CAST OF CHARACTERS

Pandurang
Gangubai, Pandurang's wife
Sakhuba, Ganguba>'s neighbour
Sasubai, Sakhubai's mother-in-law
Babya, Sasubai's brother
Ramyaand Lakhya, Babya's friends
Villagers/Chorus: Man 1, Man 2, Woman 1, Woman 2,
Woman 3, Woman 4

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Education Company Pvt Lid
KARADI PATE
SCENE 1
little village
Nestled amongst the Sahyadri mountains is a colourful
village
named Baddbaddpur. Men and women gather in clusters in the
marketplace, exchanging gossip along with their wares.
Chatter, the exchanges are heard in quick succession as the villagers
swap outrageous stories.

Man 1: Didyou hear about the fruit that turns

your skin blue when you eat it?
Man 2:What? Wow!Where does it grow?
Man 1: Why, the exotic berry grows right here, in
Baddbaddpur! But that is not all, it also
makes your hair fall off!
Woman 1:Isaw aman selling a big basket of
flowers here in the market today! But all the
flowers were black!

Man 2: My goodness! How is that possible?

Woman 2:I heard the sun will rise in the west
and set in the east from tomorrow!
Woman 3: Iheard that the moon is going to turn
red!
Woman 4: Youare both wrong! Tomorrow, the
stars are going to all disappear from the
night sky!
Enter Pandurang, from the right. He has a scowl on his face and is
muttering to himself. He stops as he reaches the middle of the stage.

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KARADILPATHD
 Pandurang: (grumpilyl Why does everyone here
have to spew such nonsense?
He sets down the basket of fruits he is carrying with such force that a few
mangoes rollon to the ground.
Chorus:

Grumpy old Pandurang

He turns milk to curd.
There's nothing that impresses him
He never utters a word.

Pandurang covers his ears and turns to glare at the people singing. They
scatter, whispering to each other.
Pandurang: No wonder no work gets done in this
village. The people (cough) the peop
(cough) they do nothing but (cough,
cOugh)
Alarge white feather comes flying out of his mouth.
Pandurang: (astounded) Why, it is a feather!
Pandurang looks up at the clear sky, down at the feather and then,
around himself. After a while, he shrugs and picks up his basket to go
home.

SCNE 2
Pandurarng looks deeply bothered, clearing his sore throat repeatedly.
Sitting in the old easy chair in his house, he looks uncomfortable and lost
in thought.
Enter Gangubai.

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(KARADOL PATZ,
 Gangubal: (uncertain) Why [Link] look
as though you have swallowed a lemon!
What happened?
Pandurang: (hesitantly)Gangu, the strangest
thing happened today.
Gangubai: (intrigued) Oh, what is it?
Pandurang:
I was comingfrom the town,
From the town, from the town
It was warm and beautiful
weather.
When suddenly Icoughed
Cough, cough!
Cough, cough!
Andout came a white downy feather.
Gangubai: (loudly with excitement) Afeather!
How can that be!

Pandurang: (gruffiy) Idon't know, but don't tell

anyone.

Gangubai: Tell anyone? Why would Itell anyone?

Of course, Iwon't.
Pandurang grunts and leans back to take a nap. As he begins to snore,
Gangubai tiptoes out of the house.
SCENE 3
Gangubai stands at the low parapet of her house. She calls out to her
neighbour, Sakhubai.
Enter Sakhubai fromstage left as Gangubai is on stage right.

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RARADI PATEE
 Ganguba: Sakhu, Sakhul Something really
strange happened today!
Sakhubal: What, what?
Gangubal:
It'sthe strangest thing I've heard,
My husband coughed up a bird!
When he tried to talk,
It flew out like a wordl
When he tried to sing,
It flapped out like a song!
A bird out of his
mouth!
Ithink
something is wrong!
Sakhubai: (excited) My goodness! Aflock of birds
came out of his mouth?

Gangubai: (hurriedly) No, no, not [Link]! Just

ONE bird. But don'ttell anyone!
Sakhubai: (dismissively) Of course, of course!
SCENE 4
Sakhubai walks briskly into house, calling out to her mother-in-law, who is
sitting against a wall, shelling peas.
Sakhubai: Sasubai! Sasubai! Come here quickly, I
have something to tell you.
Sasubai: What is it?
Sakhubai:

My friend Gangu,
Who lives over there,

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KARP)PATEA
 Told me something
that made me stare!
She said her husband
had gone out of town
And when he came back,
guess what she found!

Sasubai: (with wide eyes) Did he come back with

blue skin? Or no hair?

Sakhubai: No, no! He is going bald anyway.

Sasubai: What, then?
Sakhubai: Ahuge fock of white birds came out of
her husband's mouth!

Sasubai: Aflock of birds! Why, what did he eat?

Sakhubai: (owering her voice) ldon't know, but
don't tell anyone, it is asecret.
Sasubai: Of course, of course. My lips are sealed.
Sasubai pretends to walk out of the slowly and then hastens.

SCENE 5
Sasubai walks to her brother Babya, who is sitting under a tree. She finds
him asleep.
Sasubai: (shaking him awake) Babya! Wake up!
You will not believe what happened.

Babya: (grumpily) Why did you wake me? lwas

dreaming about eating a mango.
Sasubai: This is much more interesting than that.
Babya: What is it?

