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Osee: The Royal Cricket Keeper
Ahpoo: The Royal Acrobat
Kuda: The Royal Executioner
Emperor: His Royal Highness
Osee: Making a kite using paper, brushes, glue, and paint.
I better finish up this kite soon, the Emperor is going to be here to see the
Royal Cricket. Let me make sure its golden crown is looking good. The Royal
Cricket is different then all other crickets because of the mark on its head
in the shape of a crown. It is said that whoever has the Royal Cricket has
the power to rule over Japan.
Walks over to the cricket's cage. Opens it and lifts the cricket out.
There's a good cricket. Your master is going to come and visit today. He
wants to see your golden crown.
Takes a closer look.
Yii, where is your mark. Somebody has stolen the Royal Cricket and replaced
it with an ordinary one. Oh no, this is terrible.
Puts the cricket back in the cage.
Maybe its still in the cottage somewhere. I've got to find it.
Scrambles around looking.
Ahpoo: Enters with a somersault, and another.
Osee: Hello, can I help you?
Ahpoo: I'm the Royal Acrobat.
Ahpoo is my name.
With twirling spins and many leaps,
Tumbling is my fame.
Hai, I'm the Royal Acrobat.
Ahpoo is my name.
I come from a line of Tumblebugs.
From them I get my game.
Osee: If you are the Royal Acrobat, why are you here?
Ahpoo: I'll tell you why I'm here if you tell me where here is.
Osee: This is the cottage of the Royal Cricket Keeper.
Ahpoo: You see, it happened again. Whenever I start doing somersaults I get so carried away.
Osee: How long have you been doing somersaults?
Ahpoo: Well, I was on the road with the Emperor on the way to your cottage when suddenly I had an urge to somersault. So I started.
He does a somersault.
And then (another somersault)
I just (another)
couldn't (another)
Osee: Catches Ahpoo by the foot.
STOP!
Ahpoo: That's right, I just couldn't stop. Thank you, you can let me go now.
Stands up.
Its worse when I'm frightened, then I do backwards somersaults.
Osee: I'm glad you weren't frightened.
Ahpoo: So am I... Say, Royal Cricket Keeper, can I ask you for a favor?
Osee: It never hurts to ask.
Ahpoo: Can I see the Royal Cricket? I've never seen the crown up close.
Osee: Of course you- the Royal Cricket? (Frightened)
No, no you can't.
Ahpoo: Why not?
Osee: Because that is the law.
Ahpoo: It is? I've never heard of that law.
Osee: Okay, fine, what's the use. You can't see the Royal Cricket because it's gone.
Ahpoo: Gone?
Backward somersault.
Osee: Chases Ahpoo and catches him after a somersault.
It was in the cage last night when I went to sleep, but when I looked this morning, the cricket had no crown.
Ahpoo: Well where did it go?
Osee: What, the crown or the cricket?
Ahpoo: The crown, the cricket, I don't know, both.
Starts to do another somersault.
Osee: No more somersaults Ahpoo. Help me look.
Ahpoo: We better find it quick, the Emperor and his executioner will be here any minute.
Osee: Then please help me look, it may still be in the room.
They look around frantically.
Osee: Picking something up.
Strange. No Royal Cricket, but this looks an awful lot like one of the Royal Executioner's pet spiders...
That's strange...I can't remember the last time he was here. But he'll be here any minute. Never mind, help me look.
Ahpoo: What if we glue some paper to the Royal Cricket's head? It will look just like a crown.
Osee: I will not lie to the Emperor.
Ahpoo: You don't have to, just don't say anything, and it will give us time to find the real cricket in the mean while.
Grabs the cricket and heads for glue and paper.
Osee: I can't let you do this.
Ahpoo: It's the only way to save your life.
Osee: I hear somebody coming.
Ahpoo: Dabs the cricket with glue and sticks some gold paper to its head.
I'm hurrying. I'm hurrying. Runs the cricket back to its cage.
Osee: Get the paper off your hand.
Osee and Ahpoo struggle with the paper, each gets stuck with it, finally wipe it off on their clothes.
Kuda: (As he enters) Make way for the Emperor.
Osee and Ahpoo look guilty.
Kuda: What is going on in here?
Ahpoo: Nothing, we were just getting ready for the Emperor's visit.
Kuda: And is everything ready?
Ahpoo: Yes.
Kuda: Well it had better be.
Emperor enters.
Kuda: To emperor
All is ready your royal highness.
Emperor: All is ready, that's nice. Ready for what?
Kuda: Ready for you to view the Royal Cricket.
