Read:The Ice Cream Promise

Anne Shirley: Oh, it looks marvellous.

Marilla Cuthbert: Just like a scene from A Midsummer Night's Dream.

Anne: Dream? Whose dream?

Rachel Lynde: William Shakespeare’s I should think.

Marilla: It’s the name of a theatre play he wrote. The Avonlea Book Club read it this month. The decorations are to inspire tonight’s discussion.

Anne: Oh, Midsummer Night’s Dream. How enchanting!

Rachel: What did you think of it, Marilla? Wasn’t the ending absolutely thrilling?

Marilla: Don’t tell me! I haven’t finished yet.

Gilbert Blythe: Morning.

Rachel: Gilbert! What are you doing with Mrs. Samuel’s ice cream maker?

Gilbert: Her sister just had triplets.

Rachel: Triplets?!

Marilla: When it rains, it pours.

Gilbert: So... she won’t be able to make the ice cream for tonight.

Rachel: But it’s our only refreshment.

Anne: We never got ice cream when I lived at the orphanage.

Rachel: Our guests won’t get any now either.

Anne: Marilla and I can make it!

Marilla: Now, Anne…

Anne: Mrs. Lynde needs our help. And I’d so love even the teeniest taste of ice cream.

Marilla: Oh, all right.

Rachel: Marilla. Are you sure you have time?

Marilla: Of course. It will be my pleasure.

Anne: Our pleasure, huh.

Rachel: How are the lines coming, Gilbert?

Gilbert: Just about memorized.

Anne: Lines? Memorized?

Rachel: Gilbert’s performing a scene from tonight’s play.

Anne: But I thought the book club was for grown ups only.

Gilbert: I guess I am an exception.

Anne: I guess…

Anne: If there’s an exception for Gilbert, there’s surely an exception for me. I simply must find a way to attend tonight’s book club. And I know just the thing.

Rachel: You want to perform a Shakespeare scene too? Are you sure you’ve got the time?

Anne: Absolutely!

Rachel: Well, I suppose we could have a little something to finish off the night.

Anne: Oh, Mrs. Lynde, you won’t regret it. See you this evening!

Rachel: Don’t tell me it’s autumn already.

Anne: Huh, I’ll finish my chores. Let’s start!

Marilla: Now, hold your horses. Ice cream is a very long process.

Anne: And I can’t wait. I have all sorts of things to do.

Marilla: Anne, this ice cream will take all day to make. You haven’t got a spare second and nor have I.

Anne: Oh, really? Oh, well, I’m sure it’ll be alright. What do we do first?

Marilla: You fetch some cream from Matthew. I’ll get some ice from Mr. Lawson’s.

Anne: What a full day this is going to be. I’ll just have to squeeze in the time I have to prepare scene for the book club.

Oh, I best choose something from Marilla’s book first. And quick, before she leaves.

Rachel: Everything looks so special. I wonder if we shouldn’t add something extra special to your performance too.

Gilbert: Like what?

Rachel: A costume. Which part are you playing?

Gilbert: The character which turns into a donkey.

Rachel: A donkey! Why, that’s perfect. Now you get right on that. I’ve got to start squeezing lemons for lemonade.

Gilbert: How am I going to make a donkey mask? I know who to talk to!

Anne: Picking a Shakespeare scene is harder than I thought. These plays are big and complicated.

Marilla: Now, where has my book gone?

Anne: Uh oh.

Marilla: There it is.

Anne: I- I- I was just having a look.

Marilla: Well, quit your dawdling, child, and fetch the cream. I’ll be back from Lawson’s soon enough.

Anne: Ah, no Shakespeare and no other ideas. What do I do now? I suppose I should get that cream before anything else.

Mr. Lawson: I just love a lick of ice cream. Wish I could have a taste tonight.

Marilla: But Mr. Lawson, you will! You’re leading the discussion.

Mr. Lawson: Not since that shipment got held up. I’ll be in Carmody.

Marilla: Then who will lead the discussion tonight?

Mr. Lawson: Perhaps you might.

Marilla: I have quite enough on my plate.

Mr. Lawson: You’ll do a splendid job, Marilla.

Marilla: I suppose.

Mr. Lawson: You’re a lifesaver. Here’s the ice. Shall I take it to your carriage?

Marilla: I can manage. You’ve quite a lot to manage now, Marilla.

