Up The Chimney

The First Scene


_The curtain opens, and you see a room in a house and four people,
just as Mother Goose promised. On one side is a fire-place, and notice
the stockings hanging by it. At the back is a window, looking out into
the street, but you cannot see anything there, because it is dark out of
doors. The little girl's name is Polly, but the first one to speak is
her brother, named_ JACK, _who looks up from his letter and
says_:

Mother, how do you spell "friend"?

MOTHER _answers_: F, r, i, e, n, d. Have you nearly finished your
letter, Jack?

Yes, _says_ JACK, _still writing. Then he stops, straightens up
and says_, There! It's all done. Shall I read it to you, Mother?

Do, MOTHER _answers. And Father puts down his newspaper to listen, and
Polly stops writing. Mother goes on knitting, because she can knit and
listen at the same time_.

_So_ JACK _reads_: "Dear Santa Claus, I have been very
good this year--most of the time; and I wish you would
bring me a toy soldier. I am very well and I hope you are.
Your loving little friend, Jack." Is that all right, Mother?

It is a very good letter, _says_ MOTHER; only I thought you were
going to speak about that pair of warm gloves for Father.

Oh, I forget that, _says_ JACK, _looking a little bit
ashamed_. I'll put it in a postscript. _So he goes on writing, and
so does Polly_. JACK _says his words aloud while he writes
them_: "P.S.--Fa--ather--would--like--a--pair--of--warm--gloves."

MOTHER _looks over at Polly, who seems to have finished, and says_:
Polly, let us hear your letter.

_So_ POLLY _reads_: "Dear Santa Claus, I am so glad that
tomorrow is Christmas. We have all hung up our stockings, and I think I
would like best to have a doll in short dresses. I love you very much.
Your little friend, Polly. P.S.--I think Mother would like a ball of
white knitting cotton." I had to put that in a postscript, Mother,
because I forgot, too.