The Project Gutenberg eBook of Tommy's Thanksgiving dinner

This ebook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and most other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this ebook or online at www.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the United States, you will have to check the laws of the country where you are located before using this eBook.

Title: Tommy's Thanksgiving dinner

a play for small actors

Author: Mary Taylor Cornish

Release date: November 23, 2025 [eBook #77302]

Language: English

Original publication: Chicago: Beckley-Cardy Company, 1925

Credits: Charlene Taylor and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from images generously made available by The Internet Archive)

*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK TOMMY'S THANKSGIVING DINNER ***
SUPPLEMENTARY READERS
Cloth Bound

These books represent a step forward in story-book making, and contain fresh material, the kind that is being placed in the best schools of to-day.

Artistically the books set a new standard. Each book has from thirty to ninety illustrations which are particularly attractive, and many of which are in colors.

Mechanically the books are superior. The paper used, the large type, and the general arrangement are all determined by careful experimenting in order to safeguard the eyesight of children. All books are attractively bound in cloth stamped in two colors.

Animal-Land Children—Flora—Grades 2-3 $0.70
Bow-Wow and Mew-Mew—Craik—Grades 1-2 .55
A Child’s Robinson Crusoe—Nida—Grades 2-3 .65
Father Thrift and His Animal Friends—Sindelar—Grades 2-3 .70
The Like-To-Do Stories—Smith—Grades 2-3 .70
Nixie Bunny in Manners-Land—Sindelar—Grades 2-3 .70
Nixie Bunny in Workaday-Land—Sindelar—Grades 2-3 .70
Nixie Bunny in Holiday-Land—Sindelar—Grades 2-3 .70
Nixie Bunny in Faraway-Lands—Sindelar—Grades 2-3 .70
Nonsense Rhymes and Animal Stories—Deming—Grades 2-3 .65
Story of the American Flag—Fallows—Grades 5-8 .70
The Teenie Weenies—Donahey-Baker—Grades 2-3 .70
Two Indian Children of Long Ago—Taylor—Grades 2-3 .70
THE PROGRESSIVE SCHOOL CLASSICS

A new series of reading books, which offers the highest class of literature for all grades at very small cost. No other series at so low a price contains the valuable features of this series, namely: accurate and authentic texts, notes and numbered lines for reference, portraits, biographical sketches, illustrations, new type, good paper and binding, and convenient size.

Bow-Bow and Mew-Mew—Craik—Grades 1-2—95 pages (20 cents).
Peter Rabbit and Other Tales—Grades 2-3.
The King of the Golden River—Ruskin—Grades 4-6.
Rip Van Winkle and the Author’s Account of Himself—Irving—Grades 5-8.
The Legend of Sleepy Hollow—Irving—Grades 5-8.
Thanatopsis, Sello and Other Poems—Bryant—Grades 5-8.
The Courtship of Miles Standish—Longfellow—Grades 6-8.
The Pied Piper of Hamelin and Other Poems—Browning—Grades 6-8.
Evangeline—Longfellow—Grades 6-8.
The Great Stone Face—Hawthorne—Grades 6-8.
The Man Without a Country—Hale—Grades 6-8.
Snow-Bound and Other Poems—Whittier—Grades 6-8.
Enoch Arden—Tennyson—Grades 6-H. S.
The Vision of Sir Launfal and Other Poems—Lowell—Grades 6-H. S.
The Rime of the Ancient Mariner—Coleridge—Grades 7-H. S.
The Cotter’s Saturday Night and Other Poems—Burns—Grades 7-H. S.
The Deserted Village (Goldsmith) and Elegy—Gray—Grades 7-H. S.
Sohrab and Rustum—Arnold—Grades 8-H. S.
Price, 10 copies 90 cents; 25 copies, $2.00; 100 copies, $7.00, postpaid.
Illustrated Catalog of Books mailed free upon request
BECKLEY-CARDY COMPANY, Publishers, CHICAGO

TOMMY’S
THANKSGIVING DINNER

A Play for Small Actors
BY
MARY TAYLOR CORNISH
Author of Three Little Runaway Trees
BECKLEY-CARDY COMPANY
CHICAGO
Copyright, 1925, by
BECKLEY-CARDY COMPANY
Printed in the United States of America
3CHARACTERS
Tommy a small boy
Mr. Bowl of Soup a small boy
Mr. Turkey a small boy
Cranberry Maids ten (more or less) small girls
Mr. Irish Potato a small boy
Miss White Onion a small girl
Cabbage a small boy or girl
Miss Cook Book a girl
Peter Pumpkin a small boy
4COSTUMES

Mr. Bowl of Soup: large bowl-shaped cardboard fastened around top of head. Should have “SOUP” printed on it.

Turkey: full-gathered pajamas of brown lining, the neck, elbows, knees and slipper-tops being edged with raveled yarn. A turkey-head of brown lining, with a pasteboard bill, and a long, red wattle of raveled yarn on the head.

