Boxen: Childhood Chronicles Before Narnia. Walter Hooper

the story of Bun’s ring I wonder. (Enter MR BLUE with arrow in his side borne by MR YELLOW.)

      MR BLUE: I asked Mr Hit had he got it¹ but he got angry and shot an arrow at me. MR ICTHUS-ORESS: He is a false knave.

      (Enter the rest of BROWNIE BAND and DORIMIE.) DORIMIE: (to MR BLUE) I have revenged you. MR BLUE: Much thank for that.

      (Curtain.)

      Scene II: A boat. SIR BIG’S cabin.

      (Flourish. Enter SIR PETER, GOLLYWOG

       and DORIMIE.)

      SIR BIG: O now we sail to Cannon-Town for there that false knave Hit has fled. Wee mean punish him for shooting at Mr Blue.

      SIR PETER: Indeed you speak sooth. Ho!! Dorimie. DORIMIE: My lord.

      SIR PETER: Get me some wine.

       (Exit all. Flourish. Enter MR ICTHUS-ORESS.)

      MR ICTHUS-ORESS: (sings)

      Something ti tack a tack to

      Hurting the feelings of you.

      (Enter HIT.)

      HIT: Hail gossip. Dist like the ring I gave thee.

      MR ICTHUS-ORESS: O verry well.

       (Curtain.)

      Scene III: The Liberry at Cannon-Town.

      (Enter a HERALD. At last SIR BIG, SIR PETER,

       MR GOLD FISH and all the BROWNIE BAND, MR BLUE included.)

      HERALD: Be it now told that Archaabald Hit hath been made a member of the order of knight. Ye reason why be not told ye public.

       (Exit HERALD: Flourish. Enter KING BUNNY followed by DORIMIE.)

      KING BUNNY: Come hither friends and list to me. I knighted Hit to draw him near me, for the nearer he is to me the more I know about him.

      ALL: Yes, well.

      KING BUNNY: Don’t you know that we have thought from the first that Hit had stolen my ring? And so I mean to see if he realy has.

      MR BLUE: I, Sir Big, and Sir Peter Mouse, intend to find thy ring but we heard that Hit had come hither.

      KING BUNNY: O I see.

       (Curtain.)

      ACT III

      Scene I: A public garden in Cannon-Town.

      (DORIMIE and MR ICTHUS-ORESS discovered.)

      DORIMIE: Hail.

      MR ICTHUS-ORESS: Good-day sir.

      DORIMIE: The same to you gossip.

      MR ICTHUS-ORESS: The day is fine.

      DORIMIE: Indeed it is good man.

      MR ICTHUS-ORESS: Nice gardens.

      DORIMIE: Look hear minstrel.

      MR ICTHUS-ORESS: Yes.

      DORIMIE: I want you to teach me to sing.

      MR ICTHUS-ORESS: All right, this the way I sing (sings)

      the owl and the

      pussy cat went to sea.

      DORIMIE: To see what?

      MR ICTHUS-ORESS: To the sea.

      DORIMIE: O, was it the see of, what Bishop?

       (Enter SIR BIG.)

      SIR BIG: In sooth thou hast a nice ring.

      MR ICTHUS-ORESS: Yes.

      SIR BIG: (suddenly finding it is BUNNY’S ring) How is this? This is King Bunny’s ring made up to look like a comon one, at last I have found the theif ho!! Mr Blue, Sir Peter Mouse, Gollywog, I’ve got the King’s ring.

       (Enter SIR PETER MOUSE, GOLLYWOG and MR BLUE.)

      MR BLUE: Hail Big, what means this noise?

      GOLLYWOG: T’is strange.

      SIR PETER: O what means this? Explain thy-selfe my lord Sir Big.

      DORIMIE: Give him time.

      MR BLUE: Be silent page.

      SIR BIG: (points to MR ICTHUS-ORESS) On him. On the thief.

      SIR PETER: Who!! Which!! Where!! When!! Why!! What!! How!!

      SIR BIG: Take hold good freinds and listin, seeing all the while that he does not run away.

      SIR BIG: What no ansewr Dorimie, in the name of the king cach hold!!

       (Enter SIR GOOSE.)

      DORIMIE: But my lord Big, Mr Icthus-oress was my freind –

      SIR GOOSE: (inturupting) Hush o hush, good Sir Big. I can give thee the true history of the king’s ring.

      MR ICTHUS-ORESS: And so can I.

      SIR BIG: Hold thy tounge theif. Go on Goose, what is the history of the ring.

      SIR GOOSE: That Hit tooke it that time when good King Bunny had it off and then Hit made it up to look like a comon ring and soled it to Mr Icthus-oress, but Icthus-oress did not know it was Bunny’s ring so you can not blame him, but why has all this fuss been made King Bunny could have got a new one which would have been as good.

      SIR GOOSE: O I see.

      MR ICTHUS-ORESS: But we will have to punich Hit for 2 things. I. – stealing Bunny’s ring. 2. – geting me in to trouble.

      (Exit all but SIR GOOSE.)

      SIR GOOSE: And now I’m all alone. I am not a natif of this country realy. I’m a spy and I have been spying all the time. Thats how I knew about the ring.

       (Enter DORIMIE.)

      DORIMIE: A man wants to speak to you so please you sir.

      SIR GOOSE: But it dos not please me. What is his name?

      DORIMIE: Hit.

      SIR GOOSE: O let him come.

       (Exit DORIMIE.)

      SIR GOOSE: Ah now I’ve got him in my power. Him no less ho ho ho ha ha ha he he he hi hi hi. (goes and looks down a walk behind a bank) O now he [is] coming. Thats him is it not? (in a lowe voice) O come on Hit never to go back in freedom. (enter HIT) Hail good Hit.

      HIT: Hail.

      SIR GOOSE: Ah now you’ll walke off my prisoner. (Exit SIR GOOSE draging HIT. Curtain.)

      Scene II: Cannon-Town. The Town Hall.

      (Enter KING BUNNY, SIR PETER MOUSE, MR GOLD

       FISH, SIR BIG, MR BLUE, SIR GOOSE and DORIMIE.)

      KING BUNNY: Ah now I want to know if any one in this town hall can tell me the true history of my ring and whats still more importent give it back to me. But come I have been told that some one named Sir Goose knows it. Is he there?

      SIR GOOSE: Yes here my lord.

      KING