The Hatching Well

7/28/2019 The Hatching Well

1/98

THE HATCHING WELL By Simon Derrick

GRAMS INTRODUCTION MUSIC

NARRATOR This is the story of a miserable tramp called Samuel Smith. Now Samuel

was a plump and bearded sort of a chap in his early fifties who enjoyed

nothing more than to inebriate his condition with vast quantities of beer.

Often after a mild tipple on the ale, he would go about the streets of

Lewisham dressed in his haggard old rags and sing loudly to himself about

the good old days when folk treated him with respect and knew him by his

name rather than his filthy stench. He was of course, a frequent source of

irritation and anyone who would have the misfortune to pass him by,

would often get besieged by a barrage of unintelligible insults and saliva.

But Samuel wanted to be happy; he wanted people to like him and to

know that he wasnt really a miserable chap and that given the chance he

could be nice. But nobody ever gave him that chance and so he always

succumbed to his one and only friend in this world; his beer.

But one day, things took a change for the better, and for the worse. Samuel

woke up on a cold December morning and decided that enough was

enough, he was fed up with scrounging off heartless people for food and

money and decided it was time he took matters into his own hands. And

so he left his park bench that had become his home for the last ten years

and traveled to a grocery store on a busy street in the centre of town. There

he did the one thing that was to change the course of his life forever; he

1


2/98


stole an apple. And in the instant he did so, a strange and malicious feeling

came over him that sent a shiver bolting down his spine and struck fear

into the deepest hollows of his mind. Then within seconds he was being

chased down the street by a shopkeeper welding a knife and a sinister

policeman with a devious grin on his face. Fate was about to make its

cruel advance on the poor tramps life and there was nothing that he or

anyone else could do about it. What the tramp did next to escape his eager

pursuers surprised him more than it might have surprised anyone else, and

very soon he found himself sat on a stone table in a forest clearing, trying

to explain what had happened to a curious bunch of talking pigs in

jumpers, who no less than fifty seconds ago, had been trying to kill him.

Confused? You will be. Intrigued? So was I.

F/X RUSTLING LEAVES AND SINGING BIRDS

JOHNNY So you were chased down a street after steeling an apple?

SAMUEL Yes, thats what I said. I was hungry; I hadnt eaten for days on that

repulsive bench of mine. And it was only an apple after all, how was I to

know that theyd kick up such a fuss and come chasing me down the

street?

2


3/98


JOHNNY Yet you stole it all the same. It only takes one broken rule for the dark

giant of Dementon to come looking for you . You should never have

taken it in the first place.

SAMUEL What are you talking about? I was hungry and cold and didnt have any

money on me! What did you expect me to do, just sit back and allow

myself to die?

JOHNNY Death! Death is by far a lighter consequence than the torture you may

suffer in these lands.

SAMUEL Oh come off it Mr. Piggy! You dont expect me to listen to a word you

say. After all, you are only a pig, and pigs as we all know, cannot speak a

word of English

BOB (LAUGHING) Do you hear him lads? He says we cannot speak a word of English! And

yet here I am, as plain as pork, speaking to him and he, though he denies

we can talk, is answering me back!

TOM (LAUGHING) Oh they all do that Master Johnny. They deny everything they see and

hear until very soon they go completely mad and kill everyone in their

sights. And then they run off in the direction of The Valley only to be

taken as slaves under the power of The Giant.

3


4/98


JOHNNY Youre right Master Tom. We must not forget what has become of all the

creatures from his kind. What say we kill him now while we still have the

chance?

BOB Here, here! We will have him for dinner as a big feast for all the island to

enjoy! What say you Tommy?

TOMMY Oh yes indeed! I cannot think of anything better for my long-suffering

stomach than a nice chunk of human flesh. Kill him now! Kill him at

once!

ALL PIGS Hurray!

SAMUEL No! No! Im sorry, Im sorry. I didnt mean to offend you when I said

that pigs cant talk. I just meant that from where Im from, pigs dont

talk. They just run around in farmyards and make grunting noises, Im

just rather surprised, thats all.

TOMMY So how do we know youre not going to kill us like the rest of your kind?

4


5/98


SAMUEL Ill give you my word; I will never kill you under any circumstances at

all, and if I ever say I will, then you have my complete permission to eat

me. Now will you spare me, please?

JOHNNY No! Not yet at least. For you must finish telling us your tale before I

decide what to do with you. I need you to make it absolutely clear as to

exactly how you got here, only then will I be able to know by what force

brought you to our island. Do you understand me?

SAMUEL Yes, of course, I will tell you all I can.

JOHNNY Then start, as it were, from the beginning. Where did you go after

stealing the apple?

NARRATOR And so the tramp proceeded to tell the less than convinced pigs, how after

stealing the apple from the grocers shop, he ran as fast as he could, down

the street and straight through the door of the nearest pub. There he hid in

a toilet cubicle for quite some time until he heard the footsteps of the

shop keeper and the policeman slowly approaching the door. And so with

nowhere else to go and nothing better to do, the tramp opened the lid of

the toilet, hoped for the best, and dived straight in. Yes I know, it sounds

a little far fetched and far beyond the boundaries of reason, but that is

5


6/98


how the story goes and if you dont believe it, well, youre not alone, the

pigs were having trouble as well.

JOHNNY Straight down the toilet? Do you really expect us to believe that? For a

start you wouldnt stand a chance of fitting through the pipes!

SAMUEL I would sooner deny it, but then youd have to kill me. I know I wouldnt

fit through pipes but I never even reached the pipes, I just vanished and

found myself lying on this table in front of you.

JOHNNY A likely story indeed. Okay then wise guy, answer me this; if youre such

a reasonable person, what ever processed you to dive into the toilet in the

first place? You must have known that such an act was irrational!

SAMUEL True and yes, looking back at it now, it was a stupid thing to do for a

plump guy like me to jump into a toilet, but I could think of nothing

better at the time. And whatever it was that processed me to take the

ultimate plunge, I could not resist it, for the urge was so great.

BOB (LAUGHING) Behold, for here lies before us the biggest toilet plunger ever to have

lived!

6


7/98


JOHNNY Very good Master Bob, you are truly blessed with the precious gift of

wit. But let us not make light of the situation yet, for there are truly dark

forces at work here, and if the man wishes to stay alive, he had better

listen to all that we have to say for he would not last longer than only a

few nights in his condition. Master Tommy, what do you make of this

mans strange tale?

TOMMY It is a good story indeed Master Johnny, but as yet, I am not convinced

that everything the Man says is true, I believe he is concealing something,

something that might reveal to us the real extent of his shifty character.

JOHNNY Enough from you Master Tommy, you are far too cynical in your

summing up. I am prepared to give the Man a chance and to aid him in

what way we can to help him out of this ominous realm, for I can tell by

the fear in his eyes, and the smell about his beard, that he is not supposed

to be here. What say you Master Bob?

BOB Aye Master Johnny, in truth it seems you are right.

JOHNNY Then we are agreed. We shall not give cause to do this man any harm, but

we will help him in whatever way we can on his mission.

SAMUEL Oh thank you all so very much indeed, you are truly wonderful....pigs.

7


8/98


JOHNNY And now, if you wouldnt mind in me asking, what is your name, Mr

Man?

SAMUEL My name is Samuel. Samuel Smith. From Lewisham.

JOHNNY Pleased to meet you Samuel. My name is Johnny, this here is Tommy and

that one over there is Bob. Together we make up the Three Little Pigs of

Yonder, and we welcome you to our island paradise, Keepers Island, the

island of the brave and guardian of Pelican Lake, in which it lies.

SAMUEL I am honored to be here.

JOHNNY Indeed. Now come, follow us to Keepers Mount, where we will show to

you the realm of Yonder and reveal to you the substance of our mission.

