Grimmly Speaking®

Grimm Tales for All Ages

Rumpelstiltskin

– a Kranky Kids script –

Table of Contents

Title Page

How To Use This eScript

Line Numbers

Line Links

Unison

Cast

Cast In Order Of Appearance

SCRIPT - Rumpelstiltskin

NOTES

Stage Directions

Lines vs Line Numbers

Character Line and Line Number Totals for: Rumpelstiltskin

Production Suggestions for: Rumpelstiltskin

COPYRIGHT

Acknowledgements

How To Use This eScript

I've read this – take me to:
the script
Cast in Order of Appearance

All Kranky Kids® digital scripts use the same four organizing elements:

line number
line link
unison
cast

Line Number

A line number is between brackets, sequential, and followed by a character abbreviation (character abbr). For example:

WOLF (W)

[46-W] Hi! I'm Wolf and my character abbreviation is W. Line 46 is my line.

[47-W] Line 47 is also a WOLF line. I know this because the WOLF character abbreviation follows the line number 47.

Line numbers act as place markers to keep you oriented as to where you are in the script.

Line numbers are:
• sequential
• followed by character abbreviations
• between brackets
• formatted [number-character abbr]

Line Link

A line link will take you to a character's next line. For example:

NARRATOR (N)

[13-N] This is line 13 which belongs to Narrator. Tapping the line link at the end of this sentence will take me to Narrator's next line in the script. (16-N)

If there is no link at the end of a line, keep talking – that character has more to say. Line links are handy for navigating; you can jump to your next line and wait for your cue.

Line links:
• take you to a character's next line
• are between parentheses
• are formatted (number-character abbr)

Unison

Unison formatting is used when two or more characters are given the same line(s). For example:

FROG (F)
NARRATOR (N)

[15-F/N] Frog and Narrator are listed alphabetically above. Their character abbreviations alphabetically follow the line number 15 and are separated by a forward slash.

[16-F/N] Frog and Narrator should be saying all these lines together. When they are finished, the line links at the end of this sentence show that Frog's next line is 25 and Narrator's next line is 20. (25-F)(20-N)

When the entire cast is to speak in unison, the character name is EVERYBODY (EV).

Unison formatting has:
• character names and abbreviations listed alphabetically
• character abbreviations separated by a forward slash
• following line links listed alphabetically

Cast

A cast link means you have reached a character's last line. For example:

FROG (F)

[93-F] This is a long story and these are Frog's last lines. After saying them, I'll tap the cast link and jump to the cast page. (cast)

The cast link will take you to the Cast in Order of Appearance page which lists all the characters and a link to each one's first line. This is handy for when you are playing multiple parts; you can quickly jump to the first line of any character.

Cast:
• appears when a character has no more lines
• takes you to the Cast in Order of Appearance page
• is formatted (cast)

That's it – pretty simple. Now go have fun!

Cast In Order Of Appearance

Narrator (1-N)

King (3-K)

Rumpelstiltskin (6-R)

Girl (7-G)

Messenger (47-M)

SCRIPT - Rumpelstiltskin

NARRATOR (N)

[1-N] Once upon a time, there was a miller who boasted that his pretty daughter could spin straw into gold. The King heard about this and demanded that this girl be brought to him.

[2-N] The King took her to a room full of straw and gave her a spinning wheel. (4-N)

KING (K)

[3-K] Now get to work. If by morning you have not spun this straw into gold, you shall die. (12-K)

NARRATOR (N)

[4-N] He then locked the door and left. The poor girl sat there and had no idea what to do. Eventually she began to weep.

[5-N] Then suddenly, the door opened and a little man came in. (9-N)

RUMPELSTILTSKIN (R)

[6-R] Good evening. Why are you crying? (8-R)

GIRL (G)

[7-G] The King says I must spin straw into gold or I must die. I don’t know how to spin straw into gold. (20-G)

RUMPELSTILTSKIN (R)

[8-R] What will you give me if I do it for you? (14-R)

NARRATOR (N)

[9-N] The girl gave him her necklace. The little man sat down and spun and spun and spun all through the night.

