100 Level 2 Acting Grade 5 Solo ‘Titles in Level 2 Acting: Grade 5 Solo A Few Good Men ‘ygmalion Private Peaceful Josephine andl | Lost Crutet ‘Sucker Punch Blithe Spirit My Father's House Bird Ballyturk Sn Daniel Katiee is defending two US Marines in a military trial, The Matines are charged with killing a fellow Marine and Danie! is questioning the witness, COLONEL JESSEP. During questioning, it emerges that it was Colonel Jessop who ordered the hazing ritual known as @ code red, which led to the death of the Marine. COLONEL JESSEP: You want answers!? You want answerstl?? You can't handle the truth! (Pause) ‘Cause the truth js that we live in a world that has walls, and those walls need to be guarded by men with guns. Who's gonna do it? You? You, Lt. Weinberg? | have a greater responsibilty than you an possibly fathom. You weep for Santiago and you curse the Marines. You have thet luxury. The luxury of the blind. The kuxury of not knowing what | know: that Santiago's death, while tragio, Probably saved lives. And my existence, while grotesque and incomprehensible to you, saves lives, You can't handle it. (Cause deep down in places you don't talk about at parties, you want me on that wall. You need me on that wall. (Pause) We use words lke honor, code, loyaty..We use these words a2 the backbone to aife spent defending something. You use them as @ punchiine, | have neither the time nor the inclination to explain mysolf to a man who rises and sleeps under the blanket of the very freedom I provide, then questions the manner in which | Provide it. 'd profer you just said thank you and went on your way. Otherwise, 'd suggest you pick up a weapon and stand a post. Either way, I don’t give a damn what you think you'r oniitied to, (Pause) | did the job you sent me to do, {ls asked it a code red was ordered) You'te goddam tight | did, 19192 (There's a stunned pause... the Court is informed that this admission means an Article 39A session, a session of a Court ‘Maxtial, can be called. There's silence ~ not unsympathétically) What the hel's going on? Captain? What the hell's going on? I'm ot familiar with Article 88A. I did my job. do it again, Now Im getting on a plane and going back to my base, (A voice is heard shouting to guard the prisoner) What?! | ordered a code rad and everybody's going to pieces like a ladies, auxiliary. (COLONEL JESSEP's legal sights are road but continues talking over the reading) I'm being charged with a crime? I'm ~ that's ‘what this is ~ What — this i funny, you know that, this is ~ (Makes 2 quick move towards Katfee but is stopped) ''m gonna tear your eyes right outa your head! You messed with the wrong Marinel! (Looks around the courtroom) You have no idea how to defend a nation. All ou did was weakon 2 country tonight, Katfoo. That's ail you did, give yourself a pat on the back. You put people in danger tonight. Sweet dreams, son. By Aaron Sorkin Ene Professor Higgins, Colone! Pickering, and ELIZA Doolittle return ‘home from a night of partying. It seems Professor Higgins has won’a bet to transform Eliza from a flower git! into a duchess. Professor Higgins and Colonel Pickering are discussing the evening; they have not congratulated Eliza and are now bared with the project. ELIZA: (ELIZA is siting on the Mfoor, she snaiches up Higgin's ‘slippers, and hurls them at him, one aiter the other) Thore are your sfppers! And there! Take your slippers; and may you never hhave a day's luck with them!.. (Breathless) Nothing wrong-with YOU. I've won your bet for you, haven't ? That’s enough for you. | don't matter, | suppose. I want to smash your face. I'd like to kill you, you selfish brute. Why did't you save me where you picked me out ofin the gutter? You thank God it's all over, and that now you can throw mo back again there, do you? (She shakes her fist at him frantically, and gives 2 suffocated scream of fury) What's to become of me? Whai’s to become of me? You don't care. | know you don't care. You wouldn't care it | was dead. 'm nothing to you-not so much as them slippers. (Bitterly) Those slippers. | didn't think it made any difference now. (Pause as ELIZA collects herself) No. No. No. No. Thank you. No. Nothing more for you to worry about. (She suddenly rises and moves away trom Fiiggins) Oh Godt | wish | was dead. | don't understand. 'm too ignorant. | heard your prayers, ‘Thank God it's all over! (Pulling herself together) What am | fit for? What have you left me fit for? Whero am ito go? What am | to do? What's to become of me? We were above that at the corner of Tottenham Court Road. 1 sold flowers, I didr't sell myself, Now you've made a lady of me {im not fit to gell anything leo. | wish you'd Toft me where you found me. What else am Ito do? Before you go, sido my clothes belong to me or to Colonel Pickering? He might want them for the next girl you pick up to ‘experiment on. I don't want to hear anything more about that. All ‘want to know is whether anything belongs to me. My own clothes 83 " Se198 were burnt. | want to know what | may take away with me. I don't want to be accused of stealing." sony. 'm only a common ignorant gi and in my sation | have to be careful There cat be any feings tween the ko of you andthe ike of me, Pease wi you fell me what belongs to me and what doesn't’ Si wes her, ry) Wil you take these to your room and (Sop om at eet cnt ran tho sk he bong men off) This ring isn't the joweller’st i's the one you bought me in Brighton. ! don't want it now. (Professor Higgins dashes the ring violently into the fireplace) I ack, anyhow. (Pertly) You'd I'm glad. I've gota little of my own back, any! . : betta eave a noi fo rs, Pear abot he cote; or she wert be told by me. By George Bemard Shaw { Geen CHARLIE and Tommo are soldiers. Chaulie has been given a Court-Martial for disobeying orders to leave his wounded brother, Tommo. Hore, he is awaiting execution when Tommo arrives to '80@ him in his coll for the last time. CHARLIE: | hoped you'd come, Tommo, | didn't think they'd fet you, | want no toare, Tomimo. This is going to be difficult enough without {sars. Understand? You'l tell Mother, and Molly how it rally was, won't you? It's all |eare about now. | don't want them thinking | ‘was a coward. | don't want that. | want them to know tho truth, {ried my very best. They had their one witness, Sergeant Hanley, and he was all they needed. It wasn'ta trial, Tommo. They'd made Up their minds I was guilty before they even sat down, Hold them ‘everything, just ike it hapoened. | had nothing to be ashamed of, did 1? So I told thom, yes, | did disobey the sergeant’s order, because the order was stupid, suicidal ~ we all knew it was ~ that | had to stay behind to look after you. They knew a dozen or more were wiped out in the attack, but that no one got as far as the Gorman wire. | asked for you, Tommo, but they wouldn't accept you as a witness, because you'r my brother. | asked for Pete, but they told ime he was missing. So they heard it all fom Sergeant Hanley, They believed what they wanied to believe... just toll thom the truth, Charlie, and you'l be allright. That's what | thought ... How wrong could | be? The whole Court Martial took less than an hour, That's all they gave me, One hour for a man's lf. I'l be over very Quick. You stil have my watch, Keep it ticking for me, and whan the time comes, give it to Little Tommo, so he'll have something from mo. like that. You'll make him a good father ~ liko Father was to us. (CHARUIE starts to sing, softly, ‘Oranges and Lemons’) Ibe singing in the morning. It won't be God Save the ruddy King or Ail Things bleeding Bright and Beautiful itll be Oranges and Lemons, for Big Joe ~ for al of us. By Michael Morpurgo Adapted by Simon Reade 195oe JOSEPHINE is a performer; she is working with the Jones Family Bard wher she spot by Pah Sage Mager looker T Washington Theaite Ho needs «replaconent cancer for the chorus act, rete JOSEPHINE: Red is looking at me. Red says, ‘You’ | say, ‘Yes’, Red says, ‘What's your name?! | say, losephine’. Red says, "You know the chorus git routine I seen you do?" | say, ‘Uh-huh’, Reds says, "You reckon you can do that routine now?! | say, ‘Uh-huh’, Red says, ‘You reckon you could do that rout of the Booker T?" ine now on the stage | say,‘ gotta think about it Red says, ‘Well, if you're gonna be fike that ' say, ‘Outta my way! Which way to the stage?!" I'm standing in the wings of the Booker T watching the samo chorus gis up close! But up clooo, they ook diferent. They lok old, ‘And they dance lke they just aren't there Why would they do that? They're living my dream! A costume gets thrown at JOSEPHINE) ‘Somebody throws a costume at me — (She puts on the costume as she speaks) Im all fred up, Fem chomping at the bit, im straining at the start, 'm, 'm, 'm ~ I'm wearing tho ugliost costume I've over seon in my life. i's eight sizes too big! But don't carel | know the routines inside out and I'm ready 1'm readyl I'm ready! '™m coming! fm ready {The Song ‘Cake Walkin’ Babies" is playing) ‘And now 'm on with the chorus girls and 'm dancing, | can't beliave this, fm dancing up here! ‘And check me out, 'm on the Booker T stage, ‘And check me out, check me out, check me — ‘What the hell? (She hears jeering, heckling sounds) The crowd is jeering, woltwhistling, cat-caling and heckling, No wondler the gitls look miserable. No respect, no appreciation, this wasn't glamorous at all. 1s this what | have to look forward to? No. I want more. want bigger. 