  Time—Morning—Breakfast Place—A Garden on Mt. Olympus Characters—Spring, Columbine, Pantaloon, Clown Columbine. Spring, Spring! Oh, you naughty boy. Why are you here? Spring. They didn’t want me, and neither do you. Columbine. Oh, you poor dear boy. Come along at once to the fire and have some breakfast. Spring. I didn’t come in before, because I thought you wouldn’t want me. [All sit down to breakfast.] Clown. Sausages? I’m tired of sausages; such ages since we had anything else. Pantaloon. Ho! ho! ho! [Waves his wand.] Clown. Do you know how they get the rabbits into the pie? Spring. [Shakes his head.] No. Clown. Would you like to know? Spring. Please, sir. Clown. Well, first of all, you make a nice rich brown crust, and you put it over a large dish. Then you cut a round hole from the pie crust. Fill the dish with lettuce and put it out on the lawn. Spring. On the lawn? Clown. Yes. Then the rabbits come. They pop down the hole in the crust to eat the lettuce. When the pie is Columbine. Don’t you believe him. Pantaloon. [To Spring.] Why did you come back? Spring. The farmers said I made the buds come out too soon. I only stroked the trees and the little sticky buds peeped out to kiss my hand. The gardeners were angry because, where I stepped, the flowers came out too soon, they said, and then— Columbine. Never mind, dear. We are all glad to see you. Pantaloon. And then? Spring. Then East Wind came and Columbine. But you must go back now, and fight Jack Frost and scare Winter away. You have had your breakfast, dear, and now like all the world, you must do your work. Yes, dear, you must keep on working till summer wakes up. Spring. Good-by. |
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