Did You Hear That?

Characters
1. Kavita
2. Manish
3. Robert
4. Asif
5. Payal
6. Policeman 1, 2
7. Bystander 1, 2, 3

A busy street. There are some people walking on both sides of the road. Kavita enters the stage.
She is looking for something in her purse and suddenly stops when she reaches the center of the
stage.

Kavita: Oh my god! What was that?

She looks around in a frightened manner. A few people stop too.

Kavita: (to the others who have gathered around) Did you hear that?

Manish: Hear what?

Kavita: The scream. Did you hear the scream?

Manish: What scream?

Kavita: The scream. Didn’t you hear anyone scream?

Manish: No.
(to the others) Did anyone hear a scream?

Others : No, we did not hear anything.

Kavita: Well, I definitely heard someone scream. It sounded like a woman.

Robert : A woman?

Kavita: Yes, a woman. I heard a woman screaming.

Robert : We didn’t hear anything.

Kavita: But I did. The scream came from that house. (looks towards the house)

Man 1: Which house?

Kavita: That house. (points to the house)

Asif : That house?

Kavita: Yes.

Manish: I cannot hear anyone screaming now.

Kavita: Of course you can’t hear anyone screaming now, because no one is screaming
right now. But I did hear a scream.
The others seem to lose interest and start to walk away.

Manish: Well, I’m sorry but I’m in a hurry…..

Kavita: Ssshhh! Listen.

Manish: What?

Kavita: Ssshhh! Listen carefully.

The others come back and try to listen.

Robert : I can hear a car starting. Maybe that’s what you heard. I can’t hear anyone
scream. Perhaps you heard the car starting.

Kavita: Of course I did not hear a car. I heard a woman screaming.

Asif : I can hear a dog barking. Maybe that’s what you heard. I didn’t hear anyone
scream. Perhaps you heard the dog barking.

Kavita: Of course not! I did not hear a dog barking. I heard a woman screaming.

Manish: I can hear a baby crying. Maybe that’s what you heard. I didn’t hear anyone
scream. Perhaps you heard the baby crying.

Kavita: No, it was not a baby crying. It was a woman and she was screaming. I heard her
scream.

Manish: Are you sure?

Kavita: Yes, will you come and help me? Let’s go to the house and check.

Manish: (looking at his watch) I’m in a bit of a hurry….

Robert : Yes, I’m already late for my meeting.

Asif : I really need to go now, if my boss finds out….

Kavita: Oh please, we must help her. What if she is hurt?

Man 1,2,3 : Oh all right, what do you want us to do?

Kavita: Let’s go and ring the doorbell.

Manish: Ok, let’s go to the house.

All go near the house. Robert rings the doorbell. All try to listen at the door.

Robert : Can you hear anything?

Manish: No, ring the doorbell again.

They listen again.

Asif : Why is it taking so long? Maybe there’s no one home.

Kavita: Of course there is someone home. There is a woman inside. I heard her scream.

They try to peek in the windows. Two policemen walk by and stop near the house.

Policeman 1: Hey, you there. What are you doing?

Policeman 2 : Is there a problem?

Kavita: Yes, officer. I heard a woman screaming in this house.

Policeman 1 : A woman screaming.

(to Man 1) Did you hear it?

Manish: No, I didn’t.

Kavita: But I heard her screaming.

Policeman 1 : (to Robert) Did you hear a woman scream?

Robert : No, I didn’t.

Kavita: But I heard her. I heard a woman screaming.

Policeman 1 : (to Asif) Did you hear a woman scream?

Robert : No, I didn’t. She said she heard the woman screaming.

Kavita: Yes, I did. I heard her screaming.

Three other people walk towards them.

Bystander 1 : What happened?

Policeman 2 : (pointing towards Woman 1) She heard a woman screaming. Did you hear
anything?

Bystander 2 : Yes, I heard a woman screaming. But I do not know whether this came from this
house.

Bystander 3 : Yes, I heard a scream too.

Policeman 2 : Ok, let’s check inside the house.

Policeman 1 : (to Man 1) Try knocking on the door.

Manish: All right. (knocks on the door)

Kavita: Can you hear anyone coming now?