'm getting out. Im dancing out. ‘And now I'm leaving St Louis, I'm ouita here! ''m touring with the Booker T Show. {'m travelling all the time, "Cause I'm a show person now and we are always on the move! By Cush Jumbo198 Eset BAILEY is in high school and has been using crutches due to a broken leg, but one crutch has just been stolen. Bailey is talking to friend about this and why Bailey needs the friend's crutch. BAILEY: I've been practising my clarinet all moming and | really ‘thought | was gonna get in this time. I know marching band is competitive, especially for the hockey team, but | had a good feeling about it ell morning, Fifth time's a charm, my mum said. “Then thal guy who wears all the jewellery stole my crutch. My mum said it was okay for me to practise my song outside, since it wasn't raining and I was only playing marches. But he ran up to ime from across the street. He was yelling something like, ‘shut the hell up? oF something. And he knocked my stand over and grabbed one of my crutches. Hried to run after him, bul 'm not very fast on one crutch. | didn't let him get my clarinot though!) had to toss it under the picnic table, end I think one of my keys got benta litle, but atleast | saved it. Anyway, now | have fo sort of hop and walk to get anywhere. | dor’t think can make it to the gym on time with only one crutch, ‘And since you have that crutch you used in fourth grade when you were Tiny Tim, | was wondering i] could maybe borrovr it. know you want it to stay in mint condition, but | won't mess it up. 1'd have to bend over atta, since its @ kiddle crutch, but my mum said [have a strong back. | don't mind, Hey, you're the reason my leg is broken anyway. You're the one who told me to jump off the truck ee Taylor would see and fallin love with me. But since the truck was going 30 miles an hour-and you weren't supposed to be going that fast-t just got this broken fog instead. The hospital did have & TV though. My mum and dad wor't lot me watch TV at home. I saw an entire eeason of Game of Thrones in one day! But Taylor didn't fallin love with me and now {have to hop and walk, So | don't care if you don't want fingerprints on your Tiny Tim crutch. {think you owe me! This is my chance to get in the marching band and show Taylor I'm worth something. So give mo your erutch or fm gonna tell your mur. By Tara Meddaugh LEON is sixteen years old and is a boxer. He is ready for his tirst ‘amateur fight. In need of appreciation, love and acceptance from his trainer, Charlie, Leon enters the ring with a lot to prove, LEON: The frst fight Im having is with some tall, skiany-looking kid, From the minute | step into the rng, he's staring me out, He {burgled his house. What am doing here .? Oh He lands one Fight on ma. tm going dizzy, "'m all numb, {wanna go home. keep out of his way. Cian sett (Bell rings) Crowd soem to ke it when | move around. il go a bit fastor spin my arm like Sugar Ray Leonard, now they'te cheering, can't’ got enough, Skinny white boy don't know what to do with me! get in a jab, and it hurts him, my frst punch as well. bit of fancy footwork now, | think, Crowe are loving it, fm loving it. Another Jab! Then a sweet uppercut! Skinny kd is down ike @ heap rn taking him out, met My ist ever fight, and I took him out, Yee! What a feeling. Starting to lke this. Next up is afightor from Repton. Mark Saunders. Halt-castefightor rom Briok Lane. Tying to find a way in hero, but he's not having any of it I's lke he cam see me coming. go with the footwork. He can't keep up with me. "m ting him out, he's dezzled by my spoed. Thats it, that's it keep him coming, koap him coming, now, have that! : (He hits out with a fluny of punches) Oh yes! I look to Charlie, he's gotta love it! (He takes a hit) Oh that was stupid, All can see is gloves, got me out! My ears re ringing, Ive got pins and neadies all insido, gotta take i, gotta keop up, make it to the next round, come ont H (Ref stops the fight, Bell rings) What? What... what the ... what you mean he's won? Rof? | dida't go down! I didn't go down, I was geting back up, had him, By Roy Williams 198Blithe Spirit MADAME ARCATI sits at @ table with Dr and Mrs Bradman and ‘Mr and Mrs Condomine. They are pertorming a séance. The ‘music that was playing in the background has now stopped and thera is only silence. MADAME ARCATI: Is there anyone there? ... (Aloiig pause) .. ls there anyone there? ... (Another long pause) ... One rap for you - {wo raps for no, Now then ... is there anyone there? (Atter a shorter pause, the table gives litle bump) (nvoluntarily) Oh} Hq Sshihh! Is that you, Daphne? (The tablo gives a louder bump) Is your cold better, dear? (The table gives two loud bumps, very quickly) Oh, Ym 80 sorry. Are you doing anything for i? (The table ‘bumps several times) Vi afraid she's rathor fret (There is@ siience) Is there anyone thore who wishos to speak to anyone here? (After a pause the table gives one bump) Ah! Now we're getting somewhere...No, Daphne, don't do that, dear, you're hurting me...Daphne, dear, please...Oh, oh, oh! ..6 good, there's a dear child...You say there is someone there who wishes 40 epeak to someone here? {One bump) is it me? (Two sharp bumps) is it Dr Bradman? (Tivo bumps) is it Mrs Bradman? (vo bumps) Is it Mrs Condomine? (Several very foud bumps, which continue until MADAME ARCATI shouts it down) Stop it! Behave yourself! leit Mr Condomine? here is stance for a moment, and then a very loud single ‘bump) Thore's someone who wishes to speak to you, Mi Contiomine. (To Mr Candoming)| really must ask you not to be fippant, Mr Condemine. Do you know anybody who has passed over recently? (Hystericaly) Are you Mr Condomine's cousin in the Civil Service? (The table bumps violently several times) I'm afraid we've drawn a blank. Can't you think of anyone olse’? Rack your brains ‘Are you old Mrs Plummet? (The table remains sti) (Shouting as Mrs Plummett is deat) Are you old Nirs Plimmett? (Nothing happens) There's nobody there at all. (Rising) Well, rm afraid thote's nothing for it but for me to go into a trance. | had hoped to avoid it becauss i's s0 exhausting — however, what must be must be. Excuse me a moment while | ‘the gramophone again. (She goes fo the gramophone and starts the music. She then walks back slowly to the stool and sits, moaning as she moves. Suddenly she gives a loud seream ‘and falls off the stool on to the floor) By Noél Coward 201co 202 ses JOE is at home with his wife, Mattie, and a local vagrant, Abe. Joe and Mattia's child, Peewee, has been injured and Joe has built a tree house to encourage Peewee to get better. Joe is feeling dejected as Peewee did not react to the tree house, ae he had hoped. JOE! though that when Peewee saw what we'd done it might've ‘got Some reaction out of him but I guess by now I should've known better... really don’t know what olse there is | can do. (Mattic leaves the room. Abe takes out his pocket Bible and goes over to JOE to show a certain page) ‘What? What are you showing me? I really don't think T can be bothered with al that stuff right now, Abe. (Abe is insistent and keeps showing him the book) OK, OK, Ill read it...anything for @ quiet life...which one? This one?... ‘in my Fathor's house thore are many mansions: fit were not £0, | would have told you" ‘That's great, Abs, that's a great help but if you don’t mind. (He tries to wave him away but Abe won't be cast aside and insists on pointing to the quote in the Bible and then up at the tree house) What? What are you trying to say? I've road it, My Father’s house has many mansions'...So what? That don't help me none. (Abe repeatedly points at the quote then up to the tree house) | don't get it...1 know that you're trying fo tell me sornething but I'm damed if know what. (Abe points to the tree house and then at the nearby branches) What are you pointing at?,..The tree house? What about it. What're you saying?.. (Abo signals) You think there ought to be more tree houses?...