Hearsay - A children's play adapted from a Bengali Folktale

HEARSAYAdapted from the Bengali Folktale The Plague StoryDevised by the children of Head Start Educational Academy, Bangalore

Our heartfelt thanks to late Dr. A.K.Ramanujan for conceiving & compiling the book Folktales from India

Characters:G1, Guard at the palace (likes the queen)G2, Guard at the palace (hates the queen)QueenSher Khan, BodyguardAngrez Khan, Bodyguards BrotherPehelwan Didi, Owner of the Village Wrestling CentrePriestNatraj (Nandi), an actor from the village theatre companyQueens AssistantFortune TellerChorus, Villagers / Mice

Scene 1:Play opens with two guards who enter from either sides of the stage.G1: Hello.. hello.. welcome people to our lovely kingdom.G2: Have all of them come?G1: yes, cant you see. They are sitting here.G2: hello hello(is half asleep and rubbing his eyes)G1: Welcome to the Kingdom of our beautiful Queen.G2: Beautiful? She looks like a ghost. Scary.G1: Do not listen to him. G2: She is the laziest queen I have ever seen. Just sits and orders. Not fighting wars, not giving gold, not even planning wars. Just sits and orders. That too by clapping(imitates her)G1: That is what a queen does. Have you ever seen queens or kings working hard?G2: Why should only the guards work hard?G1: (thinks for a while) I dont know. Will ask her when she comes.(The queen enters with her assistant and sits on her chair.)Queen (claps): Guards.G1: yes, your majestyQueen: Put on the fan. And youG2: yes, your majestyQueen: Clean the fan.G2: But how do I clean it?Queen: Oh dont ask questions. Be smart. Think fast. G2 ( to G1) : I told you she is so dumb.Queen: Dont gossip. Go and give a bath to my elephant.G1(to G2) : you go.G2: that is not my job. Bathing elephants. You go.Queen: And you, the lazy one You will go and catch all the pigeons that come and sit on my window every morning. G2(goes to the window and drives away all the pigeons)Queen : Cage all of them..G2: But I already shooed them away, how can I catch all the pigeons..Queen: Oh god!!! why do I have such good for nothing guards.G1: Majesty, there are people waiting outside to meet you.Queen: Meet me?G1: yes, majesty.Queen: For what?G1: Today is Requests day.Queen: Oh is it?G1: Yes, third of every month. You said last month that people can come and ask for anything that they want, on the third of every month.Queen: Oh oh call them.G2: Ey, hello come Majesty, he is Sethulal, the richest trader in town.(A man from the village enters)P1: Majesty, how are you?Queen: Come to the point..P1: My donkey died last week.Queen: So?P1: So, now I am planning to keep a horse.Queen: Huh. You are not a king to own a horse. Get a new donkey..P1: But majesty, people in the nearby villages make fun of me when I go on the donkey. They all use horses.Queen: So? You can go and live in that village.P1: majesty, this is not fairQueen: Oh ,,, you want to see what is unfair. Sher Khan(Sher Khan, the chief Bodyguard of the Queen enters)Queen: Throw him out and make sure that he never comes back again over here(SHer Khan pushes him out)Queen: NextG2: Majesty, this is the old wise man of the village.(He is an old man. Almost toothless)P2: Your majesty, your majesty Queen: yesP2: I have a small request and I am sure you will give me.Queen: Speak P2: As you can see, I hardly have any teeth left Queen: (is disgusted looking at his face)P2: I am not able to eat my favourite dishes and am growing old I want to eat all I can and then dieQueen: So?P2: I need denturesQueen: How old are you?P2: 88Queen: Not much that you can do Sher Khan.(Sher Khan comes and the old man is scared of him)Queen: break his teeth and throw him out(Sher Khan pushes him away)Queen; Guards , send the next person and the last I am sleepy (tells her assistants) prepare for my lunch..(The third person is a woman who is holding a bag in her hand)P3: Majesty, I have something for youQueen: What?P3: (opens the bag and shows it to her)Queen: What? Torn clothes?P3: yes.Queen: You want new clothes, I guess.P3: no, I want a cat. A wild cat.Queen: A cat. For what?P3: The mice are creating a big problem and they are everywhere tearing clothes, bags, carpets and even sneaking into vessels and eating our foodQueen: Yucckkk. So a cat to eat the rat?P3: yes , majestyQueen: But is a rat really scared of a Cat ?P3: That is what they say in stories.Queen: (to herself) storieshuh.. that is last thing left for me to hear. What is your name? You seem to be new in this village.P3: I am Jayanti and just got married to Bhola. I used to live in the neighbouring village. Queen: In that village, did you have rats?P3: yes, and they can get dangerous if not stopped.Queen: Huh the max a rat can do is to tear clothes and look ugly. Dont be so scared.P3: I speak from experience they can even take lives.Queen: Ok. (irritated) we will arrange for a cat Sher Khan(Sher Khan comes fiercely and is about to throw her out)Queen: No.. no dont throw her out she needs a cat give it to herSher Khan: A cat !Queen: yes, there are lot of rats roaming around in the village so get a big wild cat .. we need to kill all the rats or else they can kill usSher Khan: (is thinking) are the rats really dangerous?Queen: yes, sher khan they are. Dont think. Now go to the jungle and find a big wild cat for her.(Queen exits with her assistants)(Guards enter)G1: Huh our queen is smart.G2: Huh!! From which angle? Now, she has sent Sher Khan to search for a wild cat.G1: Of course.G2: As if he will really find a big wild cat. He will end up spending half his life in the jungle.G1: Why do you say that?G2: Our queen just goes by hearsay. Anything that the villagers tell here is false or just some myth. She only believes people from outside. This jayanti is from the other village so she will believe her but not the people over here.G1: (is quiet)G2: Even the queen is scared of rats. I am sure she will go to the fortune teller and ask for his advice.G1: But she has Sher Khan and the whole kingdom is scared of him. He is the toughest, strongest and boldest. The mice cant even come near to the Queen.G2: Do you think Sher Khan is the strongest?G1: yes, of course. Look at the way people are scared of him. I am sure he can drive away rats.G2: hmmm but outside the kingdom. Have you ever seen him? Who trains him?G1 : Pehelwan didi, she trains all the bodyguards and she is the Queens close friend.G2: Have you ever seen her?G1: She never comes out. She is always in her wrestling room training people.G2: Will you take me to her place. Lets see what she is like.G1: its night now. Let go tomorrow morning. And we shall also take our audience to see that place.G2: hmmm G1: good night.

