Willow Page #2

RANON:

Can't we keep it, Dada?

WILLOW:

Absolutely not.

BURGLEKUTT:

Ufgood! Willow Ufgood!

Willow, in a sudden panic, sees BURGLEKUTT in the dis-

tance. He splashes into the river, grabs the raft,

plunks it on the bank and tries to hush the crying

baby.

WILLOW:

Shhh, shhh! It's the Prefect --

that's all I need. Mims, Ranon,

keep this thing hidden...

EXT. UFGOOD FARM - DAY

Burglekutt's beady eyes spot Willow making a mad dash

for his plow. Swinging his fat stomach, he angrily

points his walking stick and goes after him.

KIAYA:

Mr. Burglekutt! He hasn't done

anything wrong!

Willow's wife KIAYA chases Burglekutt across the field,

her beautiful long hair flowing behind her. Willow

quickly gets behind his plow like he's been there all

day.

BURGLEKUTT:

Ufgood! What do you think you're

doing! I tell the planting seeds

in this village.

KIAYA:

I told him we didn't steal it, Wil-

low.

Burglekutt furiously scoops a handful of seeds out of

Willow's sack and shakes them under Willow's nose.

BURGLEKUTT:

You haven't paid your debts. Where

did you get these seeds?

With pride, Willow puts his arm around his wife.

WILLOW:

In the forest. My family's been

gathering them since last fall.

There's no law against that, Bur-

glekutt.

Suddenly the children laugh in the distance.

KIAYA:

Willow! You left the children

alone by the river??

In alarm she runs off before Willow can stop her. Bur-

glekutt sweeps the horizon with his walking stick.

BURGLEKUTT:

Too late, Ufgood. You'll never get

your planting done before the rains

start. You're gonna lose this

land.

He raises the seeds high above his head, then smashes

them down at Willow's boots. He waddles away toward

two of his MEN who wait by the road. Then: Kiaya

SHRIEKS from the river. Burglekutt stops in his tracks

and shakes his head as if to say "the whole family's

crazy." Off he trudges. Willow watches and waits.

Then runs as fast as he can to the river.

EXT. RIVER - DAY

Kiaya cradles the baby in her arms. Willow runs up,

and with patriarchal authority, puts his fists on his

hips.

WILLOW:

Absolutely, under no condition, is

anyone in this family going to fall

in love with that baby.

They all fall in love as he speaks. The children fol-

low Kiaya up on the bank, walking right past Willow.

WILLOW:

Kiaya! We can't keep that baby.

Mims, Ranon. Hey! I will not be

ignored!

Ignored, Willow huffs after them across his unplowed

field.

INT. UFGOOD HOUSE - DAY

Willow nervously paces as Kiaya pours water in a wood

tub and the children entertain the naked baby with

sticks and brightly colored cloths, apparatus for a

magic trick.

WILLOW:

This is bad. If we're caught with

that little daikini it'll be the

end of us. Careful, Ranon, I need

that for the festival.

(indicates magic cloth)

Kiaya, what are we going to do?

KIAYA:

We're gonna give this baby a bath.

The baby squeals with joy as Kiaya lifts her into the

bath.

WILLOW:

Burglekutt's right. There's not

enough time to finish plowing.

We'll lose everything and I'll end

up working in the mines.

He shudders at the thought.

KIAYA:

Willow, do you think we should take

her to the Village Council?

WILLOW:

No, no! They'll think it's a bad

omen. There'll be a flood or a

drought or a plague and

everybody'll blame me for it!

RANON:

Look. What's that?

Willow leans forward. On the baby's shoulder is a

small branded scar in a circular design. It only adds

to Willow's fears.

WILLOW:

I don't know. This is trouble.

I'll talk to the High Aldwin about

it tomorrow at the Festival.

The baby kicks and splashes and giggles in the bath.

EXT. NELWYN VILLAGE - DAY

The raucous BAND plays as NELWYNS dance and celebrate

amid brochs and wheelhouses garlanded with flowers. A

crowd cheers wildly as MINERS battle FARMERS in a tug-

of-war, finally yanking the farmers face-first into a

puddle of mud. On a stage a HARLEQUIN dances delight-

fully. While on a raised platform the five members of

the VILLAGE COUNCIL sit and observe, mildly amused.

The head councilman is Burglekutt.

The WE SEE Willow on another stage. He flourishes his

colorful sticks and cloths. In the audience WE NOTICE

his friend MEEGOSH, who wears a miner's apron, rooting

Willow on.

WILLOW:

And now! For our final amazing bit

of magic, I will make an entire pig

completely disappear!

Meegosh applauds as Mims and Ranon trot out lugging a

tiny baby pig in a crate. As Willow takes the pig out

it bites his hand and gets away. Willow tackles and

squashes it. The crowd laughs and half of them leave,

and Meegosh covers his face.

Mims and Ranon rapidly wave a bright blanket. Willow

cleverly whips the pig under his legs and behind his

back and suddenly it's gone! Impresse, the crowd

gasps. Then the pig squeals and dashes through

Willow's legs and leaps off the stage.

CROWD:

Aaww! Booo! Sssss!

Burglekutt and the Council shake their heads as Willow,

embarassed, picks up his things. Meegosh trots up

with the pig under his arm.

WILLOW:

Meegosh, I'm in trouble.

MEEGOSH:

Hey, it wasn't that bad. You need

a better pig, that's all.

But as they walk past the Village Council, and Bur-

glekutt sneers down at Willow, Meegosh catches on.

MEEGOSH:

Now Burglekutt's got you in the

squeeze. Soon you'll be down in

the mines like me.

WILLOW:

Mining. I hate closed-in spaces.

That's the last thing I'd ever do.

(he shudders)

I gotta get my crop planted.

MEEGOSH:

You know I'll help you as much as I

can, Willow.

The Village Council members stand up respectfully as

the wise old HIGH ALDWIN hobbles through the adoring

crowd. Mims and Ranon rush up to Willow with several

other children who are eating candy.

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