| ain't building no more...No way. (Abe tries to signath Not that? Then what?..Not more houses... (Abe signals for "ooms') More rooms? Is that what you mean? (Abe begins to nod vigorously) You think it ought to have more rooms? (Abe nods again) | get it..How many? (Abe shrugs his shoulders, {Abe ships his shoulders. JOE pauses, asthe cea begins to "never thought of that...1 suppose it's possible. .there' tore ible. . there's nothing teal oping us. got their ad ho ange an gees he tree could takeit.that might get him inlerested. you thnk perhaps if we put more rooms on, it might work?..| worcer (Hie becomes enthused with the idea and gets up) You know something? You could be right..l's certain worth a try.. (The ‘clea stirs him into action) Hey, Mattie! Forge! the coffee, Mi Abe's got some work to dol ac By Tony Breeze 208,208 AVA is in social care. She is mesting her mum, Claire, again for the first time since sho was taken into care three years ago. AVA: I sent you letiors, \ cidn't have your number. (o response) | would have texted, Ie felt woird Posh lik. Sending you leters. [put ‘Dear Mam | thought if it was a tex, | think | would have put, Alright” oF something liko that. But with letters, 1s weird init? Did you got them? I never knew, So | just kept writing them, Like on them shows when they gets lost family together and stuf they says that don't they. They says, ‘For yoare | got you a birthday card!’ and they shows them a big pile of cards and Chrisimas presents and stuff, When is your birthday’? was thinking I don’t know when your birthday is. | know i’s March some time but I don't know exactly when. ‘Cos we could do something couldn't we. We could do something nico. Did you got the letters? (Claire confirms that she did) | | | I didn’t know. (Claire says she can't read well) I didn’t know that. {never knew that about you. | didn't think itmakes sonse, Now I'm thinking of i, that makes sense of a lol of things. Forms an’ stuf. It makes sonse. Anything official J can help with that. Paul likes his forms. Me and Tash. She's my friend. Me and Tash laughs about that But he's alright is Paul. They're not all like him. Social workers. But he is. He'd help you. With your reading an’ thet. Forme. | thought you could come by, you know and or we can do this, Meet. And, Start. Its a start | thought. I thought it would be. Got back to normal. Then in time, you know. (Claire says that she has to go) Got things to do have you? It's beon threo years, Ithas, yos. (Claire asks her ago) Fifteen 208I'm siteen next month. {need to talk to you. I be sixtoon and it all changes. You know. Will you give me your number? | could text you. By Katherine Chandler 208 1 and 2 live together in Ballyturk. Ono day the wall of the racin they live in falls down, revealing the outside world, and 3 enters Stalks to 1 and 2; 8 is musing about death 3: Right, (A pause. Then ~) Everything you've imagined iti. Alife. I's out there. Everything, (Like a light has gone off inside ~ 3 visibly fades. 3 looks spent ~ older. 3 bagins talking) There's a man and ho wakes alone. His eyes open and he's conscious of his frst breath, of his fret movernent, of his first thought which may be of food or may be to shuffle himsolf to his bathroom and relieve himself. And those first beginnings fie on top of twenty-three thousand momings that have passed where he has agod invisibly, definitely - where he carries halfrememberod bits of his life, of he people he has met and hated and loved, of his brothers and sisters who wore once his world and naw only exist to make him foo! older. He carries a billion pictures of life that have no consequence to him and a fow pictures which will always haunt or please him. He's made trom purpose and mistake and controlled by the movement of this planet around a star ~ yot in the second he's led by some great need or some little urgency. Only occasionally he's conscious that around him fife is beginning and ending to the beat of time ~ that millions of athers are walking in the exact same moment that he is ~ are travelling with the same purpose but with singular histories ~ but travelling nonetheless with the same basic need ~ to keep on living. How unremarkable and how faintly unique to wake and walk in this way — with doors pushing open into a sky bizarrely blue and giving to us systema of weather, shaping us with forevermovabsle seasons. And too hard it js to think how rain is made ~ how the sun can push light through darknése — and what itis that holds us up here imperceptibly in space — that man stands and walks ia life as itis now — with ‘geographies to navigate ~ with journeys to his wife, to his work, to lunches, to beaches, to churches, to secret mestings with potential lovers, to parks, to other parts of the village, or town, or city, or countiies even. A lifetime of walking distances in the 207vain hope of making things that bit more fulfilling ~ of packing his time with experiences some of which will change him greatly and others with no consequence other than wasting a little more of his fe. And to stand thore in the magnificence of this world with all these animals and plants and trees too many to ever imagine clearly — and standing with the you as was made — in a life that is ‘so chaotically structured by nature — to continue living ~ to remain upright and to be able to carry on searching for something other than what you have ~ some love or money ar experience or cat or cake or son of anything at all something which makes you Continue without the mindfulness of t all ending at any moment — for everything is here and we are here to lay dawn legacy - to give life purpose by reaching its edge. (Slight pauso) And it's time for you two and for what you've made - time for one of you to walk ‘away and into your passing, In leaving you're giving shape lo life ~ some design and purpose for being what you are ~ for this is the order that all life demands ~ (Slight pause) it needs a death. (A long pause. 3 is finished, Then -) | can't see the start of my life to figure out how I've come to this... this work. (Slight pause) You give me a choice of biscuits — I give you a choice as to which one of you will step outside, walk the {twelve soconde to me and die. By Enda Walsh nt ihn ith ii aac inhibi bess 208Eee census: The scene takes place in ancient Rome. Androcles, a recently ‘converted Christian, and his wife MEGAERA are running away from persecittion. Their route has taken them into the depths of a forest. Androcles is a small, thin, ridiculous litle man who might be any age. His wife is rather handsome, pampered, well fed and in the prime of life. She has nothing to cary and has a stout stick to help her along. She does not share his beliefs and did not want to leave the comforts of city life. She is tired and exhausted by their Journey and furious with her husband, | | MEGAERA: (Suddenly throwing down her stick) | won't go another stop. | don't boliove a word of it. You are always threatening me with wild beasts to make me walk the very soul out of my body when | { can hardly drag one foot before another. We havon't seen a single lion yet, (Teaiing the bundle from his back) You cruel beast, you don't care how tired | am, or whet becomes of me, (She throws the bundle con the ground) Always thinking of yourselt. Self! self! soll always yourself. (She sits down on the bundle) A man ought to think of his ‘wife sometimes, ‘Aren't you happy with me? You ought to be ashamed of yourself but you're not: you glory init. You glory in everything. In making me slave, and making yourself a laughing-stock, I's not fair, You get tre the name of being a shrew with your meek ways, always talking as if butter wouldn't melt in your mouth. And just because | look a big strong woman, and bocause I'm good-hearted and. bit hasty, and because you're always driving me to do things I'm sorry for afterwards, people say “Poor man: what a life his wife leads him!" Oh, if they only knew! And you think | don't know. But | do, I do, (screaming) | do. (Pausing) Then why don't you treat me properly and be a good husband to me? You can return to your duty, and come back to your home and your friends, and sacrifice to the gode Continued »Core as all respectable people do, instead of having us hunted out of house and home for being dity, disreputable, blasphering atheists. Don't you'dare to compare me to common peaple. My father owned his own public-house; and sorrowful was the day for me when you Wher first came drinking in our bar. | can forgive a man being addicted bullie to drink: it's only natural; and | don't deny | like @ drop myself despe sometimes, What ! can't stand is your being addicted to Christianity. anyth ‘And what's worse again, your being addicted to animals. How is Tey, any woman to keep her house clean when you bring in every stray dang: cat and lost cur and lame duck in the whole countryside? You took alter the bread out of my mouth to feed them: you know you dick: don't actue attempt to deny it (Rising) Oh! | won't bear it another moment. You used to sit and a talk to those dumb brute beasts for hours, when you hadn't a word for me. Well if you're fonder of animals than of your own wife, you can live with them here in the jungle. ve had enough of them and _ enough of you. 