Scene 2:(This is a dream sequence and other actors become mice as a chorus and start creeping into Sher Khans dream.Sher Khan is searching for a big wild cat in the jungle and at one point is being chased all over the place by mice.Sher Khan screams and wakes up.)Angrez Khan: Khan bhaiyya, khan bhaiyya kya hua?Sher Khan: Chuha, chuha chuhaAngrez Khan: ChuhaSher Khan: Chuha ..bada waala.. bahut saara chuha..Angrez Khan: Iddhar koi chuha nahin aap so jaaoSher Khan: Pucca koi chuha nahin..Angrez Khan: Nahi.. khan bhaiyya koi chuha nahiaap so jao..Sher Khan: theek hai tu bhi so jaaBahut saara chuha dekha maine..Angrez Khan: Koi nahi hai khan bhaiyya koi chuha hoga to main dekh lunga(SHer khan goes to sleep but is still thinking about the mice and is a little scared that they might come again in his dreams and haunt him)Angrez Khan: Sher khan bhaiyya, how much does the queen pay you?Sher Khan: Huh, why do you want to know that?Angrez Khan: No just asking. Someone told me she gives you gold coins as bonus.Sher Khan: That is none of your business.Angrez Khan: Isnt this your last year as the queens bodyguard? I hear every three years she changes her bodyguard.SHer Khan: Who is telling you all this? This is just rumours. Dont believe anyone.Why are you asking these questions?Angrez Khan: I thoughtSher Khan:SpeakAngrez Khan: No, I just thought once you retire. I can work at the Queens palace.Sher Khan: Hahahahahahah you are still a bachcha first learn to guard yourself. You need to become a pehelwan like me. I have set such high standards that the next pehelwan has to be much better than me.Angrez Khan: hmmmSher Khan: Now sleep. Angrez Khan: Hmmm