Manish: No, I don’t think anyone is home.

Policeman 2 : Knock louder.

Robert : (knocks with more force) Can you hear anyone now?

Policeman 1 : No, the house must be empty.

Kavita: No, it’s not empty. I heard a woman screaming. She is inside the house.

Asif : Ok, let’s all knock on the door.

All of them knock on the door.

Manish: Listen, I can hear someone.

Suddenly the door opens and Payal runs out screaming.

Policeman 1 : Hey wait.

Payal: Help! Help me!

Kavita: I told you I heard her screaming.

Policeman 2 : What is the matter madam. Do you need help?

Payal: Help me …. He is in the house.

All : Who is in the house?

Payal: He’s inside. That’s why I screamed.

Manish: Let’s check in the house.

Policeman 1 : Search all the rooms. You go upstairs. And you, can search in those rooms.

All run in different directions and search.

Robert : There’s no one here.

Bystander 3 : No one in that room either.

Bystander 2 : There was no one in the kitchen.

Payal: Please catch him. I’m so scared.

Policeman 2 : There’s no one here madam.

Payal: No, he’s here. In the kitchen.

Bystander 2 : I looked in the kitchen. There is no one there.

Payal: No, he’s there. I saw him just now.

Policeman 1 : Let’s look again.

They all go into the kitchen. The woman screams again and points to something on the floor.

Payal: There he is! Catch him please.

All : A mouse!!!!

Darbar of Aksharpurush
Ranganayaki Srinivas
Parak! Parak! The King of Kings, the Maharaj of Alphabet, The Ace of Letters enters the Raj
Darbar of the letters of the Alphabet.
Maharaj Aksharapurush Ki ………..Jai Maharaj Aksharapurush Ki ………..Jai

Maharaj: Mahamantri, How are things in Aksharapuri? Are my subjects happy?

Mantri: Yes, Maharaj, the letters are happily forming words and sentences. But… we have a
small problem.

Maharaj: What is the problem, Mahamantri?

Mantri: All the letters have a complaint against the letter ‘I’.

Maharaj: All right. Let’s hear the complaint. Let the Proceedings of the court begin.

Attendant: Mujrim ‘I’ Hazir Ho.

I: Pranam, Maharaj. I’m the letter ‘I’.

Maharaj: m…. Which letters are complaining against him?

Mantri: Here Maharaj. All the other letters are here.

S: Greetings your Majesty. I ‘m letter ‘S’ . I cannot work with ‘I’ anymore. I’m tired of
him.

Maharaj: What ! But that’s impossible. Both of you together make ‘is’. I…S…’IS’ Without ‘is’ we
cannot make sentences. We can’t even say ‘He is a capital letter’ or ‘He is a small letter’.

Mantri: Yes, Maharaj. And we can’t sit or sing. You can’t sign.

S: But your majesty, ‘I’ makes fun of me. He says I’m bent like a snake. And the noise I
make is also like a snake.

I: Yes and I’m right in saying that. When you make a sound like this s……… you are a
real poisonous snake.

Maharaj: Order…Order…. Who are the other letters against ‘I’?

O: Maharaj, I’m ‘O’. This ‘I’ made fun of me and ‘U’.

Maharaj: What ! He made fun of me !

I: No, Maharaj, I never made fun of you.

O: Maharaj I said that he made fun of the letter U. He told me I can never stand straight
like him. He also said that he could send me down the hill like a ball with one sharp kick. He
thinks I’m old and weak.

I: Yes, my dear old man. You are old. That’s why you make words like old. Haven’t you
seen story books beginning with ‘Once upon a time’…. You are ages old. You should retire now.

Maharaj: Order, order. I forbid ‘I’ to speak again. Don’t open your mouth unless you’re asked
questions.

S: Maharaj, he also said ‘s’ and ‘n’ are only good for saying ‘yes’ and ‘no’.
N: He says we don’t understand anything and we keep on saying yes…yes…or no…
no…

S: Yes Maharaj, and he says I have no business to be in the word ‘island’. I’m not
sounded at all since I’m silent. He asks me why I should be there.

ALL: We don’t want to work with ‘I’ anymore.