NARRATOR Well then, this is all very interesting, in fact some would say that I

shouldnt be getting involved in this sort ludicrous twaddle, but alas, I am

the narrator and thus am compelled to continue telling you this tale. Now

the Tramp, not being tamed to such extreme examples of random

phenomena, wisely chose to accept the questionable nature of his queer

predicament, but not without grievance. For even as he slowly clambered

his way up the steep rocks of Keepers Mount, he could not help but to

8


9/98


have a few doubts over the stability of his mind. It must all be a dream,

he had consistently thought to himself, and oh what a hangover I shall

have in the morning, was another such hopeful belief. But it was all in

vain, for hours later they were at the top of Keepers Mount and gazing

out into the wilderness while the Tramp repeatedly pinched himself on

the cheek, but failed to wake up.

JOHNNY Look to the south and you will see the great Mount Fury steaming at its

peak. It threatens our very existence with its destructive ambitions and

one day it will indeed blow its top and overwhelm our entire cosmos

with its deadly rivers of contemptuous blood.

SAMUEL You talk with such hopeful optimism

JOHNNY Do not be sarcastic Samuel the Man, for there is no question of Mount

Furys design, and one day, its consequence will take revenge on us all,

and the great wrath of The Man on The Hill will be plain to witness for

all those poor souls still alive.

SAMUEL So when is all this supposed to happen then?

JOHNNY Any time soon, but we cannot tell when exactly. But we must keep a

watch while we still have the time, for even now the Mountain rumbles,

9


10/98


and my heart tells me that the time of its destruction is imminent. But

now, take a glance to the west and tell me what you see there.

SAMUEL I see...I see an enormous tree, with...golden apples growing amongst its

leaves.

JOHNNY Ah yes, what you see is the Roosting Tree, the most precious tree in all

our lands, nearly as tall as the Mountain of Fury and bearing the most

beautiful Golden Eggs you will ever set eyes upon.

SAMUEL Eggs?

JOHNNY That is right, they are the Eggs of Life, and when eventually, they fall off

the Roosting Tree, then The Great Pelicans of Pelican Lake fly off to

collect them and bring them to the North of Yonder, where they are

placed with great care into the Hatching Well.

SAMUEL Hatching Well? Roosting Tree. I may well have come to accept my

predicament (to a certain extent), but all this talk of such weird and

wonderful places is beginning to make my head hurt. Just what on earth

are you talking about?.

10


11/98


JOHNNY I talk only the truth and there is so much more of it that you must know,

and know it you must, for you cannot hope to survive your journey

without being able to at least slightly comprehend your surroundings.

TOMMY Hes right yknow is Master Johnny, you cannot hope to walk in these

lands without first knowing who is your friend and who is your foe, and

believe me when I say that there are many foes in this realm who will rip

the soul out of your body in an instant, if you let them.

SAMUEL All right, okay, I give in, what else must I know about this wretched

place?

JOHNNY That where the Golden Eggs fall from the Roosting Tree, so too do the

Rotten Ones. And these eggs must not be underestimated for their sheer

badness, for they are bad indeed, wicked beyond imagination and

protecting a life that is so deadly, that anyone who sets eyes upon one

when it is hatching, will be doomed for all eternity.

SAMUEL So where do these eggs go, do they go to the Hatching Well also?

JOHNNY Man forbid it! For the Hatching Well is only for Golden Eggs. The

Rotten Eggs must be taken by the honorable Giants of the East to the

bottomless ravine that is the Valley of Death. And there they must be

11


12/98


taken as quickly as possible, to be destroyed, before any one of them has

a single chance to hatch.

SAMUEL And have any of these Rotten Eggs hatched before?

JOHNNY Oh yes indeed. Such is their desperation to break free, that there have

sadly been many cases of Rotten Eggs hatching, and oh what disgusting

creatures they give life to, ugly, vile things, poisonous if they bite you

and lethal if you stare too long into their eyes. And their evil presence can

be found roaming all over our land, from North to South, East to West,

but rarely can they set foot upon our island.

SAMUEL And do we have to go where all these horrible creatures live?

JOHNNY Im afraid our journey must take us right into the heart of their territory,

for we must travel North through the Phantom Woods, past the

Mountains of Dementon and over The Valley of Death, across the

Invisible Bridge, and then eventually into the beautiful Valley of Sunny

Hill. Here is where the Well Watcher lives, and She is the one whom will

grant you speed back to your kingdom.

SAMUEL Then we must go as soon as possible while I am still strong, or I fear that

all this thought of darkness and death will unsettle my feet and make me

12


13/98


nervous. All this strange egg business seems a bit too odd for my liking

as well and I dont really care to learn much more about them, but help

me get to this Well Watcher Woman as soon as possible and I will be

eternally grateful to you all.

JOHNNY Patience man! First I must ask that you turn around and face the direction

of the North. For this is, after all, the course of our travels, and it will do

you much reward to know of where your feet must go in advance.

SAMAUL Okay then, although I probably wont like what I see.

JOHNNY Master Tommy, you have ventured North into the lands of Demonton on

many occasions before, will you not do us the honor of enlightening

Master Samuel of the path that lies before him?

TOMMY I will reveal only what I dare, for it is a treacherous route to the North

and one that I fear the man will find too tough to bear. Even though he

towers over us pigs like one of the Giants of the East, if he does not have

the nerves to withstand the horrors, and the heart to overcome the

darkness, then he will die for certain.

JOHNNY Thank you Master Tom, but Im sure it wont help Master Samuel to start

foreseeing his death at such an early stage.

13


14/98


TOMMY Forgive me Master Samuel, It seems that I am sometimes far too honest

for my own good.

SAMUEL Oh dont worry about me, Im fine, just hurry up and tell me where were

going.

TOMMY Very well. See the dark forest that is spread out before us beyond the lake

and the marshland?

SAMUEL I see it.

TOMMY Well that is the Phantom Woods, so called because of the evil spirits that

lurk among the shadows and haunt all those who dare to pass through it.

Some of the worst kind of creatures hide in these woods; spiders, snakes,

wolves, bears and scorpions, to name but a few, but let us not forget to

remember the dark Warlocks, who hide in the darkness only to be seen by

their shadows, but who are able to inflict such severe pain that they

cripple even the Honorable Giants of the East.

SAMUEL Right then.

14


15/98


TOMMY And beyond the Phantom Woods, you will see the towering peaks of the

great Mountains of Dementon. Here lies Demonton City, land of the

Demons, and the most brutal of all cities, where its citizens feed on your

fears, doubts and anxietys and then rip you apart for the most treasured

prize of your soul. Only the strongest Willed can survive this City, but be

warned, for Will power alone cannot defeat the wicked force that rules

over Dementon and all the darkness of Yonder.

SAMUEL Can this possibly get any worse? Its just that Im beginning to have

second thoughts about this whole adventure thing and I...

TOMMY Do you not want me to tell you about the terrifying presence of the Dark

Giant? The most powerful and wretched of all the demons, who hides

behind the Mountain of Fury, standing taller than even the Roosting Tree

itself, and wearing a huge, black cloak, pointed at the top, cone shaped in

its entirety, and with no apparent mark of any face at all. Would you

really want to meet this crude specimen at a late hour without first

knowing of his shady existence?

SAMUEL Im sure it would be a great pleasure.

TOMMY You talk as a foolish boy, oblivious of the dangers that lie ahead. Let me

tell you more of the Dark Giant, for I can foresee a certain encounter with

15


16/98


him in the days to come, and the chance of your survival under his spell

is nothing without guidance. So do you permit me to continue, or are you

going to carry on whinging like a small child?

JOHNNY Softly Master Tom, the man is obviously new to our environment and is

not used to the doom that we have grown accustom to, I am sure it will

do you no harm to tone down your disclosure, if only for the sake of this

mans sanity!

TOMMY Very well Master Johnny, I will try my very best to tone down my

descriptions of the hell that lies ahead. May I continue Master Samuel, as

if to sing to you a sweet lullaby perhaps? About your destruction!

JOHNNY Oh please!

SAMUEL Okay, go ahead, burden me more with your stories of woe, but please do

not expect me to remain calm under such conditions, especially as I

havent tasted a single drop of ale since nearly nine hours ago.

BOB Ale! Are you telling us that you enjoy the taste of beer?

