Characters
Fox: sleek, small, smart, knows that he won’t live through the winter without help, cunning, trickster, gaunt, nearly starved to death, sarcastic
Lion: Big, prideful, not starving but on the skinny side for how large he is, hungry, doesn’t NEED the help to live through the winter but is lonely and doesn’t like to hunt alone, of average intelligence,
Donkey: slow, big eyes, easily lead by others, thinks himself smarter than he really is, would live through on his own but wants more food, kind of greedy, thinks his is important
Mrs. Rabbit
Mr. Rabbit
Time
The middle of a harsh winter
Setting
Unnamed forest
Lights up. Bare trees and bare bushes, the ground is covered in a light dusting of snow. The whole setting is bleak and unwelcoming.
Mrs. Rabbit and Mr. Rabbit enter together looking around, clearly searching for something
Mrs. Rabbit: I don’t see anything here either dear
Mr. Rabbit: (searching around the bottoms of the bushes, disgusted) Can’t even dig because the ground is frozen solid
Mrs. Rabbit: What are we gonna do? (begins crying) We have to find some food soon or the kids won’t make it through the winter
Mr. Rabbit: (while comforting Mrs. Rabbit) We’ll just have to keep on looking until we find some. There has to be something to eat somewhere. And if we can’t find anything we may have to leave the forest….(trails off as Mrs. Rabbit’s sobbing becomes louder)
Mrs. Rabbit: (sobbing) We c-c-c-can’t leave
Mr. Rabbit: Come along darling let’s keep looking. I think I see something up ahead
Mr. Rabbit leads the still sobbing Mrs. Rabbit off. Audience hears her sobs die away on the right as the bushes on the left begin to move.
Fox enters, shaking his head
Fox: I considered eating them, but then she mentioned the children. I couldn’t just leave them to starve or freeze to death, and I couldn’t eat them. Eating babies? That’s just wrong. (under his breath) course my soft spot for children is probably going to kill me one of these days.
(Fox sniffs around the bases of the bushes and trees. Fox lifts his head a looks longing after the rabbits, he shakes his head and begins pacing)
Fox: What I need is food. Not just any food, meat, warm freshly killed meat. But with the highly effective diet I have been on recently I don’t have the energy to catch a rock let alone something running from me. Hmmmmmmmmm……. (stops in the middle of the stage and flops down) hmmmm…… what to do? (rolls onto his back) what to do? Hmmmmmmmm (tilts his head to the side) YES! THAT’S IT! (leaps up with a grin on his face) I need a team! A team to catch my food for me! But they can’t realize that they are working for me, that might encourage them to eat ME…… So what I need is a stupid team. A stupid team that can follow orders….
noises off stage, Fox turns to look
Fox: oh look, one of my most favorite idiots has arrived just in time to assist me. (grins and laughs) This might actually be too easy… (yelling) Donkey! Oh Donkey, my dear friend! Wait for me!
Fox runs off stage, still yelling for Donkey
Lights out
Lights up.
Small clearing surrounded by bare tree ,tuffs of brown grass covered in frost are scattered across the stage. Donkey is happily munching on the frozen grass to one side while Lion lies looking bored in the middle. Fox enters
Fox: Ah good so we are all here. (smile) Thank you very much for being willing to assist me with this. As you can see I have had little to eat this winter and would like a more filling meal this evening. So, if there are no objections? (pauses and looks at the two others, smiles) Then let’s get down to business.
Donkey: I feel the need to point out that I don’t actually eat meat. What am I getting out of all of this?
Fox: The knowledge that you helped a dear friend out in his time of greatest need? Or you could try a little meat, never know you might like it. (eyeing the grass) Warm meat has to be better than frozen grass.
Donkey: You do have a point there. All this frozen grass sure does make my belly cold. (nodding) Alright, I’m in.
Fox: (under his breath so Donkey and Lion can’t hear him) Course if this all goes according to plan you won’t be eating anything anymore…..(louder) I was thinking that for our first time working together we will try for something small, like a deer. Don—
Lion: (interrupting Fox) won’t work. Deer can hear me coming from a long way off and there is no way that I can chase one down. Not with the way they know the back trails around here.
Fox: (glaring at Loin) As I was attempting to say, Donkey will be—
Loin: (with contempt) Donkey will be the one catch the deer? That is the most foolish idea I have ever heard! It will never work! Why, until two minutes ago he wasn’t even a meat eater!
Donkey: (offended) You don’t think I could catch a deer? I could easily catch one of those scrawny things! It wouldn’t even be a challenge.
Lion: (yelling) Wouldn’t even be a challenge?! Have you ever had to chase down your meal before?
Lion and Donkey begin fighting in earnest, now yelling over each other
Fox: (sitting and watching, deadpan) Idiots. I’m surrounded by idiots. (shakes his head, yelling) QUIET!
Lion and Donkey stop, startled and turn to look at Fox. Both look offended.
Fox: (harsh) Donkey will be down by the deer. Talking to it and making enough noise to cover up YOUR, yes you Lion, approach. Then while the deer is focused on Donkey you pounce on him and kill him. All that clear?
Donkey and Lion look wide eyed at each other
Donkey and Lion: (unison) Yes, I understand.
Fox: (sarcastic) Good. Now go find a deer and try it out.
Donkey and Lion hurry off stage
Fox: (looking up and shaking his head, imploring) Oh heavens…… (looks off stage after Lion and Donkey) I hope Lion knows to stay down wind of the deer. I better go remind him.
Fox leaves stage
Lights out
Lights up
Same small clearing, now with a dead deer lying in the center. Donkey is chattering to himself about what a fantastic job he did and how exciting it is. Lion is ripping the deer into smaller chunks to be divided among the three of them. Fox sits watching.
Lion: (tearing one last piece apart) there that ought to be good enough
Fox: (sharply) Donkey! Stop that and come divide up the meat.
Donkey begins separating the meat into piles Lion looks at Fox, confused.
Fox: (softly so Donkey can’t hear) I just wanted something for him to do with his mouth other than talk.
Lion chuckles and lies down to sleep. Donkey hums to himself as he works.
Donkey: (setting down the last piece) Done! Lion why don’t you come pick a pile.
Lion wakes, pulls himself to his feet and looks at the piles.
Lion: (enraged) What kind of a joke is this? I need much more meat than you or Fox! I will not stand for this! I will not be made fun of in this manner!
Lion roars and lunges towards Donkey, who brays in fear
Donkey: (screaming as he runs from Lion) No! I meant no offence! We are all equal partners in this! We all deserve equal shares! Fox! Help!
Fox ignores Donkey’s pleas for help and sits watching unmoving as Lion chases Donkey off stage. Sounds of a fight are heard off stage. Donkey’s bray is cut of short. A few moments later Lion returns to the stage with fresh blood on him.
Fox: (calmly) So Donkey is dead then?
Lion: (cautiously) Yes.
Fox: (calmly) Do you have any problem with eating him?
Lion: (shocked) Um…well…no not really. I only met him today….
Fox: (chipper) Good. Then he can be part of your share. I will take this and this and this. (picks out several chunks of meat) Is that alright with you?
Lion: Wise of you not to take more than you can eat.
Fox: I saw what you did to Donkey, it would be foolish to attempt the same. I am not a fool.
Fox drags his meat off stage leaving Lion to eat alone.
Lights out
The End
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