ACT II
(After an Entr’acte, the cat appears, still dangling high in the air. He crashes to the stage and crawls out from under the curtain (“How Lucky You Are – Reprise’) to begin Act II. He reminds us of the events that ended Act I – -Horton trapped by hunters, Jojo at military school, the Whos trying to repair their damaged town, and Gertrude, unable to fly because of the length of her tail, now so long it needs to be supported by the bird girls. The story resumes as Horton gets carried away by the hunters.)
EGG, NEST AND TREE
SOUR KANGAROO
Up out of the jungle
Up into the sky.
Up over the mountains
BIRD GIRLS, WICKERSHAMS & SOUR KANGAROO
Ten thousand feet high.
SOUR KANGAROO & BIRD GIRLS
Then down from the mountains
BIRD GIRLS & WICKERSHAMS & SOUR KANGAROO
And down to the sea
ALL
Went Horton the elephant
Egg, nest and tree.
WOMEN
Egg, nest and tree!,
MEN
Egg, nest and tree!
ALL
They loaded the wagon right onto a ship.
Out over the ocean
And ooh, what a trip!
Rolling and tossing
And sick as could be!
(Horton throws up on one of the hunters)
Just a seasick elephant
Egg, nest and tree.
MEN
Nest and tree
ALL
Egg, nest and tree…
MEN
Nest and tree
BIRD GIRL #1
After bobbing around for two weeks like a cork.
ALL (EXCEPT CAT IN THE HAT & HORTON)
Egg, nest and tree!
BIRD GIRL #2
They landed at last
In the town of New York.
ALL (EXCEPT CAT IN THE HAT & HORTON)
Egg, nest and tree!
BIRD GIRL #3
He was wet he was tired.
And hungry and cold.
ALL (EXCEPT CAT & HORTON)
Egg, nest and tree!
BIRD GIRLS
Then, Horton was taken to auction…
(The cat appears as an auctioneer. After a spiel, he bangs his gavel)
CAT
And sold! To the man from the circus!
ALL (EXCEPT CAT & HORTON)
Sold …
Sold …
Sold …
Egg, nest and tree.
(Jungle citizens exit mournfully, as Horton is carried off. The cat now transforms himself from auctioneer to Mr. McGurkus, who introduces “the circus McGurkus.’ he and his entourage of clowns, roustabouts and showgirls present the many exotic creatures of the circus. But the main attraction is Horton the elephant, sitting on his egg, nest and tree and lit up like a Christmas tree.
We see the “circus on the road.” as they jounce from one town to the next, Horton sings “How Lucky You Are – Reprise” and worries about Jojo and the missing Whos. He hopes that Mayzie will find him soon and free him from sitting on the egg so that he can find them.
At last the circus arrives in palm beach, and as they exit, Mayzie appears, on a chaise, lazing in the sun. Accompanied by a suave pool boy (played by the cat) Mayzie complains that vacation is boring, and she craves something new to do. The pool boy hands her a flier for the circus, and she decides to go.)
MAYZIE IN PALM BEACH
MAYZIE
A circus! I love a show! I think I’ll go!
(Mayzie arrives at the circus, and suddenly finds herself face-to-face with Horton.)
MAYZIE
Good gracious! I’ve seen you before- now, let’s see. – –
HORTON
Why Mayzie, it’s Horton! Remember? Its me!
I’ve sat on your egg now for fifty-one weeks!
I’ve sat here while people have paid to take peeks!
I’ve sat here through lightning and hail storms and snow!
Won’t you take back your egg?
MAYZIE
Gee. I really don’t know..
Oh, wow, it’s really late!
And gee, I’ve got a date!
And lots of places to be.
But it’s so great to see you!
Look at you!
Who would ever guess?
Look at you!
Such a big success…
And it’s all thanks to me!
Amayzing Horton!
That egg-sitting circus sensation!
Amayzing Horton!
Even I’m impressed!
Amayzing Horton!