Cranberry Maids: full red skirts, red stockings, red waists, little red caps of crepe paper. Bracelets and necklaces of cranberries strung together may be worn.

Mr. Irish Potato: full blouse of brown with eyes made of knots of black yarn sewed on at intervals. Blouse is padded to make the little actor look rotund.

Miss White Onion: full blouse of white crepe paper padded to the shape of an onion. Green stalks rise from a flat white cap.

Cabbage: hood of light green paper cut in the shape of cabbage leaves and folded over the head in such a manner as to expose the face only.

Miss Cook Book: girl sandwiched between two large pieces of cardboard on which is printed “COOK BOOK.”

Peter Pumpkin: may have a real pumpkin for his head, with places cut for eyes, ears and mouth, and wear a green dress. Or he may wear a green skirt, a yellow puffed waist, a flat yellow cap with a bit of green paper (wired) for the stem.

5TOMMY’S THANKSGIVING DINNER

Scene: May be a living-room, or merely the bare stage. At the center front is a large armchair. Tommy enters, stands near the chair and recites.

Tommy:

I am goin’ out to Grandma’s,
To spend my Thanksgivin’ day.
I can taste the goodies now—[pats stomach and draws in breath]
Gee! I wish that I could stay!
I live at home with Sister Kate,
An’ when she goes to cook,
She always sticks her nose
Down in a big old book
That tells her how to do it.
Puts in this and puts in that [gesture as if sprinkling in materials].
Reads [holds hands as if reading], then puts something more in [sprinkles in more materials]
An’ when it’s cooked—Gee, it’s flat! [Makes a face as if tasting something unsavory.]
So I’m goin’ out to Grandma’s,
An’ she cooks out of her head,
Cranberry sauce and turkey,
Cabbage an’ greens an’ gingerbread,
An’ just the bestest dressin’
Made out of dry bread-crust.
6I dassn’t eat all I want,
’Cause if I do, I’ll bust!
Preserves an’ jelly an’ pickles,
An’ good old-fashioned pie;
When a cook cooks out of her head,
You can eat ’til you almost die.

[Yawns, stretches, and speaks sleepily.]

I’m ’fraid this day will never pass,
It has already seemed a year;
I guess [sits down in chair] I’ll go to sleep an’ dream
I’m out at Grandma’s ’stead of here.

[Cuddles down in chair and goes to sleep.]

Enter Mr. Bowl of Soup
[walking very stiffly]

Bowl of Soup:

Hello, Tommy! Glad to see you.
My name is Mr. Bowl of Soup,
Excuse me that I do not bow,
But I am full, and cannot stoop.
Enter Turkey [makes deep bow]

Turkey:

Gobble, gobble, gobble, gobble!
Before you, Mr. Turkey you see;
I’ll gobble for you today,
Tomorrow you’ll gobble me!
Enter The Cranberry Maids
[with dancing steps and deep bows]

Cranberry Maids:

Prancing and dancing, ripe and red,
Merry Cranberry maids are we.
Wherever Mr. Turkey goes,
Rosy Cranberry Maids you’ll see.

[They group themselves about the Turkey.]

7Enter Mr. Potato
[Bows.]

Potato:

I’m Mr. Irish Potato—
Let me sing for you a ballad:
You may bake, boil or fry me,
Or put me in a salad.
Enter White Onion
[Bows.]

White Onion:

May I make my little bow?
Miss White Onion is my name.
My sweet perfume fills the air;
It has brought me world-wide fame.

Potato:

Miss Onion is a friend of mine,
She has no eyes, yet cries and cries;
And even moves the cook to tears,
But I can’t cry, though blest with eyes.
Enter Cabbage
[Bows.]

Cabbage:

How-de-do! My name is Cabbage,
But when folks choose to eat me raw,
Chopped into bits and served with sauce,
I change from Cabbage into Slaw.
Enter Peter Pumpkin
[Bows.]

Pumpkin:

Peter, Peter Pumpkin is my name,
I’m leaving now, but don’t you cry;
You’ll meet me again tomorrow
In Grandma’s good old “punkin” pie.

8Turkey [to other characters]:

’Twere wise, my friends, for us to vow
Henceforth forever to agree;
For ere tomorrow’s sun goes down,
In [shivers] dark, close quarters we shall be.
Miss Cook Book enters

Potato [shivers and speaks in a hoarse voice to the others]:

Sh! Come, let’s get away from here!
She’ll have us peeled and in the pot
Before we know what we’re about.
Come on, let’s do the turkey trot!

[Turkey leads in trot, followed by the Cranberry Maids and Vegetables.]

