Patriotic Plays and Pageants for Young People Part 3

PATIENCE (wide-eyed).

Was ever the like known in Plymouth!

RUTH (as all look eagerly towards background).

Hither she comes!

PRISCILLA (clearly in distance).

Have a care, Degory.

DEGORY.

Aye, Mistress Priscilla.

PRISCILLA (as they emerge from background).

Stumble not, John Billington.

JOHN BILLINGTON (st.u.r.dily).

Not while I bear such a burden.

[They set down the spinning-wheel, center.

PRISCILLA.

I thank you. Will you come for me when the shadows o' the pines grow long across my doorway?

[The Pilgrim lads nod, and exeunt, left background.

PRISCILLA (to Pilgrim maidens).

Well, and have you no word of greeting? Why, they are dumb with astonishment! And is it so strange a thing to bring one's wheel outdoors? 'Twas out of doors that this wood first grew! (Touches wheel.) All day I have longed to be out in these wide s.p.a.ces--and yet there was work to do. But see--now I weld heart's desire and work together!

[She begins to spin. Meantime Pilgrim maidens group about her. Tableau.

MIRIAM.

You are ever one to see the bright side of things, Priscilla, and------Look, Priscilla--an Indian!

[At sound of that dread word all the maidens draw near to Priscilla.

From the woods in right background appears Star-of-Spring, the little Indian maiden. She carries a basket of sh.e.l.l-fish on her head, steadying it with her hand. She is so intent on walking carefully that she does not see the group of Pilgrims until she is nearly upon them.

There ensues a period of unflagging pantomime. Star-of-Spring, upon seeing the group of dark-clad maidens, starts back, half terrified.

Priscilla rises, and as an overture of peace and good-will, takes a few steps towards her. Star-of-Spring retreats still further towards right.

Priscilla returns to her wheel.

Star-of-Spring, emboldened, takes a step towards the Pilgrim maidens.

Pilgrim maidens, quite as wary of Star-of-Spring as she is of them, retreat a little way to left. At this Star-of-Spring's last fears vanish. She wishes to be friends. With pretty pleading she holds out to them her basket of sh.e.l.l-fish. Places it on the ground and then steps back, bowing, with arms wide and outstretched palms.

PRISCILLA.

She means we should accept it. Is that not truly generous!

DIANTHA (rea.s.sured).

It must be Star-of-Spring, the little Indian maid of whom Squanto has so often told us.

[Diantha takes up basket. Pantomime of delight on part of Star-of-Spring. She draws near to Anne, and with a quaint grace touches Anne's cap and kerchief. Tries on Anne's cap, and looks at herself in a barbaric bit of looking-gla.s.s that dangles from one of her many chains of beads. Then laughs, gives back the cap, and is in turn fascinated at the sight of Priscilla when she begins spinning. Star-of-Spring approaches the wheel with pantomime indicating awe and delighted curiosity. She first inspects it, and then begins to talk in dumbshow with quick, animated gestures. The Pilgrim maidens are somewhat bewildered.

DIANTHA (as the meaning of the scene dawns on her).

Priscilla! She wishes to spin!

ANNE.

Thou hast done many strange things in this new land, Priscilla; but I doubt not that the strangest of all is to give an Indian maiden her first lesson in spinning!

[Priscilla rises. Star-of-Spring seats herself. Business of Priscilla's teaching her to spin. Haltingly and somewhat fumblingly she does at length manage to compa.s.s the first rudiments of her lesson. The Pilgrim maidens stand grouped about her. Tableau.

DEGORY (from background).

The shadows of the pines lengthen across your door-sill, Priscilla!

[At sound of the new voice Star-of-Spring rises, and hastily retreats, right. Degory Martin and John Billington enter from background.

DIANTHA.

Only think, Degory, Star-of-Spring, an Indian maid, hath had a spinning lesson!

DEGORY.

The shadows are lengthening. Twilight comes apace here in the forest.

'Tis time you all came home.