While I was off taking vacation
You made your fortune
Up on Mayzie’s nest…
I may be
Unreliable.
Fancy free.
Irresponsible.
Crazy me,
Always eager to fly.
But seeing you
Gives me true delight
Just this once
I’ve done something right.
The egg is all yours!
No, don’t thank me,
I’ll cry!
Good luck when it hatches.
Good luck…
And goodbye.
(Mayzie kisses the egg regretfully, and exits hastily. The other animals look at Horton with sympathy)
ALONE IN THE UNIVERSE (REPRISE)
HORTON
I meant what I said,
And I said what I meant
An elephants faithful, one hundred percent
But I lost my poor Whos
And their whole tiny town.
I couldn’t protect them.
And I let Jojo down.
And now, little egg,
You’re alone in the universe too.
Who would have thought
You’d be left up to me,
A fool of an elephant
Up in a tree,
Well, this time, I swear
I’ll do better than try
I’ll protect you from harm.
Yes, I’ll do it or die!
So rest now, young egg,
And I’ll sing you a lullaby…
SOLLA SOLLEW
HORTON
There’s a faraway land
So the stories all tell
Somewhere beyond the horizon.
If we can find it
Then all will be well,
Troubles there are few,
Someday, we’ll go to…
Solla Sollew
Solla Sollew
HORTON & CIRCUS ANIMALS
Solla Sollew
Solla Sollew
(Jojo enters. He is at school, writing a letter home. Simultaneously, Mr. and Mrs. Mayor enter, reading the letter.)
JOJO
Dear Mom and Dad,
I’m thinking of you.
And wishing we all were in Solla Sollew
MAYOR
They say breezes are warm there
MRS. MAYOR
And people are kind.
JOJO
Maybe it’s something like heaven.
JOJO, MAYOR, MRS. MAYOR
I close my eyes
And I see in my mind
Skies of bluest blue
CIRCUS ANIMALS, ALL
Solla Sollew
HORTON
I’ve had so much trouble JOJO, MAYOR,
Finding my way there. MRS. MAYOR &
When I get close, CIRCUS ANIMALS
It disappears. Solla Sollew
If we can get there,
We’re gonna stay there
If it takes us miles,
If it takes us miles
If it takes us years.
High on a mountain
Or lost on the sea,
HORTON & JOJO
Sooner or later, I’ll find it
MAYOR
I have a picture
Of how it will be
MAYOR & MRS. MAYOR
On the day I do
HORTON & MAYOR & MRS. MAYOR & JOJO
Troubles will be through
And I’ll be home with you.
ALL
Solla Sollew
Solla Sollew
Solla Sollew
Solla Sollew
Solla Sollew
Solla Sollew
Solla Sollew
HORTON
I’ll be home. With you
ALL (BUT HORTON)
Solla Sollew.
(Meanwhile, although still lost in the clover, life continues on the planet of who. General Schmitz brings his young cadets to the butter battle and expects them to fight for the “butter side uppers”.- Jojo tells Schmitz he doesn’t think it’s right teaching children to fight, and he runs away, heading home, but vanishes in a huge explosion.
We now hear a Christmas theme and we see the Grinch on a small, rickety stage, surrounded by young Whos in homemade angel wings. It is the annual “who Christmas pageant” performed every year. As they finish their performance and the mayor and Mrs. Mayor make a speech, general Schmitz and his cadets bring “a message from the front” –Jojo has been lost in the battle. The parents are given a medal, and left to grieve. (“Solla Sollew reprise-)
As the parents exit, the cat appears sobbing uncontrollably, too. But then he suggests that Jojo may still be alive. He ‘rewinds’ the action to the moment of the explosion, and we see what really happened:
Jojo is dazed and frightened but alive. He thinks of Horton, (“alone in the universe reprise”) and Horton magically appears to remind Jojo that he’s a thinker, and he can get home if he follows his hunches. )
HAVIN’ A HUNCH
SCARY VOICES
Ooh! Wah-ooh-wah!
