G. M.—Generous youth! Your kindness of heart shall be rewarded. Look again at the contents of your basket, and you will find them better than you imagined.
J.—(Looking into the basket.) Oh, how exciting! What do I see? Mutton cutlets, cold partridge, cheese-cakes, grapes, bananas! Oh, how delightful! Now you will share with me, won't you?
(Holds out the basket to the old man.)
G. M.—No, my dear boy. I only asked you for some to prove you—and seeing how deserving you are, I will reward you still further. (Points off l. at the wood.) Take your axe and cut down that tree. You will find a bird at the root: she is yours. Farewell, and luck go with you.
(Exit.)
J.—Why, he must be a magician! What a delightful person to meet! I must go and cut down that tree at once. I'll just have a cheese-cake to keep me going.
(Crams a cheese-cake into his mouth and goes out. Sounds of chopping heard. Jack rushes in again with a golden goose in one hand and a nest with golden eggs in the other.)
J.—It was a golden goose, sitting on a nest of golden eggs! Oh, how splendid! Now my father need never cut wood again—we shall all be rich. I must rush home, and show them what I have found. (Exit hurriedly with the goose and the nest.)
Curtain.
Scene IV. Same as Scene I.
Father, Mother, Tom (lying on a couch).
M.—How are you, my dear boy? Feeling better?