CAMPFIRE TALES - Excerpt
A Puppet Play for Children
By Scott Rousseau
(c) 2000, 2014 Scott Rousseau
Performance Rights available at:
www.theaterfunscripts.com
or Scott Rousseau, 404-502-5868
Poster art is included.
CAST OF CHARACTERS
[Can be played by 1 to 4 puppeteers and one actor/backstage tech.]
Clem
Goofy cowboy type. Loves a good joke… if he gets it. Happy Spirit, good natured, never gets angry. Love Lukes stories. He knows they don’t amount to much, but he loves’em just the same. Clem plays the “Harrr-monia” (which Luke is quick to point out as a “harMONica”, but Clem don’t care.)
Luke
The “smart” cowboy. Always into adventure… or rather, misadventure. Loves to tell a good story. Although the stories may be full of adventure, they do tend to stretch the truth a bit. Luke loves tellin’ stories to Clem. Luke sings and plays the “gee’-tar”.
Rodney the Raccoon
He’s a raccoon. And a more ornery varmint you’ll NEVER see. Gets all riled up about… well… everything. Doesn’t listen long enough to understand until someone finally makes him understand. He’s a loveable old curmudgeon who’s set in his ways.
Simon the Snake
An obnoxious know-it-all
The Bug-Eyed, Oozing, Drippy Monster-Thing
I think the character name says it all. Have fun with this guy.
THE SET
The set consists of a firepit with real or stagelit fire in the center. On either side of the firepit are sittin’ logs for Clem and Luke. Up of the fire is a stack of camping/outdoor gear or a line of bushes/gear. This becomes the stage for the puppets to work in and should be tall enough to hide the puppeteer. A moon hung in the back and lit would be nice and perhaps a few stars lit on the back wall would set the cozy space for this intimate show.
The time is after sunset on a quiet and seemingly lonely prairie. As the lights come up we hear Luke’s guitar begin as he sings a cowboy ditty. Clem is playing the harmonica.
LUKE
OH GIVE ME A HOME
WHERE THE BUFFALO… (spoken)
Ain’tcha gonna sing with me, Clem?
CLEM
I cain’t sing while I’m a-playing the harmonia.
LUKE
Harmonica.
CLEM
Yeah.
LUKE
Well then, maybe THEY’LL (indicating audience) sing wi’me.
(to audience) Could ya’ll do that? Ya will? Wellllll awright then.
(Chord)
OOOOHHHHH GIVE ME A HOME,
WHERE THE BUFFALO ROAM.
WHERE THE DEER AND THE ANTELOPE PLAY
WHERE SELDOM IS HEARD
A DISCOURAGING WORD
AND THE SKIES ARE NOT CLOUDY ALL DAY
HOME, HOME ON THE RANGE
WHERE THE DEER AND THE ANTELOPE PLAY
WHERE SELDOM IS HEARD
A DISCOURAGING WORD…
RODNEY (pops up)
Hey hey hey hey heyeyeyeYAH! What’s with all the dad-blaimed noise! I’m a-tryin’ ta git some sleep round hyar! (pops down)
LUKE
Well. So much for the discouraging word.
CLEM
Who was that?
LUKE
Varmint.
CLEM
Oh.
(Beat)
BOTH (in a whisper)
HOME, HOME ON THE RANGE
(they get everyone to sing in a whisper)
WHERE THE DEER AND THE ANTELOPE PLAY
WHERE SELDOM IS HEARD
A DISCOURAGING WOOOOOORD… (BEAT AND THEY LOOK AROUND)
AND THE SKIES ARE NOT CLOUDY ALLLLL DAYYYYY!
CLEM
Luke, that were right nice.
LUKE
Why, thank ya Clem. (thoughtful beat) Hmmm.
CLEM
What?
LUKE
Do you realize that we just called each other by our names?
CLEM
So’s what, Luke? We ALWAYS do that.
LUKE
Yeahhhh… we do, don’t we. If this were a story, why that would be a right proper and quick way to introduce the folks in it, now wouldn’t it?
CLEM
I s’pose. But that’s only if yer gonna tell a story. (getting excited) Are ya gonna tell a story, Luke? I love your stories.
LUKE
Well, I reckon I could. That’s why they call me “LUKE THE STORY-TELLIN’ MAN.”
CLEM
Is that what they call you?
LUKE
Yep.
CLEM
(in awe) Dude.
LUKE
What story ya wanna hyar?
CLEM
Why don’t choo tell us that story about ole’ Cindereller.
LUKE
Too long.
CLEM
Little Red Ridin’ Herd?
