Where the Wild Things Are

by

Maurice Sendak

Characters (6):    NARRATOR      CHILD 1    CHILD 2    CHILD 3    CHILD 4    MAX
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NARRATOR:  THE NIGHT MAX WORE HIS WOLF SUIT
 
CHILD 1:   AND MADE MISCHIEF 

CHILD 2:   OF ONE KIND

CHILD 3:   AND ANOTHER.

NARRATOR:  HIS MOTHER CALLED HIM

CHILD 4:   "WILD THING!"

NARRATOR:  AND MAX SAID:

MAX:      "I'LL EAT YOU UP!!"

CHILD 1:   SO HE WAS SENT TO BED

CHILD 2:   WITHOUT EATING ANYTHING.

NARRATOR:  THAT VERY NIGHT IN MAX'S ROOM 

MAX:       A FOREST GREW, AND GREW, AND GREW UNTIL THE CEILING HUNG WITH VINES 

CHILD 3:   AND THE WALLS BECAME THE WORLD ALL AROUND 

CHILD 4:   AND AN OCEAN TUMBLED BY

MAX: 	  "WITH A PRIVATE BOAT!"

NARRATOR:  FOR MAX. AND HE SAILED OFF THROUGH NIGHT AND DAY 

CHILD 1:   AND IN AND OUT OF WEEKS CHILD 2: AND ALMOST OVER A YEAR

MAX:       TO WHERE THE WILD THINGS ARE!

NARRATOR:  AND WHEN HE CAME TO THE PLACE WHERE THE WILD THINGS ARE THEY

CHILD 3:   ROARED THEIR TERRIBLE ROARS!	(ALL ROAR)

CHILD 4:   AND GNASHED THEIR TERRIBLE TEETH!	(ALL GNASH TEETH)

CHILD 1:   AND ROLLED THEIR TERRIBLE EYES!	(ALL ROLL EYES)

CHILD 2:   AND SHOWED THEIR TERRIBLE CLAWS!	(ALL SHOW CLAWS)

NARRATOR:  TILL MAX SAID:

MAX:      "BE STILL!"

CHILD 3:   AND TAMED THEM 

CHILD 4:   WITH THE MAGIC TRICK

MAX: 	   OF STARING INTO ALL THEIR YELLOW EYES

CHILD 1:   WITHOUT BLINKING ONCE

NARRATOR:  AND THEY WERE FRIGHTENED AND CALLED HIM

ALL:       THE MOST WILD THING OF ALL!!

NARRATOR:  AND MADE HIM KING OF ALL WILD THINGS.

MAX:      "AND NOW, LET THE WILD RUMPUS START!! (PAUSE) NOW, STOP!"

CHILD 3:   AND SENT THE WILD THINGS OFF TO BED

CHILD 4:   WITHOUT THEIR SUPPER....AND MAX 

CHILD 1:   THE KING OF ALL WILD THINGS, SAID: 

MAX:      "I'M LONELY!" 

NARRATOR:  AND WANTED TO BE WHERE SOMEONE LOVED HIM BEST OF ALL

CHILD 2:   THEN, ALL AROUND, FROM FAR AWAY, ACROSS THE WORLD

NARRATOR:  HE SMELLED GOOD THINGS TO EAT!! SO HE SAID: 

MAX:      "I'LL GIVE UP BEING KING OF WHERE THE WILD THINGS ARE." 

CHILD 3:   BUT THE WILD THINGS CRIED 

CHILD 4:   OH, PLEASE DON'T GO

CHILD 1:   WE'LL EAT YOU UP 

CHILD 2:   WE LOVE YOU SO
 
NARRATOR:  AND MAX SAID: 

MAX:      "NO!" 

CHILD 1:   THE WILD THINGS ROARED THEIR TERRIBLE ROARS (ALL ROAR)

CHILD 2:   AND GNASHED THEIR TERRIBLE TEETH	(ALL SHOW TEETH)

CHILD 3:   AND ROLLED THEIR TERRIBLE EYES	(ALL ROLL EYES)

CHILD 4:   AND SHOWED THEIR TERRIBLE CLAWS	(ALL SHOW CLAWS)

NARRATOR:  BUT MAX STEPPED INTO HIS PRIVATE BOAT

CHILD 1:   AND WAVED GOOD-BYE (MAX WAVES)

CHILD 2:   AND SAILED BACK

CHILD 3:   ALMOST OVER A YEAR AND IN AND OUT OF WEEKS AND THROUGH A DAY 

MAX: 	   AND INTO THE NIGHT OF MY OWN ROOM 

CHILD 4:   WHERE HE FOUND HIS SUPPER WAITING FOR HIM

MAX:	  "AND IT WAS STILL HOT!"