The  Little  Prince  after  the  snakebite  

 Theatrical  play:  written  in  collaboration,  by  pupils  of  D1  &  D2  Primary  Classes  of  Pentalofos.    They  used  brainstorming  and  theatrical  improvisation.  The  book,  by  Antoine  de  Saint  Exupery,  inspired  them.  Text  Editing-­‐translation  in  English:  Maria  Panousiadou    Characters:  Little  Prince  (8  pupils),  Rose  (4  pupils),  Gardener,  School  Director,  Fox,  baobab,  Clouds-­‐feelings  (3  pupils)  Roses-­‐emotions  (9  pupils)  Pilot  (1  pupils)  Star-­‐Hope  (1  pupil)    

Scene  I  The  little  prince  awakens  on  his  planet  after  the  snakebite.  The  planet  is  full  of  baobab  and  about  to  be  destroyed.  The  little  prince  sees  the  planet  and  says  happily:  Little  Prince  1:  My  Planet!  (Looks  around  at  the  destruction  and  says  with  despair)  My  planet  ...  And  my  rose?  Is  she  saved  or  lost  forever?  (Searches  underneath  the  babobabs)  No!  Where  can  she  be,  my  rose?  She  was  here  when  I  left.  Baobab:  Which  rose  are  you  looking  for?  Little  Prince  1:  That  special,  unique  rose.  My  rose.  Baobab:  As  our  roots  were  growing,  your  rose  was  more  and  more  weakened.  Shortly  before  wither,  a  traveler  from  the  earth  uprooted  it  and  took  her  with  him.  Little  Prince  1:  He  took  her  with  him  to  earth?  I  must  to  find  her.  If  it’s  necessary,  I’ll  go  back  to  earth  for  my  flower.    

SCENE  II  The  little  prince  travels  to  earth  with  migratory  birds.  As  he  approaches  the  earth,  his  feelings  appear  as  clouds.  Cloud-­‐suspense:  Will  I  find  it?  We  must  be  reunited.  Cloud-­‐doubt:  Did  the  big  baobab  envied  my  rose  and  lied  to  me?  Maybe  the  traveller  didn’t  take  her  with  him.    Or  maybe  the  baobabs  uprooted  her?  Cloud-­‐confidence:  I  will  find  my  flower  no  matter  what.  I  will  never  give  up!  

