Tom Tit Tot
from Gail Lang

This is a fun puppet show we've done with Girl Scouts, at historicaldemonstrations and with numerous other groups. You can be very creativein obtaining puppets. Ours were a mixture. For the narrator we took a largestuffed lion, gutted him, leaving his head stuffed, with entrys in to operatehis front paws and mouth. This particular lion was purchased at a yardsale for only 25 cents so it was a cheap experiment that worked quite well.We encourage you to be as creative in finding appropriate characters toplay out this show and above all -- be sure to have fun! - We've attemptedto color code the text according to which character is talking to helpyou learn the parts. Hopefully you have a color printer. - Gail

'Daw'r.' says she, 'putyou them there pies on the shelf an' leave 'em there a little, an' they'llcome agin'.

(Daughter takes pies one at a time and puts them on an imaginaryshelf) she says to herself,
Well, if they'll come agin, I'll ate 'em now.'(Daughter eats all imaginarypies, one at a time.)

The woman she said, Well tis come supper timedarter 'Goo you and git one o' them there pies. I dare say they've cameagin now.'

(The daughter she went an' she looked, and there warn't nothin' butthe dishes. So back she come and says)
'Noo, they ain't come agin.'

'Not none on 'em?' says the mother.

'Not non on 'em,' says she.

Well, come agin, or not come agin,' saysthe woman, 'I'll ha' one for supper.'

But you can't, if they ain't come,' saysthe gal.

But I can, says she,Goo you and bring the best of 'em.

Best or worst, says the gal,I've ate 'em all, and you can't ha' one till that's come agin.

(The woman stomps around angrily) she says Youfoolish chil, come again means the crusts ud get soft. How could you beso foolish?
(The woman walks to other side of stage, pretends to be spinningand sings.)

My darter ha' ate five, five pies today-

My darter ha' ate five, five pies today.

(King listens to song as he walks to mother but can't hear lyrics.)(He stops at mother and asks)

What were that you was a singun of Maw'r?

(woman acts ashamed for moment, looks around then sings)

My darter ha' spun five, five skeins today-

My darter ha' spun five, five skeins today.

S'ars o' mine! said the king,I never heerd tell of anyone as could do that. Then he said:Look you here, I want a wife, and I'll marry your darter. But look youhere, leven months out o' the year she shall have all the vittles she likesto eat, and all the gowns she likes to git, and all the cumpny she likesto hev; but the last month o' the year she'll ha' to spin five skeins iv'ryday, an' if she doon't, I shall kill her.

All right, says the woman:

exit king(Woman talking softly to audience) Whata grand marriage that would be, and as for them five skeins, when tey comedew, there'd be plenty o' ways of gettin' out of it, and likeliest, he'dha' forgot about it.

exit woman

enter narrator Well, so they was married. An'for 'leven months the gal had all the vittles she liked to eat, and allthe gowns she liked to git, an' all the cumpny she liked to hev.

But when the time was gettin' oover, she beganto think about them skeins an' to wonder if he had 'em in mind. But notone word did he say about 'em, an' she whoolly thowt he'd forgot 'em.

Howsivir, the last day o' the last month, he takesher to a room she'd niver set eyes on afore. There worn't nothin' in itbur a spinnin' wheel and a stool.

enter king and girl An' says he, Now, me dear,hare ya'll be shut in tomorrow with some vittles and some flax, and ifyou hain't spun five skeins by the night, yar hid'll goo off.

exit king (Girl wanders around stage very upset) she says toherself: what ever shall I do. I han't never spunskeins a day in my life, and there's no one to come nigh to help me. Myhead'll surely come off! - lots of crying -

(KNOCKING ON WINDOW) (she listens and stops crying)

(KNOCKING ON WINDOW AGAIN) (she goes over and opens the

window.)(DOUBLE TAKE)

What is that awful brown thing at my window? sheasks.

What are yew a cryin' for?

Wha's that to yew? says she.

Niver yew mind, that said, but tell me what you'recryin' for.

That oon't dew me noo good if I dew, saysshe.

Yew doon't know that, that said, (Thatwiggles excitedly)

Well, says she, thatoon't dew no harm, if that doon't dew no good, 11 months back I ate 5 piesan my moter were wholly bate and she sung, but the king heerd and askedwhut she sung. She was shamed cuz whut I dun so she sang I spun 5 skeinsthet day. Now the king spects me to do it gain all this month or off'llgo my head.

