Good Times with the Juniors

by Lilian M. Heath

ACT I.

SCENE.—A playground, with Carol, Avis, Roy seated on rocks and stumps, talking. Music as curtain rises. Music stops.

Avis. Did you say that she never could grow any larger?

Frank (entering). What’s that? Who never could grow any larger?

Carol. Why, don’t you know? It’s Dorothy Dot. Dear little Dorothy! It’s all because she was enchanted when she was only seven years old, by that dreadful enemy of all Sunshine people—Sir Dismal Dumps!

Frank. O yes, I remember. He is a rascal—that Dismal Dumps. He put one of his magic spells on her—he and his Bugaboo Man together—so she never could grow any larger unless——

Roy. Yes, she never could grow any larger, unless——

Avis. Unless what? Do tell me all about it.

Carol. I thought you knew, Avis. Unless the key is found, the key to Dorothy’s magic treasure-box. The Sunshine Fairies are shut up in the box, and until they are let out we children will all have lots of trouble because of that horrid Dismal Dumps and his Bugaboo Man.

Frank (walking about, his hands in his pockets, looking as if thinking very hard). This is a puzzle that gets me! The box that holds the Sunshine Fairies is locked, and Dismal Dumps stole the key, and keeps it hidden away. But say, wasn’t there something about the box growing, too?

Roy. Why, yes. You see, it’s a magic box, and was meant to grow larger all the time, just as Dorothy was meant to grow larger herself. But, when the key was stolen, it—the box, I mean—stopped growing, and she stopped growing, and now ——

All (coming forward and singing; tune, “The Red, White, and Blue”).

O sad is the plight of our playmate,
While under the dark, cruel spell;
No peace can she have, night or morning,
For foes watch her footsteps too well.
When found is the key to her treasure,
How gladly our chorus we’ll sing!
When forth come the bright Sunshine Fairies,
The bells of Bonnydingle will ring.
O the bells, bonny bells, how they’ll ring!
O the bells, bonny bells, how they’ll ring!
When forth come the bright Sunshine Fairies,
The bells of Bonnydingle will ring.

(Enter Dorothy, running.)

Dorothy. O Carol, Avis,—all of you! I’m so afraid! When I started to come over here, I was sure I heard Dismal Dumps and the Bugaboo Man talking, just around the corner, and I ran as fast as I could, to get away from them. I’m afraid they’ll be here, yet. (Looking around uneasily). But (brightening) I must tell you the good news. I’ve seen the Brownies!

(All crowd around her. Frank and Roy give a surprised whistle.)

Avis. Have you, Dorothy?

Carol. And will they help us plan what to do?

Dorothy. Yes, they said they would help. Here they come, now.

(Enter Brownies, running, skipping, and capering in various ways, which lively antics they must keep up at intervals all through the play. Coming forward and facing the audience, they sing, each one in turn; tune, “Yankee Doodle.”)

Reallywish.

Kind friends, my name is Reallywish;
I serve the people gladly.
Whenever they are true to me
They cease to mourn so sadly;
For, don’t you see? they go to work
To make their wish come true, sir!
And when they smile instead of shirk
There’s little they can’t do, sir.

Justnow.

And my name, if you’d know it well,
Would save you much debating;
For it’s Justnow, and when I’m called
I never keep folks waiting.
I hasten gladly on my way,
As fast as I can run, sir!
And when I work, and when I play,
’Tis very quickly done, sir.

I Can.

They call me by the name I Can;
That name I’ll never alter.
I’m bound to do what any man
Should try, nor will I falter.
Brave thinking helps to bring success;
I’m every one’s good friend, sir!
Whate’er I try, I’ll carry through,
And push it to the end, sir.

I Will.

And I, the last, am called I Will,
And never should you doubt me.
Some call me stubborn, but I’d like
To see them do without me!
For ships I sail and houses build,
And every lesson learn, sir!
Make haste and call me to your aid,
If you would comfort earn, sir.

