NURSE. What is it, darling? What's the matter?
MUFFET. Oh, Nursie, it's a spider--the biggest you ever saw, and he came and sat down beside me and frightened me away.
NURSE [_seeing_ SPIDER]. Oh! he _is_ a monster.
SPIDER. Really, the manners of these two-legged persons!
NURSE. I'll soon chase it away. Shoo! Shoo! I'll stamp upon him if I get a chance. That will teach him to be a spider.
[_SPIDER gets down off the tuffet and runs rapidly round the tree. NURSE pokes at it with her umbrella. Prolong chase ad libitum. Then SPIDER hides behind tree, looking out at intervals._
MUFFET. Oh dear, Nursie, I want to go home. I'm so frightened.
NURSE. Well, come along home then. [_Takes up bowl and pushes the pram._] Poor little Miss Muffet!
MUFFET. I sat on a tuffet eating my curds and whey and there came that big spider ... [_Buries her face against her nurse._
NURSE. And sat down beside her and frightened Miss Muffet away! Well, never mind, darling, he's gone into his hole, and you will never see him again. [_They go out L. SPIDER puts his head round the tree._
SPIDER. Hole, indeed! [_Comes out._] No hole for me, but a nice big web where I can see what is going on. Now, where shall I begin it? [_Looks round._] Ah, there, I think! But I'll just have a dance first--it's a great thing having so many legs for these new dances. [_Dances round. At end of dance._] And now to work! [_Throws rope over bough._
Little Miss Muffet sat on a tuffet eating of curds and whey. There came a big spider and sat down beside her, and frightened Miss Muffet a-way.]
MRS. DUMPTY KING'S MAN MRS. PRINGLE COLONEL SOLDIERS _ad lib._ HUMPTY DUMPTY SERGEANT-MAJOR
_One side of a village street--a wall about two feet high up stage, parallel to the audience. This can be represented by anything that a child could stand on for a minute before jumping down. Behind it R.C. Mrs. Dumpty's house is seen--a little gate in the wall at back L.C. leading to house. There should be exits R., L., and C. at back through gate. MRS. DUMPTY and MRS. PRINGLE standing at gate._
MRS. P. Well, good morning, Mrs. Dumpty, I must be running off now.
MRS. D. Very kind of you to have come in, Mrs. Pringle. I am sorry Humpty was out, I'd like you to have seen him.