SIDE 1

YOUNG DICKENS

Just one chapter more, Mother. Or maybe two.

MRS. DICKENS

(smiling, with deep affection)

You and your stories.

YOUNG DICKENS

(reading aloud) "Aladdin retired to his chamber, brought out the lamp and rubbed it, and when the genie appeared to him he said: 'ask whatever you want...'"

(MR. DICKENS dramatically quotes the last line from memory along with YOUNG DICKENS.)


YOUNG DICKENS, MR. DICKENS:

"'...for I am the servant of anyone who holds the lamp!'"

(MR. DICKENS laughs with joy.)

WHITE GHOST

Ah, you remember!

MR. DICKENS

Yes! It is me! The Arabian Nights! I loved that book! That book took me to palaces and mountains! I felt I'd met queens and kings and princesses!


(During the above, MRS. DICKENS tucks YOUNG DICKENS into bed, kisses him goodnight and blows out his lamp.)

WHITE GHOST

Yes, books can do that.

(The WHITE GHOST raises his hand in farewell to MR. DICKENS.)

MR. DICKENS

Wait! Don't go! Let me linger in this happy moment a while longer!