Aquarian Age Stories for Children
Oh! My Tummy!
by
Marjorie Brinkly
A playlet for children which brings out the importance of proper
eating.
SCENE I
THE CHARACTERS
(In the order in which they appear)
Tommy Ache, a boy about ten years old.
Bad Dreams, a boy dressed in a black robe with red streamers.
Sadie Pickle, a thin little girt dressed in green.
Soggy Whitebread, a little boy in a gray robe.
Fatty Doughnut, a fat boy.
Katie Kandy, a smirking little girl.
Mrs. Red Meat, a large girl, with a determined air.
Good Dream, a little girl dressed as a fairy in white with silver wings.
Brownie Bread, a little boy in brown and gold.
Pattie Butter, a little girl in yellow and gold.
Molly Milk, a little girl dressed in white with a tall hat.
Sonnie Honey, a little boy dressed in amber.
Goldie Orange, a little girl dressed in orange.
Reggie Vegetable, a little boy dressed in green.
The Setting, a room with couch and other ordinary furniture.
Tommy Ache is found lying asleep on the couch, but
is rolling and tossing, and finally awakens with
sharp pains and holds his stomach, groaning and
crying.
(Enter Bad Dreams, who shuffles around, glaring and
looking ugly.)
Tommy Ache. (Between groans.) Who are you?
Bad Dreams. (In a deep voice, slow and rumbling.)
Roll and toss, and twist and turn,
You've eaten things that you should spurn,
And I am here to see that you
Shall suffer for misdeeds you do.
(Menacingly.)
I have a lot of friends with me,
They'll tell you why we all agree
To do our work with equal share,
To make your dreams a long nightmare.
Tommy Ache. (Still groaning and crying.)
Go away, I don't want you hanging around here!
Bad Dreams. (Unheeding, beckons to his friends.)
(Enter Sadie Pickle and Soggy Whitebread.)
Sadie Pickle. (In a high-pitched voice.)
I pickle your heart,
And tickle your tongue.
I make you old
Before you are young.
I'm sweet and I'm sour,
And good and bad.
I never miss tempting
A little lad.
Tommy Ache. (In a pain-stricken voice.) I'll never eat you again.
(Turns over and tries to get comfortable.)
Soggy Whitebread. (In a thick voice.)
Soggy, soggy white bread,
Makes your tummy feel like lead,
Makes you tired and want to sleep,
Makes you ache so you have to weep.
Soggy, soggy white bread.
Tommy Ache. (Crying and sobbing.) Oh, let me alone!
(Continues to roll and toss and hold his stomach.)
(Enter Fatty Doughnut, slowly and lazily.)
Fatty Doughnut.
Doughnuts, and cakes, and piecrust am I!
I certainly am a lazy guy;
My clothes are greasy and mussy and creasy,
But I should worry, and sigh and cry,
I 'm much, too much of a lazy guy!
Tommy Ache. (Desperately.)
I wish all you awful people would go away and
never show up again. I think you are a bad lot. Get
out! (Reminiscently.) I used to know a sweet little
girl named Katie that would help me if she were here.
(Enter Katie Kandy all smiles and smirks.)
Katie Kandy.
When you eat me a little, I 'm nice and sweet
If you take me too much, I'm sure to cheat;
But a lot depends on the way you treat me.
Especially on the time you eat me.
Down-in-the-mouth, and Out-at-the-heels,
That's what I am between your meals;
But if you want me when I don't hurt,
Then only take me for your dessert.
Tommy Ache.
And I thought you were a good friend. Where's
Mrs. Red Meat? She 's substantial.
(Enter Mrs. Red Meat with a determined air.)
Mrs. Red Meat.
I'll tell you what and tell you quick,
You can 't chase aches and pains with a stick;
It does no good, while I 'm your food,
Cause I 'm the one who makes you sick.
(Sing-songy.)
Oh, I'm Mrs. Red Meat,
Leg o'veal and pickled pigs feet;
Sausage, liver, and head cheese, too.
Roast o'beef and porky stew.
Fried ham, and burnt up steak,
Peppery leaves and hashed up fake;
I always promise to build up fast
But, always fail you at the last.
I laugh and lie and like to cheat;
He, he! Ho, ho! I'm Mrs. Red Meat.
(Tommy Ache, motioning them all away, lies back
on the couch and after much rolling falls asleep.)
SCENE II
(Enter Good Dream, dancing around lightly, very gracefully,
and awakens him.)
Good Dream.
I am the good nutrition fairy;
See, my wings are light and airy,
Light and airy are my wings,
And happy is my heart that sings.
If you don't like an awful dream,
Or aches and pains that make you scream,
Then hark to what I have to say,
And you'll feel well most every day.
(Beckons to good food friends.)
(Enter Brownie Bread and Pattie Butter, who come
quickly in and begin straightening his pillow and
smoothing his head.)
Brownie Bread.
My name is little Brownie Bread
And if you will eat me instead
Of all my enemies you've just seen,
I'll make you plump instead of lean.
Let me tell you a secret, too;
I 'm very needful also, to you
For without me, I shall not lie
You're just as apt as not to die!
Tommy Ache. (Sitting up and smiling broadly.)
Oh, I like you people. Who is this little girl?
Pattie Butter.
Brownie Bread is my fast friend.
And when a summons to him you send,
I always come in a big flutter,
For I am his sister, Pattie Butter.
Eat lots of me,
For I'll pave the way
And none of the loiterers
Will care to stay.
Tommy Ache. (His pain vanished, straightens out
and looks happy.)
Sit down, I'd like you to stay a while.
(Molly Milk and Sonnie Honey come in singing
"Happy Days Are Here Again.")
Molly Milk.
I have hidden inside of me,
All the chemicals, you see,
That you need to build you strong,
So that nothing will ever go wrong.
Raw milk you need.
So look to your feed,
Young and old to me should come,
If they want the wheels to hum.
Sonnie Honey. (In a high sweet voice.)
I'm the sweetest person around,
And joy and happiness ever abound,
If you call on me to sweeten the taste,
Not dead sugar who only makes waste.
I have a cousin, Cottage Cheese,
And don't you even dare to sneeze;
For together we come, hand in hand,
The best combination in the land.
Tommy Ache. Bring up a chair and make yourselves
comfortable. I 'm very glad you came.
(Enter Goldie Orange and Reggie Vegetable hand in hand.)
Goldie Orange.
I come to you all sunny and bright,
And make your dreams both funny and light,
I'm closely related to Good Dreams Fairy,
And will make your days so happy and merry.
If you stick to me, you'll never rue,
The day I was introduced to you.
I'll be faithful to you ever so long,
And make your life a happy song.
(Goldie Orange turns to Reggie Vegetable and introduces him.)
This is Reggie Vegetable, he is last but not least.
Reggie Vegetable.
My other name is Mineral Salt,
And to Bad Dreams I put a halt;
Eaten three times as much or more,
I'll change your system from the very core!
Carrots, veggies, squash and greens,
Change the color of the scenes;
They're all relations of mine you'll find.
And to you we'll all be ever kind.
(They all join hands dancing around Tommy Ache,
and all sing "Happy Days Are Here Again.")
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