THE PLAY BOX

Auckland Star, Volume LXVI, Issue 170, 20 July 1935, Page 3 (Supplement)

THE PLAY BOX

DRAMATIS PERSONAE.

Patches. The Happiness Fairie». SCENE I.—(Continued). Loveday (eagerly): Oh, if only you could! (She turns, picking up scroll from table.) Come in and read this. (Patches comes to table, takes scroll and reads it. Then she looks up at the two in quiet excitement.) Patches: It was too bad of Queen Mab to write you like this. But I think I have an idea. You are the Happiness Fairies? (looking from one to the othsr). Loveday: Yes. Just Joy and I. And your name? You lzave not told us. Patches (shyly): I am called Patches. Loveday: Patches! What a quaint name. But, of course, your dress— Patches (half explaining): Well, my drees is but half the reason for my being called so. My name really comes from my work. (Pause, then impulsively) I wonder would you mind my asking Queen Mab to let me be a Happiness Fairy—to work with you ? Loveday: Mind? Why, we'd love to have you with us. Wouldn't we, Joy? Joy (nodding enthusiastically): Of course. But, Patches, how could you manage it? I mean, the duties, you have now — Pat-ches: You see, to-day is my first day in Fairyland! I have come here at Queen Mab's request, although meaning to work alone. But now—now that I've met you and read this (indicating scroll) — Loveday: You'd like to be with us? Patches (nodding): Yes. My idea to help you is really concerned with my work, and the three of us could carry it out wonderfully well. Oh! (remembering suddenly) Queen Mab will be waiting for me. I was on my way to see her. I must go. (Hands scroll to Loveday and turns towards door.) Patches: Good-bye for now. Will you be here if I come back in a little while? Joy and Loveday (together): Of course, Patches. We'll wait for you. Loveday: And you'll tell us your idea to help us then? Patches: We can start on it straight away. But I can't stay any longer. Good-bye, Joy. Good-bye, Loveday. I won't be long. (Exit Patches, waving hand.) (Happiness Fairies exchange glances excitedly.) Loveday: Oh, Joy, it's too wonderful! Joy (happily): And we won't have to leave Fairyland after all! Oli! (Goes to door, looking in direction Patches took. Waves her hand and turns gaily.) She's waving, Loveday. Come and answer her. (Loveday hurries eagerly to door.) CURTAIN.

SCENE n,

(A hare room. Mary is on stage glancing through old book. Sound of door shutting, and a second later Joan comes on stage. Costume: Patched cotton frocks.)

Mary (turning quickly): Is mummy coming ? Joan (shaking head): Not yet. Oli, I do wish she'd hurry. I'm so hungry.

Mary: I wonder why mummy doesn't buy us the things she used to I loved winter once—snowballing and— Joan (brightly): And toboganning! Wasn't it fun? And do you remember those red woolly dresses we had to match? And the berets? Mary: Of course I remember them, silly! As though I'd forgotten them! Joan: All right, grumpy! And Saturdays haven't seemed the same for ages. Fancy to-day being Saturday! Why, Saturday used to be the best day of the whole week! No school, and all day to play, and mummy and daddy taking us all down to the river to skate! Why, Mary (anxiously, as Mary turns away, her hands to her eyes, crying) what's the matter? (stepping to the other and putting arm round her). Joan: Why, Mary, you're colder than I am. You poor frozen dear! But I know (attempting to cheer). Let's go and see if mummy's coming yet. She'll lend us her coat like she always does. Come on (pulling Mary gently). (Sudden knock at door.) Joan: There. That sounds like her now. Bace you, Mary. (Exit Joan, followed eagerly by Mary.) (Sound of door opening, followed by exclamations of surprise. A second later the children return on stage, Joan carrying large square, brown paper parcel,) Joan: But whatever can it be? Mary: Oh, let's open it, Joan! It's got our name on it, so it must be for us. Quickly. Joan (putting parcel on rug and starting to untie string): Yes.. It's got "To Joan and Mary Smithson" written on it. But—oh! (in surprise, pulling paper away). Mary (hysterically): Woollies, Joanl For us! Oh, look at this darling jumper! (holding garment up in both hands). Joan (gaily): And this one! (holding it up). And singlets too! Oh, Mary, aren't they fluffy and warm ?

Mary: Joan, I wonder who ever sent them. Fancy just leaving them 011 the doorstep! But what's this—this big tiling all patches (pulling at it, helped by Joan, as she speaks. They hold it up between them).

Joan (excitedly): A quilt! It's a quilt. Mary.

Mary: There's two! Look! Oh, won't we be ever so cosy to-night! But let's put the jumpers on, Joan, to show 'mummy when she comes.

Joan (eyeing heap dubiously): Y-yes. I suppose it's all right that they're for us. It —it's almost too good to be true!

Mary (happily): Cuckoo! They're addressed to us, aren't they ? I'm going to put this one oil, anyway! (Starts doing so, Joan following suit.)

Mary: O-oh-h! Aren't they cosy, Joan? This one's lovely! And yours too!

Joan: Yes. mine's warm as toast, But—

(Sound of door opening.)

