at the children.)

HAMBO
Can't dese young uns keep up a powerful racket, Joe?

LINDSAY
They sho kin. They kin git round so vi'grous when they whoopin and
hollerin and rompin and racin, but just put 'em to work now and you
kin count dead lice fallin' off of 'em.

(Enter Tillie from the store with the soap. Hambo pulls out a plug of
tobacco from his hip pocket and bites a chunk from it.)

HAMBO
De way dese chillun is dese days is,--eat? Yes! Squall and holler?
Yes! Kick out shoes? Yes! Work? No!!

LINDSAY
You sho is tellin' de truth. Now look at dese! I'll bet everyone of
'em's mammies sent 'em to de store an' they out here frollickin'. If
one of 'em was mine, I'd whup 'em till they couldn't set down. (to the
children) Shet up dat racket and gwan home! (The children pay no
attention and the game gets hotter.)

DISTANT VOICE
(off stage) You Tit-ter!! You Tit-Ter!!

WALTER
Titter, don't you hear yo' ma callin' you?

ESSIE
Yessuh, I mean naw suh.

LINDSAY
How come you can't answer, then? Lawd knows de folks just ruins
chilluns dese days. Deys skeered tuh whup 'em right. Den before they
gits twenty de gals done come up wid somethin' in dey arms an' de boys
on de chain gang. If you don't whup 'em, they'll whip you.

HAMBO
Dat sho is whut de Lawd loves. When I wuz a boy they _raised_ chillen
then. Now they lets 'em do as they please. There ain't no real
chestizing no more. They takes a lil tee-ninchy switch and tickles em.
No wonder de world is in sich uh mess.

VOICE OFF STAGE
You Tit-ter!! Aw Titter!!

ESSIE
(stops to listen) Yessum!!

VOICE OFF STAGE
If you don't come here, you better!

ESSIE
Yessum! (to her playmates) Aw shucks! I got to go home. (She exits
right, walking sullenly. The game has stopped.)

LINDSAY
(pointing at Essie) You see dat gal shakin' herself at her mammy? De
sassy lil binch needs her guts stomped out. (to Essie) Run! I'm comin'
on down there an' tell yo' ma how 'omanish you is, shakin' yo'self at
grown folks. (Essie walks slower and shakes her skirt contemptously.
Lindsay jumps to his feet as if to pursue her.) You must smell
yo'self! (Essie exits.) Now de rest of you haitians scatter way from
in front dis store. Dis ain't no place for chillen, nohow. (gesture of
shooing) Gwan! Thin out! Every time a grownperson open they mouf y'all
right dere to gaze down they throat. Git! (The children exit sullenly
right. In the silence that follows the cracking of Walter's peanut
s