Audition Central: Seussical KIDS
Script: Horton
SIDE 1
HORTON
(casually, to his clover) Hello... hello?
JOJO
(startled) Hello?
HORTON
Who's there?
JOJO
It's me, JoJo. The Mayor's son.
HORTON
I'm Horton. The Elephant.
JOJO
Are you real, or are you a very large Think?
HORTON
Oh, I'm real, all right. I would state that in ink.
JOJO
In my Thinks, I imagine a lot of strange things, and I go to strange places, as if I had wings! I love a good Think!
HORTON
Well, for me that goes double.
JOJO
Sometimes my Thinks are what get me in trouble.
HORTON
When you think, do you dream?
JOJO
In bright colors!
HORTON
Me, too.
HORTON
And I go to strange places. Like Solla Sollew!
JOJO
When you think, do you think you could fly to the stars?
HORTON
Little friend, no one else could have Thinks such as ours!
SIDE 2
HORTON
I meant what I said,
And I said what I meant.
An elephant’s faithful, One hundred percent.
(HORTON talks to the egg.)
I’ll protect you from harm.
Yes, I’ll do it or die!
So rest now, Young Egg,
And I’ll sing you a lullaby.
SIDE 3
MARSHAL
This is the case of the People versus Horton the Elephant. Judge Yertle the Turtle presiding. The defendant is charged with talking to a speck, disturbing the peace and loitering... on an egg.
HORTON
Your honor, this clover is Exhibit A.
They’re Whos here smaller than the eyes can see
It’s true sir! He’s a Who and so is she.
(HORTON shows JUDGE YERTLE the clover. JUDGE YERTLE stares at it as the crowd anxiously awaits a verdict.)
Mr. Mayor, Mr. Mayor! Oh, please, Mr. Mayor!
You’ve got to prove now that you really are there!
(The JUNGLE CITIZENS all lean in to “listen” to the clover. No sound is heard.)
JUDGE YERTLE
Based on the evidence, I have no choice but to order the defendant, Horton the Elephant, remanded to the Nool Asylum for the criminally insane. And as for the dust speck... it will boil in a hot steaming kettle of beezlenut oil.
HORTON, MR. MAYOR, MRS. MAYOR
JoJo, think of something!
(All freeze except the CATS and JOJO.)
CATS
Now just for a moment, young JoJo looked grim.
The fate of the Whos rested squarely on him!
But then came a Think: A peculiar new word.
The kind of a word no one ever had heard!
(Time is suspended for a moment as JOJO clears his throat and opens his mouth.)
JOJO
Yopp!
SIDE 4
GERTURDE
Psst! Horton! Horton, are you there?
HORTON
What? Who is it?
GERTRUDE
It’s me, Gertrude! Horton! Oh, Horton! There’s nothing that I wouldn’t and I couldn’t and I haven’t gone through. And Horton... it took me seven weeks but I found your clover.
(HORTON eagerly takes the clover from GERTRUDE.)
HORTON
Gertrude... I never noticed... you’re... amazing!
GERTRUDE
Aw, it was nothing.
SIDE 5
MAYZIE
Good gracious! I’ve seen you before. Now, let’s see...
HORTON
Why, Mayzie, it’s Horton! Remember? It’s me!
I’ve sat on your egg now for fifty-one weeks!
MAYZIE
I may be unreliable, fancy free,
Irresponsible, crazy me,
But seeing you gives me true delight
Just for once I’ve done something right.
The egg is all yours!
(dramatically)
No, don’t thank me. I’ll cry!!!
(and now, very sincerely)
Good luck when it hatches
Good luck... And goodbye.