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About Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922 | View Entire Issue (April 26, 1903)
The House that Jack Built Pictures from Photos by The Bee Staff Artist i---- -"lU'...-.;- - ) '.A I , - , yy 1 y ?r x JL IN THE SCARF DUILL, MR. AND MRS. JACK SPRATT. r -p o fVft .!rr-.. .... v. r-.i. V - ruaW 1- THE FIXIWERfl. .yi '5 4 ' f - . v. i i X 1 s PETER P. PUMPKINEATER AND WIFE AND LJTTLE BO-PEEP. YnTTS A . - . A. 1 1 Diuniiu. in last lore wocm in I air of criouBness and solemnitr mi )crviuei iub cilj nail aaw frequently been broken by burst of melody In tweet childish treble, singing, "Oh, this Is the house that Jack built that Jack built that Jack built," "Old Kins Cole was a merry oil onl," "Sing a song of sixpence," or "Peas porridge hot, peas porridge cold," accom panied by a clapping of hinds or a shuffl as of feet that has made the astonished hear ers forget the perplexltlea of municipal Affairs and taken them back through the years to a time when Old KlDg Cole was in deed' the Jolliest old soul in the world; when the old woman who lived In the aUce was the only one who had a real problini to deal with, and when all of those quaint, delightful people who were her asiodites between the coveis of that first and dearest of all books, were their companions, too, nd served to entertain and p'eaue aa noth ing else ever could or ever baa since. Considering that nearly 200 children hare had part In it. it would be almost super fluous to explain that the occasion for all of this Is the rehearsal of ''The Ho'-se that Jack Built." Mrs. Jessie Gaynor's charming juvenile operetta, wh!ch Is to be given by the school children on Fr day and Saturday evenings and Saturday afternoon, May 1 and 2, at the Boyd theater, fcr the benefit of the Teachers' Annuity and Aid association. And It may be added right here that unless the psrents and music -lovers of Omaha are less appreciative than the patrons of other titles have been, these three performances will not suffice to sit Ufy, for extra performances have been the rule. Indeed. ,"The Hcu:e tl:a' Jck Built" Is all that has been said of It, and a great deal more, too, for who can adequately de scribe an excursion back to childhood to see tho nursery rhymes illuminated by the bright faces and enthusiasm of our own little brothers and slsteis and sons and daughters. The muslo la of the sort that I .. . ,Tt . -v - i ! i f v V. i. THE BLACK BIRDS. ) i ''v-ii.s .. fc-v. ' , 1 HUMPTY DUMPTIES. Is as hard to forget as the words that are set to It, and the children of Mother Ooose each contribute their own enter. alning pranks to the plot, those Included being: Jack, Old King Cole, Queen of Hearts, Knave of Hearts, three Humpty Dumptys, Three Crows, Three Blind Mlco. the Farm er's Wife, Little Bo Peep, Little Boy Blue, Tom Tucker, Simple Simon, Jack Horner, Old Mother Hubbard, Jack Spra'.t and his wife, Jack and Jill, the little man with the little gun, the crooked man, the oil woman who lived in the shoe, her children, Llltls Mlfs MulTctt, Little Polly Flind-rs, Mary Quite Contrary, Lltlla Red Rid nshocd. Bobby Ehafto, Daffy Down Dllly, Man All Tattered and Torn, Maiden A'l For"oru, Priest All Shaven acd Shorn, ltt o Man All Dreesed in Leather, Maid !n hi Garden, Peter PtimpVlncater nnd hi wlf. fairies, sweet peas, grassbladcs, b'huMiirda, stars, clouds, the man In the ni n' snJ tho at tendants of tho king and ii,n. The curtain rises on Wn House That Jack nuilt," In a clear!;.g ( the forest, the abode of Mother Conne and her son Jack. A band of fairies, (rasa b'rtdes and sweet peas discover the queer little house just as the good mother ojiu' out and bide Jack go hunt for the goldou gg laid by her famous gcos. The littlo ttraDsers hide while she awaits his return with the eggs, which she names Humpty Dumptys, and carefully locks In the house, hanging the key outside as she unfolds to Jack a plan for a wonderful party to which all of her children are to bo invited, and then dispatches him with the Invitations while r'ae goes to market to buy tho goodies. It happens that the "Black Birds" havo also overheard the plan, and, being angry that they are not to be Invited doubtless be muse of their bad reputation since the inci dent In the garden determine to spoil the party by stealing tho key. The arrival of the Knuve of Hearts euablca them to ac complish their purpose, for this light fin gered follow easily steals tho key and bides it. ' Mother Goose scarcely gets home and tlisccvers her loss before the guests begin to arrive, and tho ia compelled to tell them her troubles, also to receive and en tortalii them out of doors. This does not prove half bad after all, and a gay feto follows, each guest of prominence being received with a chorus, and tho curtain Coes down on a gay acene of merrymaking. The cecood act represents the evening of the stroo day and the guests weary with all of rhclr frolics, are resting on the grata (Continued on Page Fourteen.)
