| CHARACTERS | ||
|---|---|---|
| WILLIE | TREE | |
| BABY BROTHER | WATER LILY | |
| COLUMBINA | FROG | |
| COLD PRICKLIES | RAINBOW | |
| WARM FUZZIES | BUTTERFLY | |
| As lights come up on stage, we discover TREE, FROG and WATER LILY preening, sunning. | ||
| TREE: | Ahem. | |
| FROG and WATERLILY ignore TREE. | ||
| Ahem! | ||
| As TREE urgently nods toward the audience, FROG and WATER LILY take notice and freeze. | ||
| (Whispers.) Don't freeze! Act naturally. | ||
| FROG: | What? | |
| LILY: | How? | |
| TREE: | Go with the flow. | |
| FROG: | What? | |
| LILY: | How? | |
| TREE: | The water - let it ripple your leaves, Water Lily, and let the wind ruffle you feathers, Frog. | |
| FROG: | I don't have feathers - | |
| TREE: | Hush! | |
| FROG: | And they can't hear us. | |
| Enter BUTTERFLY, flitting from TREE to FROG to WATER LILY, tickling them with her touch, making them giggle. | ||
| TREE: | Psst. | |
| BUTTERFLY has settled down, preening. | ||
| TREE: | Psst! | |
| BUTTERFLY: | What's the matter, Tree? | |
| TREE indicates the audience. | ||
| BUTTERFLY: | Oh, them? That's what I came for. | |
| TREE, FROG and LILY: | Huh? | |
| BUTTERFLY: | Well, we'll never get so many of them all in one spot. Now is our chance to tell them. | |
| FROG: | Tell-- | |
| LILY: | Them-- | |
| TREE: | What? | |
| BUTTERFLY, rises and in turn flutters from WATER LILY to FROG to TREE, whispering to each of them. | ||
| LILY: | Ah. | |
| FROG: | Oh. | |
| TREE: | You mean...? | |
| BUTTERFLY: | Uh-huh. | |
| TREE: | (Straightens.) Well, then... | |
| BUTTERFLY: | Go ahead. | |
| TREE: | The usual way? | |
| BUTTERFLY: | Uh-huh. | |
| TREE: | (Clears throat.) Once upon a time... | |
| BUTTERFLY: | That's how our story begins. | |
| FROG: | Like so many stories. | |
| LILY: | Yes, like so many others. | |
| TREE: | Once upon a time... | |
| LILY: | There was a rainbow. | |
| FROG: | With his pot of gold. | |
| TREE: | Of course, we can't forget the pot of gold. | |
| LILY: | Uh-uh. | |
| TREE: | And it so happened that all the people in all the world had all but forgotten about the nice custom of chasing rainbows. | |
| RAINBOW: | (Enters.) What do you mean - "nice custom"? Why do you figure I went into hiding, huh? | |
| TREE: | Why does everybody keep interrupting me? I'm trying to tell a story. | |
| RAINBOW: | Well, you've got to tell it right, or everybody will think - | |
| TREE: | Okay! So everybody had forgotten about the weird custom of chasing you. | |
| RAINBOW: | Fright'ning too. | |
| BUTTERFLY: | But there was still one person who knew exactly where the rainbow was hiding. | |
| RAINBOW: | Or so he thought. | |
| LILY: | His name was Willie. | |
| RAINBOW: | A greedy little fellow. | |
| LILY: | He was not! | |
| RAINBOW: | Didn't have eyes for the most beautiful things in life. | |
| He spreads out his colours and parades in front of the others. | ||
| BUTTERFLY: | Ha, ha, ha! | |
| LILY: | It was all the fault of the Cold Pricklies. | |
| Unseen by the others a Cold Prickly appears. | ||
| FROG: | How can it be the Cold Pricklies' fault? They are -- | |
| LILY: | You don't have to defend them, just because they're green. | |
| FROG: | They can't even be seen. | |
| LILY: | Most of the time. | |
| TREE: | But if they touch you it makes you feel cold and creepy all over. | |
| RAINBOW: | And mean. | |
| FROG: | Only if you let them. | |
| BUTTERFLY: | Yes, they can only do that if you let them. | |
| TREE: | That's right. After all, you can always call the Warm Fuzzies for help. | |
| ALL: | Yeah, the Warm Fuzzies. | |
| Meanwhile the COLD PRICKLY has come very close to the group and they have begun to shiver noticeably. At the mention of "Warm Fuzzies" a WARM FUZZY enters. | ||
