SETTING:

The runway. There are tables and boxes of props scattered all around. Costume racks line the walls of the tent.

AT RISE:

There is pandemonium as the performers race through the runway to get ready for their acts. A very old man is left center stage, out of breath. HE is wearing a faded and tattered uniform. This is MIKLOS, a ninety-seven year old Hungarian former lion tamer. HE speaks to Jaspar. Jaspar is MIKLOS' not so imaginary imaginary lion.

MIKLOS

I am too old for the parade. Ah, Jaspar. (a sigh) I know I should give it up, but what would they do without me? These young people, they are wonderful, but they don't know how to make a parade. We knew how to make a parade, didn't we? You pacing in your cage and me sitting proud on top of the wagon in my uniform that shone like a ruby and flashed like diamonds in the morning sun.

(He picks at the sleeve of his uniform, which is faded and old.)

It has been some years, hasn't it?

(He picks up a handful of sawdust from the ground.)

Ah, the sawdust! Are you listening Jaspar? If a had a genie in a bottle I would wish for a pair of new legs. These legs, I have worn them out.

(HE cocks HIS head and listens to an invisible voice.)

What? I should retire! Don't tell me I should retire. What kind of parade would that be? I have been eighty-five years in the circus,-- since the day I ran away from home in Budapest. The young ones would be lost without me. "Miklos, the Magnificent, King of the Cats" is not finished yet. You think I am old? Give me a lion and I will still to make him to tremble like a mouse, I will make him dance like the skater on top of a music box, I will...

(HE is startled by a roar of awesome proportions that only HE can hear.)

(to the audience) Did you hear that? Jaspar is upset with me. He forgets who is the man, who cracks the whip.

(Another roar.)

Quiet! These people have eardrums. Do you want to break them? What would you do then, if you made everybody deaf? You would have nobody to talk to. What? You are right, you don't talk to them anyway. Is it my fault you don't talk to anybody but me? After you are dead fifty years I am surprised to still hear you. A dead lion should be quiet. But to hear you roar, it brings back such memories. You always had such a voice. The Caruso of lions.

I miss to be a lion tamer. You were my best pupil. What do you mean, you tamed me? You are dead too long, your brain is soft. A dead lion living in the head of a mad Hungarian should be careful how he crows. We will see who tamed who. All I have to do is stop thinking of you and, poof! you are gone. Yes, poof! Ha! What can you do to me?

(The young boy we saw sneaking into the big top runs on as fast as HE can. HIS name is TIM. HE is about then years old. HE runs into MIKLOS and bowls HIM over.)

MIKLOS

Oomph!

TIM

I'm sorry.

(MIKLOS is lying on the ground. HE is confused. HE hasn't seen TIM yet. HE struggles to get HIS whip out. HE makes several abortive attempts to crack HIS whip from the ground.)

MIKLOS

Get off! Down l&oumlwe! Allez-vous-en! Down boy!

(TIM attempts to run off but MIKLOS grabs HIM.)

Where do you think you're going. Murderer!

TIM

I didn't mean to run into you. I didn't see you.

MIKLOS

What kind of a boy are you? You trample an old man into the ground and then you run off to let him die in the dust.

TIM

I'm sorry. Are you hurt? I didn't mean to.

MIKLOS

Hah! You look like a nice boy. I know, it wan't your fault. The lion knocked me down.

TIM

What lion? I knocked you down.

MIKLOS

He did it. He pushed you, He chased you right into me. down. It's because of the whip. He never did like it.

TIM

There wasn't any lion chasing me. It was two men.

MIKLOS

Why would two men chase you?

TIM

Because I sn... Maybe it was a lion.

MIKLOS

Of course it was a lion. You should be happy. I know how to handle a lion. If you were a lion I would teach you a thing or two. Maybe I will teach you a thing or two anyway. Next time you see Jaspar you tell him he's got a big lesson to come to him.

TIM

Who's Jaspar?

MIKLOS

The lion. Who else would he be?

TIM

I...

(TIM is interrupted by the sounds of two ROUSTABOUTS entering. HE darts behind a costume rack. The ROUSTABOUTS cross to MIKLOS.)

ROUSTABOUT ONE

Did you see a kid run through here Miklos?

MIKLOS

How old was he?

ROUSTABOUT ONE

I don't know. About ten I guess.

ROUSTABOUT TWO

Did you see him?

MIKLOS

No.

ROUSTABOUT ONE

It's the damnedest thing. I thought for sure I saw him come this way. You didn't see anything?

MIKLOS

No.

ROUSTABOUT ONE

Thanks anyway Miklos. If you see him holler.

(The ROUSTABOUTS exit.)

MIKLOS

Hello? Are you still in there?

(TIM comes back out from behind the costumes.)

