The Missing Fossils
Scene 1 銆圓 Miracle In the Museum銆
Narrator:Stephen,a teenager who loved painting,was standing in front of the bones of a dinosaur.
Stephen:(reading the sign on the front of the display)"Tyranosaurs Rex ,from Argentina,on special loan to the National Museum of Natural Science for one month"
(He took out his notebook and pencil.)What a strange name!But these bones look beautiful.I just want to draw them!
(He began to draw,and he didn't notice a woman was walking toward him.)
Woman:Hi!Mind if I look
(Stephen jumped in surprise and almost dropped his notebook.)
Stephen:(feeling stupid)Oh,sure.Go ahead.
(He gave the notebook to the woman.She started thumbing past the drawings.)
Woman:Wow!You draw really well!Are you doing anything right now
Stephen:No.Why
(The woman didn't answer.She tucked his notebook under her arm.)
Woman:Come along with me.
Narrator:The woman said with such authority that Stephen couldn't disagree.So,they went upstairs to the forbidden area that only workers in the museum could go in.
(They walk to the right side of the stage.)
Woman:What's your name
Stephen:Stephen.Where are we going
Woman:Nice to meet you Stephen,my name is Peg.I'm a student from Argentina.I study paleontology.My professor Raf brought me here because I speak English well.
Stephen:(with excitement)Paleontology So do you鈥 dig up bones
Peg:Bingo!We are on loan with the bones you were drawing.(turning left)
Here we are,my professor's office.
(A man was sitting at a desk ,hunching over some books and boxes.There were
more boxes on the either side of him.)
Peg:Raf!Look what I've found!
Raf:Eh (without looking up)
Peg:Raf!I've found a boy who draws dinosaurs well!
Raf:What (He stood up suddenly.The chair he sat on fell down,but he didn't pay attention to it.)
Peg:This is Stephen,a talented drawer.Stephen,this is Professor Rafael de Leon.
Raf & Stephen:Nice to meet you.(They shook hands.)
Peg:Raf,take a look at these drawings.(She handed him the notebook.)
Raf:Ah,an artist.(He turned the pages.)A good artist鈥?br/>(He turned a few pages and stood up,turning to Stephen.) So,my boy鈥?hat are you doing now I have an illustration project I want to start,but no one can help me鈥
Stephen:(jumped with excitement)What a stroke of luck!
Scene 2 銆圓n Argument銆堻br/>(Stephen and Peg were walking .)
Peg:How's your work doing
Stephen:(smiling)Great!The supplies that you gave me last week are wonderful.They really help me a lot.
Peg:It's so nice to hear that.You do help us a lot鈥?She stopped talking.Instead of
her smile,she made arms crossed,looking directly to that where Raf was talking with two well-dressed men.They all looked tense.)
Stephen:(with lower voice)Oh-oh鈥?br/>Peg:(She walked to Raf,standing on his right and taking a protective stance.)
Anything wrong
Man :(talking to Peg with an oily voice)You must be Professor Leon's student.I'm
Brian Firth and this is Paul Taylor.(introducing his partner)We are the owners of Tibia Maxima鈥?br/>Peg:(interrupted him and smiled coldly) Ah yes,the bone smugglers.I read about the police raid,where they found the stolen dinosaur fossils鈥?br/>Brian Firth:( An embarrassed smile slowly filled his face while Paul Taylor turned red with anger) Eh,actually,we are running a completely different operation,strictly legal.
Peg:(smiled more coldly) Legal What a fa-a-ascinating idea!But how
Brian Firth:I'm so happy you asked.(reached into the breast pocket of his expensive linen suit) Here's my card.We were just trying to persuade Professor De Leon to supply us with a few pieces
Paul Taylor:(slowly relaxing his angry face) We're willing to pay top dollars,of course.
Raf:(sighed and shook his head) You want me to sell my country's national treasure
to private collectors,so they can decorate their fancy living room .Gentlemen,
as I have told you before,you and I are not on the same side of the fence.I
only work with museums and people who seek to educate the public.
Paul Taylor:A fine speech,Professor,but I know you are running out of money
Raf:Money is of no concern to me.Only science is my goal.
