• Mari: The little girl, orphan
    Mr. Carter: Higher class older male
    Emily: Mari’s puppet

    Setting: A walking path by the bay of the ocean. Around the walking path are benches. Mari stands in the middle of the park playing with a puppet. The puppet seems old and worn out, with pieces of wood chipped off. Emily also has no strings attached to her body though she has clips that may have contained a few. Instead Mari holds her up by her arms. Mari is small and thin; her skin is pale and shines brightly against the light of the street lamps. Her eyes are a soft blue and her hair, a dark brown which is placed in a ponytail. Except for her features everything else about her is shabby. Mari’s dress is slightly torn and her hair knotted in some parts. She dances and sways, twirling around the puppet as she makes Emily ‘dance’. Along one of the benches is an older man about 30 years old. He wears a black cap and a fine leather long coat. He is somewhat noticeable under the lap light, but probably wouldn’t be if his clothes didn’t shine off a reflection. The old man looks up at the little girl as she giggles, lifts Emily in her arms and hugs it. The man glances around; looking puzzled, then slowly gets up from the bench and walks towards the little girl.


    Mr. Carter: Hello little girl. Fine puppet you have there. What is its name?
    Mari: Her name is Emily! (She smiles up at Mr. Carter)
    Mr. Carter: That’s a very nice name for such a splendid puppet.
    Mari: I know! I told Emily the same thing when she first told me her name (giggles)
    Mr. Carter: Ah, I bet. Did your mother or father give it to you? And speaking of your parents, are they near here? You seem awfully alone for one so young.
    (Mari lifts Emily with one hand as she waves around the other one. Emily waves goodbye to the side, even though there is no one else to be seen.)
    Mari: No, I wish papa had met Emily before he went away, and mother isn’t here either.
    Mr. Carter: Oh? (Looks at Emily as Emily continues waving in the air.) Is your mother coming back for you later?
    Mari: Oh, I very much think they will, but not for a little while. I’m not done playing with Emily yet. (Mari giggles as she spins around with Emily again, and returns facing Mr. Carter.)
    Mr.Carter: (worrisome) What do you mean by they will be back later? (Looks at his watch.) It’s probably way pasted your bedtime. (Pause) Do you know where they might be?
    Mari: (nods) Yup. They’re up there (Mari looks up at the sky) Well, supposedly, but for all I know they could be anywhere. Still haven’t found them. I hope to soon, for I really want papa to met Emily. (Holds up the puppet towards the sky and Emily bounces happily as she too looks up at the night sky.)
    (Mr. Carter stands there in shock. He looks down at Mari as starts to sing a little tune. Mr. Carter continues to look at Mari, contemplating)
    Mari: (sing) Where is the one who can sing you a song
    Where the loveliest and brightest of people is called
    Well there they are, here they are all along
    In the darkest, most brightest places of all.
    (As Mari sings, Emily seems to dance as if falling and getting back up again. Mari laughs each times she does. After Mari starts to continue the simple song, Mr. Carter bends down to one knee towards Mari. Mari stops and holds Emily tightly to her as Mr. Carter comes down to her level.)
    Mr. Carter: Do you have a place to stay tonight? (Mari shakes her head) Well, I have a wife at home that will probably be putting the kettle on right about now (looks at his watch); would you like to join us for some tea?
    (Mari looks at Mr. Carter happily and smiles. She opens her mouth but then hesitates. She looks down at Emily curiously. After a moment or so, Mari looks back up at Mr. Carter, again expelling a smile towards him.)
    Mari: I wish I could Mr., umm…
    Mr. Carter: Oh, it’s Carter. Mr. Carter and yours?
    Mari: (giggles) Mari. Well, Mr. Carter, I wish I could, but I can’t. I have to remain where I am. Someone has to sing songs.
    Mr. Carter: Oh? (Looks at her sadly, as in an questioning manner) Are you sure? If you don’t like tea we could give you milk. You could have some of my wife’s pastries. I’d bet she’d love to have company.
    Mari: No thanks, Mr. Carter. I’d love to, I really would, but like I said someone has to sing songs.
    Mr. Carter: Why do you have to sing songs? Won't you get cold? Where will you sleep before the morning?
    (Mari raises Emily up to Mr. Carter’s face. Mari talks in a higher pitched voice, trying to mimic Emily’s voice)
    Emily: (mockingly) Now, now Mr. Carter; One such as you should know why one must sing songs. Even the birds sing songs here in the morning.
    (Mr. Carter looks puzzlingly at Emily)
    Mr. Carter: I’m afraid I don’t.
    (Mari brings Emily back into her arms)
    Mari: Because (smiles) it makes people smile. Specially one such as Emily. Emily just loves songs. Sorry if she was rude.
    (Mr. Carter shakes his head. He sighs, takes off his hat, combs his hair back with his hand, and returns his hat to his head)
    Mr. Carter: Well, if you need a place to sleep, (Pause) just ask for Professor Jeff Dunham Carter at the inn down the road. He’s my brother and can surely lend you a room. Ok Mari (pause) Emily?
    (Mari looks down at Emily and Emily nodes towards Mari)
    Mari: Ok
    Mr. Carter: (sighs) Thank you (stands up) Well I better be off looks at his watch) my wife will be wondering where I am. (Starts to walk away from Mari. He stops and looks behind him as Emily happily returns to dancing in the park. He waves back when Emily waves towards him, than continues on his way home.)

    (Exit Mr. Carter)


    (Mari is left alone with Emily. She dances a little with Emily, than raises Emily back up into her arms. She walks over to a bench and sits down. She looks down at Emily.)
    Mari: He seems awfully nice Emily. (Pause) Are you sure we shouldn’t go to the place Mr. Carter said? (Emily shakes her head. Mari giggles and smiles back at Emily) I thought not. (Yawns) Well, we better get some sleep. Might as well stay here again tonight. (Lies down on the bench. She places Emily to the side so she can look at her while lying down). Emily? (Emily turns towards her) When do you think mom and dad will come get me? (Emily looks up at the stars) Ya, that’s what I thought too. (Emily looks down, as if sad. Mari giggles and rubs the puppet’s back.) Might as well sing one more song than.
    (Emily stands up suddenly and twirls around. Mari smiles and begins to sing.)
    Mari: (sings) Time, time ticks away
    Ticks away until the morn
    There they go and here I stay
    Even as the sun meets the day
    And we will be rising singing a song
    Just me and my friend dancing all along