Work Text:
(Some deliberate spelling mistakes included)
"Parking duty," said the young horse, wearing a pair of cardboard horns, "one hundred tickets."
"I'm not going to write a hundred tickets," announces the young female rabbit, thumping her foot, "I'm going to write a zillion tickets, before play-lunch!"
Titters run through the crowd.
It was the last days before summer break.
Most of the lessons and exams for that semester had been done.
The school drama classes had been practicing for their end of term plays.
This year, middle school was putting on their most famous re-enactment, honouring one of their own.
A young fox pushes a stroller across the stage.
"It's called a hassle, sweetheart," he says while being chased by the female rabbit.
"I'm gunna arrest you for tax efassion!" she calls, from behind him.
The performance plays on, the cardboard stage sets change quickly to suit the scenes.
"Growl," calls a young cheetah wearing an all black jump suit, "growl growl, growl."
The young rabbit leaps into the air, feigning a scared squeal.
"Stay away, help, help!" she calls into a toy radio, as she runs off to stage right.
A young coyote and wolf run on from stage left wearing trench coats, the wolf waving a butterfly net about.
The cheetah crouches next to a paper-maché lamppost, holding it with one paw while clawing the air towards the oncoming pair.
The net comes down.
A door at the back of the auditorium opens and closes as a blue uniformed mammal quietly enters.
The stage lights dim, a couple of beds are quickly pushed onto centre stage.
A cardboard door opens at stage right, the young rabbit poking her head through, the young fox struggling to stand on tippy toes to be able to put his head between her ears.
"What's in here?" asked the fox in a loud whisper.
"Looks like a hostipal," says the rabbit.
A black backdrop curtain pulls up to reveal a row of wooden frames like windows.
An assortment of young mammals, including the cheetah in the black jump suit, walk in circles behind the 'glass'.
Wearing pretend muzzles made from fluffy pipe cleaners, the 'savage' prisoners can be heard;
"Growl, growl."
"Snarl, snarl."
"Hiss, hiss."
Some mammals at the back of the gallery, quietly shuffle out the rear door.
The black backdrop falls back down as the young rabbit leads a lion cub wearing a suit across the stage.
"You're going to gail," claims the rabbit.
A youngster in the front of the audience cheers, only to be shushed by a nearby teacher.
Different murmurs and gasps can be heard coming from the rear of the crowd.
A carpet of purple plastic flowers is unrolled across the stage and a carrot stand is wheeled into place.
A group of second graders are ushered to run across behind the carpet, squealing and waving at the audience as they go.
A tubby rabbit and lanky fox, both wearing loosely fitting dungarees, wave their arms at the youngsters.
The tubby rabbit calls, "Don't you run through that, 'minicampy holki-hoki," he quickly glances at a piece of paper in his paw, "minicampum holisichius."
The fox retorts, "Gosh, we just call 'em night-howlers."
More giggles from the front row, but some sniffing now from the rear.
The young female rabbit leaps from behind the carrot stand.
"That's it!" she exclaims, "Night-howlers are flowers!"
The lanky fox quickly turns and bows to the audience, but hesitates before moving off stage, seeing people walking among the rear seats of the hall.
He gestures down to the tubby rabbit, who also looks as they leave the stage.
Another scene change, two young rams and a ewe are chasing the young doe and tod around the stage.
They both drop to the ground at middle stage, surrounded by the three sheep.
"What are you going to do, kill us?" calls the rabbit.
"No," says the ewe, pulling out a plastic gun, "he is."
She pulls the trigger and a little suction cup dart bounces of the fox's back.
A stifled cry is heard momentarily from the middle of the audience.
The final scene begins to unfold, the young female rabbit shaking hands with the previously caged mammals.
More crying becomes noticeable towards the rear seating, chairs shuffling, mammals sniffing.
The young rabbit walks to the front of the stage, a spotlight in her face, and delivers her final encouraging lines.
"Life's not like a cartoon show, sometimes it can be messy, but everyone should go out and try."
She falls to her knees with her arms in the air.
"Try to be, EVERYTHING, yay!"
Music plays as the rest of the cast file back on stage, some of their faces looking worried.
The youngsters in the front of the seats, initially clapping and cheering, see the solemn looks and go quiet.
The little female rabbit is bowing to the unseen crowd, waiting for her cast members to stand next to her.
But none are coming to stand next to her, two run off stage openly crying.
The young rabbit looks around, confused.
Little July Hopps shields her eyes from the spotlight.
Now she can see Great Aunt Bonnie walking slowly towards the stage, a smile on her face, but tears in her eyes.
A tiger in a police uniform follows the old grey doe.
July jumps off the stage and runs up to Bonnie, grinning at the tiger.
"Did you see me, was I good?" she calls looking up at her old aunt.
Bonnie scoops up the young kit, squeezing it to her breast, tears streaming down her face now.
Sobs wracking through her chest.
'How can I do this,' thinks the matriarch looking over her shoulder at the tiger.
The tiger looks at the floor.
'Am I brave enough?' agonizes the old rabbit.
How could she tell this innocent little kit, that her favourite aunty, Bonnie's own beloved daughter;
How could she say…
"Judy is dead."