Excerpts from

THE ANIMALS OF THE ZODIAC

An operetta in three acts

Libretto by Emily Samuels and Edward J. Hines
Music composed and orchestrated by Edward J. Hines
Assisted by the students of the Erving School, Erving, Massachusetts/span

Cast of Characters (In order of appearance):
Chorus • Narrator • Shun Yu (the demigod) • Peasants
Emperor (Lord of the Zodiac) • Ox • Rat • Rooster Pig • Dog • Monkey • Snake
Tiger • Rabbit • Sheep • Horse • Dragon

ACT ONE

When the zodiac is formed, the animals cannot agree who should be first among themselves. Both the Rat and the Ox want to be first. The Emperor, Lord of the Zodiac, assisted by the demigod, Shun Yu, sets about to make a decision, to "solve the problem of the day." Shun Yu is commissioned to ask each of the other ten animals whether Ox, or Rat should be number one.

The Dance of the Night Sky
The Creatures of the Sky

The Problem of the Day

Emperor:
Shun Yu, the people are confused, and so am I, so am I
Somehow a solution must be found to the order of the sky, the order of the sky
The rabbit and the snake, the monkey and the pig,
With the tiger and the rat, the sheep and the dog,
The dragon and the ox, with the rooster and the horse make the Zodiac of course
But still somehow a solution must be found to the order of the sky, the order of the sky.

ACT TWO

Shun Yu ventures on the quest to decide whether the Ox or Rat should be the first animal of the zodiac. The Rooster, Pig, Dog, Monkey, Snake, Tiger, Rabbit, Sheep, Horse, and mighty Dragon introduce themselves and declare their preference for a leader. But when the voting is complete, the score is tied, and the problem remains unsolved

Rooster and Pig Arias

Rooster:
Hey dog, hey pig, come dance with me a jig
It's time to rise and shine you know just listen to my song
Chorus:
Listen!
Rooster:
Now pig,
Chorus:
Now pig
Rooster:
Now dog,
Chorus:
Now dog:
Rooster and Chorus:
Let's all go for a jog
Rooster:
The morning sun has risen and the day will move along.
Chorus:
The sun has risen, you should rise and hear the song!
The day won't wait for you, it keeps moving along!

Pig's Aria

Pig:
Don't be so ambitious
What a hustle bustle tune
I find it overwhelming
To try to do too much too soon
Pig, Rooster, Dog (Chorus):>
When the rooster crows, the whole world knows, the day had just begun
But this endless jig just bores this pig, it's just not my idea of fun.

Finale: The Tie

All:
Rat has votes from Dog and Tiger, Rabbit, Horse and Snake
One two three four five I count,
That really takes the cake
With Rooster, Dragon, Monkey, Pig, and Sheep on Ox's side
We've got a sort of problem here,
THE SCORE IS TIED!

ACT THREE

Shun Yu reminds the Emperor that the Zodiac really belongs to the people, and that perhaps it is their voices that should determine the issue. It is decided that Rat and Ox will parade in front of the people, so that both animals may be seen. This solution is fine with mighty Ox, but small and clever Rat whines that she will be too small for anyone to see. She begs Shun Yu to use magic to make her bigger, and Shun Yu obliges. When Rat and Ox are presented to the people, the sight of an enlarged Rat is so impressive that no one even notices the Ox! The Emperor is delighted with the people's choice as the entire cast sings the finale, "Our wondrous lord is no longer bored, 'cause the Rat's number one, and we're glad!"

Finale: The Lord of the Zodiac

All
All hail the Lord of the Zodiac,
All hail the king of the stars
Triumphantly we end it now, genuflect, show respect take a bow!
For he walks like a king and he talks like a king,
And he smiles like a king when he's glad
Our wondrous Lord is no longer bored 'cause the Rat's number one and we're glad!

Copyright 1998 By Edward Hines Music, Wendell, MA 01379, USA
Tel./Fax: (978) 544-6986. www.hinesmusic.com
Any reproduction, by any means, of this work without the expressed
written consent of the publisher constitutes a violation of the
United States Copyright Laws.