The Clever Goblin

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Part of The Young Citizen: The Magazine for Young People

Title: The Clever Goblin
Year: 1940
Rights
Fulltext: October, 1940 THE YOUNG CITE.ZEN 377 THE CLEVER GOSLIN d Hal/ow<1n Play/et in One lt<t Tile Goblin,s are showing the ilad WitCll a nnu trick. CHARACTERS AND COSTUMES FIVE CH ILllREN llAD WITCH THREE GOOll WITCH ES FIVE GOllLINS CLEVER GOBLIN CAT CHILD The Five Children and the Child wear their usual clothes. The Witches •D<i Goblins wear conventional Halloween costumes. The Bad Witch wears a cape and a tall hat. The Cat wears a suit of black cleth. . THE SETTING The properties needed are a broom; a kettle and a spoon; something to set ihe kettle on; something to suggest fire under the kettle (if possible, an electric lii;ht bulb and red paper); and a pumpkin or a large squash. The scene is laid in a forest, early in the evening of Halloween. .In the backg.round is the home of the Bad Witch. In front of the hou&& is a fire, over which a kettle has been placed. THE PLAY (Ar ihe r.urti1in is drawn back, the .<lt1t/e ir r/w'll.·11 de.rerted. Then the Five c1;i/Jre11 tiptoe in, looking about them fet1rfully.) FIRST CHILll: Here it is! This is her· house! SECOND CHILIJ: Are you sure? FIRST CHILll: Of course! THIRD CHILD: Do you suppose she's at home? FOURTH CHILD: Knock on the door and see. THIRD CHILD: Oh, no, not I. She's a bad old witch! FIRST CHILD: She's the only bad witch left in· all the world. FIFTH CHILD: I wonder what's in .that kettle. (Goer. over lo the kettle and ir 378 TH;"OUNG ·~ITIZEN October, 1940 about to dip in a finger to taste.) suade you, good-by. THIRD CHILD: . Oh, don't tou hit! BAD WITCH (impatiently): Goodby, FIFTH CHILD: I want just a ittle taste! sisters, good-by.· (The good witches go (Puts out !tand again.) 1 • out.) Little do they know where my evil (The Bad Witch, /roJ'i inside. the power is stored. But I'll never tell .them. house, gives a. horrid lauph. The chi/- Not II It is woven into mY hat. My predren clutch one another/in fear.) .cious hat! If I were to .lose 'my hat, THIRD CH.ILD: Oh, \l!t's get away from my povrer would . vanish. But I do ~is awful place I / not fear. I never take this hat off my ALL: Yes, let's./ (They hurry oft the head. Why, I even sleep in it; (Stirs stage.) ·· broth, and tastes.) I need more hot_pep-_ (The Bad'Witch comes out. of her per. (Goes into the house.) house, followed by her black cat. She CAT (lying by the fire, pretending to stands watching the retrea"ting children, be asleep) : Oh, ho, so that's it! She chuckling. Then she turns to her kettle.) thought. I was fast asleep, but I heard BAD WITCH (picking up the spoon).: every word. Her power isin her hat. . Now to finish my broth. (She stirs and BAD WITCH (She has returned with chants.) ' the hol pepper, which she stirs into the Tonight, tonight is Halloween; broth.· The Cat pretends to be asleep.) Strange the sights that will be seen! . Mumble and toil, mumble and toil, Within this broth I place a charm Stir, stir, bubble and boil. To wreak much havoc and cause alarm. (Enter Five Goc•lins and Clewr And that is why I mumble and toil, Goblin.)· Stir, stir, bubble, and boil. (Pauses i~ GOBLINS: Good evening, Bad Witch. listen.) BAD WITCH : Ha I Ha! And how are Hark!. Hark! Who comes this way? all the good little goblins? (The Three Good Witches come in.) CLEVER GOBLIN (politely): Very well, FIRST WITCH : .. Come, ·sister. · Leave thank you . . that kettle of evil charms. We are gqing · BAD WITCH: And why .do you honor to have some Halloween fun. Come with me with a visit? · · US, CLEVER GOBLIN: We wondered whethBAD WITCH: ·What do I want with er you have an extra broom that we might . fun? The more harm I can do, the bet- borrow. ter. BAD WITCH (chucliling): I have just SECOND WITCH: If you would only the thing for you, just the thing. I'll go come with . us goad witches just once, and gci it. (Goes into the house.) you'd never want to be bad again. Won't CI.EVER GOBLIN: ·search everywhere. you try it? · See if you can find.where the Bad Witch's ALL: Yes, do try it!' evil power is hidden. BAD WITCH: Ha! Ha! I'm the only FIRST GOBLIN (after searching a little bad witch left in the world. I want to while): I can't find a thing. Where else be bad. Le~ve me, sisters. I must fin'ish shall we look? my broth. SECONU GOBLIN: Maybe•she keeps' it ' TlllRD WITCH: Then, if we can't per- (Please turn to page 396.) 