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THE OLD WOMAN AND THE PUMPKIN

CHARACTERS:

OLD WOMAN

NEIGHBOR

LION

TIGER

WOLF

FOX

DAUGHTER

SCRIPT:

SETTING:  IN THE FOREST

ACT I

(The Old Woman is in her living room reading a letter out loud)

OLD WOMAN:  …So, please come visit me, I miss you so much!  (she folds the letter and stands up).  I miss her too.  I’ll go see her, even though she lives on the other side of the forest.

(She goes to her bedroom, takes a suitcase from under the bed, pulls out some clothes and shoes from the closet, and puts them inside the suitcase.  There’s a knock at the door.  She hurries to the door carrying her suitcase)

NEIGHBOR:  Good morning Mrs. Calbert.

OLD WOMAN:  Oh, I’m glad you came!.

NEIGHBOR:  What’s the matter?.

OLD WOMAN:  I’m going to see my daughter.   I’ll be away for a few days.   Can you please take care of my house while I’m gone?.

NEIGHBOR:  Well, of course, don’t you worry.  But, please, be very careful of the wild animals that live in the forest.

OLD WOMAN:  I will!  I must go now.

(She closes the door, and waves good-bye to her neighbor.  She enters the dark forest.  She walks for a while.  A roaring lion enters and stands in front of her)

LION:  Well, today is my lucky day!.  I’m so hungry and I’m going to EAT you!.

OLD WOMAN:  (shivering)  I’m not sure you want to eat me right now.

LION:  What do you mean?.

OLD WOMAN:  I’m so old and skinny.  Look at me…I’m only bones and no flesh.  Why don’t you wait for a few weeks?.  I’m going to visit my daughter and she will give me delicious food to eat, and so, when I come back, I will be big and fat…then you will enjoy eating me.

LION:  Mmmm, that’s a good idea!  I’ll let you can go visit your daughter, but I will be here waiting for you, and remember, if you don’t come back, I’ll go find you!.

OLD WOMAN:  I promise, I will be back!.

LION:  Go now before I regret it!.

(The Old Woman keeps walking.  The Lion leaves.   A Tiger enters )

TIGER:   Stop!.  You’re not going anywhere!  I have been so hungry for so many days, and now, I’m going to EAT YOU!.

OLD WOMAN:  I’m not sure you want to eat me right now, Mr. Tiger.  Look at me…I’m so old and skinny.  If you eat me right now, you will only find  bones and no flesh.  Eat me after I come back from my daughter’s house, then you will enjoy eating me.

TIGER:  Fine!  I’ll let you go to your daughter’s house, but you must come back to me!.

OLD WOMAN:  I will Mr. Tiger, I promise!.

(The Old Woman keeps walking.  The Tiger leaves.   A Wolf enters)

WOLF:    Stop right there, old woman!.  My tummy is rumbling with hunger and you’re the first prey I’ve seen in days. I’m going to EAT YOU!.

OLD WOMAN:  Oh, Mr. Wolf, please let me go see my daughter who lives on the other side of the forest.

WOLF:  Why should I let you go?.

OLD WOMAN:  Listen,  I know I’ll die some day, but right now  I’m so skinny.  Wait for a few days more and then you can eat me. I’m going to visit my daughter and she will feed me up, and I’ll be plump and juicy for you when I come back.

WOLF:  Alright!.  But I’ll be here waiting for you.  Don’t forget!.

OLD WOMAN:  Thanks, Mr. Wolf!.

(The Old Woman keeps walking.  The Wolf leaves.   A Fox enters)

FOX:  Old woman, you’re just in time!.  I was wondering what to eat for lunch!.

OLD WOMAN:  No, please, don’t eat me.

FOX:  Say your prayers!.

OLD WOMAN:  Look at me, I’m old and skinny, I wouldn’t make you a good meal right now. Please, wait for a few days and then you will find me more delicious. I’m going to visit my daughter and she’s sure to feed me up and make me fat.  Then, you will enjoy eating me.

FOX:   Alright old lady, go visit your daughter, and I’ll be here waiting for you.

OLD WOMAN:  Thank you Mr. Fox.

(The Fox leaves.  The Old Woman keeps walking, she reaches her daughter’s house, and she enters).

ACT II

(The Old Woman and her Daughter are in the kitchen eating)

DAUGHTER:  Did you like the soup I made especially for you?.

OLD WOMAN:  Yes, it was so delicious!.  I have eaten everything you cooked these past few weeks, that I’m now a fat old lady! .

DAUGHTER:  I’m so happy to have you here.

OLD WOMAN:  I enjoyed staying here, and I hope to see you again.

DAUGHTER:  You look worried.  Is there something wrong?.

OLD WOMAN:  (she stands up)  Well, I have decided to leave, but I wonder how I’m going to make it back safely.

DAUGHTER:  Why do you say that?.

OLD WOMAN:  Something happened in the forest while I was coming to see you.

DAUGHTER:  What happened, tell me!.

OLD WOMAN: There were some animals that wanted to eat me, but I managed to get away, and now they are waiting for me.

DAUGHTER:  Oh mother, I really wish you would stay here with me forever, but if you have to go back we must make sure that those animals don’t eat you.

OLD LADY:  What can we do?.

DAUGHTER:  I have an idea!.  Come let’s go to the garden!.

(They leave)

ACT III

(The Old Lady and her Daughter are in th garden.  There is a large pumpkin with four holes on it.  Two for the old woman’s feet, and two for her arms)

DAUGHTER:  Now get inside this hollow pumpkin  (The Old Lady gets inside the pumpkin).

OLD LADY:  I’ll trick those animals  from the forest, they won’t see it’s me inside the pumpkin.

DAUGHTER:  Good-bye mother, I love you!.

OLD LADY:  I love you too, sweety!.

(The pumpkin starts running through the forest.  She comes across the Fox)

FOX:  Have you seen an old lady?.

PUMPKIN:  (in a sweet voice) No!.  No!.  I haven’t seen any old woman.

(She starts running through the forest.  The Fox runs after the pumpkin, then they reach the Wolf.  The Wolf jumps to the pumpkin.  The Old Woman gets out of the pumpkin)

WOLF:  Aha!  What do we have here?.  It’s the old woman trying to trick us!.

OLD WOMAN:  It’s not what you think, I came back, just as I promised.

FOX:  (to the Wolf)  No!.  Don’t trust her!.

WOLF:  I’ll eat you!.

FOX:  No!  I saw her first, so I’ll eat her!.

OLD WOMAN:  Please, decide, who’s going to eat me first.

FOX:  I said I’ll eat her first!.

WOLF:  No way!.

FOX:  Don’t mess with me!.

WOLF:  Are you threatening me?.

FOX:  Yes, I am!.

(They get into a fight.  The old woman gets inside the pumpkin and starts running through the forest until she reaches her house.  She gets out of the pumpkin)

OLD WOMAN:  I’m home safe and sound!.  I wonder if those two animals are still fighting over me, ha, ha, ha, ha.

(She gets inside her house)

THE END

Author:  A Bengali Folktale

Adapted by:  K I D S I N C O

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Tags: Bengali folktale, Daughter, folktale, Fox, Indic foktale, Lion, Old Woman, pumpkin, tiger, wolf

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