St. Nicholas Book of Plays & Operettas (Second Series)

In Short

This volume gathers fifteen short stage pieces created for young performers, ranging from rhymed holiday pageants and fairy-tale rewrites to historical vignettes and moral allegories. Across its pages, children encounter dream-toy workshops, quarreling months of the year, Mother Goose characters in distress, and historical figures like John Winthrop and Oliver Goldsmith. The collection has endured because it offers accessible, highly adaptable scripts designed for domestic parlors or schoolrooms, pairing simple theatricality with gentle humor, easily crafted costumes, and clear moral lessons that celebrate imaginative play, kindness, and obedience.

The Story

The book opens with a sequence of Christmas-themed playlets that center on childhood wonder and holiday cheer. In the first piece, a sleeping girl is visited by the Dreams-of-Christmas Fairy, who uses magic dust to lead her into a Dream-Toy Shop where dolls, soldier-boys, and plush animals come alive to sing and dance. In subsequent scenes, lost children wandering in snowy woods encounter Jack Frost, benevolent fairies, and generous elves who offer them magical frost-dainties and holly branches before helping them find their way back to warm homes.

The narrative scope then widens into seasonal allegories and humorous trials. Father Time appears to settle a fierce argument among his twelve children, the months of the year, who each demand to be crowned king; a jury of mortal children listens to their speeches before deciding how to bestow the crown. Other pieces turn to beloved nursery traditions: a panicked gathering of Mother Goose characters discovers that their familiar props are worn out—Bo-Peep’s ribbon is faded, Boy Blue’s horn is dented, and Simple Simon craves a real pie—prompting a festive intervention by Santa Claus, who consults the "Auld Lang Syne Club" alongside historic figures like William Tell, the Man in the Moon, and Robinson Crusoe.

Historical drama and moral instruction form the middle movement of the volume. A scene set in early Colonial Massachusetts depicts Governor John Winthrop struggling to manage a severe corn shortage while comforting sick and hungry settlers as they await a supply ship from England. In a lighter historical key, an impoverished Oliver Goldsmith finds himself trapped in his London lodgings by a bailiff over unpaid rent until the stern Samuel Johnson arrives to purchase his manuscript and settle his debts—reserving just enough to buy new clothes and toys for the landlady's children. Allegorical pieces like Everychild depict a young girl guided away from willful self-indulgence by the formidable figures of Latin, Mathematics, and Discipline, who reveal that hard study and self-control lead directly to truth and beauty.

The collection concludes with imaginative reimaginings of classic tales and lighthearted parodies. A shadow-play staging of The Egyptian Cat uses cut-out silhouettes to tell the story of a sacred feline who protects two young lovers from a pair of treacherous rivals. In a seasonal spin on Sleeping Beauty, the villainous Princess Winter pricks the heroine with a sewing needle to cast a deep slumber over the court. The volume finishes on a high note of domestic comedy and musical farce: a modern girl playing house is tricked by a smooth-talking tramp in a streetwise adaptation of Red Riding-Hood, while a jaunty, rhyming operetta parodies The Babes in the Wood, ending with the entire cast breaking character to challenge the audience to craft a better play themselves.

How It Unfolds

The magic takes hold A sleeping maiden is whisked away to a magical toy shop where dolls and soldier-boys awaken to perform on Christmas Eve. Nearby in the snowy woods, lost children are startled by Jack Frost before being rescued by the Fairy Queen and her holly elves.

The court is convened Father Time’s twelve child-months present their arguments to a jury of young mortals to determine who should rule the year. Meanwhile, Santa Claus, Mother Goose, and historical legends gather to solve the dilemmas of nursery-rhyme characters.

The struggle for survival In colonial New England, Governor Winthrop rationing scarce corn supplies faces the harsh realities of winter alongside anxious settlers. Across the sea in London, Dr. Samuel Johnson steps in to rescue the spendthrift writer Oliver Goldsmith from debtor's prison.

The path of learning The naive Everychild attempts to flee from the rigid demands of Mathematics and Latin. She learns to embrace their authority only after the imposing figure of Discipline reveals that true freedom comes through self-mastery.

The curtain falls on farce Shadowy silhouette figures act out the melodramatic rescue of two Egyptian lovers by a giant sacred cat. The volume concludes with a whimsical modern spin on Red Riding-Hood and a brisk, rhyming musical parody of The Babes in the Wood.

The People

• The Little Maiden: A gentle child who dreams of living playthings. She desires to explore the magical Dream-Toy Shop and experiences the wonder of the holiday season through the guidance of the Christmas Fairy.
• Father Time: A weary, benevolent patriarch who seeks peace among his twelve quarreling children, the months. Refusing to favor any single child, he trusts the honesty of mortal children to judge their claims fairly.
• Oliver Goldsmith: An affectionate but wildly impractical author trapped in his London room by a bailiff. He wants to pay his rent and buy fine velvet clothes, but his habit of giving away his last penny leaves him dependent on his friends.
• Dr. Samuel Johnson: A formidable, stern literary scholar who acts as Goldsmith's protector. He wants to teach his friend financial responsibility, firmly managing Goldsmith's money while ensuring the poor landlady and her children are treated fairly.
• Everychild: A willful young person who initially shuns hard work, seeking only play and pretty things. She resists the stern instruction of Mathematics and Discipline until she realizes their rigorous guidance leads to true wisdom.
• Governor Winthrop: A compassionate colonial leader carrying the heavy burden of a starving, sick community. He seeks to maintain hope and secure food supplies for his people while waiting anxiously for a delayed ship from England.

In Its Own Voice

"Dream-dust, dream-dust on her eyes / Make this maiden sweet to rise,— / Through the gates of Dreamland go!" — A fairy weaves a spell over a sleeping girl on Christmas Eve, leading her away to witness living toys.

"I’ve always wanted lots of things—especially pie. But I never had any pennies." — Simple Simon awkwardly explains his modest desires during a gathering of distressed nursery characters.

"Rule well thy mind, for in it thou art king!" — The figure of Discipline instructs a hesitant child on the power of self-control and learning.

What It's Really About

At its heart, this collection explores how children learn to navigate the boundaries between impulse and duty, imagination and reality. The plays repeatedly contrast the sweet, lawless freedom of childhood dreams with the necessary structures of authority, scholarship, and community obligation. Whether through Father Time organizing his chaotic months, Discipline guiding Everychild toward personal mastery, or Dr. Johnson enforcing financial order on an over-generous writer, the text argues that true joy is found when creative play is balanced by self-restraint and moral responsibility.

Why Read It Today

This volume appeals to readers, teachers, and theater historians interested in turn-of-the-century juvenile literature and historical staging methods. Reading it feels like peering into a lost era of domestic entertainment, where parlor games, simple costuming, and homemade shadow screens provided an evening's delight. The dialogue is direct, rhythmic, and frequently witty, offering a fascinating glimpse into how moral education and theatrical fun were blended for young audiences a century ago.

Modern readers may find certain elements dated. The verse can occasionally feel repetitive, the moralizing in allegories like Everychild is unashamedly blunt, and period attitudes toward childhood obedience reflect early twentieth-century norms. Furthermore, the lighthearted handling of harsh realities—such as colonial famine or debtors' prisons—prioritizes child-friendly comedy over historical accuracy. Nevertheless, the collection's warmth, clever staging notes, and genuine enthusiasm for ensemble performance make it a delightful, practical historical artifact that captures the innocent charm of early community theater.