p. Door in center of porch.
A window on each side of the door. A bench on each side of the porch.
Axhandles, hoes and shovels, etc. are displayed leaning against the
wall. Exits right and left. Street is unpaved. Grass and weeds growing
all over.

TIME: It is late afternoon on a Saturday in summer.

Before the curtain rises the voices of children are heard, boisterous
at play. Shouts and laughter.

VOICE OF ONE BOY
Naw, I don't want to play wringing no dish rag! We gointer play chick
mah chick mah craney crow.

GIRL'S VOICE
Yeah, less play dat, and I'm gointer to be de hen.

BOY'S VOICE
And I'm gointer be de hawk. Lemme git myself a stick to mark wid. (The
curtain rises slowly. As it goes up the game is being organized. The
boy who is the hawk is squatting center stage in the street before the
store with a short twig in his hand. The largest girl is lining up the
other children behind her.)

THE MOTHER HEN
(looking back over her flock) Y'all ketch holt of one 'nother's
clothes so de hauk can't git yuh. (They do.) Y'all straight now?

CHORUS
Yeah. (The march around the hawk commences.)

HEN AND CHICKS
Chick mah chick mah craney crow
Went to de well to wash my toe
When I come back my chick was gone.
What time ole witch?

HAWK
(making a tally on the ground) One!

HEN AND CHICKS
Chick mah chick etc.--(While this is going on Walter Thomas from the
store door eating peanuts from a bag appears and seats himself on the
porch beside the steps.)

HAWK
(Scoring again) Two!
(Enter a little girl right. She trots up to
the big girl.)

LITTLE GIRL
(officiously) Titter, mama say if you don't come on wid dat soap she
gointer wear you out.

HEN AND CHICKS
Chick mah chick etc. (While this is being sung, enter Joe Lindsay and
seats himself on right bench. He lights his pipe. The little girl
stands b by the fence rubbing her leg with her foot.

HAWK
(scoring) Three!

LITTLE GIRL
(insistent) Titter, titter! Mama say to tell you to come on home wid
dat soap and rake up dat yard. I bet she gointer beat you good.

BIG GIRL
(angrily) Aw naw, mama ain't sent you after me, nothin' of de kind!
Gwan home and leave me alone.

LITTLE GIRL
You better come on! I'm gointer tell mama how 'omanish you actin
cause you in front of dese boys.

BIG GIRL
(makes a threatenin' gesture) Aw don't be so fast and showin' off in
company. Ack lak you ain't got no sense!

LITTLE GIRL