{A/N: Spikeness!!!!! ~clingz to Steve~ Anywho. thanks much for the review.
and before I forget. ~throws paint all over Steve~ HAHAHA! For anyone who
wants to, please IM me @ ebonyraven12345 to join the paint war!}
SCENE 5
(the stage descends into darkness again. SANDY is calling MISTO softly, he doesn't respond. MUNK is pacing frantically, as is ALONZO. Finally, the lights come up again on TUGGER'S bedroom.)
TUGGER: What the- (the bell strikes one, and a crack of light is on the stage. TUGGER gets up to investigate)
OLD D: Come in! Come in! (sounding jolly)
TUGGER: (to himself) At least one of us is happy! (he does as he's told. OLD D is sitting up, looking quite happy on a mountain of Christmas dinner... leftovers, that is!)
OLD D: Come! And know me better, tom! I am the ghost of Christmas Present!
TUGGER: (under his breath) You're my father, idiot! (OLD D rolls his eyes)
OLD D: You've never seen the like of me before? Never walked forth with my brothers and sisters?
TUGGER: I doubt it. Why, do you have a lot of them?
OLD D: Over eighteen hundred.
TUGGER: Wow... your parents were "busy"... (OLD D glares at TUGGER, who glares back) Conduct me where you will.
OLD D: Yes... the sooner this is over, the better. (both give each other a mock glare) Touch my robe! (TUGGER does so as the scene blacks out.)
SCENE 5
(Once more, confusion has set in. ALONZO is shouting at the top of his lungs for quiet, MISTO and SANDY are trying to stop a fight between MACAVITY and MUNKUSTRAP. CASSANDRA trips and falls headlong into ALONZO, which makes his day and shuts him up. VICTORIA realizes nobody's paying attention to her and pounces DEMETER. Finally, SANDY and MISTO get them all to settle down, ALONZO yells "action" and the lights come up on MUNKUSTRAPS home. DEMETER is there, as are the CRACHIT'S.)
DEMETER: Where is your precious father, then? And your brother, Mittens? And Electra wasn't nearly so late last year!
MISTY: Here's Electra, mother!
VICKI and DUNE: Here's Electra, mother! Hurrah! There's such goose, Electra!
DEMETER: Electra, dear, you're so cold! And so late!
ELECTRA: I'm sorry, mother! We'd a deal of work to finish last night and had to clear away this morning!
DEMETER: Well! Never mind, so long as you're here. Warm yourself by the fire.
VICKI and DUNE: No, no! There's father coming! Hide, Electra! Hide! (ELECTRA runs into a closet as MUNKUSTRAP enters with MITTENS on his shoulder.)
MUNK: Why, where's our Electra?
DEMETER: Not coming. (she lifts MITTENS from his father's shoulder)
MUNK: Not coming? Not coming home for Christmas? (he looks quite crest- fallen, with huge puppy eyes)
ELECTRA: (flinging herself into MUNKS arms) Father! (the two embrace and MUNK swings her around. VICKI and DUNE take MITTENS off-stage)
DEMETER: And how did little Mittens behave?
MUNK: As good as gold... and better! He told me, on our way home, that he hoped people had seen him in church, to remember that it was Jesus who made the lame walk and the blind see.
DEMETER: Well now, let's have our supper! (the family sits down as the three kits return. MUNK says a quick blessing, and they all begin to eat)
MUNK: A merry Christmas to us al, my dears! God bless us!
MITTENS: God bless us, every one!
TUGGER: (who was standing to the side the whole time) Spirit... tell me if Mittens will live.
OLD D: I see an empty seat in the corner, and a crutch carefully preserved. If these shadows remain un-altered by the future... the kit will die.
TUGGER: No, no! Oh, no, kind spirit! Say he'll be spared!
OLD D: If these shadows remain unaltered, none of my kind will find him here. What, then? If he's going to die, then he will, cowboy! (TUGGER looks ashamed; he recognizes his own words) Tom, if tom you be in heart, will you decide who lives or dies? Can you change their fate? (TUGGER looks about to cry as MUNK speaks)
MUNK: Mr. Tugger! I give you the founder of the feast!
DEMETER: Founder of the feast indeed! I wish I had him here! I'd give him a piece of my mind!
MUNK: Darling! Christmas day...
DEMETER: I'll drink to his health for your sake, Munkustrap, not for him. (the scene fades away, and TUGGER finds himself standing in POUNCIVALS home, bewildered)
POUNCE: HAHAHHAHA! He said Christmas was a waste of time too!
