The sun peeked into a crisp clear sky
and smiled on the sleepy city of New York. At the Newsboy's Lodging House of Manhattan
you could hear moans, whistling, arguing, and an old man telling to get up and
sell some papes. Snipeshooter with Racetrack's stolen cigar hanging from his
lips stretched and limped sleepily to the dirty window. He gazed out onto the
early morning street and sighed. Another normal, boring, backbreaking day of
selling papers.
I hate selling papers, he thought.
(His voice had started to crack and the other newsies made fun of him when he
hawked the headlines.) That's really the only reason he had for saying that. He
turned away only to have Race yank the cigar out of his mouth.
"Hey!"
Snipe cried.
"Same
ta you, baby!" Race growled. Suddenly there was a commotion. Crutchy was
yelling.
"I
can't believe it! I just can't believe it! Me leg!!! It woiks!" Snipe pushed
through the crowd of amazed newsies to see Crutchy dancing around on both legs!
Suddenly the former gimp collapsed onto the floor. "NOOOO!"
"What?"
everyone cried? They were still staring in disbelief at the healed Crutchy.
Crutchy rocked himself on the floor, not answering. Still not understanding,
the newsies got ready for the day. Crutchy's shouting from the window halted
their progress.
"I'm
jumping! And no one can stop me!"
Everyone laughed, thinking he was joking. Suddenly they could hear
insane laughter coming from Crutchy three stories below. "Hahahahahaha!!!!" He
screeched. "Now both my legs are broken! Sympathy! It's what I live for!!" His
laughing turned into sobs of pain. Everyone looked at each other and then
stampeded down the stairs. They surrounded Crutchy, picked him up, and got him
a wheel chair. They even got him to stop crying. Snipe scowled.
"Man!
That's not fair! He gets ta sit down on da job!" A loud voice coming from the
circulation office interrupted his thoughts. The newsies looked up at the
sound.
"Ho,
ho, ho! Merry Christmas!" Everyone stampeded in wonder to gather around the
window of the circulation office. Crutchy wheeled over. squeak squeak
There was Weasel dressed as Santa Clause! Snipe stared. "Merry Christmas, boys!
I have presents for all!" He reached into a large red sack.
"Mush!"
Weasel cried. The boy stepped forward and opened the box handed to him.
"New
shoes!" he squeaked. "Wit' matchin' laces!"
"Racetrack,
you're next!" Race stepped to the window.
"What
have ya got, goven'r?" A silvery box was placed in his hands. Inside was a
little dead bird. He looked at it suspectingly while everyone's faces showed
horror.
"A
dead boid?" the short Italian questioned.
"No!"
Weasel boomed. "Listen carefully. It's got a hot tip on the races....won't
waste yer money!"
"Ooohhh." Race stepped back in awe, the dead
bird's beak to his ear. Everyone went
forward and received their presents, except for Snipe. Then there was one left.
And it was a BIG one. Snipe grinned. It HAD to be his.
"Spot!"
Weasel shouted. "Where's Spot? This is for him!" Spot appeared out of nowhere
and ripped it open.
"A
porcelain tub!" he gasped.
"AND
it comes wit' boilin' watah!" Weasel clapped his hands happily and Morris and
Oscar jumped to dump steaming hot water into the tub. We'll leave Spot and his
tub of water to see Snipe's disappointed face.
"What
about me?" he asked. Jack slapped 2 quarters on the counter.
"100
papes, Mr. Wisel."
"No,
not yet! My adorable nephews haven't given all of you their present! And
please, Cowboy, call me Weasel!" Snipe shrunk back in terror. What kind of a
gift could the Delancy's possibly offer? Oscar and Morris pranced out of the
side door, genuine smiles plastered on their faces. (Can't quite picture it can
you?)
"We've decided," they chorused in unison,
just like Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum, "to recite to you The Walrus and the
Carpenter." Boos and hisses issued from the gathered newsies. "No, just
kidding!" they laughed. "We've decided to treat you all to a dinner at Tibby's.
Especially, Crutchy." Crutchy beamed and the newsies slapped the Delancy
brothers on the back and shook their hands in thanks. Both ecstatic with joy at
their accepted offer. Snipeshooter was devastated. Where was his present?
Suddenly something hard fell on his head.
"Ouch!"
He looked up to see Pulitzer dumping tons of money out of a huge sack onto the
street.
"Hey fellas!" he shouted. They looked up and
started scrambling for the money. Nothing less than $5 coins came falling from
the sky. Once their pockets were bulging to overflowing they went and bought
out Pulitzer...haha just kidding. Anyway Racetrack was the only one that had
picked up only 4 coins and disappeared. Suddenly Jack had a great idea.
"Let's
buy some paint and decorate ol' Horace!" Shouts of agreement filled the air and
they swarmed the general stores buying all of the paint. Snipe was elated. He
held a secret grudge against Mr. Greeley.
"No
more sleepin' in YER lap! he thought happily as he delicately painted a red
mustache on the statue. The newsies were slapping paint all over the statue
until Spot came out of his tub, his clothes dripping, and a towel around his
head.
"What's
goin' on?"
"We're
painting Horace!" Boots exclaimed.
"Aah,
baby stuff." Jack turned from painting Horace's hands a bright blue.
"And
I suppose you have a better idea?" he retorted. Spot mumbled.
"Just
you wait. I ain't got awl da supplies just yet, but we'll have some real fun
tonight. You in?"
"Whatever
you say, Conlon." Since everyone was in such a fun, playful mood, Kid Blink all
of a sudden went too far.
