SIDE 1

YOUNG DICKENS

Just one chapter more, Mother. Or maybe two.

MRS. DICKENS

(smiling, with deep affection)

You and your stories.

YOUNG DICKENS

(reading aloud) "Aladdin retired to his chamber, brought out the lamp and rubbed it, and when the genie appeared to him he said: 'ask whatever you want...'"

(MR. DICKENS dramatically quotes the last line from memory along with YOUNG DICKENS.)


YOUNG DICKENS, MR. DICKENS:

"'...for I am the servant of anyone who holds the lamp!'"

(MR. DICKENS laughs with joy.)

WHITE GHOST

Ah, you remember!

MR. DICKENS

Yes! It is me! The Arabian Nights! I loved that book! That book took me to palaces and mountains! I felt I'd met queens and kings and princesses!


(During the above, MRS. DICKENS tucks YOUNG DICKENS into bed, kisses him goodnight and blows out his lamp.)

WHITE GHOST

Yes, books can do that.

(The WHITE GHOST raises his hand in farewell to MR. DICKENS.)

MR. DICKENS

Wait! Don't go! Let me linger in this happy moment a while longer!

SIDE 2

GREEN GHOST

Well, well, well, Mr. Dickens! I understand you've recently decided to give up writing.

MR. DICKENS

Yes, it seems, it seems... pointless... and I want to help the world.


GREEN GHOST

And your books have no power to help the world?

(We see a small classroom. The teacher, MISS TWIGBY, stands before her class.)

MISS TWIGBY

So, class, what did we learn today from Mr. Dickens' book?

(A small girl, SARA, raises her hand. MISS TWIGBY points to her.)

SARA

We learned that (clearly quoting) "No one is useless in this world who lightens the burdens of another."


(More GIRLS eagerly raise their hands and begin giving answers before they are called upon.)

GIRL #1

I learned that "A loving heart is the truest wisdom."

GIRL #2

Oh, oh, I learned that "Happiness is a gift-"

GIRL #3

Yes! "And the trick is not to expect it-"

GIRL #4

"-but to delight in it when it comes."

MISS TWIGBY

Well done.

CLASS

Well done! Well done! Well done!

(The CLASS applauds.)

MR. DICKENS

Those are all things I wrote! And things I believe! And they learned them from my books?

GREEN GHOST

Yes - and now they believe them, too. Pity writing is so foolish and vain. But shhhh!