Jack sat in the boarding house's bedroom. He was flipping through the last of the day's newspapers. He picked one up and began to read. He said, "Fellas we need some cash. This job don't pay enough. I mean more and more of you's is reaching eighteen and after that when people see ya selling newspapers they get creeped out. Then ya get axed."
Crutchie raised his hand and in his little goat voice asked, "Hey Jack, you're 21 how come you're still selling papers? And how come you're still living in the boarding house. I thought they didn't allow you to live here if you was over 20?"
"First of all," Jack said, "I'm a downright bum, second I have a certain boyish charm that allows me to sell papers and not be creepy."
"Yeah you get me to sell your papers and then take all my money", Les whined.
"What was that?", Jack asked pulling his belt from his pants and wrapping it around his hand.
"Nothing."
"That's what I thought."
Racetrack Higgins stood up and lit a cigar. "Well persoinally I'm wit Jack. I have find some way to pay for me...hobbies.", he said as he flicked his well ground Cuban.
"Exactly!", Jack said. "We ain't living the high life cause we ain't got any money! Now does anybody have an idea on what to do."
"I think I have an idea!", Mush said.
"Don't strain yourself Mush 'ol Pal.", said Racetrack.
"I forgot it now...", Mush replied sadly
"It happens to the best of us." Jack said.
"Well, I think One thing may work guys. You see I have this cousin from Upper Manhattan. Real smart guy.... But not like Davy. This guy can actually fend for himself."
"Hey! I resent that!", Davy blurted out.
"Don't it's the truth", Racetrack continued, "Anyway my cousin's name is Hamster McHiggins. He'll think of something."
Blink looked confused, "You have a cousin with a last name that's McHiggins? Why not just Higgins?"
"Eh, That side of the family always has to be different."
Jack looked at Race funny, "You means to tell me you have family...In Manhattan and you don't live with them but sell papers?"
Racetrack nodded, "That's about it"
"That makes no sense", Davy said.
"Well the thing about families is...they annoy the heck out of you so I'd rather be a poor little street urchin sellin papers for a nickel a day rather than live with 'em.... That's about as plain as I can put it."
So they all agreed to wait for Race's cousin to arrive the next day. Crutchie offered to make his specialty...Sauerkraut but all the other newsies got sick at the idea so they decided to serve some of the glop the boarder passed off as food.
The next morning Hamster arrived at noon, he was almost identical to Race in every way. He sat down and listened to the Newsie's problems and considered them deeply. "Well I can only think of one thing. You guys should try acting. I think it would work well. I have an original work of mine on hand that you guys could use."
"How is acting going to help?", Jack asked?
"You put on the play and then charge admission, We're talking about making over 100 dollars in one night. It would work trust me."
"Gee I don't know", Davy whined.
"Well we could try, Heck a hundred buck is a hundred bucks!"
"What's the name of your play Hamster?", Race asked.
"The Goat Boy of Bogota"
All of the newsies and Hamster turned around and looked at Crutchie sitting in on the other side of the room and they all knew who would play the lead.
Crutchie raised his hand and in his little goat voice asked, "Hey Jack, you're 21 how come you're still selling papers? And how come you're still living in the boarding house. I thought they didn't allow you to live here if you was over 20?"
"First of all," Jack said, "I'm a downright bum, second I have a certain boyish charm that allows me to sell papers and not be creepy."
"Yeah you get me to sell your papers and then take all my money", Les whined.
"What was that?", Jack asked pulling his belt from his pants and wrapping it around his hand.
"Nothing."
"That's what I thought."
Racetrack Higgins stood up and lit a cigar. "Well persoinally I'm wit Jack. I have find some way to pay for me...hobbies.", he said as he flicked his well ground Cuban.
"Exactly!", Jack said. "We ain't living the high life cause we ain't got any money! Now does anybody have an idea on what to do."
"I think I have an idea!", Mush said.
"Don't strain yourself Mush 'ol Pal.", said Racetrack.
"I forgot it now...", Mush replied sadly
"It happens to the best of us." Jack said.
"Well, I think One thing may work guys. You see I have this cousin from Upper Manhattan. Real smart guy.... But not like Davy. This guy can actually fend for himself."
"Hey! I resent that!", Davy blurted out.
"Don't it's the truth", Racetrack continued, "Anyway my cousin's name is Hamster McHiggins. He'll think of something."
Blink looked confused, "You have a cousin with a last name that's McHiggins? Why not just Higgins?"
"Eh, That side of the family always has to be different."
Jack looked at Race funny, "You means to tell me you have family...In Manhattan and you don't live with them but sell papers?"
Racetrack nodded, "That's about it"
"That makes no sense", Davy said.
"Well the thing about families is...they annoy the heck out of you so I'd rather be a poor little street urchin sellin papers for a nickel a day rather than live with 'em.... That's about as plain as I can put it."
So they all agreed to wait for Race's cousin to arrive the next day. Crutchie offered to make his specialty...Sauerkraut but all the other newsies got sick at the idea so they decided to serve some of the glop the boarder passed off as food.
The next morning Hamster arrived at noon, he was almost identical to Race in every way. He sat down and listened to the Newsie's problems and considered them deeply. "Well I can only think of one thing. You guys should try acting. I think it would work well. I have an original work of mine on hand that you guys could use."
"How is acting going to help?", Jack asked?
"You put on the play and then charge admission, We're talking about making over 100 dollars in one night. It would work trust me."
"Gee I don't know", Davy whined.
"Well we could try, Heck a hundred buck is a hundred bucks!"
"What's the name of your play Hamster?", Race asked.
"The Goat Boy of Bogota"
All of the newsies and Hamster turned around and looked at Crutchie sitting in on the other side of the room and they all knew who would play the lead.