SCENE: Finch sitting room. Atticus sits in a high-backed chair, reading the newspaper. Pole lamp behind he chair. Jem sits in the window seat, reading a football magazine. Scout is playing with paper cutouts on the floor.

ATTICUS: Scout, have you read this article?

SCOUT: Which one?

ATTICUS: The one about Mr. Cunningham's dead cow.

JEM: [sets down his magazine] Read it to us, Atticus.

[JEM and SCOUT look up as ATTICUS begins to read]

ATTICUS: [reading] "This Tuesday past..."

SCOUT: The sixth?

ATTICUS: Yes.

JEM: The full moon?

ATTICUS: [reading] "on the night of the full moon..."

JEM: Okay.

ATTICUS: [looks sideways at JEM but continues to read] "...the skies opened up and..."

SCOUT: Can the sky really open up?

JEM: No, you dolt. It's figurative speech.

ATTICUS: A figure of speech, Jem. And your sister is not a dolt. [pause] May I continue?

[JEM and SCOUT nod.]

ATTICUS: "...the skies opened up and fire rained down from heaven onto the Cunningham's backfield."

[SCOUT opens mouth]

JEM: Before you ask, it doesn't rain fire either.

SCOUT: [frowns] That's not what I was going to say. [pause] Was anyone hurt?

ATTICUS: [reading] "Though startled from the sudden flash of light, the only casualties were a deep hole and a dead cow."

SCOUT: [appalled] They got milk from that cow! That's where they got lots of their food! What're they going to do now?

JEM: Atticus?

ATTICUS: Jem?

JEM: What are they going to do?

ATTICUS: Well, I suppose that... well, here, why don't I read it?

[JEM and SCOUT nod]

ATTICUS: "Mr. Cunningham is quoted as saying, 'That Bessie was the finest milk cow I ever had or ever will, but she'll make mighty fine eating as sausages.'"

JEM: They're going to eat it?

ATTICUS: Looks as if that's what they plan to do.

SCOUT: What about the "raining fire"?

ATTICUS: [smiles, reads] "The space rock, recovered from the hole, is two inches in diameter. Officials have taken it in for examination."

JEM: That's neat.

ATTICUS: [reading] "Maycomb county has it's own piece of heaven." [pauses, folds down newspaper, looks at JEM] Sure is, Jem, Sure is.

[ATTICUS leaves the room, JEM and SCOUT return to their previous activities]