Mary (excitedly): Mummy! Come 011, Joan. (Stoops, gathering up some of the things in her arms, Joan doing likewise.)

"THE NEW FAIRY" — A PLAY. Dedicated to the Sunbeams of Btidgetland.

(By AGNES L. WINSKELL.)

Postman. The Smithson Children. Mary and Joan (together, running off stage, arms full): Mummy! Mummy! Look what somebody left us. CURTAIN. SCENE 111. (As first, but with as many patches in sight as possible, with perhaps also a quilt or two. Table should be strewn with patches and balls of wool. Patches, Loveday and Joy are seated on stools, the two former knitting busily, the latter* industriously sewing patches together. Loveday (cheerily): There, another strip finished. Scissors, somebody (looking about her). Seen the scissors, Joy? You, Patches? Patches: Lazybones! They were on the table a moment ago. Loveday (to Joy, who is nearest table): Seen them, Joy? Joy (good-humouredly raking among the patches): Here they are, hidden under the patches. (Hands them to Loveday.) That's the fifth time I've found your scissors for you to-day, and (in mock severity), my lady, the last! Loveday (reproachfully): Oh, Joy, you wouldn't have me drop my needles and patches and things, surely, by getting up all the time? (Snips at thread and looks about her.) Now for the next one. Oh, it's gone! That lovely pinky patch I had— Patches (laughing): Patches to right of them; patches to left of them. (They all laugh.) Joy: This it, Loveday? (holding up patch). Was there ever anything you didn't lose ? Loveday: That's it. Thanks. Goodness only knows how it got over there. Patches: How many have you joined, Loveday? Enough for another quilt? We want as many as we can for to-night. Loveday: Yes. This is the last lot. Oh-! (turning impulsively towards the others) hasn't this turned out the most wonderful idea?

Patches: It was glorious to watch the Smithson children. I've never seen anyone so happy.

Joy: Nor I. Not even with the gayest of mv dreams.

Loveday (with gay reminiscence): The way they snuggle down under the quilts! Why, they could hardly wait till bedtime came.

Joy: I know. And the Morga:i twins were the same. And the others, too. Oh, it seems ages longer than a week since we started. Why (ill surprise), here's Postie again. Patches and Loveday (together): Where ?

(Postman staggers on stage, carrying large bag on his back. Drops it with a gasp.) Postman (between pants): There. Th-thank goodness I'm rid of that! Joy: But, Postie, not for us, surely? Loveday: Whoever can it be from? Postman (still gasping): I-it's from— from the Queen! S-slie — (The three exchange glances.) Loveday (anxiously): From the Queen ? But—

(Exit postman. Patches crosses to bag, looking at it and fingering it.) Patches (suddenly): Oh, look! There's a note here! (Unfolds it slowly and reads it, growing excited the while. Meantime, Joy and Loveday try to undo top of bag.) Patches (excitedly and gaily): Oh! Joy—Loveday! It's too wonderful! Open it up quickly! Whatever do you think it is? Joy (making snatch at note): Let's read it. What does it say?

Patches (holding it out of reach teasingly): No. Guess. Have one

guess. Joy and Loveday (together): Patches. Patches (triumphantly): Wrong. It's singlets. Joy: Singlets! For the babies! Oh, Patches, let me see. Open it up quickly, Loveday. (Starts reading note, then) Oli, Loveday, just listen. (Heads from note.) "My Happiness Fairies, —I am pleased and'relieved that you have been able to prove your true worth so successfully. Your warm-hearted idea —

Loveday (interrupting, and glancing at Patches): Patches', she means. Patches: Goose! Without you both to help, it would never have turned out so well.

Joy (pleadingly): Please, you two. Do be quiet. How am I to read it if you ksep on chiming in? Listen. (Recommences.) "Your warm-hearted idea is to your credit, and to help you a little I am sending you just a few more rays of sunshine to warm the little earth babies — -

Loveday: What a sweet way to put it. Oh! (opening bag at last) Aren't they just the dearest things? Just look at this one. (All three crowd round the bag excitedly.)

Patches: Fancy Queen Mab sending them herself!

Loveday (suddenly): But tlie quilts! We're forgetting all about them. Come on.. I've nearly finished. (AH move back to their places.) Patches (hesitantly): Before we start. I wonder would you like to hear of an idea of mine? Joy and Loveday (together): An idea? Oh, iell us, Patches! Quickly! Patches: Well., it was Queen Mab's letter that made me think of it (pausing). Loveday (impatiently): Yes! Yes! Oh. do hurry, Patches. Joy: Please. Patches (quickly): Well, then, how would it be if we called our things Sunshine patches and Sunshine singlets— (pausing again, auestioningly). Joy (delighted): Oh, Patches, just the thing! % Loveday : 'Oh, you darling! Patches: But just a minute. I've not finished yet. (Continuing)—if we called them Sunshine patches —and—and let ourselves and those who help us be known as Sunbeams! Joy and Loveday (together): Oh, Patches, it's a glorious idea! (All sing together): Sunshine patches we will make, Sunshine singlets too ; Singlets soft, and white, and warm, Patches reel and blue! CURTAIN