Script: Hop Frog

Narrator: I never knew anyone so keenly alive to a joke as the King was. He
seemed to live only for joking.

King: Hop Frog, come over here. Would you like an olive from this jar?

Hop Frog: Why thank you my majesty (opens jar and confetti shoots out).

Narrator: The King also enjoyed the jokes of others and thus it happened that his five
ministers were all noted for their accomplishments as jokers.

Ministers: Hahaha! That calls for more wine! He opened the can expecting olives and
only got confetti in its place, which was a surprise to him because hes stupid!

King: Haha, so weak of character, that dwarf!

Ministers: For he is a dwarf my Lord! Quite right. Very astute of you sir.

Narrator: Hop Frog was in fact a dwarf, a crippled dwarf who worked in the Kings
court. He had been forcibly carried off from his home in an adjoining province, and sent
as a present to the king. Dwarfs were as common at court, IN THOSE DAYS, as fools;
and many monarchs would have found it difficult to get through their days without both
a jester to laugh with, and a dwarf to laugh at.

King: Hop Frog, that cap is so befitting on you.

Ministers: Its almost as large as he is! Because of his extraordinarily small size.

Narrator: While the King and his ministers were quite cruel to poor Hop Frog, there was
one person that brought light to Hop Frogs life. Her name was Trippetta and, like Hop
Frog, she was taken from her home and brought to entertain the King with her beautiful
dancing. Trippetta, although a dwarf herself, was full of grace and exquisite beauty. She
was universally admired and petted; so she possessed much influence over the affairs of
the court, for the benefit of Hop Frog.

(We see Trippettas dancing)

Hop Frog: That was marvelous Trippetta!

Trippetta: Oh, Hop Frog! Youre simply terrific.

Narrator: After more drink, the King determined to host a masquerade. Both Hop Frog
and Trippetta were sure to be called in play for their talents. Hop Frog was so inventive
in the way of getting pageants that nothing could be done without his assistance.

King: Come here, Hop Frog. Swallow this bummer of wine to the health of your absent
friends!
Ministers: Haha, yes, a drink to all of your absent friends in your homeland who youll
never see again! Hahaha

King: And then let us have the benefit of your ideas. We want characters characters,
man something novel out of the way. We are wearied with this everlasting
sameness. Come, drink! DRINK! The wine will brighten your wits.

Hop Frog: But, sir! Liquor is poisonous to me.

Narrator: Hop Frog took the wine with tears in his eyes for it was his forgotten birthday
and he dearly missed his absent friends.

King: Here have another!

Hop Frog drinks another, we see him wobble

King: And another!

Ministers: hahahalolz

Hop Frog: *Burp* Please your majesty, I cant drink another.

King: How about two more?!?!?

Minister: Haha! He said he couldnt drink another one so the King offered two!!!

Trippetta: Please your majesty, he cant drink anymore. Hes no use to you if hes dead!

King: You little bitch, you dare question my judgement?!

King throws wine in Trippettas face

Ministers: Hahahaha! He threw wine in her face!

Hop Frog: (To Trippetta) How dare they!

Trippetta: (To Hop Frog) Better in my face than in your body, my dear.

Hop Frog: (To Trippetta) I must defend your honor!

Narrator: Instead of taking immediate revenge, Hop Frog bided his time. He put a
cunning plan into action. When the King and his Ministers again inquired about
characters for the masquerade, Hop Frog then suggested

Hop Frog: Just after your majesty had thrown wine in the girls face, just after your
majesty had done this, there came into my mind a capital jest one of my own country
frolics. Unfortunately, however, it requires a company of six persons, and

King: Here we are! Six exactly- I and my five ministers! Wow.

Ministers: What an uncanny coincidence!

Hop Frog: We call it the Six Chained Ourang-Outtangs, and it really is excellent sport if
well executed because it frightens the women!

King: We will enact it. I love it!

Ministers: So do we! We love it cause you love it and we love you! You love us, right?

King: No Yes!

All: HAHAHAHAHA! What quick wit! The clever devil!

Narrator: On the night of the party, Hop Frog proceeded to cover the King and his
ministers in tar and flax so they resembled apes who had escaped from their keepers. He
even added linked chains dangling around their waists for a more savage appearance.

Ministers: Wait, how does an orangutan sound?

Ministers: Like this! (Bad orangutan noise)

Ministers: No, no. More like this. (Better orangutan noise)

King: No. Gentlemen, please. (makes worst noise imaginable)

Ministers: Yes! Quite nice! (Ministers repeat the Kings noise)

King and Ministers make sounds like orangutans

Narrator: The jest went according to plan. When the King and his ministers entered at
midnight, their convincing costumes caused quite a commotion. The party peoples
scattered; scampering and screaming to the closest corners of the now cacophonous and
cavernous chamber.

(Dancing couples disperse in a ruckus.)

Now, the orangutan outfits only initiated Hop Frogs plan. The true trick came from the
chains which bound the King and his Ministers. Unbeknownst to the King and his
Ministers, As they paraded around the chamber, they were slowly tangling themselves
in the chandelier that Hop Frog had lowered. When the last chain was linked, Hop Frog
raised the chandelier, and the drunken King and his even drunker Ministers, were
instantly hoisted towards the ceiling.

(Shrieks from the King and Ministers)

Ministers: Bring us down! Quite absurd!

King: I demand an explanation!

Narrator: As the crowd watched the masked King and his Councillors struggle, Hop
Frog called the attention of the entire audience.

Hop Frog: This is the great king and his seven privy-councillors a king who does not
scruple to strike a defenceless girl, and his seven councillors who abet him in the
outrage. As for myself, I am simply Hop-Frog, the jester and this is my last jest!

Narrator: Hop Frog hurled his torch at them, which ignited the King and his ministers in
a brilliant blaze. It is supposed that Trippetta had been the accomplice of her friend in
his fiery revenge, and that, together, they effected their escape to their own country: for
neither was seen again.