Swiss Family Robinson: A Place For All Of Us

Scene 10: Emi...no, Ernest

Emily's clearing, the next morning. She is just finishing rebuilding her fire. She looks more dirty than when we last saw her.

Emily: Yawns. Let's see, it's been... three weeks. I haven't seen anyone. (Confidently) I think I'm alone on this island. (Scared.) I think I'm alone on this island. Oh, now what do I do?

Fritz and Abigail enter nonchalantly.

Emily: (Screams.) Who are you? (Realizes she's supposed to be a boy and assumes a lower voice) Uh, I thought I was the only person on this island.

Abigail: (Realizing they scared 'him') Hello, I'm Abigail.

Fritz: (Extends his hand warily.) I'm Fritz. And you are...

Emily: Em- uh, Ernest. Yes, Ernest is my name. Pleased to meet you.

Fritz: Well, Ernest, what are you doing here by yourself?

Emily: I was working as a cabin-boy on my grandfather's ship...

Fritz: (Interrupting.) You have a ship?

Emily: The ship was attacked by pirates... and we landed on this island. I ran away as fast as I could, and I thought my grandfather was behind me, but when I turned around, he wasn't there. I went back to the beach, and the ship was gone - pirates, Grandfather, and all. I've been looking for people ever since, and haven't found anyone - except you.

Fritz: How long have you been here?

Emily: Since three weeks ago.

Abigail: Why, that was right after the storm! You've been here as long as we have!

Emily: Are you alone as well?

Fritz: We came with our family. Mother and Father sent us to explore the island - to see if it really is one. We hoped that perhaps we could find a way to get back to the mainland.

Abigail: You're welcome to join us - I wouldn't want to live here alone at night.

Fritz: Abi, I don't know-

Emily: Oh, thank-you! I really didn't know what I was going to do. I thought for sure I was all alone.

They continue walking in the direction Abigail and Fritz were headed. Thunder booms overhead and rain begins to fall.

Abigail: Can we go to that cave up there? I don't want the food to get soaking wet!

Fritz: Let's go! Here, let me take that bag for you, Abi.

They start climbing up to the cave. Emily follows behind them.

Fritz: (Annoyed) Come on, Ernest! Hurry, you'll get wet!

Emily: I'm coming! (Emily climbs into the cave with Fritz and Abigail.)

Abigail: This is a huge storm!

Dune: I'm getting wet!

Fritz: Dune, have you been following us all the time?

Dune: Arf!

Abigail: Here, I'll get you something to eat. Why don't we make a fire, Fritz, and have dinner in here?

Fritz: That sounds wonderful!

Emily: What can I do to help?

Abigail: We've brought some turtle eggs, and some venison.

Emily: I'll cook the eggs, once we get a fire going. (They gather wood from inside the cave.)

Fritz:. You...cook? Mother's started teaching me to cook since we got to the island.

Emily: (Busily making eggs) I like cooking.

Abigail: Did you cook on board the ship?

Emily: (Realizing again that she's a boy) Uh, no, not really. I was the cabin boy.

Fritz: (Arguing) But cabin boys do cook.

Emily: Oh, uh, yes.

Fritz: Where are you from?

Emily: (Defensively) England.

Abigail: Do you have any siblings?

Emily: A few.

Fritz: (Annoyed) A few, huh?

Abigail: (Changing the subject) Fritz, has it stopped raining?

Fritz: (Peering out of the cave) I think so!

Abigail: Well, dinner's ready. We can keep going after we eat.

Emily: Where exactly are you going? Around the island?

Fritz: Yes, my theory is that if we go in a circle around the island, following the coastline, we will eventually come back to the place we landed on the beach, and then from there we could find our way back home.

Emily: Unless it isn't an island.

Fritz: Yes, well, in that case the journey might be shorter. Then we'd just come straight back to the treehouse to tell Father.

Emily: Treehouse?

Abigail: When no ship came to rescue us, we started building a house in a stand of trees. We used wood from the ship, and it's actually very pretty. I think you'd really like it, Ernest.

Fritz gives Abigail a warning look - he doesn't think they should take Ernest back to the treehouse with them.

Abigail: Do you think those pirates will come back?

Emily: I don't think so. I heard one of them saying "I wouldn't set foot on that island if you paid me a million gold bars! It's haunted."

Fritz: So it really is an island then, if the pirate knew what he was talking about.

Emily: I suppose so.

Abigail: I'll take your dishes.

Emily: Oh, I can wash my own.

Abigail: Alright.

Fritz: I'll stay here and pack up, Abigail.

Abigail: Okay.

Emily and Abigail climb down from the cave. Fritz puts out the fire.

Fritz: Who is that boy? He doesn't want to tell us anything about himself, he doesn't really know what cabin boys do. He thinks he can cook! I don't think he is who he says he is.