BIDDY MARY. We're all noddin', nid, nid noddin', sure I think it's time we were all of us fast asleep. ALL (_sing sleepily_). "WE'RE ALL NODDIN'." [Music illustration: 1. We are all nod-din', nid, nid nod-din', We are all nod-din', and drop-ping off to sleep. So see San-ta Claus we've all done our best, [Transcriber's Note: probably should be "To see"] But we're aw-ful-ly sleep-y, so we'll take a rest. 2. We are all nod-din', nid, nid nod-din', We are all nod-din', and drop-ping off to sleep. It's aw-ful-ly late, we'll no lon-ger de-lay, But ride with the Sand-man, a-way and a-way.] (ALL _are sound asleep. Stage is dark._) KLINKER (_talking in his sleep_). Noddin', nid, nid noddin'. SCHWILLIE (talking in his sleep). Dropping off to sleep, ain't we, Klinker? _Soft, mysterious music._ ANITA _dances in from R. She dances around the stage, keeping time to the music and bending over the little sleepers._ ANITA. Asleep! Every last one of them is verra sound asleep. Meeny and Biddy Mary, and Sergius and Tomasso and the leetla Dutch twins and all! (_Goes to curtain at rear._) Jack Frost! Jolly Jack Frost! Come-a quick, come-a quick! They're all asleep. JACK FROST (_sticks his head out of the curtains_). Hello, what is it? ANITA. It is Anita. The leetla children are all here and sound asleep. JACK FROST (_coming down to her_). And so was I. They sang a song about noddin', nid, nid noddin', and I just went to sleep myself. I dreamed I was hunting a polar bear way up by the North Pole. (_Yawns._) I'm still awfully sleepy. ANITA. I didn't know that you ever went to sleep. JACK FROST. You bet I do. That's the one thing I've got against my daddy's Christmas trip every year. It wakes us all up right in the middle of the night. ANITA. The middle of the night? What _do_ you mean? JACK FROST. Middle of the north pole night. If it wasn't for Christmas we could go to bed about half past October and sleep until a quarter of May, but ma thinks we ought to help pa and then wait up until he comes home. My, I'm sleepy! Aren't you? ANITA. Oh, no, no! I'm verra too much excited to sleep. It's all about my secret. Are you really sure he is coming? JACK FROST. Of course he is, and it's almost time he was here now. It's nearly Christmas Day. Look way up there in the sky. You don't see anything that looks like an air ship, do you? ANITA (_looking up and off at R._). No, I cannot see a single thing. JACK FROST (_sees table at rear_). Oh, look here! The children have lighted a candle for him. That's just fine. It always pleases him. And see; here's a picture and a wreath of holly and the star of Bethlehem. And stockings and shoes all in a row. ANITA (_looking up and off R._). I can't see a thing. JACK FROST. Here's a telescope. Look through that. (_Takes home-made telescope from his barrel._) Now do you see anything? ANITA. Oh, no; now I cannot even see the stars or the moon.