The princess who could not cry
(After K. Adams & E. Atchinson)
Scene 1
Storyteller: There was once a little princess. She couldn’t cry but she laughed at everything. Her parents Were very unhappy.
King (to the Queen and the Prime Minister): Our little princess always laughs. She laughs at everything. Queen: She can’t cry. What should we do?
Prime Minister: I think we should call in a wise old fairy and ask for her advice.
King: Ask the fairy to come to our palace. Премьер-министр выходит и возвращается с феей
King (to the fairy): We are very glad to see you. Sit down, please. We are very troubled. Our daughter can’t cry.
Fairy: I know. Your daughter is under a spell. You must try and break the spell.
Queen: But how could we do this?
Fairy: You must find someone who could make her cry once. If the princess cries once, the spell will be broken for ever and she will be just like other people.
King: Thank you for your advice. It gives us some hope.
Queen: But who is this person?
Prime Minister: Where shall we find this person?
Fairy: I can’t tell you this. Good bye. (Уходит.)
King: Prime Minister, tell all the people in our kingdom that we offer a reward of five hundred crowns to anybody who will make our daughter cry.
Scene 2
Storyteller: Wise men came from all over the kingdom to see what they could do.
Премьер-министр вводит и знакомит с королем первого мудреца.
Prime Minister: This is a wise man from the north of our kingdom.
King: Can you help us?
Wise man 1: Yes, I can. Shut up the little princess m a room and give her only bread and water for a whole week.
Queen: This is very cruel.
King: Let’s try it. .
Queen: OK, but it should be bread and milk.
Комната принцессы.
King: This is bread for you.
Queen: This is milk for you.
Принцесса берет хлеб и молоко и смеется.
Storyteller: The king and the Queen brought her bread and milk for a whole week, and at the end of the week the little princess still laughed as usual.
King: This doesn’t help.
Queen: Look, her feet are so thin.
Little princess (хохоча): Oh, I can’t keep my slippers on. (Болтает ногами, и башмачки разлетаются в разные стороны.)
Queen (чуть не плача): Му poor little lamb, give her soup and chicken and pink jelly. It’s very cruel not to give food to children.
King (to the Prime Minister): The first man is not very wise. Invite another one.
Scene 3
Премьер-министр вводит и знакомит с королем второго мудреца.
Prime Minister: This is a wise man from the south of our kingdom.
King: Can you help us?
Wise man 2: Yes, I can. I can pull the most awful faces and make the most terrible noises. Children are afraid of me and cry and shriek and howl.
Вводят принцессу. Мудрец начинает завывать так, что король с королевой перепугались, а принцесса расхохоталась.
Wise man 2: It’s no use. No use at all.
Little princess: Oh, mother and father, he is a funny man. Can’t he come and do it again?
King: The second man is not wise. Invite another one.
Премьер-министр вводит и знакомит с королем третьего мудреца.
Prime Minister: This is a wise man from the west of our kingdom.
King: Can you help us?
Wise man 3: Yes, I can. I’ll break all her favourite toys. (Начинает крушить любимые игрушки принцессы.)
Little princess: What fun, what fun. (Сама начинает разбрасывать и ломать игрушки.)
King: Stop it.
Queen: This is very cruel and unkind.
King: This man is not wise at all. (To the Prime Minister) Don’t invite anyone. Nothing helps.
Scene 4
Storyteller: Now, in a small village not far from the king*s great park, there lived a poor woman with her little daughter Marigold.
На сцене бедная изба. В ней лежит больная мать. Рядом с ней сидит девочка.
Mother: lam ill and I can’t work, I can’t wash or sew or clean. We have no money.
Marigold: Mother, I have an idea. I am going to the king’s palace. I want to make the princess cry.
Mother: How can you do this? My dear little Marigold, don’t go there. So many clever people have tried and failed.
Marigold: I’ll try. (Одевается, надевает свою шляпку, берет корзинку в руки и уходит.)
У ворот дворца.
Marigold: The gates are so big. I am afraid. But I must help my mother. (Стучится)
Footman: What is it, my child?
Marigold: I’ve come to make the princess cry. Please, let me in.
Footman: You are so small. How can a little country girl hope to do this?
Marigold: I can do this.
Footman: Really? Then Г11 take you to the queen. (Впускает ее и отводит к королеве.)
Комната королевы. Королева сидит на троне. Рядом с ней стоят придворные дамы.
Footman: Your majesty, this girl says that she can make the princess cry.
Queen: What’s your name, my child?
Marigold: Marigold, your majesty.
Queen (улыбаясь и сомневаясь): You know that many wise men couldn’t do this.
Marigold: But I can. Take me to the princess.
Lady-in-waiting 1: It’s such nonsense. She is very little.
Lady-in-waiting 2: Do you think she knows how to make the princess cry?
Queen: Why not try? (Берет девочку за руку и ведет к принцессе в комнату.)
Queen: Princess, this is Marigold. She wants to make you cry.
Princess: I am so delighted to see this nice little girl.
Marigold: Me, too.
В комнату входит король с премьер-министром. Мериголд достает из корзинки луковицу репчатого лука.
Marigold: Take and peel onions. (Принцесса начинает чистить лук, и слезы текут у нее из глаз.)
King: Look, the tears are streaming down her face!
Queen: She is crying at last! (Подбегают к принцессе и обнимают ее.)
Придворные дамы стоят и зажимают носы носовыми платками, а премьер-министр бегает по комнате.
Prime Minister: Wonderful! Wonderful! And so simple!
Storyteller: And so the princess was cured, and from that time she became like everybody else. She cried when she was unhappy and laughed when she was glad.
