BY LINNA M. FERRER printed by the boys of The Quincy Prevocational Center boston public schools Copyright, 1921 By LINNA M. FERRER All Rights Reserved iBabhi|0 iteam BY LINNA M. FERRER f1 printed by the boys of The Quincy Prevocational Center boston public schools Cast of Characters MISS JONES, a teacher of Grad le4 BOBBY SMITH, , a pupil SCISSORS RULER PENCIL COMPASSES Setting A school-room with Bobby at desk Time: Close of afternoon session Usual school properties: Large Scissors I 24-inch Rule > Made of cardboard Large Pencil J 3 "lohba'a ircam" ei As the curtain goes up or action commences, Bobby is at ^ his desk on which are spread materials for a lesson in Man- it ual Training. He is swinging a pair of scissors on his compasses. MISS JONES. Bobby, I'm surprised at you. You may put your materials in their boxes. [He does so, then resumes seat.] You might hurt yourself or another Uttle playmate doing such a trick. Besides, think how you'd feel if you were a nice pair of scissors or a pair of compasses, and a naughty boy treated you so when you were trying to help him. Just hide your head and think how they must feel. Then when Miss Jones returns from the files you can tell her what you'd do to that boy if you were in their places; [She goes out leaving Bobby with head buried in his arms.] Silence for a few moments when: SCISSORS [slowly rising and beckoning.] Pst! Ruler! Pencil! Compasses! [As its name is called, each tool leaves its home and nears Scissors.] Let's not stand any more of that Bobby's nonsense. Let's strike! COMPASSES [in disgust.] Strike! Huh! a lot of good that would do! RULER. That's a crazy idea ! He'd be tickled to death if we wouldn't work. Don't you remember last week how he avoided his arithmetic lesson when he told Miss Jones he'd broken his pencil and couldn't find his ruler? Why, he put me in his portfolio and then bit off his pencil on purpose. I heard him tell Tommy Tucker so. Strike nothing! We've got to think up something better than that. PENCIL. Something's got to be done. I almost hate that boy Do you know what he does to me? He uses me as a teething-ring, and he's nine years old!! My skin looks as though I'd had the small-pox. And my shape— well, I'll never be the same again since he gashed my sides. A cripple for life and all on account of that boy! COMPASSES. I'm sorry for you, Pencil, but he's treated me just as badly. You know my lovely fine point that I was so proud of? He used me to punch holes in a pile of papers, just to see how many I could pierce at once. Then he actually used me for a tooth-pick! Imagine that! RULER. When I was born 1 had the shiniest, cleanest face. Mother was so proud of me. She always said, "Be straight and upright, sonny. Rule honestly, keep clean inside and out." How can I give honest measure when that Bobby has knocked off my corners? How can my heart be clean when I know that my lines are too short? As to a clean outside! ! I'm stained even to the very soul with the ink that monster has daubed upon me. I feel like a circus performer going through his stunts when he gets hold of me. Sometimes I'm a tack-hammer; then I'm nothing but a stick, for his knife to practise upon; but the worst is when he thinks I'm a fencing stick and pokes fat Piggy Gordon across the aisle. [Brandishing ruler overhead and making lunges,] Ah, then I'd like to kill him!" SCISSORS [dodging the warning ruler gives squeaks of pain.] E-e-e-e-e! ALL. What's the matter, Scissors? SCISSORS [still groamng.] E-e-e e-e! My back! O, my poor back! Last week I was as well as could be, but Bobby would insist on cutting some wire with me and wrenched my back terribly. Ever since then I can't move quickly without awful agony. PENCIL. Why do you suppose he abuses us all so? Doesn't he know the dizzy headaches he gives me when he will roll me down his desk, and up and down you. Ruler? Can't he see that every time he carelessly drops me and breaks my lovely lead he is shortening my life, killing me by inches? It's murder, I teil you, slow torture and murder! COMPASSES. Of course he can see it. Why Miss Jones explained to him only last Friday how helpless I am when he forgets to tighten my screw. He just pulls me all out of joint and strains me to death. Then he says I'm no good. He's no good, I say. SCISSORS. Yesterday he got cross with me. Said I was the dullest thing he'd ever seen. Then he threw me into his desk head first. When I recovered from my faint I was a nervous wreck. Haven't been able to cut any thing but a shaky, unsteady Ime ever since. What can we do to teach him a lesson? Come, Pencil, can't you give us a point? Ruler, you ought to lay out a good plan. Compass, you and I aren't so dull yet that we're useless. Think! What can we do? [All think hard.1 Silence is broken by: RULER. I have it! ALL, together. What? RULER. Let's give him a dose of his own medicine, fellows. COMPASSES. Hooray! SCISSORS. That's fine! PENCIL. Great! RULER. We'll have to act quickly or Miss Jones will be back. Arc you ready? Let's go. [All rush forward and fall upon Bobby; poking, prodding and belaboring him. Bobby stirs in his seat, and groans]. MISS JONES'S voice is heard in the hall outside saying: 'That is a paper to be proud of, Mary. Don't forget to show me the next one that looks like that will you, dear? PENCIL. S-s-s-t! Here's Miss Jones. Back into your places, quick! [All hasten back to their boxes]. BOBBY [with head on desk, still dreaming /s moaning in his sleep and attempting to fight unseen foes.] "Don't do it any more. Please don't. Honest I didn't mean to do it. Don't hit me any more. I won't ever do it again. MISS JONES [shaking him by the shoulder.] "Wake up, Bobby. No one is hurting you." BOBBY [arouses, rubs his eyes, gazes uncertainly at her and then around to discover his assailants] "Gee, Miss Jones, I had an awful dream. I thought all my manual training tools were beating the life out of me for the way I've treat- ed them. MISS JONES [laughing]. You could hardly blame them if they did beat you, could you, Bobby? BOBBY. Honestly, I didn't realize that I was shortening their lives. Miss Jones. I'll remember in future and use them fairly as they've used me. Will you please give me another chance? And if ever you see me treating a thing rough just say *Wake up Bobby' and I'll know what you mean and stop, even if the rest of the boys don't. MISS JONES. Agreed, Bobby. I think you've learned a les- son. And now let's go home or the janitor will be say ing to us, 'Are you going to stay here all night?' BOBBY,[as they pass out] . Hm! I'd never risk being alone with that ruler. It might imagine it was Babe Ruth and I was the ball and if that ever happened to me— Good night ! [Exit]. I