Characters Deer Raksha Seyva Dhani Other Wolves Bagheera Akela
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Characters Deer Raksha Seyva Dhani Other Wolves Bagheera Akela Shere Khan Gray Mowgli Keva Fatin Baloo Monkey 1 Monkey 2 Monkey 3 Monkey 4 Kaa Asa Villager 1 Villager 2 Child 1 Child 2 Toomai Scene 1 (Stage is set with small pots of fake greenery. There are also two ‘rocks’ onstage; one being Council Rock, the other, Bagheera’s Perch. A DEER enters, gracefully. Music begins softly as the deer moves from plant to plant, dancing. The music changes ominously. Quickly, the WOLF PACK surrounds the DEER. The WOLVES circle in on the deer, blocking it from view. DEER exits by the time the pack opens up again. A rustling from the bushes. The pack turns as one.) RAKSHA. Who moves within our grounds who does not use the Stranger’s Hunting Call? BAGHEERA. (Entering SR, carrying a bundle) We be of one blood, ye and I. RAKSHA. Bagheera. BAGHEERA. I tell you now, return to your den. It is not safe out tonight. RAKSHA. What is it? BAGHEERA. Shere Khan is out hunting. RAKSHA. On our grounds? BAGHEERA. He will not obey the Law of the Jungle. He is lame and wishes for easier prey. SEYVA. Our buck will be no easier for a lame tiger to catch. BAGHEERA. It is not buck he hunts tonight ... but man. RAKSHA. Man? SEYVA. In the jungle? BAGHEERA. Travelers. And their kin (nodding toward the bundle.) SEYVA. Bagheera. BAGHEERA. (Looking only at RAKSHA) I ask only that you take the cub with you. Just until Shere Khan moves on. RAKSHA. And you believe he will be safe then? BAGHEERA. Not in the jungle. I will take him back to the Man Village. RAKSHA. And when do you believe he will move on? BAGHEERA. Within the season. Shere Khan does not stay in one spot long. RAKSHA. (After a moment’s pause) We will take him. To Council Rock. SEYVA. Raksha— RAKSHA. Should the rest of the Free People approve of him ... I believe Akela will allow him to remain with us. BAGHEERA. I thank you, Raksha. RAKSHA. Will you be coming with us? BAGHEERA. I will join you at Council Rock. I do not foresee all of the Free People being as willing as you are. Perhaps they could use a little encouragement. RAKSHA. I suspect that you are right. (They remain looking at each other, Raksha taking the bundle, as the rest of the WOLF pack fills the stage, AKELA jumping on to Council Rock. BAGHEERA jumps onto their perch.) AKELA. It is time, once again for the looking-over of young into our midst. Let no cub go unseen (Looking directly at RAKSHA, with MOWGLI in her arms and the CUBS at her feet). You all know the Law. (Looking around at the other wolves) Those you accept tonight shall be your kin. To harm one of them would be a great evil. (Pause) Now look - look well, O Wolves. (The WOLVES begin to move, looking over the CUBS) SEYVA. (Gesturing to the bundle in RAKSHA’s arms) This is ridiculous, Akela. Man cub does not need looking-over. What would we want with a man cub? SHERE KHAN. (Entering quietly from SL) If you don’t mind, I might pose the same question. (The WOLVES turn as one, hackles raised.) AKELA. And if we do mind? SHERE KHAN. Council Rock is free to all people is it not? BAGHEERA. (A warning) Free to the Free People, Shere Khan. SHERE KHAN. And you, Bagheera? Feeling very canine today? RAKSHA. Bagheera is one of the Seeonee. He is our cubs’ teacher. The same cannot be said about yourself. SHERE KHAN. Oh, you can make an exception just this once, can you not? AKELA. What do you want, Shere Khan? SHERE KHAN. (Growling) You know what I want. I want my vengeance, and you took him from me. RAKSHA. Your vengeance? Is that what you call cubs these days? SHERE KHAN. That is no cub! That is man. Man does not belong in the jungle ... it is Law. RAKSHA. Do not speak of the Law you do not follow! AKELA. Raksha ... RAKSHA. The greatest evil the Law seeks to prevent is killing young before they themselves have had their first kill. Yet, I have a strong suspicion that that is all you’re here for. SHERE KHAN. (Ignoring RAKSHA, looking only at AKELA) Give me the cub and we avoid a fight, Akela. AKELA. (As the WOLVES growl) Peace, Wolves. The tiger knows who runs this part of the jungle. I’m sure he doesn’t intend to make threats. SHERE KHAN. Oh, don’t I? AKELA. Come