39b CLEVER GOBLIN (Continued from page 378) in the house. THIRD GOBLIN: Here's her. cat, sound asleep. CAT: I am not. I'm wide awake. FOURTH GOBLIN: Then will you pl-ease help us? CAT: I will tell you where her evil power is stored, ii you will promise to destroy it. Tm tired of belonging; to such a bad old witch. ALL GOBLINS: We promise. CAT: I may be only a sleepy black cat. But the witch's power is stored in her hat. FIFTH GOBLIN: But how can we get it? CLEVER GOBLIN: Come here. I'll tell you. (They whi1per toget!ter.) Now just leave everything to me. FIFTH GOBLIN: Here she comes. BAD WITCH (enters, THE YOUNG CITIZEN c/111ckli119): Here's a tine broom. Just what you want. (A1ide) I have placed a magic charm on this broom, so they will tumble off and hurt themselves. CLEVER GOBI.I:-/: we just want to show you a new trick. BAil WITCll: Nonsense! What do I want with a new trick? Cl.E\"ER GoBI.I:-1: Oh, but this is such ., funny one! Did you ever have a broom carry you bnckwards instead of forwards? . BAD WJTCI-! (intereJted i.n .<pile r,f herJel/): No, I never did. · CLEl"ER GOBLIN: Wouldn't you "like to learn how it's done? BAD WITCH:· Well,· perhaps, if. it won't take too long. CLEVER GOBLIN: Oh, no, ifs very easy. Just sit on the broom. (Witc!t seat1 herJelf.) Now, you must re, CROSS·WORD PUZZLE (Answers frfJl•l pagr 390) peat after me: Eppi, Peppi, Zepp i, Zare! Bark1vard, backward, throu~h the air! BAD WIT<;H ( repeat1) : Epp i, Peppi; Zeppi, Zare! Barkward, back~ a rd, through the air! (Nr,thi11y happ~nJ. Tl;e. 9abli11.1 fool< puzzled, and cr(r1.t'tj arr)uud to inspect the b.-00111.) ,, Cl.El"ER GOBLIN: It's not right yet. (Scratc!ti11g !ti1 head and thi11ki11g) ·Oh, I have it! Your hat is too heavy. Take it off. BAD WITCH: No! No! Go away! CLEVER GOBLIN: Oh, dear! All the other witches learned so quickly. They're all planning to ride backwards tonight. But of course, if you can't learnBAD WITCH (s.tnmping !ter foot) : I cn11 learn. Here, hold my hat. (Hand1 her hat ta Clever Goblin.) Mind you hold it carefully now. Eppi, Peppi, Zeppi, Zare! (Clever Goblin nin1 r,ff t!te 1tage .vit!t t!te Bad. Witch's !tat in ri.vhir.lr he1· evil pM'i·e1· is '1.CfJVell. The Bad Witch ri1111 after him, .d1rie/a'11!J·) Here, come back with my hat! My hat! My hat! Come back with my hat! FIFTI I GOilLIN (looking off t!te stage). He's running (Please turn to page jg9.) October, 1940 CLEVER GOBLIN (Continued from page 396) as fast as he can. SECOND GOBLIN: He's trying to throw it into the river. THIRD GOBLIN: She's overtaking him. Oh, we'll suffer for this! FOURTH GOBLIN: No, she tripped and fell. Hurrah! ·He's thrown the hat into the river! FIRST GOBLIN: Let's go and meet him. (They run from the stage.) CAT: Meow! Meow! Now I'll never have to scratch anybody again. I'm so glad. I want to be a good black cat. BAD WITCH (entering): Oh, dear! My hat is gone. Now I'll have to be a good witch after all. CAT: Meow! Meow! BAD WITCH : Someone is coming. (Child enters cryin9.) What's the matter? CHILD: This is Halloween, and I haven't any lantern to carry, or costume to wear. BAD WITCH: Let me see' Here's an extra lantern, and here's a witch's dress to wear. CHILD: Oh, thank you. (Goes out with the lantern and the costume.) BAD WITCH: Well, well, that was nice. Maybe it will be fun being a good witch, after all. CAT: Meow! Meow! THE YOUNG CITIZEN FIRST ASSEMBLY (Continued from page 387) the upper house. Together, they formed the Philippine Legislature. Let us now tell the story of the. inauguration of the first Philippine Assembly. This sign.ificant event took place at the Manila Grand Opera House on Wednesday, October 16, 1907 at nine o'clock in the morning. The first persons to take their seats in the Grand Opera House were the provincial governors; t·h e y were followed by the assemblymen. Many high officials were also present including Secretary of War Taft, a former governorBAD WITCH : Now I must empty this kettle of broth, and make some delicious coconut candy. Let me see! Who will help me eat it? WITCHES (running in): We will! GOBLINS (running in) : We will! CHILDREN (entering timidly): Did we hear someone say something about candy? BAD WITCH (who is no longer a bad witch, but is now a Good Witch): Yes, and you all shall have a share. ALL: Hurrah for Halloween! -From The Instructor. 399 general, Governor-General Smith, and the members of the Philippine Commission. Governor - General Smith started the ceremonies by reviewing the events ,which led to the organization of the Assembly. Secretary Taft delivered the inaugural address. The ceremonies ended at noon. At five o'clock the assemblymen held their first meeting in the Marble Hall of the Ayuntamiento in the Walled City. After the roll had been c~lled, the members proceeded to the election of the speaker. Manuel L. Quezon nomin,.ted Sergio Osmefia of Cebu whose election was declared unanimous. The first Philippine Assembly will go down in Philippine history as the first Filipino legislative body under the American flag. Its creation marked a forward step in the march of the Filipinos towards self-government, a wise policy laid down by President McKinley of the United States. This popular body of brilliant men served as a strong foundation of our pr es en t Commonwealth government. Let us then remember the day when the Filipinos started to make laws for themselvesOctober 16, 1907.