'm going back, 'm going home. Serve you tight if you are sent back to Rome and thrown to the lions! I wish them joy of you. (Screaming) Are you going to get out of my way and let me go home? No! Then I'll make my way through the forest; and when I'm eaten by the wild beasts you'll know wat a wife you've lost. (She dashes into the jungle and nearly falls over the sleeping lion) Ohl Ohl Andy! Andy! (She totters back and collapses into the arms of Androcles, who, crushed by her weight, falls on his bundle) by George Bernard Shawoiiicdact vests When a new boy, Teny, joins SAMMY's school, he is immediately bulliod and intimidated by the gang leader Stubbs. Terry desperately wants to be accepted by tho other boys and will do anything to please Stubbs. Although Sammy tries to befriend Terry, he keeps quiet when Stubbs expects Terry to complete a dangerous dare which eventually leads to his death. In this scene, after the terrible event, Sammy is trying to tell the police what actually happened. SAMMY: I'm sorry... I tried to help but... I'm sony... (He faces tho audience, and says) «We killed him! (The police officers move into the background) It was an accident. Sort of. Nobody wanted it to happon. Except ‘Stubbs, perhaps. | wouldn’t put anything past Stubbs, He's mad, ‘Stubbs is. Round the bend. It was him who started it all. Started having a go at Terry. | don't know why. He just decided he had it in for him. He'd only been at school for about a week. He was in my class. I'd spoken to him a few times, He seemed all right. A bit quiet, a bit shy. But he wae alll right. Then Stubbs decided to have it in for him. Nobody knows why. Nobody knows how Stubbs’ mind works. (A pause) 1m trying to rememberl... (A pause. Then he continues) .». It was about a week after he started at school, We was in the playground talking together. And Stubbs and some of the others came up. | said, they're al right, realy, Just having a joke. They like to have a joke. You'll get used to them. I's 'cos you're new. Once you've settled in they won't bother you no more... Continued »Terry didn't believe me. He knew they wouldn't leave him alone, | knew it, to0. | could tell, Stubbs had it in for him from then on. And the others just followed Stubbs, Me 100, | euppose. There was something about Terry. | don't know what it was. Something that ‘made you want to havo a go at him, He never stood up for himself He just stood there and took it. That's how it went. Every day, Week after week, Just getting on {0 him, making him bring money, weiting for him after school, They never beat him up or anything. They didn't reed to. He did everything they said. | wish he'd have stood up to them just once. That would have been better than giving in all the timo. Stubbs {got to, hate him more and more. Because he took it. He couldn't Understand him, you see. He couldn't understand why he just took it all the time. ! know I should've done something, | should've told somebody, tried ‘0 got it stopped. They was my mates, though, You can't tell on your mates, can you? (A pause, Then SAMMY says) .- twas Stubbs, Ho was the one. | was soared of Stubbs, Everybody was. It was like he was... | dunno... just bad... right the way through. He made everybody act lke him. You couldn't help it It was Stubbs. | dich’ tell anybody. (A pause) He stayed away from school, The whole of that week. They didn't seem bothered about i. They never even talked about him. It was like they'd forgotten all about him. | thought perhaps they had. So | decided to go round to his house and tell him that everything was all right again, and he could start ‘coming back to school. I never got the chance. The day ! was gonna do that, Terry's Dad came up to school. And Stubbs saw his Dad, ‘That's when it all started again, ‘Stubbs told Terry he would have to take a little test. He wanted everybody to be at the waste ground after school. (There is a pause)‘one. t on. And vas } that aimself, jon did once, ‘bs dn't st took it Sy, tried on your ht the lp it. It ever nl use tart gonna Dad. I told him to go home. | said, go home, Terry. Don't wait round here. You've still got time. Are you round the bend’? You know what's gonna happen, don't you? Stubbs is gonna get you. | heard Jimmy say. They're gonna get you. [old him to go, Bofors it’s too late. But it was too late. Pate threw the frisbee and it got stuck in the pylon, Stubbs made Terry ofimb up for it, They all made him, chanting "Humpty Dumpty" over and over and over again. | begged him to come down... I'm sorry, Tery. I et you down, | tied, but it wasn't good enough. 'm sony. (A pause. Then SAMMY says) Forgive me. Forgive us al. (The lights fade slowly to black-out) by David CalouttLAUNCELOT GOBBO is the young servant of Shylock, the moneylender. In this street scene, he is deciding whether to run away irom his master. He is talking to the audience. LAUNCELOT GOBBO: Certainly, my conscience will serve me to run from this Jew my raster: the fiend is at mine elbow, and tempts me, saying to me, “Gobbo, Launcelot Gobbo, good Launcelot or ‘good Gobbo! or “good Launcelot Gobbo, use your legs, take the start, run away” My conscience says “No; take heed honest Launcelot, take heed honest Gobbo’ or as aforosaid *honest Launcelot Gobbo, do not run, scom running with thy heels? Well, the most courageous fiend bids me pack, "Fial” says the fiend, "away!" says the fiond, “for tho heavens rouse up a brave mind" says the fiend, “and run” Well, my conscience hanging about the neck of my heart, says very wisely to me: "My honest friend Launcelat" = being an honest man's son, or rather an honest woman's son, for indeed my father did something smack, something grow to; he had a kind of taste; ~ well, my conscience says *Launcelot budge not!” ~ “Budge!” says the fiend, ~ "Budge not!" says my conscience, “Conscience” say |, “you counsel well, ~ Fiend” say |, “you counsel well! ~ to be rul'd by my conscience, | should stay with the Jow my master, who (God bless the mark) is @ kind of devil: and to run away from the Jew I should bo ruled by the flend, who (eaving your reverence) is the devil himself certainly the Jew is the very devil incarnation, and in my conscience, my conscience is but a kind of hard conscience, to offer to counsel me to stay with the Jew; the fiend gives the more friendly coun: will run fiend, my heels are at your commandment, | will run. by William Shakespeareun % or x ed not iend the my aly - well, he , "you imy less uld be self: ence, sneel sel: This scene takes place in a twin-bedded room in a young sttonders’ detention centre. LAURA is @ new inmate but Holie has been hero for months and has a reputation as a bully. Until now, Laura hesm't spoken to any of the inmates about why she has beer detained. When Holle asks about a photograph, pinned to the wall by Laura's bed, she reveals the chilling story of her rime LAURA: That's Amy. She was my best fiend. The times we had togethar! You wouldn't believe some of the things we got uP fO~-- °F maybe you would... I ean trust you can't |? Waly it happened last summer. | heard that Amy had been seeing my boyfriend David behind my back, | asked her if there wes Bry truth ia the rumours and she said “Yes” It was as though my feelings » Gounted for nothing, You've no idea how hurtul that was. | didn't care about David ~ it wasn't serious ~ but that was no axcuse for tho deception, Every time we'd talked and laughed, tke fiends do, he'd boen lying, A whole month of laughing and ying and laughing and lying just wanted to talk to her. | wanted her to £80 how hurt Yd boon, One Sunday, when | knew that she'd be walking her dog lovin by the rive, | waited for her on the bridge. There che was, Cerefea and happy inthe sunshine, dost weight. ’d shut mysel ava, | ran after her. Her pathetic lite dog kept snapping ay tools | wanted to Kick it but | was trying eo hard