Who’ll have a bird from this Christmas pie?
Whoever guesses me may answer I.
For a few minutes all the company keep quite still, then the guessing commences; when the correct names are mentioned, the couple unmask, and at once the correct guesser draws a ribbon. He will find on the end of it a candy bird,—perhaps a robin redbreast made of candy and stuffed with sugarplums. As soon as the bird is drawn, one of the parties who has rolled in the wheelbarrow imitates a bird-song on a harmonica. This is easily effected without discovery, as everybody’s attention is directed to what has been drawn.
Tableaux Vivants.
A catchy tableau series would be Mother Goose and her children celebrating Christmas.
Tableau First.—Mother Goose in her tall, cone-shaped hat, riding on an enormous goose. Copy her and all the other costumes from Mother Goose’s book.
Tableau Second.—Her children faithfully charactered. Little Jack Horner should be sitting in a corner, eating his Christmas pie. The King in his parlor should be dressed to represent a king. Simple Simon should meet a pieman going to the fair, etc.
Tableau Third.—A sleeping apartment, Mother Goose and her family in bed. Great prominence must be shown to Mother Goose, whose bed is in front, and near her some of her more notable children. This scene may be readily arranged by putting small cots on the stage; the children can lie down dressed, the coverlets hiding their clothing. Near each bed put that which would indicate their character, as example, the big pie for the pieman.
Tableau Fourth.—Santa Claus at home about time to start. Interior of a room, simply packed with all sorts of hobby-horses, dolls—big and little, dressed and undressed—musical birds, woolly sheep, sleighs, drums, tenpins, everything in the toy line that could be imagined or described; while in a large easy-chair before the lighted grate-fire sits old Santa himself, as gray-bearded, fat, and jolly as ever.
Tableau Fifth.—Little Bo-Peep fell fast asleep and dreamed—