(starts to cry) Dat's all right. I'm going home and tell mama you down
here playing wid boys and she sho gointer whup you good, too. I'm
gointer tell her you called me a fool too, now. (She walks off, wiping
her eyes and nose with the back of her hand) Yeah, I'm goin' tell her!
Jus' showin' off in front of ole John Wesley Taylor. I'm going to tell
her too, now.

BIG GIRL
(flounces her skirt) Tell her! Tell her! Turn her up and smell her!
(Game resumed) Chick mah chick etc.

HAWK
Four! (He arises and imitates a hawk flying and trying to catch a
chicken. Calling in a high voice.) Chickie!!

HEN
(Flapping her wings to protect her young) My chickens' sleep.

HAWK
Chickie!!

HEN
My chickens' sleep.

HAWK
I shall have a chick.

HEN
You shan't have a chick.

HAWK
I'm going home. (flies off)

HEN
There's de road.

HAWK
I'm comin' back.

(During this dialog the hawk is feinting and darting in his efforts to
catch a chicken and the chickens are dancing defensively.)

HEN
Don't keer if you do.

HAWK
My pot's a boiling.

HEN
Let it boil.

HAWK
My guts a growling

HEN
Let 'em growl.

HAWK
I must have a chick.

HEN
You shan't have nairn.

HAWK
My mama's sick.

HEN
Let her die.

HAWK
Chickie!!

HEN
My chicken's sleep.

(Hawk darts quickly around the hen and grabs a chicken and leads him
off and places the captive on his knees at the store porch. After a
brief bit of dancing he catches another, then a third who is a chubby
little boy. The little boy begins to cry.)

LITTLE BOY
I ain't gointer play cause you hurt me.

HAWK
Aw, naw, I din't hurt you.

LITTLE BOY
Yeah you did too. You pecked me right here. (points to top of his
head)

HAWK
Well if you so touchous you got to cry every time anybody look at you,
you can't play wid us.

LITTLE BOY
(smothering sobs) I ain't cryin'. (He is placed with the other
captives. Hawk returns to game.)

HAWK
Chickie.

HEN
My chickens sleep!

VOICE FROM A DISTANCE
Titter! You Titter!!!

BIG GIRL
Yessum

VOICE
If you don't come here wid dat soap you better!

BIG GIRL
(shakes herself poutingly, half sobs) Soon's I git grown I'm gointer
run away. Everytime a person gits to havin' fun, it's "come here,
Titter and rake de yard." She don't never make Bubber do nothin. (She
exits into the store.)

HAWK
Now we ain't got no hen.

ALL THE GIRLS
(in a clamor) I'll be de mama hen! Lemme be it! (Enter Hambo left and
stands looking