SAMUEL Well, yes, beer is sometimes my only source of comfort in such extreme

situations. Its like a friend to me.

16


17/98


BOB Then what say we leave this wearisome mountain and gather at the

feasting table for one last banquet before we can depart for our journey

tomorrow? There old Samuel can drink all the beer he likes and Master

Tommy can continue his story of the Dark Giant as we all eat. What do

you think Master Tommy, is this not a merry plan?

TOMMY You may say so, but I would prefer to remain here. However Master

Johnny is our leader, let him decide.

JOHNNY Thank you Master Tommy, I agree with Master Bob, Samuel the man

must have time to deliberate over these revelations in moderation. Let us

not bombard his fragile mind any further on this mountain, or he may

turn giddy. Rather we shall sit down to dinner at the Feasting table and

prepare ourselves for tomorrow with food for thought. Come friends, let

us depart.

NARRATOR And so they all marched silently down the Mountain, back towards the

feasting table where the tramp had first laid eyes upon the pigs. And as he

walked behind his new companions, he thought long and hard about his

life and how he could never again maintain the same attitude to the world

that he had possessed all those hours ago on his bench. Things had

changed dramatically in the short space of a day, and where as previously

17


18/98


19/98


20/98


SAMUEL Cheers to you all my dearest companions and may no one other than

myself and the brave folk of Keepers Island ever be allowed to come near

these barrels again!

BOB Here, here! The man speaks like a wise pig indeed. Come, treat yourself

to a succulent Blue Bottle.

SAMUEL No thanks, while I like very much the taste of your beer, I am not so keen

on sampling one of your many colourful flies. However I will take a few

leaves of lettuce if I may, although you dont happen to have any secret

stashes of mayonnaise as well do you?

BOB Mayonnaise? I am afraid I am not sure I know what that is.

SAMUEL Oh never mind, the lettuce on its own will do for now.

TOMMY Enough! Enough now of this small talk. It is high time I told you more of

the journey that lies before you. I plan for us all to set off before dawn

tomorrow morning and so it is essential that I prepare you as much as I

can..

SAMUEL Oh here we go.

20


21/98


JOHNNY Thank you Master Tommy, you may continue with your tidings and then

we must all retire to sleep if we are all to awaken so early.

TOMMY Good, then I shall begin by resuming my account of the Dark Giant.

SAMUEL Off you go then.

TOMMY The Dark Giant, as I was saying before, hides behind Mount Fury, such is

his enormous height. He is black, cone shaped and faceless and from afar

it would seem that he creeps along with all the speed of a torpid slug, but

he is deceptive in his appearance and can intercept his prey at any time if

he so desires.

SAMUEL And how can he possibly intercept as he doesnt seem to possess any

limbs according to your descriptions?

TOMMY Oh, but the dark giant does not require limbs for his endurance for he

consumes his victims by means of possession and extreme mental torture.

He has no use for limbs even in his defense, as he is invincible. If you

ever got caught under the shadow of The Giant, you wouldnt have time

to run away or to turn round and fight, for before you had the chance to

think, the Giant would have clouded your mind with darkness and fear

21


22/98


and within minutes you would be sent to serve him for ever more within

the deep chambers of his burning city.

SAMAUL So how do you know all this?

JOHNNY I do not know everything there is to know about the Giants evil powers,

neither do I know exactly of your consequence if you were to fall under

his dreadful presence, but I am informed in part by a reliable source, The

Well Watcher of Sunny Hill Valley. She has lived long before even our

ancestors can remember, and it is widely known that she once knew a

man that fell deep in to the giants power and was sent plummeting into

the Valley of Death, but then he rose again to the disbelief of many and

from then on he sought to ensure the ultimate triumph of good and the

inevitable destruction of evil . It is said that he is crowned with glory

beyond the Hatching Well and his spirit lives on in these lands to protect

and guide all those who tread in his path. One day he will indeed return to

save us from our deaths and put an end to the Dark Giant of Dementon,

but until such a time we must struggle alone with all the energy we have

to resist the Giant ourselves.

SAMUEL So what became of this remarkable man after he had apparently risen

from this Valley of Death?

22


23/98


JOHNNY He stayed only a short while to wish his friends well and to warm them of

the darkness that threatened ahead, but then it is said that he passed

through the hatching well and into the realms beyond, where he remains

even now as King and Ruler over everything that is, was and will

become. We call him the Man on The Hill, after where it is thought he

was from and, even today his stone statue stands at the top of Sunny Hill

looking down over us all, and smiling.

SAMUEL Wow! Well that certainly is a nice story.

JOHNNY Indeed, and it is a true one as well, but let us also take heart in the

knowledge that we will not be alone on our journey to the Well Watcher,

for I am certain that we will be accompanied, by the unfailing spirit of the

Man on The Hill.

TOMMY If you say so Master Johnny

JOHNNY I do and I say it with full assurance and belief. But come now, let us not

get tired and irksome, for the hour is getting late and it is time that we all

got some sleep before tomorrows adventures. Master Samuel, follow me,

and I will show you to your hammock.

23


24/98


NARRATOR And he did. The tramp was escorted quietly to a lonely hammock on the

edge of the clearing and left on his own to rest. It had been an exhausting

day for him and so it didnt take too long for him to get to sleep. The beer

had helped to calm his mind, but thankfully he had not drunk too much of

it to affect his stability. He slept well that night and dreamt often of lying

back on his bench at home, shouting scornfully at the passers by and

taunting the pigeons with mild abuse, but then he saw a terrifying vision

of a dark giant towering over him like a black volcano and pointing

mockingly at his face. Then he was suddenly awoken by a terrific

rumbling noise that shook the whole island and sent apples falling from

the trees. Immediately he got up out of his hammock and went off in

search of an explanation. It was early in the morning and the light of day

had only just begun to slowly fade in through the trees. The first person

the tramp bumped into as he made his way to the centre of the clearing

was Bob, who had only just managed to wake up himself.

SAMUEL What the hell is that noise, and why does it feel like the whole island is

moving?

BOB Because it is Master Samuel, we are setting sail for the shores of

mainland Yonder and should be there within no time at all.

24


25/98


SAMUEL Im sorry, do you mean to say that this entire island is sailing across the

lake?

BOB Yes, although pushed is probably a more appropriate word than

sailing, as we have sent for one of the Giants of the East to push us onto

the mainland shores so that we can disembark without having to risk our

lives by swimming. I am afraid us humble pigs have trouble with

swimming, its our trotters you see, theyre just not up to all that kicking

about.

SAMUEL No I am sure theyre not. Tell me, where are the other pigs?

BOB They will be here with us soon, they are gathering provisions for our

journey. In the meantime you must help yourself to some breakfast, as

there lies a long day ahead of us. Here Master Samuel, have a banana.

SAMUEL Thank you, although I wonder if you would be so kind as to tell me

where all the beer has got to?

BOB (LAUGHING) Master Samuel! It seems that you cannot get enough of this mysterious

brew, come let me show you where the barrels are stowed.

25


26/98


SAMUEL That would be excellent, because I must have a small drop of that

wonderful beer again before we set off. There is surely not a breakfast in

all the universe that will do me as much good. Where are we going

exactly?

BOB Oh, just around the corner and in a secret bunker under this here tree.

Wait a moment, if I could just find the door handle....here it is. Master

Samuel, you have the bigger hands, turn this handle here as far as it will

go and then pull tightly.

SAMUEL Okay then, here goes..

F/X CREAKING DOOR OPENING

BOB There, take a look for yourself and tell me what you see!

SAMUEL Amazing. It is a great underground chamber, filled with row upon row of

gigantic barrels, with some smaller kegs by the door. Well this is a pretty

sight indeed, may I go in?

BOB Of course you may, and feel free to drink all the beer that you wish.

26


27/98


SAMUEL Well this certainly is a treat in a half, I tell you what, go back and wait for

the others to return and I will amuse myself in here until its time to go.

BOB Well if youre sure youll be okay

SAMUEL Yes, yes, Ill be fine. Trust me, I know what Im doing in here. Ill just

perk myself up a bit in readiness for the long road ahead.

