S2: Underscore After "Hello Little Girl"

[end of “Hello, Little Girl”] WOLF (spoken) GOODBYE, LITTLE GIRL (sung) AND HELLO…(HOWELS and EXITS)

(spoken, horrified) Is harm to come to that little girl... in the red cape!

WITCH Forget the little girl and get the cape!

You frightened me.

WITCH That's the cape. Get it. Get it. Get it!

How am I supposed to get it?

WITCH You go up to the little thing, and you take it.

I can't just take a cloak from a little girl. Why don't you take it!

WITCH (sweetly) Ahh, my Rapunzel... listen to her beautiful music... (yelling) Get me what I need. Get me what I need! (DISAPPEARS)

(Distraught) This is ridiculous. I'll never get that red cape, nor find a golden cow, or a yellow slipper - or was it a golden slipper and a yellow cow? Oh, no...

BAKER’S WIFE (Softly, APPEARING behind a tree) THE COW AS WHITE AS MILK, THE CAPE AS RED AS BLOOD, THE HAIR AS YELLOW AS CORN, THE SLIPPER AS PURE AS -

(Overlapping) What are you doing here?

BAKER'S WIFE (coming forward, takes a scarf and tries toto put it around his neck) You forgot your scarf

(taking scarf off) You have no business being alone in the Woods. And you have no idea what I've come upon here. You would be frightened for your life. Now go home immediately!

BAKER'S WIFE I wish to help.

No! (sung) THE SPELL IS ON MY HOUSE -

BAKER'S WIFE OUR HOUSE. (JACK ENTERS, dragging MILKY-WHITE by a rope on its neck)

ONLY I CAN LIFT THE SPELL, THE SPELL IS ON MY HOUSE -

BAKER'S WIFE (Overlapping) WE MUST LIFT THE SPELL TOGETHER -

THE SPELL IS ON — (BAKER'S hand across WIFE, BAKER'S seeing JACK at other side of stage, puts MOUTH)

BAKER'S WIFE A COW AS WHITE AS — (BAKER sees JACK, takes BAKER'S WIFE'S HAND away)

(with WIFE) — milk. Hello there, young man.

JACK (Looks at BAKER, scared) Hello, sir.

What might you be doing with a cow in the middle of the forest?

BAKER'S WIFE (Coaching BAKER) What are you planning to do there -?

And what are you planning to do there?

JACK Sell my cow, sir. No less than five pounds.

Five pounds! (To WIFE) Where am I to get five pounds!

JACK I hadn't thought of that... I suppose my mother and I will have no food to eat. (BAKER has emptied his pocket; HE has a few coins and the beans in hand)

(To WIFE) This is the sum total...

BAKER'S WIFE (Loudly) Beans-- we mustn't give up our beans! Well... if you feel we must.

Huh?

BAKER’S WIFE (to BAKER) Tell him…

(nervous) Magic that defies description.

JACK How many beans?

Six

JACK Could I buy my cow back someday?

(uneasy) Well... possibly.

[I Guess This Is Goodbye] (BAKER hands JACK the beans, counting out five and keeping one for his BAKER'S WIFE then takes MILKY-WHITE)

Good luck there, young lad.

JACK (Tearful; to MILKY-WHITE) I GUESS THIS IS GOODBYE, OLD PAL, YOU'VE BEEN A PERFECT FRIEND. I HATE TO SEE US PART, OLD PAL, SOMEDAY I'LL BUY YOU BACK. I'LL SEE YOU SOON AGAIN. I HOPE THAT WHEN I DO, IT WON'T BE ON A PLAТЕ. (EXITS, overcome with emotion. MUSIC continues under)

(angry) Take the cow and go home!

BAKER'S WIFE I was trying to be helpful.

Magic beans! We've no reason to believe they're magic! Are we going to dispel this curse through deceit?

BAKER'S WIFE No one would have given him more for that creature. We did him a favor. At least they'll have some food.

Five beans!

BAKER’S WIFE (sung) NO, WHAT MATTERS IS THAT EVERYONE TELLS TINY LIES — WHAT’S IMPORTANT, REALLY, IS THE SIZE

What?

[end of “Maybe They’re Magic”] BAKER’S WIFE IT JUSTIFIES

Take the cow and go home. I will carry this out in my own fashion!