Act 2, Scene 12

[Dark woods. Dorothy, Toto, Scarecrow & Tinman walk nervously.]

Dorothy: I don't like this forest. It's dark and creepy.

Scarecrow: I'm not very bright, but I think it'll get darker before it gets lighter.

Dorothy: Do you think we'll meet, any wild animals?

Tinman: We might.

Scarecrow: Animals that eat, straw?

Tinman: Some, but mostly lions and tigers and bears.

Dorothy: Lions?

Scarecrow: And Tigers?

Tinman: And Bears.

Dorothy: Oh my!

[Cowardly Lion enters sneakily, while the others are saying the classic phrase, "Lions and Tigers and Bears. Oh my.".]

Lion: (Loudly)Roar!

[Dorothy, Toto, Scarecrow & Tinman run in fear to hide, but are unsuccessful.]

Lion cont.: (Holding his fists up) Put 'em up! Put 'em up! Which one of yous first? I'll you together if you want. I'll fight you with one paw behind my back. I'll fight you standing on one foot. I'll fight you with my eyes closed. (To Tinman) Oh, pulling an ax on me eh? (To others) Sneaking up on me eh? (Ad-libed animal noises)

Tinman: Why don't you leave us alone?

Lion: Oh, scared uh? How long do you stay fresh in that can? (Laughs) Come on and fight you shivering junk-yard!

Tinman: M-my ax only works on wood.

Lion: (To Scarecrow) Put your hands up, you lop-sided bag of hay!

Scarecrow: Now that's get…

Lion: Wait, that voice, (Smells Scarecrow) that smell. Do I know you?

Scarecrow: I-I don't think so. I've been stuck in a cornfield for ages!

Lion: I see. (Grabs Scarecrow) Bracelet work!

[Everyone but Scarecrow & Lion freeze. Weird and strange lighting might also happen.]

Scarecrow: What happened?

Lion: When I was an adolescent, a fairy gave me this bracelet (Shows him his camouflaged bracelet) It allows me to manipulate time.

Scarecrow: What about the Time Dragon Clock?

Lion: It does as I ask.

Scarecrow: Wow.

Lion: Yeah, but I usually leave it alone. Anyway, my senses don't lie. But I don't remember meeting a sentient scarecrow, but I do remember a man with your voice and smell when I was a cub. So tell me!

Scarecrow: But first, you need to show me your paws, so I know you aren't crossing anything. (Lion shows him his paws) Ok, now promise me you WON'T TELL ANYONE.

Lion: (Paws still out) I promise.

Scarecrow: I am that man who helped that green-skinned woman help you escape the government who put you in that terrible cage and didn't want you to speak.

Lion: You look different.

Scarecrow: Magic. It was either this, or die at the hands of the Gale Force, which has nothing to do with the girl.

Lion: Don't worry, you help saved my life, your secret's safe with me. (They go back to how they were before) Bracelet stop.

[Time moves normal again.]

Scarecrow: (As if nothing happened) Now that's getting personal, Lion.

Tinman: Yes, get up and teach him a lesson.

Scarecrow: What's wrong with you teaching him?

Tinman: Well, I hardly know him.

[Toto barks at Lion.]

Lion: I'll get you anyway, pewee!

[Lion goes to attack Toto, but Dorothy hits him.]

Dorothy: Shame on you!

Lion: (Crying) What you do that for? I didn't bite him!

Dorothy: But you tried to! It's bad enough picking on a strawman, but when you go picking on poor little dogs…

Lion: (Crying harder) But you didn't have to go and hit me did ya? Is my nose bleeding?

Dorothy: No. Why what a fuss you're making! Naturally, when you go around picking on things weaker than you are, why you're nothing but a great big coward!

Lion: You're right I am a coward! I have no courage at all! I even scare myself! Look at the circles under my eyes, I HAVEN'T SLEPT IN WEEKS!

Tinman: Why don't you try counting sheep?

Lion: That doesn't do any good, I'm afraid of them!

Dorothy: That's too bad. Hey, we're all off to see the Wizard, maybe he could help you too!

Lion: Help me?

Dorothy: I don't see why not. We're already going to The Emerald City(Implying Tinman) To get him a heart.

Tinman: (Implying Scarecrow) And him a brain.

Dorothy: I'm sure he'll get you some courage.

Lion: Wouldn't you feel degraded being in the company of a cowardly Lion? I know I would.

Dorothy: Not at all.

Lion: Geez, that's awfully nice of you guys. My life's been unbearable. First my family disowned me, then I get cub-napped and locked in a cage and brought to a classroom to be put on display like a Freak at a Freak Show.

Dorothy: How did you escape?

Lion: A green skinned woman put a spell on all of the people except for her and a man.

Tinman: I remember that day in class.

Dorothy: What happened next?

Lion: Well, I was taken to a field, then I fell asleep. When I woke up, I was with a man named Hulk. He abandoned me ages ago.

Dorothy: My family has a Farm-hand named Hulk. He said he's a runaway Prince.

Lion: Is he a tall arrogant man with dark hair?

Dorothy: Yes.

Lion: That's him!

Dorothy: When I get back home, I'm gonna give him a piece of my mind!

Lion: Why don't you go there now?

Dorothy: It's all the way in Kansas.

Lion: Where's that?

Dorothy: Far away. I need the Wizard to get me there.

Lion: Well, I guess I've got nothing to lose. I'll come with you!

Dorothy: Let's go!

[They start to walk off.]

Lion: I can't believe I'm gonna get some courage!

IF I ONLY HAD THE NERVE

Lion
Yeh, it's sad, believe me, Missy
When you're born to be a sissy
Without the vim and verve

But I could change my habits
Never more be scared of rabbits
If I only had the nerve

I'm afraid there's no denying
I'm just an awful dandy-lion
A fate I don't deserve

But I could show my prowess
Be a lion, not a mouse
If I only had the nerve

Dorothy
Oh you'd be in your stride
A king down to the core

Lion
Oh I roar the way I never roared before
And then I'd rrwuff
And roar some more

I would show the dinosaurus
Who's king around the forus
A king they's better serve

And with my regal beezer
I could be another Caesar
If I only had the nerve

I'd be brave as a blizzard

Tinman
I'd be gentle as a lizard

Scarecrow
I'd be clever as a gizzard

Dorothy
If the Wizard is a Wizard who will serve?

Scarecrow
Then I'm sure to get a brain

Tinman
A heart,

Dorothy
a home,

Lion
the nerve

Dorothy: To Oz?

All: To Oz!

WE'RE OFF TO SEE THE WIZARD

Dorothy, Scarecrow, Tinman & Lion
We're off to see the wizard the wonderful wizard of Oz
We hear that he is a whiz of a wiz
If ever a wiz was there
If ever, oh ever a wiz there was

The Wizard of Oz is one because, because, because, because, because, because
Of the wonderful things he does
We're off to see the wizard the wonderful wizard of Oz

[They exit. Curtains close.]