BOB Very well Master Samuel, I shall leave you in peace for a while.

SAMUEL Good-bye, see you soon!

NARRATOR What was that Tramp thinking of? For while the poor little pig trotted

back to the clearing to wait for his friends, the stupid Tramp danced

merrily around the beer barrels, singing songs to himself and rapidly

getting very drunk indeed. It was certainly not the kind of preparation

that the pigs had in mind for the foolish old man. And the more he drank,

the louder he sang until eventually the whole woodland could hear the

ludicrous rhymes that he chirped boisterously at the top of his voice.

Very soon the pigs returned with all the rations they needed for their

perilous adventure, but they were much disturbed as they listened in

confusion to the repulsive noises of the Tramp, and after Bob had

revealed where he was, Johnny immediately stormed to the secret

27


28/98


29/98


30/98


to get through them in one piece. I do so hope very much that we all

make it alive, or I for one will for ever have to live with the guilt that

comes from my thoughtless stupidity.

NARRATOR The tramp walked on with a hint of regret in his eyes, although it was

greatly obscured by the intoxicated lifelessness that lurked within his

pale white skin. They walked on through the tropical woodland for quite

a while, barely able to hear themselves think with all the singing of birds

that went on above their heads. Then, after a short time, they finally

reached the northern tip of the island where there lay before them a long

widening beach of pure, golden sands and a short wooden pier, which

jetted out into the calm, silent waters of the beautiful lake. But what was

ultimately bizarre about the whole situation, was the fact that the island

appeared to be gradually moving, closer and closer to the opposite shores.

The distance from the island to the mainland had soon turned from a wide

river mouth to a narrow, tranquil stream, bridged almost with precision,

by the short wooden pier. Master Samuel the Pig looked up towards the

skies and waved a hand of gratitude to the heavens above, but when the

Tramp looked as well to nod at the clouds, he was suddenly taken aback

by the sight of an enormous, great giant of perhaps sixty foot in height.

The giant was dressed from his shoulders to his knees in a ridiculous blue

gown and the blonde hair on his head was long and greasy and grew

down beyond his arms. The Tramp frowned uncomfortably at the figure

30


31/98


32/98


GEORGE Oh a mystery then I see! Then you must be the fellow that these kind pigs

here, will be escorting to the Well Watcher?

SAMUEL Yes that it right, I think, apparently she will point me in the direction of

my home, or at least that is what I hope she will do.

GEORGE Hmm, right, well I wouldnt take that for granted if I were you. And it

still bothers me why you should be here in the first place, maybe there is

a concealed purpose for you yet.

SAMUEL Maybe.

JOHNNY Well we cannot stand and talk like this for too long, for we must cross

over into the mainlands of Yonder promptly so that the giant can return

the island into the middle waters, where it is safe.

GEORGE Right you are Master Johnny. I will bid you on your way. Dont forget

your provisions now will you?

JOHNNY Oh, yes of course, I wouldnt want to leave those lying here on the beach,

we wouldnt last a single day without them. Master Samuel, grab yourself

a back pack, and we will venture forth into the marshlands that await us.

32


33/98


GEORGE Farewell then my friends and I will look forward to seeing you when you

return.

JOHNNY Thank you again Master George and send my regards to all the other

honorable folk of the west from all at Keepers Island

GEORGE I will do so indeed. And Master Samuel?

SAMUEL Yes?

GEORGE Take care of yourself and the others, and beware not to stray off the path

which you are led down.

SAMUEL I will. Good-bye.

NARRATOR The Three Little Pigs and the Peculiar old Tramp then crossed the

wooded pier onto the marshlands of Yonder and began their perilous

journey to the North. Master Johnny pig led the company of four,

followed by Master Tommy, Master Bob and lastly The Tramp, who was

left trailing at the rear.

The marshland was indeed a treacherous stretch and Master Johnny had

to carefully carve out a meandering path to navigate round the deadly

patches of swamp. There were alligators and snakes that concealed

33


34/98


35/98


TOMMY Very well then Master Johnny, I will do exactly as you say.

JOHNNY Good, now Tommy, take a hold of my waist and on the count of three

everyone pull, got it?

TOMMY & BOB Loud and clear.

JOHNNY How are you doing Master Samuel, are you still able to hear what we

say?

SAMUEL Yes, I hear you, but do hurry please, I can feel something moving in the

water and I dont think I want to find out what it is.

TOMMY Sounds like a swamp snake, we had better get him out of there quickly.

JOHNNY Okay then, everyone, one...two...three and pull .

FX THE PIGS GROAN AS THEY PULL AS HARD AS THEY CAN

BOB Hes slowly coming up.

JOHNNY Keep pulling pigs, keep pulling, the mud is loosening its grip

35


36/98


FX THE PIGS GROAN AGAIN LOUDLY

TOMMY Its no good. Were going to have to pull a lot harder than this.

JOHNNY Then we must try with all our strength to pull harder. Ready, and pull ...

FX GROANING PIGS

JOHNNY Come on pigs, harder!

BOB Hes coming, hes coming!

TOMMY A bit more!

FX GROANING PIGS

SAMUEL Help, its a snake! I can see it slithering through the mud. Its coming for

me, quick.

JOHNNY Harder, harder!

SAMUEL Theres more of them, there all over the place! They must be able to

smell me!

36


37/98


TOMMY And heave!

NARRATOR Suddenly the pigs fell backwards and the Tramp came free. Quickly he

leapt straight out of the swamp and dived hurriedly onto the dry grass,

with ten venomous snakes flaring their jaws after him but unable to

escape the mud. The pigs then picked themselves up and breathed a

heavy sigh of relief. For they had come within seconds of losing their

blundering guest. Johnny brushed the dirt from off his jumper and grimly

leered over the trembling tramp.

JOHNNY Well I hope youre pleased with yourself you fool of a man.

SAMUEL Im sorry.

TOMMY How many times has he said that before? And how many times will he

have said that by the end of the day? I knew this man was trouble from

the moment we set eyes upon him, we should have killed him while we

still had the chance rather than letting him lead us into such needless

troubles.

JOHNNY Be quiet Master Tommy! Have I not promised that we will help him? It is

true indeed that the man is proving more trouble than he is worth, but that

37


38/98


is beside the point, we have committed ourselves to taking him to the

Well Watcher and doing it by whatever means possible, even if that

involves getting stuck in snake infested swamps along the way.

BOB Im sure it was only an accident, I dont think Master Samuel meant to

fall into the swamp on purpose.

TOMMY Well lets ask the man himself shall we? Come on Master Samuel, why

dont you tell us for yourself how you managed to stumble into a deadly

swamp, when we had made you a perfectly safe path for you to follow?

NARRATOR But the Tramp did not answer, for he was sitting alone on a small knoll of

grass, sobbing quietly to himself and wishing that he had never been so

stupid in the first place. If he had never stolen the apple, he would never

have had jumped in to the loo and if he had never drank so much beer, he

would never had fell in the mud. It was all his own fault and now he was

feeling like the biggest idiot that the world had ever seen, though where

the world was to see it, he didnt even know.

SAMUEL Im so, so sorry, I am such a stupid fool. How could I be so careless and

weak to do this to you, I am a strain to myself and to all that know me.

You might as well just kill me now for all I care, I am no use to anyone

38


39/98


here, just a silly waste of space. Look at me, Im covered in mud and

sulking like a lost child! I dont deserve to even know you.

JOHNNY Master Samuel please! Your dejection does not do yourself any good. But

I understand your grief and your sorrow and it is only what I would come

to expect from a true man such as yourself. Look at me Samuel, hold

your chin high in the air and listen. We have been with you now for not

one and a half days, and yet I know the goodness that flows in your heart.

You are not like the other men that have passed before you, for you are

strong. That is why I have pledged to help you, and I will help you, right

to the very end. But you must help yourself as well. And you can only do

this by taking a bit more care and putting in a bit more effort. Do you

understand what I tell you?

SAMUEL (SNIFFING) Yes.

JOHNNY Good. Then we must rest and have a bite to eat, and then move on. I

would like to reach the edge of the Phantom Woods by dusk.

