ACT I
Time: Christmas Eve.
Scene: The kitchen of a peasant cottage. Open fireplace[7] (R.) with large pot, hung from a crane, or standing directly upon the logs. On the shelf above, small bowls and spoons. Beside fireplace, a narrow exit leading to Toinette's room: opposite, door to other rooms. Outside door, R. Back. L. window. Down stage L. a low table with small chairs, where the children sit for their supper, used later by the Elves. Before the fire, a large old-fashioned wooden rocker.
Mother bends over sewing, near window, from time to time glancing at Toinette, who sits dreamily gazing into the fire.
Mother. Toinette! [Toinette, absorbed in thought, apparently hears nothing.] Toinette! Bless the child, is she asleep? Toinette!
Toinette [absently]. Yes, Mother.
Mother. Come, Toinette, it is time to brush the hearth and set the kettle on to boil.
Toinette [without moving]. Yes'm, in a minute.
Mother [sharply]. Toinette, the dusk is coming. It is nearly supper-time, and the candle must be lit. Come, brush the floor quickly, child.
Toinette [flinging impatiently out of her chair]. I hate to work! [Sweeps slowly and absently, stopping to lean on her broom. Enter Marie and Jeannette, with sewing and book, and sit down on low chairs.]
Marie. Toinette, will you show me how to fasten this off?
Toinette [who has been leaning on her broom, begins suddenly to sweep]. No, I won't. I'm busy sweeping.
Marie. Oh, I didn't know you were busy.
Toinette. What are your eyes for? Don't you see me sweeping?
Marie. Well, you were standing still, and I just thought——
Toinette [sweeping furiously]. You're always "just thinking" things.
Jeannette. I'm hungry, Mother.
Mother. Are you, dear?
Toinette [crossly, leaning on her broom]. She's always hungry. I never saw such a little pig.
Marie [putting her arms indignantly around Jeannette]. No, she isn't at all. You're very unkind, Toinette.
Mother. Hush, children. Don't quarrel. [Shakes her head sadly and looks perplexed.]
[Enter Pierre and Marc, the latter with
knife and bits of wood. Marc sits down
against the fireplace, whittling. Pierre
lies at full length before the fire.
Jeannette. Will you tell us a story, Toinette?
Marie [gently]. Sh, dear, Toinette's busy, but I wish she would. She can tell such lovely fairy stories when she likes to. And this is Christmas Eve, Jeannette. Perhaps the fairies are out, looking for good children. Fairies are always helping St. Nicholas; Toinette says so. I wish she would get done sweeping.
Jeannette. When you get done, can't you tell just one story, Toinette?
Toinette. Oh, it's so hard to keep thinking up stories all the time. There now, Marc, you horrid boy, just see how you've scattered chips all over my clean floor. And, Pierre, your old shoes are just as dirty as they can be. What's the use of my sweeping, Mother, when the boys are so careless?
Mother. Try to remember to brush your shoes next time, Pierre. And, Marc, it's better not to bring the whittling into the house.
Toinette. I should think as much.
Pierre [getting up]. I'm sorry I forgot, Mother. Come along, Marc, we'll go out in the woodshed.
Marc [giving the chips a brush towards the fireplace with his cap and then following Pierre]. It's pretty cold in the woodshed. [Looking resentfully at Toinette.] I'd rather be cold than get scolded all the time. [Exeunt boys.]
Mother [rises, lights candle, puts saucepan over the fire]. Now, Toinette, I have other work to do. Finish brushing up [Toinette puts down broom], and set the table. The porridge is over the fire and will be done soon. If you would put your mind on it, daughter, and work quickly, you would get done quickly, and the work would not seem so hard. [Exit.]
Toinette [seizes a tablecloth and approaches the table]. Work quickly! Marie, how ever can I set the table with you and Jeannette in the way, I'd like to know?
Marie. We'll go in Mother's room, Toinette. [Takes Jeannette by the hand. Exeunt.]
Toinette [covering table and slapping bowls and spoons pettishly down upon it]. Work quickly! Don't I work and work all the time? And I'm never done. The work seems hard because it is hard, that's why. Oh, if we weren't so poor, and didn't have to work so hard! [Relaxes her efforts and stands before the fire, dish in hand.] And if we could have beautiful Christmas presents to-morrow, instead of just—anything. [A very gentle knock at the door.] Oh, what was that? [Opens.] The boys must be playing tricks on me. [Knocks again.] Surely, there is someone there. [Opens door and steps outside. Hollyberry slips in behind her and hides behind the door. Re-enter Toinette.] It must be the fairies, I think. [Stands looking out.] This is Christmas Eve and of course it's the right time for good fairies to be about. How I wish I could see one!
