The Old Woman and the Runaway Pumpkin – In a quiet village near the edge of a vast forest, there lived an old woman with a loving daughter on the other side of the woods. One day, longing to see her, the old woman set off on a journey. But the forest was home to hungry wild animals—lion, tiger, wolf, and fox—each eager to make her their next meal. With wit, courage, and a little help from a giant pumpkin, the old woman found a clever way to outsmart them all. This delightful Bengali folktale teaches that quick thinking can be the greatest shield against danger.
CHARACTERS:
OLD WOMAN (Elara)
NEIGHBOR (Bartholomew)
LION (Regal)
TIGER (Stripes)
WOLF (Shadow)
FOX (Sly)
DAUGHTER (Lily)
SCRIPT:
Setting: A quaint cottage nestled at the edge of a mystical, sprawling forest.
ACT I
(The Old Woman, Elara, sits in her cozy living room, a warm fire crackling softly in the hearth. She holds a delicate, aged letter, reading its words aloud with a tender smile.)
ELARA: “…So, please come visit me, my dearest Mama. I miss you more than words can say!” (She gently folds the letter as she rises.) Oh, my sweet Lily, I miss her too… I must go see her, even if her home lies on the perilous other side of the Whispering Woods.
(Elara walks to her humble bedroom. From beneath her antique wooden bed, she pulls out a sturdy, well-worn suitcase. She selects her warmest clothes and stoutest walking boots from a creaky closet, carefully packing them inside. Just as she latches the case, a brisk knock echoes from the front door. Clutching her suitcase, she hurries to answer it.)
BARTHOLOMEW: (Stands on the doorstep.) Good morning to you, Mrs. Elara! A fine day for a journey, perhaps?
ELARA: Oh, Bartholomew, I’m so glad you’ve come! Perfect timing, in fact!
BARTHOLOMEW: Is everything alright, dear lady? You seem to be embarking on an adventure!
ELARA: Indeed! I’m off to visit my daughter, Lily. I’ll be away for a few days, perhaps a week… Would you be so kind as to look after my little cottage while I’m gone?
BARTHOLOMEW: Why, of course, Elara, don’t you fret for a moment! Your home will be safe with me. But please, do be exceedingly careful in the forest. The wild creatures have grown bolder of late.
ELARA: I will, I promise! But I truly must be on my way now. Farewell, Bartholomew!
(Elara steps outside, pulling the door closed behind her. She waves a cheerful goodbye to her neighbor before turning towards the daunting entrance to the dark, ancient forest. She steps beneath the towering canopy, the sunlight quickly fading into a dappled gloom. After walking for a considerable distance, the ground beneath her feet becomes softer, the air thick with the scent of damp earth and old leaves. Suddenly, a thunderous roar shakes the very trees. A magnificent, golden-maned Lion, Regal, steps into her path, his eyes gleaming with hunger.)
REGAL: (A deep, rumbling voice.) Well, well, well! Today truly is my lucky day! My stomach has been grumbling for an age, and now… I shall FEAST upon you, little old woman!
ELARA: I’m not entirely sure you’d want to eat me just yet, mighty Regal.
REGAL: And pray tell, what do you mean by that?
ELARA: Why, look at me! I’m so very old and terribly skinny. Just bones, my lord, nothing but bones and dry old flesh. A meager meal for a king such as yourself! Why not wait a few short weeks? I’m on my way to visit my daughter, who is a most excellent cook, I assure you. She will feed me the most delicious, fattening foods. When I return, I shall be plump and juicy, a truly magnificent feast for you! You’ll enjoy me so much more, then!
REGAL: Mmmm, a most intriguing proposition! Yes, that does sound like a far more satisfying meal! Very well, I shall permit you to visit your daughter, but mark my words: I shall be here, waiting, and if you do not return, I shall hunt you down myself!
ELARA: I promise, I will be back, mighty Regal! You have my word.
REGAL: Now, go! Before I regret my sudden generosity!
(The Old Woman, Elara, continues her journey. The Lion, Regal, turns and melts back into the shadows. Soon after, a sleek, powerful Tiger, Stripes, emerges silently from the dense undergrowth, blocking her path.)
STRIPES: Halt! You go no further! My hunger has gnawed at me for days, and now, I shall finally FEAST upon you!
