Tillie Wright

More Precious Than Gold

Characters:

Incan Princess (female) Francisco Pizarro (male), Nathan (male), Crew member (male), King (male), Scout (female), Narrator (either) Everyday people and servants (either)

(There’s a forest and a wooden path, the NARRATOR comes onto the stage)

NARRATOR: The Incas were a tribe that lived in South America along the Andes mountains. 

They had made a flourishing civilization, but soon that would change…

(NARRATOR walks away and the KING and the PRINCESS come in)

KING: Come, Mija. We must get to the palace soon.

PRINCESS: Okay, Papá.

(They walk near the back of the stage when suddenly a SCOUT comes running, looking tired)

SCOUT: Your majesty, strange men landed on the shore! We tried to greet them but they attacked us! 

KING: Say no more, scout. We shall bring our finest warriors out to fight them.

(FRANCISCO PIZZARO and his crew come into the scene)

FRANCISCO: (shouting) It is I, Francisco Pizarro! Fear me, savages!

KING: (shouting) Run!

(The KING and PRINCESS run)

FRANCISCO: Seize the princess!

NATHAN: This wasn’t part of the plan!

FRANCISCO: It is now.

(A CREW MEMBER snatches the PRINCESS)

FRANCISCO: Perfect! It’s hostage time. (facing the KING) Bring me enough gold to fill a room if you ever want to see your daughter again!

KING: (muttering) Must get the gold.

FRANCISCO: As for you, to the ship you go.

(The scene changes, the PRINCESS is on a ship with handcuffs from the floor to her arms)

PRINCESS: (shouting) Help! Help! (sighs) It’s no use.

NATHAN: Hello. I’m Nathan.

PRINCESS: Hello Nathan, are you here to exchange me for that gold? Because if so, I’d rather die than let my kingdom be robbed.

NATHAN: No, I’m here to rescue you.

PRINCESS: This must be a joke! No scoundrel like you would imprison me and then free me.

NATHAN: I would never imprison anyone; it was Francisco’s idea anyway. Come on, this might be our only chance.

(NATHAN snaps her handcuffs and they sneak past the guard)

PRINCESS:  I was wrong about you. Thank you, I am forever in your debt.

(FRANCISCO comes into the scene)

FRANCISCO: (looking at the broken handcuffs) Where is the princess?

NATHAN: (whispering) Quick, hide!

FRANCISCO: (turning to NATHAN) Nathan, where is she?

NATHAN: (nervously) I don’t know. I've been looking for her for hours.

FRANCISCO: I can tell when you lie, Nathan. Where is the princess?

NATHAN: (nervously) Ok, fine. She was in here but then I looked away and then she was gone.

FRANCISCO: (reaching for the princess’s hiding spot) While we search for her, we’ll need the sword.

NATHAN: (whispering panicky) No, no, no, no, no!

(FRANCISCO finds the PRINCESS and picks her up)

FRANCISCO: (shocked) Nathan, you hid her?! How dare you! When we go back to Spain, Her Majesty will hang you for treason!

(NATHAN smacks FRANCISCO, FRANCISCO lets go of the PRINCESS, and NATHAN and her run out)

FRANCISCO: (chasing them) Get back here!

(The scene changes and NATHAN and the PRINCESS are at the palace where the KING and his servants are.)

KING: (shouting at SERVANTS) More gold! We must save my daughter!

PRINCESS: (running to the KING) Papá!

KING: Mija!

(The PRINCESS and the KING hug)

PRINCESS: We’ll have to double the guards, I bet Francisco is close.

(FRANCISCO enters with a sword)

FRANCISCO: (shouting) You’re a fool if you think you can defeat me! It’s a shame you’ll never see daylight again.

NATHAN: (facing the PRINCESS) Do you have any weapons?

(The PRINCESS tosses him a spear)

NATHAN: (shrugging) Well, it works.

FRANCISCO: (laughing) You think you can defeat me with a spear?! Ha, ha, ha.

(NATHAN and FRANCISCO start fighting)

FRANCISCO: This will be the easiest fight I’ve ever fought! 

(NATHAN whips FRANCISCO’s sword from his grasp)

FRANCISCO: But, how?

(NATHAN stabs the spear in FRANCISCO’s chest, killing FRANCISCO)

NATHAN: Goodbye, Francisco.

PRINCESS: Thank you, now I’m really, really in your debt.

(Scene changes to a field where NATHAN and the PRINCESS are, and a crowd in front of them, the KING walks in)

KING: (addressing the crowd) For kidnapping the princess, we shall kill the other scoundrel from Francisco’s crew. (turning to NATHAN) Nathan, you have the honor of killing him.

(The KING tosses him a spear but NATHAN drops it)

NATHAN: No. He may be a scoundrel, but he does have to die?!

KING: Fine, it’s your choice. You don’t have to kill him.

NATHAN: (whispering to the CREW MEMBER) You won’t die now, but if you tell anyone about this you will.

CREW MEMBER: No, I’m forever loyal to Her Majesty!

(The CREW MEMBER grabs NATHAN and starts fighting him. Meanwhile, the PRINCESS picks up the spear and kills the CREW MEMBER)

NATHAN: (shocked) Wow, you saved me!

PRINCESS: Now all I gotta do is free you from a kidnapper and we’ll be Even Steven. Now come on, let’s eat.

(The PRINCESS and NATHAN exit the stage, after that, everyone comes in for the bow.)

The End