Emily's Bedtime story

(The stage is set in two parts. In one there is a bed and a chair, perhaps a bookcase. The other half is empty. When the curtain comes up the light is on a young girl [Emily] and a young woman,[Aunt Kate])

AUNT KATE: Alright Emily, time for bed.

EMILY: Awwww five more minutes, please Aunt Kate?

AUNT KATE: (tickling Emily) No, I gave you five more minutes fifteen minutes ago. Imagine what your mother would say if she knew.

EMILY: I won't tell if you won't.

AUNT KATE: Into bed with you munchkin!

(Emily reluctantly crawls into bed. Aunt Kate sits down on the chair)

EMILY:Tell me a story, please?

AUNT KATE: Okay...(thinks for a moment As she begins to tell her story the lights come up on the other side of the stage.) Once upon a time in a land far away- (Someone is holding a sign with these words on them)

EMILY: Why are stories always set "Once upon a time in a land far away?"

AUNT KATE: I don't know why. What do you think it should be?

EMILY: How about... "Yesterday, right next door?"

AUNT KATE: Alrighty then, Yesterday, right next door, there lived three princesses. (They appear on the other side of the stage)

EMILY: Why is it always three? The Three Little Pigs, the Three Little Kittens, the Three Bears The Three Kings...?

AUNT KATE: Well, because that way you can have the two extremes Like... too hot and too cold, then just right.

EMILY: That's not the way it is with anything else, just the Three Bears.

AUNT KATE: Well with the three little pigs they get smarter as it goes right?

EMILY: Yeah, but I still think that the number three is WAY overrated.

AUNT KATE: So there was one princess. (Two step back into the shadows.)

EMILY: That's not enough, Auntie!!! Come on!! You need more than one!

AUNT KATE: Alright then... How many do you think we need?

EMILY: Two is a very good number.

AUNT KATE: Alright. So, Yesterday and right next door there were two princesses... (One steps back into the light.)

EMILY: (Interrupting) Why are the princesses. Can't they be Secret Agents with the FBI?

AUNT KATE: You've been watching too much TV. Alright so there were two Secret Agents. And they were the worst secret agents ever. They would trip and fall and always get caught by the bad guys. (The two put on black ski caps and act clumsy. A bad guy enters, points at the agents and leaves.)

EMILY: This is the best story ever.

AUNT KATE: I'm glad you like it, Emily. Then, one day they were put on a mission and they were determined not to get caught this time. They looked at each other and did their secret handshake. Then they walked out. They were ready to face their fears.

(Emily is hanging on her aunt's every word)

EMILY: What happened next, Auntie???

AUNT KATE: Well their mission was to find the man that stole the king's favorite diamond ring.

EMILY: That's horrible!! He needs to take something different. Everybody steals rings. He sould take the king's favorite animal... like... like a dog!!!

AUNT KATE:So their mission was to find who had stolen the King's Dog, Dodo. Dodo was quite a show. He would always find someone to pick on, and something to do. This thief was a professional dog catcher, and had no trouble getting this one.

EMILY very into the story) How tragic! It must be awful to have your dog leave the house and not know where he is. I can just imagine how terribly the king must have felt to wake up in the morning and to have the dog gone from his home.. from his family.

AUNT KATE: Will you please let me tell this story---WITHOUT interruptions! (laughs heartily)

EMILY: Okay, Aunt Kate. Please, continue this fascinating story.

AUNT KATE: Thanks. Now, where was I?

EMILY: They were about to find that awful dog catcher.

AUNT KATE: Oh, yes, of course... As they went down the street they saw a peculiar thing happen. There was a man walking his dog-backwards. (The 'dog will be a person with fake dog ears. When you first see them both are walking foreward, but on the word backwards the man will turn around.) The royal castle was nearby. The agent that saw this was named Ginger. She said to Scarlet, the other agent, "Look! Do you see what I see??" and Scarlet replied, "Yes, of course I do, you Dodo! It's the royal dog walker!" As soon as she said the word 'dodo' the dog looked up and stopped pulling on his leash. The man, quite happy to see the dog relax, relaxed himself. Suddenly the dog jerked on his leash and made a beeline for the two young ladies.

EMILY grabs her aunt's arm) Was it Dodo?? Was it? Huh Huh??

AUNT KATE: It was Dodo, the agents had found him and they became national heroines.The King declared a special holiday just for them. He made February 30th National FBI day.

EMILY: Wait! Last question. Did they get to keep Dodo? After all, they saved his LIFE!! I mean, really, they just HAVE to get him. Please?

AUNT KATE: The King gave the girls each one of Dodo's puppies, one which is now known worldwide as the famous Rex!