to be reasonabie! ‘Then she tuned her back on me, Nobody does that. (LAURA’s mind is now on the riverbank, reliving the memory of what happened) | watchod her walk away. Iran at her with all the speed | had in me. “Jummed my hands into her back and sh sereamed and fel forward, spraisied out on the footpath, She struck her head on the stone slab at thoredge and wont over into the water. She floated in a standing position. Her head just above the surface, her arms out to her sides, the was just staring, Then she gasped for air and her eyes came Continued »alive, She started screaming and thrashing about. Someone was going to hear the commotion so | moved to the edge of the path and placed my foot on top of hor hoad. I pushed down smoothly and she ‘sank. Ittook longor than | expected for tho bubblos to stop coming from her mouth but when they did she was completely still, My log ached. | lifted my foot and she stayed there, her hair spread out around her. I saw my reflection in the water... (LAURA's mind is back in the room) ~ Someone saw ital from the bridge. Some stupid kid, who couldn't rind his own business. You may have noticed that I like to have things facing me. My litle omaments. See? Everything really. (Looking at Amy's photograph and smiling) Amy will always face me nov. (Turning to Holle, her face suddenly fixed with a serious expression) You are going to be a friend aren't you? You'd never tum your back on me would you? Because if you can't be trusted, you'll remind me of Amy and, well... that wouldn't be good for either ofus... would it? by Nick TeedHed euetRwsCecssu schist Mus east ishe "a Tho detective SHERLOCK HOLMES, his friend Dr Watson and °9 Inspector Lestrade are investigating the mysterious death of a man, McCarthy, at Boscombe Valley in the English countryside. The man's son, young McCarthy, is accused of his father's murder. Here, Holmes is examining the scane of the crime. 7 i ‘SHERLOCK HOLMES: (Running round, like a dog picking up @ ngs scent, then stopping) What did you go in the pool for, Lestrade?.. t No, don't answer that, | have no time. That left foot of yours with its inward twist is all over the place, A mole could trace it. There it vanishes among the reeds. Oh, how simple it would ail have been had! been here before they came like a herd of buffalo and trampled all over it. d, ther (Pointing to the ground) Here is where the party with the lodgo- keeper came, and they have covered all tracks for six or eight feet round the body, But here are three separate tracke of the same feet. (Draws out a magnifying glass and lies down to have a better view, talking to himself) These are young McCarthy's feet. Twice he was walking, and once he ran swiftly. The soles are deeply marked and the heels hardly visible, That bears out his story. He ran when ho ‘saw hia father on the ground. Then here are the father’s feat as he paced up and down. What is this, then? It is the butt-end of the gun as the son stood listening. And this? Ha, hal What have we here’? Tiptoes! Tiptoes! Square too, quite unusual boots! They come, they 90, they come again, Of course, that was for the cloak. Now where did they come from? (Runs up and down, sometimes losing, sometimes finding the track. Lies down on the ground and lets out @ ery of satisfaction) Hal (Collects hits of evidence from the ground and then gets up) ithas been a case of considerable interest. | fancy that this grey house on the right must be the lodge. | think that | will go in and have a word with the lodge-keeper. When | have done that, we Continued >may drive back to our lunch. You may walk to the cab, and | shall be with you presently. (Handing something fo Lestrade) By the way, Lestrade, this may interest you. The murder was done with i. Although there are no marks on it, | know that it had only lain there for a few days. The grass was growing undor it. It matches the injurios. There ie no sign of any other weapon, ... The murderer? He is a tall man, Left-handed, Limps with the right leg. Wears thick- soled boots and a grey cloak. Smokes Indian cigars. Uses a cigar- holder. Carries a blunt pen-knife in his pocket. There are several cather indications, but these may be enough to aid us in our search. (Pause) | know you are sceptical, Lestrade. But you work your own method, and | shall work mine. by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, adapted by LAMDAHamlet, prince of Denmark, has professed his love to OPHELIA, the daughter of Polonius, the Lord Chamberlain. He has begun He to show signs of mental instability, however, since the death of : his father, his mother's remarriage and visitations from his father's : ghost. In this scene, Opheli is clearly frightened and has come to 7 {fell her father about Hamlet's strange behaviour. an OPHELIA: O my lord, my lord, | have been so affrighted. My lord, as | was sewing in my closet, Lord Hamlet, with his doublet all unbrac'd, No hat upon his head, his stockings fou'd, | Ungarter'd and down-gyved to his ankle, Pale as his shirt, his knees knocking each other, And with a look so piteous in purport | Ae it he had been loosed out of hell | To speak of horrors, he comes before me. { | He took me by the wrist and held me hard. Then goes he to the length of all his arm, ‘And with his other hand thus o’er his brow He falls to such perusal of my face ‘As a would draw it, Long stay’d he 80. Atlast, a litle shaking of mine arm, ‘And thrice his head thus waving up and down, He rais'd a sigh 0 piteous and profound As it did seem to shatter all his bulk ‘And end his being. That done, he lets me go, ‘And with his head over his shoulder turn’d He seem'd to find his way without his eyes, ‘ For out o’ doors he went without their helps, | ‘And to the last bended theit light on me. by William Shakespeareon Daniel Hillard has been divorced by his wife, and in order to see his children regularly he has been dressing up as Madame Doubstire after answering an advertisement his former wite put in the local newspaper, hoping to find a child-minder, In this scene, LYDIA, his elder daughter, has come to see him aftor his disquise was discovered. Her father comes to the door of the flat to let her in. LYDIA: Hullo Dad... 've come to see you... So (she shrugs) here Lam, (She fs not happy. She walks into the flat and sits down) No... I don't want any tea... you and Mum had such a barney, it was horrible. Hotrible... you were both very nasty indeed... (Confronting thor father) Listen, | don't want to tal, if you don't mind. Or listen, either. And { certainly don't want fo talk about that... I'm only here because its Tuesday... i's Tuesday teatime, Which happens to be yourtime... (She scowls) t's just the prinoiple of the thing... OK, 80 1'm asserting what is my right to see you... (She sounds unhappy) I'm not expecting to have a good time... OK, I'll have some.tea. (She takes her coat off and sits down. Her father gives her a mug of tea) It isn't just the principle of the thing... there's something else as well Something I thought about before a little, when Mum was tell about your wedding. | thought then that, if either of you had backed out, none of us children would have ever been born... (Trying to make her Dad understand) Yes! And that’s the point, We were born, ‘And we're the only things that lasted aren't we? I mean, the marriage vas a failure. A total fallure. And you two aren't really even friends any more... (She shakes fer head, and then jumps up) Ob! | know you make a pretty good show of getting along well when you bump into one another at other people's parties, or at school evenings and things like that. But you're not really good friends any more, are you? (She sits closer to her Dad) So, | wes thinking, Natty and ‘Christopher and me, we are the only three things to come out of that marriage. We're all that's left. We're the whole point now... Yes Dad! The whole point. The only reason you have any real contact. So that gives us.a sort of extra right. Don't you see? Don't you see? If we threo are not happy with the way things are, then what was the pointof all those years? Nono! Noné at alll I you can't work things out to suit us, then it was all a total waste and a total failure, In fact. (She hesitates, upset) Worse than just total waste and failure, just hatred and arguments and all that ugly, ugly stuff... (Angrily) No, no, { didn't, | would have tried, but Mum wasn't listening. She was too angry and upset. (She jumps up and goes to the windaw) We had a fight, She didn't want me to come. She called me disloyal. She seid you'd forfeited your right to a visit today. (She is near fo tears) | told hor | was not going