captain cully

8/19/2019 Captain Cully

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Captain Cully

By Peter S. Beagle

Reader’s Theater Edition #38

Adapted for reader’s theater (or readers theatre) by Aaron Shepard fro! Peter S.Beagle’s boo" The ast $ni%orn &i"ing 'e or" *+,8

-or !ore reader’s theater isit Aaron Shepard’s RT Page at

.aaronshep.%o!/rt

Story %opyright 0 *+,8 Peter S. Beagle. S%ript %opyright 0 *++3 122 AaronShepard. Prod4%ed by per!ission of Peter S. Beagle. S%ripts in this series are freeand !ay be %opied shared and perfor!ed for any non%o!!er%ial p4rpose e5%eptthey !ay not be posted online itho4t per!ission.

PRE&6E7 A !agi%ian on a 94est is aylaid by a band of not:94ite:legendary

o4tlas.

NARRATOR 1: All that S%h!endri%"

the ;agi%ian later re!e!bered of

his ild ride ith the o4tlas<

riding as he as fa%e don a%ross a

saddleborelight and he loo"ed 4p.

NARRATOR 1: They had halted in a

s!all %learing here another ten or

tele !en sat aro4nd a %a!p>re

fretting and gr4!bling.

NARRATOR 2: A fre%"led red:

haired !an dressed in so!ehat

ri%her rags than the rest strode

forard and %alled to the giant.

CAPTAIN CULLY: 7ell ?a%" ho is

it yo4 bring 4ser%e tany

eyes p4shed thro4gh the ring of

!en.

MOLLY GRUE: 6’ll not hae it 4lly

The so4p’s no thi%"er than seat as

it is And ho’s this long lo4t@

NARRATOR 2: She inspe%ted

S%h!endri%" as tho4gh he ere

so!ething she had fo4nd sti%"ing to

the sole of her shoes.

MOLLY GRUE: 6 don’t li"e the loo"

of hi!. Slit his iCard


2/8

NARRATOR 1: She had only !eant

to say either Deasand or DgiCCard

b4t the %oin%iden%e trailed don

S%h!endri%"’s spine li"e et

seaeed.

NARRATOR 2: Fe slid oG ?a%"

?ingly’s horse and sirled his %loa"

ith both hands 4ntil it billoed

feebly.

SCHMENDRICK: (to $) And are

yo4 tr4ly the fa!o4s aptain 4lly of

the greenood boldest of the bold

and freest of the free@

NARRATOR 1: A fe of the o4tlassni%"ered and the o!an groaned.

MOLLY GRUE: 6 "ne it H4t hi!

4lly fro! gills to g4ilt before he

does yo4 the ay the last one did.

CAPTAIN CULLY: (boing pro4dly

to SF;E'IR6J) That a! 6.

(re%iting in erse) DFe ho h4nts !e

for !y head shall >nd a fearf4l foe.B4t he ho see"s !e as a friend

!ay >nd !e friend eno. (nor!ally

again) Fo do yo4 %o!e here sir@

SCHMENDRICK: Kn !y sto!a%h

and 4nintentionally


3/8

%o4rse there as a %ertain i%"ed

"ing . . . .

CAPTAIN CULLY: Faggard rot and

r4in hi! Aye there’s not one here

b4t’s been done rong by old JingFaggard

NARRATOR 1: A s%ore of shaggy

shados hissed assent b4t ;olly

Hr4e’s la4ghter fell li"e hail rattling

and stinging.

MOLLY GRUE: (!o%"ing) ;ayhap

he ill. B4t it on’t be to s4%h

%hattering %raens he’ll pay it. Fis

%astle rots and totters !ore ea%h

day and his !en are too old to

stand 4p in ar!or b4t he’ll r4le

foreer for all aptain 4lly dares.

NARRATOR 2: S%h!endri%" raisedan eyebro and 4lly L4shed

radish:red.

CAPTAIN CULLY: (!4!bling to

SF;E'IR6J) o4 !4st

4nderstand Jing Faggard has this

b4ll<

MOLLY GRUE: (hooting) Ah the

Red B4ll the Red B4ll 6 tell yo4

hat 4lly. After all these years in

the ood ith yo4 6’e %o!e to

thin" the b4ll’s nothing b4t the pet

na!e yo4 gie yo4r on %oardi%e.

