THE HOUSE OF SANTA CLAUS. BY EDWARD EGGLESTON. school room. The room in this diagram is supposed to be forty feet wide. The stage should not be less than twelve feet in depth nor less than fifteen in width. The portions of the stage represented at B and ƒ may be on the same level of the main platform, or B may be higher or lower, and f an incline. The beauty of the stage is greatly enhanced by surrounding it with a fence of popcorn. The upright posts should be bits of lath. eighteen inches high, the lower end nailed to the edge of the platform, and the whole wrapped with strings of pop-corn. Then draw two strands of the corn from post to post, to represent the horizontal rails. At i there should be a gate with a pointed arch over the top. This should also be of lath, wrapped with pop-corn. There should be three strands in the gate and a diagonal brace. The pop-corn fence is not essential, but it is a great addition to the beauty of the scene, giving the stage a weird and fairy-like appearance, and contrasting finely with the dark green behind. At x, x, two small Christmas-trees may be planted. painted to look like stone; cleats are nailed around this chimney near the top, to imitate ornamental stone-work. The box is securely nailed to the timbers of the house, and there is a ladder inside the house, so arranged that the lad who represents Santa Claus can put his head and shoulders out at the top. At b there is a door-way two feet wide, in which is a door on hinges. Make it an open frame covered with pink tissue paper. The window, c, is two feet square and made like the door, but intersected with strings of pop-corn for sashes. Over the door-way, b, is a transparency like a transom. It reads "Santa Claus," and is lighted by a lantern behind. The house should be provided with a door-bell. Every precaution must be taken against fire. The house should stand about two feet from the wall, and the back may be left open. At a, a, two pumpkin faces illuminated are suspended or put upon any support that may be found convenient. At B there should be either a miniature tent or a dense arbor of evergreens. If the tent is used, a Chinese lantern may be suspended on the top outside. CHARACTERS, COSTUMES, ETC. SANTA CLAUS should be a boy of fourteen or sixteen years of age, with good acting qualities, The house, A, is nine feet in length and six in depth. It should be about six feet high at the eaves. The frame is of studding, and it is first covered with lath nailed six inches or more apart. Cedar boughs are then so interwoven as to entirely cover it. The roof is thatched in the same way. At e there is a chimney made by knocking out both ends of a packing-box, such as is used for shoes. The box is kalsomined or appropriate costume, wig, mask, etc. He carries a THE GATE. especially a sense of drollery. He should have any *See "Letter-Box."-ED. snuff-box, and a red or yellow handkerchief. He appoint X., Y. and Z. [calling the girls by their is also provided with a whistle. real names], who will please come forward. THE DWARFS are boys of ten or twelve years of age. They wear masks and a red tunic of papermuslin, stuffed, to give them a hunchback appearance. They carry staffs, little tin trumpets, stoop as they walk, and speak in a squeaky falsetto. Their stations are just inside the house, at h, h. They appear from behind the house in every case except the very last. THE FAIRY QUEEN should be a little girl of from six to nine years of age, dressed in gauze, with wings of the same material. Stripes or stars, or spangles of gold paper, add to the effect of her dress. She wears a coronet and carries a wand. THE COMMITTEE should consist of three girls in ordinary dress. They are represented by X., Y. and Z. in the following dialogue, but their real names should be used instead of the letters. Z. should be a rather small girl. PRELIMINARY ARRANGEMENTS. The superintendent or pastor conducts the introductory exercises from some point in front of the stage. No one must be seen on the stage until the dialogue begins. At the time of beginning, the house, A, conceals Santa Claus and his two dwarfs, and a grown person who has charge of the lights and who acts as prompter. There is no light on the stage except that in the transparency over the door, and that in the pumpkin faces. There are a large number of tapers or lamps inside the house, carefully arranged to avoid the danger of fire. These are not lighted until the signal is given in the dialogue. The