Santa Claus Gets His Wish 1

Santa Claus Gets His Wish 1

Santa Claus Gets His Wish

A Christmas Play in One Act For Young Children

 

Author: Blanche Proctor Fisher

 

SUGGESTIONS FOR CHARACTERS

 

 

IMPS. In red sweaters and red masks covering the head, with a little

peak over each ear.

 

SAND-MAN. In gray tunic and gray pointed cap.

 

WISH-BONE. Is a slender boy holding his arms close to his body and

walking stiffly with legs spread far apart.

 

LOLLIPOP. A very slender boy with his head wrapped loosely in red

tissue-paper.

 

ICE-CREAM CONE. A little boy encased in a cornucopia of heavy

wrapping-paper with some soft white material showing at the top about

his face.

 

 

 

 

Santa Claus Gets His Wish

 

 

SCENE.--_The interior of_ SANTA CLAUS'S _home on Christmas

Eve. There is a door on each side of the stage, and a

fireplace at the back._ SANTA CLAUS'S _big easy-chair is

near the front of the stage at the left, and near the front

at the right is a table_.

 

(_As the curtain rises the two_ IMPS _are seated on the

floor, each with a section of harness, the bells of which

they are industriously polishing_.)

 

FIRST IMP. You must hurry. It's almost seven o'clock, and soon it will

be time to harness the reindeer.

 

SECOND IMP. I am hurrying as fast as I can. I shall get through now

before you do, and my bells will be just as bright as yours. It seems to

me that the more I shine them the sweeter their tone is.

 

FIRST IMP. I am polishing mine so bright that when Santa Claus drives

through the sky all the people will look up and think they see stars

twinkling overhead.

 

SECOND IMP. And I make my bells so bright that when they chime the

children will hear them in their sleep and dream they are listening to

birds singing in the springtime.

 

FIRST IMP (_scornfully_). What nonsense! How many children to-night do

you suppose are dreaming of birds and springtime?

 

SECOND IMP. Why shouldn't they?

 

FIRST IMP. Why should they,--when there are so many other things to

dream of at Christmas time? If you don't believe me, we'll leave it to

Santa Claus. Here he comes now. Hooray!

 

(_As_ SANTA CLAUS _enters from_ L. _of stage the_ IMPS _run

to meet him, and holding an end of the harness in each hand

form a ring and dance around him in time to the jingling of

the bells_.)

 

SANTA CLAUS. Hold on! Hold on there! When a fellow gets to be my age his

head isn't steady enough to stand any such merry-go-'round as this. Come

on now, let's see if you've done your work properly and polished the

bells as I told you.

 

(_He sits down in his big armchair and the_ IMPS _climb upon

his lap_.)

 

FIRST IMP. I said I would make my bells so bright that people would

think they were twinkling stars.

 

SECOND IMP. And _I_ said----

 

FIRST IMP (_interrupting_). Never mind what _you_ said. There wasn't any

sense to that. Santa Claus, tell us, what do children dream about at

Christmas time?

 

SANTA CLAUS. What do children dream about? Why, they dream about me, of

course.

 

BOTH IMPS (_each shaking a finger at him_). O-ho!

 

SANTA CLAUS. There! I suppose you think I'm a conceited old chap, but if

you don't believe me we'll ask the Sand-Man. (_The_ SAND-MAN _enters_,

L. _door, carrying a big bag over his shoulder, and a small bag in his

hand_.) Just starting off on your rounds, I see. Have you a heavy load

to-night?

 

SAND-MAN. The sand-bag is heavy, but the dream-bag is light. There isn't

much to a dream, you know;--just a whiff of fairy powder wrapped up in a

bit of mist. But they do the trick all the same,--and how the children

love them.

 

SANTA CLAUS. And what are these dreams which the children love? Are any

of them about me?

 

SAND-MAN. Why, no, Santa. Of course they _used_ to be, but times have

changed, you see. Children nowadays have so many interests.

 

SANTA CLAUS. But I thought perhaps just at Christmas time----

 

SAND-MAN. Yes, I know, I know. Yet, after all, dreams are really a

matter of habit. It's the things which the children enjoy all through

the year that stay in their minds after they fall asleep.

 

SANTA CLAUS. Well, what are these things which the children enjoy all

the year and dream about every night?

 

SAND-MAN. Ah! That would be telling. Mustn't give away the secrets of

the trade, you know. Well, I'm off. See you later.

 

[_Exit_, R. _door_.

 

SANTA CLAUS (_to the_ IMPS). Run out with him, boys, and help him down

the steps with his bags. (_Exeunt_ IMPS.) H'm! I didn't find out what I

wanted to, did I? I wish I could, though (_Yawning._), I wish I could;

but what's the old saying: "If wishes were horses, beggars might ride"?

Holloa! Who's this coming? (_The_ WISH-BONE _enters_, R. _door_.) How

strangely he walks,--must be kind o' stiff in his joints, or else he

hasn't any joints at all. Good-evening, friend, who might you be?

 

WISH-BONE (_in a melancholy tone_). My name is Wish-Bone. I am all

that's left of the Thanksgiving turkey.

 

SANTA CLAUS (_sympathetically_). I say, now, that's rather a lonely fate

for you; but cheer up, it might be worse.

 

WISH-BONE (_in the same melancholy tone_). It will be worse. I expect to

be laid up with a broken leg most any day now.

 

SANTA CLAUS. Broken leg? Why, bless my stars, man, what makes you expect

anything like that to happen?

 

WISH-BONE. It always happens to us wish-bones; runs in the family.

Sometimes it's both legs that are broken, and the head flies off; and

that's the greatest pity of all, for then there isn't any one gets their

wish.

 

SANTA CLAUS. Is your business something like mine, then; giving people

whatever they wish?

 

WISH-BONE. N-no,-not exactly _giving_ it,--just promising it. But it all

amounts to the same thing. Once make people believe they'll get what

they wish for, and somehow it always comes in the end.

 

SANTA CLAUS. Then perhaps you can help me out. My great wish just at

present is to know what the children are dreaming about to-night.

 

WISH-BONE. Sorry to refuse you, but I'm not ready for business yet.

Don't feel quite equal to it. Wait until I get a little more snap in me,

and then I'll call around again. Good-night.

 

[_Exit_ WISH-BONE, R. _door_.

 

SANTA CLAUS. He's about the gloomiest creature I ever saw; and yet he

struck sort of a hopeful note when he said people would get what they

wished for if they only believed it. I wonder how that would work out in

my case. (_The_ SAND-MAN _enters_, R. _door_.) Ah! here comes the

Sand-Man back again. Well, how did things go with you to-night? Is your

sand-bag empty?

 

SAND-MAN. Almost. It takes a powerful lot of sand to make the children sleepy the night before Christmas.