Act I, Prologue: Into the Woods-Stephen Sondheim

NARRATOR] Once upon a time in a far off kingdom there lay a small village at the edge of the woods I wish... and in this village More than anything... lived a young maiden, More than jewels... a sad young lad I wish... and a childless baker More than life... I wish... with his wife. More than anything... More than the moon... I wish... The King is giving a Festival. More than life... I wish... I wish to go to the Festival. More than riches... I wish my cow would give us some milk. More than anything... And the Ball... Please, pal- I wish we had a child. I want a child... I wish to go to the Festival. Squeeze, pal... I wish you'd give us some milk or even cheese... I wish... I wish we might have a child. I wish... I wish... You wish to go to the Festival? The poor girl's mother had died, You, Cinderella, the Festival? You wish to go to the Festival? What, you, Cinderella, the Festival? The Festival?! What, you wish to go to the Festival? The Festival? The King's Festival? And her father had taken for his new wife The Festival... a woman with two daughters of her own. Look at you nails! Look at your dress! People would laugh at you- Nevertheless, I still want to go to the Festival And dance before the Prince. She still wants to go to the Festival And dance before the Prince?! All three were beautiful of face, but vile and balck of heart. Jack, on the other hand, had no father, and his mother- I wish... Well, she was not quite beautiful- I wish my son were not a fool. I wish my house was not a mess. I wish the cow was full of milk. I wish the house was full of gold- I wish a lot of things... Why, come in, little girl. I wish... It's not for me, It's for my Granny in the woods. A loaf of bread, please- To bring my poor old hungry Granny in the woods... Just a loaf of bread, please... Cinderella's Stepmother had a surprise for her. I have emptied a pot of lentils into the ashes for you. If you have picked them out again in two hours' time, you shall go to the ball with us. And perhaps a sticky bun?... Or four?... Birds in the sky, Birds in the eaves, I the leaves, In the fields, In the castles and ponds... And a few of those pies... please... Come, little birds, Down from the eaves And the leaves, Over fields, Out of castles and ponds... No, squeeze, pal... Ahhh... Quick, little birds, Flick through the ashes. Pick and peck, but swiftly, Sift through the ashes, Into the pot... Listen well, son. Milky-White must be taken to market. But, mother, no- he's the best cow- look at her. There are bugs on her dugs. There are flies in her eyes. There's a lump on her rump Big enough to be a hump- But- Son, We've no time to sit and dither, While her wither's wither with her- And no one keeps a cow for a friend! Sometimes I fear your touched. Into the woods, It's time to go, I hate to leave, I have to, though. Into the woods- It's time, and so I must begin my journey. Into the woods And through the trees To where I am Expected ma'am, Into the woods To Grandmother's house- Into the woods To Grandmother's house- You're certain of your way? The way is clear, The light is good, I have no fear, Nor no one should. The woods are just trees, The trees are just wood. I sort of hate to ask it, But do you have a basket? Into the woods And down the dell, The path is straight, I know it well. Into the woods, And who can tell What's waiting on the journey? Into the woods To bring some bread To Granny who Is sick in bed. Never can tell What lies ahead. For all that I know, She's already dead. But into the woods, Into the woods, Into the woods To Grandmother's house And home before dark. Fly, birds, Back to the sky, Back to the eaves And the leaves And the fields And the- Hurry up and do my hair, Cinderella! Are you really wearing that? Here, I found a little tear, Cinderella. Can't you hide it with a hat? You look beautiful. I know. She means me. Put it in a twist. Who will be there?... Mother said be good, Father said be nice, That was always their advice. So be nice, Cinderella, Good, Cinderella, Nice good good nice- Tighter! What's the good of being good If everyone is blind And you're always left behind? Never mind, Cinderella, Kind Cinderella- Nice good nice kind good nice- Not that tight! Sorry. Clod. Who might that be? It's the witch from next door. The old enchantress told the couple she had placed a spell on their house. What spell? In the past, when your mother was with child, she developed an unusual appetite. She took one look at my beautiful garden and told your father that what she wanted more than anything in the world was Greens, greens and nothing but greens: Parsley, peppers, cabbages and celery, Asparagus and watercress and Fiddleferns and lettuce-! He said, "All right," But it wasn't, quite, 'Cause I caught him in the autumn In my garden one night! He was robbing me, Raping me, Rooting through my rutabaga, Raiding my arugula and Ripping up my rampion (My champion! My favorite!)