CETTY: More shame for him then, Pounce!
POUNCE: He's a comical old fellow... but, really, I think he rather likes me. He's more pleasant when I'm around.
CETTY: I'm sure he's very rich... at least, you always tell me he is.
POUNCE: What good is his money to him? He won't be blessing us with it I'm sure!
CETTY: I have no patience with him.
POUNCE: Oh, I have! Think, Etcetera, who does he harm? Himself, not us! Therefore I shall continue to bless him!
CETTY: Well... at least we know he's losing out on a wonderful meal.
POUNCE: I'm glad to hear it, for I have no faith in these young housekeepers. Come! We shall dine! (the scene fades slightly, only to brighten again as the whole company of REVELERS are starting a new game)
TUGGER: Oh, please, don't let's go yet! Here's a new game! Only a half-hour more, spirit! (looking like a pleading kitten)
OLD D: (sighing) Fine...
POUNCE: I'm thinking of a person, place or thing. I can only answer yes or no... who's the first to ask?
GUS: Is it living?
POUNCE: Yes.
ASPARAGUS: Is it an animal?
POUNCE: Yes.
JENNY: Is it a bear?
POUNCE: No.
JELLY: A cat?
POUNCE: Yes...
JENNY: (after a silence) I've got it, Pounce! It's your uncle Tugger!!!!!
POUNCE: Indeed... it is!
GUS: I daresay you should have said it was a bear, Pouncival.
POUNCE: He has given us much merriment, I shouldn't wonder! Let's drink to his health. And may he be having a wonderful Christmas, wherever he is! (the REVELERS drink after him)
TUGGER; Thank you... thank you very much... very very much! (OLD D shuts him up)
OLD D: Look upon me...
TUGGER: Are spirits' lives so short?
OLD D: My life ends this very night at midnight.
TUGGER: Midnight!
OLD D: Hark! My time draws to an end.
TUGGER: I beg your pardon... but I see something strange and not belonging to yourself beneath your robe. It appears to be a claw...
OLD D: It might be a claw, for the flesh upon it. Look here! (he ushers two of MACAVITYS HENCHMEN into the light)
TUGGER: Spirit! Are they... are they yours?
OLD D: They are everyone's. This tom is Ignorance. This queen is Want. Beware them both, but the tom most of all, for I see destruction written upon his brow.
TUGGER: Have they no refuge?
OLD D: Are there no prisons or workhouses?
SCENE 5
(the stage descends into darkness again. SANDY is calling MISTO softly, he doesn't respond. MUNK is pacing frantically, as is ALONZO. Finally, the lights come up again on TUGGER'S bedroom.)
TUGGER: What the- (the bell strikes one, and a crack of light is on the stage. TUGGER gets up to investigate)
OLD D: Come in! Come in! (sounding jolly)
TUGGER: (to himself) At least one of us is happy! (he does as he's told. OLD D is sitting up, looking quite happy on a mountain of Christmas dinner... leftovers, that is!)
OLD D: Come! And know me better, tom! I am the ghost of Christmas Present!
TUGGER: (under his breath) You're my father, idiot! (OLD D rolls his eyes)
OLD D: You've never seen the like of me before? Never walked forth with my brothers and sisters?
TUGGER: I doubt it. Why, do you have a lot of them?
OLD D: Over eighteen hundred.
TUGGER: Wow... your parents were "busy"... (OLD D glares at TUGGER, who glares back) Conduct me where you will.
OLD D: Yes... the sooner this is over, the better. (both give each other a mock glare) Touch my robe! (TUGGER does so as the scene blacks out.)
SCENE 5
(Once more, confusion has set in. ALONZO is shouting at the top of his lungs for quiet, MISTO and SANDY are trying to stop a fight between MACAVITY and MUNKUSTRAP. CASSANDRA trips and falls headlong into ALONZO, which makes his day and shuts him up. VICTORIA realizes nobody's paying attention to her and pounces DEMETER. Finally, SANDY and MISTO get them all to settle down, ALONZO yells "action" and the lights come up on MUNKUSTRAPS home. DEMETER is there, as are the CRACHIT'S.)
DEMETER: Where is your precious father, then? And your brother, Mittens? And Electra wasn't nearly so late last year!
MISTY: Here's Electra, mother!
VICKI and DUNE: Here's Electra, mother! Hurrah! There's such goose, Electra!
DEMETER: Electra, dear, you're so cold! And so late!
ELECTRA: I'm sorry, mother! We'd a deal of work to finish last night and had to clear away this morning!