"Hey, Snipe, you wanna have a look?" Snipe
stopped painting the eyes yellow and turned to see Blink pointing to his eye
patch.
"Wha-?
Blink, NO!" The younger boy got down and started to back away in shock. "No,
you wouldn't!" Blink started to lift his patch and laughed. "NO!" Losing all
control Snipeshooter flew at Kid Blink and punched his good eye. Blink howled
in pain and flailed at Snipe, but he was already out of reach. Kid Blink ended
up having to use 2 eye patches. Finally the Delancy's showed up and escorted
the newsies to lunch. Racetrack still hadn't come back. Jack had also
temporarily left saying he had to dress for dinner. As soon as all the newsies
were seated at Tibby's and had ordered, a girl burst in the door and sat next
to Skittery.
"Hello!"
the voice was not a girl's but a high pitched boy's voice! Everyone looked
closer to see that it was Jack!! They bust out laughing. Jack batted his eyes
at Morris who grinned stupidly, not catching on yet. Soon the food arrived and
they started eating. Suddenly Racetrack swept grandly through the door and
stood there, extremely aloof and full of himself.
"Race,
where'd you get dem fancy clothes?" Boots asked laughing. Racetrack was still
holding the little silver box and dressed to the nine, new clothes, new shoes,
a new watch, and a new haircut. His slicked hair shined in the dim light. He
was also a little breathless.
"I
won 10 races in a row! Dis boid woirks!!" "Psh, yeah right!" Specs cried. Race
graciously handed Snipe a large box of cigars with a flourish. The boy cried
out happily.
"Havana
cigars!!! Geez, Race, thanks!" He grinned in ecstasy.
"No
problem." Jack, still dressed as a girl shook his head. "So now dat yer a
swell, what're ya goin' ta do?" Racetrack looked down his nose at Jack, seeing
his strange attire and sniffed.
"Get
a life, Kelly." Spot stood, still a little damp.
"Hey,
look, Higgins. I'll trade you me cane fer dat boid."
"No
chance, Conlon. You gots yer tub. I gots me boid."
"Aw, come on, man! Dis cane is one of a kind!
Priceless!!"
"Forget it, Conlon. Keep yer lousy cane, fer
awl I care." Racetrack left the restraunt proudly, the richest swell with a hot
tip on the fourth. Eventually, the group of newsies left the Delancy's deciding
to take a day off of selling papes.
"Now what?" Snipe asked when all of a sudden
Sarah burst out of a building and ran happily towards Jack, but to everyone's
surprise she jumped into Spot's arms, who swung her around and kissed her.
Everyone went into shock.
"Jack, what happened?" Skittery cried. Spot
grinned.
"Sarah
and I have been engaged for 2 weeks now." Sarah beamed and Jack started
sobbing.
"He
made Jack cry!" a few of them whispered and then gathered angrily around Spot.
Suddenly they leaped on him and started to soak the traitor. Snipe got the last
few punches in and blackened the scab's left eye. Spot got up and ran away
whimpering. The newsies cheered and patted Snipe on the back, congratulating
him. He was the hero! Sarah fell at Snipe's feet.
"Oh,
you are such a hero! So strong and brave! Will you please marry me?" He
shrugged his shoulders.
"Sure!"
He got some more congratulating and Sarah kissed him while Jack ran away in
tears. That same evening, as agreed, the Manhattan newsies gathered at their
end of the Brooklyn Bridge and Spot and his gang at the other, a huge pile of
wood piled in the middle. Slowly the two groups walked toward each other and
met in the center. Jack avoided Snipe and Spot.
"So
dis is what we do," Spot said loudly. His boys passed around lit torches. "It's
pretty simple. Just start burnin'!!"
"The
bridge??" Snipeshooter shrieked in surprise. "Yeah!" the boys shouted and lit
the pile of wood on fire.
"Talk about burning bridges," Mush laughed
and left to bring any wood he could find to add to the mounting flames. Snipe
was horrified! Torching the Brooklyn Bridge? Everyone found and brought more
wood to put on the fire. They started to dance around it, shouting and laughing
in delight. The bridge was on fire! Black smoke started to block the moon from
Snipe's view.
"Fire!" He shouted automatically. "Fire!" He
ran from the bridge crying the alarm. "Fire, fire!" Snipe shook his head, smoke
clouding his mind..."Fire...fire..." he murmured. His eyes snapped open. The
room was filled with smoke! Snipe jumped out of bed. No one else was awake!
"Fire, fire, fire!!" he screamed hopping up and down.
Suddenly
boys were awake and opening the windows, grabbing their few possessions, and
leaping onto the firescape in their bed clothes and underwear. Soon everyone
was out and on the street, staring at the flames leaping from the windows of
the bunk room. Kloppman hearing the shouts of alarm had called the fire
department and was helping them toss buckets of water at the flames. The
newsies breathed a sigh of relief once they found that everyone was safe. Jack
looked around.
"Who found out there was a fire first?"
Everyone was silent. Racetrack spoke up sleepily, a cigar in his mouth.
"I
coulda sworn it was Snipe. He was practically screamin' in me ear."
"Was it you?"
"Yeh..."
He blushed meekly. Everyone cheered and patted him on the back, punched his
arm, or shook his hand. Race even handed Snipe his cigar and ruffled his hair.
"How
did ya know?" Mush asked. Snipe grinned with the cigar hanging from his lips.
"You
see I had dis dream...."
THE
END
