by Wayne S. Turney, Original Music by Wayne S. Turney

Sample Dialogue, All rights reserved
For Production Rights, Contact Mr. Turney

The stage is bare except for a trunk, a couple of hat trees, a ladder or two and perhaps a stool or a bench. The emphasis is to be on imagination and the words.

AESOP:

Allow me to introduce myself. I am Aesop, the famous storyteller. I make magic with my words. [Produces a feather bouquet which he gives to Actress, who ponders the feathers and moves off to transform into a bird.] I make magic.

Look over here. What do you see? Do you see what I see? You may see only hats and dolls. I can see beauty and truth. You may see only greasepaint and cardboard. I see the wisdom of the ages! You may see only pasteboard props. I can see magic and adventure.

You can see as I do.

You don't need special glasses. You only need to try. Try it! And you'll see with new and special eyes. [Transforming the audience] Take from me a pinch of imagination; add this tiny dram of insight; mix in this dollop of poetry and cover with a soupcon of song (just to keep it interesting), and you can see as I do. Try it!

Look at me. What do you see? Try harder. Now, what do you see? I'm no ordinary fellow. I have stories to tell. Fabulous stories taught to me by birds [Actress moves to him] and vixens and lions and donkeys.

Take her, for example. You may see only an ordinary lady. But look with your brand new eyes. [As Actress puts on a boa and a feathered hat] Can't you see a bird? A colorful bird! Try harder! [Actress makes an adjustment and perhaps even moves in birdlike fashion--She aspires one day to Papagena] That's much better! Don't you agree? I can almost see her flying! [Actress shoots him a look] I said, "Almost."

ACTOR:

[Breaking in, wearing a large straw hat with donkey's ears attached] Heeee! Haw! Hee-hee. Haw!

AESOP:

[Scratching Actor's ears or perhaps giving him a mimed lump of sugar] Three Guesses and the first two don't count! [Actor manages a handstand and kicks up his heels with considerable coaching in rehearsal] Your brand new eyes are working. See? This isn't hard!

[Actress has molted and, with the silent aid of a koken, subsequently puts on a fur hat with a fox tail on it, or perhaps a belt with a nice bushy foxtail]

AESOP:

What's our bird become? Who can tell me?

ACTRESS :

(Settling the matter) I'm a fox. A vixen, really.

AESOP:

Let them guess. Or figure it out. [To Actress ] Try something else. [To Audience] Let's guess what she'll become. [Actress has doffed her fur hat in favor of a large panel of bright yellow/gold cloth profferred her by a koken and has climbed a ladder (which is mounted on a wheels or furniture skids), Stage Left Center, and begins to sing the gentle and wordless Melody of the Sun] Who can guess what she's become?

ACTOR:

[Bundled up by now in a big blue blanket and a winter hat with flaps] What about me? [Mounts another Ladder Stage Right Center, and huffs away as a koken cranks a wind machine] Whoooosh! Whoosh!

AESOP:

Have you guessed it yet? Have you figured it out? No? Let's listen in?

ACTOR:

I'm irresistible! No one can stop me. Whoooosh! I'm the most powerful force in Nature!

ACTRESS:

(Languidly) I can resist you. Though I can't stop your blowhard ways. I have powers you know nothing of.

ACTOR:

Blowhard, am I? I'll show you blowhard! [He cracks those proverbial cheeks]

ACTRESS:

[Laughing] Blow ahead! I can warm anything you can chill.

ACTOR:

And I can freeze anything you can warm.

AESOP:

Have you guessed yet? [Ad lib interaction with audience, then] Here we have The Battle of the Northwind and the Sun. (Melody and wind machine continue under)

ACTRESS:

[Taunting] Warm. And Gentle.

ACTOR:

Cold. And Forceful.

ACTRESS:

Warm

ACTOR:

Cold.

ACTRESS:

Gentle.

ACTOR:

Forceful.

AESOP:

They could've gone on like this for several more verses and maybe even a chorus or two, but the sun spotted a man [Koken hands him a hat which he dons; followed by a wedge of cloth for a cloak and he begins "walking" in place] on the road far below them and got an idea.

ACTRESS:

Warm.

ACTOR:

Forceful

ACTRESS:

Oh, look!

ACTOR:

Forceful.

ACTRESS:

We're getting nowhere..

ACTOR:

Forceful.

ACTRESS:

Please, look.

ACTOR:

I think I'm winning.

ACTRESS:

[Gently] Won't you look?

ACTOR:

Very well. What am I to see?

ACTRESS:

The answer to our dilemma.

ACTOR:

All I see is a peasant man walking along the road.

ACTRESS:

[To audience] He has no imagination, has he? [To Northwind] I see something you do not.

ACTOR:

Just what is that?

ACTRESS:

Notice the cloak that peasant man is wearing? [Aesop preens, displaying the "cloak"]

ACTOR:

Of course I do. I'm not blind.

ACTRESS:

But don't you see? That's how we'll settle our dispute.

ACTOR:

I don't follow.

ACTRESS:

What a surprise. Don't you see the opportunity? Whoever can make that simple peasant lose his cloak is clearly the stronger, don't you agree?

ACTOR:

Of course! Nothing could be easier. His cloak will be on the road in no time.

AESOP:

The peasant walked on, completely unaware that he was to be the judge in this colossal contest...

COPYRIGHT 1998 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

TO REQUEST A FULL SCRIPT AND OR PRODUCTION RIGHTS, CONTACT MR. TURNEY