PETER PEPPER, Ringmaster, and owner of Pepper's Perennial Circus. HARRY HOPKINS } LIMBER JACK } otherwise MARCO BROTHERS, Acrobats. BARNEY O'BRIEN } } SIGNOR FRENCELLI } JERRY PICKLE } otherwise } SIGNOR COCODILLA } Clowns. BEN JACKSON, otherwise MR. BARLOW, Minstrel and hand. DUTCH, peanut-man and general factotum. MIKE MCGINNIS, otherwise PROFESSOR WORMWOOD, Animal-trainer. TIM, one of the hands. SCHNEIDER, the Dog. JOCKO, the Monkey. FARMER SIMPSON. BENJAMIN FRANKLIN SIMPSON--"BUB"--(Eight years old.) } DANIEL WEBSTER SIMPSON--"SONNY"--(Five years old.) } his boys.
Written for a club of boys from twelve to seventeen.
SCENE: _The mess-tent of Pepper's Perennial Circus, very bare and shabby, with circus litter about; signs, "No Smoking," "Next performance, 2 P.M.," posters, etc., on the tent walls; a rough mess-table of boards and trestles, with boxes, stools, two broken chairs, etc., for seats. Pile of old blankets in one corner. Lantern hangs in center of tent, and another [L.] at entrance to circus tent. [R.], another exit, leading out of doors. Music [if possible] from circus tent, playing last strains of "Home, Sweet Home." Burst of applause from circus tent, the flaps part, and the troupe enters_ [_excepting_ PEPPER, MIKE, _and the animals_], _weary and discontented, and drop down anywhere to rest._ HOPKINS _throws himself on pile of blankets [R.]_, JACK _takes a box nearby_, BARNEY _sits on table, and_ JERRY _goes to entrance [R.], fanning himself with his hat._ BEN _takes box [L.], and_ DUTCH _enters last, slipping the straps of his peanut-tray from his shoulders and setting it on the end of the table._
HARRY [_sullenly_]. This 'ere's the worst night we've 'ad yet.
BARNEY. Faix! I've no futs left an me at all, at all!
TIM [_rubs his arms_]. I'm lame all over. It's me for the liniment bottle!
JERRY. I'm as tired as any of you guys, but I'm a good deal madder than I'm tired.
HARRY. 'Ow could we be h'anything but tired and h'angry, I'd like to h'arsk, with such a boss as old Pepper?
BEN. Gen'lemen--Mr. Pepper he su'tinly war pretty bad, dis evenin'--in fac' I may say he war de limit.
DUTCH. Mishter Pepper he don't vaits for no excuse. You'd t'ink ve vas all der lazy loafers--und der ain'd a lazy bone in der whole boonch.
