Sequence 3 04

SEQUENCE 3_04 - "INVISIBLE"

3_04_01 STRAW BEAR

     Thoughts should be restrained and only applied when necessary, and for good purpose. If used carefully, thoughts are good things to have.

STRAW BEAR, TIN GIRL, GREEN MONKEY and TIN OWL cross TREE BRIDGE. STRAW BEAR's body slowly disappears, though his voice is still loud.

TIN OWL and TIN GIRL all become transparent as the cross TREE BRIDGE.

3_04_02 GREEN MONKEY is last in line: he is not transparent yet.

GREEN MONKEY looks around wildly, TIN OWL, STRAW BEAR, and TIN GIRL are all transparent.

3_04_03 GREEN MONKEY's eyes grow wide.

GREEN MONKEY 273-01 Oh, my...

3_04_04 TIN OWL 274 Good Oz! Something’s happened to my eyes! I... I can’t see myself!

3_04_05 GREEN MONKEY steps completely into the Invisible land.

GREEN MONKEY 275 Can... can anyone see me?

3_04_06 TIN GIRL 276 No… I can’t… we’ve all become invisible.

3_04_07 GREEN MONKEY 277 How... How did this happen, do you suppose?

3_04_08 STRAW BEAR 278 It must be that this part of the country has a magic quality of making people invisible. We can see the grass, and the flowers, and the stretch of plain before us, and we can still see Mount Munch in the distance; but we cannot see ourselves or one another.

3_04_09 There’s a moment of silence.

GREEN MONKEY 279 What are we to do about it?

3_04_10 STRAW BEAR 280 Well, I’ve never encountered anything like this before… but if we get together and hold hands… we might be able to travel toward Mount Munch until the enchanted land is passed. I know... Everyone whistle so we can find each other.

3_04_11 GREEN MONKEY, TIN GIRL, STRAW BEAR, and TIN OWL all whistle. There’s the sound of bumping into one another.

STRAW BEAR 281 Ow! Careful --

TIN OWL 282 Sorry.

3_04_12 There is another thump.

GREEN MONKEY 283 Ouch.

TIN GIRL 284 Sorry, again.

3_04_13 GREEN MONKEY (shuddering) 285 I don’t like this place! We can’t tell how many dreadful, invisible beasts are roaming around us, or what danger we’ll come to next.

3_04_14 STRAW BEAR looks at GREEN MONKEY.

STRAW BEAR 286 Must you?

GREEN MONKEY 287 What?

3_04_15 Unseen by STRAW BEAR, HIPPOGYRAF sniffs at him.

STRAW BEAR 288 If you think of some dreadful thing, it's bound to happen... But if you don't think of it, and no one else thinks of it, it just can't happen. Do you see?

3_04_16 STRAW BEAR and GREEN MONKEY continue to talk with the HIPPOGYRAF standing behind them.

GREEN MONKEY 289 No. I won't be able to see much of anything until we escape from this.

STRAW BEAR 290 For example, I've heard that hippogyrafs use invisibility to capture their food... which is straw.

3_04_16a STRAW BEAR, TIN GIRL, TIN OWL & GREEN MONKEY walk up DEEP CUT. HIPPOGYRAF is behind them.

HIPPOGYRAF 291 That's hip-po-gy-raf!

STRAW BEAR, TIN GIRL, TIN OWL & GREEN MONKEY stop.

3_04_16b STRAW BEAR does not turn around toward the voice.

STRAW BEAR 292 Oh goodness me!

3_04_17 HIPPOGYRAF 293 I smell straw! I smell straw, and I’m a hip-po-gy-raf who loves straw and eats all he can find. Where is it?! Where is it?!

3_04_18 The hippogyraf sniffs at TIN GIRL.

HIPPOGYRAF 294 Bah! That's not straw. It's tin.

3_04_19 Then HIPPOGYRAF swivels its long neck to sniff GREEN MONKEY.

HIPPOGYRAF (disgusted) 295 Meat!? Pooh, you're no good! I can't eat meat!

3_04_20 HIPPOGYRAF sniffs in the air.

HIPPOGYRAF 296 That's funny! I smell straw, but I can't find it. Well, it's here, somewhere, and I must hunt around until I do find it, for I'm hungry. I must see...

