A TALE FOR THE TINIES

Waikato Times, Volume 124, Issue 20728, 11 February 1939, Page 21 (Supplement)

A TALE FOR THE TINIES

BUCKETS AND BABES TWT you feel well, Mother?” asked Mar?’, anxiously, as her mother came in looking very pale one dinner-time. “No, dear,” and Mrs Talbot 6at down rather heavily in a chair. **l think I have a bad cold.” The next morning she found it impossible to get up and go to work as usual. ”1 will stop at home mother,” said Mary. “Dick can take a note to the school.” “I’m worried about my job," said Mrs Talbot. “If I don’t go, they will get someone else.” Mary knew that, and she was worried, too, for they had no father to look after them and things would be very difficult if her mother lost her job. As she swept up and tidied the living-room, Mary wondered what to do, and suddenly she had an idea. When Dick came home to dinner, she fold him of her plan, and the next morning, when Mrs Talbot seemed no better, they left her comfortably settled in bed and set ofT for the Theatre, where their mother worked as charwoman. Arriving at the Theatre, Mary asked to see Mr Thorne, the man who engaged the staff. “Well, and what can I do for you, young lady?” he inquired, coming cheerily up to the children, where they stood rather timidly in the passage. Mary explained about her mother's illness,, and then she said shyly: “And we wondered if you would let us do the work—Dick and me—until mother gets well again.” “Well, well,” smiled Mr Thorne, “I’ll—er—see what I can do. Mr* Gee!” he shouted, and a stout little woman with a bucket and broom came hurrying out through a door. “Dearie me. Mr Thorne,” she panted, “I’ve got that much to do, I don't know w’here I am.” “Here are two helpers for you, they are willing to take over their mother’s joh for a day or two.” “Well, I never!” the little woman stared at Dick and Mary. “So you’re Mrs Talhot’s children, eh ? She always said as how you were the best children in the world. Well, come along, me dears,” and soon Dick and Mary were hard at work In the gallery. They quite enjoyed it, and more so when a rehearsal started on the stage below. “Oh,” said Mary', peeping over the rail, with a duster in her hand. “I do believe they’re rehearsing for the pantomime.” “What tun,” whispered Dick. “Wouldn’t it be great to act on a stage?” They went on quietly dusting and listening to what was going on down below. It seemed to be “Babes in the Wood,” they w-ere rehearsing, and the producer wa6 finding fault with everybody, especially the Babes, two grown-ups, who didn’t seem to know how to act like chlldrenMrs Talbot gradually began to get better, and she was very proud of her children, as each morning they set off for the Theatre. * Mary and Dick soon began to pick up bits of the pantomime, and in the evenings they entertained their mother by acting different scenes. One day they had finished their work and were crossing round the back of the stage, carrying buckets of dirty water, when Mary whispered: “There’s nobody about, Dick, let’s go on the stage.” “And act that part where the Babes get left in the Wood,” grinned Dick, so they set down their buckets, and crept round the scenery on to the stage. Mary had Just begun to speak the familiar lines, when Dick clutched her arm. “Look!” he whispered excitedly. “Smoke 1” Mary turned and say grey wisps of smoke creeping on to the stage. “Something is on fire!” she cried, and they both raced Into the wings. A heap of wood shavings lay smouldering on the floor, evidently a careless carpenter had dropped a cigarette. “The buckets!” cried Dick, and he and Mary fled for their pall* of dirty water. As they dashed the water on the now flaming pile, people came running from all directions and there were cries of "Fire.” but luckiJy the soapy water had already put out the flames, and the next moment Dick and Mary were surrounded. A big red-faced man, whom they recognised as the producer of the pantomime, pushed through the crowd and asked who had put It out. Dick and Mary were pushed forward and he shook them warmly by the hand saying, “Good work. We should have had the whole theatre ablaze in no time, but what were you doing on the stage?” “We were acting,” stammered Mary. “Acting But you're not In the castl” Mr Thorne suddenly stepped forward and explained who they were. “But you said you were acting.” went on tbe Producer. “Oh,” blushed Mary, “We—we—” “We were acting the parts of the Babe 6,“ put in Dick. “It’s been great fun trying to do it like wc heard you telling the others.’’ “How about showing me what you can do?" suddenly asked the man, so the crowd moved away, and the children began one of their favourite scenes. “Fine, fine!” exclaimed the Producer, when they had done as much as they could remember. “You can go home and tell your mother that you are booked for the pantomime.” Mary and Dick stared at him in amazement. “Do you really mean it?” gasped Dick. “Sure*, the ones I’ve got don’t suit at all. You are perfect.” And that was how Mary' and Dick were able to give their mother all the good things the doctor had 6aid she should have and in time they moved into a better house, because they were such a success in the pantomime, “Babes in tbe Wood,” that they were immediately engaged for another play.