hoppy endings
Jeremy Kareken
A large yellow ball sails by and a young woman chases after it.
clem
Whoa.
grog
What?
CLEM
Check it out?
GROG
What?
clem
Her.
GROG
What, behind the princess?
CLEM
I'm talking about the princess.
Clem watches her as she giggles and frets over her golden ball.
CLEM
She has got to be the most beautiful creature I have ever seen.
GROG
Too much trouble.
CLEM
What?
GROG
Look at her. She plays with a golden ball. You got the money for golden balls?
CLEM
No.
GROG
You got the money for golden anything?
CLEM
No.
GROG
Then forget it. She's out of your league.
CLEM
I'm just saying. I think she's nice.
GROG
What's with you, when did you start hopping after those things?
CLEM
She's not a thing.
GROG
Whatever. Too much trouble. Don't waste your time. Believe me.
clem
I'm not going to waste my time.
GROG
Good.
pause.
CLEM
Still --
GROG
How you going to make her fall in love with a frog?
clem
I hadn't thought that far ahead.
GROG
You going to take her out for dragonflies?
clem
Well, maybe I could get some kind of sorcerer to cast a spell on me.
GROG
Oh yeah? Then what? Now you're a dude with a taste for arthropods. You going to get a job?
clem
I guess.
GROG
Too late. She'd never have you. Jobs are very middle class. You think she's ever worked a day in her life?
clem
Well, maybe the sorcerer--
GROG
Or sorceress--
CLEM
or sorceress-- could make me rich too?
GROG
That's a terrible idea.
CLEM
What, why?
GROG
Think of what you'll do to the money supply.
clem
What?
GROG
If sorceresses went around making all this money then every other bit of money's worth less. It's very inflationary monetary policy.
clem
I'm not interested in economics.
GROG
No, you just want to hook up with a princess. My advice, stick with amphibians. Maybe hang out with a turtle. At least you'll have something to talk about.
CLEM
Jeez, there she goes again. I think she likes us. She's losing that ball on purpose.
GROG
Dry up. You don't have a snowball's chance.
CLEM
What do you know about it, anyways?
GROG
You wouldn't understand.
clem
No, enlighten me, mister super frog. You who are so wise in the ways of the human female.
GROG
All right, all right. Don't get jumpy.
clem
No, seriously, all of a sudden you're this expert frog. I say I think she's cute and you're all over me. Let me have my fun and keep out of it.
GROG
Fine fine.
CLEM
I wasn't saying I was going to marry her. I was just saying I thought she was cute.
GROG
Hey, frog, fine. Live and let live. Go find a sorceress.
CLEM
And another thing-- what's all this about sorceress. Are you one of these feminist--
grog
I used to be a Prince, okay?
clem
Oh, shut. Up. A prince?
GROG
Forget it.
CLEM
I had no idea I was in the presence of royalty. Prince! Are the flies to his majesty's liking?
GROG
Knock it off. This is why I can't share anything with you.
CLEM
No, go on, Emperor--
GROG
Prince!
clem
See that pond over there? I was grand Sultan of--
GROG
You don't know! So just shut your fly-hole and die, okay?
clem
All right, all right. I didn't mean to offend you.
GROG
I know those people is all I'm saying.
CLEM
So what happened that you're down here with us?
GROG
Oh, forget it. You're not interested.
clem
Yes I am.
GROG
You're just going to laugh at me.
clem
No. I'm not.
GROG
It sucks up there, believe me. You're worried about the aristocracy all day, because they never think they have enough land, other members of the royal family are trying to stab you in the head because they think they'd make a better king than you. And then there's the peasants. Don't get me started on the peasants. You try to help them out, and then these illiterate slobs get shirty with you, like who else is going to till the fields, smart guy? Then because you give a little extra money to them, every peasant wants some, so you start printing some. And then the economy's collapsing around your ears and the next thing I know this old crone starts screaming at me.
CLEM
Oh no.
GROG
Yeah. You see this coming. I say get your stupid fat hairy warts out of my face you old creep!
CLEM
Never piss off a sorceress.
GROG
You're telling me. So she lifts her magic staff and screams "warts I have but warty shall you be. Back to the pond, return to the scum when I count one, two, three."
clem
Wow.
GROG
Yeah, wow.
CLEM
You'd think she would have turned you into a toad.
GROG
What?
clem
I mean, we don't have warts.
GROG
Neither do toads.
CLEM
Yeah, but you look more warty if you're a toad. Just seems more poetic justice to me.
GROG
Well clearly she wasn't a biologist.
clem
I'm just saying that in witching school, you'd think--
GROG
Can we get back to me?
CLEM
Sure.
GROG
Sure it sucked for a while, but then you start to realize - hey, I'm out in the sun all day, when I'm not in the pool. Plenty of food, once you get used to it, and let's face it, this is prime waterfront property. The real estate is nice. All this "soon, son you will become a king." Feh, who needs it.
CLEM
I could have used a little of it.
GROG
Forget it. You have any idea how hard it is to find a princess you're not related to? You don't want your kids getting all web-footed, right? Well, I mean, when you look like that you don't want the web-feet. Trust me. It's easier and better to just stay like we are.
CLEM
Okay. I think I get it.
GROG
Good. So don't go getting her kiss you.
CLEM
What? Why not?
GROG
It's a well-known fact that a kiss from a princess turns any frog into a handsome prince.
CLEM
I thought you had to be cursed first.
GROG
No. That's a myth. There are quite a few princes out there who came from frogs, believe me.
CLEM
You'd think we'd hear of it more.
GROG
Well, it's uncommon. Good luck trying to kiss a frog. But no. I'm happy the way I am.
clem
So I just get her to kiss me and I'm-- prince?
GROG
Have you listened to a word I said?
CLEM
Yeah, sure, I'm just saying--
GROG
You don't need it. Trust me.
clem
I could try it.
GROG
Go ahead.
CLEM
What, really?
GROG
Go get her to kiss you. But you're in for a world of misery.
clem
I might.
GROG
Don't say I didn't warn you.
CLEM
I hearby absolve you of all responsibility.
GROG
You're digging your own grave, I'm telling you.
Clem hops off. Offstage we hear:
clem (o.s.)
Hey, lady! Come here--
princess (o.s.)
EEK! Get away from me--
CLEM (O.S.)
Wait, just let me--
PRINCESS (o.s)
Daaad!
king (o.s.)
Come here you--
CLEM (O.S.)
Now hold on, I mean you no harm--
off stage, we hear sounds of pounding. Grog watches as Clem gets pummeled. Clem drags himself on stage.
GROG
How'd it go?
CLEM
Not too good.
Grog tries to stifle a laugh.
clem
What?
GROG
I'm sorry-- I --
Grog starts laughing hysterically.
CLEM
WHAT?!
GROG
I can't believe you believed me! I really thought you had me with the toad wart thing. But you totally bought it!
clem
Dickweed.
GROG
Interspecies transmutation! Sorceress! You are such a sucker.
CLEM
I'm bleeding over here.
GROG
I know. I'm sorry. Excuse me. Bwaaah! Hah! Hah!
CLEM
all right, all right-- it's not that--
They look at each other, quietly, Grog trying not to laugh. Until neither can hold it in any longer.
clem and grog
BWAAAAAAAHHHHH HAHAH!-
The End.