Misto: Nothing. Just forget I said a THING.

(The overture strikes up and plays for a few bars when we hear the voice of Linounce, talking with Munklie Brown.)

Pounce: (off stage) I really don't think you have anything to be worried about, Munkulie Brown. After all, science has shown that a cat's character isn't really established until he's at least five years old.

Munku: (off stage too) But I AM FIVE! I'm more than five!

Pounce: Oh well. That's the way it goes.

(silence)

Veroni: Guys? Where's the singing?

Cats: Whoops! Sorry!

(sing)

You're a Good Tom, Munklie Brown!

Dem: (off stage as well. I'm sensing a pattern here--) The only thing wrong with my big brother Munklie Brown is his lack of confidence..... His inferiority and his lack of confidence.... his clumsiness, his inferiority and his lack of confidence...... His stupidity, his clumsiness, his inferiority and his lack on confidence, (fades out).

All: (sing again) You're a Good Tom, Munklie Brown!

Jenny: Munklie Brown...

All: You're the kind of reminder we need...

Cori: (sitting at his toy piano) Did you know that Munklie Brown has never pitched a winning baseball game? Never been able to keep a kite in the air? Never won a game of checkers? And never successfully punted a football? Sometimes I marvel at his consistancy.

All: (sing YET again) You have humility, nobility and a sense of honor that is very rare indeed.

Munku: Am I sensing a pattern here?

Jenny: Why am I Lucy?

Veroni: You're always going on about queen's lib.. I figured you would find more than a little in common with her.

Cori: Not to mention the fussbudget connection.

Jenny: Thanks. (pause) I mean, HEY!

Pounce: (shrugs, passing up the chance to slam Jenny with another one of his comments in favor of getting into character and getting this thing over with) I think Munklie Brown has nice hands....

Misto: (sitting on top of a large red doghouse) It is truly a dog's life (makes 'gag me' face, quickly stopped by a cold look from Veroni) a life of challenges. YOU try acting excited when that round-headed kid comes home from school.

Munku: I speak for myself when I say "HEY!"

Veroni: Charlie Brown isn't known for his self-confidence and being admired by his peers, Munku. Get used to it.

All: (sing AGAIN) You're a prince and a prince could be king!

Jenny: (walks out with Pounce in tow) Now Linounce, I want you to take a good look at Munklie Brown's face. Would you please hold still a moment, Munklie Brown? I want Linounce to study your face. Now, this is what you call a 'failure face' Linounce. Notice how it has failure written all over it. Study it carefully, Linounce. You rarely see such a good example. Notice the deep lines, the dull vacant look in the eyes-- Yes, I would say this is the finest example of a failure face you are liable to see in a long while.

Munku: "HEY!" yet again.

All: (sing... once more) You're a good tom. You're a good tom.

Munku: (walks on stage, a solo spotlight following him as he talks) Sometimes I wake up early and watch the sunrise. And I think how beautiful it is. How my life lies before me. And I get a very positive feeling about things.... like this morning for instance. The sky is so clear and the sun's so bright. How could anything go wrong on a day like this?

Misto: Don't ask.

(The alarm rings... he's late for school)

Misto: I told you not to ask.

(the music strikes up and the cast files on stage.)

Misto: I AM NOT BARKING!

Veroni: Oh yes you are... (locks the door out of the room)

Misto: Oh fine.Woof.

Veroni: Put some FEELING into it!!!

Misto: (sighs and barks, remarkably like the real thing) ARF!!

All: (singing in full voice to Munku) You're a good tom, Munlie Brown!

You're the kind of reminder we need.

You have humility, nobility and a sense of honor

That is very rare indeed!

Misto: (rolling his eyes) WOOF!

Tumble: (wanders in long enough to hear Misto) HAH!! I have to go tell the guys this one.... (races out)

Misto: AURGH!

All: (skip ahead to move the show along and to help Misto pick up the shreds of his dignity)

You're a good tom, Munklie Brown

Munku: (speaks) There they go again!

All: You're the kind of reminder we need!

Munku: (continues speaking) Don't know what they mean

All: You have humility, nobility and a sense of honor

That is very rare indeed!

Munku: (while they sing above) I'm not good, I'm not bad

I'm somewhere in between!

Misto: WOOF!

All: You're a good tom, Munklie Brown

Munku: I don't understand

All: You're a prince, and a prince could be king!

With a heart such as yours, you could open any doors

You could go out and do anything

You could be king, Munklie Brown

You could be king!

Jenny: (approaches and speaks) If only you weren't so wishy-washy....