fairy queen is concealed in her bower at B, with some one who has charge of her, and an automatic music-box, which sits upon the floor of the platform, wound up and ready to be started at the proper time. The committee of girls sit in the audience, and not together. DIALOGUE. After appropriate introductory exercises, a teacher rises in his place and speaks in substance as follows: Teacher. Mr. Superintendent, I see some very pleasant decorations here, but no presents or refreshments for the scholars. I move that a committee of three be appointed to go up to Fairyland and inquire of Santa Claus. I would like to know why this Sunday-school has been left out. [X., Y. and Z. rise from their places in their several classes, and come forward to the superintendent. Superintendent. Girls, you see we are without any candy or anything of the sort for our scholars. Old Santa Claus has forgotten us. He never did so before. Now I want you three to proceed to Fairyland and see if you can find him. Tell him we must have something. Don't come down without something. We can't have all these children disappointed. [The committee proceed by the steps to the stage. Z. What a strange face! Wonder who it is! X. They do say that he's full of fun But this must be his house. Let's find the door. [All X. Pshaw! Santa never hurts anybody. Don't you see his name over the door? [Rings.] [After a pause.] I wonder he don't answer. May be he is n't at home. Y. Gone sleigh-riding, as sure as I live! Z. I guess he's gone to bed. May be his mamma would n't let him sit up late. X. Let's look around, and see what we can find. You two go around that side, and I'll go around this. See if you can't find him in behind the face that's hanging up there. [X. goes to the left, around the house, while Y. and Z. go around to the right. They proceed timidly to the back of the house, out of sight of the audience, whereupon the dwarfs blow sharp blasts upon their horns, and the girls all rush back to the front of the house. X. I'm so scared! Y. and Z. Oh, dear! I'm so scared! X. What could it be? Guess old Santa Claus made that noise just for fun. I wish the superintendent had come himself, or sent some of the boys. Y. I'll bet the boys would run from that noise. Don't you? X. Yes. Boys never are as brave as girls, anyhow. But let's go back again, and see what there Another teacher. I second that motion. Superintendent. I would appoint-let me seegirls are better at coaxing than boys, I think-I will Z. I'm afraid. X. Well, you stay here, and Y. will go that way. and I will go this way. First Dwarf. What do you want? [The dwarfs laugh long and loud. First Dwarf. We are not Santa Clauses. We are the dwarfs that take care of Santa Claus's storerooms, full of goodies and presents. · Second Dwarf. But there's nothing left to take care of now. Santa's given away all he had this Christmas. X. But we must see old Santa. Our Sundayschool has been left without anything, and we want to see good old Claus himself. First Dwarf. But you can't. He's asleep. Second Dwarf. He was out all night last night, and now he's tired to death and sleeping like a top. Thunder would n't wake him. X. But we must see him. Y. and Z. Yes, we must. Second Dwarf. If you'd been riding over roofs all night First Dwarf. And climbing down chimneys First Dwarf. And Christmas-trees Second Dwarf. And climbing up chimneys again X. But we must have something. [Rings.] I wonder he does n't answer. Z. Ring louder. X. Well, here goes. [Rings three or four times.] [Santa Claus, appearing at the top of the chimney, blows his whistle. X. Y. and Z. Oh, dear! Santa Claus. Who's there? Who rang my bell, I'd like to know? Pity if I can't sleep Christmas Night, when I'm tired to death. Who's there, I say? X. Oh, you dear old Santa Claus ! Don't be angry. Some of your little friends have come to Fairyland to see you. Come down. Santa Claus. Ha ha ha! Some of my little friends come to see me! Well, well! [Blows his whistle.] Light up the house, fairies, light up the house. [Whistles again, and then descends the chimney and re-appears at the front door. The house is lighted within.] How do you do, girls? how do you do? [Shakes hands all round, and then, with great deliberation, takes a pinch of snuff.] Well, I'm glad to see you. What can I do for you? X. Why, you see, Santa Claus, our Sundayschool is left without anything this Christmas. Santa Claus [sneezes and uses his bandana]. What? You don't tell me so? What's the name of your