Scene 3:(Pehelwan Didi is sitting on a chair with a stick in her hand and is counting out loud)Pehelwan Didi: 87, 88, 89 theek se karo (Five boys are doing push ups including Angrez khan & Sher Khan)Pehelwan didi: Sher Khan.. kya hua khaana nahi khaya theek se karoSher Khan: (is thinking about last nights dream)Pehelwan didi: very good.. angrez 96, 97, 98, 99One of the Pehelwans : I finished push ups.Pehelwan didi : ok. Now go and lift weights. 50 kgs.Another Pehelwan: Didi finished running.Pehelwan didi: Ok. Go and eat something.Sher khan (is tired) Pehelwan didi: Ey, sher khan.. get up tired in 100 push ups itself what is wrong? You are the leader over here.(Sher Khan is quiet and walks out) (The Queen walks into the wrestling room and greets Pehelwan Didi)Pehelwan didi: Oh majesty, you could have called me.Queen: no, I did not have the time.Pehelwan didi: You look disturbed? Any problem?Queen: Yes, there is a big big problem.Pehelwan didi: Is it about Sher Khan?(Angrez Khan is standing behind the curtain and is listening to their conversation)Queen: No, no he is doing very good.Pehelwan didi : Then, what is it?Queen: I got news this morning that there is an infectious disease that is spreading in the whole of Asia and the mice are carrying it. And it wont be too late until it spreads in our kingdom, our villages too. We need to do something about it.Pehelwan didi: Aah just a mice..chuhayou mean my boys can take care of them..Queen: it is not so easy how will you catch them? They are many in number.Pehelwan didi: We will start sending our boys to every nook and corner, search them and kill them..Queen: But, there is one more thing to it. I hear from the fortune teller that the mice will also kill anyone who tries to stop them from entering.Pehelwan didi: What ? Did he tell you the name?Queen: No, it seems they are very moody and can spread the disease to whoever stops them.Pehelwan didi: You need not worry majesty. I will prepare my pehelwans so well that no rat will ever think of coming to this kingdom. I will make them exercise everyday, give eggs, meat, milk, honey, cashew nuts And will also send them out to different corners to guard the kingdom.Queen: You start sending your pehelwans and in the meantime I shall ask the priest about this.Pehelwan Didi: As you say majesty. (Meanwhile, Angrez Khan who is behind the curtain is now planning on something)Pehelwan didi: Sher KhanSher Khan: Ji didi Pehelwan didi: From today onwards, each wrestler will drink 5 litres of milk, will do 1000 push ups, run 10 kms everyday, eat 10 eggs everyday, 2 kilos of roasted chicken everyday and also during breaks, they have to keep eating dry fruits. Ask all of them to get ready. We have to fight the deadly mice.Sher Khan: What if it bites us or spreads it to us? I am a little worried. To die of a bullet or in a war is still honourable but not because of mice.Pehelwan Didi: You are a pehelwan from my Wrestling Centre. Is this what you have learnt? To be scared of catching mice. You are going to lead this mice catching operation. So far you have been guarding the Queen. Now guard the people. You will become a hero.Sher Khan: Ok didi. ( to himself) I dont want to become a hero.Pehelwan didi: Send Angrez Khan.(Angrez Khan enters)Pehelwan didi : I need to talk to you.Angrez Khan: Ji didi.Pehelwan Didi: I suspect sher khan is having some problem. He is not telling me. Do you know anything that I should be knowing?Angrez Khan: Since past few nights, he has been dreaming about rats attacking him. Also I think now he is growing old. He needs to retire.Pehelwan Didi: hmmm.that I need to speak to the queen.Angrez Khan: And I think what the fortune teller said might come true.Pehelwan Didi: Oh, so you were listening to our conversation.Angrez Khan: No, no I was just passing by and I heard that. Pehelwan Didi: Hmmm.. do you think Sher Khan can carry on for long?Angrez Khan: (is a little shy) didi whatever you feel.Pehelwan Didi: This will be sher khans last operation and last year at the queens palace. After that, I will appoint someone else.Angrez Khan: Have you thought of someone?Pehelwan Didi: Hmmm. You seem to be very curious.Angrez Khan; No, no.I was just wondering.Pehelwan Didi: I have you in mind. Dont worry.Angrez Khan: Thank you didi.Pehelwan Didi: Now go

