by Andrea Jennings

illustrated by Dani Jones

 by Andrea Jennings
illustrated by Dani Jones

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ISBN 10: 0-15-351523-6

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Characters
PRINCESS MAY KING QUEEN THE TRAVELERS
BILL THE SERVANT ANN SIR WALTER
SETTING: A castle

(BILL THE SERVANT enters.)

BILL THE SERVANT:
Excuse me, your majesty. I’m sorry to intrude.
In front are two travelers, who wish to see you.
KING:
Two travelers? Right now? We’re enjoying our tea.
QUEEN:
Maybe they’ve brought gifts for you and for me!
BILL THE SERVANT:
Good Queen, you’re correct! They’re carrying a crate.
PRINCESS MAY:
Please let them in, Daddy! This may be something great!
KING:
Very well, princess dear. Bill, bring the travelers here.

3
 (TRAVELER 1 and TRAVELER 2 enter. They are carrying a
large wooden crate.)
TRAVELER 1:
Your highness, we present you with a special new machine.
We guarantee this is something you have never seen.
PRINCESS MAY:
A computer? That’s really the best that you can do?
Our knights all carry laptops. The gardener has one, too!
TRAVELER 2:
This computer’s special. It has terrific power.
It can take you anywhere, at any given hour.
You can travel to new places. You can go to many stores.
You won’t just be staring at the screen anymore!
PRINCESS MAY:
Places? Stores? I can “go” to any place?
Why this sounds quite familiar: You’re describing cyberspace.
QUEEN:
All computers do that now. They surf the Internet.
This is not the special gift I thought that we would get!
(The TRAVELERS rush out of the room.)

RXENL08ARD4A08_ALR.indd 4 4/25/07 5:29:53 PM

PRINCESS MAY:
Well, at least it probably works well since it looks like it is new.
Let’s turn it on right now so we can see what it can do.
Okay, now where’s the hard drive?
(There is a large poof of smoke and a loud noise. When the
smoke clears, PRINCESS MAY is inside the computer. Her face
is seen on the screen.)
PRINCESS MAY (surprised):
I’m in . . . cyberspace, I think. This is really weird.
KING (to PRINCESS MAY):
Do not panic, darling! You must be brave and fierce.
PRINCESS MAY (looking around):
Actually, I think I’m fine. This place is kind of neat.
There are lots of places I can go to learn and shop and eat!
Ooh, there’s something over there that I must simply see.
See you later, Mom and Dad. Don’t worry about me!
(PRINCESS MAY disappears from the screen.)

5
 (Late in the evening of that same day, KING and QUEEN
are sitting in chairs by the computer. PRINCESS MAY
suddenly appears on the computer screen.)
QUEEN:
May! Where have you been my dear?
PRINCESS MAY:
I can’t even describe what it’s like in here!
KING:
You mean in that computer? That cramped little place?
PRINCESS MAY:
No, Dad, I’m talking about here in cyberspace!
KING and QUEEN (together):
Oh.
PRINCESS MAY:
You have no idea where I have been!
You don’t know the wonders I have seen!
I just was in Florence. I saw beautiful art.
Then I went to a food site and learned how to cook!
I can’t even name all the places I’ve visited.
I had no idea a machine like this existed!

6
KING:
Well, that’s all nice, but now this craziness must cease!
Until it does, your parents will not have any peace.
QUEEN:
Your father is right. You must come out right now.
Get back to this castle—I do not care how.
PRINCESS MAY:
Come back to the castle? Leave all of this fun?
This trip is the best thing that I’ve ever done.
It really is amazing. I went to a zoo.
It was so fantastic. What an impressive view!
Anyway, folks, I really have to fly.
I’ll visit you soon. See you. Bye-bye!
(PRINCESS MAY’S face disappears from the screen. The
KING and QUEEN look at each other confused.)

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 KING:
I know exactly what to do. I’m going to bring in the crew.
QUEEN:
You mean your advisors? Sir Walter and Ann?
KING:
If they can’t help us, then nobody can.
(The KING rings a small bell. BILL THE SERVANT quickly
enters the room.)
BILL THE SERVANT:
Yes, your highness. Your wish is my command.
KING:
Good—please go and get Sir Walter and Ann.
(SIR WALTER and ANN enter.)
KING:
Sir Walter, my friend. I need your nimble mind.
I have a strange problem—a solution you must find!
SIR WALTER:
I’ve heard all about it. Your daughter’s stuck inside.
I know just what to do to bring her back to your side.
KING (to QUEEN):
I told you he could do it! I told you he was slick.
He’s thought up a solution, and he thought it up quick!