NARRATOR And so they all rested in the marshlands and had a bite to eat. They

snacked mostly on apples and grapes and drank water from wooden

flasks. There were no kegs of beer, but this didnt bother the tramp, not

for the moment anyway. Soon they were off again and trekking extra

39


40/98


cautiously by the swamps. The day wore slowly on and by the time they

could see the distant trees of phantom woods, the wind had picked up and

the light was already beginning to fade. By late evening they had finally

managed to reach the southern most edge of the wood, and it was here

that they decided to camp for the night, too afraid to wonder into the trees

for fear of the evil beasts that lurked amongst the shadows.

They all took it in turn to guard the camp whilst everyone slept and the

night seemed to pass safely by without incident, but no one slept

comfortably with all the dreadful noises that haunted the night. There

were howlings and screeches and footsteps and screams and although

nothing ever came into sight, they could feel something terrifying

watching from nearby. They woke up the next morning to relative

quietness and it seemed to all their shaken minds that the nights

disturbances were merely dreamt up by their vivid imaginations, but their

hope was soon dashed when they all spoke of the same bad dreams and

Master Tommy revealed to them all, the truth behind what they had

heard.

TOMMY The howlings you heard were ravenous Werewolves gathering amongst

the trees in search of flesh; the screeches were Vultures circling above

our heads and telling the entire woodland of our unwelcome presence; the

footsteps were the sounds of the dark Warlocks as they spied in the

shadows, watching our every move; and the screams, oh the screams,

40


41/98


they were cries of lost souls being murdered in the depths of darkness by

the demons of death.

BOB And a very good morning to you too Master Tom.

JOHNNY Hes right to warn us. There are many foul things in those woods, and

were going to have to go in there within the hour if we are to make it to

the other side in two days. And I dont want to have to torment you all

my friends, but were going to have to spend at least one night under the

shadows of those terrible trees.

BOB But we cant go to sleep in the woods, well all be killed!

TOMMY We would be fortunate indeed if all of us come out there alive.

SAMUEL Listen, I dont care what we do in this horrible place, I just want to get

home as soon as possible. I dont like it here at all.

JOHNNY Of course Master Samuel, then we must have ourselves some breakfast

and then go immediately. The more time we have to make a good start

then the sooner we can be out of there in one piece. Master Tommy, do

you have with you the map?

41


42/98


TOMMY The map is here in my pocket, but I must also warn you that these

woodland paths are like a maze, we must walk swiftly but with

tremendous care, for one false move could end in all of our demise.

SAMUEL And the weapons? Does someone have the swords?

TOMMY What is he talking about now?

JOHNNY Im afraid that we have no weapons other than our own bare trotters and

our sharpened teeth.

SAMUEL What? You mean were going to be facing the most dangerous creatures

that I have ever heard of in my life, and we have no weapons at all?

JOHNNY I am sorry Master Samuel, but this is the way that we have always lived

in these lands, it is also upon the strictest orders of the Well Watcher that

we should never be allowed to use weapons that are dangerous to

ourselves and each other.

SAMUEL Well youll have to forgive me for thinking that this is probably the most

ridiculous notion Ive ever heard. Just how do you expect us to defend

ourselves with nothing but our bare fists?

42


43/98


JOHNNY Never underestimate the strength that you have within you with faith. For

with faith, to the very end of our journey, is how we will survive.

SAMUEL Then let us go then with faith, and a colossal amount of hope, although I

still think youre all barking mad.

BOB Oinking if you please, I dont think youll ever come across a pig that

barks.

NARRATOR And so it was that all four of the company sat down for a spot of

breakfast before gathering up their belongings and heading off along the

gloomy path that led them into the Phantom Woods. At first the trees

were silent and not a sound was heard for miles around, but it was an

eerie silence as if the whole wood was listening and waiting for the first

opportunity to strike. The darkness soon crept upon them like a blanket of

sinister mist and then it started, a chilling wind blew menacingly into

their eyes and a distant echo of howling wolves slowly filled the air. The

Three Little Pigs and the Tramp relentlessly looked about them as they

walked along the path, searching with added care for any sign of an

imminent attack. They could hear rustlings and breaking twigs among the

trees and occasionally they heard the pitter patter of footsteps darting this

way and that. Johnny suddenly came to a halt and gestured for all the

others to stay very still. Something was there, in front of them on the

43


44/98


45/98


46/98


JOHNNY This is Master Samuel. He finds himself in these lands by accident and

we are here to help him seek his way out.

SNOWDROP And does he talk?

JOHNNY He does indeed.

SNOWDROP Then I will address him directly. Master Samuel, your presence here is

warmly welcomed and no doubt you have been an honorable friend to

these little pigs, but tell me now, by what accident have you come here

by?

SAMUEL Well, to cut a long story short, I fell down a toilet after being chased

down the road. Now I know its not a very convincing explanation, but I

can assure you, its the truth.

SNOWDROP May I ask why you were being chased down a road?

SAMUEL I had stolen an apple. I was being chased by a shop keeper and a

policeman.

SNOWDROP Well now it makes more sense. You are not the first and I doubt you will

be the last to fall in to these lands, but this is a fate that has consumed

46


47/98


many an unfortunate wanderer. Those before you have often succumbed

to the darkness, but you Samuel, you seem different. I have no doubt that

you should never have stolen that apple, but there may yet be a secret

purpose in your actions that has so far been concealed. But take heed my

friend, for I can foresee many a testing moment ahead, and you will have

to keep your wits about you to resist the temptations of the darkness.

SAMUEL Ive heard too much talk of the darkness to ever want to succumb to such

a prospect, but I should never have come here and the more I dwell on

my actions that brought about this whole stupid business, the more I

despair. This isnt natural, this isnt real, how could I ever be made to

believe that all this is happening? Its ridiculous! And yet it is happening,

and it is real, and my mind just cannot cope with all the pressure!

SNOW DROP Its okay Master Samuel, we have all at some stage of our lives shared

these same concerns.

SAMUEL But youre a pelican and these are three bumbling pigs!

SNOW DROP Calm yourself down! Your words may cause great offense to our

companions. You are right to be perplexed for I can see that these

circumstances are beyond you, but do try Master Samuel, do try to open

your eyes to the reality in which you are living in. I know it is hard for a

47


48/98


man like you to do such a thing, but I cannot stress enough how

important it is for you to try and understand and to comprehend it all, or

else Im afraid your life will drain out of you and you will never live to

see the world in which you came from again.

SAMUEL I know, I know, I have to learn to take it all in and have faith, and believe

me I have been trying. But every so often I get bogged down and begin to

wonder about the point of it all and so I turn miserable and depressed. I

am a weak man Snow Drop and I have little strength in my heart, I didnt

realise it before, but now I do; I am not as strong as I once thought I was.

SNOW DROP Now you talk like a man!

SAMUEL And thats another thing that gets to me. How come every time I break

down and burst out into a Ballard of self-deprivation, I get referred to as a

man?

SNOW DROP Because it takes a man to know what his faults are and then to confess

them in front of friends; and it takes a man to have the courage to try to

do something about them. You have done that here before us almost

completely without aggravation, and I commend you, for it is the true

sign of a growing man.

48


49/98


SAMUEL Well I dont feel like a man, I feel more like a sulking kid whos just

dropped his ice cream.

JOHNNY Yes, well, anyway we must be getting on.

SAMUEL Whats the egg for?

JOHNNY Master Samuel, have you not been listening to a word I have told you?

This is a golden egg from the roosting tree. Snow Drop has brought it

here to take with her to the Hatching Well. She is heading for exactly the

same location as ourselves.

SAMUEL So what exactly is in this egg and why must it go to a Well to be hatched?

SNOWDROP My dear Samuel, it seems you have a lot to learn. An egg that falls from

the Roosting Tree contains a life that has passed through another time; it

is like a lavi that waits in its cocoon, waiting patiently to fly off into a

better land. But these lives must not be liberated here, for darkness

lingers here that cannot be mixed with the golden beauty of the un-spoilt

eggs, instead they must be delivered through The Hatching Well and to

the paradise beyond.

