Name: ______Date: ______
Ranita: The Frog Princess
CHARACTERS
FELIPE: The Viceroy’s rotten son RANITA: A little frog with a mysterious past PEPE: Felipe’s mistreated servant VIEJA SABIA: A wise but cranky old woman VICEROY: A representative of the King of Spain VICEROY’S WIFE COOK SERVANT 1 SERVANT 2 MAN 1 MAN 2 MAN 3
SCENE 1
1 [Curtains open. In a forest clearing, men are frantically searching the ground. From a nearby stone well, RANITA watches but remains unnoticed.]
2 MAN 1: [Frustrated] Keep looking! If we don’t find that golden arrow—
3 MAN 2: —we’ll be on tortillas and water for the next month!
4 [Men, grumbling, all agree. Enter FELIPE.]
5 FELIPE: [Loud and demanding] Well? Have you found my golden arrow yet?
6 MAN 3: Not yet, Señor!
7 FELIPE: [Sweetly, hand over heart] It was a gift from my dear mother. [Turning suddenly and hissing] Find it or I will feed you to the jaguars—starting with my bumbling servant, Pepe! It’s his
© Nava Learning, 2016 fault I missed my mark. Now, out of my sight, all of you!
8 [Men exit quickly and hurriedly]
9 FELIPE: [Stomping foot and whining] I want my golden arrow back!
10 RANITA: [Sitting on top of well, holding the golden arrow] Do you mean this golden arrow?
11 FELIPE: [Joyously] My golden arrow! You found it! You— [Stops cold, disgusted] —you’re a frog!
12 RANITA: You were expecting a Mayan princess, perhaps?
13 FELIPE: [Rolls eyes] Well, I wasn’t expecting a talking frog!
14 RANITA: [Sighs] I’m under a spell. I don’t like to talk about it.
15 FELIPE: [Pauses to think] That’s not my problem. Hand over the arrow!
16 RANITA: [Plink! Drops the arrow back down the well] Oops! Looks like it’s your problem now.
17 FELIPE: N-n-nooo! [Threateningly] What have you done you foolish frog?
18 RANITA: If I am so foolish, how come I am the one with the arrow while you are the one standing there talking to a rana?
19 FELIPE: I would squish you right now— [Sniffs] —but you are only a frog.
20 RANITA: [Warningly] You want that golden arrow?
21 FELIPE: [Suspicious] In exchange for what?
22 RANITA: A promise.
23 FELIPE: [Relieved] Oh, is that all?
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24 RANITA: A promise is a very serious thing.
25 FELIPE: [Coughing] Yes, yes of course—go on.
26 RANITA: If I rescue your golden arrow, you must promise to let me eat from your plato, sleep in your cama, and give me a beso when the sun comes up.
27 FELIPE: [Staring in disbelief] Eat from my plate? Sleep in my bed? Kiss you? [Pretends to gag] That’s disgusting!
28 RANITA: No promise, no golden arrow.
29 FELIPE: [Crossing his fingers behind his back] I promise.
30 [RANITA fetches the arrow. FELIPE snatches the arrow, bows, and runs off.]
31 RANITA: Espera! Wait! I can’t hop that fast! [Hangs her head and begins to cry] He’s gone. Now I’ll never break this evil spell.
32 [Enter VIEJA SABIA, leaning on two canes.]
33 VIEJA SABIA: It doesn’t feel very good, does it?
34 RANITA: [Blows nose] Please, no lectures today, old woman.
35 VIEJA SABIA: My name is Vieja Sabia.
36 RANITA: Sorry, wise old woman. [Sadly] You’ve already turned me into a frog. Isn’t that enough?
37 VIEJA SABIA: You wouldn’t be a frog if you hadn’t refused to give me a drink from this well, so long ago.
38 RANITA: I was a selfish child then. I have paid for that, haven’t I? I have learned what it is like to be alone and forgotten.
39 VIEJA SABIA: Perhaps you have…
© Nava Learning, 2016 40 RANITA: [Excited] Then you will turn me into a girl again?
41 VIEJA SABIA: No. But I will take you as far as the Viceroy’s hunting lodge. You must make the leap on your own from there.
42 [Exit VIEJA SABIA and RANITA. Curtains close.]
SCENE 2
43 [Curtains open. In a hunting lodge with VICEROY, VICEROY’S WIFE, noblemen and women, all seated at long banquet table. SERVANTS scurry in and out with bowls of food.]
44 SERVANT 1: [Placing bowl of soup before Viceroy] Sopa, Señor?
45 VICEROY: [Exasperated] Sí, sí. Where is Felipe?
46 VICEROY’S WIFE: [Wistfully] Dear boy. He is probably feeding the birds.
47 SERVANT 2: [Aside to SERVANT 1] To the cat probably.
48 SERVANT 1: [Muffled laughter]
49 [Enter FELIPE]
50 FELIPE: I’m famished! What a day I’ve had today. First, I lost my golden arrow—
51 [Shouting from the kitchen can be heard]
52 FELIPE: [Louder] — then I met this ridiculous, demanding —
53 [Enter RANITA, running from the kitchen chased by COOK and SERVANTS]
54 FELIPE: [Slack-jawed] — frog.
55 COOK: You hop back here! [To SERVANT 1] Stop her right now!
56 SERVANT 1: [Tries to catch frog] Aaayyy! She’s a slippery one!
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57 SERVANT 2: Oooeee! She bit me!