Cori: (nose in the libretto) That's not how the revival did it.

Veroni: Well, I really didn't feel like tackling the tricky situation of trying to type out 20 things being sung at once, k'?

Cori: Wow. Struck a nerve.

Veroni: Don't worry... at the bow's you'll get to sing the full thing...

Cori: Leaving now. (makes a break for the door, but Veroni grabs him by the collar and sits him down at the toy piano) Or I could stay right here. *cough, gasp*

(Back on stage, the schoolbell rings and the kids run inside. Misnoopy tries to follow them, but the door slams in his face. He whimpers and wanders off. Inside, Munklie Brown's little sister, Demally, gets up infront of the class clutching a piece of paper.)

Dem: This is my report on the past. The past has always interested people. I must admit, however, that I don't know much about it... I wasn't here when it happened.

(Scene changing music strikes up and we are now at lunchtime that day. Munklie Brown is sitting on a bench, eating his lunch alone as usual.)

Munku: I think lunchtime is about the worst time of the day for me. Always having to sit here alone. Of course, sometimes mornings aren't so pleasant either- waking up and wondering if anyone would REALLY miss me if I never got out of bed.

Pounce: One word: No.

Veroni: One word: Shaddap!

Pounce: That's two.

Veroni: Oh. Then... never mind.

(Anyway, to make a long and dialogue intensive section of self- fladulation short and sweet, he explains the rest of the day and then suddenly notices the "Little Red-furred Queen" across the playground.)

Munku: There's that cute little red-furred queen eating her lunch over there. I wonder what she would do if I went over there and asked her if I could sit and have lunch with her. (pauses) She'd probably laugh right in my face. It's hard on a face when it gets laughed in. (looks over and gets even more anxious) There's an empty place next to her on the bench! There's no reason why I couldn't just go over and sit there. I could do that right now! All I have to do is stand up. (stands up) I'm standing up! (quickly sits back down) Sitting down. I'm a coward. I'm so much of a coward, she probably wouldn't even think of looking at me. In fact, I can't remember her ever looking at me. (gets indignant) Well, why shouldn't she look at me? Is she so great, and I'm so small that she can't spare one little mom--- SHE'S LOOKING AT ME! SHE'S LOOKING AT ME! (panics and hides his head under his brown lunch bag)

(a LONG stretch of silence)

Veroni: Uh, guys? Guys....?

(various tones of kitty snoring)

Veroni: (grabs the bullhorn from the "Coffee Break" scene in her upcoming High School musical) UP AND AT 'EM!

Pounce: Morning already?

Veroni: Cute, Pounce.

Dem: I may not know much about this show, but I do know that NONE of Schulz's comic strips were that long.

Veroni: It was stringing together a whole lot of them. He would sometimes continue a certain storyline over several strips.

Pounce: Couldn't we have done that scene over a secion of many BREAKS?

Veroni: And make this thing any longer than I'm already certain you're going to make it? I guess I could lengthen...

Pounce: NO! No but's. Forget I said anything.

Veroni: Threatening with even longer parodies gets 'em every time.

(As Munklie sits there with the bag on his head, his sister and Jenlucy approach gossiping)

Jenny: No, Demally, you're thinking of that dress I wore to Lucinda's party. The one I'M talking about was the very light blue one and had a design embroidered around the waist.

Dem: I don't remember.

Jenny: (takes out a pencil and starts drawing on Munlie's paper bag) Something like this.... and it had these puffy sleeves and a sash like this.

Dem: Oh yes! Now I remember....

(they walk off and Munlie sits there with the bag on his head)

Munku: Lunchtime IS among the worst times of the day for me.

(Blackout, changes to the next scene. At rise, Corhoeder is sitting at his piano, playing a classical piece. Jenlucy enters and drapes herself over the end of the piano. She starts to sing in a hopelessly out of tune voice)

Jenny: HEY! I am not that bad!

Veroni: (witheringly) I was talking about the character, huh?!

Jenny: (perks up again and sings) D'ya know something Corhoeder?

I think the way you play the pi-AN-o is nice.

D'ya know somethin' else?

It's always been my dream

That I'd marry a tom who plays the piano

(he looks up in a "Oh brother" look and continues playing)

Jenny: (continuing) At parties, he'd play something nice

Like April Shower's

I'm sure you could play something nice

Like April Shower's

Or even Frere Ja--cques

Beethoven's nice too.

Pounce: I dunno, that dog slobbers A LOT.

Jenny: The musician you-- (catches sight of Veroni and gets back into character)

Just imagine...

What would you think if someday you and I should get married?