ELARA: (Keeping her voice calm) Ah, Mr. Stripes, I doubt you truly wish to consume me at this very moment. Look closely… I am frail and thin. If you were to eat me now, you would find only bones, a most unsatisfying repast. Wait until I return from my daughter’s house, where I will have feasted and grown round. Then, my dear Mr. Tiger, you will truly savor your meal!
STRIPES: Fine! I shall allow you to proceed to your daughter’s abode, but you must return to me!
ELARA: (Bowing slightly.) I will, Mr. Stripes… I promise!
(Elara resumes her trek, the Tiger, Stripes, disappearing into the foliage. As the forest deepens, a shadowy figure, the Wolf, Shadow, suddenly materializes before her.)
SHADOW: Stop right there, old woman! My belly rumbles with an unbearable hunger, and you are the first prey I’ve encountered in what feels like an eternity. I am going to EAT you!
ELARA: Oh, Mr. Shadow, please, I beg of you, let me go to my daughter who resides on the far side of this magnificent forest.
SHADOW: And why, pray tell, should I grant you such a favor?
ELARA: Listen, Mr. Shadow. I understand that my time will come, but right now, I am far too scrawny to be a proper meal. Wait just a few more days, and then you may devour me. I am going to visit my daughter, and she will feed me till I am plump and juicy, a truly magnificent meal for you when I return!
SHADOW: Alright! But I shall be here, diligently awaiting your return. Do not forget our agreement!
ELARA: Thank you, Mr. Shadow! I won’t!
(Elara continues her journey, the Wolf, Shadow, vanishing into the undergrowth. Just as she begins to feel a sense of hope, a sleek, russet blur, the Fox, Sly, darts out from behind a tree, blocking her path with a mischievous grin.)
SLY: (His voice smooth as silk.) Old woman, you’re just in time! I was pondering what delightful morsel to have for my midday meal!
ELARA: No, please, Mr. Sly, don’t eat me just yet.
SLY: (His grin widens, showing sharp teeth.) Prepare yourself, old woman! Say your last goodbyes!
ELARA: Look at me, Mr. Sly! I am ancient and thin, a poor excuse for a meal right now. I wouldn’t satisfy your refined palate. Please, wait a few days. I’m going to visit my daughter, and she is sure to fatten me up, make me round and succulent. Then, my dear Mr. Fox, you will truly enjoy your meal!
SLY: Alright, old lady, your logic is… persuasive. Go visit your daughter, and I shall be right here, patiently awaiting your plump return.
ELARA: Thank you, Mr. Sly. You won’t regret it!
(The Fox, Sly, vanishes into the trees. The Old Woman, Elara, continues her determined walk, until finally, the dense forest gives way to a clearing. There stands a charming cottage. It is her daughter Lily’s home. With a smile, she pushes open the door and steps inside.)
ACT II
(Weeks later. The Old Woman, Elara, and her Daughter, Lily, are in Lily’s cozy kitchen. They sit at a rustic wooden table, enjoying a hearty meal.)
LILY: Did you enjoy the pumpkin soup, Mama? I made it especially for you, just the way you like it.
ELARA: Oh, Lily, it was utterly divine! Everything you’ve cooked these past few weeks has been simply magnificent! I’ve eaten so much, I declare, I’m now a perfectly plump old lady!
LILY: I’m so happy to have you here, Mama. It’s been wonderful.
ELARA: And I, my dear, have cherished every moment of my stay. I hope we shall see each other again very soon.
LILY: You look… troubled, Mama. Is something amiss?
ELARA: (She rises from the table) Well, my love, I’ve decided it’s time for me to return home, but I confess… I wonder how I shall ever make it back safely.
LILY: Why do you say that, Mama?
ELARA: Something rather frightening occurred in the forest on my journey here.
LILY: What happened? Tell me everything!
ELARA: There were several hungry animals—a lion, a tiger, a wolf, and a fox—all determined to make a meal of me. I managed to convince them to wait, to let me get fat here first. And now… they are waiting for me to return.
LILY: (Oh, Mama! I wish you could stay here with me forever! But if you must go back, we absolutely must ensure those fearsome creatures don’t get their paws on you!
