[The KING OF HEARTS offers his hand to the QUEEN OF HEARTS, and conducts her from the throne to the front of the stage. The three other QUEENS rise and group themselves in a semicircle behind the KING and QUEEN OF HEARTS. Thus, beginning from the right side of the stage, the characters stand in this order in the semicircle: KING OF SPADES, QUEEN OF SPADES, KING OF CLUBS, QUEEN OF CLUBS, KING OF DIAMONDS, QUEEN OF DIAMONDS, JOKER, KNAVE OF HEARTS, KNAVE OF SPADES, KNAVE OF DIAMONDS, and KNAVE OF CLUBS.] QUEEN OF HEARTS (addressing the audience). Kind friends, our play is done. The crackers are returned; Our end is won, The lesson's learned; And all that's left to do Upon this festive eve Is that we give to you Our thanks before you leave. But as you go, take this; It is not quite a moral-- Yet the point you cannot miss, And so we shall not quarrel: 'Tis well the Knave did not retain These things, but brought them back. 'Tis good we made the King refrain From executing Jack, Else none could play at cards again Short one Knave in the pack. [CURTAIN.] The costumes of the Kings and Queens and Knaves should be made to correspond as nearly as possible with the costumes of those characters in a pack of playing-cards, the colors used being red, white, yellow, and black. The Joker should be dressed in the regulation costume of a court jester of the sixteenth century, with cap and bells. This player should be selected with particular regard for his ability to enact the part, which requires gracefulness, some ability to sing, and a careless, debonair manner of speaking. If there are enough players available, the spectacular effect of the piece can be greatly enhanced by adding soldiers and court attendants to the speaking characters. The latter should be dressed like the lower Heart cards of the pack. This effect may be obtained by dressing the players in tunics (something like the placards worn by the "sandwich-men" who display advertisements on the streets), on which the face of the card may be easily represented with pieces of red flannel cut into the shape of hearts. The stage decoration should be entirely of hearts arranged in every conceivable combination. The fire-crackers should be of papier-mache, and made so as to open at one end. Such can be obtained at almost any confectioner's. The larger they are, the better. The tarts should be real tarts. Portieres should be hung in the two entrances, and if possible should resemble ancient tapestry. The effect of beating (when the King is punishing the Knave of Hearts) is easily obtained by having some one behind the scenes beat a rug or carpet with a cane--the louder the better. The fire-crackers in the opening scene should be set off in an empty barrel behind the scenes. The characters must remember that they are representing figures on playing-cards, and should be careful always to take the attitudes