LUKE
Too short.
CLEM
The Ugly Ducklin’?
LUKE
Too silly.
CLEM
How ‘bout a folktale?
(Beat)
CLEM
What’s a folktale?
LUKE
Surely you know what a folktale is?
CLEM
Well, I wouldn’t-a asked now, would I?
LUKE
Point made.
CLEM
So. What’s a folktale?
LUKE
Story ‘bout magic.
CLEM
Magic?
SIMON
(popping up. He is a hissing genius snake that likes to get wrapped up in a good story)
Folktale: a legendary story that contains a mystical or magical element.
CLEM
Uh… who (beat) are you?
SIMON
Simon’ssss the name. Storiessss are my game.
LUKE
A story-lovin’ snake, eh?
SIMON
Precisssssely.
CLEM
Luke, why dontcha tell us one o’them, uh…
SIMON
Folktalesssssss.
CLEM
Yeah. One o’them.
LUKE
Well now. Lessee. What folktale do I wanna tell…
CLEM
Is this gonna be scary? I LIKE scary stories.
LUKE
So ya want a scary one, eh?
CLEM
Yeah. Them’s best.
SIMON
Not all folktalesssss are sssscary. Sssssome are informative.
CLEM
Informa-what?
LUKE
In. Form. A. Tive.
SIMON
It means it’s full of information.
CLEM
Oooooooh.
LUKE
Some folktales tell an informative story… like how the frog got its hop, or the raccoon got his mask.
CLEM
I see. How DID the frog get his hop?
SIMON
It’s a ssssecret.
LUKE
Do you all wanna hear a scary folktale or what?
SIMON
I’m all ready.
CLEM
Me, too!
LUKE
Very good.
(Beat)
Ya ready?
CLEM and SIMON
Yep.
LUKE
It’s scary.
CLEM and SIMON
Yep.
LUKE
Here we go!
CLEM and SIMON
Tell the STORY!
LUKE
(laughing)
heh heh heh! All righty then. This is the story…
CLEM
Yeah?
LUKE
Of the bug eyed monster that slimed the Grand Canyon.
(beat)
SIMON
That…
Is the STUPIDEST thing I’ve ever hear.
CLEM
Naw! Sounds good and scary ta me.
SIMON
Ridiculous! That’s not a folktale. It’s about a bug-eyed monster. That’s a fairy tale!
LUKE
Tis not.
SIMON
It is! Monsters aren’t in folktales.
CLEM
Ghosts are!
LUKE
That’s right. Ghosts are.
SIMON
Ghosts aren’t monsters. Ghosts are supernatural beings. A mystical element. There are lots of folktalessss about ghosssstsssss. But monsters are part of fairy tales or science fiction.
LUKE
Okay! Fiiiiine! Have it your way! It’s a story about the bug-eyed GHOST that slimed the Grand Canyon.
CLEM
I LIKE it.
SIMON
Sheeeez! A bug-eyed ghost that… whatever. Go on.
LUKE
Anyway. This bug eyed mons…
SIMON
Eh!
LUKE
GHOST… would appear once every full moon to slime the Valley of Shadows in the Grand Canyon.
CLEM
Reallllly? Geeee…
SIMON
The Valley of What?
LUKE
The Valley of Shadows.
SIMON
Where the heck is the Valley of Shadowsssss?
LUKE
We’re a-sittin’ in it.
CLEM
We are? (he gets up, frightened)
LUKE
Yessir! Right in the heart of it.
SIMON
I’ve NEVER heard of the Valley of the Shadowsssss. There’s no such thing. You just made that up.
LUKE
It’s all part of the folktale.
CLEM
L-L-Luke. Look up yonder. It’s a full moon.
LUKE
I know. (HE grins)
SIMON
Oh, please…
This is silly. Folktales are not silly, made-up stories.
LUKE
Oh really, mister I-know-everything-about-literature? What about that silly, made-up story about how a raccoon got his mask?
CLEM
How DID he get his mask?
SIMON
It’s a sssecret! I told you!
LUKE
But it’s a folktale.
SIMON
REAL folktales are based on legends and half-truths that become part of the history of a particular area.
LUKE
Well this is a story of the legendary bug-eyed mons… er… ghost that visits this here valley on the full moon of every month and slimes the valley.
CLEM
It’s a legend?
SIMON
Wait a minute. Are you talking about the Indian legend about bats?
CLEM
B-Bats?
LUKE
Now what do bats and a bug-eyed ghost have in common?
CLEM
They can both fly.
LUKE and SIMON
Hush.