DEMETER: Well! Never mind, so long as you're here. Warm yourself by the fire.
VICKI and DUNE: No, no! There's father coming! Hide, Electra! Hide! (ELECTRA runs into a closet as MUNKUSTRAP enters with MITTENS on his shoulder.)
MUNK: Why, where's our Electra?
DEMETER: Not coming. (she lifts MITTENS from his father's shoulder)
MUNK: Not coming? Not coming home for Christmas? (he looks quite crest- fallen, with huge puppy eyes)
ELECTRA: (flinging herself into MUNKS arms) Father! (the two embrace and MUNK swings her around. VICKI and DUNE take MITTENS off-stage)
DEMETER: And how did little Mittens behave?
MUNK: As good as gold... and better! He told me, on our way home, that he hoped people had seen him in church, to remember that it was Jesus who made the lame walk and the blind see.
DEMETER: Well now, let's have our supper! (the family sits down as the three kits return. MUNK says a quick blessing, and they all begin to eat)
MUNK: A merry Christmas to us al, my dears! God bless us!
MITTENS: God bless us, every one!
TUGGER: (who was standing to the side the whole time) Spirit... tell me if Mittens will live.
OLD D: I see an empty seat in the corner, and a crutch carefully preserved. If these shadows remain un-altered by the future... the kit will die.
TUGGER: No, no! Oh, no, kind spirit! Say he'll be spared!
OLD D: If these shadows remain unaltered, none of my kind will find him here. What, then? If he's going to die, then he will, cowboy! (TUGGER looks ashamed; he recognizes his own words) Tom, if tom you be in heart, will you decide who lives or dies? Can you change their fate? (TUGGER looks about to cry as MUNK speaks)
MUNK: Mr. Tugger! I give you the founder of the feast!
DEMETER: Founder of the feast indeed! I wish I had him here! I'd give him a piece of my mind!
MUNK: Darling! Christmas day...
DEMETER: I'll drink to his health for your sake, Munkustrap, not for him. (the scene fades away, and TUGGER finds himself standing in POUNCIVALS home, bewildered)
POUNCE: HAHAHHAHA! He said Christmas was a waste of time too!
CETTY: More shame for him then, Pounce!
POUNCE: He's a comical old fellow... but, really, I think he rather likes me. He's more pleasant when I'm around.
CETTY: I'm sure he's very rich... at least, you always tell me he is.
POUNCE: What good is his money to him? He won't be blessing us with it I'm sure!
CETTY: I have no patience with him.
POUNCE: Oh, I have! Think, Etcetera, who does he harm? Himself, not us! Therefore I shall continue to bless him!
CETTY: Well... at least we know he's losing out on a wonderful meal.
POUNCE: I'm glad to hear it, for I have no faith in these young housekeepers. Come! We shall dine! (the scene fades slightly, only to brighten again as the whole company of REVELERS are starting a new game)
TUGGER: Oh, please, don't let's go yet! Here's a new game! Only a half-hour more, spirit! (looking like a pleading kitten)
OLD D: (sighing) Fine...
POUNCE: I'm thinking of a person, place or thing. I can only answer yes or no... who's the first to ask?
GUS: Is it living?
POUNCE: Yes.
ASPARAGUS: Is it an animal?
POUNCE: Yes.
JENNY: Is it a bear?
POUNCE: No.
JELLY: A cat?
POUNCE: Yes...
JENNY: (after a silence) I've got it, Pounce! It's your uncle Tugger!!!!!
POUNCE: Indeed... it is!
GUS: I daresay you should have said it was a bear, Pouncival.
POUNCE: He has given us much merriment, I shouldn't wonder! Let's drink to his health. And may he be having a wonderful Christmas, wherever he is! (the REVELERS drink after him)
TUGGER; Thank you... thank you very much... very very much! (OLD D shuts him up)
OLD D: Look upon me...
TUGGER: Are spirits' lives so short?
OLD D: My life ends this very night at midnight.
TUGGER: Midnight!
OLD D: Hark! My time draws to an end.
TUGGER: I beg your pardon... but I see something strange and not belonging to yourself beneath your robe. It appears to be a claw...
OLD D: It might be a claw, for the flesh upon it. Look here! (he ushers two of MACAVITYS HENCHMEN into the light)
TUGGER: Spirit! Are they... are they yours?
OLD D: They are everyone's. This tom is Ignorance. This queen is Want. Beware them both, but the tom most of all, for I see destruction written upon his brow.
TUGGER: Have they no refuge?
OLD D: Are there no prisons or workhouses?