Сценарий
“The Prince and the Pauper” (after Mark Twain)
Ведущий 1: I am going to tell you a story that took place many, many years ago. The story says that it happened in the second quarter of the sixteenth century. In the old city of London, on a cold autumn day two boys were born. (падают листья, выходят две матери из-за ширм, с младенцами на руках)
Ведущий 2: One boy was born to a poor family. He lay in his poor rags and did not know that the Canty family, the family of paupers, did not want him. They did not want him at all. Nobody wanted Tom Canty, the son of John Canty. (крик младенца)
Ведущий 1: The other English child was born to a rich family. He lay in silks and didn’t know that he made the people of England so happy. The Tudor family wanted the boy very much. (король обнимает королеву и смотрят на младенца, играет колыбельная мелодия)
Ведущий 2: Several years passed. (уходят все, появляется нищий)
Tom spent his early years in a very old and dirty house. Tom's father, John Canty, was a thief and Tom's mother was a beggar. They made beggars of the children. If Tom came home without any money his father gave him a hard beating. At night Tom thought about kings and princes. Tom wanted to see a real prince with his own eyes.
Scene 1 (у ворот дворца)
Guard 1: Get out of here,
Guard 2: You young beggar!
Prince: How can you do that to the poor lad? Open the gates and let him in. Servant, bring something to eat!
Tom: I see and eat such food for the first time in my life!
Prince: Really?
Tom: Yes, it’s right!
Prince: And what do you have than?
Tom: Freedom is my richness. I can do everything I want!
Prince: Oh, to be a prince, it’s so boring!
Tom: If I were you....!
Prince: It's wonderful. I'm ready to give my crown for a day like that. Look, lad! Shall you give me your clothes..... and put on mine for some time? (переодеваются)
Ведущий 1: A few minutes later the little prince had Tom’s rags on
Ведущий 2: and Tom put on the prince’s royal clothes.
Scene 2 (Заходит снова в зал)
Tom: Rise, lad! Who are you? What do you want?
The boy: You must remember me, my lord. I am your whipping-boy.
Tom: My whipping-boy?
The boy: Yes, my lord. I am Humphrey Marlow.
Tom: It seems to me that I remember you. But I can't remember well, I am ill. Tell me what you want!
The boy: Two days ago when your majesty made three mistakes in your Greek in the morning lessons—do you remember it?
Tom: Yes, I think I do.
The boy: Your teacher promised to whip me for it and—
Tom: Whip you? Why did he want to whip you for my mistakes?
The boy: Ah, my lord, you have forgotten again. He always whips me when you don’t know your lessons.
Tom: True, true—I have forgotten.
The boy: Oh, my lord! What are you saying? I, your servant, teach you? Never! But this is how it is: nobody may strike the Prince of Wales, so when he makes mistakes, I get the blows. And that is right—it is my work and I get money for it.
Tom: And have they beaten you for my mistakes in Greek, my poor friend?
The boy: No, your majesty, they were going to beat me today, but they didn’t do it because of the death of the King. Now you are no more Prince of Wales, you are the King of England, and I’m afraid that you won’t continue your studies. You’ll burn your books and turn the teachers away. Then I’m lost and my poor sisters with me.
Tom: Lost? Why?
The boy: My back is my bread. Oh, my lord! If you stop studying, you won’t need any whipping-boy and I’ll have no work. Don't turn me away.
Tom: Rise, my boy, you will always have the post of whipping-boy.
The boy: Oh, thank you, my dear master! (уходят оба)
Ведущий 2: As soon as the prince left the palace, his troubles began. Every time when he said, “I am the Prince of Wales”, people laughed.
Ведущий 1: They mocked at him, pulled and pushed him. But he repeated again and again: “I am the Prince of Wales.”
Scene 3 (танец с палками)
A man: I was a farmer. I had a wife and nice children. Now I have neither a wife nor children. They are dead! I begged again, and at last I was sold as a slave. A slave! Do you understand that word? An English slave! I have run away from my master, and when I am found, the English law will hang me."
Prince: No, it won’t hang you, I shan’t allow it.
Voices: Who is it? What is it? Who are you?
Prince: I am Edward, King of England. (толпа смеется)
Prince: You, thieves and beggars, this is how you thank your king.
John Canty: Friends, this is my mad son, don't pay any attention to him, he thinks he is the king.
Prince: I am the king.
Voices: "Long live Edward, King of England!"
Prince: I thank you, my good people.
(толпа смеется, бросает ему на плечи тряпку и провожает "Oh, sweet king”
Ведущий 1:
In old England royal processions usually took place before the coronation of a new king.
Ведущий 2: On the morning of the 20th of February London streets were beautifully decorated with flags and banners for the coronation of Edward VI.
Ведущий 1: When the coronation procession was over, people filled the Westminster Abbey to watch the coronation ceremony.
Scene 4
(дамы танцуют, появляется принц со свитой и из ширмы доносится голос)
Prince: Don’t put the crown of England on his head! I am the king!"
Tom: Let him go and don't touch him, he is the king!
The Lord Protector: Pay no attention to the words of his majesty. He is ill again. Take the beggar...!
Tom: Don’t touch him, he is the king!
Protector:) If you please, sir, I wish to ask you a few questions.
Prince: I’ll answer them, my lord.
The Lord Protector: I wish to ask you a question. If you answer it correctly, then you are the king. If you can't answer it, you will be arrested. Your answer will decide everything. The question is this: where does the Great Seal lie? Only the Prince of Wales can answer it. Only he can know it.
Prince: It is not difficult to answer this question. Go to my cabinet, and in the left-hand wall you will find a nail-head. Press upon it, and the wall will open. Bring it here.
Tom: Why don’t you go? Go!
The Lord Protector: Did you look well for it? It is so strange! How could such a big thing as the Seal of England disappear? A big heavy thing, a massive golden disk...
Tom: Wait! That is enough! Was it round and thick? Had it letters and emblems cut upon it? Oh, now I know what this Great Seal is!
The Lord Protector: Who was it then, your majesty?
Tom: He is the true king of England. Think, my king, try to think well! It was the last thing which you did that day before you ran out of the palace, dressed in my rags.
Prince: I don’t remember where I put it.
Tom: "Oh, my king. Try to remember! You gave me food and drink, and sent away. Then, my prince, you put on my clothes and I put on yours. You passed a table—the thing you call the Seal lay on that table—you took it from the table and looked around as if you wanted to find a place to hide it, then..."
Prince: "That is enough. I remember it now. Gо,—in an arm-piece of the armour that hangs on the wall you will find the Seal."
Tom: "That's right, my king, that's right. Now the throne of England is yours. Hurry!
Tom: "Now, my king, take this royal clothing back and give poor Tom, his rags again!"
The Lord Protector: The beggar must be thrown into prison!
Prince: No, I don't allow you to do that! He won’t go to prison. It is only because of him that I got my crown back. My poor boy, where the Great Seal is?
Tom: Ah, my king, that was easy, because I used it many times.
Prince: Used it? But you could not explain where it was.
Tom: When they asked about it I did not understand what they wanted.
Prince: Then how did you use it?
Prince: Don’t be afraid.
Tom: I cracked nuts with it.
Ведущий 1:
Edward was a kind king.
As long as he lived he liked to tell the story of his adventures.
Ведущий 2:
Tom Canty lived happily a very long life. Edward gave him the title of the King's Ward for it. Everybody paid attention to him when he appeared in the streets of London. People whispered to each other: "Take your hat off, it is the King's Ward!"
