The haughty knight laughed loud and long, Whereat the first was wroth, “I will reveal your schemes,” cried he, And drew his dagger forth.
[Sidenote: Points scornfully at his rival, who puts hands in pockets and leans back, tilting his chair.]
“Who tried with fine and foppish dress To win the maiden’s heart? Who curled his hair with papers tight, Until the roots did start?”
[Sidenote: At this, he springs to his feet, and makes threatening gestures.]
“I say ’tis false!” the suitor cried, “And prove it if you dare! I never dressed in foppish style, Or tried to curl my hair!”
Pulls off his rival’s hat, revealing a mass of curl-papers, of exaggerated size.]
“Then take your hat off,” said his mate, And with a sudden wrest, He seized his rival’s head dress fine, And lo!—he stood confest!
[_Same as first._ CAT _appears at left of center_.]
[Sidenote: Cat wags tail and rolls eyes. She may also growl softly.]
The blissful lovers’ wedded lives Were spent in joy and peace, And from that fateful day and hour Did happiness increase.
All through the changing years of life, The cat remained their friend; The blinking of her yellow eyes, Her favor did portend.
[Sidenote: Fly appears, and buzzes all around cat’s head.]
She still sat on her pedestal In dignified repose; She would not move to brush the fly That lit upon her nose.
[Sidenote: Enter lover and maiden, from right of stage. Lover crosses to farther side of cat. They carry a pitcher of cream, and a plate of fish and spiders. Lover also carries a large comb.]
Each morning with the rising sun, Her fond attendants came, For wilful carelessness or harm, They never were to blame.
Then stroke and comb her fur the wrong way. Cat hisses and spits, and wags her tail angrily.]
They fed her on the richest cream, And spiders by the score, And combed her fur with loving touch, When she could eat no more.
And so the Sacred Cat has played Her part in great events, If you would see her act again, Admission is ten cents!
If the shadow play is not to be repeated, the last two lines may read as follows.
You will not see her act again, For forty times ten cents.
(_For children between the ages of seven and eleven. All the parts may be taken by girls_)
But one full set of scenery is required, a wood scene. If the play is presented in a large hall, the scenery may often be procured from a local theater, at little, or no, cost. If a drawing-room is used, a small wood scene, either mounted or unmounted, may be purchased from Samuel French, 28 West Thirty-eight Street, New York City. Where economy is desirable, the following home-made scenery will prove quite satisfactory: _Background_, stretch a rope from one eight-foot ladder to another. Hang sheets over the rope, and to the sheets fasten wall-paper representing a forest. If a good grade of wall-paper is selected, the effect is excellent. For the _wings_ use two large-sized clothes-horses covered as the background, and placed to allow entrances to front and back. The backs of the clothes-horses are hung with white sheets, and in the garret scene they are simply turned to inclose the foreground of the stage, representing white walls. In the last act, a pretty transformation may be effected by means of a tarlatan curtain, green and hung with paper spring flowers, which is allowed to roll down and cover the background by the Spring Fairy. Or, if more convenient, strips of wall-paper with a design of flowers, birds, or butterflies may be used.
