ll go first up the chimney, and I will go
after, stepping just where I see you step, and then at the top I will
take tight hold of your hand, and with my wishing cap on I will wish to
be at Santa Claus' house at the North Pole.

Splendid! Let's start this minute, _cries_ JACK.

_Polly takes the spoon, and Jack takes the medicine bottle, and one
after the other they go up the chimney._

_A moment later_ MOTHER _comes in._ Children, _she begins,
looking about; but then she continues_, Oh, I see: they have gone to
bed. _She goes across to the other door and listens. Then she
says_: Not a sound! They are fast asleep already.

_So she takes the lamp from the table, and carries it out with her,
leaving the room all in black darkness._

_And that is the end of the First Scene._

* * * * *

Interlude

_While the curtain is closed_, MOTHER GOOSE _comes out, and this
is what she says:_

Children, did you see Jack and Polly go up that chimney? Well, as soon
as they got to the top, Polly took fast hold of Jack's hand and wished
to be at the North Pole, and away they went flying through the air. They
have gotten there already, I think. Hark! Yes, they are just going in
at the gate that leads up to Santa Claus's house, and soon they will be
knocking at his door. Then you will see them come in, for you will be
there before they are; and when the curtain opens, as it will in just a
moment, you will see the inside of the house where Santa Claus lives.
You must be very quiet for Santa Claus is sick, remember, and a noise
might make his head ache. Hush! It is going to begin.

* * * * *

The Second Scene

_When the Curtain opens, you again see a room, but quite different
from the first one. There is a door on one side, and at the back is
a sort of tall box with closed doors in the front of it, a kind of
cupboard. On shelves at the sides of the room are some toys and
packages, and a bag, nearly full, leans against the wall. There are two
people in the room. One of them, of course, is Santa Claus, but oh, how
sick he looks. The other person is a woman, you will see, and she must
be Mrs. Santa Claus. There are two other figures that look a good deal
like people, but they are only big toys that Santa Claus and his wife
have been making, a soldier on one side, and a doll on the other._

SANTA CLAUS, _who is sitting, wrapped up in a great blanket wrappe