6f 6 hear that fable on%e !ore 6’ll go

and don old Faggard !yself and

"no yo4 for a<

CAPTAIN CULLY: (roaring at

;K) Eno4gh 'ot before

strangers

NARRATOR 1: Fe t4gged at his

sord and ;olly opened her ar!s toit still la4ghing. Aro4nd the >re

greasy hands tiddled dagger hilts

and longbos see!ed to string

the!seles.

NARRATOR 2: S%h!endri%" spo"e

4p see"ing to salage 4lly’s

sin"ing anity.

SCHMENDRICK: They re%ite a

ballad of yo4 in !y %o4ntry. 6 forget =4st ho it goes. . . .

CAPTAIN CULLY: (spins to fa%e

hi!) 7hi%h one@

SCHMENDRICK: (ta"en aba%") 6

don’t "no. 6s there !ore than one@

CAPTAIN CULLY: (gloing) Aye

indeed (%alling) 7illie Hentle 7illie

Hentle 7here is the lad@

NARRATOR 1: A s"inny lan":haired

yo4th sha!bled 4p.

CAPTAIN CULLY: (to 7illie) Re%ite

one of !y e5ploits for the

gentle!an. Tell the one abo4t ho

yo4 =oined !y band. 6’e not heard it

sin%e T4esday last.

ILLIE GENTLE: (sighs %lears

throat)

’Tas aptain 4lly %a!e riding

ho!e

-ro! slaying of the "ing’s gay deer


4/8

7hen ho! sho4ld he spy b4t a

pale yo4ng !an

o!e drooping o’er the lea@

D7hat nes hat nes !y pretty

yo4ng !an@

7hat ails ye that ye sigh so deep@

6s it for loss of yo4r lady fair@

Kr are ye b4t s%abbit in yo4r greep@

D6 a! not s%abbit hateer that

!eans

And !y greep is as ell as a greep!ay be

B4t 6 do sigh for !y lady fair

7ho! !y three brothers hae ta"en

fro! !e.

D6 a! aptain 4lly of the seet

greenood

And the !en at !y %all are >er%e

and free.

6f 6 do res%4e yo4r lady fair

7hat seri%e ill ye render !e@

D6f ye do res%4e !y lady fair

6’ll brea" yo4r nose yo4 silly old

go".

B4t she ore an e!erald at herthroat

7hi%h !y three brothers also too".

Then the %aptain has gone to the

three bold thiees

And he’s !ade his sord to shier

and sing.

De !ay "eep the lass b4t 6’ll hae

the stone

-or it’s >t for the %ron of a royal

"ing.

Then it’s three %loa"s oG and it’s

three sords o4t

And it’s three sords histling li"e

the tea.

DBy the faith of !y body says

aptain 4lly

Do4 no shall hae neither the

stone nor she.

(ontin4es re%iting in !i!e)

NARRATOR 2: aptain 4lly ro%"ed

and h4!!ed and parried three

sords ith his forear! for the

re!aining seenteen stanCas

rapt4ro4sly obliio4s to ;olly’s

!o%"ery and the restlessness of his

!en. At last the ballad ended.

SCHMENDRICK: &ery ni%e.

7onderf4l.

CAPTAIN CULLY: Hood 7illie good

boy no re%ite the others. (bea!ing

at SF;E'IR6J) 6 said that there

ere seeral ballads abo4t !e.

There are thirty:one to be e5a%ttho4gh none are in the hild

%olle%tion =4st at present. (s4ddenly

getting e5%ited) o4 o4ldn’t be ;r.

hild hi!self o4ld yo4@ Fe often

goes see"ing ballads


5/8

SCHMENDRICK: 'o. 6’! ery sorry.

Really.

CAPTAIN CULLY: (droops and

sighs) 6t doesn’t !atter. Kne alays

hopes of %o4rse een noed annotated

to hae ariant ersions een to

hae one’s a4thenti%ity do4bted. . . .

7ell ell neer !ind. (to 766E)

Re%ite the other ballads 7illie lad.

o4’ll need the pra%ti%e one day

hen yo4’re >eld:re%orded.

NARRATOR 1: The o4tlas

gr4!bled and s%4Ged "i%"ing at

stones. A oi%e baled fro! a safe

shado

DICK !ANCY: 'ah 7illie tell 4s a

tr4e ballad. Tell 4s one abo4t Robin

Food

CAPTAIN CULLY: (instantly on

g4ard) 7ho said that@

NARRATOR 2: 4lly’s loosenedsord %la%"ed in its sheath as he

t4rned fro! side to side. Fis fa%e

s4ddenly see!ed as pale and eary

as a 4sed le!on drop.