Hollyberry. Do you, Toinette? Just open your eyes and you will, then.
Toinette [jumping, rubs her eyes and looks about]. Where? Oh, where?
[Hollyberry comes from behind the door
and makes a low bow.
Toinette [clasping her hands with delight]. Oh, are you really a fairy?
Hollyberry [hands on hips]. Yes, I think I'm a pretty real sort of a fairy. We elves have heard you talking about us and you always tell what's true, so we like you.
Toinette. Oh, I'm so glad, because I love fairies. The children do too, and they are always teasing me to tell them fairy tales.
Hollyberry. I am the leader of the band of elves. My name is Hollyberry, and I've come with a message to you. I told you the elves and fairies all like you. So we are going to give you a Christmas present.
Toinette. Oh, oh! how kind you are.
Hollyberry [arms folded, nodding his head]. Yes, we are. Very kind. But people don't always think so. Toinette, how would you like to be invisible?
Toinette. Invisible? Oh, do you mean to go around wherever I like without being seen? Oh, what fun!
Hollyberry. That's exactly what I mean. We can do it, at any time, because we know how. But mortals like you can only do it on Christmas Eve, and then only when we help them.
Toinette. Do you mean you are going to show me how?
Hollyberry. That's it. There are two things you must do. First you must put fern seed in your shoes.
Toinette. Fern seed? Why, I didn't even know ferns had seeds. I never saw any.
Hollyberry. Of course not. The elves take very good care of that.
Toinette. Where shall I get any?
Hollyberry. I'll attend to that. The second thing is to put on the Cloak of Darkness.
Toinette. The Cloak of Darkness! What is that?
Hollyberry. Don't be impatient, Toinette. [Waves his holly wand and snaps his fingers above his head. The door opens and the other elves enter, carrying between them the gray cloak and a tiny bag.]
Elves [kneeling before Toinette and presenting bag and cloak]. Hail, Toinette!
Hollyberry [touching the kneeling elves as he names them]. Evergreen and Mistletoe, present the magic Cloak of Darkness. Icicle, yield the fairy fern seed. Now, Toinette, put a pinch of fern seed in each shoe, wrap the cloak around you, and then,—well, nobody but an elf can find you.
Mistletoe. The charm is only for to-night.
Hollyberry. And if you get tired of it before bedtime——
Evergreen. Take off the cloak——
Icicle. And empty your shoes——
Hollyberry. And, presto! Toinette is herself again. Now, farewell. [All bow low and go to door.]
Icicle. Good-by.
Mistletoe. We'll take care of the cloak when you're done with it.
Evergreen. We hope you'll like our Christmas present.
[Exeunt elves, laughing mischievously.
Toinette [looking after them]. What cunning little fellows! Oh, what fun. [Examines cloak.] I'll put it on right away. [Exit (R.).]
[Enter Mother (L.), going at once to the fire.
Mother. Why, where is Toinette? The porridge is almost boiling over. Come, children,—Marie, Jeannette, boys. Supper is ready.
[Enter children and take their places at table.
Mother fills bowls from saucepan while
they talk.
Mother [calls]. Toinette, come to supper, daughter.
[Enter Toinette in cloak. All are unconscious
of her presence.
Mother [giving bread to children, who eat hungrily]. Where can Toinette be? Boys, have you seen her?
Marc. No, Mother, she lets us alone when we keep out of her way.
Mother. For shame, Marc. Pierre, go call her,—she may be in her room. [Pierre crosses the room, almost bumping into Toinette, who stands in the way.]
Pierre [at door]. Toinette! Toinette! We're at supper. [A moment's silence. Toinette giggles.] She isn't here, Mother.
Marie. I'm sure I heard her laughing.
Mother. Listen. [Toinette covers her mouth to stifle a laugh. Pierre sits down again and eats.]
Toinette [aside]. This is such fun. But I'm hungry,—how am I going to get anything to eat? [Goes close to the table and, watching her chance, slips Marc's bread off the table and eats.]
Marc. Where's my bread? You took it, Pierre.
Pierre. I did not. Here's my own.
Marie. You must have dropped it on the floor.
Marc [looking under chair]. No, I didn't.
Marie. Well, you ate it, then.