to live my fe botween the two of you any mora, thinking about her rights and yours. (She is tearful, but confronts her Dad) | told her | thought | had rights of my own, and from now ‘on you two had better start thinking of mine... And | yelled it... yolied at her that, if she didn't let me go today, she would regret it! by Anne Fine, adapted by LAMDAREBECCA is a self-confessed shopaholic. She has agreed to meet her friend Jane in a café during her lunch hour. Jane is already at a table when she enrives. REBECCA: Jane, im 50 sory I'm late, They should list shopping undor cardiovascular activity. My heart never beats as fast as it doos when I see a ‘reduced by 50 per cent! sign. (Sitting down} | count out the money in tans and twenties and wait, almost shivoring as the shop assistant ducks behind the counter and produces the green box. She slides it into a thick glossy bag with dark green cord handles and hands it to me. | almost want to close my eyes, the feeling is 80 wonderful ‘That moment. That instant when your fingers curl round the handles of a shiny, uncreased bag ~ and all the gorgeous new things inside it become yours, What's it ike? It's ke going hungry for days, thon cramming your mouth full of warm buttered toast. i's like waking Uup and realising i's the weekend. Everything else is blocked out of your mind, k's pure, selfish pleasure, (Turning to the waitress) Oh, cappuccino please, (To Jane) Anyway, | walk slowly out of the ahop, siillin @ haze of delight. "ve got a Denny and George scarf. I've got Denny and George scarfl ve got ~ then ! hoard him - “Rebecca” ‘A man's voice interrupts my thoughts. | looked up and my stomach gave a lurch of horror. It was Luke Brandon. You know ~ Luke ~ the manager... Luke Brandon is standing on the street, right in front of ‘me, and he's staring down at my carrier bag. | feel myself growing flustered. What's he doing here on the pavement anyway? Don't people like that have chauffeurs? Shouldn't he be whisking off to some vital reception or something? “Did you get it all right?" he says, frowning slighty. “What?” “Your aunt's present" “Oh yes)’ say, and swallow. "Yes I... I got it”ito meet ady ata ping vit wo) | sivering ssthe an cord ho andles inside » then ing out of Oh, shop, 2 got ecca” nach - the nt of ‘ing tt to 4g that it?" He gestures to the bag and I foe! my checks flame red. “Yes? | say oventually "I thought a... a scarf would be nice” *\ery generous of you, Denny and George” He raises his eyebrows. “Your aunt must be a stylish lady! "She ia’ | say, and clear my throat, “She's terribly creative and original! ‘1m sure she is? said Luke, and pauscs. “What's her name?” ‘Oh God. | should have run as oon as | saw him, while | had a chance. Now I'm paralysed. | can't think of a single female name. “Erm... Ermintrude® | hear myself saying. “Aunt Ermintrude? said Luke thoughtfully. “Well, give her my best wishes? He nods at me, and walks off, and |'stare after him, trying to work ‘out if he guessed or not. You see Jane, after all ~| had asked him to have extra time to buy a present for my aunt! (The waitress brings the cappuccino) Thank you! | was ready for this. by Sophie Kinsella, adapted by LAMDA242 Benes In this scene, the young HEATHCLIFF has arrived back from an escapade on the moors, wet and alone. He is explaining to the Kindly housekeeper, Nelly, what has happened. HEATHCLIFF: Cathy is at Thrushcross Grange. | would have been there too, but they did not have the manners to ask mo to stay. In fact, they threw me out because | laughed at thom... and cursed a bit too! Let me get this jacket off, 'm wet through. (Taking his wet jacket off) t's a long story, Nelly. Cathy and | escaped from the washhouse and thought we would just go and see whether the Lintons passed their Sunday evenings standing shivering in corners! We ran from the top of the Heights to the park, without stopping, We orept through a broken hedge, groped our ‘way up the path, and planted ourselves on a flower-plot under the drawing-room window. Both of us were able to look in by clinging to the ledge. It was exciting! We saw a splendid place carpeted with crimson, and crimson- covered chairs and tables, and a pure white ceiling bordered by gold. There was a shower of glass-drops hanging in silver chains from the centre and shimmering with litte soft tapers. Old Mr and Mrs Linton were not there; Edgar and his sisters had it entirely to themselves. We should have thought ourselves in heaven! But you'll never believe what we saw next! Isabella lay screaming at the farther end of the room, shrieking as if witches were running red- hot needles into her. Edgar stood on the hearth woeping silently, and in the middle of the table sata litle dog, shaking its paw and yelping; Which, from their mutual accusations, wo understood they had nearly pulled in two between them. That was their pleasure! To quarrel ‘over who should hold a heap of warm hair! Then, each began to cry because both, efter struggling to get the dog, refused to take it.nd ng. park, vur the ing to ‘We laughed outright rather loudly too. The Lintons heard us, and with one accord they shot like arrows to the door. We made frightful noises to terrify them still more, and then we dropped off the ledge, bocause we felt we had better fiee. | had Cathy by the hand, and was urging her on, when all at once she fell down. They had let the bulldog loose and it had seized her ankle! The dog was throttled off and a manservant took Cathy in his arms and carried her inside the house, | followed, grumbling. When Isabella saw me she shrieked even more and said that | waa a ‘Frightful thing’ and looked exactly the son of the fortune-tellar who had stolen her tame pheasant! Thoy said | was wicked ~ 60 I et them think | was and I started cursing again ~ so that Robert, the manservant, was ordered to send me away, That's why | am here and Cathy has remained behind. (Softly) Don't be angry, Nelly. by Emily Bronté, adapted by LAMDAKARL is sitting in his bedroom. His leptop is placed in front of him. in this scene, he is speaking to his best friend, John, and trying to decide what he should do to unravel a mix-up he hee created by tying to organise a date for his older sister, Melanio, KARL: (Looking at the computer) How on earth can | got out of this? I can't believe what | have dons? Fixed my sister up for a date with Mr Lehman, Lehman ~ our English teacher, ! moan that is ¢0.... 80... avull He is quite young, | suppose, about thity... and she's actualy twenty-six ~ although her online profile said ahe was oniy {wenty-two! But... urghhh... just the thought of it makes me fee! sick... and it's all my fault (Moving towards the computer) It started out as a joke. | was so fed up with hor moaning night after night that sho was so lonely.. 80 bored... and frisndless since she moved back home. | said — ‘well, why don't you make friends at work! That went down like & lead balloon! She works in a nureery! All the others are women and they're old enough to be her mother! Anyway — one of her old achool friends said that she had met her boyfriend online... through this dating agency! That's when the fun began! You see, Mel created her profile. | read it. Well, it was sort of private, but | know her Password... she doesn't know that... but I just worked it out, It was easy Sho has this thing about a certain poet, ..Byron ofall things... and an actor called Benedict! She even called her dog Byron and the cat Benedict! | don't always understand girls, do you? Anyway, ut the two names together and... Bingo! I could access her files! (Tutning the laptop on and accessing the site) Look! See how easy itis, (Thoughtfully) Perhaps | could become a hacker? | do soem to have a talent for thie! (Scanning Mel's profile) Look, John, This sounds so much more interesting than her original description. Yes, well each person has to really make themselves sound iresistible to any boy ~ or; in hor case ~ man ~ reading it | kind of thought ~ "il pretend that / am looking fora girtriend and write a description Of the sort of gil would like to date! (Moving away) That was aof him. jing to aby of date $0... vee ny at 3 mistake. You see, she had waitten that she was a short, slim woman of twenty-two with short brown hair, brown eyes and a love of English Literature, She then went on to describe her Master's thesis ‘on Byron! | mean ~ who is going to get excited about a very boring girl who likes Byron! [just altered ita lite, | lke tall, well-built blonde girls with blue eyes! So... made her tallor, bigger and blonder... Oh, and changed her eye colour tool | left the bit about Byron. | didn’t feol | could