Shere Khan Spies and Listens

[Shere Khan comes close to a deer grazing, lies down ready to pounce, but elephants trumpet and the deer runs away]

Elephants march and sing: Hup, two, three, four

Hup, two, three, four

Keep it up, two, three, four.

Shere Khan: What beastly luck. Confound that ridiculous colonel Hathi.

Hathi: Comany, sound off!

Elephants march and sing: Oh we march from here to there

Elephant #3: And it doesn't matter where

[elephants are actually in different order now, elephant #3 is walking 5th

#2 is #6, and Winifred who was #1 is now #7 - all backwards except that Hathi

is still ahead of the herd and Hathi Jr. behind it]

Elephants: You can hear us push

Through the deepest bush

Hup, two, three, four

Hathi: With a military air!

Elephants: With a military air.

[they trumpet]

Bagheera: The jungle patrol.

Babar: Let's go and tell the elephants.

Elephants: We're a crackerjack bridage

On a pachyderm parade

But we'd rather stroll

To a water hole

Hathi Jr: Hup, two, three, four

Elephants: For a furlough in the shade

Bagheera: (arrives) Stop!

[Elephants don't notice]

Babar: I think you mean "halt".

Bagheera: You're right. HALT!!!

[Elephants stop, crashing into each other]

Hathi: Who said "Halt"? I give the commands around here. Now speak up, who was it?

Bagheera: Oh, it was me, colonel.

Hathi: What do you mean, taking over my command? Highly irregular you know.

Bagheera: Colonel, I am sorry, but-but we need your help.

[Shere Khan comes closer to listen]

Hathi: Impossible. We're on a cross-country march.

Bagheera: It's an emergency, colonel. The man-cub must be found.

Hathi: What man-cub?

Shere Khan: How interesting...

Bagheera: The one I was taking to the man-village.

Hathi: It's where he belongs. Now sir, if you don't mind, we'd like to get on with the march.

Babar: No, no, you don't understand, Hathi. He's lost and ran away.

Shere Khan: How delightful.

Hathi: Well, serves the young wippersnapper right.

Bagheera: But-but Shere Khan, the tiger, he's sure to pick up the man-cub's trail.

[Shere Khan nods.]

Hathi: Ha, ha. Shere Khan. Nonsense, old boy. Shere Khan isn't within miles of here. [Shere Khan chuckles] Sorry Bagheera. Fortunes of war and all that sort of thing you know.

Winifred: (walks to Hathi) This has gone far enough.. Now just a minute, you pompous old windbag!

Hathi: Winifred? What are you doing out of ranks?

Winifred: Never mind. How would you like our boy lost and alone inthe jungle?

[Hathi Jr. poses as illustration for the words]

Hathi: Our son? But Winifred, old girl, that's an entirely different matter.

Winifred: Humph!

Hathi: Different. Entirely.

Winifred: That boy no differnet than our own son. Now you help find him or I'm taking over command.

Hathi: What? A female leading my herd? Utterly preposterous.

Hathi Jr.: Pop, the man-cub and I are friends. He'll get hurt if we don't find him. Please, Pop? Sir? Please?

Hathi: Now, don't you worry, son. You father had a plan in mind all the time.

Winifred: Huh. Sure you did.

Hathi: Troopers, Company, left face! Volunteers for a special mission will step one pace forward.

[Hathi turn around, all elephants do one step behind, except Elephant #3, who then notices it and step behind too]

Hathi: Ha, ha. That's what I like to see. Devotion to duty. You volunteers will find the lost man-cub.

Bagheera: Thank you colonel.

Celeste: Thanks very much.

Bagheera: Now there's no time to lose.

[Bagheera leaves]

Hathi: Yes, well. Good luck. (in whisper) When the man-cub is sighted you will sound your trumpet 3 times.

Elephant #2: Yes sir.

[he trumpets and Hathi silences him]

Hathi: Shh. Not now soldier.

Elephant #2: Sorry, sir.

Hathi: (comes to Elephant #7) Leutenant, our strategy shall be the element of surprise. You will take one squad and cover the right flank.

[Shere Khan leans forward to hear the whisper]

Elephant #7: Yes sir.

Hathi (even quieter): And I shall take the other squad on the left flank. (very loud) Company!!! Forward... March!

[Elephants walk away, falling trees as they go]

Shere Khan: Element of surprise? I say. Ha, ha, ha. And now for my rendezvous with the lost man-cub.