JUDGE
Dat ole fool do know somethin’ ’bout law.

LAWYER

When George Washington was pleading de case of Marbury vs.  Madison, what did he say?  What did he say?  Scintillate, scintillate, Globule orific.  Fain would I fathom thy nature’s specific.  Loftily poised in ether capacious, strongly resembling a gem carbonacious.  What did Abraham Lincoln say about mule-stealing?  When torrid Phoebut refuses his presence and ceases to lamp with fierce incandescence, then you illumine the regions supernal, scintillate, scintillate, semper noctornal.  Syllogism, again I say syllogism. 
                             (He takes his seat amid applause)

JUDGE
Man, youse a pleadin’ fool.  You knows yo’ rules and by-laws.

OTHER LAWYER
Let me show my glory.  Let me spread my habeas corpus.

JUDGE
’Tain’t no use.  Dis lawyer done convinced me.

OTHER LAWYER
But, lemme parade my material—­

JUDGE
Parade yo’ material anywhere you wants to exceptin’ befo’ me.  Dis lil
girl wants to go home and I’m goin’ with her and enjoy de consequences. 
Court’s adjourned.

CURTAIN

“FORTY YARDS”

by

ZORA [Handwritten:  (Neale)] HURSTON

“FORTY YARDS”

                              (A Negro football game with the
                              popular concept of Negro life)

TIME:  Present

PLACE:  Washington, D.C.

SCENE:  The Ball Park

PERSONS:  The Howard and Lincoln teams, the Howard band, cheer
           leaders, spectators.

SETTING:  The park with grandstands on either sides and up-stage.

ACTION:  At rise, the grandstands are full, the cheer leaders
           are violently gyrating to whip up the mob.  The
           Lincoln colors fly from the right.  The Howard from the
           left.  Both have cheer leaders.  First is heard the
           Lincoln mob singing “DIDN’T HE RAMBLE, RAMBLE.”

Lincoln Mob

And didn’t he ramble, ramble, ramble all around, in and out of town
He rambled, he rambled, rambled till Ol’ Lincoln cut him down

Howard Mob

    There’ll be nothing but sweetmeats, for our football team
    There’ll be nothing but sweetmeats for our football team
    Baked Hampton, boiled Shaw, fried Union, Lincoln Slaw,
    There’ll be nothing but sweetmeats, for our football team.

(Enter the HOWARD BAND, led by a hot-strutting drum major.  They parade the field and the men students pile down and fall in behind the team.  They sing and shout to the TEAM SONG:)

    This is the t-e-a-m team
    On which the hopes of Howard lean
    Beat Ol’ Hampton, beat Ol’ Union
    Sweep Ol’ Lincoln clean