The Tide'll be Turnin (A Sprace Story)

Chapter 3

"What do you mean, like a strike?" David asks, sarcasm in his voice.

"Yeah, like a strike!" Jack yells

"What? Are you outta your mind?" I ask, exasperated.

"It's a good idea!" Jack yells back.

"Jack, I was just joking." Davey said, crouching down to his lever. "We can't strike. We don't have a union."

"Yeah, but if we go on strike, then we are a union, right?" Jack asks

"No, we're just a bunch of angry kids with no money." Davey says. "Maybe if we got every newsie in New York, but..."

"Yeah, well, we organize!" Jack says, standing up. He walks over to Crutchy and claps him on the shoulder. "Crutchy, you take up for collection."

"Swell!" Crutchy says, smiling.

"We'll get all the newsies in New York together!" Jack continues.

Jeez he's really pushin this.

"Jack, this isn't a joke!" Davey said. "You saw what happened to those trolley workers."

"Yeah, well, that's anodda good idea. Any newsie don't join with us then we bust their heads like the trolley workers."

By now i'm on board. Maybe it's not that bad of an idea.

"Stop and think about this, Jack." Davey says, walking after Jack.

"What?" Jack asks, obviously annoyed that Davey has such little faith in him.

"You can't just rush everybody into this." Davey continues

"All right, let me think about it." He says, his hand resting on his hip. We get to the middle of the circulation center and Jack turns around to face us. "Oh, listen, Dave's right. Pulitzer and Hearst and all them other rich fellas, I mean, they own this city! So do they really think a bunch of street rats like us can make any difference?"

We look around at each other, considering.

"The choice has got to be yours." Jack continues. "Are we just gonna take what they give us, or are we gonna strike?"

There's a long silence. Kids considering the options.

"Strike!" A small voice says.

Les had spoken up and now Davey was coverin his mouth.

"Yeah, yeah, let's do it!" Some of us agreed.

"Keep talking, Jack," Boots says. "Tell us what to do!"

Jack takes a breath, then goes over to where Davey's standing. "Will you tell us what to do, Dave?" He asks.

I see Davey's face flush and I grin to myself, rolling my eyes.

"Pulitzer and Hearst have to respect our rights."

Jack nods slightly. "All right," he then turns to us. "Hey listen! Pulitzer and Hearst have to respect the rights of the woiking boys of New York!"

We all cheer in agreement and Jack turns back to David.

"Well, that woiked pretty good. So, what else?"

"..Tell them that they can't treat us like we don't exist."

Jack nods, then climbs up on the statue in the middle of the circulation center and addresses us.

"Pulitzer and Hearst, they think we're nothing! Are we nothing?"

"No!"

He kneels back down to David.

"If we stick together like the trolley workers then they can't break us up."

"Pulitzer and Hearst, they think they got us. Do they got us?"

"No!"

"We're a union now! The Newsboys Union! We have to start acting like a union!"

"Even though we ain't got hats or badges, we're a union just by saying so! And the World will know!"

"What's to stop someone else from selling our papes?" Boots asks.

"We'll talk wit 'em!" Jack replies

"Some of dem don't hear so good!" I state.

"Well, then we'll soak 'em!" Jack yells.

A bunch of us cheer but Davey doesn't seem to agree.

"No! We can't beat up kids in the streets, it'll give us a bad name!" He yells.

"Can't get any worse." Crutchie says, shrugging.

"What's it gonna take to stop the wagons? Are we ready?"

"Yeah!"

"No!" Davey yells.

I roll my eyes.

"What's it gonna take to stop the scabbers? Can we do it?"

"Yeah!"

"We'll do what we gotta do until we break the will of mighty Bill and Joe!"

"And the World will know! And the Journal too! Mr. Hearst and Pulitzer have we got news for you! Now the World will hear what we've got to say! We been hawking headlines but we're making 'em today! And our ranks will grow!"

"And we'll kick their rear!" Crutchie yells out.

"And the World will know that we been here!"

Jack nods, grinning from ear to ear and jumps down from the statue.

"When the circulation bell starts ringin, will we hear it?"

"No!"

"What if the Delancey's come out swingin'? Will we hear it?"

"No! When you've got a hundred voices singing, who can hear a lousy whistle blow? And the World Will Know! That this ain't no game! That we got a ton of rotten fruit and poifect aim! So they gave their word! But it ain't worth beans! Now they're gonna see what 'stop the presses' really means! And the day has come! And the time is now! And the fear is gone!

"And their name is mud!"

"And the strike is on!"

"And I can't stand blood!"

"And the World will.."

"Pulitzer may own the world but he don't own us!"

"Pulitzer may own the world, But he don't own us!"

Jack then runs over to Davey and puts his hands on his shoulders, gripping them tightly.

"Pulitzer may crack the whip but he won't whip us!"

I can see Davey's blush from a mile away.

"Pulitzer may crack the whip but he won't whip us!"

"And the World will know! And the World will learn! And the World will wonder how we made the tables turn! And the World will see! That we had to choose! That the things we do today will be tomorrows news! And the old will fall! And the young stand tall!

"And the time is now"

"And the winds will blow"

"And our ranks will grow"

"And grow and grow"

"And so! The World will feel the fire And finally know!"

S T R I K E