religious
enthusiast--

POLICEMAN. So he might be, too.

MAGISTRATE. We must take both these men to the scene of the
murder. We must confront them with the body of the real Jack
Smith.

JACK SMITH. I'll break the head of any man that will find my dead
body!

MAGISTRATE. I'll call more help from the barracks.

(_Blows POLICEMAN'S whistle._)

BARTLEY. It is what I am thinking, if myself and Jack Smith are
put together in the one cell for the night, the handcuffs will be
taken off him, and his hands will be free, and murder will be
done that time surely!

MAGISTRATE. Come on!

(_They turn to the right._)

[CURTAIN]

THE BEGGAR AND THE KING[1]

Winthrop Parkhurst

[Footnote 1: Reprinted from Drama, No. 33, February, 1919, by
permission of Mr. Parkhurst and the editors of Drama.
Copyrighted, 1918, as a dramatic composition, by Winthrop
Parkhurst. All rights of production reserved by author.]

CHARACTERS

THE KING OF A GREAT COUNTRY
HIS SERVANT
A BEGGAR

_A chamber in the palace overlooks a courtyard. The season is
midsummer. The windows of the palace are open, and from a
distance there comes the sound of a man's voice crying for bread._
THE KING _sits in a golden chair. A golden crown is on his head,
and he holds in his hand a sceptre which is also of gold. A_
SERVANT _stands by his side, fanning him with an enormous fan of
peacock feathers._

THE BEGGAR (_outside_). Bread. Bread. Bread. Give me some bread.

THE KING (_languidly_). Who is that crying in the street for bread?

THE SERVANT (_fanning_). O king, it is a beggar.

THE KING. Why does he cry for bread?

THE SERVANT. O king, he cries for bread in order that he may fill
his belly.

THE KING. I do not like the sound of his voice. It annoys me very
much. Send him away.

THE SERVANT (_bowing_). O king, he _has_ been sent away.

THE KING. If that is so, then why do I hear his voice?

THE SERVANT. O king, he has been sent away many times, yet each
time that he is sent away he returns again, crying louder than he
did before.

THE KING. He is very unwise to annoy me on such a warm day. He
must be punished for his impudence. Use the lash on him.

THE SERVANT. O king, it has been done.

THE KING. Then bring out the spears.

THE SEBVANT. O king, the guards have already bloodied their
swords many times driving him away from the palace gates. But it
is of no avail.

THE KING. Then bind him and gag him