Avis (clapping her hands). O what dear Brownies! And so you will help us to get rid of that hateful Dismal Dumps and the Bugaboo Man we’re so afraid of! What shall we do first?

(Brownies, puzzled, look up at the ceiling, down at the floor, and in various corners, as if for an idea.)

Reallywish. I really wish, my friends, O yes, I really wish I knew——

Justnow. Just now, exactly what is best for us to plan and do.

I Can. But, if each one of us will only think and say, “I can——”

I Will (emphatically). We’ll conquer Dismal Dumps and his Bugaboo Man!

Children and Brownies (all together.) We’ll conquer Dismal Dumps and his Bugaboo Man!

Roy. Here they come, now! (Children huddle close together and look frightened, yet resolute. A few strains of very doleful music, from behind scenes. Enter Sir Dismal Dumps and Bugaboo Man, right.)

Dismal Dumps (scowling fiercely). Well, here’s a pretty howdy-do! Don’t these children know they shouldn’t loiter around like this? They’ll be too late to have any dinner when they get home! Besides, there’s all their next week’s lessons not learned.

Bugaboo Man. Well, the lessons are so hard they won’t be able to learn them anyhow; so what difference does it make?

Dismal Dumps. Then they’ll all grow up without knowing anything. In fact, no matter how hard they try, they’ll never amount to anything.

(Children whisper together during this conversation. Brownies gesticulate as if giving directions. All nod their heads in consent, and approach Dismal Dumps.)

Children and Brownies (singing; tune, “Maryland, My Maryland”).

Listen to the children’s plea,
Dismal Dumps, O Dismal Dumps!
If you’d go and leave us free,—
Dismal Dumps, O Dismal Dumps,—
We would be so very good,
Learn our lessons as we should,
We’d surprise you; yes, we would,
Dismal Dumps, O Dismal Dumps!

But before you leave the land,
Dismal Dumps, O Dismal Dumps,
If you’d kindly understand,
Dismal Dumps, O Dismal Dumps,
Please give back the treasure-key;
Set the Sunshine Fairies free!
We would, O so grateful be,
Dismal Dumps, O Dismal Dumps!

Dismal Dumps (haughtily, folding his arms). What impertinent nonsense is this? Actually asking for the key to the Sunshine-Box! I’d laugh at the very idea, if it weren’t against my principles ever to laugh at all, or even smile. Bugaboo, what do you think of this ridiculous idea? They want us to give up the key!

Bugaboo Man (laughing loudly). Ha! ha! ha! ho! ho! ho! As if we would give it up!

Dismal Dumps. There, you young rascals, you have your answer. But you never will have the key!

(Dorothy begins to cry, and goes slowly out, left, Avis and Carol with her, trying to console her. Dismal Dumps and Bugaboo converse confidentially, right. Boys and Brownies consult, left).

Brownies (coming forward and then towards left, singing; tune, “Jingle Bells.”)

Come along, come along,
Children one and all!
Hasten to the Cosey Corner ere the shadows fall!
Dorothy, Dorothy,
Trouble yet will end.
In the Cosey Corner we shall find the children’s friend!

(Repeat, as they go out, left, followed by boys. Dismal Dumps and Bugaboo Man come forward at centre, Dismal Dumps looking more than usually glum.)

Bugaboo Man (persuasively). Cheer up, old fellow! You certainly got the best of it, as you generally do when you have me to help you!

Dismal Dumps (shaking his head dolefully). That’s all very well, Bugaboo, but what we should do if those children should ever get ahead of us and manage to open that box, I’m sure I don’t know. I can’t bear the sound of bells, and those Sunshine Fairies would be too much for us both.

Bugaboo Man. That’s so; we never could live in the same country with them. Of course not! But there’s no danger! Nobody can open the box but that insignificant little Dorothy Dot, and she can’t without the key. Come on, now; let’s find some one else that we can make unhappy. I heard a woman saying she was afraid it was going to rain. Let’s tell her it certainly will. There’s a big black cloud coming up, now.

Dismal Dumps (brightening a little). And I heard a man complaining of hard times. Let’s go and make them all the harder. We can do it.

