Script

(TOCK enters, barking and growling fiercely, scattering the LETHARGARIANS, who flee in all directions in  fast slow motion. TOCK is an ordinary dog, normal in all respects except that in his chest is a large alarm clock, which is now ringing loudly. When the LETHARGARIANS have all been routed, he shuts of the alarm and turns his attention to MILO.)

(fiercely, like a traffic cop)
All right! What do you think you re doing?

I, uh& I don t know... just killing time, I guess.

(TOCK S alarm rings; he shuts it off.)

(Outraged, he shields his clock unconsciously.)
Killing time! It s bad enough wasting time without killing it!

(TOCK sniffs MILO, then surveys him head to toe.)

Say& what are you doing in the Doldrums anyway?

I was on my way to Dictionopolis when I got stuck here.

And do you know why you got stuck?

I guess I just wasn t thinking.

Precisely. Now, since you got here by not thinking, in order to get out you must start thinking.

(TOCK looks at MILO S car.)

I do love chasing cars.

(forcefully)
Start thinking!

About what?

Anything! Use your brain. That s what it s for.

Think about what?

Think!

(stares at TOCK and has an idea)
I know! I ll think about animals.

(MILO concentrates; it isn t easy for him.)

There are birds that swim... and fish that fly.

(The car lurches forward, then stops.)

It s working! Keep thinking!

Animals... Some have spots&

(The car moves forward then stops.)

Some have stripes&

(It moves again.)

Some have quills&

(It moves again.)

And some have scales!

(It moves again.)

You re moving! Keep thinking!

(As MILO thinks, we see that he is becoming genuinely curious and interested.)

I ll think about comets  and rocket ships!

(It moves again.)

Blast off!

(Music: THE DRIVE TO DICTIONOPOLIS. MILO drives the car downstage center, facing the audience. TOCK jogs easily in place beside the car.)

You did it! Isn t it amazing what you can accomplish with just a little thought?

I guess I should thank you for helping me out of the Doldrums.

You re welcome. By the way, what s your name?

Milo. What s yours?

They call me Tock.
(responding to MILO S quizzical expression)
I m the official Watchdog.

Tock? Well, Tock, I think we re going to be good friends.

The best  I hope. Well, we ll soon be in Dictionopolis.

Wait a minute!

(MILO steps on the brakes. [Sound effect: brakes squealing.] The music stops; as it does, MILO pitches forward.)

What kind of a place is Dictionopolis? I m not going any further  til I know more about it.

I can see you re certainly beginning to think about things. Fair enough. Let me start at the beginning.

(Music begins. TOCK stretches, clears his throat and begins very dramatically.)

Many years ago, a young prince sailed across the Sea of Knowledge.

(A YOUNG PRINCE appears.)

He came ashore in a part of this land inhabited only by demons.

(The PRINCE pantomimes dueling a pack of [imaginary] demons; he exits into the wings, still dueling.)

He drove them back into the Mountains of Ignorance and founded the City of Wisdom, which soon grew into a kingdom& and the young prince became its king.

(The PRINCE re-enters wearing a crown. At his side is his QUEEN, wearing a royal robe and a crown.)

The King took a wife who bore two sons, highly intelligent boys.

(As TOCK continues his narration, a cardboard cut-out of the side view of a baby carriage emerges from each wing, just far enough to be seen. The ACTORS who play AZAZ and the MATHEMAGICIAN crouch down behind the cut-outs, giving the impression that they are in the carriages. Each wears a white baby dress and bonnet. AZAZ has a large teething ring in the form of a letter; the MATHEMAGICIAN S is in the form of a number. Their expressions convey infantile rage, as they throw their teething rings at each other. This vignette is performed quickly, after which the carriages are pulled back into the wings.)

One little prince had a gift for words; one had a gift for numbers.

(The actors who played the babies re-enter as the YOUNG AZAZ and the YOUNG MATHEMAGICIAN. They are dressed in princely fashion. Each is reading a book; both books are large enough for us to read their titles: DICTIONARY and ADVANCED ALGEBRA.)

But each young prince grew overly proud
of his own exceptional gift,
which caused, in time, I m sorry to say,
a deep and serious rift.