| LILY: | The Warm Fuzzies, they're different. | |
| FROG: | And most of the time you can't see them either. | |
| TREE: | They dance around you and -- | |
| FROG: | If you let them. | |
| TREE: | Of course, if you let them! | |
| BUTTERFLY: | And they don't make you feel cold like the others. | |
| LILY: | No, they're different from the Cold Pricklies. | |
| FROG: | Totally. | |
| RAINBOW: | The exact opposite. | |
| TREE: | If you let the Warm Fuzzies come close enough, they can make you feel really - | |
| LILY: | Warm. | |
| FROG: | And fuzzy. | |
| BUTTERFLY: | And they'll chase the Cold Pricklies away. | |
| FROG: | If you let them. | |
| The FUZZY has moved through the group, discovered the PRICKLY and, after a short scramble, it chases the latter off. Exeunt PRICKLY and FUZZY. | ||
| TREE: | Now back to Willie. | |
| RAINBOW: | And back to me. | |
| TREE: | Willie wasn't alone in his search for the rainbow. | |
| RAINBOW: | But he was the greediest. | |
| LILY: | He was not! | |
| RAINBOW: | A mean little fellow. | |
| FROG: | Well it was the Cold Pricklies' that did it. They can give you the creepy touch. | |
| RAINBOW: | Only if you let them. Isn't that what you keep saying? "Only if you let them."(Exeunt.) | |
| Enter WILLIE, eyes on the ground. He is in the middle of the forest but doesn't seem to notice anything around him. BABY BROTHER is following him, clutching a teddy bear. WILLIE stops and turns toward their entrance. | ||
| WILLIE: | Columbina! Columbina, if you are going to tag along, hurry up! Soon it'll be getting dark. | |
| Enter COLUMBINA, running. She is cheerful and carries a flower, smells it. | ||
| COLUMBINA: | Look, Willie! Smell it. | |
| WILLIE: | It stinks. | |
| COLUMBINA: | But Willie, you didn't even -- | |
| BABY BROTHER is trying to smell the flower as COLUMBINA pursues WILLIE. | ||
| WILLIE: | It stinks. And we have more important business to do than sticking our noses in smelly weeds. | |
| COLUMBINA: | Willie, let me put it in your lapel. | |
| WILLIE: | I haven't got a lapel. | |
| COLUMBINA: | In your buttonhole then. You'll look like a real gentleman. | |
| WILLIE: | Leave me alone! A smelly old flower won't make anybody a fancy gentleman. | |
| COLUMBINA: | (Exasperated.) Oh, Willie! | |
| WILLIE: | (Sings "I Once Had a Dream.") | |
| I had a dream last evening; I know it's coming true: I dreamed of lots of money And silk and satin too. We'll be like city gentlefolks; I'll throw these rags away. I've worn them much too long now. My dream comes true today. | ||
| While he is singing, the COLD PRICKLIES enter. As he finishes they sing their sinister "One and One Makes Two." | ||
| COLD PRICKLIES: | One and one makes two, you guys, We're telling you not any lies. When you speak of money A sparkle's in his eyes. One and one makes two, you guys. Two and two makes four, all 'round, Numbers are the things that count. The jingle in your pocket: A magic money sound. Two and two makes four, all 'round. Four and four makes surely eight. Hurry, or it is too late! He's looking for the rainbow; The pot of gold won't wait. Four and four makes surely eight. | |
| WILLIE begins to shiver as the PRICKLIES get louder. Their song abruptly ends, and into the silence the harsh, eerie call of a bird. WILLIE jumps. | ||
| WILLIE: | What was that? | |
| COLUMBINA: | Just a night bird. | |
| The sound of a frog croaking nearby. WILLIE jumps again. BABY BROTHER sits down in fright, jabbing his thumb into his mouth and hugging his bear tightly. | ||
| WILLIE: | A... a ghost! | |
| COLUMBINA: | Oh, don't be silly. You guys, don't be such whimps! | |
| WILLIE: | I... I'm not being silly!... just surprised. | |
| BABY BROTHER hastily nods agreement. Columbina sings "Life Gives You the Best of Things" while WILLIE, still playing the grouch, turns his back to her and curls up under some ferns to cover him for the night. BABY BROTHER lies down beside him and instantly falls asleep, uttering a snore whenever there is a break in the song. | ||
| COLUMBINA: |
Life can give you the best of things; Nothing's really scary: Butterflies or bullfrogs Or spiders black and hairy. | |
| WILLIE kicks BABY BROTHER who jerks into a sitting position still clutching his teddy bear. | ||
| WILLIE: | Don't believe her. Under every butterfly there's a creepy caterpillar. | |
| COLUMBINA: | Willie, you wouldn't trust your own grandma. | |
| She cradles BABY BROTHER and continues her song. | ||
|
Ev'rything has its good side: You and I and Willie. Even though we aren't the same We aren't that diff'rent, really. | ||
| As COLUMBINA sings, and the boys fall asleep, the plants and animals from her song appear. Next WARM FUZZIES enter from everywhere and join her, singing and dancing, for a reprise. | ||
| COLUMBINA: | (Aside.) Yes, Willie, even your pot of gold will be beautiful to look at... when the rainbow makes it glitter and shine in a thousand hues and colours. | |
| She stretches, yawns and lies down beside the boys. | ||
| Ah, I feel so fuzzy wonderful. | ||
| While the children are asleep, the RAINBOW appears, holding a pot of gold. The music from "One and One Makes Two" can be heard and COLD PRICKLIES enter dancing an exaggerated version of their previous dance. The other creatures hide behind rocks and trees. | ||
| COLD PRICKLIES: |
Gold's the stuff that makes you free. I want it all, yes, all's for me. I will not share one l'il rupee. Though it be small and wee. But plant myself a money tree 'Cause gold's the stuff that makes you free. I want it all - yes, all's for me! | |
| COLD PRICKLIES surround the RAINBOW. The music breaks off as they grab the pot of gold and fight over it, chanting "One, Two, Three, Four." | ||
| COLD PRICKLIES: | One, two, three, four, Give him money -- he wants more! Five, six, seven, eight, He wants gold -- he just can't wait. | |
| COLD PRICKLIES appear to pour the gold coins over WILLIE's sleeping body. Exeunt. A dream play/shadow play with disembodied voices can be seen and heard. | ||
| WILLIE's VOICE: | I'm rich! I'm filthy rich! | |
| Sound of tinkle of money. | ||
| Columbina, look. All this gold, all this money. It's all mine! | ||
| Sound of money being filled into sacks and someone dragging and trying to lift them, groaning. | ||
| Columbina, hurry. You've got to help me. I can't... | ||
| Sound of straining and groaning, then an outcry and a sack dropping and much money spilling. | ||
| COLUMBINA's VOICE: | Here's a pretty one. Oh, and look at this one! I'm gonna take only one piece of gold, the prettiest coin I can find. Here! | |
| WILLIE's VOICE: | But you've got to help me with this - all these sacks full of gold! | |
| Sound of spilled money being scraped up. | ||
| COLUMBINA's VOICE: | Here, this one I'll keep. | |
| WILLIE's VOICE: | That one isn't worth a rap! | |
| COLUMBINA's VOICE: | But it's the prettiest of them all. Look how it shines. It's beautiful! | |
| WILLIE's VOICE: | (Mimicking.) It's beautiful. | |
| Change of light with the sound of dawn. WILLIE awakes with a jerk, looks around. | ||
| WILLIE: | Where's my gold? Where's my money? | |
| The CHORUS is that of the plants and animals; they echo/mimick WILLIE. | ||
| CHORUS: | Where's his gold? Where's his money? | |
| COLUMBINA and BABY BROTHER slowly awake and stretch and yawn heartily. | ||
| WILLIE: | Oh. Just a dream. It was only a dream. | |
| CHORUS: | Just the same old dream. | |
| WILLIE is shivering with cold. | ||
| COLUMBINA: | You're cold? | |
| BABY BROTHER shakes his head. | ||
| WILLIE: | Yes, I'm cold! One is always cold... in the morning. Cold and clammy. | |
| CHORUS: | He feels cold and prickly. | |
| COLD PRICKLIES peek onto the stage. One of them speaks. | ||
| PRICKLY: | (Giggles.) He's got the cold pricklies! | |
| WARM FUZZIES peek onto the opposite side of the stage. One of them speaks. | ||
| FUZZY: | (Giggles.) She's got the warm fuzzies! | |
| WILLIE is trying various methods of getting warm: rubbing hands together, flinging arms against his torso, jumping jacks... | ||
| COLUMBINA: | Willie, you wanna get warm? | |
| WILLIE: | Th-that's what I'm d-doing! T-trying to get w-warm. | |
| COLUMBINA: | Is it working? | |
| WILLIE: | N-n-no. | |
| COLUMBINA: | I know what you can do to get warm. | |
| WILLIE: | How d-do you kn-know? | |
| COLUMBINA: | I'm warm, ain't I? (Silence.) You've got to sing yourself warm. | |
| WILLIE: | Sing!? | |
| CHORUS: | (Nodding agreement.) Sing himself warm. | |
| WILLIE: | I don't sing... Not in public. | |
| COLUMBINA: | Well, if you're shy, then... whistle. | |
| CHORUS: | (Giggling.) Yes, whistle if he's shy. | |
| COLUMBINA: | And you must dance yourself happy. | |
| WILLIE: | Dance!? | |
| CHORUS: | (Laughing.) Yes, dance! | |
| COLUMBINA sings "Sing Yourself Happy" as WILLIE, hesitantly at first, begins to whistle along. WARM FUZZIES prod him as they all sing, dance and whistle. COLD PRICKLIES grabs the teddy bear and toss it back and forth as BABY BROTHER tries to catch it. He seems so happy to be the centre of attention that, when he catches the teddy and becomes one of the tossers, they all play along with him. Eventually, even the COLD PRICKLIES join in the singing and dancing and shed their prickly coats - being somewhat fuzzy themselves, underneath all those prickles. | ||
| COLUMBINA: |
Sing and soon you will be happy When you are depressed. All the comfy cozy Fuzzies They will do the rest. Whistle, quick, a little tune now You won't stand alone. All the creepy and cold Pricklies Snap, they will be gone. Dance around until you're fuzzy, Dancing is for fun. 'Cause you've got the very best friends In the rainbow sun. | |
| Exeunt. Enter TREE, FROG, WATER LILY and BUTTERFLY. | ||
| LILY: | Did he ever get the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow? | |
| TREE: | That's not the point here. That's not the point at all. The point is that - | |
| FROG: | That there isn't any pot of gold. | |
| BUTTERFLY: | Says who? | |
| FROG: | Every frog knows that. | |
| BUTTERFLY: | Well, then every frog is stupid. The point is that there's no end to the rainbow. | |
| LILY: | But if there's a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow, then... | |
| BUTTERFLY: | You've got it, honey. | |
| FROG: | Isn't that what I said, huh? That there is no pot of gold? | |
| RAINBOW: | (Enters without pot of gold.) Listen to yourselves! Fussing and pecking like a flock of Cold Pricklies. | |
| TREE: | That's what I've been trying to tell you! | |
| FROG: | What? | |
| LILY and BUTTERFLY: | What? | |
| TREE: | That deep down underneath their cold and prickly skins... | |
| ALL: | Yes/Yeah? | |
| TREE: | Some Cold Pricklies aren't so cold and prickly after all. | |
| BUTTERFLY: | That's right! Inside they're much more like Warm Fuzzies. | |
| LILY: | Let's call them Warm Pricklies! | |
| FROG: | After all, they aren't really cold and prickly anymore. | |
| RAINBOW: | Perhaps not quite as warm as Warm Fuzzies yet... But you never know. | |
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