Woman. It means bad luck.
Woodcutter. What’s death? There’s always people enough. (Chucking the baby under the chin) Gi-gi-gi-gigg, baby! Wait till you’re grown up.
Woman. I hope he’ll be better off than we are, that’s all. These taxes!
Woodcutter. Plenty of work—that’s what he’ll need.
[Voices of School Children approaching.
Woman. Here come the girls on their way to school. Quick, Peter Wood—cover up that! They mustn’t see it, poor dears.
Enter some School Children. They file across the stage singing:
‘As I went down to Shrewsbury Town, I came by luck on a silver crown: And what shall I buy with that, said I, What shall I buy in Shrewsbury Town?
As I went down to Shrewsbury Town I saw my love in a dimity gown: And all so gay I gave it away, I gave it away—my silver crown.’
[During the song one little girl gives a flower to the baby. This, after the singers have left the stage, the Woman takes and lays on the body of the Tramp.