The Cat and Fiddle Book Part 8

SCENE

_A STREET. MRS. CARR, with a small basket in her hand in which are two oranges and two lemons, is walking along the street to her house, holding her little daughter KITTY by the hand. They are supposed to have just arrived at her house door._

MRS. C. There now, here we are at home again, and I'll take these in and make a nice pot of jam with them. I got them very cheap.

KITTY. How much were they?

MRS. C. Twopence each orange, and twopence and three farthings each lemon.

[_Handbells heard ringing._

KITTY. Mother, why are the bells ringing?

MRS. C. Because it is Bellringers' Day, when everyone who likes may ring a bell in the streets if he calls out the name of his parish and puts a penny into the parish poor box.

KITTY. Oh, I should like to do that. What's our parish?

MRS. C. St. Clement's.

KITTY. And I could ring my little bell that I got off the Christmas tree.

MRS. C. But have you a penny for the poor box?

KITTY [_coaxingly_]. You give me one, mammy darling.

MRS. C. [_smiling_]. I'm afraid I haven't one to spare. I spent my pennies on these.

KITTY [_looking at the oranges and lemons in basket_]. Do let me sell them again and have some pennies!

MRS. C. What about the jam then?

KITTY. Oh, I'd much rather have the pennies for the poor box, so that I could ring my bell too.

MRS. C. Well, you may try to sell them if you like.

Kitty. Oh, mammy darling, you _are_ kind. I'll run in and get my bell.

[_Rushes in to get it. While she is inside MRS. CARR arranges the oranges and lemons in the basket, etc. KITTY comes out with the bell._

MRS. C. [_giving her the basket, smiling_]. I'm spoiling you, mind.

KITTY. It is nice to be spoilt. Now you go indoors, mother, and I'll be a real person all by myself.

[_MRS. C. smiles, kisses her, and goes in. KITTY, alone, walks up and down calling_ "St Clement's! St. Clement's! St. Clement's!"

_Enter ST. MARTIN'S BOY, ringing his bell._

ST. M. St. Martin's! St. Martin's!

[_Looks at KITTY'S basket._

KITTY [_sings to tune, ringing bell_]. Oranges and lemons, says the Bells of St. Clement's!

ST. M. Jolly good they look.

KITTY. Buy one?

ST. M. Yes, if they're not too dear. How much are they?

KITTY. Two pennies for each orange, and two pennies and three farthings for each lemon.

ST. M. All right, I'll have one of each. Now, twopence for this, you say, and twopence three farthings for this. Can you reckon up how much that is?

KITTY. No--_you_ must.

ST. M. Girls _are_ silly. That makes fourpence three-farthings. Now, here's a sixpence, and you must give me five farthings change.

[_Sings_] "You owe me five farthings, says the bells of St. Martin's."

KITTY. Oh dear, I've got no farthings, no change, no nothing.

ST. M. Then you'll have no sixpence as well, that's all. And I'll have no oranges and lemons--and no nothing.

KITTY. Oh dear, what a pity!

[_Enter Sh.o.r.eDITCH BOY, ringing bell._

Sh.o.r.eDITCH. Sh.o.r.editch! Sh.o.r.editch! Hallo, those look good. Look here, little girl, sell me one. [_Feels in his pocket._] No, my pocket's empty.

[_Enter OLD BAILEY BOY, ringing bell._

OLD BAILEY. Old Bailey! Old Bailey! Jolly things you've got there, young person.

KITTY. _Do_ buy one.

Sh.o.r.eDITCH. _I_ want to buy one if someone will lend me the money.

OLD BAILEY. Here, I've got some money. How much do you want?

Sh.o.r.eDITCH. Twopence.

OLD BAILEY. Here you are then.

Sh.o.r.eDITCH. Hooray! [_Takes orange._] There, little girl.

[_Gives her two pennies._