GEORGE
I warn you…don’t encourage her.

MARTHA
He warns you…don’t encourage me.

NICK
I heard him… tell me more.

Martha
(consciously making rhymed speech, in time to the music)
Well, Georgie-boy had lots of big ambitions. In spite of something funny in his past…

GEORGE
(quietly warning)
Martha…

MARTHA
Which Georgie-boy here turned into a novel…
His first attempt and also his last…
Hey! I rhymed! I rhymed!

GEORGE
I warn you, Martha.

NICK
Yeah…you rhymed. Go on, go on.

MARTHA
But Daddy took a look at Georgie’s novel…

GEORGE
You’re looking for a punch in the mouth… You know that Martha.

MARTHA
Do tell!…and he was very shocked by what he read.

NICK
Was he?

MARTHA
Yes…he was…A novel all about a naughty boy-child…

GEORGE
(rising to his feet)
I will not tolerate this!

NICK
(offhand, to George)
Oh, can it.

George rushes toward the juke box.

MARTHA
…ha, ha!
naughty boy child
who…uh…who killed his mother and his father dead.

GEORGE
STOP IT, MARTHA!