James and the Giant Peach Page #8

seagulls. But other than that, it has absolutely nothing to do with you!

Earthworm:
You’re using me!

Centipede:
You’re going to be eaten anyway, so what difference does it make

whether it’s sharks or seagulls?

Grasshopper:
Why don’t we hear what the plan is first?

Earthworm:
I don’t care what the plan is!

Centipede:
You will be a martyr. I shall respect you for the rest of your life.

Ladybug:
So will I.

James:
But he won’t have to give his life. (Joins the Earthworm.) I won’t let

them touch you. I promise. But we’ve got to hurry, our lives depend on it!

(SPIDER returns with SILKWORM by her side. Each has a length of rope

around their arms.)

Spider:
We’ve got the first batch of string ready for you.

Silkworm:
It’s the strongest stuff I’ve made in years.

(JAMES gathers everyone into a huddle, leaving the EARTHWORM out,

perhaps because he refuses. They break from the huddle.)

James:
Action stations!

Grasshopper:
All hands below deck, except for the Earthworm!

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Earthworm:
I’m going to die!

(JAMES gently moves the EARTHWORM so he is standing on the edge of the

stage, JAMES and the GRASSHOPPER crouch down low. On either side of

the them are either the SPIDER or SILKWORM, handing rope to their

partner. The rest of the INSECTS are offstage or “below deck”.

The seagull chorus is made up of people, each with a seagull “puppet” on a

stick; each SEAGULL has a streamer or a string to represent the rope that

JAMES is tying around them. The first of these SEAGULLS “flies” in, close to

the edge of the stage, and goes to peck at the EARTHWORM. JAMES, with

the rope in his hand, mimes attaching it to the SEAGULL, GRASSHOPPER

then mimes attaching the other end to the stem of the Giant Peach. The

SEAGULL then goes to stage right, on the gym floor. Perhaps they attach the

streamer/string to the stage with tape. The SEAGULLS remain here and on

stage left until their departure later in the play. As the SEAGULLS enter and

repeat this action, the water lowers closer to the ground, and the SHARKS

start to disappear.)

Earthworm:
Oh I don’t like this at all!

(CENTIPEDE and LADYBUG appear.)

Centipede:
Silkworm says she’s running out of silk!

Ladybug:
She says she can’t keep it up much longer. Nor can Miss Spider!

James:
Tell them they’ve got to! We can’t stop now!

(EVERYONE on stage suddenly acts as if their balance has been shaken a

bit.)

Grasshopper:
We’re lifting!

Earthworm:
No we’re not!

Ladybug:
I felt it!

(GRASSHOPPER peaks over the edge.)

Grasshopper:
The whole enormous peach is out of the water. But it’s just

hovering there, not going much higher.

James:
One more will do it!

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(The last SEAGULL approaches the Giant Peach, makes a stab for

EARTHWORM who screams a little, then gets caught in the final noose made

by JAMES. The SEAGULL joins stage left, and the WATER CHORUS along

with the last of the SHARKS all rush out of the gym, as if the whole Giant

Peach is high in the air now.

All the INSECTS who were below deck, rush out and cheer.)

Ladybug:
Oh we did it!

Spider:
Such teamwork!

Grasshopper:
Brilliant idea James!

Earthworm:
Ahem.

Centipede:
Oh you silly slug! You did a fantastic job, and were right brave

too!

Spider:
I don’t mean to be quite rude, but what do we do now?

James:
Why I suppose we just let the seagulls take us where they wish.

Earthworm:
I wonder where we’ll finish up this time.

Grasshopper:
Seagulls always go back to land sooner or later.

Earthworm:
Yes but where will we land? It’s quite worrisome.

James:
Perhaps we must think of it as an adventure!

Ladybug:
Earthworm, let’s just sit back and relax. How about if we land in

some terrible place, we make a plan then?

Spider:
And we might not end up in a terrible place at all! It might be quite

lovely. A new home, a fresh start!

Earthworm:
I suppose, but what will we do until then?

Ladybug:
Wouldn’t this be a perfect time for a little music? How about it

Grasshopper?

(GRASSHOPPER begins to play as if he has a violin. Only the bow of the

violin is his back leg, and the strings are his wings. Violin music fills the air.)

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Narrator #2:
Why his wings became a violin!

Narrator #1:
Oh yes, most Grasshoppers are amazing musicians, but we just

don’t take the time to listen.

Narrator #2:
What skill! He’s amazing.

Narrator #1:
And so with nothing to do, but float through the wild blue air,

the insects and James sat back and listened to the most magical melodies all

afternoon. At last, the Grasshopper finished and took a bow.

(The music stops, and the GRASSHOPPER bows.)

Everyone:
(Improving similar lines) Bravo! Amazing!

Grasshopper:
Did you like that James?

James:
Oh I loved it! It was as beautiful as if you had a real violin in your

hands.

Grasshopper:
A real violin! Good heavens my boy, I AM a violin.

Centipede:
And though that’s somewhat interesting, it’s not as fascinating as

having one hundred legs!

Earthworm:
PEST! Why must you always be such a rude liar!

James:
Please don’t argue you two! (to Earthworm) Tell me, do you play any

kind of music?

Earthworm:
No, but I do other extraordinary things.

James:
Such as what?

Earthworm:
Well, next time you stand I a field or garden, remember this:

every single grain of soil upon the surface of the soil has passed through the

body of an earthworm. Isn’t that wonderful!

James:
You mean you actually swallow soil?

Earthworm:
Like mad! In one end, out the other!

James:
But what’s the point?

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Earthworm:
What do you mean?

James:
Why do you do it?

Earthworm:
To help the farmers! It makes the soil nice and light and

crumbly so that things will want to grow.

Ladybug:
I am told that farmers love ladybugs equally as earthworms.

James:
Do they?

Ladybug:
Because we gobble up all the nasty little insects that are ruining

the farmers’ crops. We don’t even charge a penny!

Spider:
Alas, spiders are not loved at all. And yet we do nothing but good.

All day long, I catch flies and mosquitoes in my web. I am a decent person.

James:
I know you are.

Spider:
It is very unfair the way we Spiders are treated. Why only last week

your own horrible Aunt Sponge flushed my poor dear father down the toilet!

James:
How awful!

Spider:
I watched the whole thing from a corner in the ceiling. It was

ghastly. We never saw him again! (Begins to cry on Ladybug’s shoulder.)

Ladybug:
Oh there, there dearie. What would cheer you up?

Spider:
Nothing.

Ladybug:
Oh you must take a look at the beautiful scenery around you. No

one could be sad while gazing at this splendor!

(All the INSECTS gaze over the edge of the stage at the land below.)

Grasshopper:
It’s quite lovely wherever we are headed.

Ladybug:
It looks as if there is beautiful countryside.

Spider:
And further up perhaps a large city!

Ladybug:
One in which we could make new friends, and start a new life!

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