Wouldn't you like that if someday you and I should get married?.

(Cori hides under his piano)

Jenny: (speaks) My Aunt Jellerian was right. Never try to discuss marriage with a musician.

(Scene changes and Linounce and Demally are sitting on the ground on the playground)

Pounce: (hugging his blanket) Happiness is a fleeting thing, Demally, but I think a man can come closer to it by directing the forces of his life to a single goal that he believes in. And I think that a man's personal search for his happiness is not really a selfish thing, either, because by achieving happiness himself, he can help others to find it. Does that make sense to you?

Dem: We had spaghetti at our house three times this week.

Pounce: Okay, question.

Veroni: Pounce, I really don't have time for your side comments right now...

Pounce: NO! This is a real CHARACTER question.

Veroni: (sighs) What?

Pounce: Why, if this kid is so smart, is he running around sucking his thumb and toting a blanket?

Veroni: Linus is walking irony.

Dem: I've never seen irony walk anywhere. Just like I've never seen a freudian slip or--- (Veroni throws her 'the look')-- I'm thinking too much again, aren't I?

Veroni: (nods slowly) Now can we continue?

Munku: (walks over to his sister, who is holding a jumprope and staring at it) What's the matter, Demally?

Dem: I don't know. I was jumping rope... everything was fine. Then suddenly it all seemed so futile.

Pounce: Even her CHARACTER thinks too much...

(Next scene...)

Cori: (sitting, staring up at the sky) Beethoven used to be fond of taking long walks in the country. He was always inspired by the beautiful sounds of the countryside.

Pounce: (runs on, clutching a ball) AAAAAAAGGGGGGHHHHHHH!!!!!

Jenny: (chases him) Gimme back my ball you blockhead!

(they race off, leaving Cori alone again)

Cori: Beethoven had it nice....

(Scene changes AGAIN and we are at Misnoopy's doghouse. He wakes up and sings)

Misto: They like me

I think they're swell

Isn't it remarkable

How things turn out so well?

Pleasant day, pretty sky

Life goes on, here I lie

Not bad, not bad at all

Cozy home, board and bed,

Sturdy roof beneath my head

Not bad, not bad at all.

Faithful friends always near me

Bring me bones, scratch my ear...

Which with a cat singing this, gives it an entirely different meaning other than that for which it was intended..

Veroni: GET ON WITH IT!

Misto: (grumbles and continues) Little birds come to cheer me

Every day,

Sitting here

On my stomach

With their sharp little claws

Which are usually cold

And occasionally painful

And sometimes there are so many

That I can hardly stand it! BRRRRRRRRR!!!! (shakes himself off and shivvers)

(spoken) RATS!

Jenny: WHERE??

Veroni: Where, what?

Jenny: RATS!

Veroni: Not those kind of rats! (groans and motions for the next scene to start since the flow of Misto's song has been pretty well shattered)

(There is more plotless dialog that we're going to skip and move on to the next song)

(Jenlucy runs on, having snatched Linounce's blanket away from him)

Jenny: I GOT IT! I GOT IT!

Pounce: AURGH! (chases her around for awhile in a really cute, hard to describe scene)

Pounce: You give me back my blanket!

Jenny: NO! I've got it, and I'm going to KEEP it. This is just the sort of thing you need to help you break this disgusting habit.

Pounce: Apparently, you haven't read the latest scientific reports. A blanket is as important to a child as a hobby is to an adult. Many a man spends his time restoring antique automobiles, or building model trains, or collecting old telephones or even studying the Civil War. This is called playing with the past.

Tugger: Am I the only one having a hard time believing all this deep thinking mumbo jumbo coming out of POUNCE'S mouth?

Skimble: Yeah, our little kitten buddy is usually more accustomed to scathing insults and quick exits.

Tugger: Exhibiting low-level brain power, derriving from the upper brain cavity which we always thought was full of Tuna in Pounce's head...

Pounce: Grrrr... You'll get your's. (gets back into character) And this is good, for it helps these men to cope with their everyday problems. Now, I feel it is going to be absolutely necessary for me to get my blanket back, so I'm just going to have to give it a good YANK! (whips the blanket from her grasp and she stalks off) It's surprising what you can accomplish with a little smooth talking and some fast action.

(sighs, hugs it... and skips ahead to the last refrain? HEY!)

(everyone runs out on stage in his dream and they start dancing with their own blankets)

Pounce: It's foolish, I know it.

I'll try to outgrow it

But meanwhile, it's my blanket...

Jenny: And me...

Dem: And me...

Munku: And me...

Cori: And me...