TIM

Why didn't you tell them?

MIKLOS

Tell them what?

TIM

About me.

MIKLOS

They are looking for a boy who is ten years old. How old are you?

TIM

Nine and a half.

MIKLOS

You see. They aren't looking for you. Tell me, why is it that they are looking after this ten year old boy?

TIM

I don't know.

MIKLOS

Yes you do.

(TIM is struck silent having been called out on HIS little lie. MIKLOS tries to get up, but HE can't.)

Sit! Sit down.

(TIM sits.)

There. Now we can have a little party. A picnic. Now tell me.

TIM

I snuck in. I don't have a ticket.

MIKLOS

Go buy one.

TIM

I don't have enough money.

MIKLOS

How much money do you have?

(TIM looks in HIS pocket.)

TIM

Thirty-eight cents.

(MIKLOS points into the big top.)

MIKLOS

Thirty-eight cents? Vanderbilt started with less than thirty-eight cents. Why do you come to the circus with only thirty-eight cents?

TIM

I spent it all on the bus.

MIKLOS

You should have asked your mother for more money before you came to the circus. Ah! I see. I think you are here and your mother doesn't know it. Is that the way of it?

TIM

(reluctantly) Yes.

MIKLOS

That is a good way to get in trouble.

TIM

But she wouldn't take me to the circus!

MIKLOS

Why not?

TIM

She hates circuses.

MIKLOS

Your mother hates circuses? Maybe she isn't your real mother. A mother that doesn't like the circus. It cannot be.

TIM

She's my real mother.

MIKLOS

Did you hear that Jaspar? His mother hates the circus. What would make a woman hate the circus?

TIM

Why do you keep talking to Jaspar? There's nothing there.

MIKLOS

Ah, but he is there. But he's not talking. He is mad at me. That is why he made you to run into me.

TIM

I don't see him.

MIKLOS

I make him mad, he doesn't talk to me. He makes me mad, I don't talk to him. It is a good arrangement. That way only one of us talks at a time. Do you think I am crazy?

TIM

I don't know. I've never known anybody that was crazy.

MIKLOS

I don't know either, and I have. Do you have a name?

TIM

Yes.

MIKLOS

Good, so do I. You have heard of me?

TIM

No.

MIKLOS

You are certain?

TIM

I don't know what your name is.

MIKLOS

Miklos. My friends call me "The Magnificent". What is your name?

TIM

Tim.

MIKLOS

Is that all of it? It is very short.

TIM

My last name is Smith.

MIKLOS

No, that's not right at all. It has no ring, no echo. If you put it on a poster no one would know it was there.

TIM

I like Tim.

MIKLOS

Tim is fine. But there isn't enough of it. What do you think of "Stupendous"? "Tim, The Stupendous"? Or "Incredible"? "The Incredible Tim"?

TIM

I don't know.

MIKLOS

How about "Amazing"? "Astonishing"? I have it, (with a flourish) "The Improbable, --- Tim!"

TIM

I want to see the circus.

MIKLOS

Ah! I forget what you are here for. Help me up.

(TIM helps MIKLOS up. THEY cross to the entrance to the big top and look in.)

Can you see?

TIM

Yes. When is the trapeze?

MIKLOS

The lions are much more important.

TIM

No sir.

MIKLOS

Yes sir.

TIM

Did you know, they put up a poster of the man on the trapeze at school. When the circus goes away my teacher's going to draw a name out of a hat and if my name is picked I get the poster.

MIKLOS

I will get you a poster of a lion.

TIM

"The Great Firenelli!" Will I get to see him?

MIKLOS

Yes, and his lovely daughter, Angela. It is hard to see from here. Everything is so far away.

TIM

I can see.

MIKLOS

Your eyes are young. If your mother wouldn't take you to the circus you should have asked your father.

TIM

My dad is dead.

MIKLOS

I am sorry.

(MIKLOS pauses while Jaspar talks to HIM.)

Shhh Jaspar. You aren't talking to me.

TIM

What is Jaspar saying?

MIKLOS

He is talking about you.

TIM

I still can't see him.

MIKLOS

I can't either. But I know that he is there. Sixty years ago I first met Jaspar. What a brave, beautiful, handsome lion he was. For ten years we are the talk of all the circus world. But a lion does not live as long as a man.

TIM

Where is he?

MIKLOS

In trouble for knocking me down.

TIM

Did you ever put your head in a lion's mouth?

MIKLOS

Yes, and that is how I prove that a man is more brave than a lion. I put my head in Jaspar's mouth, but he would never put his head in mine.

TIM

It wouldn't fit!

MIKLOS

You sound just like Jaspar. He has an excuse for everything. Do you know what Jaspar is? A little tabby cat. What do you think of that Jaspar? A little tabby.