This is what I'll dew, says the littlebrown thing: I'll come to yar winder ev'ry mornin'an' take the flax an' bring it spun at night.

What's your pay? says she.

(That looks back and forth sneakily then says)

I'll give you three guesses every night to guessmy name, an' if you hain't guessed it afore the month's up, yew shall bemine.

(Speaking softly to audience as if talking to herself)

Surely I can guess that's name afore the monthtis up! (To That) All right, saysshe, I agree.

All right, that says, (That turns roundand round dancing excitedly)

Enter king pulling girl Now, there's the flax,says he, an' if that ain't spun up this night offgoo yar hid.

Exit king pretending to lock door

sound KNOCK, KNOCK, KNOCK

(Girl goes over to window, opens it and brown thing comes in)

Where's the flax? says he.

Here to be, says she.(she gives flaxto him)

exit that out window (Girl paces back and forth trying to think upnames) What could it be, Norton, Thylecine, Thomas,Ito - how can I ever find that's name. It is comin near evening, whereis that with the skeins. I'll surely loose me head.

sound KNOCK, KNOCK, KNOCK

(Girl goes over to window, opens it and brown thing comes in)

Here to be, says he, (He gives her theskeins)

Now, what's my name? says he.

What, is that Bill? says she.

Noo, that ain't, says he.(He dancesaround excitedly)

Is that Ned? says she.

Noo, that ain't, says he. (He continuesto dance)

Well, is that Mark? says she.

Noo, that ain't, says he. An; (He dances,twirls his tail and flies away)

enter king (Looks around) I see I shorn'thev for to kill you tonight, me dare, says he. Yew'll hev yar vittles andyar flax in the mornin, exit king then girl

enter NARRATOR Well, ivery day the flax an' thevittles, they was browt, an' ivery day that there little brown impet usedfor to come mornin's and evenin's. An' all the day the mawther she seta trying fur to think of names to say to it when te come at night. Butshe niver hot on the right one. An' as that got towarts the ind o' themonth, the impet that began for to look soo maliceful, an' that twirledthat's tail faster an' faster each time she gave a guess.

At last tey come to the last day but one.

enter girl (enter that carrying the skeins) n'that said:What, hain't yew got my name yet?

Is that Nicodemus? says she.

Noo, t'sin't, that says.

A-well, is that Methusalem? says she.

Noo, t'ain't that norther, he says.

(That circle her menacingly and says) Woman,there's only tomorrer night, an then yar'll be mine! (That fliesout thru window)

(girl paces wondering what to do)

enter kingWell, me dare, says he,I don't see but what yew'll ha your skeins readytomorrer night as well, an as I reckon I shorn't ha to kill you, I'll hasupper in here tonight. (Both sit to eat, king pretends to eata little then begins laughing)

What is it? says she.

A-why, says he, Iwas out a huntin today, an I got away to a place in the wood I'd neverseen afore. An there was an old chalk pit. An I heerd a sort of a hummin,kind o. So I got off my hobby, an I went right quiet to the pit, an I lookeddown. Well, what should there be but the funniest little black thing yewiver set eyes on. An what was that a dewin on, but that had a little spinninwheel, an that were a spinnin wonnerful fast, an a twirlin that's tail.An as that span, that sang:

Nimmy nimmy not,

My names Tom Tit Tot.

(girl double takes and looks at audience)

exit king (girl sleeps and awakes the next day to knocking on window)

sound KNOCK, KNOCK, KNOCK

(Girl goes over to window, opens it and brown thing comes in)

(That dances and twirls tail) (she gives him the flax acting scaredand he flies away)

(Girl walks around happily humming waiting for the day to end)

sound KNOCK, KNOCK, KNOCK

(Girl goes over to window, opens it and brown thing comes in)

What's my name? that says,(he givesher the skeins.)

Is that Solomon? she say, (pretendingto be afraid)

Noo, t'ain't, that says, (that comefurther inter the room.)

Well, is that Zebedee? say she agin.

Noo, t'ain't, says the impet. (An thenthat laughed an twirled that's tail till yew cou'n't hardly see it.)

Take time, woman, that says, next guess, an you'remine.(an that stretched out that's brown hands at her.)

(Well, she backed up a step or two, an she looked at it, and thenshe laughed out, an says she, pointing a finger at it:

Nimmy nimmy not,

Yar name's Tom Tit Tot.

(That does a double take, screams and flies away)

he says------

-- What? You think we're gonna give ya everything? Be creative! Tellem goodbye! - In a fun way of course!