THE PUMPKIN FAIRY
The Play
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Copyright 2011 W T Boyd.
Smashwords Edition
This play may be performed in schools by students at no charge. All other rights are strictly reserved.
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CAST OF CHARACTERS
NARRATOR
THE PUMPKIN FAIRY PUMPKINS
ROGGAR. THE COYOTE
TATIERPATCHES, THE SCARECROW
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Time: Halloween night
Place: Pumpkin patch
Setting: Pumpkins are grouped in an uneven circle in the pumpkin patch.
Crouching low, they wear paper sandwich boards with pumpkins drawn on one side and jack-o-lantern faces on the other. One pumpkin is larger than the others and is in the middle of the patch. It has no jack-o-lantern face. The scarecrow hangs limply nearby.
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NARRATOR: (Before rise.) On Halloween night, one of the most marvelous sights to sis the Pumpkin Fairy performing its wondrous magic in the pumpkin patch. The Pumpkin Fairy is so small that it lives in a pumpkin shell and so quick that you're lucky to see it at all, darting like a glowing spark among the pumpkin vines. And that is what this story is all about, a coyote who sees the Pumpkin Fairy for a magic moment on Halloween night, and wishes very much that he could forget all about it! (At rise.)
ROGGAR: (Enters rubbing stomach with loud groanings.) Ohhh ,me, ohhh, my! It's been such a long time since lunch! I'm starving for something good to eat. Let's see what I can find. (Sniffs vigorously and looks all around.)
TATTERPATCHES: (Shaking to get ROGGAR's attention.) Shhhh! Shhhh!
ROGGAR: (Leaps into the air.) Yipes! Who said that? TATIERPATCHES (Agitated, points at pumpkin patch and puts fingers to lips for silence.) Shhhh! Quiet! Something is about to hatch in the pumpkin patch and I want to see what it's all about.
ROGGAR: Huh? What? (Looks over at the pumpkin patch. Grins and rubs paws together.) Mmmmmm, pumpkins! Look at all those juicy pumpkins. Thanks, Tatterpatches. I just LOVE pumpkins!
TATTERPATCHES: (instantly sorry) Oh, no!
ROGGAR: (Stretching out arms, creeps with exaggerated slowness toward nearest pumpkin.)
PUMPKINS: (Still crouching, rock excitedly side to side.)
PUMPKIN FAIRY: (The big pumpkin bobs violently up and down. Dances about.)
ROGGAR: (Checked by movement of pumpkins.) What's happening? (Stares at big pumpkin.)
PUMPKIN FAIRY: (Throws up shredded paper to simulate explosion. Drops sandwich board and stands bowing and tipping cap to all present but ignores ROGGAR.)
PUMPKINS: (variously, with applause.) Yeah! Wow! Yea! Yes!
ROGGAR: Oh, my gosh! It's the Pumpkin Fairy, the guardian of the pumpkin patch. But I'm so HUNGRY! That Fairy won't stop me! I'll just grab this pumpkin and run for it! (Makes motion toward nearest pumpkin, but freezes, staring open-mouthed at the Pumpkin Fairy speaks.)
PUMPKIN FAIRY: Greetings, my friends. This is the magic moment you have been waiting for. Are you ready? Here we go. (Slowly waves arms, as if to music.) Pumpkin hearts I give a flame to, jack-o-lanterns now I name you! Sit on sills in darkened rooms and scare away the witches' brooms. And when the children trick or treat, thrill them from your window seat. (Instantly stage brightens.)
PUMPKINS: (Rise and rotate sandwich boards at PUMPKIN FAIRY'S last words. As jack-o-lanterns, they encircle ROGGAR.)
ROGGAR: (Throws up arms and staggers back, shielding eyes from the brightness.) Ahhhh! (Spins around, bumping into various jack-o? lanterns. YIPES! Let me out of here. I'll never eat pumpkin again! (Breaks wildly out of circle and runs off stage.) EEEYOWEEEE!
PUMPKINS: Trick or treat! Trick or treat! Trick or treat!
NARRATOR: And the pumpkins in the pumpkin patch never saw Roggar again!
THE END