Scene 4:(This scene takes place inside the priests house where he is meditating and the two guards have come to take him to the Queens place.)Priest: OmmG1: GurujiPriest: Om.G2: Guruji..Priest: WaitG1: Guruji..G2: He said wait.Priest: Cant you wait and be quiet. Dont disturb me.G1: Guruji, it is urgent.Priest: I dont live with time. Time lives with me. So, I decide what is urgent and what is not.G2: (is shocked)Priest: Now that you have disturbed me, you may speak.G1: guruji, the queen wants to meet you.Priest: So?G1: So, we have come to take you.Priest: Huh did she even ask me before sending you?G1: No. Sorry Guruji.Priest: Tell the queen that I am busy now and will come day after, that is Tuesday , as that is the only day I meet people.G1: But she is the queen.Priest: So? Does she run my house?G2: very true guruji.. very trueG1: But guruji, it is about the people and not about the queen. We are facing a big problem.Priest: What problem?G1: Plague.Priest: Plague?G2: yes guruji, the deadly disease that spreads like fire.Priest: You know good words. Where did you learn about this?G2: I read guruji. Just that I work as a guard at the palace.Priest: Pity, that such good knowledge is wasted on guarding empty kingdoms.G1: Guruji, please come fast. We dont have time. Priest: Only on one condition?G1: Which is?Priest: Your queen has to obey whatever I say. If she goes against it, then I shall curse the village and its people.G1: Then, we need to take her permission first.G2: No, no guruji.. she will agree. Only you can save us.Priest: Are you sure?G1: yes guruji.Priest: And will she also give me money for my advice?G2: yes guruji, our queen is very loyal to outsiders.Priest: (laughs) you are a really funny guard. Come, lets go.

Scene 5:(Queen is sitting with her assistant and is worried. The priest and the guards enter.)Queen: Aah.. guruji.. pranaam.Priest: Hmmm sit , sit.. tell meQueen: Guruji, I got to know from the fortune teller that the plague will finish everyone.Priest: That fortune-teller is a liar.Queen: But he knows everything and all his predictions have come true.Priest: Even I can predict the future but I am not like him. Spreading fear among people.Queen: Ok then guruji, do you think the plague will affect us?Priest: Wait .. let me think .. (closes his eyes and starts meditating) Yes, it will but there is a way out.Queen ( to her Assistant): See, I told you.Assistant: How can he close his eyes for two minutes and predict?Queen: He has powers. He knows it better than us.Queen: Tell guruji.. please tell the way out.Priest: The whole village has to pray to the great Lord of Cats. Assistant: Is there someone like that?Priest: You dont trust me.Queen: No, no.. we do. Ok. So we pray to the lord of cats. Then?Priest: And the lord will send someone to help us. Only someone with cat powers can save this kingdom and the Lord of Cats will arrange for one but if we all pray and stay hungry for one whole week. No food, no fruits, only water. Just pray.Queen: Guards.G1& G2 (together): Yes, your majesty.Queen: Go and spread this message to everyone. We start the fast tonight.Priest: Good. I will let you know what the lord says.Queen: thank you guruji.Priest: In return, I need 1000 gold coins and a few other things for my house. A new cot, furniture and unlimited supply of wheat,rice and vegetables.Queen: I shall arrange for it.Assistant: Majesty, we do not have so much in stock. We will be on the road if we start giving out gold coins like this. Even the fortune-teller demanded for gold coins. We are hardly left with anything.Queen: Go to the underground storage area and take gold coins from there.Assistant: But that has to be used only with the permission of other stake holders.Queen: Do as I say. Just give it. We will see all this later.(Priest leaves and others exit the stage)