CLEM
Brother.
SIMON Folktales are known for playing havoc on your imagination.
Folktales are based on local folk lore. They’re stories that have been passed down from generation to generation. Not made up on the sssspot.
LUKE
I suppose you know a real folktale?
SIMON
As a matter of fact, I do.
LUKE
Well, then why don’t you tell your folk tale and I’ll tell mine, and we’ll see who has the better story.
SIMON
Fine. Clem can decide which folktale is better.
CLEM
Sounds purt near fair to me.
LUKE
Suppose you tell us your “folktale” now.
SIMON
This is a folk tale passed down from a legend of the Kono people of Sierra Leone, Africa. It’s the story of why bats fly at night.
Long ago, when first the world was made, it never became dark or cold. All day the sun shone brightly, giving creatures warmth and light. All night the full moon gleamed, making twilight almost as light as day. Until...
One day, Bat accepted a mission to carry a mysterious basket to the moon. In the basket was darkness, but Bat did not know that.
Bat took off to fly to the moon with the basket on his back.
Bother this basket," he said after a while. "Its too heavy and I'm tired and hungry." So Bat put the basket down and went to find some food and take a rest.
Along came some other animals. They saw the basket abandoned along the way.
"That is a large basket," said one of them. "I wonder if it is full of good things to eat?"
"Lets open it and see," said another.
Just as the animals were peeking under the basket lid, Bat came back. But he was too late. Darkness had escaped.
Ever since that time, Bat rests by day so he is ready to fly at twilight. At night, you will see him rushing about everywhere. He is trying to catch all the pieces of dark to put back in the basket, so he can take it to the moon. His mission now is to capture every tatter of darkness.
CLEM
Now THAT was a folktale.
LUKE
Yep.
SIMON
Now, would you say YOUR story was a folktale, Mr. Luke?
LUKE
It’s a folktale all right. I’m talkin’ about the folktale of the bug-eyed MONSTER that slimed the Grand Canyon.
SIMON
Fine. You can tell it. (beat) But it’s not really a folk tale.
LUKE
Well let me tell and then we’ll make the judgement, okay?
CLEM
Now that sounds like a right good idee.
LUKE
Whatdya say snakeyboy?
SIMON
The name is SSSSsssimon, if you pleassssse.
LUKE
Alright then. Simon.
LUKE
Now it was deep in the valley of the shadows…
CLEM
I’m skeert.
SIMON
Hush.
CLEM
Sorry.
LUKE
Awright. AWWWRIGHT. No am I tellin a story or not hyar?
CLEM and SIMON
Tellin.
LUKE
Fine. Now. Where wuz I?
CLEM
You wuz tellin us about how something happens right here…
SIMON
…in the Valley of the Shadows…
CLEM
…during a full moon…
CLEM and SIMON
…just like tonight!
LUKE
Right. Now most folks in this part stay far away from these parts on the night of the full moon.
CLEM
Why’zat Luke?
LUKE
Cause it’s the night when The Bug-Eyed, Oozing, Drippy Monster-Thing appears outta the darkness.
SIMON
How do they kn-n-n-now when it’s gonna h-h-happen?
LUKE
First they’s a shower of frogs from outta nowheres.
CLEM
A shower of frogs?
SIMON
A shower of frogs? What do you mean?
LUKE
A.
Shower.
Of.
Frogs.
Which part don’tcha unnerstand?
CLEM
You mean they just fall from the sky?
LUKE From outta nowheres.
(a prop frog is tossed over the pack and we hear a “ribbit”)
LUKE Just like that.
(SIMON AND CLEM just stare at the frog in wide-eyed amazement)
CLEM
Aw heck, Luke. That’s just one frog.
(a whole group of frogs are tossed over the packs onto the stage with another quick “group-ribbit”)
LUKE
Not anymore.
SIMON
Yer makin’ this stuff up.
LUKE
Sorta.
CLEM
Sorta? What do you mean sorta…
LUKE
Do you want to hear the rest of the story or not?
(Beat. A ribbit. Then:)
CLEM and SIMON
Yep.
LUKE
Awright then. So. Where wuz I.
CLEM
Shower a-frogs.
(ribbit)
LUKE
Right. First there’s a shower of frogs from outta the clear night sky. (More frogs and ribbits are tossed over) Okay, that’s enough frogs. It’s about this time when the moon turns green and gives off this unearthly green light and
(con’t)
everything starts to glow green from the light of that moon.
(The fire turns from yellow/orange to green and reflects up onto their faces)
----- This is half of the play ----
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