Pounce: And........ me.

Backstage Cats: Awwww...

(Time for yet ANOTHER scene change.. NOW we're back in the classroom with Demally, who is holding up a mangled collection of coat hangers)

Dem: A "C"... I got a "C" on my coathanger sculpture. How could ANYONE get a "C" in coathanger sculpture?! (to the teacher) May I ask a question? Was I being judged on the piece of sculpture itself? If so, is it not true that time alone can judge a work of art? Or was I being judged on my talent? If so, is it right that I be judged on a part of my life over which I have no control? If I was judged on my effort, than I was judged unfairly, for I tried as hard as I could. Was I being judged on what I have learned from this project? If so, were then not you, my teacher, also being judged on your ability to transmit your knowledge to me? ARE YOU WILLING TO SHARE MY "C"? (A really HIGH pitched OH!) Well, prehaps I was being judged on the quality of the coathanger itself, out of which my creation was made. Now is that not also unfair? Am I to be judged on the quality of the coathangers that are used by our dry cleaning establishment to return our garments!? IS THIS NOT THE RESPONSIBILITY OF MY PARENTS??!! SHOULD THEY NOT SHARE MY "C"?

Bomb: Whoa, Dem. Down girl.

Pounce: I'm beginning to think she thought that out WAY too far in advance....

Veroni: (as the teacher's voice) WA WA WA WA WA WA WA WA WA WA WA

Dem: Thank you Miss Othmar. The squeaky wheel gets the grease.

(Scene change AGAIN)

Jenny: This rapid switch stuff is makin' me nautious.

(Munklie Brown appears with his kite. As he tries to fly it, he sings..)

Little more speed, little more rope

Little more wind, little more hope

Gotta get this stupid kite to fly

Gotta make sure it doesn't snag

Doesn't droop, doesn't drag

Gotta watch out for every little.. whoops!

(skips a verse, hoping no one will notice)

Little less talk, little more skill

Little less luck, little more will

Gotta face this fellow eye to eye

Now that I've seen you chasing moles

Climbing trees, digging holes

Catching your string on everything passing by

WHY NOT FLY??

Wait a minute

What's it doing?

It isn't on the ground

It isn't in a tree

It's in the air!!

Look at that,

It's caught the breeze now!

It's past the trees now

With room to spare!

OH, what a beautiful sight!

And I'm not such a clumsy guy

If I really try,

I can really... fly.. a... KITE!

(it crashes off stage and he moans)

Veroni: Wow. Cool, Munku. Anthony Rapp and Gary Burghoff would be proud.

Cori: Cuz nobody plays a hopeless blockhead like Munku.

Munku: I'll.... take that as a compliment. I think...?

(After his disaster with the kite, he goes over to Jenlucy's psychiastrist booth)

Munku: Oh, Jenlucy, I'm so depressed. I don't know what to do.

Jenny: I think what you need to do most of all, Munklie Brown, is to come right out and admit all the things that are wrong with you...

Tugger: Alright, pitch a tent. We're going to be here all night. Anyone like s'mores?

Munku: HEY! (glances at the script, eyes bugging out) Make one for me. (sighs and starts to sing)

I'm not very handsome, or cleaver, or lucid

I've always been stupid at spelling and numbers

I've never been much playing football, or baseball

Or stickball, or checkers, or marbles, or ping-pong...

I'm usually awful at parties and dances

I stand like a stick, or I cough or I laugh

Or I don't bring a present, or I spill the ice cream

Or I get so depressed that I stand and I scream

Oh HOW could there possibly be

One small person as thoroughly, totally, utterly----

Jenny: WAIT! (sings) You're not very much of a person

Munku: That's certain.

Jenny: And yet there is reason for hope.

Munku: There's hope?

Jenny: For although you are no good at music like Corhoeder

Or happy like Misnoopy

Or lovely.... like ME!!

You HAVE the DISTINCTION to be

No one else but the singular, remarkable,

Unique Munklie Brown

Munku: I'M ME!

Jenny: YES,

It's amazingly true.

For whatever it's worth, Munklie Brown

You're you.

Munku: Gosh, Jenlucy, you know something? I'm beginning to feel better already. You're a true friend, Jenlucy, a true friend.

Jenny: That'll be five cents please.

Veroni: Alright. That's it for now.

Pounce: What? YOU got bored?

Veroni: No, you blockhead! I have to go work on set construction for the musical.

Pounce: Such a shame.. (races for the exit)

Veroni: We'll finish this later though, and then I have a NEW idea.... hee hee..

Dem: Okay, now I'm scared.