8
SIR WALTER:
My plan is very simple. It wasn’t formed in haste.
First, we’ll select the Princess, and then we’ll cut and paste.
We’ll cut her from a Web site, then move the cursor here.
Then we’ll click the paste command and drop her in this chair.
(PRINCESS MAY appears on the screen. SIR WALTER sits at
the computer and begins to move the mouse. The cursor goes
past PRINCESS MAY’S face.)
SIR WALTER (to PRINCESS MAY):
Hold still now, Princess. This will not hurt a bit.
Once the cursor’s on your face I’m just going to double-click.
(PRINCESS MAY moves away from the cursor. Then her face
quickly disappears from the screen.)
KING (disappointed):
It’s getting very late. Let’s try to get some rest.
We’ll all come here tomorrow and give it our best.

9
 (The next morning.)
ANN:
I did a lot of thinking about how to solve this mess.
Yesterday’s approach was not smart, I must confess.
KING:
Well, what is your suggestion? We must try something new.
Tell us your new plan. Tell us what we should all do.
ANN:
Let’s try to entice her so she’ll want to come back home.
Tell her that you’re going to let her use your new cell phone.
QUEEN:
Why, that makes perfect sense!

10
 (QUEEN moves to the computer and bangs on the screen.)
QUEEN (to computer):
Oh May? Are you there? Can you hear me at all?
(PRINCESS MAY’S face pops up on the computer screen.)
PRINCESS MAY:
Hello, darling Mother, and good morning to you all!
QUEEN:
You can use my cell phone, the kind with different rings.
Just exit that computer, and we’ll get you all those things!
PRINCESS MAY:
Oh, Mother, don’t you understand? All those things I can get
any time or any place when I’m in the Internet!
I can’t imagine why you think I would want to go?
Tonight I’m off to Asia and tomorrow to a show!
(PRINCESS MAY’S face leaves the computer.)

11

RXENL08ARD4A08_ALR.indd 11 4/25/07 5:30:57 PM

 QUEEN (angry, to the computer):
You terrible machine! You make me so mad!
You cause such problems! You make me feel bad!
SIR WALTER:
Come now, let’s think. There must be a way.
We must get the princess back home—and today!
ANN:
Please think about when this problem began.
Go to the beginning, as far as you can.
KING:
It started when the Travelers gave the computer to us.
We had no idea it would cause such a fuss.
ANN:
Aha! There it is! I have a new plan!
Bring back the Travelers as fast as you can!
KING:
Of course—she is right! The Travelers must know.
Find them now, Bill! Hurry—now go!

12
(BILL THE SERVANT rushes in with the TRAVELERS.)
KING (to TRAVELERS):
Good day, you were right. Your machine has great power.
However, our daughter’s been in there for hours!
Now how can we free her? How will she get out?
Please tell us the answer! You know it, no doubt!
(TRAVELER 1 walks up to the computer.)
TRAVELER 1:
Your highness, we’ll help you. We know what to do.
This computer is powerful, but it’s simple, too.
When it starts acting funny or won’t work at all,
just carefully pull the plug out of the wall.
(TRAVELER 1 bends over and pulls the computer’s plug from
the wall. Suddenly there is a poof of smoke and a loud noise,
and PRINCESS MAY appears in the room.)

13
 KING:
May! You’re back!
QUEEN:
My dear, you’re all right?
KING:
You really had us worried!
QUEEN:
You gave us quite a fright!
PRINCESS MAY (hugging her parents):
My trip was really fun. I really got to roam.
However, there really is no place like my home.
KING (to TRAVELERS):
We thank you for the gift, but please take it away.
We want our daughter in the castle every day.
(The TRAVELERS begin to gather up the computer.)
TRAVELER 1 (turning to KING):
Your highness, we have another special gift for you.
It’s a very special cow that plays CDs instead of moos.
KING, QUEEN, PRINCESS MAY, SIR WALTER, and
ANN (together):
No, thank you!
THE END

14
 Think Critically
1. What do you think the author’s purpose was for
writing this play? Why?

2. Why did the king decide that it was a good idea

for the Travelers to return?

3. Could this play have been set in a different

time and place? Why or why not?

4. What can you tell about Ann from this play?

5. Would you change the ending of this play?

How?

Language Arts
Write a Scene Write another scene for this play. The scene
could be at the beginning, middle, or end of the play. You may
wish to try to make it rhyme like the rest of the play.

School-Home Connection Discuss this play with a

family member. Then have a discussion about other
plays you may have seen or read.

Word Count: 1,452