now, Shere Khan. You do not expect us to believe you would take on the whole pack for one measly child, do you? SHERE KHAN. He is not yours! RAKSHA. Nor is he yours! BAGHEERA. (Stepping off his perch) If I do recall, when there is a dispute over a cub, he may be bought into the pack with an offering. (Looking around at the wolves) A bull, freshly caught just a mile east of the river. But only if you’ll take him. DHANI. Oh, what’s the harm in a man cub anyway? AKELA. Wolves, do any of you decline this bargain? (It is silent, though SEYVA looks irritated) Then he is ours. Shere Khan, you must go now. SHERE KHAN. Why do you want him? He will only cause you trouble— RAKSHA. And you vow to give us all trouble! SHERE KHAN. Do my burns not remind you of what grown men will do? In revenge for the man that made me lame when I was no older than your cubs themselves, Raksha; I vow to kill him! You cannot keep him alive forever! Soon he will be man and man cannot be protected from the jungle. RAKSHA. He will not need protection then! He will learn to run with the pack. The pack that you, Shere Khan, are too cowardly to attack. He will learn to hunt, and mark my words, by vowing to hunt him, you have chosen your downfall. This cub will grow to be man and he will hunt you down. Now leave here before we finish you off for him! (SHERE KHAN takes a threatening step forward. The WOLVES do as well, and he freezes.) SHERE KHAN. I have no wish to quarrel with the Free People. I trust you will see reason eventually. I will go. Out of respect for the Law. But I will be back. (He starts to back away then turns over his shoulder) In the meantime, do ask yourselves; how many lives is one man cub worth? (He exits SL. It is silent for a moment.) AKELA. (AKELA relaxes slowly, eyeing MOWGLI) We are bargaining for trouble with that one. BAGHEERA. Shere Khan brings trouble wherever he goes. If it was not this matter, it would be another. DHANI. We must get the bull now, Akela. I foresee that tiger on his way there already. AKELA. Yes, Dhani. Go, and make haste. (The WOLVES run off SL with the bundle. AKELA and BAGHEERA remain on stage. AKELA gets off his rock.) Shere Khan was right about one thing. Man cannot be protected in the jungle. BAGHEERA. No one can be truly protected anywhere. This cub may become a great help in times of need; for no one can hope to lead the Pack forever. (BAGHEERA looks at AKELA for a moment before they nod to each other, AKELA exiting SR, BAGHEERA exiting SL.) Scene 2 (GRAY, one of the WOLF CUBS, and MOWGLI, come running on SR.) MOWGLI. It’s not fair, Gray! You have twice as many legs as I do! GRAY. No I don’t! Yours are just shaped funny. They look like the Monkey-People’s. RAKSHA. (Entering from SL, coming to stand near Council Rock) Enough, Gray. How many times have I told you we do not speak of the Bandar- log? GRAY. A lot, Mama. RAKSHA. And why is that? GRAY. (Reciting proudly for his mother) The Bandar-log are the most lawless people of the jungle. RAKSHA. (Unimpressed) Very good. Now remember that next time, before you compare your brother to one. GRAY. Fine. Then you look just like the Man People we see down in their village! Carrying their Red Flower plant back and forth between them. RAKSHA. Gray! You don’t go near the Man Village, do you? (MOWGLI glances at his mother, making sure she is not watching him. Then he pulls a curved piece of bark and long string from the potted plant and sits down. He takes a sip from the bark, as if it is filled with water.) GRAY. Not near it ... but the Red Flower is so bright! You can almost see it from the Seeonee. (Plopping down on the ground, next to MOWGLI who is knotting long pieces of grass together.) RAKSHA. It is also very hot. Stay far away from it. And from men. Understand? GRAY. I know. (BAGHEERA enters SL, jumping onto his perch. RAKSHA goes over to speak with him. GRAY leans toward MOWGLI) but you do look like one of them. MOWGLI. I am one of them. GRAY. (Reproachfully) Of course you’re not. You’re one of us. (KEVA and FATIN, the two other CUBS, come running on SR.) At least you beat Keva and Fatin. KEVA. It wasn’t our fault! FATIN. We got distracted in the valley. (They tumble to the ground where MOWGLI and GRAY sit.) KEVA. Didn’t you see it? FATIN.