- I should have laid a spell on him Right there, Could have changed him into stone Or a dog or a chair... But I let him have the rampion- I'd lots to spare. In return, however, I said, "Fair is fair: You can let me have the baby That your wife will bear. And we'll call it square." I had a brother? No. But you had a sister. But the witch refused to tell him anymore of his sister. Not even that her name was Rapunzel. I though I had been more than reasonable. But how was I to know what your father had also hidden in his pocket?! What? Beans. Beans? The special beans. I let him go, I didn't know He'd stolen my beans! I was watching him crawl, Back over the wall-! Then bang! Crash! And the lightning flash! And- well, that's another story, Never mind- Anyway, at last The big day came, And I made my claim. "Oh, don't take away the baby," They shrieked and screeched, But I did, And I hid her Where she'll never be reached. And your father cried, And your mother died When for extra measure- I admit it was a pleasure- I said, "Sorry, I'm still not mollified." And I laid little spell on them- You, too, son- That your family tree Would always be a barren one... So there's no more fuss And there's no more scenes And my garden thrives- You should see my nectarines! But I'm telling you the same I tell kings and queens: Don't ever never ever Mess around with my greens! Especially the beans. Now closely to me, Jack. Lead Milky-White to market and fetch the best price you can. Are you listening to me? Jack Jack Jack, Head in a sack, The house is getting colder, This is not the time for dreaming. Chimney stack Starting to crack, The mice are getting bolder, The floor's gone slack, Your mother's getting older, Your father's not back, And you can't just sit here dreaming pretty dreams. To wish and wait From day to day Will never keep The wolves away. So into the woods The time is now. We have to live, I don't care how. Into the woods To sell the cow, You must begin the journey. Straight to the woods and don't delay- You have to face The marketplace. Into the woods to journey's end- Into the woods to sell a friend- Meanwhile, the Witch, for purposes of her own, explained how the Baker might lift the spell; You wish to have The curse reversed? I'll need a certain Potion first. Go to the woods and bring me back One: the cow as white as milk, Two: the cape as red as blood, Three: the hair as yellow as corn, Four: the slipper as pure as gold. Bring me these Before the chime Of midnight, In three day's time, And you shall have, I guarantee, A child as perfect As child can be. Go to the wood! Ladies. Our carriage waits. Now may I go to the Festival? The Festival-! Darling, those nails! Darling, those clothes! Lentils are one thing but Darling, with those, You'd make us the fools of the Festival And mortify the Prince! Our carriage is waiting. We must be gone. Good night, Father. I wish... Look what I found in father's hunting jacket. Six beans. We'll take them with us. No! The spell is on my house. Only I can lift the spell, The spell is on my house. No, no, the spell is on our house. We must lift the spell. No. You are not to come and that is final. Now what am I to return with? You don't remember? The cow as white as milk, The cape as red as blood, The hair as yellow as corn, The slipper as pure as gold- The cow as white as milk, The cape as red as blood, The hair as yellow as corn, The slipper as pure as gold... And so the Baker, reluctantly, set off to meet the enchantress' demands. As for Cinderella: I still wish to go to the Festival, But how am I ever to get to the Festival? The cow as white as milk, The cape as red as blood, The hair as yellow as corn- I know! I'll visit Mother's grave, The grave at the hazel tree, And tell her I just want to Go to the King's Festival... The slipper as pure as gold... The cow, the cape, The slipper as pure as gold- The hair-! Into the woods, It's time to go, It may be all In vain, you/I know. Into the woods- But even so, I have to take the journey. Into the woods, The path is straight, You know it well, But who can tell- Into the woods to lift the spell- Into the woods to visit Mother- Into the woods to fetch the things- To make the potion- To got to the Festival- Into the woods Without regret, The choice is made, The task is set. Into the woods, But not forget- Ting why I'm on the journey. (Little Red Riding hood Joins) Into the woods to get my wish, I don't care how, The time is now. Into the woods to sell the cow- Into the woods to get the money- Into the woods to lift the spell- To make the potion- To go to the Festival- Into the woods to Grandmother's house... Into the woods to Grandmother's house... The way is clear, The light is good, I have no fear, No no one should. The woods are just trees, The trees are just wood. No need to be afraid there- There's something in the glade there... Into the woods, Without delay, But careful no To lose the way. Into the woods, Who knows what may Be lurking on the journey? Into the woods To get the thing That makes it worth The journeying. into the woods- To see the King- To sell the cow- To make the potion- To see- To sell- To get- To bring- To make- To live- To go to the Festival-! Into the woods! Into the woods! Into the woods, Then out of the woods, And home before dark!