3_04_21 TIN OWL, STRAW BEAR, GREEN MONKEY, and TIN GIRL suddenly all become visible. They gasp at the sight of HIPPOGYRAF. STRAW BEAR is very much frightened because he is standing right beside HIPPOGYRAF.

3_04_22 STRAW BEAR 297 D-dear me! Y-you must be the Hip-po-gy-raf?

3_04_23 HIPPOGYRAF 298 Quite right... and you’re the straw I’m to eat for my dinner. Oh, how I love straw! I hope you don’t resent my affectionate appetite?

3_04_24 STRAW BEAR closes his eyes.

3_04_24a

     "Sniff, Sniff" song

3_04_25 GREEN MONKEY leaps between HIPPOGYRAF and STRAW BEAR, waves his arms.

GREEN MONKEY 299 Wait! Wait! You can't! This is our friend, and he would be useless without his stuffing!

3_04_26 TIN OWL 299-01 We are comrades—we’ll defend our friend’s stuffing against all enemies!

TIN OWL flaps noisily, up into HIPPOGYRAF's face. HIPPOGYRAF dodges and weaves but is unable to escape TIN OWL.

3_04_27 GREEN MONKEY and TIN GIRL place themselves between STRAW BEAR and HIPPOGYRAF, defiant.

3_04_28 HIPPOGYRAF sits down and looks sorrowful.

HIPPOGYRAF 300 When one has made up his mind to have a meal of delicious straw, and then finds he can't have it, it is certainly hard luck because one must eat, and if one can't get the food he desires, he must desire the food he doesn't get.

3_04_29 TIN OWL, STRAW BEAR, GREEN MONKEY, and TIN GIRL all look at each other, confused.

3_04_30 STRAW BEAR 301 I-I-I see you are a philosopher…

3_04_31 HIPPOGYRAF 302 No, just a Hip-po-gy-raf.

3_04_32 STRAW BEAR 303 You know, I have heard that hippogyrafs are the eyes and ears of Ozma of Oz. That she can see or go anywhere in Oz through them.

3_04_33 HIPPOGYRAF 304 Do you know Ozma?

3_04_34 STRAW BEAR (proud) 305 I... Uh... In... In fact, she is a good friend of mine!

3_04_35 GREEN MONKEY 307 Is it true that you are her watcher?

3_04_36 HIPPOGYRAF 308 Eh... Well... Maybe...

3_04_37 GREEN MONKEY stands in front of HIPPOGRAF.

GREEN MONKEY 309 Can you contact Ozma for us?

HIPPOGYRAF 310 I, eh, eh, yes... I can, it is true. But, I refuse to do it. Unless...

GREEN MONKEY 311 Unless...?

HIPPOGYRAF 312 Unless you let me eat the straw...

3_04_38 GREEN MONKEY 313 No! No, no... That's too high a price to pay!

3_04_39 HIPPOGYRAF stands back up.

HIPPOGYRAF 314 Well, since you refuse my generous offer, I can be as stubborn as you are.

3_04_40 STRAW BEAR, GREEN MONKEY, and TIN OWL perched on TIN GIRL's shoulder stand silent for a time.

3_04_41 STRAW BEAR steps forward to stand in front of HIPPOGYRAF.

STRAW BEAR 315 Friends, let us agree to the beast's terms.

3_04_42 STRAW BEAR, GREEN MONKEY, TIN OWL, TIN GIRL (simultaneous)

     No!

3_04_43 STRAW BEAR

  Give him my straw, and restuff me with hay. I am willing to sacrifice my pride in a good cause.

HIPPOGYRAF looms above STRAW BEAR.

HIPPOGYRAF (exclaiming) 316 Ummm... You are very honest and clever!

STRAW BEAR stares up at HIPPOGYRAF, who looks at him closely.

3_04_44 STRAW BEAR lies down and methodically removes his straw until just its clothes and head remain.

3_04_45 STRAW BEAR, GREEN MONKEY, and TIN OWL perched on TIN GIRL's shoulder watch nervously, ready to intervene.

3_04_46 HIPPOGYRAF consumes the straw in a single bite: Crunch, crunch, crunch. He smacks his lips delightedly.

HIPPOGYRAF 317 M-m-m-mmm, but that was a fine dinner! And I am as good as my word. I will contact Ozma for you.