Ooh! Wah-ooh-wah!
(Now the cat takes Jojo on a scary journey home.)
CAT
Have you ever had a hunch
You should follow your nose?
Then you have a sudden hunch
You should follow your toes?
Soon a sneaky hunch is whispering
Better go straight!
And before you know it
Oh, it’s so late late late late!
HUNCHES
Late late late late!
CAT
Now a nervous hunch is telling you
You could be lost!
HUNCHES
Lost lost lost lost…
CAT
As it leads you down a path you have already crossed.
HUNCHES
Crossed, crossed, crossed, crossed!
CAT
And you have a nasty feeling
That you should’ve had your lunch!
And you know you’re havin’ a hunch!
HUNCHES (ENTERING)
You’re havin’, you’re havin’ a hunch!
You’re havin’ a hunch!
CAT
A hunch!
HUNCHES
You’re havin’, you’re havin’ a hunch!
You’re havin’ a hunch!
CAT
You’re uncertain and confused
And you’re scared, oh yes!
And you wonder how your thinks
Got you in this mess!
And there’s no one to blame but you.
Oh, the whole thing stinks!
CAT & HUNCHES
Then you think:
JOJO
I’m a thinker. And I think thinks!
CAT
Only you can find the way
Oh, you just can’t stop!
JOJO
I will think and think until I drop!
CAT & HUNCHES
But your journey’s just begun
And so on you go-
To the left? To the right?
HUNCHES CAT
Oh, you just don’t know… Oh, you just don’t know….
CAT & HUNCHES
Now you have a sudden hunch
You’re alone in the world!
You’re alone with thinks and hunches
All colored and curled!
CAT HUNCHES
Soon you’re overwhelmed by hunches Ooh…
That pester and pinch and punch ah!
CAT & HUNCHES
And you know you’re havin’ a hunch
HUNCHES
You’re havin’ you’re havin’ a hunch
You’re havin’ a hunch…
And oh!
The places you’ll go!
JOJO
I’ve got brains in my head
And feet in my shoes
HUNCHES
So steer yourself any direction you choose!
And oh, the places you’ll go!
You’re on your own
You know what you know.
Don’t worry about
How fast or how slow.
Be certain you step
With caution and tact
Cause life is a great big
Balancing act!
And will you succeed?
You will, yes, indeed!
JOJO
98 and three quarters percent guaranteed!
HUNCHES
Set your hunches free to wander
And follow them where they roam
And follow your hunch
Follow your hunch
Follow it…
Follow your hunch
Follow your hunch
Follow it .. .
Follow your hunch
Follow your hunch
Follow it
(The cat wheels in on a delivery bicycle and Jojo gets on)
HUNCHES, OFFSTAGE VOICES
Follow it home …
(Jojo’s parents and Jojo are reunited. As they embrace…)
ALL
Anything’s possible!
(We now leave the planet of Who. And return to world. In the darkness, we see Gertrude McFuzz. She carries a flashlight)
(The flashlight picks out the poster for the Circus McGurkus.)
GERTRUDE
Psst! Horton! Horton!
HORTON
What is it? Who’s there?
GERTRUDE
It’s me, Gertrude!
HORTON
Gertrude! How did you find us?
GERTRUDE
Well, it’s a long story
ALL FOR YOU
GERTRUDE
I had a little trouble
‘Cause I grew a little tail.
Well, it wasn’t really little.
It was absolutely giant!
And it really was attractive
But you never even noticed,
So I felt a little silly even trying
Besides which the tail was too heavy
For normal flying.
HORTON
Go on.
GERTRUDE
Well, when the hunters caught you
I could see that I’d been foolish
‘Cause I couldn’t even help you
No, I couldn’t even fly.
And I got so very frightened
‘Cause I knew I had to save you.
No one else was gonna go to all the labor.
It was all up to me,
All you had was your next door neighbor.
(The bird girls enter.)
