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Time —Early One Morning
Place —Betty Jane’s Room
Persons:
Betty Jane Brush
Lark Shoes
Clock Dress
Comb Wind
Mother
[ Betty Jane is lying in her white bed. Beside the bed is a table with a little clock on it, and a comb, a brush, and a hair-ribbon. On the floor by the bed are Betty Jane’s shoes, and her blue and white dress hangs over the foot of her bed. There is a window on the other side of her bed, and a closet door across the room. Betty Jane has just waked up. ]
Betty Jane . [ Sitting up in bed. ] I wonder what time it is.
Lark . [ Singing outside the window .] Time to get up! Time to get
Betty Jane. [ Lying down again. ] I don’t want to get up! I don’t want to wash and dress and comb my hair.
Clock. Tick, tock! Time to get up! My hands say seven o’clock. Time to get up! Tick, tock!
Betty Jane . I don’t want to get up!
Clock . Then I shall stop working. My hands will not move. I don’t want to tell time any more for such a cross little girl.
[ The clock stops ticking, and its hands stand still. ]
Comb. I don’t blame the clock. I don’t want to do anything with Betty Jane’s hair today. Do you, Brush?
Brush . No, I don’t want to do any work at all today for a little girl that is cross.
[ The comb and the brush hop down from the table and start toward the door. The hair-ribbon flies past them. ]
Betty Jane . Oh, hair-ribbon, where are you going? And there go my brush and comb! If they go away, I cannot comb or brush my hair. Then how can I go to school?
Shoes. I don’t want to take a cross little girl to school today, anyway.
[ The shoes start across the floor toward the closet. ]
Dress. I don’t want to go to school today, either, if a cross little girl wears me. I should much rather hang in the closet.
[ The dress jumps down from the bed and dances across the floor to the closet. ]
Betty Jane. Come back! Come back! I don’t want to have to stay in bed all day!
All. We don’t care! We don’t care!
[ Betty Jane jumps out of bed and runs to the window. ]
Betty Jane . [ Looking out ] Where is the sun? It is almost dark.
Wind. He did not want to shine this morn- ing, and he went under some clouds.
[ Betty Jane goes back to bed. ]
Betty Jane . Nothing wants to do what it ought to!
Wind. Too bad! Too bad!
Lark . [ Begins singing again .] Time to get up! Time to get up!
Betty Jane . Oh, I am glad to hear you! Now I am going to get up this minute, and I will never again say, “I don’t want to.”
[ The sun begins to shine, and the room grows light. The clock ticks and its hands move. The brush, comb, dress, ribbon, and shoes all go back to their places. ]
Clock. Tick, tock! Time to get up! Tick, tock!
Mother . [ Calling from down-stairs. ] Time to get up!
Betty Jane . I will be dressed soon, Mother.
[ Betty Jane hops out of bed. ]
Wind and Clock . [ Together. ] Good girl! Good girl!
—— Eleanor Hammond