Into the Woods - Act II Prologue: So Happy

(NARRATOR
Once upon a time later)

CINDERELLA
I wish...

(In that same far-off kingdom)

More than anything...

(Lived a young princess,)

More than life...

(The lad Jack,)

More than footmen...

JACK
I wish...

(And the Baker with his family)

BABY
Waaah!

JACK
No, I miss...

CINDERELLA & BAKER
I wish...

BABY
Waaah!

JACK
More then anything...

CINDERELLA, JACK, BAKER
More than the moon...

BAKER'S WIFE
There, there...

CINDERELLA
I wish to sponsor a Festival

BABY
Waaah!

BAKER
More then life...

JACK
I miss...

CINDERELLA
The time has come for a Festival...

BABY
Waaah!

BAKER'S WIFE
Shh...

BAKER
More than riches...

CINDERELLA
And a ball...

JACK
I miss my kingdom up in the sky

CINDERELLA & BAKER
More than anything...

BAKER'S WIFE
I wish we had more room...

BAKER
Another room...

NARRATOR
But despite some minor inconveniences,
they were all quite content...

CINDERELLA
I never thought I'd wed a Prince...

CINDERELLA's PRINCE
I never thought I'd find perfection...

BOTH
I never thought I would be so happy!

CINDERELLA
Not an unhappy moment since...

JACK & MOTHER
I didn't think we'd be this rich...

CINDERELLA'S PRINCE
Not a conceivable objection...

BAKER & WIFE
I never thought we'd have a baby...

CINDERELLA, PRINCE, JACK, MOTHER
I didn't know I could be so happy!

BAKER & WIFE
I'm so happy!

STEPMOTHER
Happy now,
Happy hence,
Happy ever after-

FLORINDA, LUCINDA, STEPMOTHER
We're so happy you're so happy!
Just as long as you stay happy,
We'll stay happy!...

CINDERELLA & PRINCE
Not one row...

JACK'S MOTHER
Pots of pence...

JACK
With my cow...

BAKER & WIFE
Little gurgles....

CINDERELLA'S PRINCE
Darling, I must go now...

JACK'S MOTHER
We should really sell it

BAKER
Where's he cheesecloth?

ALL (except Baker)
Wishes may bring problems,
Such that you regret them.

ALL
Better that, though,
Than to never get them...

CINDERELLA
I'm going to be a perfect wife!

JACK
I'm going to be a perfect son!

BAKER'S WIFE & JACK'S MOTHER
I'm going to be a perfect mother!

BAKER
I'm going to be a perfect father!
I'm so happy!

CINDERELLA, JACK, MOTHER, BAKER'S WIFE
I'm going to see that he/she
Is so happy!

ALL
I never though I'd love my life!
I would have settled for another!

CINDERELLA
Then to become a wife...

JACK & MOTHER
Then to be ste for life...

BAKER & WIFE
Then to beget a child...

ALL
That fortune smiled...
I'm so hap-!

(A loud rumbling noise is followed by an
enormous crash. The Baler's house caves in.
He is caught underneath the rubble as
his Wife runs forward with their baby.
The Witch enters.)

BAKER
Have you done this to our house?

WITCH
Always thinking of yourself! Look at my garden.

BAKER
Destroyed!

BAKER's WIFE
Who could do such a thing?

BAKER
Do you think it was a bear?

WITCH
A bear? Bears are sweet.
Besides, you ever see a bear with forty-foot feet?

BAKER'S WIFE
Dragon?

WITCH
No scorch marks,
Usually they're linked

BAKER
Manticore?

WITCH
Imaginary

BAKER & WIFE
Griffin?

WITCH
Extinct

BAKER
Giant?

WITCH
Possible.
Very, very, possible...

NARRATOR
More than possible. Their fears would
prove to be well founded.

BAKER
Into the woods,
It's always when
You think at last
You're through, and then
Into the woods you go again
To take another journey

BAKER'S WIFE
Into the woods,
The weather's clear,
We've been before,
We've naught to fear...
Into the woods, away from here-

JACK
Into the woods to find a giant-!

LITTLE RED RIDING HOOD
Into the woods to Grandmother's house...

BAKER
Into the woods,
The path is straight,
No reason then
To hesitate-

BAKER'S WIFE
Into the woods,
It's not to late,
It's just another journey...

CINDERELLA
Into the woodsm
But not too long:
The skies are strange,
The winds are strong.
Into the woods to see what's wrong...

JACK
Into the woods-
To slay the giant!

BAKER'S WIFE
Into the woods-
To shield the child...

LITTLE RED RIDING HOOD
To flee the winds...

BAKER
To find a future...

BAKER'S WIFE
To shield...

JACK
To slay...

LITTLE RED RIDING HOOD
To flee...

BAKER
To find...

CINDERELLA
To fix...

BAKER'S WIFE
To hide...

LITTLE RED RIDING HOOD
To move...

JACK
To battle...

CINDERELLA
To see what the trouble is...