Emperor: Oh yes, the Royal Cricket. Where is my little darling.
Ahpoo: His little what?
Kuda: The cricket, you fool!
Ahpoo: Back somersault.
Right there.
Osee: Most glorious Emperor, there is something I must say.
Kuda: Silence. No one may speak to the Emperor but the Royal Executioner! Besides, he can't hear you. He hears only my voice.
Osee: But-
Kuda: SILENCE!!! Now bring the Royal Cricket into view.
Osee: Slowly walks over and takes the cover off the cage, lifts the cage and brings it toward the Emperor. Speaks quietly. The Royal Cricket.
Ahpoo: The Royal Cricket.
Kuda: The Royal Cricket.
Emperor: I heard you the first time Kuda. Goes to cage.
Yes, there's my little darling. Ah cricky, cricky, cricky.
Kuda: Surprised. Is it the Royal Cricket?
Osee: That's what I was-
Kuda: SILENCE!
Ahpoo: Of course it's the Royal Cricket. See the gold crown on its head?
Looks at cricket. Hmm?
Looks closer. Hummm.
Still closer. Aha!
Ahpoo: Aha?
Kuda: This is not the Royal Cricket.
Emperor: Nonsense Kuda, it has the golden crown. Only the Royal Cricket has the golden crown.
Ahpoo: Yes Kuda, only the Royal Cricket has the golden crown.
Kuda: Quiet fool, or I'll feed you to the Royal Goldfish.
Emperor: What is this talk about this not being the Royal Cricket.
Kuda: Watch Royal One. Takes cricket from cage and removes paper.
Not a crown, but a piece of gold paper. Puts the cricket back.
Emperor: It's not my little cricket. Oh no, oh no, oh no.
Kuda: To Osee. What have you done with the Royal Cricket.
Osee: I tried to tell you when you first asked to see it. When I looked in the cage this morning, this cricket was there and the Royal Cricket was gone.
Kuda: Liar. You have glued paper to this ordinary cricket because you have failed your Emperor and are not willing to face the consequences.
Osee: No, no, you're wrong.
Kuda: You challenge me servant? You failed the Emperor. Now you are lying. I should feed you to my spiders.
After I've cut off your head.
Emperor: This is terrible. I love the sound of the cricket. It made me so happy. Life is so terrible when all I get to hear is your angry voice Kuda.
Kuda: We must execute him your highness.
Osee: No, give me a chance to find it.
Kuda: You just want time to get away. Off with his head.
Ahpoo: Only the Emperor can order an execution.
Kuda: To the Emperor. We must execute him.
Emperor: It would be better to have a Royal Cricket then to lose a Royal Cricket Keeper. I would rather have the Royal Cricket then be Emperor. If only you knew how lonely it is not to be able to hear any voice except yours. The chirping of the Royal Cricket was the only happy sound I ever heard. I only want to hear its beautiful song again.
Osee: Looking at the cage. I know that I can find it.
Pulls the cricket out of the cage. To Ahpoo-
Look at this. Here, where the glue is wiping off, black paint. And there, where the black paint was, the golden crown. This is the Royal Cricket.
Ahpoo: But who would paint the Royal Cricket's crown black?
Osee: Somebody who wanted us to think the Royal Cricket had disappeared, but wanted to make sure it was safe in its cage.
Osee and Ahpoo both look at Kudo.
Ahpoo: So he could find it and become Emperor.
Kudo: Silence. It is useless. The Emperor only understands my voice.
And I say off with both of your heads.
Osee and Ahpoo: No!
Emperor: What was that? Kuda was that you?
Kuda: It was not me, it was those fools.
Realizes what he has just said.
No I mean, yes, I mean, oh drat.
Emperor: I did hear someone speak. I can understand you.
Do you know where the Royal Cricket is?
Kuda: Grabs Ahpoo and they struggle.
Osee: Emperor, Kuda has betrayed you. This is the Royal Cricket. Kuda wanted to make you think it was gone so he could steal it and become Emperor.
Emperor: To Kuda. So you want to be Emperor. Then you shall. You shall be the Emperor of Fools. Now smile.
Kuda: No, don't make me smile. Please don't make me.
Emperor: I command you, smile.
Kuda: Makes a grimace of a smile.
Emperor: Now, go make people laugh. If you are ever mean to people again, then you will be fed to your own spiders. Off with you, out of my sight. And as for you Osee and Ahpoo, sit, and talk with me for a while. It is so nice to hear kind people again.
Osee: A cup of tea?
Emperor: Yes, please.