Literacy Time Ages 9 to 11 ◗ Issue 52 ◗ January 2008 ◗ © Scholastic Ltd 2008LEAFLET 2

Cast of characters:Modern day Mr Jackson Mrs Jackson Leo Jaye Françoise history teacher history writer their son his sister au pair

Victorian Age Harriet Edward Miss Gray Victorian girl her brother their governess

FRANÇOISE: What a wonderful place! It reminds me of houses in the French mystery stories I used to read.

LEO: We think the house is boring. FRANÇOISE: Oh no! In French stories, old houses and furniture, like this,

(pointing to a chest), always lead to adventures. LEO: Not this furniture. All we’ve got is this chest. And it’s full of stuffy

old school books from Victorian times. FRANÇOISE: But you must look past the obvious. Haven’t you ever read the

Narnia stories? JAYE: The ones about the door hidden at the back of a wardrobe? FRANÇOISE: Yes, that’s right. JAYE: (Becoming excited) Maybe there’s a mystery door in this chest.

Maybe it will lead to a different world. Let’s empty it! (Jaye empties the chest of the dull-looking books.) LEO: Don’t be ridiculous! This chest will lead nowhere. (Peers and feels

inside) See! There’s nothing special there. FRANÇOISE: Wait a minute! What’s that? (Pointing to a mark) LEO: Just a knot in the wood. (Bangs it impatiently)(They all stare in amazement.) JAYE: Wow! The side panel has opened a bit. LEO: (Becoming interested) I think I can see string sticking out. FRANÇOISE: Jaye, your hands are smallest. Try feeling around behind that

panel. (Jaye moves her hand around inside the gap) JAYE: There’s something there! Possibly more than one thing! LEO: Pull the string! Let me try. (Children both rummage in chest)(Unseen by Francoise, Leo and Jaye, Harriet and Edward reappear, empty-handed, at side or back of stage. They speak in quieter voices than normal, as if far away) HARRIET: Well, the toys are hidden, but I’m still frightened they will

disappear for ever. EDWARD: Don’t worry. However much time passes, those parcels will

always be safe. Just imagine opening them in the future. It will be wonderful.

(They watch from afar as Jaye and Leo open the parcels.) LEO: Wow! A train. You know, one of those

old-fashioned Victorian clockwork ones. The paintwork is perfect. It’s like a new toy. It must be really old, but it looks as if it was put here yesterday. Why….. ?

JAYE: This one has a china doll inside! She’s beautiful! The face is so pretty. The hair feels real! But who wrapped her up?

FRANÇOISE: Ah, now you’re lost for answers! That’s because it’s a mystery. I warned you about old houses. You never know what secrets they can hold. Maybe this summer we can fi nd some more.

LEO: (Grinning) Alright, I give in! This summer could be marvellous after all. Merci, Françoise!

A play by

Eileen Jones

Scene 1: Around a table at meal time in a Victorian house in present-day England

JAYE: (Crossly) I don’t believe you’ve brought us here! It’s not fair! Of all places to come for summer! I want to be near my gym club.

MR JACKSON: I’ve explained before: Suffbridge University has a priceless collection of original Victorian documents. Your mother and I need to be near them for historical research for our book. Just think! Wonderful letters from Lord Shaftesbury, fascinating extracts from Dr Barnardo’s notebooks, exciting accounts of …..

LEO: (Interrupting and yawning) Boring! Boring! JAYE: It’s still not fair. You know I have to practise my gym routines. LEO: And what about me? I was going to improve my tennis. Instead,

I’m living in a stupid university house, miles from the courts. MRS JACKSON: Now, now, calm down. We’ve got everything sorted out. There’s

a wonderful sports complex only 10 minutes away from the university. I’ve already bought you both a summer’s season ticket, so your gymnastics and tennis won’t suffer at all.

JAYE: Mmm, I suppose that’ll be okay. But do you promise to take us whenever we want to go?

MRS JACKSON: Ah, well … that is a slight problem. You must understand, your father and I will be busy reading and making notes all the time, so we won’t actually take you.