(A la patter.)

A LION IS A KITTY CAT LIKE ANY OTHER KITTY CAT.

HE HAS A NOSE AND TAIL AND PAWS AND TEETH AND JAWS AND ALL OF THAT.

BECAUSE HIS SIZE IS SOMEWHAT LARGER THAN HIS COUSIN CITY CAT

THERE IS NO REASON TO SURMISE HE'S NOT COMPLETELY, CHIEFLY CAT.

HIS FELINE FORM IS FILLED WITH FAMOUS FEATURES PHILOSOPHICAL.

THE POWER HE POSSESSES BORDERS ON THE PARADOXICAL.

HE IS THE KING OF BEASTS, THERE NEVER COULD BE ANY DOUBT OF THAT,

BUT SCRATCH HIS EARS AND YOU WILL HEAR A PURR THAT RUMBLES, WHAT A CAT!

SERENE AND TAWNY, SLEEPY, YAWNY, RESTFULLY AESTHETIC CAT.

BRAVE AND BONNIE, BRASH AND BRAWNY, GRACEFULLY ATHLETIC CAT.

ANDROCLES AND OZ'S WIZARD MAKE A SONG AND STORY CAT.

COURAGE, KING, WHY CHRIST THE LORD, HE IS AN ALLEGORIC CAT!

MIKLOS & TIM

HIS FELINE FORM IS FILLED WITH FAMOUS FEATURES PHILOSOPHICAL.

THE POWER HE POSSESSES BORDERS ON THE PARADOXICAL.

WITH EYES AND NOSE AND TAIL AND PAWS AND TEETH AND JAWS AND ALL OF THAT,

A LION IS A KITTY CAT LIKE ANY OTHER KITTY CAT!

MIKLOS

(MIKLOS sings this so fast that it would be almost impossible to understand on a first hearing.)

THIS IS AN EXCLAMATION OF PRODIGIOUS COMPLICATION

WITH A FLOW OF INFORMATION THAT DEFIES A RECITATION.

THOUGH I NEVER REALLY MEANT AT ALL TO PATTER ON LIKE SULLIVAN...

WAIT! JUST A MINUTE, AM I WRONG? COULD IT HAVE BEEN THE OTHER ONE?

A LION IS A KITTY CAT LIKE ANY OTHER KITTY CAT.

HE HAS A NOSE AND TAIL AND PAWS AND TEETH AND JAWS AND ALL OF THAT.

BECAUSE HIS SIZE IS SOMEWHAT LARGER THAN HIS COUSIN CITY CAT

THERE IS NO REASON TO SURMISE HE'S NOT COMPLETELY, CHIEFLY CAT.

HIS FELINE FORM IS FILLED WITH FAMOUS FEATURES PHILOSOPHICAL.

THE POWER HE POSSESSES BORDERS ON THE PARADOXICAL.

HE IS THE KING OF BEASTS, THERE NEVER COULD BE ANY DOUBT OF THAT,

BUT SCRATCH HIS EARS AND YOU WILL HEAR A PURR THAT RUMBLES, WHAT A CAT!

MIKLOS

DESPITE THE SYMBOLISM AND ALLUSIONS ALLEGORICAL

IN SONG AND LEGEND VERIFIED BY REFERENCES HISTORICAL,

WITH EYES AND NOSE AND TAIL AND PAWS AND TEETH AND JAWS AND ALL OF THAT,

MIKLOS &TIM

A LION IS A KITTY CAT LIKE ANY OTHER KITTY CAT!

(MIKLOS is out of breath again.)

MIKLOS

Oh. (breath) Oh. (breath) I am not long for this world if I do this every day. What do you think? Would you like to meet a lion?

TIM

Yes...

(HE is interrupted by the sound of the RINGMASTER.)

RINGMASTER

Ladies and Gentlemen...

MIKLOS

The change of acts? Already?

(The runway springs into life for the act change. There is a flurry of action as performers rush in and out of the runway, to and from the big top.)

RINGMASTER

...death defying feats never before attempted by a mortal being! Tana, on the high wire!

(In the crush the ROUSTABOUTS enter and see TIM.)

ROUSTABOUT

Look! There he is!

(The ROUSTABOUTS chase TIM off.)

MIKLOS

Wait! Stop! He is with me! I will get him a ticket!

(MIKLOS hurries off after them. The confusion of the act change continues. Variation on "Circus Life" underscore the action. TIM races across the stage. The ROUSTABOUTS follow shortly thereafter. Tiger cages are rolled through into the big top. The ROUSTABOUTS race across once again. TIM enters after they are gone.)

THE ACTION CONTINUES INTO THE NEXT SCENE

End of Scene 2