Cast of Characters:

NARRATOR
LITTLE GIRL
SCHELLY THE TURTLE
WITCH
GUARD

The Narrator recites:
Once upon a time, in a tiny village next to a big clear pond, there lived a little girl.

Little Girl waves.

The Narrator recites:
The little girl owned a turtle that she loved very much.

Little Girl hugs the turtle.

The Little Girl recites:
His name is Schelly.

The Narrator recites:
Schelly was no ordinary turtle. Schelly was a talking turtle.

The Turtle recites:
People make this sound so odd, I don’t understand.

The Narrator recites:
The little girl and Schelly were inseparable. They would sit everyday and talk to each other.

The Little Girl recites:
I love you, Schelly.

The Turtle recites:
I love you too.

Little Girl and Schelly hug each other.

The Narrator recites:
One day, a mean old witch saw the little girl and Schelly talking to each other and decided this was some sort of magic turtle and had to have its powers.

The Witch cackles from hiding.

The Narrator recites:
Night was falling and the little girl was getting ready to go home for the night. Schelly curled up by the pond in a special little bed that the little girl helped him make and fell asleep.

The Little Girl recites:
Good night, Schelly. I’ll talk to you tomorrow.

The Witch waits patiently for the little girl to disappear into her home and for Schelly to fall into a sound sleep on the shore of the pond.

The Witch recites:
Now is my chance to strike.

The Witch sneaks up to Schelly and purposely trips over him.

The Witch loudly recites:
Oh dear, oh my! I’ve fallen and I can’t get up!

Schelly the turtle wakes up.

The Turtle recites:
Are you okay, lady?

The Witch painfully recites:
No, I’ve hurt my ankle. Could you do a little old lady a favor and get me a cane to walk with?

Schelly the turtle finds a gnarled cane and gives it to the witch.

The Witch recites:
Oh thank you, and could you follow me home to make sure I get there okay?

The Turtle recites:
Oh, yes. Of course I can!

The Narrator recites:
The witch innocently leads the turtle away from his home by the clear pond and from the little girl’s village. She takes him over the hill and into the dark forest where the villagers never dared to go.

The Witch turns to the audience and whispers.

The Witch quietly recites:
This is almost too easy.

Schelly the turtle follows the witch all the way home and watches as she opens her door.

The Turtle recites:
Well, here you are. I must be off now.

The Witch cackles.

The Witch emphatically recites:
Oh no you don’t!

The Witch snatches up Schelly the turtle and takes him quickly inside and locks him in a cage.

Schelly yelps.

The Witch smugly recites:
Now you’re MY magic turtle!

The Witch cackles.

The Witch pokes her finger into the cage at Schelly.

The Witch recites:
Tomorrow we will find out what kind of turtle you really are.

The Witch cackles.

The Narrator recites:
The next morning the witch started her interrogation of Schelly.

The Witch pokes at Schelly the turtle again.

The Witch recites:
Come on, turtle. Show me your magic. If you don’t start explaining how you can talk, I’ll make turtle soup out of you!

Schelly the turtle begs the Witch for mercy.

The Turtle helplessly recites:
I cannot show you magic I don’t possess. Please let me go. I want to go home. I miss my girl!

The Witch recites:
Ah, so that’s it! The little girl!

The Turtle recites:
What do you mean?

The Witch runs out of the house without answering, leaving Schelly alone in her cage.

The Narrator recites:
Through the woods and over the hill. The witch returned to the clear pond where the little girl hunted in vain for her turtle friend. The witch hid and disguised her voice to sound like Schelly.

The Witch slips into hiding.

The Witch recites:
Little girl, I’m over here. Come find me!

The Narrator recites:
The little girl, hopeful to find her friend, Schelly. Followed the sound of the voice until she was near the witch’s hiding place.

The Witch surprises the little girl.

Little Girl screams at the witch.

The Witch grabs the little girl and drags her back to her house in the dark woods. She sets the little girl down on in a chair, tying and gagging her next to Schelly’s cage.

Little Girl whimpers softly.

The Witch angrily recites:
Now turtle, tell me your magic or I will turn your precious girl into a turtle then eat you both!

The Turtle nervously recites:
No don’t! I will show you my magic.

The Witch gets Schelly out of the cage.

The Witch recites:
Now turtle, NOW!

Schelly the turtle’s shoulders bow as if under a great burden.

The Turtle recites:
Okay, first I need some pond water to drink and some bark of a white oak tree, so I can eat them. And then I will show you a very powerful spell.

The Witch squeals with delight and runs out the door of her house to gather the items the turtle asked for, leaving Schelly and the little girl by themselves.

Schelly the turtle glances at the little girl.

The Turtle recites:
What a maroon.

Schelly the turtle climbs up the little girl’s leg and begins to chew through the rope.

Little Girl is finally free of her bonds and takes off her gag.

Little Girl kisses Schelly the turtle.

Little Girl recites:
Okay, Schelly, let’s get out of here!

The Witch bursts back through the door.

The Witch recites:
AHH! I forgot to put you back in your cage!

Little Girl jumps back from the witch.

Little Girl screams as she runs out the door and away from the witch’s house.

The Witch growls at Schelly.

The Witch recites:
Now turtle you’ve made me very angry. And it is now time for your bath and my dinner!

The Witch cackles.

The Witch grabs Schelly and puts him back in the cage, then starts a fire under the cauldron.

The Witch recites:
Ah, turtle soup! Yum!
Has been a while since I’ve had some!
Add some mushrooms cook up some carrots and onions too
Add in the seasonings to bring up the brew
Maybe some frog legs and grendle ears to throw into the stew!

The Wtch cackles and sniffs the air.

The Witch recites:
Ah, now for the turtle!

The Witch licks her lips.

The Witch smiles evilly at Schelly.

The Witch recites:
I can already taste it.

Schelly the turtle gulps.

The Witch reaches in the cage to grab Schelly as the door of the house bursts open!

Little Girl points at the mean old witch.

Little Girl sternly recites:
There she is guard! She’s the one who kidnapped me and stole my turtle!

The Witch cackles.

The Witch recites:
Prove it!

Little Girl points to the chair and the rope lying about it.

Little Girl recites:
Look, there’s the cage she kept Schelly in and the chair she tied me to.

The Guard moves toward the Witch.

The Guard recites:
Alright, lady, you’re coming with me. Looks like now YOU are the one in hot water.

The Witch cackles madly and spins around in circles, then in an instant she disappears from sight.

The Witch cackles from hiding.

Little Girl runs over to Schelly, lets him out of the cage then gives him a big hug and kiss.

Little Girl recites:
Oh Schelly, are you okay?

Little Girl snuggles Schelly the turtle.

The Turtle smiles.

The Turtle recites:
Ah, now this is REAL magic. Friendship!

Schelly the turtle snuggles the little girl.

The Narrator recites:
Schelly and the little girl went back to their clear pond by the village and lived happily ever after and were never bothered by the witch ever again. But, rumor has it she’s found herself a flying pig to harass…