Mantri: But Maharaj then we can’t make o…i…l…oil…..we can’t make s…i…l…k…silk… we
can’t knit….we can’t stitch…oh it’d be terrible.

N&O Maharaj, together we make ‘no.’ That’s our answer. We say ‘no’ to working with ‘I’.

Maharaj: Order, Order. That’s enough. I think the letter ‘I’ is too proud. To control him
whenever he is written, there should be two lines one above and another below him. He cannot
grow beyond this limit. When he occurs in the beginning of a sentence or when he stands for a
person, he will have to carry one line on his head and one line attached to his feet. When he
occurs in any other word he will not stand straight. He will be bent like all the other letters and a
dot of 100 kilos will hang just above his head. Whenever he creates any problem, he will be hit
on the head. This is my judgement.

ALL: Long Live the King ! Long Live King Aksharapurush ! Raja Aksharapurush Ki
Jai !

The Strange Animal

Ranganayaki Srinivas
Strange Animal: Oh, who am I? I can’t remember my name. Oh, Can’t somebody tell me who I
am? ANYBODY THERE?
Lion: (roars) Who are you/
SA: I don’t know.
Lion: Nonsense. What is your name?
SA: I don’t remember.
Lion: Who’s there? Call my ministers.
Tiger: Maharaj, here are your ministers.
Lion: This is an emergency meeting. We have here a strange animal. H e does
not know his name. He doesn’t know who he is.
SA: Please, please, Maharaj. Find out who I am. I am confused. I am scared. I
don’t remember anything.
Lion: Be quiet, strange animal. Let’s discuss this matter. Gajaraj, you are the
head of our elephant army. What is your opinion? Who is he?
Gajaraj: Maharaj, I think he is an elephant. Look at his legs there are surely
elephant legs. We can include him in our army.
Lion: Ashwapala, you control our horses. What do you think about him? Is he an
elephant?
Ashwapala: No, Maharaj. Look at his body. He looks very much like a horse. And he
has some stripes too. He looks like a zebra to me.
Tiger: No, the stripes are that of a tiger. I think he is a tiger.
Lion: Is there anybody else who wants to say something/ Any other ideas?
Monkey: Maharaj, I am the chief of monkeys. I have thousands of monkeys working
under me. I know a monkey’s tail when I see one. His tail….Maharaj…look at his tail. He is a
monkey. He just cannot be anything else. I’m sure he is a monkey.
Lioness: As the Maharani of all the animals of the forest, I the lioness, want to say
something.
Lion: Go ahead Rani, what is your opinion?
Lioness: Maharaj, I think he is a lion. Look at his face. It is just like yours. The
beard on his face, his mane is very beautiful. He is a very handsome lion.
Lion: What? There can’t be another one like me. I can’t call him a lion. Gajaraj,
you include him in your elephant force.
Gajaraj: But Maharaj, I don’t want him. He is a lion from the front and a monkey
from the back. Send him to Ashwapala.
Ashwapala: But Maharaj, only his body looks like a horse. His stripes are also not like a
zebra. The tiger may like to have him.
Tiger: No, Maharaj, now I don’t think the stripes are like mine. I just can’t have
him in my section.
SA: Oh, who am I? Who am I? I am not a lion. I am not an elephant. I am not a
tiger and I am not a monkey. Who can tell me who I am?
Lion: Run away stranger or I’ll kill you.
SA: But…but…Maharaj…
Lion: Get lost, strange animal. Nobody knows you and you don’t know yourself.
Get lost or I’ll kill you.
ALL: Long live the King !

Gre atest Invention of the Year

Ranganayaki Srinivas

Scene One

Shyam: Mummy, my breakfast!

