THE GIRL FISH

[SCENE 1 - The Riverbank near the sea where Cassandra lives.

SCENE 2 - Oceanic, below the waves.
SCENE 3 - In a palace underwater, with the FISH and FISH-QUEEN.
SCENE 4 - The Giant's bedroom.
SCENE 5 - A palace above water.]

SCENE 1
[The Riverbank.]

NARRATOR:
Once upon a time in a magical place far from here, there lived a girl. This girl was named
Cassandra. Cassandra's parents had never made her do any work, and so she was very lazy. But it
so happened that one day her mother was so tired, that even Cassandra could not fail to notice it.
Cassandra felt very sorry for her mother and offered to work so that her mother could rest for
awhile. Her mother told her it would be very helpful if she would take the fishing-net to the
riverbank and mend it. This is where our story begins.

[CASSANDRA enters carrying a net.]

CASSANDRA:
Oh, I shall do a good job on this net.

[Enter CASSANDRA's friend, JOANNE.]

CASSANDRA:
Joanne, hi!

JOANNE:
Hello! What are you doing?

CASSANDRA:
I'm mending a fishing net for my father to fish tonight.

JOANNE:
Well, good luck! I've got to go get some bread from the bakers.

[Enter PHIL, CASSANDRA's friend.]

CASSANDRA:
Hi Phil! Joanne just past by.

PHIL:
Hi Cassandra! How're you doing? Well, talk to you later, I must be going, I've got an errand to
run to the miller's.

CASSANDRA:
See you, Phil! (to herself) All my friends are passing by, this isn't so bad after all! (bundles up
the net in her arms while speaking) Well, anyway,  I'm glad it's finished. (noticing a
BEAUTIFUL FISH in the water) Oh my! What a fish, I shall catch it for mother!

[CASSANDRA catches the fish in the net.]

BEAUTIFUL FISH:
You'd better put me back at once, miss, or else you'll turn into a fish yourself if you eat me!

CASSANDRA:
Ha! Yea, Right!

[CASSANDRA gives the fish to her mother, who moves to the side of the stage.]

CASSANDRA:
Well, Mom, I'm going to talk with Joanne.

[CASSANDRA moves to the opposite side of the stage.]

MOM:
(calling) Okay, come back when you hear the bell!

CASSANDRA:
Hey, Joanne, guess what!

[JOANNE comes in from offstage.]

JOANNE:
What?

CASSANDRA:
I caught a big fish today!

JOANNE:
Cool, can I see it?

CASSANDRA:
Sure, but my Mom has it.
[On the other side of the stage, MOM rings a bell.]

CASSANDRA:
Oh, it's dinner time! Talk to you later!

[JOANNE exits offstage, and CASSANDRA crosses stage to where MOM is.]

CASSANDRA:
Hi, Mom, you cooked the fish?

MOM:
Yes I did, and I cooked it with a special sauce.

CASSANDRA:
Sounds good to me!

[When CASSANDRA eats she turns her head from the audience and shivers while slipping on a
fish mask.]

CASSANDRA:
(turning back to the audience) Oh, what happened? I need water, water!

MOM:
Cassandra, what's happened to you?

CASSANDRA:
I don't know, but I think I have to live in the ocean now. I'll see you later!

[CASSANDRA jumps into the river.]

SCENE 2
[Oceanic, below the waves.]

CASSANDRA:
(swimming alone) Oh no! I should have listened to that dumb fish.

[FISH 1, FISH 2 and FISH 3 enter]

FISH 1:
Who are you?

CASSANDRA:
Well, I was a human, but I ate a fish and now I'm a fish too!
FISH 2:
Yes, it is a sad thing, but that is how many of us have gotten here, me included. But I'll take you
to see the fish-queen, who lives in the most beautiful palace in the world.

FISH 3:
Come on!

[FISH 1, FISH 2 and FISH 3 exit so no one hears the end of CASSANDRA's next line.]

CASSANDRA:
OK, but how far is it? I'm still new at this fish thing, and I don't know how far I can swim. Hello?

[CASSSANDRA runs to catch up with FISH 1, FISH 2 and FISH 3 and exits.]

SCENE 3
[In a palace underwater with the FISH and FISH-QUEEN.]

CASSANDRA:
(staring in awe all around) Wow, I've never seen anything like this. It's the most beautiful thing
ever!

FISH-QUEEN:
Thank you Cassandra. Now tell me your story.

CASSANDRA:
Well, I was just a regular human girl until today. Today I went down to the river and sat and
mended my father's fishing-net. When I was finished, I saw a beautiful fish. I caught him
because I thought that my mother would like to cook him for dinner. The fish told me that I
would turn into a fish if I ate him, which I did not believe. Then I turned into a fish and I had to
swam to the sea. When I got there, I was met by them. (gesturing to the other FISH)

FISH-QUEEN:
I see. My fate is similar to yours. I was once a human princess married happily to a prince. One
day, a giant encountered me in my gardens and grabbed my crown away. He told me that he was
going to give it to his own daughter, and then enchant my husband so that he couldn't tell the
difference between us. When this happened I was filled with despair. I flung myself into the sea.
But a kindly wizard transformed me into a fish, and a fish I will stay until the day when my
crown is returned.