Bugaboo Man. Of course we can; we always do. Come on. (Links his arm in that of Dismal Dumps, and hurries him along till in the latter’s effort to keep up he stumbles over a rock and drops the key. Neither of them sees it.) Be careful; you might break your bones sometime over these stones. Hurry, or we’ll be too late. (Exit both, right.)

(Enter Old Woman, left, with basket. Sees key. Stops, and picks it up.)

Old Woman. Well, I never! What careless person has dropped a key, I wonder? I’ll just put it in my basket for safe keeping while I look. (Exit right.)

(Enter Avis, Carol, Dorothy, Frank, Roy, and Brownies, left, on their way to the Cosey Corner. The Brownies are carrying the Sunshine Treasure-Box. They place it at the rear of the stage, with the labelled side forward; then all approach the Cosey Corner, singing; tune, “John Brown.”)

Queen of the Cosey Corner, let us in, we plead,
We’ve come to ask your counsel, for we’ve dire distress, indeed!
We know you help the troubled, and we’ve come to tell our need,
O Fairy, hear our call.
’Tis the Brownies and the children,
’Tis the Brownies and the children,
’Tis the Brownies and the children,
O Fairy, heed our call.

(Curtains slowly part at the corner of the stage, right, displaying a “cosey corner” where the Queen is seated in state. She rises and comes forward.)

Queen. You poor children! I know your trouble before you tell it. You wish to get rid of Dismal Dumps and the Bugaboo Man; you want the key to this dear little girl’s treasure-box, so you can let the Sunshine Fairies out. Is that it?

Children. Yes, and so Dorothy Dot can grow.

Queen. That is right. Be seated, all. Now, for a few moments keep perfectly still. (Children seat themselves on stumps, etc.) I cannot give you the key at once, but I will call my chief counsellor, Fairy Bright-Thought, and then I shall be able to advise you. Keep very quiet, now, or she cannot come. Brownies, see if you can keep still for two whole minutes. It will be good practice for you. (The Queen resumes her seat. The Brownies give a final excited caper; then seat themselves on the treasure-box. All are silent. Soft music for three or four minutes; then Fairy Bright-Thought emerges from behind the draperies of Cosey Corner, and whispers in the ear of the Queen. The children start up, but seat themselves again. After a moment, Fairy Bright-Thought disappears again behind the draperies. Music stops.) Listen, children and Brownies! I have a secret for you. The spell is already partly broken, for—just think!—Dismal Dumps and the Bugaboo Man have lost the key! Now Dorothy Dot can grow! (The children begin dancing and the Brownies capering with delight.) But wait! (All stop.) It is true, Dorothy Dot can grow, and so can her treasure-box; but until she has the key the Sunshine Fairies must still be prisoners, and you are not yet rid of Dismal Dumps and his Bugaboo Man. Now, this is what you must all do. Search for the key everywhere. As for Dorothy, she can go away for a while with the kind West Wind, to a beautiful home on the prairies, where she will not be troubled by Dismal Dumps and the Bugaboo Man. Then she can grow all the faster, and meanwhile you can all be looking for the key. But, mind you, the key will be found at some moment when you are doing a kind act; and, when you want Dorothy, you must call her. Now away with you! Good-by! (Retires into Cosey Corner, with curtains drawn together.)

Children. Good-by! Thank you! Good-by!

(Enter West Wind, who approaches Dorothy slowly, singing; tune, “Wind of the Western Sea.”)

Breathe and grow, breathe and grow,
Child of the Sunshine Land!
Grow, grow, breathe and grow;
Life is for thee most grand!
Over the prairies wide and free,
List to the West Wind’s call to thee,
Child of the Sunshine Land!
Come, my little one; come, my pretty one, come!

(Wraps Dorothy gently in her mantle, and leads her slowly away, Dorothy waving her hand in farewell. The children and Brownies respond by waving caps and handkerchiefs. Exit Dorothy and West Wind. Music, same tune, continued instrumentally, as curtain falls.)