Act 1, Scene 1
It is dark, wet and cold in the forest. The hunter has gone home, and the animals have come out to deliberate on an important matter. Their king, the lion, has died; fallen prey to the hunter, but nobody speaks of it. They dare not. The tortoise is there early as he set out at dusk in order to arrive faster; he is the Secretary of the Animal Union, after all. He waits at his seat with the hare, who had arrived after him. The hare is excited, rattling off about possible candidates as the other animals come. The Lion Pride comes last. The tortoise slithers to the front; he alone did not come with a pair as the Creep Clan cannot be leaders. Only secretaries.
Tortoise: Greetings, great kingdom of Animals. I shall not linger on pleasantries and shall go straight to business. We have all heard of the demise of our Father, may our ancestors accept his soul. As we cannot stop our lives to mourn him forever, we shall forge on. But before that, we shall find a leader to guide us. After all, a land with no leader is like a snake with no head; it slithers aimlessly.
A murmur of support goes around the group
Tortoise: As you already know, we do not pick a leader today, we pick contestants and in seven days, we shall have an election. Is that not so? I would like to ask each clan to bring their proposed leader, that is for any clan that wishes to contest.
The new lion head of the Pride, Sifus, steps forward. A hoot of approval goes round the assembly. The zebra of the Dazzle does so too, though who he is, the clan does not know. They have all of the same color after all. Sifus, at least, has the pigmentation of his nose, the largeness and color of his mane. The Hyena, Eyin of the Cackle, steps forward too. The giraffe, Gaffe of the Herd, steps forward, towering over the smaller animals.
Tortoise: (nods) Will that be all?
An air of hesitation hangs over the assembly.
Tortoise: Anyone, I mean anyone, can contest. If you think you’re too small to do so, to make a difference, you should spend the night with a mosquito to see how something small can be dangerous.
There’s laughter around. The mosquito is not here to take offense, but the words do as they’re intended; they soothe the assembly.
The warthog steps forward, slowly, unsure. The tortoise nods at him. A loud sound is heard, and the assembly is almost thrown into chaos as the rhino snarls his way through. Then a thundering sound takes over the air as the elephant trudges forward. The smaller animals scatter around him, in fear of being trampled.
Tortoise: (surprised but nods) Will that be all?
Silence
Tortoise: Alright, comrades. These are your candidates. Look at them, turn them over in your mind and decide for yourself who your head shall be. In seven days, you shall make a decision. Remember this, your life hinges on this decision so vote right. This meeting is adjourned until then.
Tortoise turns around, and the assembly goes mad with noise, laughter and conversation.
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Act 2, Scene 1
The Pride Land
Sifus of Pride reclines in his home as he drinks with his friend.
Friend: This election shall go well for you. None of these people are enough. Whatever was the Secretary thinking to give that speech about the mosquito? It put ideas in their head.
Sifus: They may have a thousand ideas for all I care. The throne belongs to the Pride and nothing, not even a legion of animals, can take that away from me.
They drink to good health and success.
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Scene 2
The Sounderland
The warthog of the sounders, Hogson, is by the water and another warthog comes in. He ignores the stink eye given to him by the visitor.
Warthog 1: What were you thinking? Running for the throne? Have you gone mad?
Hogson: I could have a chance.
Warthog 1: (snorts) Yeah, when warthogs come out as beautiful as peacocks and when pigs start flying.
Hogson stares at warthog 1 as another warthog makes her way to them.
Warthog 2: (squeals) Oh Hogson, I heard about that. You’re absolutely daring!
Warthog 1: (snorts, again) Yeah, if daring is the new word for blubbering fool.
Warthog 2: (giggles)
Hogson: It’s not that big of a deal.
Warthog 1: It is! You know how the Pride and the Cackle are! You let them set their sights on you, on the Sounder!
Hogson: (bristles) Surely, they wouldn’t dare harm us!
Warthog 2: (wades away with a laugh): Oh Hogson, you always have your head inside your snout.
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Scene 3
The Herd
The giraffe, Gaffe, sits at his house as he watches the Hare draw a pattern with his snout
Gaffe: (squints and leans down) What’s that?
Hare: You cannot see, can you?
Gaffe: Well, that’s why I’m asking you, no?
Hare: It’s a depiction of the hunter’s hat.
Gaffe: Why do you need to draw that?
Hare: (stares) Why not? The hunter killed the former Leader.
Gaffe: (confused) So?
Hare: (sighs) How can you lead when your eyes are so far from the ground?
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Scene 4
A gathering of animals.
Antelope 1 speaks to Antelope 2 and Hare
Hare: Well, what do you think about the lion? His brother led us well the last time, didn’t he?
Antelope 1: (shudders) Did he? I can still remember his father being the cause of my uncle’s death.
