  Characters—Fishes, Turtle, three Monkeys, Jellyfish, Queen Osa Scene I—Under the SeaFirst Fish. What is the matter, little fish? Little Fish. Have you not heard? Our sea queen is very ill. First Fish. Osa, our queen, very ill, did you say? Little Fish. Yes, yes, we have done everything; but she grows worse. Second Fish. We fear she must die. First Fish. This cannot be. Come, tell me what you have done. Little Fish. Oh, we fed her seaweed and laid her upon a bank of sponges. Every little fish helped. But she is no better. First Fish. Our queen Osa! This is sad indeed. Is there no wise creature in the sea who can help us? Third Fish. There must be. Let us think hard. Little Fish. I know. Let’s ask the turtle. He’s wise. He goes out of the sea upon the land. Surely he must learn many things there. Perhaps he is just the one to tell us what to do to save our queen. Second Fish. Go at once and bring him back with you. [Little Fish goes out.] First Fish. He won’t be gone long. No one swims faster than our little fish. Third Fish. Here he comes back already, and the turtle is with him. All the Fish. Good, good. [Turtle and Little Fish enter.] First Fish. O Turtle, have you heard that our sea queen is about to die? Turtle. I know that she is very ill. Second Fish. Can you not help us to save her? You are wise, Turtle. It’s because you don’t stay down in the sea, but go upon the land, that Turtle. [Slowly.] Yes, I do learn a great many things on the land. Let me think—I am thinking—yes—I believe—yes—I know, I’m sure I know just what will save her life. I have it—a monkey’s heart—the very thing! I heard about it one day as I was resting upon the shore. A monkey’s heart can cure anything! All the Fish. Wonderful! Little Fish. Will you go and get one? O Turtle, you know we would go if we could leave our homes as you can. You will go, won’t you? Turtle. I will go—at once. Scene II—On the SeashoreTurtle. Dear me—not a monkey to be seen anywhere! Well, I’ve waited and waited. It’s very hot here on the sand. I’m sleepy. I’ll just take a nap. [Sleeps. Monkeys (three) come.] First Monkey. [Seeing turtle.] What’s this? Second Monkey. I don’t know. I never First Monkey. So it is. Third Monkey. I don’t believe it. Second Monkey. Well, you just put your paw on it and see. There, it’s as hard as it can be. Third Monkey. I know. It’s a great shell. [Touches the turtle.] A big hard one, hard all over. [Turtle wakes and catches monkey.] Oh, oh, oh! Let me go. Turtle. No, I will not let you go. Be quiet and do what I tell you, and I will not hurt you. Your brothers have run away. You must come down under the sea with me. [They go out together.] Scene III—Under the SeaMonkey. Why do they keep me here? No one to talk to, no one to play with, no trees to climb. Only one friend, the jellyfish with his hard shell. I’d like him better if he hadn’t one. It makes me think of that bad turtle that brought me down here on his hard back. Here comes the old jellyfish now. Jellyfish. Hello, Monkey, you look sad. Monkey. So would you if you wanted trees instead of seaweed, and land instead of water, and warm sunshine, and other little monkeys to play with. Jellyfish. Poor Monkey! I am sorry for you. But of course you must stay here until they come to get you. Monkey. Until who comes to get me? Jellyfish. The fish, of course. Don’t you know? Monkey. Indeed, I don’t, Jellyfish. What do you mean? Jellyfish. They want your heart for the queen. In a few days they’ll come and kill you and give her your heart to eat. Monkey. Oh, dear me! Give my heart to the queen to eat? Why, Jellyfish, do you know what you are talking about? What wrong have I done that I should be killed? Jellyfish. Oh, you’ve done no wrong. But our dear queen is very ill, and your heart is the only thing that will cure her. We cannot get your heart unless we kill you; so try and be brave about it. [Jellyfish swims off.] Monkey. [To himself.] I shall not give my heart to the queen. I must get away from here somehow. But how? I do not know the way. Only the turtle could take me back, and he won’t. What can I do? Here comes the turtle now. Turtle. You look sad, Monkey. What is the matter? Monkey. Dear me, Turtle, I was Turtle. Indeed! What is it, dear Monkey? Monkey. It’s my heart, Turtle. Just before I left home I hung it out on a bush to dry. If the rain comes, it will be spoiled. Turtle. What is this you tell me? Monkey. It’s about my heart. Some one must carry me back to the land so that I can get it. Turtle. Well, well, is there no other way? Then I must take you back to get your heart. That is the best plan, and we must start at once. Come. [They go out together.] Scene IV—Home of the Sea Queen[Turtle comes in looking very sad.] Queen Osa. My dear Turtle, where have you been so long, and oh, what has happened to you? Turtle. Dear Queen, I am very sad, and very cold, and very ill. My Queen Osa. Poor Turtle! Come tell me all about it. Turtle. The monkey told me he had left his heart at home and he asked me to take him back so he could get it. I believed him. You know I wanted the heart for you. Queen Osa. You are very kind, Turtle. Turtle. I took him on my back. When we got to the land he sprang off my back and up the nearest tree. He told his brothers what had happened to him. Then they all rushed at me. They tore off my shell and threw my body back into the sea without it. Queen Osa. Poor Turtle! Never mind. I’ll give you another shell, for you did your best. Some one must have been telling the monkey tales. Jellyfish, you were his friend. Do you know anything about this? Jellyfish. I told the monkey that we were going to kill him so that we could get his heart for you. I told him to try and be brave about it. Queen Osa. You are to blame, then, Jellyfish, for all this trouble. To punish you for meddling, I will take away your shell. And you must go without it forever. —Oriental Fable. |
|
