The next morning outside the World building, the newsies were gathered around.
"What's going on?" Margaret asked,
"I don't know," Jack said "Let's find out."
"They jacked up the price! You hear that Jack? Ten cents a hundred! You know, it's bad enough that we gotta eat what we don't sell; now they jack up the price! Can you believe that?" Kid Blink cried
"This'll bust me, I'm barely making a living right now." Skittery said,
"I'll be back sleeping on the streets." Sighed Boots
"It don't make no sense. I mean, all the money Pulitzer's making, why would he gouge us?" Mush asked
"Because he's a tight wad, that's why!" Racetrack cried
"Pipe down, it's just a gag." Jack said firmly before he went to talk to Weasel. "So, why the jack up Weasel?"
"Why not?" Weasel replied, "it's a nice day. Why don'tcha ask Mr. Pulitzer?"
"They can't to this to me Jack." Kid Blink cried,
"They can do whatever they want. It's their stinkin' paper." Racetrack replied,
"It ain't fair. We got no rights at all." Boots said
"Come on, it's a rigged deck. They got all the marbles." Racetrack said
"Jack, we got no choice, so why don't we get our lousy papes while they still got some, huh?" Mush sighed
"No! Nobody's going anywhere. They can't get away with this!" Jack shouted
"Give him some room, give him some room. Let him think." Les said Margaret did a double take, she hadn't even realized Les and David had arrived. Every newsie was quiet for a few beats,
"Jack, you done thinkin' yet?" Race asked at last
"Hey! Hey! Hey! World employees only on this side of the gate!" Weasel shouted, causing an uproar among the newsies.
"Well, listen. One thing's for sure, if we don't sell papes, then nobody sells papes. Nobody comes through those gates until they put the price back to where it was." Jack said,
"You mean like a strike?" David asked
"Yeah, like a strike!" Jack cried
"Are you out of your mind?" Race asked,
"It's a good idea!" Jack argued,
"Jack, I was only joking. We can't go on strike, we don't have a union." David said
"But, if we go on strike, then we are a union, right?" Jack said
"No, we're just a bunch of angry kids with no money." David said "Margaret help me out here!" David begged, everyone turned to Margaret who shrugged
"It would be a lotta work..."
"Maybe if we got every newsie in New York, but..." David allowed
"Yeah, well we organize." Jack cried,
"Crutchy, you take up for collection. We get all the newsies of New York together." Jack said,
"Jack, this isn't a joke. You saw what happened to those trolley workers." David said
"Yeah, well that's another good idea. Any newsie don't join with us, then we bust their heads like the trolley workers." Jack decreed,
"Stop and think about this Jack. You can't just rush everybody into this" David reasoned but his words fell on deaf ears.
"Alright. Let me think about it. Listen. Dave's right. Pulitzer and Hearst and all them other rich fellas, I mean, they own this city, so do they really think a bunch of street kids like us can make any difference? The choice has got to be yours. Are we just gonna take what they give us, or are we gonna
strike?"
"Strike!" Les cried,
"Strike!" Margaret echoed,
"Keep talking Jack, tell us what to do!" Boots cried,
"Well, you tell us what to do Davey." Jack said,
"Pulitzer and Hearst have to respect our rights." David said, on
board at last.
"Hey listen! Pulitzer and Hearst have to respect the rights of the working boys of New York!" Jack shouted the newsies cheered
"Well, that worked pretty good, so what else?" Jack asked,
"Tell them that they can't treat us like we don't exist." David said, Margaret sent him a brilliant smile of thanks.
"Pulitzer and Hearst, they think we're nothing. Are we nothing?" Jack shouted
"No!"
"If we stick together like the trolley workers then they can't break us up." David cried, more enthusiastic now.
"Pulitzer and Hearst, they think they got us." Jack shouted "Do they got us?"
"No!"
"We're a union now, the Newsboys Union. We have to start acting like a union." David added
"Even though we ain't got hats or badges we're a union just by saying so! And the World will know!" Jack shouted
"What's to start somebody else from selling our papes?" Boots asked
"Well, we'll talk with them!" Jack said,
"Some of them don't hear so good!" Racetrack cried,
"Well then we'll soak `em!" Jack shouted
"No!" David cried, "We can't beat up kids in the streets. It'll give us a bad name."
"Can't get any worse." Crutchy mumbled, Margaret fought her way over
to David, flashing him a smile she turned back to Jack.
"What's it gonna take to stop the wagons? Are we ready?"
"Yeah!" The newsies screamed
"No!" David cried, Margaret looked to David who just shook his head,
"What's it gonna take to stop the scabbers? Can we do it?" Jack shouted
"Yeah!"
"We'll do what we gotta do until we break the will of mighty Bill and Joe!" Jack shouted
"And the World will know, and the Journal too! Mr. Hearst and Pulitzer have we got news for you! Now the World will hear what we've got to say. We've
been hawking headlines but we're making `em today. And our ranks will grow!"
"And we'll kick their rear!" Crutchy shouted
"And the World will know that we've been here!"
"When the circulation bell starts ringing will we hear it?" Jack shouted
"No!"
"What if the Delancey's come out swinging will we hear it?"
