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. M.—Ha! ha! Now I see it all! Why, the monster that Jack saw and heard, is simply Tiny, who was growling because he feared his mouse would be taken away from him.
Jack.—Are you sure?
Jan.—Was the monster Tiny?
A. M.—Evidently. I've just seen him there myself.
M.—Oh, how delightful! let us go and tell Tiny there is no monster in the garden!
(Exeunt running, followed by Aunt Mary.)
[CAT AND DOG.]
| CHARACTERS. | |
|---|---|
| TOWSER. | PUSSY. |