Father: Shyam, you are still here. You should have gone to college by now.
Shyam: But, daddy, I got up late and ….
Grandfather: Your alarm clock kept ringing and I had to switch it off. In our days we used to get
up at 4 O’clock. We never depended on a machine to wake us up.
Shyam: Oh, grandpa, there you go again with your pet line…’In our days…’ mummy, I don’t
want any breakfast, I am off to college.
Father: Shyam wait a minute. Wait I say! Come and have your breakfast. I’ll drop you on my
way.
Mother: Here Shyam, sit down properly and eat your breakfast. Don’t stuff food into your
mouth like that.
Shyam: That’s your fault mum. You could have got it ready earlier. You could have woken
me up.
Mother: Oh yes, everything is my fault. Your darling sister Kavita is still in bed. She should
have got up earlier and helped me in the kitchen. But it is not her fault. It is my fault, isn’t it? If I
had twenty hands I could have got the breakfast ready, shaken you out of bed, woken up Kavita,
got things ready for your father and….
Father: Now, now, Smita. All this can wait, can’t it? We could have some peaceful mornings,
couldn’t we?
Grandfather: In our days children and mothers would never open their mouth in front of the father.
Kavita: (Just got up) Grandpa, in our days fathers are not supposed to open their mouths at
all.
Father: Yes, How can they when they have children like you two?
Shyam: Daddy you could have spared me…
Father: Well, let’s be off, otherwise this will never come to an end.

Scene Two

Shyam: Hai Priti !

Priti: Shyam you’re late again!
Shyam: So what? No more advice , OK? I have had enough at home.
Priti: Don’t tell me you created a scene at home today also.
Shyam: I never create any scenes… It’s the adults….all of them gang up on me.
James: (walking towards them) Yeah, I know what you mean. It’s the same in my case too.
Amin and Rose join them.
Amin: Hi, everybody, what’s up?
Priti: Fireworks at home.
Rose: I might have guessed that. But I thought only girls got fireworks. Boys are lucky.
James: Don’t give us that. You should have seen the scene at my place…this morning.
Shyam: Same with me yar…and.. I’m sick and tired of them. They just don’t understand us.
Amin: And all they do is criticise. You should do this..…you shouldn’t do that...
Priti: We’ve got to do something about this.

Scene Three

All are busy working in the kitchen. Appropriate music in the background. Show the hard work
put in, the disappointment and frustration midway and the final success.

Scene Four

The college is decorated and all arrangements are made for the audience. People are seen going
here and there busy arranging things. In one corner of the stage some snacks are laid out on a
table for the guests and audience. A huge drum of cold drink is kept nearby. Shyam and others
come in with a flask of solution and when nobody is looking at them, pour the contents into the
container

Shyam’s mother stuffs food into her mouth. Priti’s father drops water on the floor. Shyam’s father
shouts across the room to Rose’s father who laughs loudly and shouts back. Drinks are spilled,
someone steps on the liquid, everyone laughs. The young people watch and smile.

Rose says, ‘Do you think we ever behave like this?’ James replies, ‘Of course not !’

Holiday Magic

HOW BIG

Characters: Den Leader, any number of Cub Scouts with presents.

Setting: Den Leader is standing on stage. If desired, a decorated Christmas tree may be used as
backdrop. Boys enter one at a time.

First boy: Merry Christmas, Mrs. ____________. I brought you something. (Hands her a box.)

Den Leader: That's very nice, Bill, but there was no need....

Second Boy: Hi, Mrs. ______________, look at the present I brought you. (Hands her a bigger
box.)

Den Leader: Well, Bob.....

Third Boy: (Rushes in) Here's a present, Mrs. ________________. Boy, it's heavy!

Den Leader: Well, Tom ... what a surprise. You really didn't have to...

Fourth Boy: (Rushes in carrying box almost too large to handle) Look what I have! Boy, are you
going to like it!

Den Leader: Oh dear! Boys...

Fifth Boy: (Pushing box across floor...too heavy to carry) Here's a Christmas gift from me, Mrs.
__________ It's really neat!

Den Leader: My Godness...

Sixth Boy: (Pulling a wagon on which is a box much too large to carry.) Wait till you see this one! I
really spent a lot of money!

Den Leader: Boys, you are all very kind. But I think we should have a talk about all this. Where's
Jim?

First Boy: He's coming. I don't know what is taking him so long. He doesn't have a very big gift. In
fact, I didn't see him carrying anything.

Second Boy: Here he is now. (Jim enters.)

Jim: Sorry I'm late for the meeting, Mrs. _______. I stayed after school to finish your Christmas
present.