 SCENE  III  

The  little  prince  arrives  in  Pentalofos  in  the  schoolyard.  The  school  director  leaves  the  office  in  a  hurry  and  sees  the  little  prince.  School  Director:  What  are  you  doing  here?  How  did  you  get  in?  Little  Prince  2:  I  am  seeking  my  flower.  School  Director:  There  is  no  pupil-­‐flower  in  this  school.  Here  we  only  have  children  as  pupils.  Little  Prince  2:You  do  not  understand  ...  I  am  seeking  my  rose,  my  unique,  my  special  rose!  For  a  year  I  haven’t  seen  it,  you  must  help  me!  School  Director:  The  only  flowers  that  we  have,  are  planted  by  our  gardener.  Maybe  he  can  help.  There  he  is,  in  the  rose-­‐garden.  Little  Prince  runs  to  the  garden.  He  sees  the  gardener  and  he  asks  in  anguish.    Little  Prince  2:    Excuse  me  Sir  have  you  seen  my  rose?  Are  you  the  traveler  who  took  it  from  my  planet?  Gardener:  What  planet?  What  are  you  talking  about  child,  I  do  not  understand…  Little  Prince  2:  In  my  planet  I  had  a  unique,  a  special  rose.  But  I  left  a  year  ago  and  just  left  her  all  by  herself.  When  I  returned,  the  baobabs  had  covered  the  planet  and  my  rose  was  gone  ...  The  big  baobab  said  that  a  traveler  from  the  earth  uprooted  her  and  took  her  with  him.  Are  you  that  traveler?  Gardener:  No  my  boy,  I’m  not.  I  am  very  sorry.  Here  I  have  many  roses,  if  you  want  why  not  choose  one  of  them?  I  would  gladly  offer  it  to  you!  Little  Prince  2:  None  of  these  roses  are  like  my  rose.  They  are  beautiful,  but  not  special,  because  I  did  not  take  care  or  them,  I  did  not  share  beautiful  moments  with  them.  No,  I  want  back  my  rose.  Gardener:  Unfortunately,  I  cannot  help  you  my  child.  I  have  to  go  now,  but  you  can  just  sit  in  the  garden  for  a  while.  Please  reconsider.  You  might  change  your  mind.  (The  gardener  leaves  the  scene)  The  little  prince  kneels  in  front  of  roses  and  begins  to  cry:  Rose-­‐compassion:  Little  boy,  do  not  cry  I’ll  start  crying  too.  What  happened  to  you?  Little  Prince  2:  I  lost  my  flower.  It’s  my  fault;  I  shouldn’t  go  and  leave  her  all  alone.  She  was  unprotected  and  vulnerable.  And  I  never  said  to  my  flower  how  much  I  love  her.  Rose-­‐jealousy:  That’s  enough  with  this  rose!  What  does  that  she  has  that  we  haven’t  got?  I’ve  had  enough  of  this  rose!  Rose-­‐arrogance:  I  am  the  most  beautiful  of  all.  Look  my  petals!  Have  you  seen  petals  more  beautiful  than  mine?  I’m  the  one  you  should  take  with  you.  Little  Prince  2:  I  love  my  flower  so  much!  She  was  demanding  and  dandy,  but  with  my  rose  I’ve  leaved  the  most  beautiful  moments!  

In  the  other  half  of  the  scene,  we  see  the  little  prince  with  the  flower  on  his  planet.  We  see  the  happy  moments  they  lived  together.  These  are  excerpts  from  the  book.  Rose  1:  (yawns  and  stretches)  Ah! I am scarcely awake. I beg that you will excuse me. My petals are still all disarranged . . . Little  Prince  3:  Oh! How beautiful you are! Rose  1:  Am I not? And I was born at the same moment as the sun . . . Little  Prince  3:  What  fragrance!    The  whole  planet  smells  so  nice!  Rose  1:  I  think  it's  time  for  breakfast.  Would  you  be  kind  enough  to  think  of  my  needs?  The  Little  Prince  runs  and  brings  cool  refreshing  water  and  waters  the  flower  with  the  watering  can.  Then,  he  brings  his  chair  next  to  the  flower  and  they  look  at  sunset  together.  Little  Prince  3  and  Rose  1:  I  love  sunsets!  Back  in  the  school  garden.  Rose-­‐admiration:  Oh!  You  had  such  a  wonderful  time  together!  And  you  were  bonded  with  such  a  great  love!  Rose-­‐Loneliness:  You  must  feel  so  alone  away  from  your  flower...  Rose-­‐fear:  And  you  certainly  do  fear  something  bad  happened,  perhaps  it  withered  and  you  will  never  see  her  again.  Little  Prince  3:  I  am  very  sad.  I  want  to  find  her  again!  I  promise  that  I  will  never  leave  her  anymore.  Rose-­‐Anger:  Why  do  you  want  her  back,  this  rose?  All  she  said  was    “I  WANT,  I  WANT,  I  WANT...”    She  only  made  demands  and  offered  nothing.  It  was  a  good  decision  to  leave  her,  how  much  more  to  endure?  In  the  other  half  of  the  scene  we  see  the  little  prince  with  the  flower  on  the  planet.  The  Rose  is  capricious.  These  are  excerpts  from  the  book.  Rose  2:  (shows  it’s  4  thorns  to  the  little  Prince)  Let the tigers come with their claws!

Little  Prince  4:  There are no tigers on my planet. And, anyway, tigers do not eat weeds.