[10-N] In the morning, all the straw was gone and only reels of gold remained.

[11-N] The King was delighted, but his heart became more greedy. He took the girl to a much larger room filled with straw. (13-N)

KING (K)

[12-K] If by morning you have not spun this straw into gold, you shall die. (17-K)

NARRATOR (N)

[13-N] Once more, the poor girl sat and had no idea what to do. She was weeping when the door opened and again, the little man came in. (15-N)

RUMPELSTILTSKIN (R)

[14-R] What will you give me this time? (19-R)

NARRATOR (N)

[15-N] The girl gave him the ring on her finger and in the morning, all the straw was gone and only reels of gold remained.

[16-N] The King rejoiced, but wanted even more gold. He took the girl to an even larger room filled with straw. (18-N)

KING (K)

[17-K] If by morning you have spun this straw into gold, you shall be my wife. (cast)

NARRATOR (N)

[18-N] When the girl was alone, the door opened again. (22-N)

RUMPELSTILTSKIN (R)

[19-R] What will you give me this time? (21-R)

GIRL (G)

[20-G] I have nothing left to give. (25-G)

RUMPELSTILTSKIN (R)

[21-R] Then you shall promise me your first child, should you become Queen. (24-R)

NARRATOR (N)

[22-N] The girl, not knowing what else to do, promised she would. And so the straw was spun into gold and the King married the miller’s pretty daughter and she became Queen.

[23-N] A year later, the Queen gave birth to a beautiful child. She never thought about the little man until suddenly, he came into her room. (28-N)

RUMPELSTILTSKIN (R)

[24-R] Now you must give me what you have promised. (26-R)

GIRL (G)

[25-G] Please! I will give you all the riches in the kingdom if you leave. (30-G)

RUMPELSTILTSKIN (R)

[26-R] No. Something that is alive is more dear to me than treasures.

[27-R] Oh, alright. I will give you three days to find out my name. If you fail, I shall have your child. (31-R)

NARRATOR (N)

[28-N] So the Queen thought the entire night of all the names she had ever heard. She sent the messenger to go far and wide into the country and gather some more.

[29-N] The next day, the little man returned. (37-N)

GIRL (G)

[30-G] Is your name Caspar? (32-G)

RUMPELSTILTSKIN (R)

[31-R] That is not my name. (33-R)

GIRL (G)

[32-G] Is it Melchior? (34-G)

RUMPELSTILTSKIN (R)

[33-R] That is not my name. (35-R)

GIRL (G)

[34-G] Is it Balthazar? (36-G)

RUMPELSTILTSKIN (R)

[35-R] That is not my name. (38-R)

GIRL (G)

[36-G] Well, so much for the names of the three wise men bearing gifts in the New Testament. (40-G)

NARRATOR (N)

[37-N] And the Queen continued to say all the names she knew and with each name, the little man replied – (39-N)

RUMPELSTILTSKIN (R)

[38-R] That is not my name. (41-R)

NARRATOR (N)

[39-N] On the second day, she repeated the most uncommon and curious names that she had learned from inquiring in the neighborhood. (46-N)

GIRL (G)

[40-G] Shortribs? (42-G)

RUMPELSTILTSKIN (R)

[41-R] That is not my name. (43-R)

GIRL (G)

[42-G] Sheepshanks? (44-G)

RUMPELSTILTSKIN (R)

[43-R] That is not my name. (45-R)

GIRL (G)

[44-G] Laceleg? (48-G)

RUMPELSTILTSKIN (R)

[45-R] That is not my name. (52-R)

NARRATOR (N)

[46-N] On the third day the messenger returned. (50-N)

MESSENGER (M)

