Keineth Part 19

Spirit of Childhood, come at our call, Spirit of Childhood, come at our call!

(As they repeat this the Spirit of Childhood dances joyously into the room and faces them. As they remove their fingers from their eyes, they bow low.)

_Chorus:_ Childhood!

_Childhood_ (faces audience): I am the Spirit of Childhood! I am the happiest fairy of all! I am known all over this wide, wide world!

Everybody loves me! Sometimes I am a dream, too, and I come out of the past when it is very still and creep into old, old hearts!

_Happyheart_ (impatiently): We know all that!

_Spirit_ (steps toward Childhood): We want you to help us now, Childhood, to make Christmas merry for this party of grownfolks.

_Childhood:_ No children? They're all grownfolks?

_Spirit:_ No children. They're all grownfolks.

_Childhood:_ Poor things! How sad!

_Spirit:_ But they have a tree and we want to give them gifts which, because they are fairy gifts, will make their best every-day wish come true!

_Childhood:_ Yes-they'll think, because they are grownups, they must have useful gifts! But they shall have fairy gifts!

_Happyheart_ (to other fairies): I told you she'd help us! _Merrylips:_ And these grown folks must make a big, big wish and have it on top of their hearts! Then, if they carry their gifts in the bottom of their pockets their wishes will come true!

_Childhood:_ I will call my Jesters! They are clever knaves--they will find the gifts!

_Happyheart:_ Call them quickly!

_Childhood:_ I have to do very funny things, because I am Childhood, you know. (She dances backward and forward across the room, with merry step; pirouettes and points finger into audience.) Some one out there must laugh, or the Jesters will not think we are merry. Laugh, someone, laugh! Harder! I am Childhood! Laugh with me! (As she speaks some one in the audience laughs; others join.)

_Childhood_ (runs to door):

Jester big, jester small, Come at Childhood's merry call!

(Jesters enter--stand near door.)

_Chorus:_ Welcome--welcome!

_Childhood_ (to Jesters): Go--find and bring us the biggest Christmas stocking in the world! It must be filled with fairy gifts! (Jesters hurry out.)

_Goodwill:_ How will we know which gifts to give each person?

_Childhood:_ Oh, I will look in my Book of the Past! You see I have to keep careful records of everybody!

_Spirit:_ Why it's just like Santa Claus used to do when the old-fas.h.i.+oned children believed in him! _Happyheart:_ He was a fine man!

_Spirit:_ Ah, here they come!

(Enter Jesters dragging behind them an enormous Christmas stocking made of red cambric. They give it to the Christmas Spirit, then step back to the door.)

_Childhood_ (as others gather around the stocking): Go, Jesters, and bring me my Book of Records!

_Happyheart:_ Open it quickly! (Spirit opens stocking--all peep in.) Oh, lots and lots of gifts!

(Jester returns, gives book to Childhood who goes to the right of group and stands next to Happyheart.)

_Childhood_ (solemnly to audience): Are all the grownups ready? Have they got their best wish on top of their hearts?

_Happyheart:_ Is every one happy?

_Goodwill:_ Do you all feel very, very kind to one another?

_Peace:_ Do you know my songs?

_Childhood:_ Then let's have a bright light so that we may begin!

(Lights of the room flash on.)

(Spirit takes packages one by one from the stocking and reads the name.

Then she holds the package while Happyheart reads from Childhood's Record what the book has to say of each person. After this has been read Joy with dancing step takes the fairy package to the person named.

This goes on until every one in the audience has received a gift.)

_Spirit_ (throws stocking down): The stocking is empty!

_Happyheart:_ The fairy gifts are all gone! _Childhood_ (shakes finger at audience): But each one of you has a wish that will come true, just as sure as sure can be; for you have received a fairy gift!

_Happyheart:_ And now they will be happy!

_Goodwill_ (claps her hands together as if with a happy thought): Let us send the Jesters to bring in to them the Christmas Bowl! If they drink our fairy brew they will never, never forget this Christmas!

_Happyheart:_ And they will always believe in the Christmas Spirit!

_Spirit:_ And in the Christmas Fairies!

_Goodwill:_ Go, Jesters, and bring in to them the Christmas Bowl!

(Jesters go out quickly.)

_Spirit:_ Now, fairies, we must stop our work! We've worked overtime already, and you know there is an eight-hour law now for fairies.

_Merrylips:_ Yes, but we've helped these poor grownfolks! _Happyheart:_ Let us say farewell to them! Now, one--two--three!

_Chorus_ (waving hands):

May the brew that we've mixed you make every heart light, Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good-night!

(Fairies dance out, followed by the Spirit. Jesters, blowing horns, enter the room, bearing a tray upon which is placed a punch bowl filled with Nora's best cider punch.)