SAMUEL And whats so special about this paradise?

49


50/98


SNOWDROP Little can we say about what lies beyond the Hatching Well except that

what awaits us there is a bliss that is unimaginable beyond our reasoning.

We can not pass through it in this lifetime, but one day we all hope to in

the next.

SAMUEL Even the rotten eggs?

SNOWDROP No! They are cast away into the Valley of Death and destroyed, but let us

not talk of such foul some things now for they are undeserving of our

attention, let us instead walk on and we will seek a safe place to eat and

sleep for this evening and tonight.

NARRATOR The Golden Egg gleamed in the murky forest air and guided The Three

Little Pigs, the Tramp and now the Pelican always in the right direction.

The Egg, as the Pelican later told them, also worked as a repellent to the

dark creatures of Phantom Wood, and no monster would ever go near it,

for fear of being exposed. And so they walked safely on for hours into the

day, stopping once for a midday snack and occasionally resting by the

side of a tree. It was a long, tiring walk, but the prospect of food and a

good nights sleep kept them going for many miles, and as they went they

kept their eyes constantly peeled for any sign of a suitable clearing in

which to reside. It wasnt until day seemed to blend into night when they

50


51/98


eventually found that clearing that they had long been searching for, and

its discovery could not have come a moment too soon. The Pelican

positioned herself in the centre of the arena and there she placed her

golden egg. The rest of the company, seeing the golden egg grow brighter

and warmer, briskly gathered around it and then collapsed into little

heaps on the floor. They were all hungry and very tired.

JOHNNY Thank goodness we are here, I was beginning to doubt that we would

ever arrive.

SNOWDROP Patience, hope and resolution are valuable assets. We have done well to

get this far.

TOMMY And we must be forever indebted to Snowdrop and the Golden Egg, for

without them I have no doubt that we would all have been consumed by

something unmentionable.

BOB Master Samuel, how have you fared on our journey today?

SAMUEL Badly, but Tommy is right and I am glad just to have arrived here without

being eaten or destroyed. But I could certainly do with something to eat.

51


52/98


SNOWDROP Then we shall all have something now. Wait here and guard my egg, I

will be back in no time at all.

NARRATOR Before anyone had a chance to respond, the pelican had flown off into the

air and vanished. For a moment everyone just looked at each other and

didnt know what to say, but as promised, in no time at all, the Pelican

swiftly returned and with her she brought a beak full of fish and

wonderful news.

SNOWDROP I have seen a promising sight from above, for it seems we really have

walked a great distance in such a limited time, as we are no less that ten

miles away from the Northern most edge of Phantom Woods.

JOHNNY Then we must celebrate with a feast, for this is good news indeed. We

now need not walk for more than a few hours in the morning before we

arrive at Giants Pass.

SAMUEL Giants Pass?

JOHNNY Road of the Giants. This is the road that the honorable giants pass

through on their way to The Valley of Death, to dispose of the rotten

eggs. It is a green, sweeping valley where long grass grows and many

rare flowers flourish.

52


53/98


54/98


SNOWDROP Do not let the issue bother any of us. The Warlocks are habitually lazy

and rarely come upon this part of the forest. And let us not forget that we

are supposed to be merry! Come on, let us feast on fish and berries and

forget the menace of the Warlocks, then they may never know we were

here.

BOB Here, here! What a veritable idea!

TOMMY It is an excellent idea indeed, but tell me mysterious Snowdrop, where

did you go to find such excellent fish?

SNOWDROP An easy question Master Tommy! There is a pond no less that five miles

to the East of this clearing where a permanent glimmer of light brings life

to the waters within, and there can be found some of the most

mouthwatering fish in all of these lands. It is from there where I bring to

you tonights feast.

SAMUEL Well get a move on then, I cant stand waiting much longer. That fish

looks delicious!

NARRATOR Sleep came upon the company soon after their spirited feast and all were

now happily dozing away except for the Pelican who remained awake,

54


55/98


guarding her precious egg. It wasnt long in to the silent night before the

Tramp also found himself lying awake and watching the egg. He found it

comforting and peaceful to just stare quietly into the glowing warmth of

the egg, it made him feel content. But one glance sideways into the

murky darkness of the forest suddenly brought fearful visions of monsters

and beasts flooding back into his impressionable head. Then as he stared

deeper into the darkness, he was sure he could make out eyes glaring

back at him and haunting shadows, creeping between the trees. He

remembered the deadly Warlocks and how Johnny had described them as

powerful and immune to the resistance of the egg and then he thought

back to the night when he had heard the footsteps and screams that

seemed to come from within the gloom of the forest where they now lay

asleep. A dreadful fear had come over him and it felt like someone close

was breathing cold air into the direction of his face. He heard a deathly

squeal in his mind and then the whole forest appeared to merge into a

horrible, eerie blur. And then he was asleep again, lying with his head

against the forest floor, but this time facing outwards, into the depths of

the Phantom Woods.

Samuel Suddenly awoke the next morning to a scene of chaos and

despair. The pigs were running around hysterically, gathering up their

belongings and preparing to flee and the Pelican was stood attentively

over her egg, anxiously looking around her and wondering what to do.

55


56/98


The pigs were blatantly disturbed and kept looking at each other as if

they were all about to discover a fate worse than death. The Tramp got up

onto his feet and brushed the dirt off his trousers, he then approached

Master Johnny and asked what on earth was going on. Johnny looked

back at him gravely and shook his head.

JOHNNY Something has been here whilst we were all asleep. Tommy got up before

all of us and discovered strange, new foot prints dotted all around the

clearing floor. Snowdrop was awake all night and said that she felt

something unsavory sneaking about the woodland, but she could not see

what it was.

SAMUEL Did it take the egg?

JOHNNY No, thankfully the egg is still here, but we are in grave danger, for what

ever it was that came here last night, resisted the light of the egg, which

can only mean one thing.

SAMUEL Warlocks!

JOHNNY Yes, and they may be near. We must go as soon as possible, but I fear

that they are watching us even now, and perhaps listening to every word I

say to you.

56


57/98


SAMUEL Well what do they look like? I cant see anything near.

JOHNNY No you wont see one, for they are cunning like snakes, and they slither

along the ground like dark blankets. I dont know what they are like up

close, but I wouldnt want to wait around to find out. Come on now, we

must go.

NARRATOR Rain had started falling on the woodland, and what little light there was

that made its way through the trees, was soon overwhelmed by an

enormous indigo cloud that loomed over their heads like a giant bats

wing. The company made off northwards as quickly as time would allow

them to, but something was definitely following them, chasing them

along down the path. The Pelican led the way with her giant golden egg

illuminating their course, but this time it was more than a hindrance than

a help, as it laid bare the path of their direction to all the enemies that

pursued them on their tail. Then, as the rain got heavier and thunder,

echoed through the trees, the company were certain that they could hear

footsteps either side of them and increasingly they felt as if they were

becoming absorbed by a terrible, lingering gloom that crept up on them

from all directions, like a deadly, invisible mist. They had been hastily

moving now for more than an hour, but still the enemy had refused to

57


58/98


advance. But then just as they had began fearing that their demise was

near, a glimmer of hope sparkled from beyond the trees in front.

BOB Daylight! I dont believe it; were almost out of the forest!

SAMUEL What, You mean weve been chased all this way, only to stumble on the

exit sooner than we hoped?

BOB Yes, this is surely a stroke a luck that even the Warlocks seem not to have

anticipated. By golly, I think weve defeated them!

JOHNNY I wouldnt be so certain yet. There is still something funny about the air

that I do not like the smell of.

BOB Oh nonsense Master Johnny! What you smell is your own apprehension.

You wouldnt know a victory if it smacked you right in the face.

SNOWDROP Quiet everyone. Something lies in the path ahead of us.

JOHNNY What is it Snowdrop?

SNOWDROP Im not sure, wait a minute, I know what that is it, its.... its another

Pelican! Now who can that be?