change everything! (Self-consciously) The next night, at eupper, she was just so excited! “I've had a reply’ she said, “someone wants to take me out! | didn't even know that | had posted it” | couldn't tell hor that | hadi ‘She went on to describe the man... his age... his interests... and, wait for it, his place of work! It was then that | knew exactly who he ‘was! Lehman! Mr Lehman! They've arranged to meet up ~ go out {for a moall As if that wasn’t bad enough... he'll think she tells liest | mean... she doesn't look anything like the description | sent! What am | going to do? by Anne Oddenz Ee C Level 2 Speaking Verse and Prose: Grade 5 - Prose Titles in Level 2 Speaking Verse and Prose: Grade 5 - Prose Skulduggery Pioasant (Book 1) North and South Privato Peaceful ‘The Model Millionaire The Subtle Knife Mise Mapp SS —— The Hobbit ee TikTok of Oz Skulduggery Pleasant (Book 1) ‘She cried out ang fell backwards as the vampite burst through the closed section of the skylight, showering her with glass. It hit the roof in a crouch. Stephani didn’t even have time to get to her feat before it dived at her. Sho tured away and its claws raked across her coat but didn't Penetrate the material, although the impact slammed her to the ‘oof again. The vampire overshot but spun as soon as it landed, snarling. ts fangs dripped with saliva and its yes locked on to hors. For a momont neither of them made a move, then Stephanie slowly got to hor hands and knoes. The vampire hissed, but she didn’t break eye contact. She tucked her feet beneath hor and ‘squaitod. The vampire was waiting for her to make a sudden ‘move. The gun was in her pocket but sho didn't go fori. Siephanie moved slowly. She kept her eyos open, did't blink, didn't do anything that might give it an excuse to resume its attack, Hor knooe straightened, though she stayed bent over. She took her frst step, to the left. The vampire moved with her. Its eyes blazed with sheor ferocity. All it wanted to do was rip her apart. All t wanted was her complete and utter annihilation. She forced herself to keep calm. ‘Easy boy, sho said softly and the vampire snapped at the air. Its claws clicked against themselves, Even though they hada't piercod her coat, her back was throbbing in pain. She knew that if ithadn't been for whatever material this coat was made from, that single swipe would have killed her. ‘The vampire began moving towards her. Stephanie started to back away but the moment she tried moving her foot behind her, the vampire’s hackles rose. She froze, ifit leaped from that distance it would be on her before she knew what was happening. {it kept coming, moving slowly, stalking its prey. By Derek Landy158 Keneneed : suddenly up, with her father's quotation Margaret looked ntng wonder in her eyes. How in the world had they got from cog-wheels to Chevy Chace? : ion; ‘its plain matter “It's no boast of mine’ replied Mr. Thorn te act won't deny that am proud of belonging 10a town—or pothaps | should rather say a district-the necessities of whic ve birth to such grandeur of conception. | would rather be a man ftng suena, ang ae sceeeless-oe, an ead a dull prosperous Ifo in the old worn grooves of what you cal more aristocratic society down in the South, with their elow days of careless ease. One may be clogged with honey and unabie to rise and fy! ‘the colour into her cheeks and the angry tears into her eyes. A fou do not know anything about tha South. If there is less adventure the gambling spirit of trade, which seams requis 7 2 North?’ asked he, with an ‘And may | say you do not know the Nort ° : inexprossible {gentleness in his tone, as he saw that he had really By Elizabeth Cleghorn Gaskell ee 1am on stanchio tho next morning, locked inside my gas mask in world of my own, listening to myself breathing. The mist rises over no-man's-iand. | seein front of me a blasted wasteland, No vestige of fields or troes here, not a blade of grass ~ simply a land of mud and craters. | see unnatural humps scatterod over there beyond our wire. They are the unburied, some in fokd-groy uniforms and some in khaki. There is one lying in the wire with his faim stretched heavonwards, his hand pointing. He is one of ours, oF was. look up where he is pointing. There are birds up there, and they are singing, | see a beady-eyed blackbird singing to the ‘world from his barbec-wire perch. Ho has no tree to sing from. The pipsqueak of a licutenant says, 'Keep your ayes pooled, lads, Keep your wits about you. He's always doing that, always telling us to do things we're already doing. But nothing moves out there jn no-man's-land but the crows, It is a dead man’s land, We're back down in the dugout after stand-to, brewing up when the bombardment starts. It doesn't stop for two whole days. They aro the longest two days of my lif. ! cower there, we all do, each Cf us alone in our own privato misery. We cannot talk for the din. There can be littl sleep. When I do sloep I sce the hand pointing skywards, and itis Father's hand, and | wake shaking, Nipper ‘Martin has got the shakes, too, and Pete tries to calm him but he can't. | cry ko a baby somotimes and not even Chatlie can comfort me. We want nothing mare than for it to stop, for the earth to be stil again, for there to be quiet. I know that when its over they'll be coming for us, that Il have to be ready for them, for the gas maybe, or the flame-thrower;or the grenacios, or the bayonets, But | don't mind how they come. Let them come. | just want this to stop, | just want it to be over. Whon at last it does we are ordered out on to the frestep, gas masks on, bayonats fixed, eyes straining through the smoke that drifts across in front of us. Then out of the smoke we sea them come, their bayonets glinting, one or two at first, but then hundreds, thousands. Charlie's there beside me. ‘You!l be alright, Tomo, he says. 'Youll be fine.’ He knows my thoughts, He sees my terror. He knows I want to run. By Michael Morpurgo156 PIeierca ene The old beggar-man took advantage of Trevor's absence to rest for a moment on a wooden bench that was behind him, He looked 0 forlorn and wretched that Hughie could not help pitying him, and felt in his pockets to see what money he had. All he could find was a sovereign and some coppers. ‘Poor old fellow,’ he thought to himself, he wants it more than I do, bur it means no hansoms for a fortnight’; and he walked across the studio and slipped the sovereign into the beggar’s hand. ‘The old man started, and a faint emile fitted across hie withered lips. ‘Thank you, sin’ he said, thank you!" Then Trevor arrived, and Hughie took his leavo, blushing alittle at ‘what he had dono. He spent the day with Laura, got a charming ‘scolding for his extravagance, and hed to walk home, That night he strolled into the Palette Ciub about eleven o'clook, and found Trevor sitting by himse in the smoking-room drinking hock and seltzer, ‘Well, Alan, did you get the picture finished allright?" he said, as he lt his cigarette. ‘Finished and framed, my boy!" answered Trevor, ‘and, by the bye, you have made @ conquest. That old model you saw is quite devoted fo you. | had to tall him all about you-who you are, where you live, what your income is, what prospects you have! ‘My dear Alan’ cried Hughie, ‘t shai! probably find him waiting for mo when | go home. But of course you are only joking. Poor old wretch! | wish | could do something for him. | think itis dreadful thal any one should be 80 miserable. I have got heaps of old clothes at home~do you think he would care for any of them? Whi, his rags were falling to bits “But he looks splendid in them,’ said Trevor. ‘I wouldn't paint him in a frock coat for anything. What you call rags I call romance. What seems poverty to you is picturesqueness to me. Hawever, I'l tell him of your offer? ‘Alan/ said Hughie seriously, 'you painters are a heartless lot! ‘An artist's heart is his head replied Trovor; ‘and besides, our business is to realise the world 2s we see it, nat to reform it as we know it, And now toll me how Laura is. The old model was quite interested in her? "You don't mean to say you talked to him about her?" said Hughie. ‘Certainly I did. He knows all about the relentless colonel, the lovely Laura, and the £10,000: “You told that old beggar all my private affairs?" cried Hughie, ooking very red and angry. “My dear boy’ said Trevor, smiling, that old beggar, as you call him, is one of the richest mon in Europe. He could buy all London to-morrow without overdrawing his account. He has a house in ‘every capital, dinas off gold plato, and can provent Russia going to war when he chooses.” By Oscar Wilde 187Ee eas 