Anne: Matthew, it that the butter man leaving?

Matthew: Yep. I’ve just finished churning all the cream into butter.

Anne: All of it? But I need cream for the ice cream! It’s the book club’s only refreshment.

Matthew: Well, there’s always Grumpy Gussy in the back pasture. Haven’t milked her.

Anne: [off-screen] Grumpy Gussy?

Matthew: Would you like some help?

Anne: Huh, no thank you. The problem’s mine, Matthew, and I shall fix it myself.

Anne: Uh, uh. Come on, Gussy. Aha! Mmm, yummy good grass. Oh, this is never gonna work.

Gilbert: Mr. Cuthbert?

Matthew: [off-screen] Up here.

What can I do for you?

Gilbert: I promised Mrs. Lynde I’d make a donkey mask for the role I play tonight.

Matthew: Oh, you must be performing Bottom speech from A Midsummer Night’s Dream.

Gilbert: When he has a fairy spell put on him.

Matthew: And becomes a donkey.

Gilbert: You know it?

Matthew: I saw it once, a real hood[?]. So, you think this old fella could help?

Gilbert: Yes! Well… not the old part. But the helping part.

Matthew: Well, I’ve done most of my chores for today so I suppose I can.

Gilbert: Mr. Cuthbert, thanks a bundle.

Anne: Uh, uh. I should be finding my dramatization, not shoving you in for milking. Uh, uh, uh. Please! Uh, uh.

Ugh. Huh. That worked. Wait for me!

Marilla: Good gravy. How am I going to make ice cream and read the play? Perhaps if I read a few pages on the way home…

Ah, now this is working just fine.

Anne: Come on, Gussy, just one pail of milk. Uh, ah. The whole book club is eagerly anticipating a taste of ice cream.

What an utter disaster.

Marilla: Rachel’s right. It is a thrilling conclusion. Flying fiddleheads! I’ve taken the wrong road!

That ice will be water before I get back to Green Gables. That’ll teach me to do two things at once. Come on! Tsk tsk tsk. Back we go!

Gilbert: Hee-haw. Hee-haw.

Matthew: Is this a donkey I see before me?

Gilbert: Not yet, but it will be soon.

Matthew: I’ll saw off these nobby bits. You slap on a coat of paint and we can do the finishing touches when it dries.

Gilbert: I sure appreciate your help.

Anne: And Grumpy Gussy barely gave me a drop.

Marilla: How did you end up with Grumpy Gussy?

Anne: I made the most horrible error and got to the barn after Matthew had churned all the cream into a butter.

Marilla: Didn’t I tell you not to dally?

Anne: It’s only that my mind has been so distracted. I told Mrs. Lynde I would perform tonight, just like Gilbert!

Marilla: You can’t possibly manage all of that.

Anne: I can, Marilla. I must. I shall!

Marilla: Huh. What a pair we are. You best buy a cream at Mr. Lawson’s before this ice melts completely.

Anne: Right away. And on the way home, I’ll pick some blueberries for flavour.

Gilbert: Where shall we play? Town or forest?

Anne: Play what?

Felix King: Hide and seek. Wanna join us?

Anne: Oh, yes! I love hide and seek! Aw.

Wait, I can’t. I have previous commitments.

Gilbert: Come on, it’ll be fun!

Anne: How can you play, Gilbert? Don’t you have a dramatization to practice?

Gilbert: I’ve learned it. I’m only waiting for paint to dry on my costume.

Anne: Costume? You’ve got a costume too?

Felix: So what’ll it be? Town or forest?

Gilbert: Forest.

Mr. Lawson: Hello, Anne.

Anne: Ah, a bottle of cream, please.

Mr. Lawson: Coming right up.

Anne: Hide and seek is one of my favourite games.

Katie Maurice: Why don’t you play for just a little while?

Anne: Because I wanna make the ice cream. And I wanna do my dramatization.

Katie: But hide and seek is such fun! There must be a way to make ice cream, find the speech and enjoy yourself.

Felix: You sure you don’t wanna play, Anne?

Anne: Uh, I don’t know.

Katie: [winks]

Anne: Maybe just a short while.

Felix: Great, come on!

Mr. Lawson: Anne! Anne?

Now where did she go?

Anne: [laughs] I’m gonna get you!