school? First Dwarf. And getting your hands and face you that? all over soot Second Dwarf. And driving reindeer, they do pull Both Dwarfs. I guess you'd be sleepy too. Y. and Z. We must have something. X. What will the superintendent say? Y. and Z. Yes, what will the deacons say? Do you think I'd tell Z. You must be as old as the Centennial. Santa Claus. Of course I did. Santa Claus. What did I put in little Georgie Washington's stockings? Well, now, that's more than a hundred years ago, and an old man's mem ory is n't strong. I can't remember but one thing. X. What's that? Santa Claus. A hatchet. Z. That same little hatchet? Santa Claus. The very same little hatchet. [Laughs.] But I did not give him the cherry-tree. X. Yes, but we must have something for our X. Well, I'm going to wake up old Santa Claus. school, good Santa Claus. Santa Claus. But you can't. I've given away all I had, and turned the reindeer out on the mount- X. Yes, but we must have something. Z. Yes, indeed. Santa Claus [takes snuff and sneezes]. Well, what is to be done? How many scholars have you got this year? X. About Santa Claus. So many? Why, you must be growing. I hope you have n't any Christmas bummers among them-folks that come to Sundayschool to get something to eat. I hate that kind. Y. I don't think we have many of that sort. Santa Claus. Well, I always did like that school, and now I've gone and forgotten it. I wish something could be done. [Blows his whistle long and loud, and shouts :] Dwarfs! here! Drako, where are you? Krako, come! Wake up! [Whistles again.] [Enter dwarfs, each blowing his horn. Santa Claus. Now, my little rascals, what have you got for the Sunday-school? Both dwarfs [bowing very low]. Nothing, my lord. Santa Claus [takes snuff and sneezes]. I don't see that I can do anything for you. Y. Oh dear! Z. Oh dear! dear! dear! Santa Claus [starting up]. Now I have it. Santa Claus. An idea. Z. An idea? [Addressing X.] What's an idea? Can you put candy into an idea? X. Be still, Z. Let's hear what Santa Claus's idea may be. Santa Claus. I know who will help me out of this trouble. There's my friend the Fairy Queen. X. The Fairy Queen! Y. Oh, my! Z. Goody! goody! goody! [Santa Claus blows three blasts on his whistle and listens. The music-box in the fairy bower begins to play. Santa Claus. Listen! She's coming! X. Fairy music. Y. and Z. Sh-h! [The fairy comes down from B, skipping and reciting or singing: In the secret rocky dell, There the fairies love to dwell; Where the stars on dew-drops glance, There the fairies love to dance. Both dwarfs [bowing to Santa Claus]. The X. But we cannot go back without something. Fairy Queen, my lord! The children will cry. Santa Claus. Dwarfs, go and look again. [They go back behind the house as before. First dwarf. We cannot find a thing. Santa Claus [takes snuff]. Well, my little friends, this is very embarrassing-very-but I have n't a thing left. X. But we can't go back. What will the superintendent say? We must have something. Y. Something or other. Z. Yes, something. Santa Claus. I'll go and see myself. [Exit into house. After a considerable delay re-enters.] Yes, I find a box of candy, nuts, and pop-corn in the closet. X., Y. and Z. Candy, nuts, and pop-corn! Good! Santa Claus. What have you got to put the things in? X. Why we have n't got anything. Santa Claus. Well, then, the children will have to take off their stockings and let me fil! them. X., Y. and Z. Oh, Santa Claus! we could n't, such a cold night as this. Santa Claus takes snuff, looks perplexed, walks about the stage]. Well, I don't know what to do. X. Oh dear! Santa Claus [bowing]. Hail, Queen of the Fairies! X., Y. and Z. [bowing]. Hail, Queen of the Fairies! Fairy Queen [bowing]. Hail, Santa Claus ! Hail, little friends! Oh, stocking-filler, Santa Claus, I heard you whistle-what's the cause? Santa Claus [taking snuff]. Why, you see, here's a Sunday-school forgotten, hundred children! I want to give them something: got anything to put it in. But they have n't Fairy Queen. How would fairy stockings do? X. Fairy stockings! Y. Oh, my! Z. Goody! goody! goody! Fairy Queen [waving her hand toward в] : That let Fairyland obey. Santa Claus [entering the house and blowing his whistle.] Fill up the stockings, fairies; fill up the stockings. [The dwarfs enter, this time by the front door, and return carrying between them a basket full of little pink tarlatan stockings filled with candy, nuts, etc., which are then distributed to the children. |