BIRD GIRLS
So she ran to the doctor.
GERTRUDE
The doctor named Dake.
BIRD GIRLS
And she said.-
GERTRUDE
My tail has been a mistake!
BIRD GIRLS
And she said:
GERTRUDE
Dr. Dake, I’ve been foolish and vain.
Pluck it out! Get it off!
I won’t do it again!
BIRD GIRLS
Pluck! Pluck! Pluck!
GERTRUDE
Ouch, it hurt a lot!
BIRD GIRLS
Pluck! Pluck! Pluck!
GERTRUDE
Ooh, a tender spot
BIRD GIRLS
Pluck! Pluck! Pluck!
GERTRUDE
Just a one feather tail…
GERTRUDE & BIRD GIRLS
But suddenly,
Gertrude could sail!
GERTRUDE
I sailed on a junk
And was practically sunk
For you.
I trampled thorough the trees
Full of furious bees
For you.
I slogged through a fog
And a choking smog
Down a soggy slope
Through a stinking bog
While my slip was gripped
By a vicious dog
For you.
GERTRUDE BIRD GIRLS
I galloped through the snow ooh…
In eleven below
For you.
ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh
Yes, even though I knew ooh…
I was catching the flu
For you
(achoo!) (achoo!)
And then came the hole ooh
Where I caught my sole ooh
And I rolled downhill ooh
Out of all control ooh
‘Till I broke my fall
On a jagged shoal
For you!
ooh, ooh, ooh, ahh!
All for you
All for you
All for you
All for you
There’s nothing that I
Wouldn’t
And I couldn’t
And I haven’t gone through…
ahh, aah, aah, aah!
I sprained my little toe, but la-la-la-la-la!
I hobbled like so la-la-la-la!
For you. La-la-la-la-la-la-la!
ooh … Ooh … Ooh
Then came the hit and run la-la-la-la-la!
But I staggered on one la-la-la-la!
For you. La-la-la-la-la-la-la!
Now, here I am, ahh-ah!
The worse for wear
And here you are ahh-ah!
I’m here!
You’re there!
And maybe now ah!
You’ll know I care ahh-ah!
For you! Ooh!
ooh …
GERTRUDE
Oh, yes. And Horton, one more thing…
It took me seven weeks…
But I found your clover,
Too!
(Horton is reunited with his precious clover once more.)
HORTON & BIRD GIRLS
WHO!
(Just as Horton ascertains that the Whos are safe, the Wickersham brothers and the sour kangaroo arrive to make a citizen’s arrest, and they take Horton home to stand trial.)
THE PEOPLE VERSUS HORTON THE ELEPHANT
MARSHAL
This is the case of the people versus
Horton the elephant
PEOPLE
Horton the elephant!
MARSHAL
Judge Yertle the turtle presiding.
Everyone rise!
JUDGE YERTLE
Order! Order! Order in the court!
JUDGE YERTLE & ALL
Order, order, order, order
In the court!
MARSHAL
The defendant is charged with talking to a speck, disturbing the peace, and loitering … On an egg.
HORTON
Your honor, this clover is exhibit a.
HORTON SOUR KANGAROO,
They’re Whos here. WICKERSHAMS, BIRD GIRLS
There are Whos here.
Smaller than the eye can
See! Biggest blame fool
in the Jungle of Nool
It’s true, sir!
Here’s who’s who, sir!
He’s a who, and so is she Biggest blame fool
in the Jungle of Nool
(Judge Yertle bangs the gavel)
JUDGE YERTLE
Order! Order! Order in the court!
MARSHAL
Call to the stand the star witness versus
Horton the elephant.
Raise your right hand and swear!
SOUR KANGAROO
I swear…
That he’s the biggest blame fool
In the Jungle of Nool
As I testified long ago.
Biggest blame fool
YOUNG KANGAROO
Just a fool, fool, fool!
SOUR KANGAROO
And a mother like me should know.
Judgin’ him trunk to toe…
You better think!