JAYE: and LEO: What? LEO: How am I supposed to walk carrying all my kit? Just tell me that. JAYE: I refuse to go on a bus in my leotard! MR JACKSON: Will you both listen a minute? It’s like this. An au pair is coming

over from France. She will keep you company and drive you to your activities. You’ll have a marvellous summer.

LEO: Marvellous! Anything but. JAYE: French! I bet she won’t even understand what we’re saying.

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Scene 2: In the nursery of the same house in Victorian timesChildren sitting talking HARRIET: It is so unfair! Why, oh why does she have to come? EDWARD: It’s all because Papa thinks we need harder lessons than dear

Nanny’s giving us. HARRIET: I am dreading doing French with her! I bet I’ll be hopeless. EDWARD: That’s not the worst thing. When I went down to the kitchen, I

heard the Butler talking to Cook. He said that life would be very different for us once a soft-hearted nanny wasn’t looking after us.

HARRIET: (Alarmed) What did he mean? EDWARD: He said that the new person was a strict governess, who would

not put up with any nonsense and childish ways. Those were his very words, and I didn’t like the sound of them!

HARRIET: (Nervously) I’m frightened. I wish Papa and Mama were not so busy. Then they could look after us.

EDWARD: And the Butler said something else. HARRIET: What? EDWARD: This governess believes that children should not be allowed to …(The door opens suddenly and an adult enters. The children stand up politely.) GOVERNESS: (Sternly) So, you are my new charges and this is where we will

work. EDWARD: It’s our nursery. HARRIET: It’s where we play. GOVERNESS: I am Miss Grey, your new governess, and this will be the

schoolroom. From tomorrow, you will have daily lessons here. HARRIET: Please, will we have some time to play? GOVERNESS: Hands and minds must not be left idle. One hour’s French

practice and one hour’s Bible reading every day will be suffi cient respite from lessons.

EDWARD: What about toys? GOVERNESS: Playing, child, belongs to your past, and toys are a distraction

best avoided. Tomorrow, I will instruct the Housekeeper to remove them all. They will be sent to the children in the workhouse.

(Governess leaves room) HARRIET: That isn’t right! Mama and Papa allow us to play with toys except

on Sundays. Edward, you must write to India and ask Papa to come home and tell her.

EDWARD: That will do no good – it will be months before Papa and Mama can return from this trip.

HARRIET: But all our toys will be gone for ever! What about my best china doll? Losing her will break my heart.

EDWARD: Well what about my new train set? It’s my favourite toy, the fi nest train in the world!

HARRIET: We have to do something. Think! Think! Think! We have to keep our special toys.

EDWARD: (Thoughtfully) I think the secret might be to save them … in time!

Scene 3: Later, in the nursery(The children have a doll, a train set, some material, brown paper and string) HARRIET: I’ll wrap her in muslin to stop her face being

scratched. EDWARD: Then put some of this brown paper on top. That’s

what I’m using. I’m wrapping each carriage of the train in it, with a double layer for the engine.

(The children wrap busily, fastening the parcels with string) EDWARD: There, I think both toys are well-protected now.

These parcels will be fi ne until we can open them again, once Papa and Mama get home.

HARRIET: But what do we do with them now? You know what will happen if Miss Grey fi nds them.

EDWARD: Rely on me! I know a splendid place where no one will ever look for our toys. In fact, no one except me knows about it. Listen …. (Whispers in Harriet’s ear)

HARRIET: (After listening) I see! So when Papa and Mama get home, we’ll simply rescue the toys from their hiding place and they will be as good as new!

EDWARD: And the joke will be that that they will have been right under Miss Grey’s nose all along.

(Children gather up parcels and exit stage.)

Scene 4: In the playroom, present day MRS JACKSON: Children, I have a special person here to meet you. This is

Françoise. The guest I told you about. Your helper this summer. LEO: (Under his breath) Hmm. The French au pair. FRANÇOISE: Bonjour, mes enfants. JAYE: Can’t you speak English? MRS JACKSON: Children! Where are your manners? Say hello to Francoise. JAYE: (Quietly) Hello LEO: (Sulkily) Bonjour MRS JACKSON: Now I’ll leave you three to get to know one another. You children

can show Françoise the playroom. (Mother leaves room)

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