Childrens Classics in Dramatic Form | Page 7

and eat
Jacob's chickens.
(_The Fox goes._)
Ah, this is fine! I do not like Jacob. I do not like Jacob's chickens. I am
glad the fox will eat them. Ha, ha, ha!
[_Peter enters the mill. Soon his_ WIFE _comes running._]
WIFE. Peter! Peter! Come out! Come out! Peter!
[PETER _comes running from the mill._]
PETER. What is it? What is it?
WIFE. The fox has killed your chickens!
PETER. Oh, no! He has killed Jacob's chickens, dear wife. Ha, ha, ha!
WIFE. No, no! He has killed your chickens! They lie there on the grass.
Look and you will see them.
[_Peter runs to the fence and looks over._]
PETER. What is this? What is this? Ah, my pretty chickens! My pretty
chickens!
[_He weeps bitterly._]
SCENE II

TIME: _the next day._ PLACE: _Jacob's mill._
* * * * *
JACOB, THE WISE MILLER. THE FOX.
* * * * *
[The FOX _enters. He knocks at the mill door._ JACOB _opens the
door and comes out. He is covered with meal._]
FOX. Good-morning, Jacob.
JACOB. What do you want, sir?
FOX. I am hungry. I want to eat Peter's chickens.
JACOB. Why do you come to me?
FOX. You do not like Peter.
JACOB. Oh, you know that, do you?
FOX. Oh, yes, I know! Now will you help me to get his chickens?
JACOB. What can I do?
Fox. Put meal on me, till I am white. Then the chickens will think I am
a miller.
JACOB. Ah, that is fine! Wait here.
[_He enters the mill._]
FOX. He has gone for meal! Ha, ha, ha, ha!
[JACOB _comes out with a club._]
JACOB. Now go! Go, sir!

FOX. Why, what is this? I said I would eat Peter's chickens.
JACOB. Yes, but you mean to eat mine. Now go! Go, or I will beat
you!
[_The Fox runs quickly away._]

THE VAIN JACKDAW
TIME: _last summer._ PLACE: _a public park._
* * * * *
VAIN JACKDAW. OLD JACKDAW. YOUNG JACKDAW. OTHER
JACKDAWS. PEACOCKS.
* * * * *
[The JACKDAWS _are seen in the park._]
OLD JACKDAW. Come, jackdaws! We must have our breakfast.
Come!
[_The Vain Jackdaw stops to look at something on the ground._]
(_To Vain Jackdaw._)
Come, no one should stop to look at anything! Come!
YOUNG JACKDAW. Just look at him. He takes up feathers!
VAIN JACKDAW (_to himself_). How fine I would look in these
peacock feathers!
ANOTHER JACKDAW. See how he sticks the feathers in among his
own!
YOUNG JACKDAW. See how he struts about in them!

OLD JACKDAW. My son, take off those feathers!
VAIN JACKDAW. It pleases me to wear them.
OLD JACKDAW. Take them off, I say!
VAIN JACKDAW. I will not take them off!
OLD JACKDAW. Then you cannot stay with us.
VAIN JACKDAW. I do not wish to stay with jackdaws. I will not walk
with jackdaws. I will not talk with jackdaws. I think myself too fine for
jackdaws.
OLD JACKDAW. Then, jackdaws, we will think no more about him.
Come, now, to find our breakfast! Come!
[_They go. The_ PEACOCKS _enter._]
VAIN JACKDAW. Good-morning, brothers.
PEACOCKS. Ha, ha, ha!
VAIN JACKDAW. Why do you laugh so, brothers?
PEACOCKS. Ha, ha, ha!
VAIN JACKDAW. You must not laugh, dear brothers. I am a peacock
like yourselves.
FIRST PEACOCK. You silly jackdaw!
VAIN JACKDAW. I am no jackdaw. Do I not have feathers like your
own?
SECOND PEACOCK. Ha, ha! I dropped them on the ground this
morning.
THIBAUD PEACOCK. Let's take them from him!

[Illustration]
VAIN JACKDAW. No, no! I beg you--
FIRST PEACOCK. Come, let's pull them out!
[_They pull the peacock feathers from the jackdaw._]
THIRD PEACOCK. You cannot stay with us!
SECOND PEACOCK. Go back to the jackdaws!
FIRST PEACOCK. Away with you! Away!
[_The jackdaw runs. The peacocks go, laughing. The other_
JACKDAWS _enter, followed by the_ VAIN JACKDAW.]
VAIN JACKDAW. Ah, here you are! I have been looking for you.
OLD JACKDAW. Why do you look for us?
VAIN JACKDAW. I am a jackdaw. I want to be with jackdaws.
OLD JACKDAW. We will have nothing more to do with you! Away!
VAIN JACKDAW. But, brothers, my dear, dear brothers, please let me
stay with you!
OLD JACKDAW. You would not walk with jackdaws! Away!
YOUNG JACKDAW. You would not talk with jackdaws! Away!
ANOTHER JACKDAW. You thought yourself too fine for jackdaws!
Away!
ALL JACKDAWS. Away! Away!
[_They drive the Vain Jackdaw from the park._]

THE LITTLE JACKAL AND THE CAMEL
SCENE I
TIME: _one morning._ PLACE: _the east bank of the river._
* * * * *
THE JACKAL. THE CAMEL.
* * * * *
[The JACKAL _stands on the river bank. He looks longingly toward
the west shore._]
JACKAL. Ah, if I could only get at those