[The maidens of Plymouth follow him as he and John Billington take the spinning-wheel and spinning-stool with them. They make their exit at center background. Star-of-Spring, who has lingered at edge of trees, right, steals out to look after her departing playmates. Stands at place where spinning-wheel was. Again shakes her head, as if in perplexity over the strange arts of the palefaces. Finds on gra.s.s part of a skein of flax. Tosses it lightly in the air. Catches it again as it falls. Begins a characteristic dance, swaying, tossing skein, catching it. Each step of the dance takes her further into background.

Then she comes down center again, like a tossing bough or a blown flame. She does not perceive the group entering from left. Her mother (Natiqua), Forest Flower, and Heron's Wing. They also are so occupied with portage that they do not perceive Star-of-Spring until they are almost up to her. Heron's Wing and Forest Flower carry between them a birch-bark canoe. Behind them trudges Natiqua, bent beneath a double pile of f.a.gots. They pa.s.s, in picturesque silhouette, back of the spot where Priscilla had been seated with her spinning-wheel. Then they and Star-of-Spring become aware of each other. They stop. Natiqua frowns.

Star-of-Spring points to place where Priscilla sat with her spinning-wheel, and by animated gestures portrays what has taken place.

But neither Natiqua, Forest Flower, nor Heron's Wing is in the least interested. Natiqua shakes her head and frowns. It is evident that the wonders of the palefaces are not to her mind. She lets slip from her back her double pile of f.a.gots, then replaces one, and Star-of-Spring takes up the other. Then, in Indian file, they cross the scene to right, and slowly disappear from view.

COSTUMES

PILGRIM MAIDENS. The Pilgrim maidens should wear plain black dresses ankle length, with white cuffs and Puritan caps, and white kerchiefs.

These dresses may be made of black cambric, worn with the glazed side turned in.

THE PILGRIM LADS. The Pilgrim lads wear black suits, with full knee-breeches, black stockings, and low black shoes with silver buckles. Their hair comes to their ears, and they have white collars turned down on their coats, and deep white cuffs on their sleeves.

THE INDIANS. The Indians wear costumes of cotton khaki, the necks gaily painted with Indian designs. Strings of beads and sh.e.l.ls. Natiqua has a green and scarlet blanket. She and the Indian maidens wear their hair in braids. They also have a gay strip of cheesecloth--red, green, or yellow--bound about their brows, and a quill stuck upright in the back.

Heron's Wing has a head-dress of blue-gray heron's feathers. All wear moccasins. (See description of Indian costumes in "Princess Pocahontas.")

FERRY FARM EPISODE

CHARACTERS

LORD FAIRFAX MARY BALL WAs.h.i.+NGTON GEORGE WAs.h.i.+NGTON Plantation hands AUNT RACHEL SAMBO LUCY DINAH PETER NELLY SUSY UNCLE NED

SCENE: The lawn of Ferry Farm, 1748. A wide expanse of green. Trees right, left, and background. The trees in background supposedly screen the Colonial house from view. At the left the estate supposedly stretches to the highway. At the right, behind the trees, it is given over to flower and vegetable gardens.

At the beginning of the scene the gra.s.sy s.p.a.ce is deserted, but from the distance, right, comes the sound of singing. The sound swells louder and louder in the rhythm of one of the oldest of African songs, "Mary and Martha just gone 'long to ring those charming bells." The first verse is sung before the singers appear. With the second verse those who have been at work in the fields come into view, their gay and colorful costumes bright against the green background.

Two of the children run into sight first; then comes a group of nine or ten young people. Some carry between them baskets heaped quite high with fruit and vegetables. One boy holds a hoe. A girl carries a rake.

Another an armful of dried corn on the ear. Two more a low basket heaped with cotton. In the center of this group hobbles old Aunt Rachel, turbaned, and leaning on a cane. By her side walks Lucy, carrying a great bunch of pink "Winter Roses."

The third verse is sung as this group emerges into full view of the audience. The children stand looking at Aunt Rachel as they sing, as if they were catching some of the words from her. She beats time with her finger to see that they learn correctly. Other voices take up the song in right background, swelling it higher and higher. Uncle Ned, with his fiddle under his arm, comes slowly from right to join the group in foreground. The baskets are set down. The boy leans on his hoe, the girl on her wooden rake, rapt and happy. All are given over to the rhythmic joy of the music.