[47-M] I was unable to find any more new names, but on the way back I did find a little house, on top of a high mountain. Inside, was a little man shouting around a fire and hopping around on one leg. (49-M)

GIRL (G)

[48-G] What did he say? (51-G)

MESSENGER (M)

[49-M] Today I bake, tomorrow I brew,
The next I’ll have the young Queen’s child.
Ha! for no one knew
That Rumpelstiltskin I am styled. (cast)

NARRATOR (N)

[50-N] Just then the little man came in. (57-N)

GIRL (G)

[51-G] Is your name John? (53-G)

RUMPELSTILTSKIN (R)

[52-R] No. (54-R)

GIRL (G)

[53-G] Is it Harry? (55-G)

RUMPELSTILTSKIN (R)

[54-R] No. (56-R)

GIRL (G)

[55-G] Then, perhaps your name is Rumpelstiltskin? (cast)

RUMPELSTILTSKIN (R)

[56-R] Nnn – the devil told you that! The devil told you that! (cast)

NARRATOR (N)

[57-N] And in his anger, he plunged his right foot so deep into the ground that his entire leg went in. With both hands, he then pulled his left leg so hard that he tore himself in two.

[58-N] The End. (cast)

NOTES

Stage Directions

There are no stage directions or sound effects listed in this script. You can make up your own.

Lines vs Line Numbers

LINE: A “line” is any word or sentence (with closing punctuation) that is intended to be spoken. For example:

“Wow!” – is counted as a line.
“Wow! My shoe fell off my foot.” – is counted as two lines.
“Wow! My shoe fell off my foot... I think my big toe is asleep.” – is also counted as two lines.

LINE NUMBER: A “line number” is any numeral between brackets that acts as a “place marker” to tell you where you are in the script.

TOTALS: Characters having a lot of “lines” and “line numbers” usually means they are appearing and speaking in more than one place in the script – but not always.

Sometimes a character's lines are all grouped together in one scene. Sometimes a character will appear in one scene – say something – and then say nothing for the rest of the story.

Because of this, one actor can often play more than one character.

Character Line and Line Number Totals for: Rumpelstiltskin

• The “line total” tells you how many lines a character speaks in the script.
• The “line number total” tells you only approximately how many different times a character appears in the script.

Listed from least to most lines:

King (3 lines; 3 line numbers)

Messenger (4 lines; 2 line numbers)

Girl (16 lines; 14 line numbers)

Rumpelstiltskin (23 lines; 18 line numbers)

Narrator (30 lines; 21 line numbers)

Production Suggestions for: Rumpelstiltskin

• Actor playing King can also play Messenger.

COPYRIGHT

© 2014 Lishka DeVoss/Kranky Kids®

All rights reserved.

All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the non-exclusive, non-transferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on-screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, down-loaded, decompiled, reverse engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of Toad & Fox.

For information address:

Toad & Fox
Publishers
www.toadfox.com

ISBN-10: 1634410041

ISBN-13: 978-1-63441-004-5

You do have permission to use Lishka DeVoss/Kranky Kids® copyrighted scripts in productions under the following conditions:

1. You must first contact Lishka DeVoss at lishka@krankykids.com and get permission.

2. You must give credit to Kranky Kids® during your production/performance and also in any printed, audio or digital material related to your production/performance (posters, newsletters, programs, flyers, radio announcements, etc.)

3. Any profit made from your production/performance must be applied to one or more of the following:

– funding a school's drama department
– funding a school's tech/video department
– funding an after-school program
– giving a party for the participating students

Please respect these conditions and give credit to Kranky Kids when it's due. A lot of hard work has gone into producing these scripts. Thank you.

Acknowledgements

Special thanks to Sarah Dicks and Adam Wilt for their extremely helpful suggestions in the formatting of this digital script.

FOOTNOTE

* This is just an example link so that you could see it as a live link on the page.

Go back to the instructions for: line link

Go back to the instructions: unison

Go back to the instructions: cast