(G1 & G2 enter as narrators)G2: Why does it always happen that assistants are more intelligent than their bosses ?G1: huh, who said that? That assistant just knows to keep calculation. The queen knows what she is doing. G2: Oh is it. Dont you think it is foolish to believe all this. G1: What other option does she have? What would you do if you were the queen?G2: Well, I would consult some real people. Not priests, fortune tellers and lord of cats.G1: Oh, you are the modern man huh. You think all this is superstitious beliefs.G2: Well if the queen succeeds , then good for her and even if she doesnt, nothing will happen to her

Scene 6:(This is a scene where the pehelwans from the Wrestling Centre are going to each and every house to look for mice and if they find it, they have to put them in a bag)Sher Khan: Pehelwano, are you ready ?Chorus: YesSher Khan: Each of you has a gunny bag, so wherever you find a rat just put it inside.Chorus: Yes.Sher Khan: And then we take it to the Wrestling Centre. Is that clear?Chorus: Yes.One of the pehelwans: Are you also searching with us?Sher Khan: Yes, even I will. (They move out and start knocking at each and every door. This is a scene that has to be devised and created with the chorus)(Sher khan finds a rat but is scared to pick it up. He goes near one of the rats and when he is about to pick it up, many other rats surround him, similar to his dream sequence. The scene builds into a real sequence where Sher Khan , the bodyguard is not able to fight the mice and runs away out of fear)Sher Khan : pehelwano.(All of them come to Sher Khan)SheR Khan: How many did you catch?P1: 17P2: 15P3:19P4:22P2: How many did you catch? Sher Khan: I didnt catch any. Come lets go.

Scene 7:(This is the scene where the Fortune Teller & Priest meet at the latters house with another man standing in the corner)Fortune Teller: The queen really believed my version of plague. Ha ha ha ha. people like us survive because of such queens.Priest: And when I told her that the fortune teller is right, she believed it even more. And she agreed to all my demands.Fortune teller: by the way, will this young boy be able to play the role of Nandi?Priest: Yes yes he will. He is a young actor from the village theatre company. Fortune teller: Young man, what is your name?Young Man: My name is Natraj.Fortune Teller: So, you are an actor, is it?Natraj: Yes sir.Fortune teller: Do you know the role that you have to play?Natraj: Yes, the role of Nandi, a man who possesses powers of a cat and has to fool the queen that I can save the kingdom from plague.Fortune Teller: What roles have you played so far?Natraj: I have played role of a king, queen, dacoit, dragon and even a newborn baby. Fortune teller: impressive, impressivePriest: Good.Fortune Teller: Can you show us some of your acting skills? Natraj: Sure, I will show you how an old beggar acts on the street.(enacts it)Priest: wow good convincing.Natraj: But, I am in dire need of money. How much will I get paid for this?Fortune Teller: You will be given 5% of the total amount we get from the queen.Natraj: Only 5%?Priest: That will be enough to feed the next five generations of yours. It is full of gold coins. You will never have to work hard ever again.Natraj: Oh ok.. sure sure when are we meeting the queen?Priest: Tomorrow. Get ready and learn your lines.Natraj: Sure. Thank you.