Miss Cook Book: How do you do, Tommy? I’ll have to talk prose. I can’t be bothered with poetry. Besides, let me whisper, that isn’t poetry! [Potato and Onion look sorrowful and wipe each other’s eyes.] On the contrary, it is very bad rhyming. [Turkey looks indignant. Cranberry Maids all make faces at Miss Cook Book.] But I don’t mind their playing at bad rhymes, so long as they do their own work well. Their own work, Tommy, is to build up bone and flesh and muscle. A noble work! [Turkey and Vegetables look pleased.] And they do it well if the cook doesn’t ruin them. I heard you talking about Kate’s cooking. All that you said about a “cook cooking out of her head” is nonsense. In the first place, Grandma couldn’t begin to tell you how many things she burned up, or how much time she wasted, even when she had me to consult! Kate is studying Domestic Science, and in a few years she will know what it took Grandma a long, long time to learn. Good-by. If it were not for me, you probably would not enjoy your dinner tomorrow. [Exit.]

9Turkey and Vegetables [fall in line and sing in concert as they march across the stage and wave to the sleeping Tommy as they make their exit]:

Tune: Good-Night, Ladies [Merrily We Roll Along]
Good-by, Tommy! Good-by, Tommy! Good-by, Tommy!
Until tomorrow noon;
Then we’ll all come back to you, back to you, back to you,
Then we’ll all come back to you
In a silver spoon!
[Exeunt]
A short piece of music for the song above.
Play as MP3:

[Download as MusicXML.]

Tommy [yawns, stretches, rubs his eyes and grins sheepishly]: Gee! I must have been asleep. [Rushes from the stage.]

CHOICE ENTERTAINMENTS

Prepared especially for school use, and particularly for Friday afternoons and special day exercises.

DIALOGUES AND CHILDREN’S PLAYS
Dialogues and Plays for Entertainment Days—Painton .40
District-School Dialogues—Irish .40
The Golden Goose—Guptill .15
Humorous Dialogues for Children—Irish .40
Specialty Entertainments for Little Folks—Painton .40
Twelve Plays for Children—Guptill .40
RECITATIONS
Best Primary Recitations—Hoag .30
DRILLS AND ACTION SONGS
Humorous Drills and Acting Songs—Irish .40
MUSICAL ENTERTAINMENTS
Rummage—Race .25
Uncle Sam, P. M.—Race .25
SPECIAL DAY ENTERTAINMENTS
The Best Christmas Book—Sindelar .40
The Best Thanksgiving Book—Sindelar .40
Christmas at Stebbinses’—Irish .25
Closing Day Entertainments—Sindelar .40
Merry Christmas Entertainments—Sindelar .40
Polly in History-Land, or Glimpses of Washington—Painton .25
Susan Gregg’s Christmas Orphans—Irish .25
PLAYS
The Great Turkey-Stealing Case of Watermelon County—Graham .25
The Last Half-Day in the District School—Fraser-Higgins .35
The Prize Essay, or “Boy Wanted”—Painton .35
The Value of X—Painton .35
Illustrated Catalog of Books mailed free upon request.
BECKLEY-CARDY COMPANY, Publishers, CHICAGO
BOOKS AND HELPS FOR TEACHERS

A specially selected list of books and helps which have become popular because of their practical value. There are few teachers indeed who have not been helped by one or more of these publications. We unhesitatingly recommend every one of the titles offered.

DRAWING
Easy Things to Draw—Augsburg $0.45
SEAT WORK
Primary Seat Work, Sense Training and Games—Smith $0.85
Primary Sewing and Color Cards—Cleaveland: No. 1, Animal Series; No. 2, Fairy-Tale Series; No. 3, Children-of-the-World Series. Each set .25
Straight-Line Sewing Cards—Cleaveland .25
PENMANSHIP
Muscular Movement Writing Slips $0.15
ARITHMETIC
Moody Number Games—Moody. Series 1 $0.85
Moody Number Games—Moody. Series 2 .85
Number Games for Primary Grades—Harris-Waldo .85
Number Stories—Deming .85
LANGUAGE, GRAMMAR AND COMPOSITION
Games and Rhymes for Language Teaching in the First Four Grades—Deming $0.85
Language and Composition by Grades—Hammond 1.00
Language Games for All Grades—Deming—Book only .80
    With Cards 1.20
One Hundred Stories for Reproduction—Grove .30
Primary Language Stories—Deming .50
MUSIC
Best Primary Songs—Kellogg $0.20
Merry Melodies—Hanson .20
New Common-School Song Book—Smith-Schuckai .70
Silvery Notes—Hanson .20
Songs We Like Best .15
Weaver’s New School Songs—Weaver .30
OPENING AND GENERAL EXERCISES
Best Memory Gems—Sindelar $0.30
Morning Exercises for All the Year—Sindelar 1.00
CLASS RECORDS
Simplex Class Record—Cloth $0.50
    Paper .35
Simplex Seat Plan (with Cards) .60
Illustrated Catalog of Books mailed free upon request.
BECKLEY-CARDY COMPANY, Publishers, CHICAGO

Transcriber’s Notes

New original cover art included with this ebook is granted to the public domain. The music files are the music transcriber’s interpretation of the printed notation and are placed in the public domain.

The following changes and corrections have been made: