Clive Lewis - Boxen - Childhood Chronicles Before Narnia

(A Comedy)

Interesting carictars. Famous ones. For instance, Sir Big, a world-famed gentleman. A very good choreus and nice scenry. (Slight comic tints in and out threw it. 1)

PREFACE

The play was ment to take place in the year 1327 the reign of King Bunny Ist. Before his reign the country was called Bublish and was under the rule of King Bublish. It was in their to reigns that Mr Icthus-oress made his fortune by playing the harp; he got his name from fighting an Icthus-oress; his father a butcher died 1307.

Dramatis Personae

SIR PETER MOUSE Kinight in waiting on King

BUNNY King of Animal-land

ICTHUS-ORESS Son to dead butcher, singer

MR GOLD FISH General to King

SIR BIG A frog fieldmarshel

GOLLYWOG His servant

SIR GOOSE Rich baron, spy

DORIMIE A page

HIT A thief

BROWNIE BAND

MR BLUE Conducter

MR YELLOW Drummer

MR J. MAUVE Trumpeter

MR B. MAUVE Bugleur

MR READ Clappers

Judges, Harbour-Masters, Sailors etc.

PLACES

PIP CASTLE is King Bunny’s palace

MURRY, a town in Mouse-Land

MOURN HILLS, hills at back of Murry

MOUSE LANE, road between Pip Castle and Murry

THE GOOSE INN, an inn in Murry

JEMIMA, a river on which Murry is built

TOPSY, a port at mouth of Jemima

CANNON-TOWN, a city in Rabbit-Land

ACT I

Scene I: The Goose Inn.

(KING BUNNY and PETER MOUSE discouvered drinking.

BAR-MAN behind counter.)

KING BUNNY: This wine is good.

BAR-MAN: I shall drink a stiff goblet to the health of King Bunny.

KING BUNNY: For this good toast much thanks. SIR PETER: Draws near the dinner hour so pleas your Magasty.

KING BUNNY: Run go bid the kooks to wait.

(Exit SIR PETER.)

BAR-MAN: How now your Magasty. The clock strikes one.

KING BUNNY: I wager you my shoe that I shall put you home. Is that what you mean?

BAR-MAN: Yes I do mean it.

(Curtain.)

Scene II: A room in Pip Castle.

(SIR BIG, GOLLYWOG, etc., KING BUNNY,

SIR PETER etc. eating dinner.)

SIR PETER: (to KING BUNNY) Know you the bar-man’s name?

KING BUNNY: His name is Hit.

GOLD FISH: T’is an odd one in sooth, how came you know it your Magasty?

KING BUNNY: I heard folk call him Hit. (Enter a SERVANT.)

SERVANT: A Mouse stands at the gate and he would speak with your Magasty.

SIR BIG }

KING BUNNY } Let him come.

SIR PETER }

(Exit SERVANT.)

SIR PETER: Who might it be? What might he want?

(Re-enter SERVANT with HIT.)

SERVANT: This is the Mouse.

KING BUNNY: How-now good Hit.

HIT: I am well. I hope I find the same. How tight thy ring is.

(KING BUNNY tacks it of. Goes to window to look at mark on finger.)

HIT: (aside) I am a lucky Mouse.

(Tacks ring. Exit.)

KING BUNNY: (turns) O where is my ring and where is Hit?

(Curtain.)

Scene III: Mr Icthus-oress’s House.

(MR ICTHUS-ORESS, BOB, TOM and GOLLIWOG.)

MR ICTHUS-ORESS: Wilt have a game of cards?

BOB: The law of mine order allows me not such idle pleasures.

MR ICTHUS-ORESS: Thou needst not play, then.

(Enter SIR PETER MOUSE.)

SIR PETER: Hast sceene the King’s ring? T’is lost.

MR ICTHUS-ORESS: Lost!! None of us saw it.

SIR PETER: It must be found.

(Exit.)

MR ICTHUS-ORESS: T’is bad.

BOB: May wee be saved from the theft that stole King Bunny’s ring.

TOM: Thy bald and brainless pate shall do no good.

MR ICTHUS-ORESS: Hush I hear footsteps.

(Enter HIT bearing BUNNY’S ring made to look like a common ring.)

HIT: I’ll sell you ring for one Ducat. MR ICTHUS-ORESS: (gives ducat) I shall buy it.

(Curtain.)

ACT II

Scene I: Murry. SIR BIG’S house.

(Enter SIR BIG, SIR PETER, GOLLYWOG, etc.)

SIR BIG: Gollywog.

GOLLYWOG: My lord.

SIR BIG: Get me mine aurmer. I and the good Sir Peter mean to find the king’s ring.

(Exit GOLLYWOG.)

SIR PETER: Wee set our selves to a hard task.

SIR BIG: Indeed wee do sir.

(Enter MR BLUE.)

MR BLUE: I too shall help to find the king’s ring. (Exit all. Enter MR ICTHUS-ORESS, TOM, BOB, GOLLYWOG.)

MR ICTHUS-ORESS: The ring which I have bought is good.

TOM: How goes the story of Bun’s ring I wonder. (Enter MR BLUE with arrow in his side borne by MR YELLOW.)

MR BLUE: I asked Mr Hit had he got it 1but he got angry and shot an arrow at me. MR ICTHUS-ORESS: He is a false knave.

(Enter the rest of BROWNIE BAND and DORIMIE.) DORIMIE: (to MR BLUE) I have revenged you. MR BLUE: Much thank for that.

(Curtain.)

Scene II: A boat. SIR BIG’S cabin.

(Flourish. Enter SIR PETER, GOLLYWOG

and DORIMIE.)

SIR BIG: O now we sail to Cannon-Town for there that false knave Hit has fled. Wee mean punish him for shooting at Mr Blue.

SIR PETER: Indeed you speak sooth. Ho!! Dorimie. DORIMIE: My lord.

SIR PETER: Get me some wine.

(Exit all. Flourish. Enter MR ICTHUS-ORESS.)

MR ICTHUS-ORESS: (sings)

Something ti tack a tack to

Hurting the feelings of you.

(Enter HIT.)

HIT: Hail gossip. Dist like the ring I gave thee.

MR ICTHUS-ORESS: O verry well.

(Curtain.)

Scene III: The Liberry at Cannon-Town.

(Enter a HERALD. At last SIR BIG, SIR PETER,

MR GOLD FISH and all the BROWNIE BAND,

MR BLUE included.)

HERALD: Be it now told that Archaabald Hit hath been made a member of the order of knight. Ye reason why be not told ye public.

(Exit HERALD: Flourish. Enter KING BUNNY followed by DORIMIE.)

KING BUNNY: Come hither friends and list to me. I knighted Hit to draw him near me, for the nearer he is to me the more I know about him.

ALL: Yes, well.

KING BUNNY: Don’t you know that we have thought from the first that Hit had stolen my ring? And so I mean to see if he realy has.

MR BLUE: I, Sir Big, and Sir Peter Mouse, intend to find thy ring but we heard that Hit had come hither.

KING BUNNY: O I see.