ACT I
SETTING: A Negro village in Florida in our own time. All action from viewpoint of an actor facing audience.
PLACE: Joe Clerke's store porch in the village. A frame building with a false front. A low porch with two steps up. Door in center of porch. A window on either side of the door. A bench on each side of the porch. Axhandles, hoes and shovels, etc. are displayed leaning against the wall. Exits right and left. Street is unpaved. Grass and weeds growing all over.
TIME: It is late afternoon on a Saturday in summer.
Before the curtain rises the voices of children are heard, boisterous at play. Shouts and laughter.
VOICE OF ONE BOY
Naw, I don't want to play wringing no dish rag! We gointer play chick mah chick mah craney crow.
GIRL'S VOICE
Yeah, less play dat, and I'm gointer be de hen.
BOY'S VOICE
And I'm gointer be de hawk. Lemme git myself a stick to mark wid. (The curtain rises slowly. As it goes up the game is being organized. The boy who is the hawk is squatting center stage in the street before the store with a short twig in his hand. The largest girl is lining up the other children behind her.
THE MOTHER HEN
(looking back over her flock) Y'all ketch holt of one 'nother's clothes so de hawk can't git yuh. (They do.) Y'all straight now?
