SCENE III
TIME: the day following Christmas Day.
PLACE: an old stone wall by a brook.
| THE SPARROW. | FIRST STONE. |
| THE PEASANT. | SECOND STONE. |
| GRETEL. | THIRD STONE. |
[The SPARROW sits in a hole in the wall.]
FIRST STONE. Come, come, be not so sad, little Sparrow!
SECOND STONE. Come, lift up your head and sing!
THIRD STONE. Come, sing us your Christmas song!
SPARROW. Sing! I have nothing to sing about.
FIRST STONE. Sing of your friends.
SECOND STONE. Sing of their love for you.
THIRD STONE. Sing of their kindness to you.
SPARROW. Talk not to me of friends, or love, or kindness! There's none in the world.
[Enter a PEASANT with his little GRETEL. The Peasant carries two ears of corn.]
PEASANT. Now, my Gretel, we'll place the corn here on the old wall.
GRETEL. Mother thought you brought too much.
PEASANT. Well, 't is true there are only three ears left at home, but the birds must have their Christmas dinner.
[He places the corn on the wall.]
GRETEL. There's none about to see it!
PEASANT. Oh, some bird will soon find it!
GRETEL. But will it call the others?
PEASANT. We'll wait to see. Come, we'll sit there on the log.
[They go to a log near by.]
FIRST STONE. There, little Sparrow, say you now there is no kindness?
SECOND STONE. Or love?
THIRD STONE. Or friendship?
SPARROW. No, no! I can never say that again. The peasant's heart is full of kindness and love and friendship. I will sing of it! 'T will be my Christmas song!
[The Sparrow leaves the hole and flies to the corn.]
GRETEL. Look, father, there is a sparrow! And hear it sing! Just hear it!
PEASANT. It is calling the other birds.
GRETEL. Why, it doesn't even touch the corn!
PEASANT. It's waiting to share it with the others. Is it not a pretty sight? Come, we must go to tell mother.