6
The Little Princess
BOOK COVER
A beautiful illustration of a princess, much like Hua in silver gown with a butterfly and a bookworm in teh shadows, with a title that reads:
The LITTLE PRINCESS and the Bookworm
With subtitle:
Her first story, in four languages
This and all text appears in one of four languages (English, Chinese, Korean, or Thai), which may be selected at any time. All dialogue and words are subtitled and read aloud.
The page is turned:
INT. BEDROOM. SUNDAY NIGHT.
HUA, 7, in nightgown, pets her puppy, TERRY, who comes up to her knees.
HUA
Tomorrow is the first day of school.
Terry cocks his head in confusion, wagging his tail.
HUA (cont'd)
Goodnight.
Hua turns out the ligts.
LIGHTS OUT
The moon shows through the window. A GLOWING BUTTERFLY flies in through the window. Terry barks.
BUTTERFLY
Little Princess. Wake up.
HUA
Who are you?
BUTTERFLY
My name is Butterfly.
The butterfly exits through the window.
Butterfly
Let's go.
EXT. MUSHROOM HOUSE. NIGHT - CONTINUOUS
Butterfly is at the edge of the mushroom cap. Hua follows out the window. Her nightgown has become a robe. Terry follows.
BUTTERFLY
Follow me.
HUA
Where are we going?
Butterfly flies into the yard visible only in the corner.
EXT. FAIRY RING IN the Back Yard - CONTINUOUS
The yard is glowing. A BIG FLOWER and an BIRD are looking over the corners of a half-eaten, moldy GIANTBOOK, which is GLOWING. In the background, several SMALL FLOWERS are weeping.
Flower
(sobbing)
The book is missing!
BIRD
I am sorry!
HUA
Excuse me.
The butterfly lands on a toadstool next to the giant book.
OVER THESHOULDER
The Flower holds up a half-eaten page with a princess on it. Bird is ashamed. Terry sniffs the book.
Bird
The worm eats the book.
HUA
Really?
Butterfly flies to the book.
CLOSER ON THEBOOK
Butterfly holds up a half-eaten PAGE with a picture of a BOOKWORM.
BIRD
This worm!
Flower
Please help.
HUA
How can I help?
EDGEOF the YARD
A black HOLE, the size of large child, breaks the forest floor. Flower points at it.
Bird
Can you find the book?
Terry circles around the hole happily, wagging his tail. Hua looks at the hole, afraid. Butterfly is pushing her toward the hole, with no success.
HUA
I'll try.
Int. WORM TUNNEL
Hua follows a trail of words on torn bits of paper that leads down the tunnel. The separate words read:
PRINCESS
READS
WORD
Terry sniffs the words like a bloodhound.
Deeper in THE TUNNEL
An orange light is coming from the edge. Hua finds more words.
WORM
EATS
BOOK
She picks them up and reads them. Hua gasps. Terry is happily oblivious.
HUA
No!
Hua runs into the orange light.
Bookworm LIBRARY
Giant, melting candlesticks glow orange. A giant BOOKWORM with glasses is munching on a GIANT BOOK. On the half-eaten page is a picture of a princess.
BOOKWORM
Delicious!
HUA
Stop!
Terry barks at the bookworm.
Bookworm
I want to read.
Hua
You want to eat.
The crumbs of book words spill out of his mouth:
WORM
EATS
DOG
Terry growls. Hua panics.
LIBRARY - CONTINUOUS
The bookworm lunges at Terry and half swallows him. His tail is wagging out of his mouth.
Hua looks at the words in her hand and has an idea. She throws them down in order:
BOOK
EATS
WORM
Now the bookworm panics.
LIBRARY - CONTINUOUS
The giant book snaps shut, catching the worm in it. He cries out while being sucked inside the closing book.
At the bookworm's cry, Terry pops out of its mouth.
The cover of the closed book has a picture of a princess. The title reads:
THE LITTLE PRINCESS
Hua hugs Terry.
HUA
I love you.
BackYARD
The dandilion, butterfly, and owl jubilantly praise Hua.
Flower
Good job!
All
Thank you!
HUA
You are welcome.
BackYARD - DAWN
Hua is ready to leave.
HUA
I have a question.
Flower
What is it?
HUA
Why? Why does the worm eat the book?
BIRD
Because he wants to be smart.
Terry tugs at her robe.
BEDROOM - DAWN
Hua is in bed and Terry sleeps beside her.
Mother enters.
MOTHER
Wake up!
HUA
(sleepy)
Okay.
SAME ROOM - Continuous
The book is on the windowsill.
Hua hops to the window and looks out.
From the backyard (Reverse Shot)
Flower winks up at the window at Hua.
In the bedroom
Hua holds the book against her chest. Terry looks concerned at the book.
MOTHER
Here is your book.
Hua looks down at the book cover.
BOOK COVER
A beautiful illustration of a princess, much like Hua in silver gown with a butterfly and a bookworm in the shadows, with a supertitle that reads:
The LITTLE PRINCESS and the BOOKWORM
With subtitle:
Her first STORY, in FOUR LANGUAGES
The page is turned:
CREDITS
Classic fairytale embellishments. Princess and her dog Terry looking at the text:
The Little Princess and the Bookworm
Her first story in four languages
Story: David Kennerly
Drawing: Sheila Vu
Design: Sherry Thammanavarat
Bird and Flower are part of the embellishments, and in one of the corners is nibbled corner and a winking bookworm.
Table of Scenes
The Little Princess 1
BOOK COVER 1
INT. BEDROOM. SUNDAY NIGHT. 1
EXT. MUSHROOM HOUSE. NIGHT - CONTINUOUS 2
EXT. FAIRY RING IN the Back Yard - CONTINUOUS 2
OVER THESHOULDER 2
CLOSER ON THEBOOK 3
EDGEOF the YARD 3
Int. WORM TUNNEL 3
Deeper in THE TUNNEL 4
Bookworm LIBRARY 4
LIBRARY - CONTINUOUS 5
LIBRARY - CONTINUOUS 5
BackYARD 5
BackYARD - DAWN 5
BEDROOM - DAWN 6
SAME ROOM - Continuous 6
From the backyard (Reverse Shot) 6
In the bedroom 6
BOOK COVER 6
CREDITS 7
Table of Scenes 7