The Stork Caliph

 

 

Piece by Ruth Salles for puppets

This play is based on a short story by Guilherme Hauff, from the book “Contos Orientales”. It was created to be performed with puppets by students in the larger classes, 13 years old and above, for children in the smaller classes.

CHARACTERS

Caliph / Stork Caliph / Vizier / Stork Vizier / Dancer / Sage Selim /
Merchant (Sorcerer Raschur) / Two Storks / Owl / Owl Princess /
Sorcerer's Apprentices

 

Scene 1

The caliph on the throne. Dancer, vizier, merchant.

DANCER (declaims and dances):
"Oh, who wouldn't want
be caliph someday?
Who, who, who?
It is the greatest good in the world.
The caliph has it all,
have, have, have!”

VIZIR (entering with a merchant):
– Great and mighty caliph!
I have a merchant here.
He has a secret to trade,
but there is no money that can pay it!

CALIFA (interested, stops the dancer):
- A secret?

MERCHANT (bowing):
– Great and mighty caliph! Long life!

CALIPH:
– which is the priceless secret.

MERCHANT:
– Yes, my lord, I hear and obey.
And this glass of magic dust and this piece of paper.

CALIPH (laughing, lightly):
- Piece of paper?

MERCHANT:
– Written in an unknown language.

VIZIER:
“I'll fetch the wise Selim.
He sure knows.
(he leaves and comes back with the sage)

CALIPH:
– Saddle! Decipher this language for me.

SAGE SELIM:
— Here it is written: “Whoever vacuums up this dust
and pronounce the magic word
can turn into an animal.”

DANCER (speaking):
“This merchant must be some mage.
I, if I were the caliph, would be careful.
Meow… Muuu… Cri-cri… Whoo-woo…
What's the point of becoming an animal?

CALIPH:
- Quiet, dancer! (to the vizier):
- Vizier, I'll keep the paper
and with magic dust at any price.

MERCHANT:
- No, no! This is a gift.
(hands over everything, backs off and leaves)

DANCER:
- As a gift? As a gift?
It's the worst magic!
What are they plotting?
Who will be the imposter?

CALIPH:
- Get out, dancer! (the dancer disappears, and the caliph says to the sage):
– Selim, reveal the whole secret to me!

SAGE SELIM:
– Well, listen, sir. Here it is still written: “Vacuum the dust, bow three times towards the east and say MUTABOR. But then you can't laugh, otherwise your human form will disappear and never come back.”

CALIPH (as vizier):
“My vizier, this is too easy.
Tomorrow morning we're going to try it out.

 

 

scene 2

CALIPH (with the vizier in the field):
– This place will do. Did you bring the paper?

VIZIER:
– Paper and dust.

CALIPH:
- Let's vacuum. (both sniff) Now…
lean 3 times towards the east…
and say MUTABOR. mutabor!

VIZIER:
– But whoever laughs afterwards,
no longer returns to human form.

CALIPH:
- Now! Who ever heard an animal laugh?
Look! Two storks are coming!
Let's turn into storks
and hear what they say in their language.

VIZIER:
- Good idea.

BOTH (incline 3 times to the east):
– Mutabor! mutabor! mutabor!
(turn into storks)

CALIPH:
– Vizier, that beak of yours is very funny.

VIZIER:
– And your long legs too.

CALIPH:
- Stay quiet! The storks are coming.
(the two hide)
FIRST STORK:
– Good morning, Miss Bicuda!
Already so early in the meadow?

SECOND STORK:
– Good morning, Miss Leggings! I came to look for a frog
for my breakfast. Is that you?

FIRST STORK:
“I'm not here to hunt frogs.
I have to show my dance art
for my father's visits. See… (she dances)

CALIPH (laughs, seeing the stork dance):
- Haha ha! What elegance!
(The storks disappear)

VIZIER:
- Haha ha! How funny! oh! We laugh!
And now, what will become of us?

CALIPH:
- Don't make that scared face. All we have to do is lean towards the east and say three times: Mu… Mu… With a thousand thunders! I forgot the word.

VIZIER:
– The word is Mu… Mu… I forgot too.
And now? We are still storks.

CALIPH (thinking):
– Hmm… Do you remember the merchant who gave us the paper and dust? Was he not like the sorcerer Raschur, my enemy?

VIZIER:
- And even! He deceived us. The caliph has turned into a stork, and perhaps the sorcerer's son will take the caliph's place.

CALIPH:
– Shut up! It's getting dark. Let's rest there.

OWL (appears, crying):
- Good night sir!

CALIPH:
- Good night, cute little owl. Why are you crying?

OWL:
– Because I'm a beautiful princess who was turned into an owl. I know they're both bewitched too. Raschur is a bad guy. Just because I didn't want to marry his son, I became an owl. Whoa, whoa…

VIZIER:
– And you don't know how to break this spell?
For I am caliph and I must return to my caliphate.

OWL:
– I think I can help you… But there's one condition.
One of the two shall marry me,
only then will all three of us be free from the spell.

CALIPH (as vizier):
“We have to risk it, Vizier. You marry her.

VIZIR (to the caliph):
- I? I already have a wife. It will have to be you.

CALIPH:
- Whatever! Beautiful owl, I marry you. Caliph's promise.

OWL:
– Well then, listen. Today, when the moon shines in the sky, Raschur will gather here with his apprentices. Let's hide. Maybe we've heard the forgotten magic word. (the three hide)

SORCERER (arriving with the apprentices, who surround him):
– Raschur always wins!

APPRENTICES (start dancing in the circle):
– Urlarum, hurlorum,
Our master is Raschur!
Beat them all one by one. (stop dancing)

SORCERER:
– We are gathered here for the last time.
From now on we will meet in the caliphate.

APPRENTICES:
- There lives the caliph our enemy!

SORCERER:
– Caliph he is no more. I turned him into a stork along with his vizier. Now the caliphate belongs to my son.

APPRENTICES:
– Urlarum, urlorum!
Our master is Rachur.
Beat them all one by one.

AN APPRENTICE:
– And now this caliph has become caliph for good?

SORCERER:
- Yea! He forgot the magic word.
mutabor!

CALIPH AND VIZIR:
- Live! Live! The word!

SORCERER (screams):
- Betrayal! Save yourself who can! (runs away)

APPRENTICES:
- Huiii, huiii, huiii! (everyone flees)

CALIPH:
- The sun is rising. Tilt three times and…

BOTH (both lean and say):
– Mutabor! mutabor! mutabor!

CALIPH AND VIZIR:
– Ah, now we are men again!

CALIPH:
- Let's hurry back to the caliphate,
before the imposter is crowned!

PRINCESS:
– Will you take me along?

CALIPH:
– Where did you come from, beautiful princess?

PRINCESS:
- I'm the owl. Will you marry me?

CALIPH:
– There could be nothing more beautiful.

PRINCESS:
- I hear someone calling...

VIZIER:
“It's Selim the sage looking for us.

SAGE SELIM:
– Oh, my lord, oh, vizier! I finally found them! There is a foreigner in town, and he has declared that they are both dead. And he said he's our new caliph. And whoever does not obey him will be hanged.

CALIPH:
– He will regret it.
I was just looking for a wife.

SAGE SELIM:
– Oh, what a beautiful princess!

CALIPH:
“Let's all hurry to my caliphate.
There will be a wedding, and everyone is invited. (they go out)

DANCER (enters dancing and reciting the poem at the beginning):
“Oh, who wouldn’t want…etc.”

 

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