Children's Classics in Dramatic Form

<h2>EACH IN HIS OWN PLACE</h2> <p>TIME: <i>yesterday</i>.<br/> PLACE: <i>in a tiny house</i>.</p> <hr> <table width="40%" align="center"> <tr> <td>THE STRAW <i>who brings in the wood</i>.</td> </tr> <tr> <td>THE COAL <i>who makes the fire</i>.</td> </tr> <tr> <td>THE SNOWFLAKE <i>who draws the water</i>.</td> </tr> <tr> <td>THE SUGAR LOAF <i>who lays the table</i>.</td> </tr> <tr> <td>THE SAUSAGE <i>who cooks the meals</i>.</td> </tr> </table> <hr> <p>[<i>The tiny kitchen is seen. The</i> SAUSAGE <i>is stirring the pot. The</i> COAL <i>is tending the fire. The</i> SUGAR LOAF <i>is laying the table. Enter</i> STRAW <i>with a load of wood.</i>]</p> <p>STRAW (<i>throwing down wood</i>). Think you'll need more wood for the dinner, Sausage?</p> <p>[<i>Sausage does not answer. She gets into the pot to flavor the vegetables.</i>]</p> <p>COAL (<i>whispers to Straw</i>). Sausage is quite put out.</p> <p>STRAW. What's the trouble?</p> <p>COAL. No one knows.</p> <p>[<i>Enter</i> SNOWFLAKE <i>with a pail of water.</i>]</p> <p>SNOWFLAKE (<i>looking about</i>). Where's Sausage?</p> <p>STRAW. She is flavoring the vegetables.</p> <p>[<i>Sausage comes out of the pot.</i>]</p> <p>SNOWFLAKE. Here is the water, Sausage.</p> <p>[<i>Sausage does not answer.</i>]</p> <p>SNOWFLAKE (<i>speaking louder</i>). Will you come for the water, Sausage?</p> <p>SAUSAGE (<i>sharply</i>). No, madam, I will not!</p> <p>THE OTHERS (<i>with surprise</i>). Sausage!</p> <p>SAUSAGE. I've been slave here long enough!</p> <p>THE OTHERS (<i>as before</i>). Sister Sausage!</p> <p>SAUSAGE. I mean just what I say!</p> <p>SNOWFLAKE. Have I not done my share of the work?</p> <p>COAL. Have I not done my share?</p> <p>STRAW. Have I not done my share?</p> <p>SUGAR LOAF. And have I not done my share?</p> <p>SAUSAGE. Please to tell me what you do.</p> <p>STRAW. I bring in wood that Coal may make the fire.</p> <p>COAL. I make the fire that the pot may boil.</p> <p>SNOWFLAKE. I draw the water and bring it from the brook.</p> <p>SUGAR LOAF. I lay the table nicely.</p> <p>SAUSAGE. What do I? Eh? What do I? I must stand over the fire. I must not only stir the dinner, I must flavor it with myself. For each of you there is one duty. For me there are plainly three.</p> <p>STRAW. But, sister&mdash;</p> <p>SAUSAGE (<i>interrupting</i>). Don't "sister" me!</p> <p>SNOWFLAKE. Sausage, dear, would you break up our pretty home?</p> <p>SUGAR LOAF. And we all so happy here!</p> <p>SAUSAGE. There must be a change! Some one else can stand over the fire&mdash;can stir the pot&mdash;can flavor the vegetables.</p> <p>COAL. If I flavored them, they could not be eaten.</p> <p>SAUSAGE. That's what you're always saying, but I'm not so sure of it.</p> <p>SNOWFLAKE. If I stirred the pot, 't would be the end of me.</p> <p>SAUSAGE. Yes, you say that often enough, but I'm not so sure that it is true.</p> <p>STRAW. Should I stand over the fire, I'd be no more.</p> <p>SAUSAGE (<i>scornfully</i>). Excuses! Excuses!</p> <p>SUGAR LOAF. 'T is plain that I should not get into the pot.</p> <p>SAUSAGE. And why not, Miss? why not?</p> <p>SUGAR LOAF. 'T would be good-by for me, if I should!</p> <p>SAUSAGE. Excuses! Excuses! I say there must be a change! 'T is I who will bring the wood or draw the water.</p> <p>COAL. But, Sausage, you should stay within.</p> <p>SAUSAGE. Not I, sir! I'll out of the pot and out of the house, I will! I'll see a bit of the world, I will!</p> <p>SUGAR LOAF (<i>sighing</i>). Well, if she will, she will!</p> <p>SAUSAGE (<i>getting slips</i>). Come, now, and draw for it.</p> <p>[<i>She holds the slips for the others to draw.</i>]</p> <p>STRAW (<i>drawing; reading from slip</i>). "Who gets this must make the fire."</p> <p>SUGAR LOAF (<i>drawing; reading from slip</i>). "Who gets this must draw the water."</p> <p>SNOWFLAKE (<i>drawing; reading from slip</i>). "Who gets this must stir the pot and flavor it with herself."</p> <p>COAL (<i>drawing; reading from slip</i>). "Who gets this must lay the table nicely."</p> <p>SAUSAGE (<i>reading from last slip</i>). "Who gets this must bring the wood." Well, that pleases me! Straw, see if the fire needs wood.</p> <p>(<i>Straw hesitates.</i>)</p> <p>Come, come, do your duty!</p> <p>[<i>Straw crosses the hearth and looks into the fire. He is very careful, but the fire reaches him and he is gone in a puff!</i>]</p> <p>SNOWFLAKE. Poor Straw! Well, 't is my duty to stir the pot and to flavor it with myself.</p> <p>[<i>She crosses to the hearth, but just as she reaches it, she disappears without so much as a cry.</i>]</p> <p>SUGAR LOAF. Poor Snowflake! Well, 't is my duty to draw the water.</p> <p>[<i>She forgets that the pail is full, falls into it, and is seen no more.</i>]</p> <p>COAL. Poor Sugar Loaf! Well, 't is my duty to lay the table nicely.</p> <p>[<i>He forgets that he is still burning from having lately tended the fire. As he places the plates, the tablecloth catches fire and wraps itself around him.</i>]</p> <p>COAL (<i>from inside the burning cloth</i>). This is the end of me!</p> <p>SAUSAGE (<i>weeping</i>). Dear me! Dear me! Who would have thought 't would turn out so badly! Well, 't is my duty to bring in wood.</p> <p>[<i>She opens the door and is face to face with a hungry dog who is sniffing about.</i>]</p> <p>DOG. Ah, I thought you'd be coming out soon!</p> <p>SAUSAGE (<i>pleased</i>). Do you want to see me, sir?</p> <p>DOG. Why, yes, I've been waiting for you.</p> <p>SAUSAGE. How good to be out in the world! They always said my place was within.</p> <p>DOG. They did, eh? Well, just to please them, I'll put you there.</p> <p>[<i>He swallows her quickly, which ends both Sister Sausage and our story.</i>]</p> <SPAN name="2h6"></SPAN> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <div style="break-after:column;"></div><br />