BIRD GIRLS
Think!
SOUR KANGAROO
Think!
BIRD GIRLS
Think!
SOUR KANGAROO
Oh please, throw him in the clink!
BIRD GIRLS
(testifying)
Talkin’ to a speck
Talkin’ to a speck
To a speck of dust!
GERTRUDE
Objection!
ALL
Overruled!
WICKERSHAMS, KANGAROO
(testifying)
Sittin’ on an egg
Sittin’ on an egg
Sittin’ on an egg!
GERTRUDE
Objection!
ALL
Overruled!
(Group by group, the animals sweep forward to testify, their voices building to cacophony. Horton emits a tremendous angry trumpet. The courtroom falls silent)
HORTON
I meant what I said
And I said what I meant:
An elephant’s faithful
One hundred percent!
You can throw me in jail,
Lock me up in a zoo…
But I won’t desert my egg
And I will not abandon who!
These Whos, sir,
Win or lose, sir,
Whether you believe or not,
They’re here.
They live in fear.
And I’m the only friend they’ve got
You can do what you want with me, your honor, and I won’t question why but..
Please save Who,
The ti-niest planet in the sky.
JUDGE YERTLE
Based on the evidence, I have no choice
But to order the defendant, Horton the elephant,
Remanded to the Nool asylum for the criminally
Insane.
And as for the dust speck…
BIRD GIRLS
Ooh! That dust speck!
MARSHAL
And as for the dust speck
BIRD GIRLS
Ooh! That speck!
MARSHAL, SOUR KANGAROO, WICKERSHAMS, YERTLE
And as for your dust speck,
MARSHAL, SOUR KANGAROO, WICKERSHAMS, YERTLE, BIRD GIRLS
That we will
Boil boil boil boil boil…
In a hot steaming kettle of beezlenut oil!
HORTON
Boil it! Oh no!
No, that you can’t do!
It’s all full of persons!
They’ll prove it to you!
Mr. Mayor, Mr. Mayor!
Oh, please, Mr. Mayor!
You’ve got to prove now
That you really are there!
So ring every doorbell.
And send out the word!
Make every Who holler!
Make every Who heard!
ALL
Boil, boil, boil, boil, boil!
MAYOR & MRS. MAYOR
Attention all Whos! Attention all Whos!
We’ve got to be heard!
There’s no time to lose!
MRS. MAYOR
So send up a shout
MAYOR
Make it loud! Make it clear!
JOJO, WHOS
We are here! We are here!
We are here! We are here!
(A silence as all listen)
COURTROOM MEN COURTROOM WOMEN
Boil it! Boil it!
Boil it! Boil it!
Boil it! Boil it!
Boil it! Boil it!
(Horton struggles to protect the Whos from the mob)
HORTON
Don’t give up! I believe in you all!
A person’s a person, no matter how small!
And you very small persons will not have to die
If you make yourselves heard!
So, please!
Try!
(The Whos are revealed. They’re terror stricken and do whatever they can to make noise)
ALL (IN COURTROOM) WHOS
Boil it!
Boil it!
Boil it!
Boil it!
We are here!
Boil it!
We are here!
Boil it!
We are here
Boil it!
We are here!
Boil it!
We are here!
Boil it!
We are here!
Boil it!
We are here!
Boil… We are here!
HORTON, JOJO, MR. AND MRS. MAYOR
Jojo, think of something!
(The cat appears out of a trapdoor, as the action freezes.)
CAT
Now just for a moment, young Jojo looked grim.
The fate of the Whos rested squarely on him!
But then came a think.-
A peculiar new word no one ever had heard!
ALL (IN COURTROOM) WHOS
Boil it! We are here!
Boil it! We are here!
Boil it! We are here!
Boil!… We are here!
JOJO
YOPP!
(Jojo’s voice reverberates loudly through the Universe, and the Whos are heard at last. The citizens of the jungle react as they hear the noise.)
FINALE
HORTON
Do you hear what I hear?
