d Tomasso is playing his violin. Soon they will throw apples
and oranges down to us, and perhaps money. Come and see.

ANITA. No, I'd rather wait here.

SERGIUS (_crossing to door at R._). All right, but don't let the
goblin man catch you. (_Exits at R._)

ANITA. The goblin man! Poof! There is no such thing as a goblin man.
In-a Italy we do not have such goblin mans. He said he heard something
rap, rap on the inside of the barrel. Poof! Sergius must have been
having one beeg, grand-a dream. Never in all my life did I ever hear
anything go rap, rap on the inside of a barrel. (_Stands close to_
JACK FROST'S _barrel._) And if I did, I'd think it was a leetla,
weeny-teeny mouse. But a leetla, weeny-teeny mouse never could go rap,
rap on the inside of a barrel, try as hard as he could. It must have
been a dream.

JACK FROST (_raps sharply on the inside of the barrel_).

ANITA. Oh, what was that? I thought I heard something. (_Goes toward
barrel cautiously._) Maybe it is the leetla, teeny-weeny baby mouse.
(Rises on tiptoes to peer into the barrel.) I'll just peek in and see.
(_Just as she looks into the barrel_, JACK FROST _pops up his head
almost in her very face._)

JACK FROST. Hello!

ANITA (_starting back, very much frightened_). Oh!

JACK FROST. Did you say oh, or hello?

ANITA. I just said, oh.

JACK FROST. Well, then, hello. (_Climbs out of the barrel._)

ANITA. Hello.

JACK FROST (_goes to her_). You aren't frightened, are you?

ANITA (_at R._). Well, I'm a leetla frightened, but not verra much.

JACK FROST. Why? I won't hurt you.

ANITA. You came up so sudden. I never expected to find a boy in that
barrel. And you are such a queer looking boy.

JACK FROST. Boy? I'm not a boy.

ANITA. You're not? You look like a boy. You're not a girl, are you?

JACK FROST (_indignantly_). Well, I should say not! I'm just a kind of
a sort of a kind of an idea, that's all. I'm your imagination.

ANITA. I hope you're not a goblin.

JACK FROST. Oh, no. I'm not a goblin. They're old and have long
beards. I'm not old at all. (_Twirls around on toes._) See, I'm even
younger than you are. (_Makes low bow._) I'm a pixie.

ANITA. And what is a pixie?

JACK FROST. I told you before, it's just your imagination.

ANITA. You look like a boy. What is your name?

JACK FROST. My name is Claus.

ANITA. Claus! Why, what a funny leetla name. I never heard a name like
that in Italy. Claus what?

JACK FROST. Santa Claus.