Nursery Comedies. Bell Florence Eveleen Eleanore Olliffe

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СКАЧАТЬ – That is somewhat of an unfeminine instinct, although it is justified by more than one example in history. Thus, Boadicea —

      E. – Oh, shut up, or I will run you through with my sword! It's just like a real one. It's made of the most beautiful steel.

      W. – Then the blade probably came from the district of Cleveland in Yorkshire, where the iron and steel industries may be seen in their greatest development. You have, doubtless, heard of the steel works of Eston, and the blast furnaces of Middlesborough?

      E. – I don't know what a blast furnace is.

      W. – Allow me to describe that ingenious construction to you.

      E. – No, thank you, not in my play-time. I am going to get some daisies to make a daisy-chain.

      W. – You doubtless have a herbarium?

      E. – No. I don't believe they grow in this garden.

      W. – Oh, too ignorant girl! A herbarium is not a flower, it is a collection of dried flowers and plants.

      E. – Ah, well! I haven't one then.

      W. – That is a mistake. You should carefully dry the plants and stick them in a book, with a minute description of each specimen written on the opposite page.

      E. – I can't stick anything in a book, because Mamma doesn't like me to use her gum, and I have only fish-glue.

      W. – Fish-glue is, for certain purposes, a most valuable substance. It has even been known to cure cecity or blindness. Thus, Tobit —

      E. – Don't talk about Tobit. Are you coming to make a daisy-chain?

      W. – Never.

      E. – Shall we play at battledore? I have a heavy shuttlecock and a light one, whichever you like best.

      W. – That is because the density of cork varies in a very marked manner. That brought from the West Indies —

      E. – Don't talk about the West Indies during play-time. Are you coming to play at battledore?

      W. – On no account.

      E. – Very well, then, you may stay with your Egyptians, your South Sea Islanders, and your West Indies, while I go and play in the garden. I think you are rather a prig. (Exit.)

      W. – (Looking after her, surprised.) A prig! How odd! I wonder what makes her say that?

      THE MONSTER IN THE GARDEN

      CHARACTERS

      JACK.

      JANET.

      MABEL.

      AUNT MARY.

      THE MONSTER IN THE GARDEN

      Janet. – Come, I want to go into the garden.

      Mabel. – We must have Tiny with us.

      Jan. – Of course, where is he, I wonder? Tiny! Tiny!

      M. – Tiny! Tiny! Stupid little dog! He is always away when one wants him.

      Jan. – Perhaps he is in the garden already.

      M. – Perhaps he is. We'll go and see.

      Jan. – Ah! here is Jack, perhaps he has seen Tiny.

Enter Jack

      M. – Have you seen Tiny?

      Jack. – Tiny? No, I haven't, indeed. Oh dear me! I am so frightened.

      Jan. – What's the matter?

      Jack. – I've seen the most terrible monster in the garden.

      M. and Jan. – A monster!

      Jack. – A monster, in the garden.

      Jan. – Oh, Mabel, hold my hand! (To Jack.) Did you see him?

      Jack. – Well, I did not see him exactly, because he was inside that clump of laurels, but I certainly heard him growl.

      M. – (Getting very close to Janet.) Growl? Oh dear!

      Jack. – Then I believe I saw two great eyes looking at me.

      M. – Two great eyes?

      Jack. – Then I am certain I saw the point of a hairy ear, the sort of point that a great monster's ear would be sure to have.

      M. – Then, of course, now we won't go into the garden.

      Jan. – I've just thought of the most terrible thing!

      Jack. – What is it?

      M. – What is it?

      Jan. – (Covering her face.) That Tiny is in the garden!

      M. – And he will be eaten alive!

      (Covering her face with her hands, and sobbing loudly.)

      Jan. – What shall we do? We can't leave him to die.

      Jack. – (Valiantly.) No, we can't. I will go and save him.

      M. – Oh, you brave boy! We'll come too.

      Jack. – Come, then! I've got my knife.

(Pulls his knife out of his pocket.)

      Jan. – And I'll take my new scissors.

      M. – And what shall I have? Oh, I'll take two large hairpins to stab him with.

      Jack. – That's right. We'll stab him through the heart.

Enter Aunt Mary

      Aunt Mary. – Why, my dear children! How warlike you look!

      Jack. – And well we may! We're going into the garden to kill the most terrible monster.

      A. M. – Oh, I see, you are pretending to be warriors.

      Jan. – No, indeed! We are not. It is a real monster in the garden. Jack has seen him – part of him, at least.

      A. M. – And what was he like?

      Jack. – He's an enormous animal, with great flaring eyes, and long hairy ears.

      Jan. – And probably horns and tusks, but we're not quite sure, because he was behind the bushes.

      M. – And we are so dreadfully afraid he will kill Tiny.

      A. M. – Oh no! He won't find Tiny – Tiny is hidden behind the laurels near the conservatory, eating a mouse which he has just caught.

      Jack. – Behind the laurels near the conservatory! Then he will certainly be killed! The monster is there too! That is where the growls came from!

      A. СКАЧАТЬ