Do you see what I mean?
They made themselves heard
Though they still can’t he seen!
GERTRUDE
They’ve proved they are persons, no matter how small.
HORTON
And their whole world was saved by the small- est of all!
SOUR KANGAROO
How true! Yes, how true! Said the sour kangaroo.
And, from now on, you know what I’m planning to do?
From now on,
I’m going to protect them
With you!
And the young kangaroo in her pouch said…
SMALL KANGAROO
Me, too!
CAT
Their troubles were ended, they hailed his great..
ALL WHOS, CAT
Yopp!
CAT
And Jojo was honored as “thinker non-stop”.
MR. AND MRS. MAYOR
Now all Jojo’s thinks would forever be heard.
CAT
Including this think…
(We hear the sound of a giant egg cracking. Gertrude dashes over to Horton – they place the egg in a basket, and with wonder, they watch it hatch.)
JOJO, ALL
An elephant bird!
HORTON
Why he looks just like me.
Except for the wings.
(We hear a small tweet)
GERTRUDE
And except for the voice,
‘Cause that’s how a bird sings.
HORTON (IN A PANIC)
Gertrude, what will I do?
I’m slow and I’m fat
All I know is the earth.
He’ll need much more than that!
(A beat)
GERTRUDE
I have wings.
Yes, I can fly.
You teach him earth
And I will teach him sky
HORTON
Just call my name
BOTH
And I’ll see you through.
HORTON
One small voice in the universe
GERTRUDE
One true friend in the universe
BOTH –
Who believes in you.
(Gertrude and Horton kiss.)
CAT
The adventures were over.
The sky became pink.
And then, guess what happened?
Well,
What do you think?!
(The Whos and the jungle citizens are magically united by the cat)
OH, THE THINKS YOU CAN THINK (REPRISE)
ALL
Oh, the thinks you can think
Think and wonder and dream
Far and wide as you dare…
When your thinks have run dry
In the blink of an eye
There’s another world there.
If you open your mind
Oh, the thinks you will find
Lining up to get loose
(Horton and Jojo finally meet face to face, and embrace)
Oh, the thinks you can think
BASSES/BARITONES
Oh, the thinks you can think
ALL
Oh, the thinks you can think
TENORS
Oh, the thinks you can think
ALL
Oh the thinks you can think
When you think about Seuss!
When you think about Seuss!
When you think about Seuss!
GROUP 1 GROUP2 GROUP 3 GROUP 4
Seu-u-u-u-u Seu… Seu…
Seu… Seu… Seuss! Seuss! Seuss!
Seu-u-u-uss Seuss! Seuss! Seuss!
HORTON
(indicating the baby)
Shhh!!
GROUP 1 GROUP2 GROUP 3 GROUP 4
Seu-u-u-u-u Seu… Seu… Seuss! Seuss!
Seu… Seu… Seuss! Seuss!
Seu-u-u-uss Seuss! Seuss! Seuss!
Seu …Seu …
Seu-u-u-u-u Seuss! Seuss! Seuss!
Seu … Seu … Seuss! Seuss! Seuss!
ELEPHANT BIRD
Seuss!
ALL
Seuss!
END OF ACT II
GREEN EGGS AND HAM (CURTAIN CALL)
ALL
I do not like green eggs and ham
I do not like them, Sam-I-am
Do not like them here or there
I do not like them anywhere.
Not in a house, not with a mouse
Not here or there, not anywhere
I do not like green eggs and ham
I do not like them, Sam-I-am
Could you? Would you? With a goat?
Could you? Would you? On a boat?
Could you? Would you? In the rain?
Could you? Would you? On a train?
Not with a goat. Not on a boat.
Not in the rain. Not on a train.
Not in a house. Not with a mouse.
Oh, no!
Not in a box. Not with a fox.
Not in a tree. You let me be!
I do not like green eggs and ham!
I do not like them, Sam-I-am!
I do not like green eggs and ham!