The Adventures of Yumi. Theatre play for children. Maxim Titovets

I am not a nancy!

      Toy. Can you imagine how happy your mom will be when you present her with a sausage?

      Yumi. Mom? Will be happy? Let’s go. Right now.

      Toy. Keep up with me.

      Yumi and Toy leave. The titmouse comes flying. The mice leave their hole and play along.

      In less than two minutes Yumi comes running into the yard. He is followed by Khorkov and Corkscrew with an animal catch pole. Yumi runs across the yard, rushes to the hole under the fence, but the Corkscrew grips hold of his hind feet. The mice come to the aid of Yumi, they pelt Corkscrew with snowballs. The titmouse takes away Khorkov’s attention. Corkscrew lets the puppy go. Yumi runs to the wasteland and hides in his dugout. The mice disappear in their hole.

      Khorkov. What a scatterbrain you are, Corkscrew! Could not hold down a puppy.

      Corkscrew. And you are another, Khorkov. Come on, help me. He’s somewhere near.

      Khorkov and Corkscrew come to the wasteland and look for Yumi. The crow comes flying. It sits on the place where the entrance to Yumi’s hideaway is.

      Crow. Caw!!! Caw!!!

      Khorkov. Look! Crow. Go see what’s out there.

      Crow. Here! He hid here! Caw!!!

      Corkscrew. Chuck-chuck. Little doggo, where are you?

      Khorkov. We will catch you anyway, pup.

      The chasers approach the dugout house. The crow flies away.

      Crow (on the wing). Caw!!! You will remember me, pup. You will remember me! Caw!!! Caw!!!

      Khorkov. Aha! Here is his hole.

      Corkscrew (he pokes the Yumi’s hideaway with his catch pole). There is someone there!

      Khorkov. Step aside! I will get him.

      Corkscrew. Try.

      Khorkov reaches forward and pushes his arm into the dugout, trying to get the puppy.

      Corkscrew. Why not to try a pole?

      Khorkov. Keep out of the way!

      Khorkov gets his arm reeking with blood out of the dugout with a shriek. Greta jumps out and comes for Khorkov. At this point Corkscrew gets a loop of the catcher pole on Greta’s neck and pins the dog to the ground.

      Corkscrew. What a taking! Hold still, dog, or it’ll be worse.

      Khorkov. Pest of a dog! It has bitten my arm through.

      Greta. Yumi! Run! Hide away, son!

      Yumi jumps out of the dugout and runs to the thickets of bushes.

      Corkscrew. Catch! Catch him!

      Khorkov runs after Yumi.

      Khorkov. You, little scrounger!

      Corkscrew. Come on, Khorkov, catch him!

      Yumi hides in the thickets of bushes.

      Khorkov. He left!

      Corkscrew. Shame on you.

      Khorkov comes to the home of Yumi and Greta, pushes a big stone which lies nearby and closes the entrance to the dugout with it.

      Khorkov. This is for you biting me, beast. Your puppy won’t survive long here without any roof over his head.

      Corkscrew. Right! He will freeze or starve to death.

      Khorkov. Let’s go. Drag her into the car.

      Khorkov and Corkscrew leave and take Greta with them. The titmouse flies after them. Yumi gets out of his hideaway in the bushes.

      Yumi. What have I done! Why haven’t I listened to my mom and left the yard? Mom. Mommy! Where are you?

      ACT II

      Scene 4.

      Daytime. Cat burglar gang hide-out.

      Lord, Melisa, Toy.

      Lord. Toy!

      Toy. Yes, boss.

      Lord. Where is the puppy?

      Toy. I could not take him here. We were attacked.

      Lord. Who dared to do it?

      Toy. Khorkov with his animal tormentor gang.

      Lord. Khorkov?

      Toy. Yes. They threw a round-up.

      Melisa. They got some nerve! As if we didn’t pay them well!

      Toy. It’s the mayor’s order, to clean the city of stray animals.

      Lord. We had an agreement with Khorkov, not to touch our guys, take dogs only.

      Toy. They took five cat burglars: Syava, Honeypot, Chick, Demian and Desman.

      Lord. Cats are not meant to be caged. Melisa! Reach out to our lawyer, have him post a bail.

      Melisa. I’ll get right on that.

      Lord. Who else did they take in the round-up?

      Toy. They caught some stray dogs and the puppy’s mother.

      Lord. His mother? Greta? How about that!

      Melisa. Now she won’t be able to protect her son.

      Toy. They were all sent to the animal control center.

      Lord. And where is the puppy? What was his name again?

      Toy. The puppy’s name is Yumi. I don’t know where he is.

      Lord. Then get to know. Find him! Time is money. Take the sausage while it’s still fresh.

      Toy. I got you.

      Lord. Go and take this black sheep of the dog family to me. Or else I will scrap you both.

      Toy. I will do it, Lord. Yumi will be here soon.

      Toy leaves

      Melisa. You are too tough on my son, Lord.

      Lord. Melisa. When Toy grows older, he is going to be my right hand cat, my consigliere. He’d better start temper his character now. Otherwise he will be destroyed.

      Melisa. Why would you need this puppy?

      Lord. Yumi is my only chance to take vengeance on his father for my brother’s death.

      Scene 5.

      Daytime. Wasteland.

      Yumi, Titmouse, little mice.

      Yumi. How terrifying. Mom. It is so terrifying to be alone.

      Yin. Yumi, don’t you cry.

      Yang. Don’t you cry, Yumi.

      Yumi.