Marc. I never. [Toinette laughs silently.]
Mother. Here's another piece. Never mind where that is gone. I only wish Toinette had it. [Toinette nearly chokes.] The child must have gone out. I will go to the gate and look down the road. [Exit.]
Jeannette. Poor Toinette's all gone.
Marc. Perhaps a bear has eaten her up.
Pierre. If he has, I mean to ask Mother if I can't have her room.
Marie. Marc, don't talk so, you'll frighten Jeannette.
Marc. Well, perhaps it's true.
Marie. Well, you know you'd be sorry if it was.
Pierre. I wouldn't be very sorry.
Marie [horrified]. Oh, you bad boy.
Pierre. Well, of course I don't want her to be hurt.
Marc. But we wouldn't care much if she didn't come back.
Marie. Boys, how can you be so naughty?
Pierre. But, Marie, Toinette never does a thing but scold us when she's around.
Marie. She tells us beautiful fairy stories sometimes.
Marc. That's just it—"sometimes." You don't catch her doing it unless she wants to.
Pierre. And she's just a regular old spoil-sport.
Marc. Oh, bother about Toinette. She'll come back a good deal sooner than we want her. Can't you talk about anything else?
Marie [doubtfully]. Well, it is pleasanter when she isn't here, I know.
Pierre. Of course it is.
Marie. But I hope she's having a good time somewhere else.
[Throughout this conversation Toinette listens,
horrified at first, then angry, then
distressed; at one moment about to exclaim,
then starting forward to strike one
of the boys, and at last covering her face
with her hands and crying. Enter Mother.
Mother [anxiously]. Not a trace can I see of her. Children, have you eaten your porridge? Marie, take Jeannette to bed. [Exeunt Marie and Jeannette.] Boys, go out and cut some wood for our Christmas fire. [Exeunt boys.] There will be no Christmas in this house unless Toinette comes back soon. [Sits down in the rocker to warm herself.] Dear, dear, she is a good girl, and a clever girl, but she is a sore puzzle to me. What can make her so thoughtless and careless and full of discontent? Why, even little Marie is a greater help to me than she is.
[Exit Toinette in great distress. Mother
sits in silence. Enter Toinette without
cloak, throwing herself on her knees at her
mother's feet.
Toinette. Oh, Mother, Mother! [Buries her face in her mother's lap.]
Mother [trying to raise her]. Toinette, my child! Where have you been all this time?
Toinette [with great excitement, half crying]. Oh, I've been here—right here—all the time, only you couldn't see me.
Mother. Toinette!
Toinette. Yes, Mother, it's all true. I'll tell you. A fairy came and lent me the Cloak of Darkness—and—and—I thought it would be such fun, but it was horrid. And then the children—they said such cruel things. Mother, don't they love me at all?
Mother. Mercy, mercy, what is all this about? Fairies—cloak of darkness—the child must have a fever. [Feels Toinette's forehead and takes her hand as if to count her pulse.]
Toinette. No, no! I'm not sick at all. But, Mother, don't you love me?
Mother [puts her arm about Toinette]. Love you, my child? Mother always loves you.
Toinette. But you said I didn't help you. Oh, I wish the fairy had never given me the cloak.
Mother. Fairies again! [Anxiously.] I must put the child to bed at once. Stay by the fire, Toinette. I will get your bed ready. [Rises, leaving Toinette seated on the floor by chair. Exit Mother.]
Toinette [slowly]. Mother thinks I dreamed it—or that I'm sick. But I'm not. It's all true, it's all true. [Covers her face with her hands.] How could the children be so unkind?... But perhaps I'm not always kind to the children. The boys are so provoking—but then I needn't scold them even if they are. And Marie must care a little, for she hoped I was happy somewhere. Happy! How can I be happy? [Gazes at the fire.] Perhaps if I began now, and tried and tried every day, I could be kinder—to the children—and then they would love me more—and I could try to help Mother—and then she needn't be so tired all the time—— And surely, then I would be happy. [Brightly, facing audience, hands clasped on one knee.] Yes, that's just what I'll do. And now, perhaps I can help Mother this very minute—— I'll take the candle up to her. [Jumps up, takes candle from table, pauses in center of the stage.] It is Christmas—I do think that if I begin to-morrow to try to be kind, I will surely succeed. Because Christmas is the very best and happiest day in all the whole year. It was on Christmas Day the angels first sang about Peace on earth, good will to men.
CURTAIN