TOMMY’STHANKSGIVING DINNER

Mr. Bowl of Soup: large bowl-shaped cardboard fastened around top of head. Should have “SOUP” printed on it.

Turkey: full-gathered pajamas of brown lining, the neck, elbows, knees and slipper-tops being edged with raveled yarn. A turkey-head of brown lining, with a pasteboard bill, and a long, red wattle of raveled yarn on the head.

Cranberry Maids: full red skirts, red stockings, red waists, little red caps of crepe paper. Bracelets and necklaces of cranberries strung together may be worn.

Mr. Irish Potato: full blouse of brown with eyes made of knots of black yarn sewed on at intervals. Blouse is padded to make the little actor look rotund.

Miss White Onion: full blouse of white crepe paper padded to the shape of an onion. Green stalks rise from a flat white cap.

Cabbage: hood of light green paper cut in the shape of cabbage leaves and folded over the head in such a manner as to expose the face only.

Miss Cook Book: girl sandwiched between two large pieces of cardboard on which is printed “COOK BOOK.”

Peter Pumpkin: may have a real pumpkin for his head, with places cut for eyes, ears and mouth, and wear a green dress. Or he may wear a green skirt, a yellow puffed waist, a flat yellow cap with a bit of green paper (wired) for the stem.

Scene: May be a living-room, or merely the bare stage. At the center front is a large armchair. Tommy enters, stands near the chair and recites.

Tommy:

[Yawns, stretches, and speaks sleepily.]

[Cuddles down in chair and goes to sleep.]

Bowl of Soup:

Turkey:

Cranberry Maids:

[They group themselves about the Turkey.]

Potato:

White Onion:

Potato:

Cabbage:

Pumpkin:

8Turkey [to other characters]:

Potato [shivers and speaks in a hoarse voice to the others]:

[Turkey leads in trot, followed by the Cranberry Maids and Vegetables.]

Miss Cook Book: How do you do, Tommy? I’ll have to talk prose. I can’t be bothered with poetry. Besides, let me whisper, that isn’t poetry! [Potato and Onion look sorrowful and wipe each other’s eyes.] On the contrary, it is very bad rhyming. [Turkey looks indignant. Cranberry Maids all make faces at Miss Cook Book.] But I don’t mind their playing at bad rhymes, so long as they do their own work well. Their own work, Tommy, is to build up bone and flesh and muscle. A noble work! [Turkey and Vegetables look pleased.] And they do it well if the cook doesn’t ruin them. I heard you talking about Kate’s cooking. All that you said about a “cook cooking out of her head” is nonsense. In the first place, Grandma couldn’t begin to tell you how many things she burned up, or how much time she wasted, even when she had me to consult! Kate is studying Domestic Science, and in a few years she will know what it took Grandma a long, long time to learn. Good-by. If it were not for me, you probably would not enjoy your dinner tomorrow. [Exit.]

9Turkey and Vegetables [fall in line and sing in concert as they march across the stage and wave to the sleeping Tommy as they make their exit]:

Tommy [yawns, stretches, rubs his eyes and grins sheepishly]: Gee! I must have been asleep. [Rushes from the stage.]

Prepared especially for school use, and particularly for Friday afternoons and special day exercises.

A specially selected list of books and helps which have become popular because of their practical value. There are few teachers indeed who have not been helped by one or more of these publications. We unhesitatingly recommend every one of the titles offered.

New original cover art included with this ebook is granted to the public domain. The music files are the music transcriber’s interpretation of the printed notation and are placed in the public domain.

The following changes and corrections have been made: