Childrens Classics in Dramatic Form | Page 8

nothing more to tell.
KING. I cannot bear so short a story!
PRINCESS. Why, father; for three months we have listened to it!
KING. 'Tis short, I say! I bid you make it longer, sir!
STORY-TELLER. I cannot, Sire. The prince married the princess. There is nothing--
KING. Throw him out of the palace, guards! Cut off his head!
[_Guards seize the Story-Teller._]
PRINCESS. Father!
LORDS. Your Majesty!
LADIES. Sire!
PRINCESS. Spare his life!
STORY-TELLER. Let me keep my head, Sire!
KING. Why should you keep it? You do not use it.
STORY-TELLER. For three months I have used it, Sire!
KING. Your story is too short, I say! Away with him, guards! Away!
(_Guards take out the First Story-Teller._)
Bid another Story-Teller come!
(A guard admits the SECOND STORY-TELLER, _who bows before the King and Princess._)
Sir, hear me. You must tell a story that will last forever.
SECOND STORY-TELLER. I hear, O King!
KING. If you can do this, you shall marry my daughter and be king after me.
SECOND STORY-TELLER. I hear, O King!
KING. If you fail, you shall lose your head. Begin! And remember, the story must go on forever. Now again I say, begin!
SECOND STORY-TELLER. "Once upon a time a certain king seized upon all the corn in his country. He had it stored in a strong granary. Then came a swarm of locusts over the land. Soon they found a crack in the south side of the granary. Now the crack was just large enough for one locust to pass through at a time. So one locust went in and carried away a grain of corn. Then another locust went in and carried away a grain of corn. Then another locust went in and carried away a grain of corn. Then--"
KING (_interrupting)._ Yes, yes! Now go on with the story.
SECOND STORY-TELLER. The story shall go on, O King! "Then another locust went in and carried away another grain of corn. Then another locust--"
KING (_interrupting). I_ tell you to go on with the story!
SECOND STORY-TELLER. I obey, great King. "Then another locust went in and carried away another grain of corn. Then another--"
KING. The story! The story, I tell you!
SECOND STORY-TELLER. This is the story, O King! "Then another locust went in and carried away another grain of corn. Then--"
KING. I cannot stand it! How long will it take the locusts to carry away all the grain?
SECOND STORY-TELLER. One thousand years, O King! "Then another locust went in and--"
KING. Stop! Stop! Take my daughter! Be king after me! Be king now! Anything to stop the locusts!

THE HOLE IN THE DIKE
SCENE I
TIME: _late afternoon in autumn._ PLACE: _Holland._
* * * * *
PETER. JACOB. GRETCHEN. FRIEDA.
* * * * *
[The CHILDREN _enter. They carry buckets full of nuts._]
GRETCHEN. How cold it is!
FRIEDA. Let us run. Then we shall not be cold.
PETER. How can we run? We shall spill our nuts.
FRIEDA. We are so far from home!
JACOB. We went so far to find the nuts.
GRETCHEN. It will soon be dark.
FRIEDA. We must walk as fast as we can.
GRETCHEN. Why do you stop, Peter?
PETER. There is water on the sand here.
JACOB. Come, Peter, come!
PETER. Where has this water come from?
[Illustration: 'THERE IS WATER ON THE SAND HERE']
FRIEDA. Come, come, Peter!
PETER. There was no rain yesterday. There was no rain to-day.
GRETCHEN. Come, Peter!
PETER. What if the water comes through the dike!
JACOB. Oh, that could not be! How could water get through that thick wall?
PETER. There might be a hole in it. I will see.
GRETCHEN. Peter, Peter! Your mother waits for you.
PETER. I must find where the water comes from.
GRETCHEN. Well, I will not wait.
JACOB. Nor I!
FRIEDA. Nor I! It is too cold.
[_They go. Peter runs to the dike and looks at it carefully._]
PETER. Ah, I thought so! Here is a little hole! The water comes through it from the sea. Soon the hole will be larger. I must find stones and fill it.
(_He looks about for stones._)
Dear me! Dear me! I cannot find a single stone! What shall I do? The hole will grow larger and larger. The sea will come in and cover all the land. What shall I do? I cannot go and tell the people. That would take too long. What shall I do? What shall I do?
(_He thinks for a moment._)
I know! I know how to stop it!
(_He thrusts his arm through the hole. He shivers._)
How cold it is!
SCENE II
TIME: _the next morning._ PLACE: _the street near Peter's home._
* * * * *
PETER. PETER'S MOTHER. PRINCE. SOLDIERS. PEOPLE.
* * * * *
[The MOTHER _stands in the door of her home looking up and down the street._]
MOTHER. He does not come! Well, I will go to Jacob's after him. I must teach him that he cannot stay away all night. I will punish him for what he has done.
[Enter the PRINCE, SOLDIERS, and PEOPLE. Four soldiers carry PETER _on their shoulders._]
A SOLDIER. Hurrah for Peter!
A MAN. Hurrah for