158 Peer ‘The house was silent. in tho last of the evening light the man ‘across the road was washing his car, but he took no notice of ‘Will, and Will didn't look at him, The less notice people took, the batter. Holding Moxie against his chest, he unlocked the door and went in quickly. Then he listened vary carefully before putting her down. There was nothing to hear; the house wes empty. He opened a tin for her and left her to eat in the kitchen, How long before the man came back? There was no way of telling, so he'd battor move quickly. He went upstairs and began to search. Ho was looking for a battered groen leather writing-case. There are 2 surprising number of places to hide something that sizo even in any otdinery modorn house; you don't need secret panels fend extensive cellars in order to make something hard to find. Wil searched his mother's bedroom first, ashamed to be looking through the drawers where sha kept her underclothes, andl then he worked systematically through the rest of the rooms upstairs, even hs own, Moxie came to see what he was doing and sat and cleaned herself nearby, for company. Buthe By that time it was dark, and he was hungry. He made himself baked beans on toast and sat at the kitchen table wondering about the best arder to look through the downstairs rooms. id’ find it ‘As he was finishing his meal, the phone rang. He sat absolutely stil, his heart thumping, He counted: twenty-six Fings, and then if stopped. He put his plate in the sink and started to search again. Four hours later he still hadi't found the green leather case. It |was half-past one, and he was exhausted. He lay on his bed fully clothed and fell asleop at once, his dreams tense and crowded, his mothers unhappy frightened face always there just out of reach. And almost at once, it seemed (though he'd been asleep for neatly three hours) he woke up knowing two things simultaneously. Fi he Kaew whee the 4 tere the case was. And second, he kn lat men were downstairs, opening the kitchen door. feet By Philip Pullman 18Tam “You've got a black heart, Dival! “Thats nonsense) sid Diva fm ‘Heart’ sid Disa firmly. Heart's a red a8 anybody, and talking of black hearts doesn't become you, Elzaboth, "You few Iwas cutting out roses from my cura Miss Mapp laughed ehrily, ‘Wel i happen io notice that youve tekon your chins eu down! she sid wth an al istnctnoss tat stone a wsdorteeh af wich Dita go ties a tho mood ad oink bunches of ros come fying oo your window biotho rion eo, even ay poor wis, smal as they are, ate ean dn the conclusion that you are cutting roses out of curtains, Your well-known fondness for dross did the rest. With your pormiasion, Diva, | intend to draw exactly wi hat conclusions | please occasion, including this one. es ‘Ho! That's how you got the idea then, sai 4 Hol Thats how you a then,’ said Diva. ‘I knew you had ‘Cribbed?" asked Mies Mapp, in ironical > in ironical ignorance of wh vulgar and slangy an expression meant. eee ‘Cribbed moans taking what isn't yours,’ said Di ‘what isn’t yours,’ said Diva. ‘Even then, if you had only acted in a straightiorward manner” 2 Miss Mapp, shaken as with pals sh ith palsy, regretted that she had let sip, Cut of pure childlike joy, in irony, the manner in which she had” obtained the poppy-notion, but in a quatre Reade poppy noon, quarrol regrets are useless, ‘And would you very kinally expla ‘indy explain how er when I have acted in manner that was not straightforward’ she asked with laborious poltenese. ‘Or do {understand that a monopoly of cutting up ing has be intz curtains for personal ador a bestowed on you Neu knew | wes meaning to make a frock with chintz roses on it? Dire "Yu toe ny te, Worker Just like you. Mean behaviour’ Peete EF. Benson enn "That's right; seid Gandalf, ‘Let's have no more argument. | have ‘chosen Mr. Baggins and that ought to be enough for all of you. IF] say he is a Burglar, a Burglar he is, or will be when the time ‘comes, There is a lot more in him than you guess, and a deal more than he has any idea of himself. You may (possibly) all five to thank ‘me yot. Now Bilbo, my boy, fetch the lamp, and let's have a little light on this!” (On the tab in the light of a big lamp with a red shade he spread apiece of parchment rather like a map, ‘This was made by Thror, your grandfather, Thorin, he said in answer to the dwarves! excited questions. ‘itis a plan of the Mountain’ ‘I don't see that this will help us much’ said Thorin disappointedly after a glance. I remember the Mountain well enough and the lands about it. And | know where Mirkwood is, and the Withered Heath where the great dragons bred.’ "There is a dragon marked in red on the Mountain, ssid Balin, “but itwill be easy enough to find him without that, # ever we arrive there. “There is one point that you haven't noticed, said the wizard, ‘and that is the secret entrance. You see that rune on the West side, and the hand pointing to it from the other runes? That marks a hidden passage to the Lower Halls’ (Look at the map at the beginning of this book. and you will see there the runes in red.) ‘Itmay have been secret once,’ said Thorin, ‘out how do we know that itis secret any longer? Old Smaug has lived there long ‘enough now to find out anything there is to know about those caves. "He may-but he can't have used it for years and years." Why? “Because itis too small, “Five fect high the door and three may walk abroast” eay the runes, but Smaug could nat creep into a hole that size, not even when he was a young dragon, certainly not after devouring so many of the dwarves and men of Dale.’ ‘At scems a great big hole to me; squeaked Bilbo (who had no experience of dragons and only of hobbit-holos), He was getting excited and interested again, so that he forgot to keep his mouth 1aA M 182 shut. He loved maps, and in his hall there hung a large one of the Country Round with ail his favourite walks marked on itn red ink, “How could such a large door be kept secret from everybody outside, apart from the dragon?” he asked. He was only litle hobbit you must remember. By J.R.R, Tolkien Ti eer Now, Ann had not forgotten whon her birthday came, for that meant a party and feasting and dancing, but she had quite forgotion how many years the birthdays marked. In a land where people live always, this isnot considered a cause for regret, 30 ‘we may justly say thet Queen Ann of Oagaboo was oid enough to ‘make joly-and let it go at that. ‘But she didn’t make jelly, or do any more of the housework than she could help. She was an ambitious woman and constantly resented the fact that her kingdom was so tiny and her people so stupid and unenterprising. Often she wondered what had become: of her father and mother, out boyond the pass, in the wonderful Land of Oz, and the fact that they did not return to Oogaboo ted ‘Ann to suspect that they had found a better place to live. So, ‘when Salye refused to swaap the floor of tho living room in the palace, and Ann would not sweep it, either, she said to her sister: ‘Tm going away, This absurd Kingdom of Oogaboo tires me ‘Go, f you want to, answered Salye; ‘but you are very foolish to leave this place!” "Why?" asked Ann, “Because in the Land of Oz, which is Ozma’s country, you will be a nobody, while here you are a Queen. “Oh, yes! Queen over eighteen men, twenty-seven women and forty-four childrent” returned Ann bitterly. ‘Woll, there are certainly more people than that in the grest Land of Oz; laughed Salye. ‘Why don't you raise an army and conquer ‘thom, and be Quoen of all O27" she asked, trying to taunt Ann and so fo anger her, Then she made a face at her sister and went into the back yard to swing in the hammock. Her jecring words, however, had given Queen Ann an idea Sho reflected that Oz was reported to be a peaceful country ‘and Ozma a mere gir who ruled with gentleness to all and was obeyed because her people loved her, Even in Oagaboo the story was told that Ozma's sole army consisted of twenty-seven fine officers, who wore beautiful uniforms but carried no weapons, ‘because there was no one to fight. Once there had been a private soldier, besides the officors, but Ozma had made him a 163Captain-General and taken away his gun for fear it might accidentally hurt some one, The more Ann thought about the matter the more she was ‘convinced it would be easy to conquer the Land of Oz and set horself up as Rutor in Ozma’s place, if she but had an army to do it with, Afterward she could go out into the world and conquer ether lands, and then perhaps she could find a way to the moon, ‘and conquer that. She had a warlike spirit that preferred trouble to idleness. By L. Frank Baur 185