Gilbert: Noo! You’re not gonna get me, Anne! Come on! [laughs]

Anne: Gotcha! Alright, Gilbert’s it.

Children: [laugh]

Gilbert: Oh, uh. Let me catch my breath. [laughs] Phew. One-two-three-four-five-six-seven-

Children: Hey, not fair.

Gilbert: Eight. Nine. Nine and a half. And one more is... ten!

Anne: Oh, so much fun. I’m so glad I did this. Oh. And there’s blueberries. Blueberries… Oh, no! I should be helping Marilla, or at least be learning my scene. [?] ever making all those silly commitments, they’ve made me miserable. I just want to forget all about them.

Dryad: [off-screen] Eh.

Anne: Oh.

Dryad: [?] I know what you mean about commitments.

Anne: Dryad! What is it you committed to?

Dryad: I promised to transport the Fairy Queen back to her castle after her royal retreat.

First, we gotta get this boat in a good working order. Fairy: Good working order! That’s my job. Eh… Could you help me with the oars?

Anne: Which oars?

Dryad: That’s just it. We don’t have any yet.

Anne: I think I know there are some good branches. They’ll make great oars. Come on! Fairy: I’ll test this boat, don’t you worry! Uh. [yawns] First the snooze. [snores]

Dryad: Aa! [laughs] Ah. Wohooo!

Anne: Hey!

Dryad: Grab one!

Anne: Wohoo! [laughs]

Dryad: [laughs] I bet I can swing further than you!

Anne: [laughs] Bet you can’t.

Dryad: [laughs]

Anne: Let me try! Yupee!

Dryad and Anne: Woohoo! [laugh]

Anne: Uh.

Dryad: Ah.

That was fun.

Anne: Yes, but we haven’t found oars yet.

Dryad: No, [?]

Anne: But we promised the queen we’d pick her up.

Dryad: Oh, we will. But [?] what doesn’t get done today, can get done tomorrow.

Anne: What a wonderful way to deal with commitments.

Fairy: [snores]

Dryad: [off-screen] Ehm. Fairy: Yes! Yes! Good working order.

Dryad: Uh, I sure hope so. We better fetch the queen. Fairy: Oh. Oh. [?] Ready as we'll ever be.

Dryad: [coughs] Life jackets. Fairy: Life jackets.

Anne: Uh, we’ll use our arms to paddle, Dryad and I didn’t have time to find oars. Fairy: That’s fine. Arms can do the trick.

Anne: I’m sure it’s easy when people don't hold you to your commitments.

Hey, we’re sinking.

Dryad: Have you been napping the whole time? Fairy: Maybe I didn’t test the boat after all.

Anne: Fulfilling commitments is important after all. But look how we let people down if we don’t hold to them. Fairy: Commitments are silly. Uh-oh.

Oh nooo… [snores]

Dryad: That got my word cut out for me.

Anne: Me too. I better see to my commitments.

Anne: Eh. Gilbert!

Gilbert: You found my favourite hiding spot.

Anne: Yes, but I’m not playing anymore.

Gilbert: Why not?

Anne: I promised to fetch cream and berries.

Gilbert: Oh, well, look on the bright side.

Anne: What bright side?

Gilbert: You’re sitting in a berry patch. I’ll help you pick the berries if you like.

Anne: Oh, Gilbert Blythe, I’m eternally in your debt.

Anne: Now what will I do with my dramatization?

Peg Bowen: My, my…

Anne: [gasps]

Peg: What’s the rush?

Anne: P-peg B-bowen. Uh, I-I’m in the most horrible predicament. I have to find a Shakespeare scene for the book club tonight. The only problem is I… I don’t know Shakespeare.

Peg: I do.

Anne: You do?

Peg: Well, never met the man myself but there’s always been one scene struck my fancy.

Anne: What is it?

Peg: The witches’ scene from the play Macbeth.

Anne: Uh… witches?

Peg: It’s good and spooky. [laughs]

Anne: Well… spooky is dramatic.

Peg: That’s what I always say. [blows]

Anne: So long it’s [?]. That’s very kind of you. Peg Bowen? [gasps]

Marilla: [off-screen] Whatever took you so long?

Anne: Marilla, I ignored my commitments only to realize they’re important to you and the Book Club.

Marilla: Ah, so long as you have the ingredients.