Rose  2:  (answers  sweetly)  I am not a weed.  Little  Prince  4:  Please  excuse  me...    Rose  2:  I am not at all afraid of tigers, but I have a horror of drafts. I suppose you wouldn't have a screen for me?  Little  Prince  4:  (talks  to  himself)  a horror of drafts--that is bad luck, for a plant. This flower is a very complex creature . . . Rose  2:  At night I want you to put me under a glass globe. It is very cold where you live. In the place I came from…  Little  Prince  4:  But  you  came  as  a  seed.  You  could  not  have  seen  other  worlds.  Rose  2:  (Embarrassed over having let herself be caught on the verge of such a naïve untruth, she coughed two or three times, in order to put the little prince in the wrong.) The  screen?

Little  Prince  4:  I  was  just  going  to  look  for  it  but  you  started  chatting!    Rose  2(Coughs  3  times  so that he should suffer from remorse just the same)  Back  in  the  school-­‐garden.  

Little  Prince  5:  I ought to have judged by deeds and not by words. She cast her fragrance and her radiance over me. I ought never to have run away from her . . . I ought to have guessed all the affection that lay behind her poor little stratagems. Flowers are so inconsistent! But I was too young to know how to love her . . . On  the  other  half  of  the  scene,  we  see  the  little  prince  with  the  flower  on  the  planet.  Played  the  parting  moments.  These  are  excerpts  from  the  book.  The little prince pulled up, with a certain sense of dejection, the last little shoots of the baobabs. He believed that he would never want to return. But on this last morning all these familiar tasks seemed very precious to him. And when he watered the flower for the last time, and prepared to place her under the shelter of her glass globe, he realized that he was very close to tears. Little  Prince  6:  Goodbye.  Rose  does  not  answer.  Little  Prince  6:  Goodbye.  Rose  3:  (Coughs  3  times)  I have been silly. I ask your forgiveness. Try to be happy . . . Little  Prince  6:  How  come  you  don’t  complain?  How  you  can  you  keep  so  calm?  Don’t  you  love  me?  Are  we  not  friends  anymore?  Rose  3:  But  of  course  I  love  you,  and  certainly  we  are  friends.  You  never  understood  and  it’s  my  fault.  Anyway,  it  doesn’t  matter.  But  you  were  silly  too.  Try  to  be  happy  ...  Take  the  screen  away.  I  do  not  want  it  anymore.  Little  Prince  6:  But  the  wind...  Rose  3:  My cold is not so bad as all that . . . The cool night air will do me good.  I  am  a  flower  after  all.  Little  Prince  6:  Yes,  but  the  animals... Rose  3:  Well, I must endure the presence of two or three caterpillars if I wish to become acquainted with the butterflies. It seems that they are very beautiful. And if not the butterflies and the caterpillars, who will call upon me? You will be far away . . . As for the large animals… I am not at all afraid of any of them. I have my thorns. So go. Don’t just stand there go now! Back  in  the  school-­‐garden  Little  Prince  7:  She  did  not  want  me  to  see  her  crying.  She  was  a  very  proud  flower.  Rose-­‐love:  Trust  your  heart  little  Prince.  Only  then  you  will  find  your  favorite  flower.  Little  Prince  7:  My  heart  is  telling  me  to  go  back  to  my  planet.  If  I  stay  here  a  little  longer,  my  planet  will  be  destroyed.  And  then  I  will  have  neither  a  flower  nor  a  planet.  Rose-­‐optimism:  Never  forsake  love!  Surely  in  your  planet  you  will  find  the  answer.    Song  Love  endures  all    And  you're  a  morning  flower,  Something  ephemeral  that  passes  by,  But  it  's  love  that  brings  out  the  truth  in  everything.  Your  mistakes  are  big    And  your  every  mistake  hurts,  

But  it  's  love  that  brings  out  the  truth  in  everything.    Love  does  not  know  dirge,  Love  does  not  know  beginnings  and  ends  It  beats  like  an  invisible  clock  And  the  earth  keeps  on  turning-­‐  and  the  earth  keeps  on  turning.    Love  endures  all,  Love  is  hopeful  It  gives  life  to  the  world  And  the  earth  keeps  on  turning-­‐  and  the  earth  keeps  on  turning.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Y_lgHO8qcA    The  little  prince  returns  to  his  planet  with  migratory  birds.  On  the  way  he  meets  the  pilot  in  his  plane.  

