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 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.)