58 COOK: Get her Pepe! [PEPE catches RANITA under the table, smiles, and lets her go. A commotion follows as COOK and SERVANTS chase RANITA]
59 VICEROY: Basta! Enough! Who is this creature?
60 FELIPE: [Sneering] She’s the nasty little frog who rescued my golden arrow.
61 RANITA: And in return he promised to let me eat from his plato, sleep in his cama, and give me a beso when the sun came up!
62 VICEROY: Did you make this promise?
63 FELIPE: [Sullen] I don’t remember.
64 VICEROY’S WIFE: [Indignant] Even if he did — he is the Viceroy’s son!
65 VICEROY: [Grave] Sí, and the Viceroy’s son must always keep his promises!. Pepe! Set a place for our guest.
66 FELIPE: But, Father —
67 VICEROY’S WIFE: Ernesto!
68 VICEROY: [Slams fist on table] Silencio! Silence!
69 [RANITA hops on table. FELIPE is too stunned to speak. VICEROY’S WIFE is glaring.]
70 VICEROY: Everyone — and I mean everyone — eat!
71 [PEPE puts bowl down in front of FELIPE]
72 FELIPE: [Gives a yelp] Pepe!
73 PEPE: [Innocently] Sí?
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74 FELIPE: [Disgusted] There is a fly in my soup!
75 PEPE: It’s for the frog.
76 VICEROY: Excellent! Eat up Felipe.
77 VICEROY’S WIFE: [Revolted] Ugh!
78 [Curtains close]
SCENE 3
79 [Curtains open. In FELIPE’s bedroom]
80 FELIPE: [On bed] I refuse to sleep next to a frog. Pepe!
81 PEPE: [Enters immediately] Sí, Señor?
82 FELIPE: [Snappish] What took you so long? Hurry — tell my father I can’t do this. [Desperate] Tell him I’ll get warts.
83 [Enter VICEROY]
84 VICEROY: [Annoyed] With any luck, you’ll get one on your oath- breaking tongue, boy.
85 FELIPE: [Whining] Father —
86 VICEROY: You made a promise, Felipe. [To PEPE] Help him keep his word, eh, Pepe?
87 [Exit VICEROY]
88 FELIPE: [Throws pillow at PEPE, falls on bed and begins to wail] Aaayyy!
89 PEPE: [Blows out candle and sits in chair] Hasta mañana… until tomorrow. Sweet dreams Felipe.
90 FELIPE: [Growls] I will dream of roasted frog legs.
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91 RANITA: I’m telling.
92 FELIPE: Bug breath!
93 RANITA: Big baby!
94 PEPE: [Sighs] It’s going to be a long night.
95 [Next morning. RANITA is the first to wake up]
96 RANITA: [Cheerful] Despierta, wake up! It’s “beso-time!”
97 [FELIPE rubs eyes, sees RANITA, and shrieks]
98 FELIPE: [Whimpers, clutching his blanket and talking to himself] It wasn’t a bad dream, after all. [Speaking to RANITA] Forget it, frog! I am not kissing you!
99 RANITA: [Stubbornly] You promised.
100 FELIPE: Well, [Smiles slowly] I’ve just had a better idea. [Kicks chair to wake his servant] Pepe!
101 PEPE: [Groggy] Señor!
102 FELIPE: You are sworn to obey me in all things, sí?
103 PEPE: [Confused] Sí, Señor.
104 FELIPE: [Smug] Kiss the frog!
105 [PEPE shrugs his shoulders and kisses RANITA’s cheek, RANITA is no longer a frog but turns into a beautiful Mayan PRINCESS]
106 FELIPE: [Dazzled] I—but who? [Bowing] Allow me to introduce myself, I am—
107 PRINCESS: The Spanish Viceroy’s rotten son! And I am the Mayan Emperor’s lucky daughter.
© Nava Learning, 2016 108 [FELIPE and PEPE fall on their knees]
109 PRINCESS: I have been enchanted for 200 years.
110 FELIPE: [Looks up] You’ve been a frog for 200 years? What’s so lucky about that?
111 PRINCESS: I’ll tell you. As a princess, I could have ended up the wife of a spoiled brat like you. Instead, I found myself a prince… [Takes PEPE’s hand] a prince of a husband, that is.
112 [PEPE kisses the Princess’s hand, while FELIPE has a screaming tantrum. Curtains close]
EPILOGUE
113 [Curtains open. FELIPE is in the same clearing in the forest as in SCENE 1.]
114 FELIPE: [Kicks a stone] If they think I’m going to their ridiculous wedding… ha! May they have a dozen ugly tadpole children!
115 [Enter VIEJA SABIA]
116 VIEJA SABIA: ¡Agua! Water from the well, my son, before I die of thirst.
117 FELIPE: [Snarling] I’m no water boy. I’m the Viceroy’s son! Get your own water, you old cucaracha!
118 VIEJA SABIA: [With gentle concern] Cockroach? It’s very rude to speak to your elders that way. Has no one taught you manners?
119 FELIPE: [Puzzled] No.
120 VIEJA SABIA: [Smiling wickedly] Well [Pointing a finger at FELIPE], that is my specialty!
121 [A “poof” is heard as FELIPE is turned into a frog and hops on top of the well]
© Nava Learning, 2016 122 VIEJA SABIA: [To audience] And now you know how the frog prince ended up in that well.
123 [Exit VIEJA SABIA. Curtains close]
© Nava Learning, 2016