Anne: Oh, I do!

Marilla: Then let’s get to it.

Right then. Anne, you churn. I’ll press tonight’s outfit and then I’ll take over.

Anne: I’m going to do the witches speech from Macbeth tonight.

Matthew: Ooo, scary. Have you memorized it?

Anne: That’s precisely what I’m going to do while I churn. Double, double, toil and trouble…

Gilbert: The throstle with his note so true / The wren with little quill...

Ah? Li-ttle red… no! I’ve already done that line.

Imaginary Matthew, Marilla, Hetty and Rachel: [laugh]

Gilbert: [gasps] And what if I forget my lines? I’ll be standing up there in front of everybody! Oh, what if I’m terrible?

Marilla: Goodness. We have quite a way to go and almost no time left.

Anne: Your turn. I have to find my costume.

Marilla: I haven’t had a second to finish A Midsummer Night’s Dream. How can I lead the discussion if I don’t even know the ending?

Matthew: Anne was reading while she churned.

Marilla: Oh, no. I’ve already tried doing two things at once earlier today. You’ll never guess where it got me.

Matthew: Well then, let me churn.

Marilla: No, I got myself into this and I will get myself out. I have a few pages left. Couldn’t you read them out loud?

Matthew: Well, I’m no actor. [coughs]

Anne: Gilbert, what are you doing here?

Gilbert: Matthew helped me with my costume. Hee-haw.

Anne: So lovely. So… why are you so glum?

Gilbert: I can’t remember my lines. I think I have stage fright. Yauu.

What am I gonna do?

Anne: We’ll think of something.

Marilla: [off-screen] Anne!

Anne: Come on.

Gilbert: I can’t. Anne, I can’t go on.

Anne: Don’t worry, I have an idea.

Rachel: Ehem. Ehem. With great pleasure I introduce Gilbert Blythe’s dramatization from A Midsummer Night’s Dream.

Anne: Now, remember what to do if you forget your lines.

Gilbert: I will.

I see their knavery: this is to make an ass out of me / to...

''...to fright me, if they could. But I will not... I will not...''

''I will not stir / from this place, do what they can: I will... walk up / and down here, and I will sing, that they shall hear I am not afraid. / The ousel cock so black of hue / With orange-tawny bill / The throstle with his note so true / The wren with little quill...''

Audience: [laugh]

Gilbert: The finch, the sparrow and the lark / The plain-song cuckoo gray / Whose note full many a man doth mark / And dares not answer nay.

Auduence: [cheer] Bravo. Very good. Well done.

Gilbert: Thank you. Thank you.

Anne: Bravo!

Marilla: A wonderful point, Mrs. Brown. And on that note we’ll wrap up our discussion of Shakespeare’s magical mystical A Midsummer Night’s Dream.

Rachel: Well done, Marilla. You knew that play inside out.

Marilla: In all truth, I wish I'd had more preparation time.

Rachel: I only hope I can do as well next month when I lead the discussion.

Marilla: Now, where on this green Earth is the ice cream?

Anne: I’m ready.

Rachel: Ladies and gentlemen, may I present our last minute addition, Anne Shirley.

Anne: My scene is short so we can get to the punchline all the quicker. I’ve also taken the liberty of... well… improving what Mr. Shakespeare wrote.

Marilla: Whatever is that girl up to?

Anne: Imagine I’m a spooky witch standing over a cauldron. I’m about to tell Macbeth his fortune.

''Double, double, toil and trouble. / Fire burn and cauldron bubble. / Round about the cauldron go, / in the cream and sugar throw. / Add the berries, ten or twenty. / And make ice cream for friends [?]'' [laughs]

Peg: [laughs]

Anne: [gasps]

Anne: Peg! Peg Bowen!

Gilbert: Boo!

Anne: Ah! Oh, oh, Gilbert. I thought someone out here might have liked some ice cream.

Gilbert: There is! Me!

Anne: We’ll share. It is divinely delicious.

Rachel: We’ll read a book by Charles Dickens next month. Wouldn’t it be fun if Anne and Gilbert performed something from A Christmas Carol?

Anne and Gilbert: [gasp]

Gilbert: What did we get ourselves into?

Rachel: Now where have they gone?

Anne: I think they really should keep their grown-ups only rule.

Gilbert: I agree.

Anne and Gilbert: [laugh]