"No! When you've got a hundred voices singing who can hear a lousy whistle blow?" Shouted the newsies
"And the World will know that this ain't no game that we got a ton of rotten fruit and perfect aim. So they gave their word but it ain't worth beans! Now they're gonna see what `stop the presses' really means! And the day has come, and the time is now and the fear is gone"
"And their name is mud!" Boots shouted
"And the strike is on"
"And I can't stand blood!"
"And the World will..." Jack started to preach again.
"Pulitzer may own the World but he don't own us!"
"Pulitzer may own the World but he don't own us!" The newsies echoed
"Pulitzer may crack the whip but he won't whip us!"
"Pulitzer may crack the whip but he won't whip us! And the World will know and the world will learn and the World will wonder how we made the tables turn and the World will see that we had to choose that the things we do today will be tomorrow's news! And the old will fall and the young stand tall and the time is now and the winds will blow and our ranks will grow and grow and grow and so the World will feel the fire and finally know! Strike! Strike! Strike!" Margaret couldn't stop smiling, her face was red and she was running on pure adrenalin. But she had never felt so alive.
"We gotta get word out to all the newsies of New York. I need some ofthose...what'dja call `em?" Jack asked
"Ambassadors?" David supplied,
"Yeah, right. Okay, you guys, you gotta be am-bastards and go tell the others that we're on strike." Jack said
"Say, Jack, I'll take Harlem." Blink cried,
"Yeah, I got Midtown." Shouted Racetrack
"I got the Battery, Jack." Mush chimed in.
"Hey, I'll take the Bronx." Said Crutchy as he crutched away.
"Crutchy, you be careful now!" Margaret called after him.
"Alright. And Bumlets, and Specs and Skittery, you take Queens. Pie Eater! Snoddy! East Side! Snipeshooter, you go with `em. So, what about Brooklyn?" Jack asked, no one moved. "Come on, Spot Conlon's territory. What'sa matta? You scared of Brooklyn?" Jack asked,
"Hey, we ain't scared of Brooklyn." Boots shouted, "It's Spot Conlon that makes us a little nervous."
"Well, he don't make me nervous. So you, Margaret Rose and me, Boots, we'll go to Brooklyn. And Dave here can keep us company." Jack said clapping David on the shoulder.
"Sure, just as soon as you delivery our demands to Pulitzer." David said
"Me? To Pulitzer?" Jack asked,
"You're the leader, Jack." David said slyly. Jack looked unsure for a moment.
"Well, maybe the kid'll soften him up." Jack said as he and Les entered the World Building. The newsies cheered
"Strike! Strike! Strike!" Margaret started to chant and soon the others joined in. The newsies soon went off in different directions. David
pulled Margaret aside,
"I um... enjoyed our time together. Last night." David smiled,
"I enjoyed myself last night too, thank you for having us." Margaret blushed. Just then a man appeared and approached David and Margaret.
"Hey, what is the strike? What's going on?" He asked
"We're bringing out demands to Pulitzer." David replied,
"What demands?" The man asked.
"The newsies demands. We're on strike." David explained
"I'm with the New York Sun. Bryan Denton. You seem like the kid in charge.
What's your name?" Denton asked,
"David." David said "and this is Margaret,"
"David. David as in David and Goliath?" David smiled, "You really think old man Pulitzer's going to listen to your demands?" Denton
asked,
"He has to." David said, just then Jack and Les were thrown out the
door.
"Jack!" Margaret cried as the three ran to their aid.
"Well, so's your old lady! You tell Pulitzer he needs an appointment with me!" Jack yelled as the door shut behind them.
"Yeah!" Les added.
Jack, David, Les, Margaret and Denton were sitting in a booth in Tibby's Restaurant talking. Jack explaining what happened.
"So this snooty mug says to me, `You can't see Mr. Pulitzer. No one sees Mr. Pulitzer.' Real hoity-toity, you know the type?"
"Real hoity-toity." Les echoed
"So that's when I says to him, `Listen, I ain't in the habit of transacting no business with office boys. Just tell him Jack Kelly's here to see him now!'"
"That's when he threw us out." Les said,
"Does he scare you? You're going up against the most powerful man in New York City." Denton said
"Oh yeah, look at me. I'm trembling." Jack said sarcastically,
"Jack!" Margaret scolded,
"What? I ain't afraid of Pulitzer!" Jack said
"This isn't a joke, Jack! Pulitzer's ruthless!" Margaret said, Denton nodded.
"Alright, keep me informed. I want to know everything that's going on." He said,
"Are we really an important story?" David asked
"Well, what's important? Last year I covered the war in Cuba. Charged up San Juan Hill with Col. Teddy Roosevelt. That was an important story. So, is
the newsie's strike important? That all depends on you." Denton said
"So my name's really gonna be in the papers?" Jack asked
"Any objections?" Denton asked,
"Not as long as you get it right. It's Kelly, Jack Kelly." Jack said, "Oh, and Denton? No pictures."
"Sure Jack." Denton smiled. Once Denton was gone, Jack returned his attention to the small group.
"Well, we better head o'er tah Brooklyn!" Jack said cheerfully.
"Jack, if I have to be... intimate... with that lying, cheating, two-timing, sniveling, narrow minded, sorry excuse of a son of a-"
"Margaret Rose!" Jack said cutting her off, "nobody's askin' ya tah kiss Conlon, we just need you tah be civil with 'im." Margaret took a calming breath.
"I can do civil."
I have a lot of updates so please review!