| The homes of Cinderella, Jack, and the Baker disappear as they begin their journeys, and we are in the woods... Cinderella is at the foot of a hazel tree, which marks the spot where her Mother is buried. She explains her desire to go to the Festival to her Mother...who has magically appeared within the tree. Her wishes are granted as a silver ball-gown and golden slippers drop down from the tree. Cinderella runs off to attend the call as Jack enters with Milky-White. A Mysterious Man appears, he tells the boy that he would be lucky to exchange the pathetic cow for a sack of beans! He disappears. In another area of the forest, Red Ridinghood is stoped by a hungry, lascivious Wolf...who talks her into a brief detour en route to Granny's while he dreams of how some plump fleash and aging bones would taste. Unknown to the girl or the wolf, the Baker watches the encounter. As he begins to get concerned for the safety of Little Red...the Witch screams at him to forget about the girl and get the cape (as red as blood)! As the now frazzled Baker attemps to remember the precise ingredients...his Wife comes along, searching for an excuse to join him. Lucky for him, she remembers and simply tells the Baker she has come to give him his scarf. An argument aroses, but is soon stoped as Jack enters with the cow. The Baker's Wife suggests a swap be made: Milky-White for six beans..and leads Jack to believe they carry magic. Jack agrees to the exchange and tearfully tells his beloved 'pet' goodbye. The Baker is upset with using deceit to gain the cow, but his wife disagrees...maybe the beansa are magic? Still, the Baker insists his Wife take the cow and go home. Meanwhile, the Witch secretly visits Rapunzel...who spends her time singing wordlessly and combing her long hair. She is locked into a doorless tower...which magically rises into our veiw. The Witch calls out: 'Rapunzel, Rapunzel, let down your hair to me.' She does as her "mother" asks...and lets down her hair (which, by the way, is yellow as corn) and the Witch struggles to climb up. A Prince watches, and vows the next day to have Rapunzel let her hair down to him. Little Red Ridinghood has arrived at her Grandmother's Cottage...and is suprised to find her Granny to be more ill than she thought...but, it is not Granny at all....but the Wolf! He promply swallows the little girl. As he passes by, the Baker rescues both Granny and Red Ridinghood from within the Wolf's stomach. The little girl finally understands how to be aware of dangers in the forest....and rewards the Baker with her cape. Jack's Mother is very upset with her son. She takes the beans from him and throws them to the ground, telling Jack he will have no supper tonight. Back in the forest, the Baker's Wife enters...and crosses her path with a weary Cinderella-running from the Prince, brother to that of Rapunzel. Cinderella ducks behind a nearby tree as the Prince and his Steward enter. They ask the Baker's Wife if she has seen the young woman in a ball-gown...she answers no and the searchers exit. Before Cinderella can go, she is stoped by the Wife, who is full of questions on the Prince. After attempting to answer her, she begins to leave. She notices a beanstalk growing in the distance as a suprised Baker's Wife notices the slippers...as pure as gold! She heads off toward Cinderella as Milky-White heads of in the other direction...the Baker's Wife runs after the cow as the day draws to its end.... Every character goes about their business in the woods, oblivious of one another...they pause just long enough to share what they have lernt on their journeys so far. One midnight gone... Jack has just returned from his first venture up the beanstalk, returning with a new insight and stolen gold. He has learned that there are giants in the sky! He meets the Baker...in hopes of buying his cow back. The Baker trys to explain yet, is not successful...and Jack runs off to get more money from the giant. The couple meet by chance. The Wife is forced to admit that Milky-White has run away. They go in separate directions, and the Baker's Wife stumbles upon the two Princes. She eavesdrops as they express their agony of trying to win the hands of Rapunzel and Cinderella. Luckliy, things soon look up for the Baker and his Wife. The Mysterious Man appears with Milky-White. The Baker's Wife (thanks to the Princes) retrived a long strand of Rapunzel's hair...giving them three of the four objects needed. The Baker is suprised by his Wife's good fortune and finally sees it her way..it really does take two. Yet, their happy moment is ruined when Milky-White abrupty dies. Two midnights gone! They cow is buried and the couple bicker over how to get another white cow. The Baker gives his Wife the remaining bean and it is decided that they will both search for the cow...and the Wife will try to obtain the slipper. Meanwhile, the Witch has found out that Rapunzel has been being visited by a Prince. She drags her 'daughter' from the tower and implores her to stay with her...and she is the only one that can sheild her from the world. Unwilling to share Rapunzel with anyone, the Witch chops off her hair and casts her into a remote desert. Rapunzel's Prince, attemping to escape the sorceress, falls from the tower into a thicket and is blined by thorns. Jack, back from his second trip from the stalk, encounters Little Red..who is now wearing the skins of the wolf. Jack shows her a golden egg and his magic hen which he stole from the giant. He tells her of a golden harp which he plans to steel next...the little girl is very skeptical and dares him to go back up and fetch the harp....and he runs off again. Cinderella runs on, and trips. She is clearly wearing only one shoe, and mulls over her indecisivenss regaurding the Prince. The Baker's Wife enters, she gives the young maiden the bean...which she throws away. It is only when the Steward closes in on her that she gives the Wife her slippers, swapping with the other woman's shoes...easier for running. A trmendous thud is herd, a dead giant has just landed in Jack's backyard! The ogre was persuing Jack, and luckily the boy was able to stop him by chopping down the beanstalk. The Baker returns with another cow, and it appears that the Witch's demand have been met. But she finds out that the cow is not as white as milk, it has simply been coverd with flour. She yells at the couple to bring her the dead Milky-White, and proceeds in bringing the animal back to life. She then instructs the couple to feed the objects to the cow and then milk her--the milk will be the potion. Yet, the cow is still dry. The problem is found out...the Witch touched Rapunzel's hair, you see, she cannot have touched the ingredients! The Mysterious Man appears, and tells them to use corn silks...they do as they are told. The Witch reveals that the Mysterious Man is the Baker's father, who abandoned his son after his wife died. As the cow begins to milk, and the chimes of midnight begin, the Mysterious Man keels over and dies before he can talk with his son. The Witch, drinks the potion....she turns around and moves about awkwardly, and suddenly turns around revealing herself a beautiful woman (her true state). Happily Ever After.. |