CASSANDRA:
Oh good queen, I will get back your crown!

FISH-QUEEN:
Are you sure?
CASSANDRA:
Yes!

FISH-QUEEN:
Okay. This is what you must do. First you must return to earth and go to the top of the highest
mountain. That's where the giant lives in a castle. He has the crown there now because his
daughter, the queen, sent it to him before she died, which was recently. To help you I give you
the power to turn yourself into any animal of the forest, field or stream, except a human.

CASSANDRA:
I shall go at once!

SCENE 4
[The GIANT's bedroom, with CASSANDRA and the GIANT.]

NARRATOR:
Cassandra swam to the shore, and then she changed into a deer. As a deer, she ran to the castle,
passing by a Prince on her way.

[CASSANDRA, changed into a deer, runs before the PRINCE, who crosses the stage, staring at
her.]

NARRATOR:
At the castle, she changed into a parrot so she could fly into the Giant's bedroom.

CASSANDRA:
I have been sent to get the crown from you because it is no longer yours now that your daughter
is dead.

GIANT:
You evil bird! Why should I will give you the crown for nothing? Let me think what I will have
in exchange. (scratches his head) Ah, yes! You shall have the crown if you bring me a collar of
blue stones from the Great Arch.

CASSANDRA:
Well, Deal!

[CASSANDRA flies across the stage and lands on an arch. She pulls a dozen blue stones from
the arch.]

CASSANDRA:
Ah, well this isn't so hard. Now I shall get the crown and be able to return home.

[As a parrot, CASSANDRA strings the stones on a string.]

CASSANDRA:
Well, away I go!

[CASSANDRA as the parrot flies back across the stage to the castle and the GIANT.]

CASSANDRA:
There you go. Now you give me the crown.

GIANT:
They are hardly as blue as I expected. You must go get a bag of stars from the sky to make up for
this.

CASSANDRA:
Stars from the sky? But that's impossible!

GIANT:
Well, if you really want the crown, you'll find a way.

NARRATOR:
Cassandra goes outside and says:

[CASSANDRA goes to the other side of the stage, and the GIANT turns his back but stays
onstage]

CASSANDRA:
I want to be a toad!

NARRATOR:
And she turns into a toad. She goes to a pool and sees the stars reflected in the water. She fills a
bag with the water and returns to the castle, saying...

CASSANDRA:
I want to be a parrot!

NARRATOR:
And flies into the Giant's window.

[GIANT turns around.]

CASSANDRA:
Here are the stars you asked for.

GIANT:
Your power is greater than mine. Have the crown, I no longer need it.
CASSANDRA:
Okay, well good-bye!

NARRATOR:
Cassandra grabs the crown and flies to the shore. At the shore, she says...

CASSANDRA:
I want to be a fish!

NARRATOR:
Then she turns into a fish, jumps into the water, and swims to the Fish-Queen. She gives the
crown to the Fish-Queen in the presence of all the other fishes. The Fish-Queen turns back into a
human, and so does Cassandra.

QUEEN:
Cassandra, thank you very much. I am so happy to be human again.

CASSANDRA:
As am I!

QUEEN:
Then let us go to my old palace and rejoin my husband and son.

SCENE 5
[A palace above water, with KING, QUEEN and PRINCE.]

KING:
At last, it is you. I am so happy to finally be returned to you!

QUEEN:
Yes, it has been long indeed since I have looked upon your face, dearest.

KING:
Well, I have kingly matters to attend to, but I shall be back within the hour.

[KING exits.]

PRINCE:
Mother! I haven't seen you for ages.

QUEEN:
Yes, well I am home at last. But anyway, son, you seem to be troubled. Tell me what is bothering
you.
PRINCE:
It is nothing that can be helped.

QUEEN:
Well, at least tell me so I can share your grief.

PRINCE:
Well, I saw a beautiful deer while I was hunting, but it looked like no deer I have every seen. I
fell in love with it.

QUEEN:
(laughing out loud) That is funny!

PRINCE:
(ashamed) You see! Now you're laughing at me! This isn't making me feel better!

QUEEN:
No, not laughing at your falling in love with a deer but because that deer was really a maiden. I
sent her to rescue my crown. She turned into a deer so she could run across the land to the giant's
castle.

PRINCE:
So the deer really was a maiden! That's what I thought.

QUEEN:
I shall call her in. Cassandra!

[CASSANDRA enters.]

CASSANDRA:
Yes?

QUEEN:
I would like you to meet my son, the Prince.

CASSANDRA:
(shyly) Hello.

PRINCE:
(shyly) Hi.

QUEEN:
I think I must go attend to wedding preparations.