MOLLY GRUE: 6 did. The !en are

bored ith ballads of yo4r braery

aptain darling. Een if yo4 did

rite the! all yo4rself

CAPTAIN CULLY: (in%es) ;olly(loo"s sidelong at SF;E'IR6J

and in a lo orried oi%e to hi!)

They %an still be fol" ballads %an’t

they ;r. hild@ After all<

SCHMENDRICK: 6’! not ;r. hild.

Really 6’! not.

CAPTAIN CULLY: 6 !ean yo4 %an’t

leae epi% eents to the people.

They get eerything rong

NARRATOR 1: An aging rog4e in

tattered elet sl4n" forard.

DICK !ANCY: aptain if e’re to

hae ballads


6/8

MOLLY GRUE: (94ietly

re!e!bering) 6 sent a tapestry to

the =4dging on%e. 6t %a!e in fo4rth.

-ifth. 6t shoed a "night at igil.

Eeryone as doing igils that year.

(starts %rying softly)

NARRATOR 2: S4ddenly she as

s%r4bbing her eyes ith horny

"n4%"les.

MOLLY GRUE: (softly b4t bitterly)

Ia!n yo4 4lly.

CAPTAIN CULLY: (in e5asperation)

7hat 7hat 6s it !y fa4lt yo4 didn’t

"eep 4p ith yo4r eaing@ Kn%eyo4 had yo4r !an yo4 let all yo4r

a%%o!plish!ents go o4 don’t se

or sing any!ore yo4 haen’t

ill4!inated a !an4s%ript in years<

and hat happened to that iola da

ga!ba 6 got yo4@

DICK !ANCY: (brea"ing in) And as

for righting rongs and >ghting for

%iil liberties that sort of thing ito4ldn’t be so bad


7/8

entertained the %o4ntry fol" at the

;idnight arnial. 6t as paltry

!agi% b4t he tho4ght it dierting

eno4gh for s4%h a %re as 4lly’s.

NARRATOR 2: B4t he had =4dgedthe! too easily. They appla4ded his

rings and s%ares his ears f4ll of

gold>sh and a%es ith a proper

politeness b4t itho4t onder.

KGering no tr4e !agi% he dre no

!agi% ba%" fro! the!. And hen a

spell failed he as %lapped =4st as

"indly and a%antly as tho4gh he

had s4%%eeded.

NARRATOR 1: 4lly s!iled

i!patiently and ?a%" ?ingly doCed

b4t it startled the !agi%ian to see

the disappoint!ent in ;olly Hr4e’s

restless eyes.

NARRATOR 2: S4dden anger !ade

hi! la4gh. Fe dropped seen

spinning balls that had been gloing

brighter and brighter as he =4ggled

the! let go all his hated s"ills and

%losed his eyes. Fe !4ttered to the

!agi%

SCHMENDRICK: Io hat yo4 ill.

Io hat yo4 ill.

NARRATOR 1: 6t sighed thro4gh

hi! then beginning so!ehere

se%retlled

and ta4tened li"e a sail and

so!ething !oed !ore s4rely in his

body than he eer had. 6t spo"e ith

his oi%e %o!!anding.

SCHMENDRICK: (lo4dly saying

ith eyes %losed) egends old are

neer done. Shados shrin" before

the s4n.

NARRATOR 1: 7ea" ith poerS%h!endri%" san" to his "nees and

aited to be S%h!endri%" again. Fe

had done so!ething b4t he had no

idea hat it as.

NARRATOR 2: Fe opened his eyes.

;ost of the o4tlas ere %h4%"ling

and tapping their te!ples glad of

the %han%e to !o%" hi!. aptain

4lly had risen an5io4s to

prono4n%e that part of the

entertain!ent ended.

MOLLY GRUE: (in a soft sha"y

oi%e pointing) oo"

(A t4rn to loo" and re!ain froCen

in ae.)

NARRATOR 1: A !an %a!e al"ing

into the %learing. Fe as dressed ingreen b4t for a bron =er"in and a

slanting bron %ap ith a

ood%o%"’s feather in it. Fe as ery

tall too tall for a liing !an. The

great bo sl4ng oer his sho4lder

loo"ed as long as ?a%" ?ingly and his

arros o4ld hae !ade spears or

staes for aptain 4lly.

NARRATOR 2: Ta"ing no noti%e at

all of the still shabby for!s by the

>re he strode thro4gh the night and

anished ith no so4nd of breath or

footfall.

NARRATOR 1: After hi! %a!e

others


8/8

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captain cully

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