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Part One |
| The audio is from a live radio show with students from Santa Rita Elementary, Egan Junior High and Los Altos High School in Los Altos, CA and KZSU of Stanford University in Stanford, CA. |
| The How Six Men Got On In The World on-line script matches what the students actually performed. So what you hear and what you read will match. (This is a great way to learn English and to learn how to read.) It is NOT the same as the PDF script. I.E. As usual, our young actors changed a few of their lines while performing. |
If you do not see the How Six Men Got On In The World (7.5 MB) mp3 controller below, you need to enable plug-ins.
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Cast In Order Of Appearance: Narrator
NARRATOR Once upon a time there was a soldier who served in a war. When the war was over the King decided to dismiss him. KING You have served well and bravely. Here, take these three farthings for your troubles.
KING Goodbye now. SOLDIER Three farthings! Why that’s lousy pay for being in a war and all! If I can meet the right people, I’ll bet I can get this King to pay me more. NARRATOR The soldier then went into the forest and soon saw a man who was so strong that he was pulling huge trees out of the ground as if they were blades of grass.
SOLDIER Ho, this man will be of use to me. Excuse me, strong man? Will you be my friend and come with me? If we two are together, we ought to be able to get on in the world. STRONG MAN Why certainly, my new friend. But first I must take this little bundle of sticks home to my mother. I’ll just pluck one more tree out of the ground -
STRONG MAN - and wrap it around these others to hold them together more securely. NARRATOR The strong man quickly finished his work, said goodbye to his mother, and -
NARRATOR - off he went with the soldier. A short time later, they found a sharpshooter poised and ready to fire his rifle. SOLDIER Sharpshooter, what are you aiming at? SHARPSHOOTER Two miles from here there’s a fly sitting on a branch of an oak tree and I’m going to shoot its left eye out.
SOLDIER Oh, come with us. If we three are together, we certainly ought to be able to get on in the world. SHARPSHOOTER Sounds good to me.
NARRATOR And off they went together. After a bit, the three men came to seven windmills -
NARRATOR - whose sails were turning furiously and yet there was no wind to be felt. The soldier was the first to comment on this. SOLDIER The windmills are turning and yet the air around us is calm. SOLDIER, SHARPSHOOTER & STRONG MAN How can this be? NARRATOR Confused -
NARRATOR - they kept walking. Two miles later they discovered a man leaning against a tree. He was casually -
NARRATOR - blowing his breath out and looked as if he was whistling with no sound. The soldier again commented first. SOLDIER What is this? STRONG MAN Yes, what is this? SOLDIER Sharpshooter, go ask that man what he’s doing over there blowing his breath out like that. NARRATOR The sharpshooter did as he was told and returned saying - SHARPSHOOTER Remember those seven windmills that we passed two miles from here? Well, he’s the one who is making them turn round and round. STRONG MAN Oh, he must come with us, come with us! SOLDIER Yes, if we four are together, we shall carry the whole world before us! NARRATOR The man agreed to go with them -
NARRATOR - and off they all went together. Further down the road, the four men came across another man who was standing on one leg. SOLDIER Why is he standing so? STRONG MAN I shall ask him. NARRATOR And the strong man did just that. STRONG MAN Sir! Why are you standing on one leg? RUNNER I am a runner of foot races, and to stop myself from running too far too fast, I’ve taken off one of my legs. If I use both my legs at the same time, I run faster than any bird can fly. SHARPSHOOTER Oh, come with us then. SOLDIER Yes, if we five are together, we shall carry the whole world before us! RUNNER Why not?
NARRATOR And the adventure continued. Before long, the five men came across yet another man who was wearing his cap entirely on one ear. STRONG MAN What is this? He looks like an idiot wearing his cap like that. NARRATOR The runner, who was exceptionally sensitive to possible slights upon a person’s character, spoke up quickly. RUNNER I know him. He has to wear his cap like that because if he doesn’t cover his left ear, a terrible frost comes about and all the birds in the air freeze and drop dead to the ground. STRONG MAN Then he must come with us! SOLDIER Yes, if we six are together, we shall carry the whole world before us! NARRATOR And so they became the six men of this story. SIX MEN Hoorah for us! Off we go!
NARRATOR At the soldier’s suggestion, the six men decided to return to the kingdom - from whence the soldier came. The next morning, the King rode into the village square and proclaimed -
KING He who first runs a race with my daughter, the Princess, and wins - may marry her. But any man who loses a race against the Princess - shall also lose his head.
NARRATOR The six men discussed this wager and together they agreed that this was their chance to get on in the world. SOLDIER We shall go to the King. STRONG MAN Yes, we shall! RUNNER Together as one! SHARPSHOOTER Together! SIX MEN Hoorah!
NARRATOR The soldier stood before the King and introduced himself. The King was unimpressed. KING And is it you, who shall be running in the race against my fair daughter, the Princess? NARRATOR The runner leapt forward and bowed before the King. RUNNER I shall run for my friend. NARRATOR The King eyed the runner and then eyed the soldier again. KING Then you must both stake your lives on this race. RUNNER & SOLDIER We will! NARRATOR All was arranged and on the day of the competition, the King announced the rules of the royal race.
KING You and my daughter, the Princess, shall both carry a pitcher to the Red Lake far away. You will each fill your pitcher with its red water and then bring it back. Whomever returns first shall be declared the winner. BEGIN!
NARRATOR The soldier turned to the runner and said - SOLDIER Get going and help us win! NARRATOR The runner saluted the soldier and took off.
NARRATOR The runner then reached the Red Lake -
NARRATOR - filled his pitcher with its red water, and began his run back to the tournament grounds to claim victory. But suddenly, he began to slow down. RUNNER Ho, I’m a little tired. I think I’ll take a little nap. My, look at this - a horse’s skull on the ground before me and we’re not even in New Mexico. I’ll just make a pillow out of this horse’s skull so I don’t get too comfortable and sleep for too long. NARRATOR Yet, while -
NARRATOR -he was sleeping, the Princess finally caught up to him. PRINCESS Ha! The fool! I shall empty his pitcher of red water -
PRINCESS - run on ahead, fill my pitcher and then run back and win this race. That’ll fix him -
PRINCESS - try and marry a princess, will ya. Ha! NARRATOR Fortunately, the sharpshooter, who had exceptionally keen eyesight, and also happened to be standing on top of the castle wall, saw what the Princess had done. SHARPSHOOTER She thinks she’s so clever, that Princess. I’ll just shoot that horse’s skull out from under my friend the runner and wake him up. NARRATOR : And so he did.
RUNNER Oh no! My red water has been dumped out and I can see the Princess ahead of me. She’s on her way back to the castle. But that’s okay. I’ll still win this race. NARRATOR And so he raced back to the Red Lake -
NARRATOR - filled his pitcher once again and started the run back to the finish line.
NARRATOR The strong man, who was standing in the crowd, saw him and called out.
STRONG MAN Look! The runner has passed the Princess! SOLDIER He’s going to beat her to the finish line by at least ten minutes!
SHARPSHOOTER Here he comes to the finish line!
SIX MEN Hoorah! click here to continue the story and script©1997-2007 Lishka DeVoss/Kranky Kids® |