Scene 8:(Nandi, Fortune Teller & Priest come to meet the queen and introduce Nandi)Queen: Nandi , welcome to our kingdom.Nandi: Oh dont thank me. Its my job.Queen: I hope you know there is a lot of fear among people and you are the only hope.Nandi: Well, going by my past experience, the rats dont trouble everyone.Queen: Well but they are the ones spreading plague. Nandi: Well, they never wanted to. It was gods will.Queen (calls her assistant and whispers in her ears): isnt he too much on the side of rats? Will he even be able to save us?Nandi: Can someone take me to the border of your kingdom? That is where I need to be. To make sure the mice with plague dont enter.Queen: Oh you can find out if a rat has plague or not?Nandi: Of course I can. I know each and every one.Queen: But, we have killed many rats so far. Our pehelwans went and caught each and every rat from the nook and corner of the town.Nandi: that is the biggest mistake you did. Now leave it to me and tell your pehelwans to stay out of it. Only I will be at the borders. No one else.Queen: Ok, I will make sure they dont catch any more rats.Nandi: Good.Assistant: Is nandi doing it for free?Queen: Nandi, how much money would you expect?Nandi: I dont care much for money. I am following my lords order.Queen: oh, thank you so much.Priest: Dont worry majesty. Nandi will take care of everything now.Queen: Thank you guruji.. thank you.. ( to her assistant) Assistant, arrange a chariot for guruji..Assistant: But we have only one chariot.Queen: (whispers) ok.. just give it to the guruji.(G1 & G2 enter as narrators)G1: Oh my god, the queen is not acting wise. These people are fooling her.G2: Didnt I tell you.G1: But, will the queen ever come to know?G2: It depends. These people will take the money and leave this place.G1: But is plague really spreading?G2: I dont know. The fortune teller said.G1: But he is a liar. G2: It is all hearsay. No one knows who is right , who to believe. This world is so complicated.G1: Everyone is just believing on what the other person has said. No one knows what exactly happened. If something is true or not.G2: Exactly. How I wish we find someone in the story who can make the queen realize what a big mistake she is making.G1: Lets hope for the best.Scene 9:(After a few days in the queens palace)Queen: Assistant, how much money and gold coins are we left with?Assistant: Only 500 gold coins and a few lakhs rupees.Queen: Hmm any update from fortune teller?Asst: No, havent heard from him. It seems the plague has died down.Queen: Hmmmm I have heard nandi has been guarding the borders quite well.Asst: I havent gone near the border.Queen: Hmmm I heard from the priest. He told me.Asst: Majesty, I think we should check with the priest once and see if nandi can be sent back. He is being paid per day, so it is quite expensive for us.Queen: Hmmm.. true lets go to Gurujis house on the hill tomorrow.Assistant: Majesty, even pehelwan didi had asked for some gold coins.Queen: For what?Assistant: The mice catching operation?Queen: oh yes. Tell her I will give it to her later.Assistant: And what about sher khan? Are we keeping him for the next year? If we do, we need to hike his salary.Queen: Let us see. I really want to but I guess he is growing old and is a little scared these days.Assistant: I heard from Angrez Khan that during the mice catching operation, Sher Khan did not catch or kill even a single mice. He was really scared.Queen: Hmmm. Angrez Khan seems to be like an intelligent fellow. Is he a well trained bodyguard?Assistant: I do not know that. Only pehelwan didi can decide on that.Queen: Hmmm.. let us meet her tomorrow after we go to the priests house.

(G1 & G2 enter as narrators)G1: So now sher khans job is in trouble?G2: They think a pehelwan is not a human being.G1: Atleast they are different from normal human beings.G2: (takes out a dummy lizard from his pocket and throws it on G1)G1 ( is scared and starts jumping around)G2: (laughs) see, how you got scared. G1: Why did you do that?G2: to make you realize that even sher khan is a human being. Just because he is a pehelwan does not mean that he can never be scared of anything in life.G1: And now, it looks like he will also lose his job.G2: It all depends on Pehelwan didi and I guess by now we know that if sher khan loses the job, then the new bodyguard will be Angrez Khan.G1; Lets wait and watch. Dont predict everything. Dont go by hearsay.

