he audience._) There; what do you
think of that?

ANITA. Oh, oh! oh!! It's too great and grand and wonderful for words.
Oh, what a wonderful, wonderful secret! I'm so glad you've told me. It
is so much nicer to know all about it beforehand. I wish I could tell
Tomasso.

JACK FROST. Well, you can't. It's a secret and you mustn't tell
anybody.

ANITA. But are you really, truly sure he's coming?

JACK FROST. Of course he is. That is our secret.

ANITA. Oh, it's the grandest secret I ever had in all-a my life. I
will not tell a soul that he is-a coming. It will be a Christmas
surprise, and when I get to the beeg city of New York in America, I'll
always remember this great-a beeg, nice-a secret about old Santa Claus
and his nice leetla boy, Jack Frost.

JACK FROST. What are you going to do when you get to America?

ANITA. I am going to dance. My uncle, Pedro Spanilli, he haba de
grind-organ. Until last-a month he had-a de nice-a monkey, named Mr.
Jocko, but last-a month Mr. Jocko he die, and my uncle, Pedro
Spanilli, he send for me to take-a his place.

JACK FROST. Take the monkey's place?

ANITA. Yes, sir. I'm going to go round with my uncle and hold out my
tambourine, so! (_Poses and holds out tambourine._) And then I will-a
collect the pennies, just like-a Mr. Jocko used to do.

JACK FROST (_mocking her_). I suppose you are going to wear a leetla
red cap and jump up and down this way (_imitates a monkey_), and say,
"Give-a de monk de cent!"

ANITA (_laughing_). Oh, no. I'm going to sing the leetla song, and
dance the leetla dance, so! (_Hums and dances, or a song may be
introduced at this point by_ ANITA.) Then, when I'm finished, I go to
the kind leetla boy, Jack Frost, and hold out my tambourine, so!
(_Does so._) And maybe he drops a nickel in my tambourine. Eh? Does
he?

JACK FROST (_sighs, then drops a nickel in tambourine_). Yes, I guess
he does. And you just wait till tomorrow morning, Anita, and I'll give
you the finest Christmas present on the Atlantic Ocean.

ANITA. And you must not forget the leetla Dutch twins, and my cousin
Tomasso, and Hulda and Meeny and Sergius and Ah Goo and Sano San and
Needla and Biddy Mary and Paddy Mike and all the rest.

JACK FROST. Whew! That's a big order. But we won't forget a single
soul on Christmas Day. And now I've got to go and put the finishing
touches on--you know what! (_Goes behind curtains that conceal the
Christmas tree._)

ANITA (_looks around_). Wh