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6
 Sasubai:
Atree grew
inside
It grew and
grew and Pandurang's
grew
mouth
And on that tree,
Aflock of there came to nest
birds, full
And when Pandu sixty-twol
They flew and flewopened
and flew!
his mouth
Ibarely can
believe the
But Sakhu saw it- so tale,
it's true!
Babya: Atree with nests full of
birds?
Sasubai: Yes.
Babya: (bursting with
up) Was it a excitement and standing
mango tree?
Sasubai: (annoyed) Idon't know. But
anyone. don't tell
Sasubai and Babya walk away
together, talking about this marvel.
SCENE 6
Inthe marketplace, Babya lets
his excitement spill,
wild happenings to
everyone around. He
gushing about the
calls out to them. sees his friends walking by and

Babya: Ramya! Lakhya! You're not

believe this. going to
Ramya: (laughing) Here comes yet
tale. another tall
Babya: You knowold Pandu, that one?
The grumpy old chap, Gannya Bhau's son?
He swallowed a forest in town

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Company PV LId
KARADI
7 PATE)
 I'm telling the truth, don't frown!
Sakhu, my niece in law,
Told Tai, my sister, she saw
Aforest of trees in his jaw
With birds going 'chirrup' and 'caw'!
When he opened his mouth to say 'Hil'
Allthe birds started to fly!
Lakhya: My goodness!
Ramya: How did that happen?
Babya: Idon't know, but don't tell anyone.
Ramya and Lakhya nod and go to join another group near them. They
start speaking animatedly.
People exit in clusters, whispering to each other.
SCENE 7
There is acrowd forming outside Pandurag and Gangubhai's house. It
rises
becomes noisier as more people join, and the excitement of gossip
in the air. Gangubai looks on through a window.
Man 1: There were tigers and wolves and
monkeys!
Woman 1:There were trees with flowers black,
white and blue!

Man 2: And a stream that gushed out from

between his teeth!

Woman 2: And mynahs and koels that from his

mouth flew!

Unable to hold her exciterment in any longer, Gangubai steps out of the
house.

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gARAOL
 Gangubhai Andt that's not all
Though don't know how
From his mouth
Came a herd of cows!
Enter Pandurang rubbing
sleep from his eyes
Chorus: He's here! Shh, shhhh, he's
heret
Pandurang, looking groggy and irritated, opens his
watches in complete stillness. mouth. The crowd
silence is broken by surprised Pandurang yawns a long, wide yawn. The
voices.
Woman 1:Where is the forest?
Man 2: Where are the
tigers?
Woman 2:Where are the birds?
Man 1: Where are the
Pandurang: (his voice thundering over everyone
else's) STOP!Will someone tell me
what is
going on?
There isa moment of hesitation before a
woman speaks.
Woman 1: We heard that when you speak,
the birds all fly right out.
Chorus: Yes, out of your mouth, we heard that
birds fly out.
Woman 2: Well, at least we thought that we
Would see one bird.
Chorus: Yes, with every word, we thought you'd
spitouta bird.

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KARADL PATE
 Man 1: If not a whole big bird, we thought we'd
see a feather.

Chorus: We're waiting for it, brother, let's see you

spitout a feather!
Pandurang stares at the crowd. Aslow smile creeps across his face.
Slowly,the people grow quiet as they watch the grumpy man's face
stretched by his smile. He bursts out laughing. The crowd joins him,
shrieking with laughter.
Chorus: Grumpy old Pandurang
Whoonce turned milk to Curd
Opened his mouth in front of our eyes
And did something realy absurd!
He laughed and laughed and rolled around
And as he did, the whole village stared
Waiting for a bird, beast or river
Yet there was nothing,was there!
Andso this is the story of the rumour
That through our litle village spread
Don't try to convince us
That this isn't the strangest thing
You have ever heard!

Everyone is seen rolling on the floor laughing.

The End

4..

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KARAOL ZAYT
 Gangubhai: And that's not all,
Though Idon't know how
From his mouth
Came a herd of cows!

Enter Pandurang, rubbing sleep from his eyes.

Chorus: He's here! Shh, shhhh, he's here!
Pandurang, looking groggy and irritated,opens his mouth. The crowd
watches in complete stillness. Pandurang yawns a long, wide yawn. The
silence is broken by surprised voices.
Woman 1: Where is the forest?
Man 2: Where are the tigers?
Woman 2:Where are the birds?
Man 1: Where are the
Pandurang: (his voice thundering over everyone
else's) STOP! Will someone tell me what is
going on?
There isa moment of hesitation before a woman speaks.
Woman 1: We heard that when you speak,
the birds all fly right out.
Chorus: Yes, out of your mouth, we heard that
birds fly out.
Woman 2: Well, at least we thought that we
would see one bird.

Chorus: Yes, with every word, we thought you'd

spit out a bird.

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KARADI PATR)
 Man 1: If not a whole big bird, we thought we'd
see a feather.

Chorus:We're waiting for it, brother, let's see you

spit out a featherl
Pandurang stares at the crowd. Aslow smile creeps across his face.
Slowly, the people grow quiet as they watch the grumpy man's face
stretched by his smile. He bursts out laughing. The crowd joins him,
shrieking with iaughter.
Chorus: Grumpy old Pandurang
Who once turned milk tocurd
Opened his mouth in front of our eyes
And did something really absurd!
He laughed and laughed and rolled around
And as he did, the whole village stared
Waiting for a bird, beast or river
Yet there was nothing, was there!
And so this is the story of the rumour
That through our little village spread
Don't try toconvince us
That this isn't the strangest thing
You have ever heard!

Everyone is seen rolling on the floor laughing.

The End

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KARADX