Court Attendants & Court Guards: (move up from the steps to their places and position the throne)
Emperor: (bustles in from the hedge and moves to the throne)
Emperor: Where’s my breakfast? Did anyone write the poem for the day? I cannot find my slippers.
Court Attendants: (scurry, maybe even bump into each other in their haste to obey.) mumbling all the while in fear.
Court Guards: (rush in saluting / bowing -move to center stage facing emperor)
Sha: O Emperor, your majesticness, a terrible thing has happened!
Huang: Our enemies must have learned of the destruction of the royal navy, your excellency.
Emperor: What? What?
Sha: Yes, your importantness, several warships are approaching our harbor as we speak.
Huang: We think they will be here within the hour, O Emperor.
Sha: What would you like us to do?
Emperor: Do? Do? I would like you to turn back time so that my royal fleet would still be in existence.
Huang: I’m afraid we can’t do that.
Emperor: No, no, of course not. We must think. Call for all my guards. (clap, clap)
Guards: (rush in from the screen, looking very uncomfortable and frightened)
Emperor: We need an idea to restore our fleet and turn back the enemy!
Emperor, Guards and Court Attendants: (pacing in a circle around center stage – following the Emperor)
Emperor Stops and those following “bump” into each other – domino style
Emperor: I have it!
All Guards and CP: (stop and stare at the emperor – separate so no one has his back to the audience and the emperor is seen)
Emperor: Bring me that careless citizen who destroyed my fleet in the first place. He can just swallow the sea again and obliterate our enemies. Yes! Yes! Excellent idea!
Peng: (bowing) But, Emperor. Don’t you remember? You ordered us to chop off his head.
Bo: And you always expect to be obeyed, oh imperial one.
Emperor: Quite right. Quite right. (pause) No, quite wrong. Why couldn’t you have predicted that this man would turn out to be important?
Peng: Well, your highness, he wasn’t handsome, or tall, or graceful, or fast, or strong. How were we to know?
Emperor: I know he wasn’t all those things, but he could swallow the sea! That is turning out to be very important! If only I could turn back time before I gave that order.
Guards: (cowering and wondering what to do)
Min: (aside to the audience) Should we tell the emperor the man is still alive?
Ming: (aside to the audience) Then he would know the orders hadn’t been obeyed.
Wong: (aside to the audience) But perhaps he would be happy to find out that the kingdom can be saved after all.
Min: (motions to the children back stage to come in)
Guards: (back up Upstage to allow for the children entering the stage)
Deng: (comes with brothers to the throne, bowing respectfully to the emperor)
Children: (follow Deng in and bow behind him)
Deng: There’s no need to turn back time, your majesty. Your guards tried their very best to obey your orders, but with the help of my family my life has been spared. (motions for Children to come forward)
Chou: (moves to center stage) You see, oh wise and patient one, we were each born with a very unusual ability.
Jiang: (moves to center stage) Yes, Chou has an iron neck. And I can stretch and stretch. And Li can’t be burned. And Yan can hold his breath forever if need be.