58


59/98


60/98


NARRATOR At that moment the Pelican flew away into the sky leaving the Three little

pigs and the tramp to run off as fast as they could away from the Warlock

and in the direction of Giants Pass. But the black, slug-like Warlock just

stood there mockingly, looking out towards the Pelican as she flew off

into the distance. And then slowly he lifted his frail, crooked arms above

his dark, purple hood and cast an evil spell out into the menacing clouds

beyond. The sky turned darker and a chilling wind began screaming in all

directions, and suddenly a terrific bolt of lightning came shooting down

through the sky and made a direct hit onto the body of the powerless

Pelican. The company watched in anguish as the wings of Snowdrop

slowly stopped flapping, and her cold, paralyzed body gracefully came

plummeting down to earth.

Silence. The clouds dispersed and the wind stopped howling and the evil

Warlock slithered off in to the direction of the dead Pelican.

JOHNNY The egg, the egg! Hes going to take to the egg!

BOB What shall we do?

TOMMY There is nothing we can do against the evil powers of the Warlock. We

are useless.

60


61/98


BOB But we can not just let him go, the Golden Egg is sacred, he will use it for

his dark purposes and destroy all the goodness in Yonder. We are

doomed now for sure.

JOHNNY Well what do you suggest we do then? Pursue him into his hole and then

threaten him with our berries?

TOMMY We would all be dead in an instant.

JOHNNY Precisely. Look, the Queen of Pelicans is dead; let us now mourn her

death in peace.

SAMUEL No. Master Tommy is right; we cannot let this matter go. We have to go

after the Warlock, and I, as the only man here, am the one to do that.

JOHNNY Youre absolutely sure about this?

SAMUEL I must. It is my duty and my responsibility to do everything within my

power to retrieve that egg. I got us into this mess in the first place and I

refuse to let my actions get you into an even deeper one.

JOHNNY Master Tommy, Master Bob, what do you say about this courageous

idea?

61


62/98


BOB There is no other option. I will go with Master Samuel and help him in

his mission.

TOMMY Master Bob, are you mad? You will be slaughtered for certain! I refuse to

join you in your careless plan, but I wont stop you either. There may be

more to it all than I can foresee.

SAMUEL You do realise what you are letting yourself in for here, Master Bob? I

am only going because I have nothing to lose and it is something that I

must do. I could not bear to be responsible for dragging such an innocent

life into the gloom with me, It would be truly heartless for me to do so.

BOB Master Samuel, you do not drag me with you, rather I seek to walk by

your side. I know that I have often been clumsy and frivolous on this

journey, but this time I know that my time has come to take on my own

share of responsibility, and so I now wish to share it with you.

JOHNNY So thats decided then. Master Samuel and Master Bob will both go after

the Warlock alone and I will wait with Master Tommy for you to return.

TOMMY If they return.

62


63/98


JOHNNY Whatever. Master Bob, are you really sure about this?

BOB Of course I am sure, but we cannot wait around here a moment longer or

well lose all track of the Warlock, we have to go.

SAMUEL Yes we must, our destiny awaits us. Come Master Bob, let us go now.

NARRATOR And so they went, cautiously crawling their way through the woodland so

as not to be seen and heading for the spot where they thought the

Warlock would be. They were on the periphery of the Phantom Wood

and so were thankfully aided by a little measure of daylight. It didnt take

them long to find the lifeless remains of the Pelican Queen and it filled

their hearts with sorrow to see her once lively figure, now lying on the

ground, motionless and cold. But where was the Warlock and what had

he done with the Golden egg? Samuel knelt down by the Pelican for a

while, pondering what to do and then Bob spotted something. It was a

dark shape, loitering in the distance, occasionally wondering from tree to

tree, but watching them. They waited and watched it for a bit, pretending,

as much as they could, that they hadnt seen it, and then in a flash, they

disappeared.

Tearing through the woodland at a pace they had never thought was

within them, they scrambled with all their might to the place where they

had seen the figure. But it was gone. Scratching his head and chewing his

63


64/98


lip, the Tramp paced up and down the space they were in and wondered

where it could possibly have gone. And then Bob saw it again. Loitering

in the distance, wondering from tree to tree and watching them.

It was playing a game.

They continued this frustrating contest of cat and mouse for hours on end

until eventually they found themselves right on the edge of the forest and

looking directly out onto the Giants Pass.

SAMUEL Where has it gone now, I do not see it?

BOB Over there, see it? Behind that solitary thicket. Weve got him, theres no

where else for him to hide now. He cant possibly escape.

SAMUEL After him!

NARRATOR Once again they darted off as fast as they could with the rather cynical

expectation that he would almost certainly vanish, but this time that

wasnt the case, instead he ran. They chased and they chased, oblivious to

the fact that the mysterious shape was now that dark, cloaked figure that

they were previously in fear of. Every now and then the Warlock would

glance back deviously and seem to incite the two pursuers to chase harder

and further. And they did, harder and faster they ran, sweat pouring from

their reddened brows and legs aching with pain as if every bone was

64


65/98


being infuriatingly stretched and twisted in multiple directions. Then

unexpectedly, as they were gaining significant ground on the Warlock in

front, the ground suddenly gave way and they vanished down a deep and

murky hole. Down they tumbled, deeper and deeper into the earth, getting

faster and completely unable to see where they were going, until

eventually they landed with a painful thump on the floor of a narrow

tunnel. After a minute of childish moaning, the Tramp and the Pig

carefully pulled themselves up off the floor and had a good look around.

BOB Well were in a tunnel and its dark again.

SAMUEL And were not alone. Theres something walking ahead of us and getting

further away.

BOB Could it be the sound of the Warlock running from above?

SAMUEL No, weve fallen far too deep to be able to hear the noises from up there,

these footsteps are definitely coming from down the tunnel. It wouldnt

surprise me if that cunning Warlock had made his way down here and

was now trying to get us to follow him again.

BOB Then we mustnt follow him then, hes probably trying to lead us into

some kind of horrible trap.

65


66/98


SAMUEL That may be so Master Bob, but what other choice do we have? The

Warlock has the egg that we are trying to retrieve and down in this tunnel

there is no where else that we can go. Look where the tunnel leads behind

you.

NARRATOR Master Bob looked behind him and was annoyed to discover that the way

was blocked by a thick stone wall.

BOB Bother and blow. We are stuck in this wretched place.

SAMUEL Not if we go after the Warlock.

BOB If its the Warlock that you can hear.

SAMUEL Well theres only one way to find out. We must go immediately and hunt

this thing down quickly before it can catch us out with its devious trap.

NARRATOR Off they went again, almost blindly navigating themselves around the

winding tunnel and moving at a slightly slower pace than the last time

owing to their minor injuries that they had incurred from the fall. A faint,

misty light glowed threateningly in the distance and as they got nearer to

it, it seemed to the Tramp and the Pig that they were heading straight for

66


67/98


a giant, intoxicating furnace. They ran on for twenty minutes more

without passing anything of note, but now, the misty, red light was

glowing more furiously than ever before, and they could feel a

penetrating heat come blasting into their faces. After a further five

minutes, they could barely stand it any longer and they were forced to

shield their eyes from what they could now sense were towering flames.

They were now at a slow, walking pace and struggling to make any

progress at all. Where as before it was too dark to be able to see, now it

was just too bright. The pair came to a halt and crouched down upon their

knees, eager to have themselves a much-needed rest, and then,

unexpectedly, as if they were in an auditorium of a theatre, the lights

went out and a deep, unnerving silence surrounded them. Somehow

without any hint of a rational explanation, the burning hot flames that had

surrounded them before, had strangely vanished and now their only

source of light was something egg shaped, which was shining at the top

of what appeared to be a very large heap of rubble. The Tramp and the

Pig could now see that the tunnel they had run through had grown into a

huge underground cavern, which to the Tramps astonishment, was now

illuminated solely by the elusive golden egg. Finally they had found it!