ELARA: But what can we possibly do, my clever Lily?
LILY: I have it! A most excellent plan! Come, Mama, let’s go to the garden! Quickly now!
(They exit the kitchen)
ACT III
(Elara and Lily are now in a sun-drenched patch of garden. Before them sits an enormous, hollowed-out pumpkin, its vibrant orange shell gleaming. Cleverly carved into its side are four openings: two perfectly sized for the Old Woman’s feet, and two for her arms, allowing her to move freely.)
LILY: Now, Mama, climb inside this magnificent hollow pumpkin!
(The Old Woman, Elara, carefully eases herself into the pumpkin’s cavernous interior.)
ELARA: Oh, this is brilliant! I shall surely trick those silly animals from the forest! They’ll never suspect it’s me inside this giant, rolling gourd!
LILY: Good-bye, my brave Mama! I love you dearly!
ELARA: I love you too, my sweet Lily! Take care!
(With a gentle push from Lily, the giant pumpkin begins to roll, gaining momentum as it trundles through the forest. Elara, hidden inside, guides it with her feet and arms. It rolls along, an orange blur, until it suddenly comes across the same cunning Fox, Sly, who had waited patiently.)
SLY: Excuse me, great rolling sphere! Have you by any chance seen a rather plump old lady pass this way?
PUMPKIN: (Elara, inside, disguises her voice) No! No! I haven’t seen any old woman! Just me, a lonely pumpkin, rolling through the wood!
(The pumpkin continues to roll at a surprising speed, leaving the baffled Fox, Sly, behind. He blinks, then shrugs, dismissing it as a peculiar forest anomaly. The pumpkin rolls onward, until it approaches the spot where the Wolf, Shadow, had been patiently waiting. Suddenly, the Fox, Sly, who has now had a moment to ponder the oddity of a talking, rolling pumpkin, comes bounding up, his eyes wide with dawning suspicion.)
SLY: (To the Wolf, panting slightly.) Shadow! Wait! That pumpkin… it spoke! And it said it hadn’t seen the old woman!
SHADOW: What nonsense are you spouting now, Sly? It’s just a pumpkin!
(Just as the pumpkin reaches them, the Wolf, Shadow, leaps towards it, intending to bat it aside. But as he makes contact, the Old Woman, Elara, bursts out from the side of the pumpkin, revealing herself with a triumphant flourish!)
SHADOW: Aha! What do we have here?! The old woman, trying to trick us, you sly old fox!
ELARA: It’s not what you think, my dear Mr. Wolf! I did come back, just as I promised! And now I’m even plumper!
SLY: No! Don’t trust her! She tried to fool me! This is all part of her trickery!
SHADOW: I’ll eat you! And you look much tastier now!
SLY: No! I saw her first, Wolf! So, I shall eat her!
ELARA: Please, gentlemen, do decide. Who among you will have the honor of eating me first? I’m quite famished myself from all that rolling!
SLY: I said I’ll eat her first! She’s MINE!
SHADOW: No way, Fox! I’m far bigger, and I’ve been waiting longer!
SLY: Don’t mess with me, Wolf! You’ll regret it!
SHADOW: Are you threatening me, little fox?!
SLY: Yes, I am! Try me!
(With a furious roar and a sharp yelp, the Wolf and the Fox launch themselves at each other, instantly embroiled in a ferocious, comical brawl of snapping jaws and thrashing tails. The Old Woman, Elara, seizing her golden opportunity, nimbly slips back inside her hollow pumpkin. With a quiet chuckle, she starts rolling it, faster and faster, through the forest, leaving the two squabbling predators far behind. She continues her swift journey until she finally reaches the familiar, welcoming sight of her little cottage.)
ELARA: (Emerging from the pumpkin, stretching with a satisfied smile.) I’m home! Safe and sound! I wonder if those two foolish animals are still fighting over who gets to eat me, ha, ha, ha, ha! What a pair of simpletons!
(Still chuckling to herself, she gathers her suitcase and the pumpkin, pushing open her cottage door and stepping inside, ready for a well-deserved rest.)
Moral: Brains over brawn—clever thinking can overcome even the most dangerous challenges.
The End
Author: Bengali Folktale
Adapted by: K I D S I N C O
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