SCENE  IV  Pilot:  Little  Prince!  Is  it  you?    How  I’ve  missed  you!  Little  Prince  5:  Hello  my  pilot  friend!  I’ve  missed  you  too!  (They  laugh  with  joy)  Pilot:  Come,  I  will  take  you  to  your  planet  with  my  plane.  And  I  have  another  friend  with  me.  Fox:  My  little  prince,  finally  we  meet  again!  Little  Prince  5:  My  fox!  My  fox!  Wait  for  me,  I’m  coming!  The  Little  Prince  gets  on  the  plane  and  they  disappear  in  the  sky.  Star-­‐hope:  When  you  keep  hope  alive,  the  truth  will  always  appear.  

SCENE  V    The  Little  Prince  cleans  the  planet,  removes  baobabs  and  takes  his  chair  and  sits  to  see  the  sunset.  Little  Prince  8:  I  love  sunsets.  Especially  when  I'm  sad.  And  now  I'm  sadder  than  ever.  The  rose  garden  in  the  schoolyard  said  that  I  would  find  the  answer  here.  But  I  cannot  find  it.  I  lost  my  only  friend  on  the  planet.  The  only  thing  left  is  to  remember  our  beautiful  friendship.  Little  Prince  remembered  the  fox  and  her  words  Fox: Here is my secret, a very simple secret: It is only with the heart that one can see rightly; what is essential is invisible to the eye. The  time  you  wasted  on  your  rose  is  what  makes  the  rose  so  important.  People  have  forgotten  this  truth.  But  you  must  not  forget.  You'll  be  forever  responsible  for  those  who  have  tamed.  You  are  responsible  for  your  rose  ...  The  Little  Prince  starts  crying.  From  the  soil  a  rose  begins  to  grow.  Suddenly  he  sees  his  rose  before  him.    Rose  4:  My  Dear  Friend,  you  came  back  at  last!  But  ...  are  you  crying?  Little  Prince  8:  My  Rose!  Is  it  really  you?  My  dear  friend,  I  thought  I  had  lost  you!  Rose  4:  My  little  Prince,  I  was  right  here  and  I  waited  patiently  for  you  to  come  back.  The  baobabs  gave  me  a  hard  time,  they  were  jealous  and  wanted  the  whole  planet  to  themselves.  

Little  Prince  8:  You  don’t  need  to  worry  anymore  about  anything.  I  pulled  out  the  baobabs  and  cleaned  the  planet.  Rose  4:  How  was  your  trip?  What  wonders  did  you  see  and  hear?  Tell  me  everything.  Little  Prince  8:  I  learned  a  lot!    I  made  2  new  friends:  a  pilot  and  a  fox.  The  pilot  sends  you  a  gift.  Look!  A  sheep!  But  don’t  worry;  it’s  not  going  to  eat  you,  it  has  a  muzzle.  Little  Prince  and  the  rose  continue  talking.  The  choir  sings    Song  Friendship  is  above  all      Friends  are  never  separated    They  share  beautiful  moments    Our  Hearts  beat  as  one  and  Laugh  and  overcome  loneliness    The  day  is  bright  When  we  are  together  The  world  feels  like  new    And  life  is  colorful    When  we  are  together  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4giFmRt_ZjU&index=2&list=PLvUCF9p58RoRCZWZiybe68dl3MpGfPmcn