.
It’s not much the likes of uz can do to make anny body ’appy, but
’eres a little job we con do as well as anny on ’em.
ALLCOCK: Yer rite, mate.
(Turning to children)
Come along, we’ll ’ave yer in front of ’is r’yal ’ighness in less
nor a jiff’ey.
(Exit Poachers with the now happy children upon their
shoulders, and their Christmas dinner safely bagged.)
(Enter King of the Imps--At blast of whistle the imps
spring up behind the hedge.)
IMPS (all): What ho, your majesty!
LUCIFER MATCH: Assemble ye here for a council of war.
IMPS (all): Your Majesty’s commands shall be obeyed.
(Imps gather down stage and seat themselves Indian fashion
in a circle--the King remains standing.)
LUCIFER MATCH (addressing Imps): My mind is ill at ease--Go where
I will, I fail not to observe how men, in city, town, and hamlet
throughout the land, in fealty to Him they call the Christ, are
moved to deeds of mercy and of love.
IMP NO. 1: If such be true, Your Majesty, it bodes ill of thee
and thy kingdom of darkness.
LUCIFER MATCH: Yea, such is true, and not content with that, they
move from street to street, and house to house, and, like the
angels on Bethlehem hills, two thousand years ago, they proclaim
the Messiah’s birth, and sing of _Peace_ and _Goodwill to Men_.
Thus do they assail and threaten my right to reign and rule.
IMP NO. 1: It must not be, Your Majesty.
LUCIFER MATCH: It shall not be--some way must be found to stop
these inroads upon my kingdom and domain--but what to do, and
how, and when, I know not.
IMP NO. 1: Has not Your Majesty thought of persecution?
LUCIFER MATCH: Persecution, in that ye counsel without knowledge.
To stop this tide of Christmas cheer by persecution is as foolish
as to attempt to dam a river at its mouth.
IMP NO. 1: Has not Your Majesty discovered any arch conspirator
in this plot?
LUCIFER MATCH: Aye, that I have and by cunning ways have I sought
to turn him from his course, but neither threat, money, or
persuasion have any effect upon him to check the rising of good
will, which, like water gushing from a fountain, overflows and
fills the hearts of the children of men everywhere with his own
genial spirit and warm friendliness.
IMP NO. 1: Where does he abide, Your Majesty?
LUCIFER MATCH: He lives hard by an Inn, the Black Bear, where
incessantly he toils throughout the year in fashioning toys and
other gifts, which he lavishly bestows upon the people in his
journey around the world on Christmas night--but I fear his real
abode is in the hearts of men, and particularly in the hearts of
little children.
IMP NO. 1 (rising and bowing): Pardon me, Sire for venturing to
suggest that thou commission us to wreak destruction upon the
toys, or otherwise prevent this arch enemy of thine from carrying
out his plan.
LUCIFER MATCH: Thou speakest words of wisdom, and it is my will
that thou perform in my name, and in behalf of my kingdom this
work of destruction. Here, then, is thy commission--Look well to
the task.
(King hands document to Imp No. 1, who reads it aloud to
the other Imps.)
“Whereas, one Santa Claus, by cunning devices and by his
unfailing good humor and goodwill, is stealing the hearts and
fealty of my hitherto loyal subjects--now, therefore, do I,
Lucifer Match, declare that from this hour I will give him no
peace or rest--
And, in order that his work may be brought to nought, I do
commission my loyal band of Imps to sally forth and utterly
destroy not only this arch conspirator, but all his handiwork--To
him who shall accomplish the downfall of this personification of
Christmas Peace and Good Will, I give the half of my kingdom, and
the hand of my daughter in marriage.
(Signed) LUCIFER MATCH,
King of the Imps.”
LARGE
RED
SEAL
(After reading of commission, exit Lucifer Match. _Then
Imps disappear behind the hedge._)
END OF ACT II. CURTAIN.