The Van De Van Theatre of the Air Presents:

Petered Out

SCENE II

the scene:   On the bank of a mighty river.  Dawn.  or Dusk. 
Jungawa Bill climbs out of the water, dry.  He goes to the small campfire and puts a pot of water on to boil.  Frog chorus begins.  Crescendo to extreme loudness.  Loud splash.  Silence.  Jungawa Bill starts at the sudden quiet.  Shivers.  Pulls cloak closer around his shoulders.  Freeze for five slow beats.  Jungle noises.  Jungawa Bill throws off his cloak, exposing blue coveralls.  Picks up pot of water and pours it on his cloak.  Dark smoke.  When the smoke clears, we see Talpo standing where the cloak was.  A beat.
Jungawa Bill: Well, Talpo, ready for another go at it?
Talpo: If you feel we must.... (Jungawa bill nods curtly) 
Ah, well.  Let's be about it while there is still light.
Jungawa Bill: And while there is still darkness.
    They begin to clean up the area, we now notice Talpo's rock where the fire was.  The frog chorus starts again.  They stop and move to stand to the left of the rock, shoulder to shoulder. 
  Silence.
Talpo: Ready?
Jungawa Bill: Let's go.
  The each begin to dig holes on opposite sides of the rock, Jungawa Bill, on the right, with his small shovel; Talpo, on the left, with a cup from a thermos bottle (red).  they dig in silence. 
  Finish.
Jungawa Bill: That should do it!
Talpo: We must hurry!
  They both pick up the rock and pull it in half.  Each one put his half in the other's hole and quickly covers it with dirt.  They stand facing each other. 
  Darkness
Talpo: We did it!  the rock is gone!
Jungawa Bill: It has finally happened after all these attempts!  We have succeeded!
  Sounds of dancing, laughter.  Lights.  the two are clasping each other's hands and leaping about in circles.  The rock is back, whole, and in the center of their circle.  They see it and fall to the ground.
Jungawa Bill: I knew it was too good to be true.  We'll never succeed.
Talpo: Don't say that.  Even though it's likely true, Don't Say It!
  Cry of a wolf in the distance.
Jungawa Bill: I wish I had my cloak.  (feels his back and finds it lying there)  Ah! What fortune.  (covers himself with the cloak, totally)  Good night, Talpo.
Talpo: (repeating Jungawa Bill's action, but with his cape.  Good night, Jungawa Bill, we'll try it again sometime.
  Lights dim slowly, yet appreciably.  Frog chorus, louder than ever.  Splash and wolf call choke each other off, frog chorus continues.  Fades out.  Long, loud growl or roar, as of a lion or tiger, from stage right, answered from stage left by bleating as of many sheep.  Loud splash silences both as they resume to challenge one another.  The wind picks up.  Soon, both Talpo's cape and Jungawa Bill's cloak are blown away: nothing is under them. 
  Dripping of water on a pie plate (metal) fades out to silence as lights go down to darkness.
- CURTAIN -
 copyright by Charlie Van Becelaere, administered by Grand Teuton Press, all rights reserved 
 
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