Third Boy: I don't see a present. Look at all the BIG presents we brought. I can't even see yours.
(Smirks.)

Jim: Mine isn't very large, Mrs. ________, but I hope you'll like it. It's a poem.

All: What a present! (Lots of Laughing.)

Den Leader: May I see it, Jim. (He hands her the paper and she reads:)

I have no money, so I guess I'm poor

But I have friends, that is for sure.
I have no money so I couldn't buy
The things I'd like, though Christmas is nigh.
I have no money, but I don't care
Cause I have you, with whom to share
A happy Christmas Season.
I have no money, so I was sad;
But I looked around, and I was glad.
The things I have are worth a lot;
Some kids don't have the things I got.
I have my dad, I have my mom,
I have my dog--he loves me some.
And in my den I've learned to share.
Not things or money, but love and care.
For each of you I wish as much,
That you'll each know the work of such,
As family, friends and all the things
That last when Christmas gifts are gone.

SANTA KNOWS ABOUT RUDOLPH'S NOSE

Characters: Santa Clause; 6 Elves (wearing Santa hats made from red crepe paper); Rudolph
(wearing cardboard or paper band around head with horns attached.)

Scene: Santa sitting in an easy chair by fireplace reading newspaper. It is Christmas Eve.

Elf 1: (Comes running to where Santa is sitting and breathlessly says:) Oh Santa, come here. Bad
news I must tell. Rudolph's nose is all frozen. Not a thing can he smell!

Elf 2: (Running in as other elf exits.) Hey Santa, listen here, while sad news I tell you. Poor
Rudolph's nose is cold and it's turning all blue.

Elf 3: (Hurrying in as 2nd elf leaves.) Oh Santa, I've come to tell of Rudolph's plight. He has a
cold in his nose that has put out his light!

Elf 4: (Follows 3rd, etc.) Santa, Oh Santa! I'm sorry to tell. Rudolph's nose is all warm and he
doesn't feel well!

Elf 5: (Same as above) There's something I must say, but I'd really rather not. You see, poor
Rudolph has a nose that's very hot!

Elf 6: (Same) Santa, please come! See Rudolph's burned nose! It's all black like charcoal, not red
like a rose!

(After all elves have entered, spoken their parts and left, then Rudolph comes in and Santa holds
up his hand to keep him from speaking.)

Santa: (While Rudolph hangs his head.) No! Don't say anything, but please let me guess. Your
friends were all lying, so you've come to confess. I knew all the time that it was only a plot. For
how could your nose be both cold and hot?

Rudolph: Well you see, Santa Claus, I was feeling quite low, and decided on our trip I didn't want
to go. But now I've learned a lesson. The truth is always best. It could have saved me from this
embarrassing mess!

(Santa pats Rudolph on the head. Rudolph smiles and scampers off stage.)

SANTA'S BIG SECRET

Characters: Santa Claus (Scout uniform under Santa suit), Reporter, Numerous elves (Scout
uniforms under jackets).

Scene: Elves are in background working making toys or putting toys in sacks. Santa is directing
them when reporter comes out with microphone.

Reporter: This is Scoop Smith the roving reporter for radio station KCUB, on the scene here at
Santa's workshop. Santa, may we have a word with you please?

Santa: Oh sure, we're real busy getting ready for our deliveries. What can I do for you?

Reporter: All of our listeners want to know how you got into the gift- giving business. Did your
father give gifts or what?

Santa: Well, it all began when I was eight years old...I just started doing good deeds, you know,
helping people and such...and it just became a habit.

Reporter: Good deeds, huh, that sounds familiar. Say, what is that under your jacket?

Santa: That's my best kept secret...(Opens jacket)

Reporter: A Cub Scout Uniform!!!!!! You're a Cub Scout?

Santa: Yes, well, no. I WAS a Cub Scout, then a Boy Scout, and then an Explorer. I wear this
uniform to remind me of where it all started...way back years and years ago. I just loved helping
other people and doing good things.

Reporter: Well, that explains your involvement, but how do you get all of these elves to help you?

Santa: Show the man.....(Elves open jackets to show Cub Scout Uniforms.)