A Day at
Happy Hollow
School
By
Lettie Cook Van Derveer
March Brothers
Publishers
208, 210, 212 Wright Ave., Lebanon, O.
Copyright, 1910,
By March Brothers.
A Day at Happy
Hollow School
By LETTIE COOK VAN DERVEER
ACT I.
Setting—Interior of schoolroom. Chairs arrangedin rows for scholars; desk and chair forteacher; blackboard.
(Enter teacher. Severe-looking, wearing eye-glasses.Arranges books and papers on desk.Rings bell.)
(Enter scholars, singly and in groups, talkingand laughing until teacher again taps bell. Theywear varied costumes, gingham aprons, etc. Onentering remove coats, caps, shawls, hats andbonnets—in season and out of season—hangingthem on hooks in the wall or on backs of chairs.Hair in pig-tails or curls tied with ribbons orshoestrings in all manner of fashions.)
Each has basket, bag or tin dinner-pail.
Teacher opens roll-book and proceeds to callroll.
Teacher. “Annabel Adams.”
Annabel Adams. “Present.”
Teacher. “Bessie Bolitsky.”
[4]Bessie Bolitsky. “P-r-r-esent!”
Teacher. “Curiosity Cornhusk.”
Curiosity Cornhusk. “Present.”
Teacher. “Dennis Dockerty.”
Dennis Dockerty. “Present.”
Teacher. “Etta Elephant.”
Etta Elephant (fat child). “I’m here.”
Teacher. “Fanny Finney.”
Fanny Finney (brogue). “Hyer.”
Teacher. “Geraldine Griggs.”
Geraldine Griggs. “Present.”
Teacher. “Henry Hoskins.”
Henry Hoskins. “Pr-r-esent.”
Teacher. “Isaac Ibsen.”
Isaac Ibsen. “We’s both here.”
Teacher. “Silence! Next time answer as youshould.” (Proceeds.) “Ira Ibsen.”
Ira Ibsen (very faintly). “Present.”
Teacher. “Joshua Judkins.”
Joshua Judkins. “Present.”
(Other names may be added.)
Teacher. “First class in geography, come forward.”
(Advance Annabel, Dennis, Etta, Curiosityand Joshua.)
Teacher. “Now Annabel, you tell me this. Ifto the right of you is the South, and on yourleft the North, and in front of you the East—what’sbehind you?”
Annabel thinks a moment, then starts to cry.“Boo hoo! I knowed it. I told ma you’d seethem buttons missin’ off my waist.”
[5]Teacher. “Ridiculous! I mean the West.Now listen children! Does anybody rememberwhat the population of China is?” (All shakeheads negatively.)
Teacher. “Well, the population of China is sogreat that two Chinamen die every time you takea breath.”
(Etta immediately starts purri