Characttersttom of the Seaers:
Sleepy the Lion, Male, 17
Grumpy the Thorn, Male, 24 (brothers)
Setting:
In the middle of the wild jungle, near a bunch of dancing fruit trees. There are monkeys hanging from the trees, birds singing to their babies. Owls and leopards waiting for the night to set in to start their hunting.
Time:
4:00 P.M. on a hot summer day.
At Rise:
Sleepy is walking towards his family (Mom) the Rose, (Karen and Brian) the Pedals, and Grumpy the Thorn with a bucket of fresh water in his mouth and a pile of rich soil in his paw. Grumpy is anxiously waiting for Sleepy to get closer.
Grumpy:
Wassup Sleepy man! What took you so long?
Sleepy:
(irritated) Man I tried my best to come and see how you guys are.
Grumpy:
(surprised) Oh I thought you weren’t even going to come and see how’s mom doing. See if she’s doing good. See if she needs any help.
Sleepy:
Man I rarely come and when I do you always try and get on me. I thought you guys were going to be glad to see me.
Grumpy:
We are glad to see you, but we were getting worried because we haven’t seen you in so long.
Sleepy:
Look I didn’t come here to argue. I came because I got something to tell you guys.
Grumpy:
Oh yeah? Well I got something to tell you too, and you are going to sit down and listen to what I got to say about how I feel.
Sleepy:
Well tell me! I’m listening, and I seen how nervous you were when I first came.
Grumpy:
You know, Sleepy, sometimes I feel like you don’t care about us. Since you were younger you would leave and not come back days later. You started being quieter than usual and we don’t even know when was the last time we seen you emotional. I think that you left so I can have all the responsibilities while you out there having fun trying to be the King of the Jungle. And you know what you are I think you’re being selfish and you’re ashamed of us because you rarely come and when you do you don’t stay for long. Sometimes I’m so mad at you that I’m happy you’re not here but then mom feels worried because she don’t know if you’re safe out there. Don’t you think there’s more things out there in the world Sleepy.
Sleepy:
Yes, Grumpy there is. There’s a lot of beautiful things out there in the world. But there’s also bad and dangerous things that would eat you alive!
Grumpy:
That’s easy for you to say. Because you’re free! You can go wherever you want to go. And I’m a thorn stuck to the stem. Stuck to my family. OUR FAMILY!
Sleepy:
You try and call me selfish and ashamed towards my family, but do you know why I’m never here. Do you have an idea of why I left you guys. You don’t know how it feels not to be with the family! It’s eating me from the inside to not be able to spend time with you guys. I rather have it that way tho. I don’t want you, mom, Brian and Karen to get hurt.
Grumpy:
I don’t know how it feels because I’ve never left my family. But how many times did I try and tell you that I’m here, that I can listen if you need someone to talk to?
Sleepy:
You want to know the truth. Well get ready to know the truth.
I got a lot in my mind. I want to stay here with you guys and not leave, but I want to be as far as I can be. I try my best to bring rich soil and fresh water but it seems that I have to do more. That’s my way of showing you guys that I care. I want to show you guys that I can spend every day of my life with y’all but I can’t because I know that I’m going to bring harm to y’all. I got a lot of enemies out there in the jungle. I don’t even know who is friendly and who’s the enemy. I got animals that respect me, and there’s animals that want my throne and that respect I got.
Sleepy (cont.):
That’s why I rather be alone rather than bring harm to mom, and if something ever happens to one of y’all I won’t ever forgive myself.
Grumpy:
(pause) Are the hogs your enemy?
Sleepy:
What are you talking about?
Grumpy:
Well I heard from a bee that there’s a herd of wild boars coming to invade.
Sleepy:
What! When, what time?
Grumpy:
I don’t know? Some time today. But are they coming after you?
Sleepy:
No! I don’t even know no hogs.
Grumpy:
Are you sure, then why are they invading?
Sleepy:
See. I tell you there’s a lot of dangerous stuff out there. Hogs do what they do. Oh man! Hogs tear down everything and anything in their way.
Grumpy:
Sleepy we can do something about it. I can use your help.
Sleepy:
Do something, something like what? What use am I for?
Grumpy:
You can dig us out, and move us far away from here.
Sleepy:
No Grumpy I can’t do that!
Grumpy:
What? Why not?
Sleepy:
Because! Have you seen my claws they’re very sharp. What happens if I go too deep and tear the roots up? I can’t do that knowing that I can kill you guys.
Grumpy:
Come on Sleepy! We believe that you can help us but you have to be able to believe in yourself. That’s the only way it would work if you have confidence in yourself.
Sleepy:
But I won’t be able to forgive myself if you guys die while I was trying to save y’all.
Grumpy:
I rather die knowing that you try and help us get out, than dying under the hogs stampede.
Sleepy:
(hesitant) I don’t know, Grumpy….
Grumpy:
Sshhh! Do you feel that!
Sleepy:
Feel what!?
Grumpy:
They’re almost here! I can feel it in my roots! Hurry Sleepy you have to decide now!
(Nervously, Sleepy starts digging)
Sleepy:
I don’t know man, I don’t know about this I got a bad feeling.
Grumpy:
Come on Sleepy think positive! Trust yourself and it will be just fine. Just make sure you don’t take long.
Sleepy:
Yeah I got it man. I got it I’m almost there.
Grumpy:
Come on man hurry up they’re almost here!
Sleepy:
I m m almost thheerre…There I got it let’s get out of here!
(Sleepy runs away from the stampede with his family in his paw)
End of Play