Scene 9:(Nandi, The Fortune Teller & The Priest are enjoying inside the priests house)(They all are laughing)Fortune teller: we finally fooled the queen. Good work Natraj.Priest: I never knew she would believe all of us in the first attempt. This fellow (pointing to Nandi) acted so well. Good job, Mr. Nandi. The queen asked me How is Nandi doing?. I said He is the best man for this. He is very powerful.Natraj: I just hope she does not catch us. You people can still pass of as great men but if I get caught no one is going to believe my story of lord of cats and all. I am just an actor.Priest: hahahaha dont worry. No one will come to know and anyways there is no plague. The queen just believed my version of the story. It was all hearsay.Natraj: but one thing is sure , if we get caught , those pehelwans will twist us and break our bones. Priest: Dont be so scared.Fortune-Teller: He is right. In two days, you should go again as Nandi and then tell the queen that all the problems are solved. The mice have been driven away and she need not worry.Priest: we will get more gold coins and even a better life style than this.Fortune-teller: By the way, who is this Sher Khan?Priest: He is the queens bodyguard. Apparently, everyone is scared of him.Fortune-teller: hmmm I have heard his name a couple of times. Natraj: He is huge and very strong.Priest: Dont worry. Before we get caught, we will go to some other place and fool some other queen or king.Natraj: When do I get my share?Fortune teller: Within two days, once we pack up everything, we will send it to your house.Priest: Now you can go home. I will come to your house and give it to you.Natraj (is a little hesitant to leave); ButFortune teller: You dont trust us?Natraj: No I thought I will get the gold coins immediately. I need money urgently.Pries; Ok..ok tomorrow morning itself I will come to your house and give it to you. Ok?Natraj: Ok.Priest: And yes, I am hoping that you will not reveal our real identity to anyone outside.Natraj: No, no I wont. Promise.

Scene 10:(G1 & G2 are guarding the palace)G1: I will go and sleep for a while.G2: Ok. I will keep a watch.(Just then we hear someone calling out Majesty, Majesty)G2: Who is that?G1: You are dreaming. There is no one.G2: Hey wake up. It is jayanti. That woman who knows everything about plague.Jayanti ( short of breath): I need to meet the queen.G2: It is night now. The queen is asleep.Jayanti: I need to meet her urgently.G1: But for what? Jayanti: It is something very serious. I can tell it only to her.G1: ok. Let me go and check.(G1 enters the palace)Asst: Yes guard. What do you want? You should be out now.G1: Yes , yes but Jayanti has come from the village to meet the queen.Asst: At this hour?G1: Yes.Asst: What is it?G1: She will tell only the queen.(Asst goes and calls the queen)Queen: Yes, what happened. Send her in.(Jayanti enters with G2)G2: Come. Speak.Jayanti: Queen, we have been fooled.Queen: What?Jayanti; yes, I just got back from the other village where my mother lives and they said there is no plague.Queen: Probably that village might not be affected.Jayanti: No but there is one more thing.Queen: What?Jayanti: There is no one called Nandi. My brother Natraj who is an actor in the village theatre company is the one who acted as Nandi.Queen: What!!!Jayanti: yes, he came and told me everything. He said that the priest and fortune teller offered him a huge amount but never paid him. Now, they have left the village.Queen: What!!! You mean the priest and fortune teller were just fooling around.Jayanti: Yes majestythey go and fool the kings and queens of different places every year.Queen: Oh godnow?Jayanti: I dont know majesty. My brother did try searching them but it seems they left overnight.Queen: GuardsG1: yes majesty.Queen: Get the chariot and also call Pehewan didi. Tell her to come with her pehelwans.

