SNEAKY JACK

LITTLE JACK

Well I was minding my own affairs
When a bell came ringing through the wall
And now I know I gotta go upstairs
And steal Mr. Bubsy's crystal ball
It's lying in his treasure pile
In a room on the very top floor
I got a tweezers and an emory file
To pick the lock on the door.

(During the next section CRAFTY FOXX tiptoes after JACK, but is always unable to find him.)

Down the corridor I tiptoe
By the flickering kerosene glow
Finding my way through Henry's chateau
I cautiously go, taking it slow
Back behind a great armchair
I avoid Mr. Crafty's stare
With a silent prayer I flit through the air
Easy does it, I'm almost there.

(Now a light comes on above and we see TEACHER TESS still shackled to a chair in a closet upstairs.)

TEACHER TESS

Hey Jack, as long as you're here
So brave, not a trace of fear
Maybe you should rescue me
Then everybody could be free
I know a doozy of a magic spell
To bring the big kids back from the lake
And with Henry ringing his bell
We'll take back the house, piece of cake.

LITTLE JACK
(racing upstairs towards TESS's closet)

Hey Tess, not to worry
I'm coming down the hall in a hurry
And it looks like the coast is clear
Bubsy and Crafty are nowhere near
They got a big surprise in store
Cause now I spies your door
And with sneaky style I make my move
Twisting the file in the keyhole groove.

BUBSY BEALS
(entering the Hall downstairs)

Hey, who's making all that noise up there?

TEACHER TESS, BUBSY BEALS, CRAFTY FOXX

You're a sneaky sneaky fellow, Little Jack
--(a sneaky sneaky fellow, Little Jack)
Little Jack better watch your back
Beware the snare and the snip snicker-snack
You're a sneaky sneaky fellow, Little Jack
--(a sneaky sneaky fellow, Little Jack)
Little Jack better watch your back
Beware the snare and the snip snicker-snack

TEACHER TESS, THE KIDS (offstage)

As quiet as you can, keep an eye out for the nasty man
Not a whisper from your lips, no tumbles trips or slips
So careful Little Jack
Gotta watch out for every crack rustle and creak
When you sneak.

(And now LITTLE JACK takes out his Emory file and Tweezers and picks the lock on TESS's closet door. He races in and unties her, and together they pick up a large Crystal Ball from the treasure hoard nearby. TESS puts the Crystal Ball down on a table, gazes into it, and starts weaving her hands casting a spell. Meanwhile downstairs, CRAFTY FOXX finds JACK's Action Figures abandoned, scratches his head, and gets BUBSY.)

CRAFTY FOXX

Er, Bubsy...ah...I'm afraid there is one small piece of bad news to tell.
One minor aspect of the plan is actually not going so well.
Remember when I trapped all those whippersnappers--by having them sing and dance in the great hall?
Well, one whippersnapper was not very well trapped. In fact, not trapped at all.

BUBSY BEALS

Ah so what. Round up the little runt and throw him in a closet somewhere.

CRAFTY FOXX

Well, it's not that easy Bubsy. You see, the little rascal seems to have snuck up to the uppermost floor.
That closet where we kept Tess and your treasure hoard? He's jimmied the lock and opened the door.

BUBSY BEALS

What? How come you weren't keeping watch up there?

CRAFTY FOXX

Heheh..No need for alarm Bubsy....rest assured, this is just a minor irritation.
They're both still up there, working on some no doubt useless magic incantation.

BUBSY BEALS

Useless? You foolish fox! She's summoning back the rest of the blasted kiddie troop!

(Suddenly there is a great flash of light from the Crystal Ball and all the KIDS, dripping wet from the lake, appear in TESS's closet upstairs, HENRY still ringing the bell.)

ALL THE KIDS

Yes yes, Bubsy man you reckoned just right
Yes yes, ding ding goes the ring of a bell and a flash of light

(The KIDS head down the stairs with TESS at the front carrying the Crystal Ball and HENRY carrying the Bell. They finally meet BUBSY BEALS at the foot of the stairs in the Great Hall.)

We're comin' and a-comin' and a-comin' right now
Hope you enjoyed your victory, it was built on shifting sands
We're comin' and a-comin' and a-comin' right now
Thanks to little jack your precious toy's in Henry's hands

BUBSY BEALS

Well well well! All the jailbirds running free!
Woe is me! Crafty, how can this be?
Trashing the house has sure been fun
But now I think it's time to run
They've got the ball and they've got the bell
And they've all escaped from a watery cell
Crafty this is just swell!

CRAFTY FOXX

Oh, it's really not my fault sir!

(BUBSY BEALS and CRAFTY FOXX duck around the corner, BUBSY kicking CRAFTY in the seat of the pants. Meanwhile the KIDS are in the Great Hall drying off and laughing.)

LITTLE JACK

Well I guess my job is done
And we all had a bit of good fun
Welcome back dry off everyone
The bad guys are getting ready to run
Henry, good to see you back
I just tried to pick up the slack
And Fina good to see you too
Though y'all left me here with nothing to do!

(Now all the KIDS are dancing round JACK and clapping their hands.)

And I might have been a bit afraid
Of Bubsy and his snickery blade
But I just put on my fearless face
And said 'hey I'm loooking out for Tess's place'

LITTLE JACK, MILO, LUCIE

So Henry keep the bell ringing
Tonight we'll be dancing and singing
Bubsy won't stay, he'll slink away

LITTLE JACK

And I've had enough of sneaking today.

BUBSY BEALS
(leaning around the corner and shaking his fist angrily)

Well you kids haven't seen the last of me, no sir!

ALL

You're a sneaky sneaky fellow, Little Jack
--(a sneaky sneaky fellow, Little Jack)
Little Jack better watch your back
Beware the snare and the snip snicker-snack
You're a sneaky sneaky fellow, Little Jack
--(a sneaky sneaky fellow, Little Jack)
Little Jack better watch your back
Beware the snare and the snip snicker-snack

BUBSY BEALS

You dirty little thief, I saw you shaking like a leaf
I'll shake you through and through, when I get my claws on you

ALL

So careful Little Jack
Gotta watch out for every crack rustle and creak
When you sneak.