There it was, right before their eyes and with no sign of a Warlock or any

dangerous beast around to stop them from taking it. And so cautiously,

but with some degree of excitement, the Tramp made his way alone up to

the top of the apparent heap of rubble and headed straight towards the

67


68/98


egg. It was a difficult climb and it felt to the Tramp as if the rubble was

loose and shattering beneath his feet. Finally he managed to scramble to

the top where nervously, he stretched out a trembling hand and reached

for the gleaming egg. And there he held it in his hands, admiring its

overwhelming beauty and feeling the warmth that it spread through his

fingers. But then there came a deep, bellowing voice that echoed around

the walls of the cavern and sent a cold, biting chill through the air.

WARLOCK (ECHO) Samuel...Samuel.

BOB Master Samuel, come down from there quickly, something bad is going

to happen and I dont think you want to be anywhere near that pile of

rocks.

SAMUEL Im coming Bob, Im coming. But be ready to catch the egg if I fall.

WARLOCK The egg is mine now. Theres no escape.

FX CRACKING NOISE, THE SOUND OF AN EGG HATCHING

BOB The rocks, the rocks! Theyre not rocks after all, their rotten eggs, and

theyre hatching!

68


69/98


SAMUEL What? What do you mean theyre hatching? Are there things living

inside these horrible rocks? And whats that foul smell?

WARLOCK Death .

BOB Hurry Samuel! This is a nest! And were right in the middle of it. We

have to get out of here quickly or well both be eaten for dinner!

SAMUEL Im going as fast as I can. These rocks are moving about all over the

place. Ahhh! Whats that?

NARRATOR The Tramp looked up to see hundreds of piercing yellow eyes looking

ravenously towards him. There was then an unbearable hissing noise

before the eyes began slowly creeping towards him. The Tramp tried to

quicken his pace even further and a number of times he lost his footing

and nearly fell flat on his face. The eyes were appearing all about him

now and even glared up at him from beneath his feet. The room was

filled with a deafening din of hissing and cracking that reverberated

around the walls and made it almost impossible to hear what the pig was

now shouting.

BOB Dont stare into their eyes Master Samuel, theyll kill you!

69


70/98


NARRATOR But then the Tramp slipped and fell awkwardly onto his back, loosening

his grip on the egg and launching him forwards into a terrifying slide.

SAMUEL Ahhh! I cant hold on to it any longer, youre going to have to catch it.

Here!

NARRATOR Suddenly the golden egg came flying out of the Tramps hands and spun

unpredictably through the air. The pig leapt immediately into action and

stood poised ay the base of the heap, ready to catch it. The egg hung

erratically above the Pigs head, spinning in multiple directions and

waiting teasingly before launching itself into a final descent. Then down

it came, speeding towards the little pig like a giant golden bullet. The pig

stood patiently with his trotters extended out in front of him, and then

casually, almost without any effort at all, he caught it with unequalled

perfection. A few seconds later, the hapless Tramp came skimming down

the base of the mound and plummeted feet first into the unsuspecting pig.

The pig fell backwards and was forced to let go of the egg, but the Tramp

hurried to his feet and threw himself at the egg, catching it just in time

before it landed on the floor, where it would almost certainly have

smashed into a million different pieces.

BOB Thanks a lot

70


71/98


SAMUEL Dont mention it.

BOB I meant thanks for nearly crushing me to death.

SAMUEL Oh. Sorry about that.

BOB Look, weve got to get out of this place before those nasty creatures catch

us.

SAMUAL What are those things?

BOB You dont want to know.

WARLOCK Kill them, kill them.... kill them!

BOB Come on, run!

NARRATOR The Tramp and the Pig ran as fast as they could down the tunnel that they

had arrived through, but already a dark and terrifying mist was forming

close behind them, hiding a sea of yellow eyes which hissed at them like

a gigantic venomous snake.

The pair carried on running for their lives until about after an hour they

had returned to the place where they had started when they had just fallen

71


72/98


through the hole. They had made a lot of ground since the cavern and the

foul smell of the dark mist was quite a way behind them, but they could

still hear the hissing in the distance as the evil eyes slowly made their

way closer towards them. But now they encountered a new dilemma,

which neither of them had remembered to consider.

SAMUEL The stone wall, I completely forgot! How are we supposed to get past

that?

BOB Well there must be some way past it.

SAMUEL Why must there?

BOB Because otherwise were stuck here.

SAMUEL I see.

NARRATOR The sound of hissing got louder and louder and they could now hear

footsteps, hundreds of them, marching angrily towards them. With

nothing else to do, The Pig and the Tramp began frantically kicking and

pushing at the great rock wall, but to no avail at all. The huge stones just

defiantly stared back at them as the hissing and the footsteps got louder

and louder.

72


73/98


SAMUEL Its no good, theres no point carrying on like this. Were doomed for

certain.

BOB No, we cannot give up so easily. Death approaches from around the next

corner, we must do everything within our strength to resist it. It is not

meant to end like this. There is another way.

NARRATOR The intense noise of the approaching darkness was now seconds from

revealing itself to the reluctant sight of the desperate adventurers. Murky

shadows could be seen flickering against the grey walls of the tunnel and

a deep, penetrating groan now hollered from amidst the gloom and filled

every available crevice with a burning fear. The Tramp and The Pig

looked on in horror as they saw the evil yellow eyes, that had hatched

from the rotten eggs, emerge from around the corner and advance

towards them. The little pig perilously started searching for an alternative

way to get past the wall, but all the while, the yellow eyes just kept on

approaching and the Tramp stood frozen, with his back to the wall, trying

to come to terms with his imminent fate. However, as luck would have it,

the little pig found something that they hadnt noticed before. It was a

hole. Not big enough for any animal to climb through, but a hole just the

right size for a key of some sort, and it was half hidden behind the

Tramps back.

73


74/98


BOB Look Master Samuel. I think Ive found the way out!

SAMUEL Please Master Bob, theres no time for fooling around now.

BOB No, no, look right behind you. Its a key hole.

SAMUEL Oh great, a keyhole! That is absolutely excellent, Ive never been so

relieved in all my life. Now all we need is a key to fit in the key hole and

well all be saved.

BOB Yes, and youve got it right there in your hands.

SAMUEL You what? Right here in my hands? But the only thing Ive got in my

hands is this stupid egg!

BOB Precisely.

NARRATOR But the Tramp was too dumb struck to figure it out for himself, so the

Pig, with very little time to spare, gently took the egg from the poor

Tramps hands and placed it into the hole himself. Then there was a great

rumbling noise and the hissing from the eyes came to a stop. Slowly the

great stone wall began swinging forwards, gradually revealing a new,

74


75/98


76/98


away in deep caverns behind thick inpenetratable walls that couldnt be

opened except with a golden egg.

SAMUEL But what about the Warlock? We were chasing him from behind, we saw

him in front of us. How could he possibly get into that cavern without us

knowing?

BOB Black magic Master Samuel. He is a Warlock after all.

SAMUEL Well Im just grateful were still alive.

BOB Me too. But now an even greater task awaits us.

SAMUEL An even greater task? What kind of malicious toil could be even greater

than being chased down tunnel by a sea of dirty yellow eyes?

BOB Look ahead of you, across these planes and to the North. There you will

see the distant Mountains of Dementon where lies Dementon City. This is

where we must go next, with or without our fellow pigs, for beyond here

lies the Hatching Well where we must take this egg, and deliver you to

your destiny.

76


77/98


SAMUEL But thats easy. Look, theres nothing but green fields and blue sky

between here and the mountains. And the mountains cant be that bad.

Could they?

BOB Oh couldnt they? So you would call deadly monsters and flesh eating

zombies not that bad would you? I dont think you entirely understand

whats going on here Master Samuel.

SAMUEL Youre right, I dont really understand very much at the moment. But at

least Im trying. Come on then, if were going to stand any chance at all

of defeating these flesh eating zombies as you call them, then we had

better get going now, before anyone knows that we are coming.

BOB I think they may already know.

NARRATOR The Pig pointed behind them at the shape of a huge black giant that was

creeping slowly forwards from beyond the Phantom Woods.

SAMUEL Whats that?

BOB Its

The Hatching Well

Documents

Transcript of The Hatching Well