Scene 11:(The Queen arrives at the priests house on the hill. The house is empty and there is a small note kept under a pot)(Queen takes the note and reads it)Queen: Hmmm.. the note says Majesty, we know you will come to search for us but all we have to tell you is sorry. This is the only way we can survive.Jayanti: My brother is also here.Natraj: I am sorry majesty. I needed some money. Please forgive me.Queen: Do you know where have they gone?Natraj: No majesty. How would I know? They have not even paid me.Queen: How much did they promise to pay you?Natraj: 5% of the total gold coins they receive from you.Queen: Hmmm(Pehelwan Didi arrives with the pehelwans)Pehelwan Didi: majesty, is it true that we have been fooled?Queen: yes but we will take a revenge.Pehelwan did: Yes , yes . we will.Queen: Where is Sher Khan?Pehelwan Didi: I have decided to keep Angrez Khan as your bodyguard.Queen: What? Why?Pehelwan Didi: Because sher khan is now old and he is not fit to be a pehelwan anymore. Plus he is just scared of mice and all. Queen: Will Angrez Khan be able to do this job?Pehewlan didi: yes, he will. Here he is.Angrez Khan: Your majesty, I am ready and I shall never disappoint you.Queen: Hmmmm now go with all the pehelwans and search for those two people. We have to catch them and punish them.Angrez Khan: As you say majesty. Queen: And assistant, send an alert message to the neighbouring kingdom. If they see them, tell them to hand it over to us.Assistant: Sure your majesty. (A small rat pops out from the priests store house)Rat: Dont worry. I dont have plague.Queen: (is shocked to hear this) A talking rat? (people are scared and make a small huddle)Rat: We are small, dirty looking but we are not bad. We came here much before the humans invaded our lives. Found new medicines to kill rats. Where do we go? What do we do?Queen: But, we were scared. We had to kill everyone. We had to believe the fortune teller.Rat: You people are scared of yourselves and not because of us. You people just go by what others say. (The rat quickly runs out of the house and others are shocked to hear this)Queen: That is so true. We end up believing in the wrong thing and in turn cause so much harm to innocent beings. I wish I could save so many innocent rats who got killed. Go now and ask everyone to stay calm. Nothing will happen. Tell them the queen will take care of each and every person. No more hearsay in this place.Pehewan Didi: And what do we do once we find the priest and the fortune teller?Queen: Put them into the dark dungeons that havent been cleaned since ages. It serves them right to be there with rats.(Sher khan comes with the priest and fortune teller who were trying to escape)Sher Khan : Here are the culprits. I caught them.Pehelwan Didi: Oh Sher Khan. I am so proud of you. Angrez Khan: Khan bhaiyya, are you hurt?Sher Khan: No angrez, I am alright. Majesty, where should I keep them?Queen: Put them in the dark dungeons Sher Khan. Sher Khan: As you say majesty.Pehelwan Didi: I always knew Sher Khan will be very loyal to you and that is what Angrez Khan needs to learn from him.Queen : even you believed someone else Pehelwan Didi. Sher khan is the best guard. And angrez khan will assist him from now.Angrez Khan: At your service majesty.Pehelwan didi: As you say majesty. Understood Angrez.Queen: And assistant, gift 500 gold coins to Sher Khan. And also a statue of Sher Khan to be put up in the village. A statue made of gold.Assistant: But majesty/Queen: Do as I say. Guards lets go.G1 & G2 break out from the scene. They come and address the audience.G1: Such was the story of our queen.G2: I pity her. G1: Me too. G2: But I liked the fact that she did not keep Angrez Khan as her bodyguard.G1: I think Angrez Khan always wanted to be the bodyguard. G2: Hmmm but I guess this time the queen did not go by hearsay. She made her own decision.G1: People who have power can control so many things.G2: yes, they can and that is why I want to be in power. G1: Who does not like to be in power? But it is important to use it in the right way. G2: Like?G1: I mean this was just a story. In real life, one should not just go by what others say. Even if the person who is talking is the most powerful. One should believe the truth. Seeing is believing.G2: true after staying with me, you have also started talking intelligent things.G1: Oh oh..i knew all this before I met you. G2: Hahaha ok ok.. dont feel bad I was just jokingG1: thank you dear audience for coming over tonightG2: We hope you enjoyed the show .G1: And yes, there is a big wild elephant outside. So be careful when you drive back.G2: I hope you are not going to believe him.G1: Our audience is smart. They dont go by hearsay.G1 & G2: Good night.

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