The Cheshire Cat

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Scene: Alice has just stepped out from the Duchess’ house. She has had a peculiar incident with the Duchess’ son. While Alice was holding the baby son in her arms, he suddenly started snorting like mad, and turned into a pig before Alice’s own eyes. Astonished, she dropped the pig from her arms, and watched it trot off into the forest. Now Alice is walking in the woods, thinking to herself about the son’s transformation. In the background of the stage is some drawings of trees, and a prop constructed like a tree appears in the front of stage right. Alice is walking slowly from the very end of stage left. Relatively low lighting.
Alice: Well, I’ve never seen anything like that before! Curiouser and curiouser! To think that a perfectly normal boy could turn into a pig seems quite incredible and indeed, mad! But actually, it probably was all the better for that poor boy. I mean, for one, it was able to escape from that horrible hag of a mother. But also, if it had grown up, he would have made a dreadfully ugly child: but it makes rather a handsome pig I think. (Chuckles softly to herself) Oh, I say, how funny it would be if one of the boys at school became a pig! Charlie Williams or Clive Lewis! I’d love to see something like that! They are such beastly boys, always calling me names like “Awful Alice” and pulling my hair until I can barely feel it. I wonder how one does turn into a pig…
As Alice is speaking, the Cheshire Cat walks in from stage right, and sits himself on one of the branches of the tree prop. Appearance wise looks like most any other cat, except he has an exceptionally wide grin almost constantly. Talks very coolly, and with a slight meow twang in his voice. He stares intently at Alice while she talks to herself abou...

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...ore, but I’ve never met a March Hare. I bet he will be so interesting…
Cheshire Cat: (Reappears fully on stage again, with his big grin) Did you say “pig”, or “fig”?
Alice (Quite perturbed and annoyed) I said “pig”, and I do wish you stop appearing and vanishing so suddenly: you’re making me quite giddy!
Cheshire Cat: All right, all right. Good day, Alice. (Walks off stage right backwards, very slowly, the whole time displaying his huge, mischievous grin. The lighting of the stage makes it appear as if his grin stays around after his body has disappeared)
Alice: Well, I’ve often seen a cat without a grin, but never a grin without a cat! That was the most curious thing I’ve ever seen in my life! (Starts walking towards stage right) I guess I’ll head to the Mad Hatter’s house and see what is going on there… Walks off the stage at stage right, and the curtain falls.

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