The White Christmas and Other Merry Christmas Plays

Spaghetti From Old Italy

(Music on page 107)

Me name is Spaghetti, I came o’er the sea,
To visit this land from old Italy,
I have a small monkey, he jumps with a string,
And if he was here to you he would sing:
(Dances.) Tee-oodle, dum-doodle, dum-doodle, dum day!

(Repeat until end.)

I once fell in love with the sweet Antoinette,
She say she will marry the little Spaghett,
But she said she no like-a a hand-organ man,
So I stand on the corner and sell-a banan.
(Dances.) Tee-oodle, dum-doodle, dum-doodle, dum day!

(Repeat until end.)

I wed Antoinetta and live in a flat,
I buy-a fine clothes and a big silk-a hat,
I make-a much money and this little gent,
He maybe some day will be big President.
(Dances.) Tee-oodle, dum-doodle, dum-doodle, dum day!

(Repeat until end.)

Matsy. And now, ladies and gentlemen, I’ll call your attention to the seven little Sunbonnet babies. Behold them, them famous Mulligan twins. (Exits L.)

The heads of Nora, Micky, Bridget, Mary Ann, Melissa, Clarissa and Peter appear above the sheets at rear. Each wears a large sunbonnet. They sing to the tune “Tramp, Tramp, Tramp!”

Little Mulligans are we, and our hearts are light and free,
For it’s Christmas Eve and soon we’ll be in bed,
We’re peculiar little folks, full of jollity and jokes,
And you ought to see us stand upon our head!

Tramp, tramp, tramp, we’ll soon be marching,
We are going off to bed,
But before we leave you now,
Each of us will show you how
Little Mulligan can stand upon her head.

(All disappear under sheet. They repeat chorus and hold up their arms above the sheet. The arms are covered with stockings and shoes are on their hands. They slap hands together, making feet dance, etc.)

Tramp, tramp, tramp, we’ll soon be marching,
We are going off to bed,
But before we leave you now,
Each of us will show you how
Little Mulligan can stand upon her head.

(Repeat.)

Mrs. Mulligan (from audience). Nora! Bridget! Mary Ann! What do ye mane! You’ll kill yourselves entirely. (Rushes to the stage, followed by Mrs. O’Toole.) If you stand on your head like that, all your brains will rush down into your fate.

Nora (head above curtain). That’s the way they did in the show. (All come out on stage.)

Mrs. O’Toole. Well, well, well, wonders will never cease. Sure, I niver spint such a fine Christmas Eve in all me life before.

Mrs. Mulligan (stands C. facing audience, surrounded by the ten children.) Sure, I think we’ve had a fine Christmas celebration, don’t you? And before ye go let this sink down deep in your hearts and minds—it doesn’t take money and fine clothes and costly gifts to make a fine Christmas at all, at all. All it takes is loving hearts and loving hands, and merry faces of happy boys and girls. We didn’t have any money—but you see what a lovely time we’ve had—and it’s all because the spirit of Christmas was in our hearts—and the spirit of Christmas means love, and love is the greatest thing in all the world. Merry Christmas to all of yeez, and may ye never regret the time you spent Christmas Eve with the ten little Mulligans.

Curtain.