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Chapter 1/5: Flora, Fauna and Merryweather plan a party

[The camera approaches a house in the woods]
Narrator:
And so for sixteen long years the whereabouts of the princess remained a mystery, while deep in the forest, in a woodcutter's cottage, the good fairies carried out their well-laid plan. Living like mortals, they had reared the child as their own and called her Briar Rose.
[A window of the cottage opens, and Briar Rose appears, humming some tune]
Narrator:
On this her sixteenth birthday the good fairies had planned a party and something extra special for her surprise.
[The camera turns downward. The fairies sit over a book of dresses]
Merryweather:
How about this one?
Flora:
This is the one I picked.
Fauna:
Oh she'll look beautiful in it.
Flora:
Now I thought a few changes here ...
Merryweather:
Aha
Fauna:
Don't forget a pretty bow ...
Flora:
And there's the shoulder line.
Merryweather:
We'll make it blue.
Flora:
Oh no, dear, pink.
Merryweather:
But ...
Flora:
Of course, we'll need a few pleats
Fauna:
Yes, but how are we going to get her out of the house?
Flora:
Oh, I'll think of something.
[Briar Rose comes down the stairs and finds the fairies]
Briar Rose:
Well, and what are you three dears up to?
Merryweather:
Up to?
Fauna:
Up to?
Flora:
Up to?
Flora:
eh, eh, eh, we, we, well, we, we ...
Merryweather:
Want you to pick some berries.
Flora:
That's it, berries!
Briar Rose:
Berries?
Fauna:
Lots of berries.
Briar Rose:
But I picked berries yesterday.
Flora:
Oh, we need more, dear.
Fauna:
Lots, lots more.
Flora:
Yes!
[The fairies push Briar Rose out of the house]
Flora:
Now don't hurry back, dear.
Merryweather:
And don't go to far.
Flora:
And don't speak to strangers.
Fauna:
Goodbye, dear!
Merryweather:
Goodbye!
Flora:
Goodbye!
Briar Rose:
Goodbye!
[The fairies close the door and get back inside]
Merryweather:
I wonder if she suspects.
Flora:
Of course not, come on. Will she be surprised!
Merryweather:
A real birthday party.
Fauna:
With a real birthday cake.
Flora:
Yes, and a dress a princess can be proud of.
Merryweather:
I'll get the wands.
Flora:
Yes, you ... the wands?
Fauna:
Oh no.
Flora:
No magic!
Merryweather:
But the sixteen years are almost over.
Flora:
We're taking no chances.
Merryweather:
But, I never baked a fancy cake.
Flora:
Oh, you won't have to, dear.
Fauna:
I'm going to bake the cake.
Merryweather:
You?
Flora:
She's always wanted to, dear, and this is her last chance.
Merryweather:
Well, ...
Fauna:
I'm going to make it fifteen layers with pink and blue, forgive-me-nots ...
Flora:
And i'm making the dress.
Merryweather:
But you can't sow, and she's never cooked!
Flora:
Oh, it's simple.
Fauna:
All you do is follow the book.
[Flora directs Merryweather to stand on a chair]
Flora:
Up here dear, you can be the dummy.
Merryweather:
Well, I still say we ought to use magic.
[Flora throws a sheet of pink cloth above Merryweather and begins cutting with a pair of scissors. Fauna has laid all the ingredients for the cake before her.]
Fauna:
[reads from the book] Flour, three cups. [searching] Cups, cups, cups, cups, cups ... [finds three cups of different sizes and uses them to pour flour into the bowl] One, two, three.
[Flora has cut a circular hole into the sheet]
Merryweather:
What's that for?
Flora:
Well, it's got to have a hole in the bottom.
Fauna:
That's for the feet to go through.
Merryweather:
It's pink!
Flora:
Oh, lovely shade, isn't it.
Merryweather:
But I wanted it blue.
Flora:
Now, dear, we decided pink was her color.
Merryweather:
You decided!
Fauna:
[still reads from the book] Two eggs, fold in gently Fold? Oh well.
[Fauna puts two eggs into the bowl and starts to fold them in. We hear their shells cracking. Merryweather is completely hulled into the pink cloth]
Merryweather:
I can't breathe!
[Flora cuts the cloth open at the top. Merryweather takes a look at the dress from the inside]
Merryweather:
It looks awful.
Flora:
That's because it's on you, dear.
Fauna:
[at her cake] Now yeast, one tsp. tsp?
Merryweather:
One teaspoon!
Fauna:
One teaspoon, of course.
[Flora measures some size of the dress]
Flora:
Oh gracious how the child has grown.
Merryweather:
Oh, it seems only yesterday we brought her here.
Fauna:
Just a tiny baby.
[Merryweather loses a tear]
Flora:
Why Merryweather!
Fauna:
Whatever's the matter, dear?
Merryweather:
After the day she'll be a princess, and we won't have any Briar Rose.
Fauna:
Oh Flora!
Flora:
We all knew this day had to come.
Fauna:
But why did it have to come so soon?
Flora:
After all, we've had her for sixteen years.
Merryweather:
Sixteen wonderful years.
Flora:
Good gracious, We're acting like a lot of ninnies! Come on, she'll be back before we get started.

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Last modified: Fri Sep 22 12:31:58 1995