Antelope 2: Yeah, (whispers), my brother had a run in with Sifus, he had a deep injury in his thigh!
They all shudder at the thought of the lion
Scene 5
A gathering of animals
Impala 1 and Impala 2 speak to Hare
Hare: I know you’re scared of the Lion but surely the hyena cannot be that bad?
Impala 1: Why, he is worse!
Impala 2: (nods furiously) He’s always hungry.
Impala 1: I dare say, he could eat through our whole assembly with much space left for him.
Impala 2: A carnivore, through and through.
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Scene 6
A gathering of animals.
Hare speaks to impala 1, Antelope 2 and warthog 3
Hare: What do you think of the zebra?
Antelope 2: Why, I forgot he was running.
Warthog 3: (laughs loudly) I shall certainly not vote for him
Hare: Why’s that?
Impala 1: Why? I am certain you have gone mad, Hare. He is a zebra!
Antelope 2: (shudders) We do not even know his name!
Hare: (ignores Antelope 2, and looks at Impala 1) Why, what’s wrong with him being a zebra?
Impala 1: Seriously? Is he black or white? The assembly cannot trust a two-faced person!
Antelope 2 and Warthog 3 nod in support
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Scene 7
A gathering of animals.
Hare speaks to Wild Dog 1, Peacock 1 and Impala 2
Impala 2: I do not intend on voting for the lion, that’s for sure.
Wild Dog 1: Or the Hyena either!
Hare: So, what about the warthog?
Silence
Peacock 1: The who?
Hare: The warthog
Wild Dog: You cannot be serious.
Impala 2: Certainly not
Hare: What? Why?
Silence
Peacock: The warthog is hideous.
Impala 2: Ghastly looking
Wild Dog: Abominable
Peacock 1: The Peafowl Pride shall not be headed by a freak of nature!
Hare: (grunts)
The Hare speaks to Peacock 2 and Sloth 1
Hare 1: What’s your opinion on the rhino?
Sloth 1: (slowly) Chaotic
Peacock 2: Too riotous. I doubt he actually thought actively before contesting.
Sloth: Yeah, he just charges into things.
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Scene 8
The Hare speaks to the peacocks, sloths, warthogs, impalas, and antelopes.
Hare: This election is definitely exciting, is it not?
Warthog 1: A type of election we haven’t seen before, that’s for sure
Warthog 2,3 and Impala 2 nod in agreement
Hare: This is the first time the Great Parade of the Elephant has deigned to participate in the election.
Antelope 2: (snorts)
Peacock 2: I have no idea why he did.
Hare: You do not like him?
Peacock 1: Like him?
Warthog 2: (laughs): Are we supposed to?
Hare: He’s contesting, after all
Peacock: (ironically) That animal.
Hare: (stares intently at him) What do you mean?
Antelope 1: He just bursts into places! We can’t have a leader that could trample on the people!
The others agree.
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Act 3, Scene 1
2 days to the election
Tortoise’s house
Hare recounts his findings on the survey for the election
Hare: That is all, my dear friend.
Tortoise: (nodding) So, that is the mind of the people. The lion and hyena are too violent, the giraffe is too self-centered – though that is your opinion as you did not get a survey on him, a really unwise thing my friend –, they find the zebra two faced, the elephant and rhino to riotous, and the warthog too ugly.
Hare: (nods)
Tortoise: Interesting
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Scene 2
Election Day
It is night in the forest. The tortoise, once again, had set out at dusk but this time the forest is crowded as all the animals are excited to hear about the election.
Tortoise: Good evening, and a bad hunting to the hunter! None of our children shall fall prey to his arrow! Our eyes shall not see the slash of his knife!
Animals: And so shall it be!
Tortoise: Today is the day.
There’s a little noise of excitement before the assembly calms down to let the tortoise speak
Tortoise: I shall not take any longer, may all the contestants step forward?
The contestants go to the front and the animals scramble to part for the elephant as he trudges
Tortoise: Now, may each of the ten clans’ representatives, of both sexes, stand behind who they have chosen?
There is silence in the forest. Something peculiar is happening. The animals do not move. It is awkward and there is tension
Tortoise: May the representatives of each clan, of both sexes, stand behind who they chose?
They still do not choose. There’s noise cutting, like the hunter’s machete, through the air
Tortoise: (humming) I see what this is about. Our people have complaints
Chants of agreement.
Tortoise: They are not (he turns, slightly, to address the contestant) happy with you.
Lion: (roars) Why?
The contestants seem to agree with him
Tortoise: That is why!
The contestants are shocked and confused
Tortoise: Our people need a leader that is kind but firm, someone that puts our interests before his or hers, someone that knows the heart of the people, someone like a lion and a lamb. Someone transparent but also mysterious. It seems you do not have these capacities, my good friends. We shall extend the election date. Now, may anyone interested in contesting for the new election step forward?
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The End
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