Brian Firth:We'll pay you enough to cover six month's digging.You'll be able to live in style and build a real research station
Peg:Come on,Raf.(She crumpled the business card and tossed it on the floor.) We don't have to listen to this.
Brian Firth:(smiled weirdly) Then,goodbye,dear Professor.You'll know that money is everything soon-I promise,soon.(They left.)
Scene 3 銆圱he Missing Fossils銆堻br/>(Ref and Stephen were working.Peg ran into the office breathlessly.)
Peg:(yelling)Ref,I've got the new shipment of bones.But box 17 is lost!
Ref:(He stood up suddenly.His face was white.)What Lost
(Peg nodded painfully,even couldn't say a word.)
Ref:Oh,no!(He fell down on the floor horribly upset,almost in tears.) That box
was my baby dinosaur:the complete immature Patagonytus puerti!Oh no鈥?br/>Stephen:(slowly said) Maybe鈥?t was stolen!
Peg:(shocked) You mean,those guys a few days ago鈥?br/>Narrator:Ref and Peg started to call their friends for help.Stephen found that he couldn't draw anymore.So he left the museum.But he didn't really know where he was going until he found himself standing in front of鈥?br/>Stephen:Tibia Maxima!This is the expensive store that the two hateful men own鈥?br/>But wait!(looked inspired) Even an expensive store has a delivery bay where goods load鈥
Narrator:With heart pounding,Stephen slipped into the dark entrance and tried to find the box from Argentina,but he couldn't.Suddenly,he heard a voice from the open door leading to the main store鈥 (Stephen crept up to the door and listened.)
Woman A:Oh,this one is lovely.Where on earth did you get it
Brian Firth:From Argentina.(Stephen listened more carefully.)
Man A:(talking to the woman sweetly) If you like it,I'll buy it for you.
Woman A:(happily) Oh,it's so sweet of you,darling!Look what it is named:"Pa-ta-go-ny-tus puerti"!(Stephen froze.) I guess I'll have the rest of my life learning how to say it!
Narrator:After a while,the man and the woman decided to take the fossils home a few days later.So Firth and Taylor held the box to the delivery bay,laughing.(Stephen hid himself behind some boxes.)
Paul Taylor:My,my,my.We're going to be quite rich!
Brian Firth:We certainly are!This is a fine idea,my friend,a fine idea!
(They put the box down and went out of the delivery bay.)
Stephen:(He made sure that no one else was in the bay and crawled out of those boxes,to the box from Argentina.He looked at the lid on the box.)
"Professor Rafael de Leon.National Museum of Natural Science." This is the lost box 17!
(He held the box and ran out of the bay carefully.)
Narrator:When Stephen came back to the museum,Raf and Peg were sitting sad on the floor and didn't say anything.Stephen opened the box and handed it to Raf.
Stephen:Look what I found.(He said slightly.)
Raf:(He unwrapped the paper on the skull dispiritedly,but soon an amazing smile
stretched through his face.Peg also looked at the bones surprisingly.)
(He whispered.) "Patagonytus puerti."
Scene 4 銆圓nother Miracle銆堻br/>Narrator:Time flies.It has been one month since Stephen helped Raf and Peg in the museum.Today is the last day that Raf and Peg stay in Taiwan.They eat lunch in a fast-food restaurant.
Raf:I spoke with our friends in Argentina this morning.They are very excited.
Peg:(with happiness) Why鈥 (She turned to Stephen,who was eating a hamburger.)
Hey,Stephen,you're awfully quiet.What's wrong
Stephen:(looked sad) Well,I'm just thinking about what I'm going to do after you leave for Argentina.
Peg:Oh,what (slammed down her drink) Raf,didn't you ask him
Raf:(embarrassed) Eh鈥?forgot鈥 (Peg looked angry.)
Stephen:Ah,excuse me.What are you talking about
Raf:Sorry,Stephen.I forgot to ask you:How would you like to come to Argentina
for a month to continue drawing for us
Stephen:(jumped to his feet) Let's do it!
The End
鈽 This play is an adaptation of a story book,which was originally written by Helen