_Little Girl._ I know you. We studied that map in school. You are from the United States. What did America have to do with cotton?
_Maiden from America._ When Columbus first landed on the Bahama Islands the natives came out to his ships in canoes, bringing cotton thread and yarn to trade.
_Little Girl._ That was in 1492, wasn't it?
_Maiden from America._ Yes, it was 427 years ago.
_Little Girl._ Why did you put all this cotton here (_points to cotton pasted on different states_)?
_Maiden from America._ They are the cotton states.
_Little Girl._ I know which ones they are--North Carolina, South Carolina, Louisiana, Arkansas and Texas. Did America do anything wonderful with cotton?
_Maiden from America._ Yes; we raise more cotton than any other place in the world. It is the best cotton too.
_Little Girl._ I am so glad of that. We won't let India and Egypt get ahead of us, will we?
_Maiden from America._ Of course not. All good little girls must help too.
_Little Girl._ I shall always like cotton after this.
_Spirit of Cotton_ (_outside_). Heigh ho! Ho heigh!
_Maiden from America._ I hear the Spirit of Cotton calling; I must go. (_Goes out._)
_Spirit of Cotton_ (_leading a boy into the room_). This is my friend Eli Whitney. (_Goes out._)
_Eli Whitney._ I am the Spirit of Eli Whitney. I was born in Massachusetts in 1765. One day when my father went to church, I took his watch to pieces and put it together again. Then I thought I would go to Yale College. When I finished Yale College I went to Georgia. I heard everyone there talking about cotton. They were trying to find out how to get the seeds out of it more easily. I invented the cotton gin.
_Eli Whitney._ One man could now clean fifty times as much cotton as he could before.
_Spirit of Cotton_ (_outside_). Heigh ho! Ho heigh!
_Eli Whitney._ I hear the Spirit of Cotton calling; I must go. (_Goes out._)
_Little Girl_ (_waking up_). Where is the spirit of Cotton? Where is the Maiden from India? Where is the Spirit of Eli Whitney? It must have been a dream! I guess I got up on the wrong side of the bed this morning. I will always like cotton after this. I am going out to play now.
_Prepared by Alice Lewis, Teacher of Second Grade, Bangs School, Asbury Park_