Act II [Oceanic, below the waves]

CASSANDRA: (swimming alone) Oh no! I should have listened to that dumb fish. [FISH 1, FISH 2 and FISH 3 enter] FISH 1: Who are you? CASSANDRA: Well, I was a human, but I ate a fish and now I'm a fish too! FISH 2: Yes, it is a sad thing, but that is how many of us have gotten here, me included. But I'll take you to see the fish-queen, who lives in the most beautiful palace in the world. FISH 3: Come on! CASSANDRA: (the other fish are exiting as she says this, so no one hears her last words) OK, but how far is it? I'm still new at this fish thing, and I don't know how far I can swim. Hello? [She runs to catch up with them and exits]

Act III [In a palace underwater, with the fish and fish-queen]

CASSANDRA: (staring in awe all around) Wow, I've never seen anything like this. It's the most beautiful thing ever! FISH-QUEEN: Thank you Cassandra. Now tell me your story. CASSANDRA: Well, I was just a regular human girl until today. Today I went down to the river and sat and mended my father's fishing-net. When I was finished, I saw a beautiful fish. I caught him because I thought that my mother would like to cook him for dinner. The fish told me that I would turn into a fish if I ate him, which I did not believe. Then I turned into a fish and I had to swam to the sea. When I got there, I was met by them (gesturing to the other FISH). FISH-QUEEN: I see. My fate is similar to yours. I was once a human princess married happily to a prince. One day, a giant encountered me in my gardens and grabbed my crown away. He told me that he was going to give it to his own daughter, and then enchant my husband so that he couldn't tell the difference between us. When this happened I was filled with despair. I flung myself into the sea. But a kindly wizard transformed me into a fish, and a fish I will stay until the day when my crown is returned. CASSANDRA: Oh good queen, I will get back your crown! FISH-QUEEN: Are you sure? CASSANDRA: Yes! FISH-QUEEN: Okay. This is what you must do. First you must return to earth and go to the top of the highest mountain. That's where the giant lives in a castle. He has the crown there now because his daughter, the queen, sent it to him before she died, which was recently. To help you I give you the power to turn yourself into any animal of the forest, field or stream, except a human. CASSANDRA: I shall go at once!

Act IV [The giant's bedroom, with cassandra and the giant]

NARRATOR: Cassandra swam to the shore, and then she changed into a deer. As a deer, she ran to the castle, passing by a Prince on her way. [CASSANDRA, changed into a deer, runs before the PRINCE, who crosses the stage, staring at her] At the castle, she changed into a parrot so she could fly into the Giant's bedroom. CASSANDRA: I have been sent to get the crown from you because it is no longer yours now that your daughter is dead. GIANT: You evil bird! Why should I will give you the crown for nothing? Let me think what I will have in exchange. (Giant scratches his head) Ah, yes! You shall have the crown if you bring me a collar of blue stones from the Great Arch. CASSANDRA: Well, Deal! [CASSANDRA flies across the stage and lands on an arch. She pulls a dozen blue stones from the arch.] CASSANDRA: Ah, well this isn't so hard. Now I shall get the crown and be able to return home. [As a parrot, she strings the stones on a string.] CASSANDRA: Well, away I go! [Parrot flies back across the stage to the castle and the Giant.] CASSANDRA: There you go. Now you give me the crown. GIANT: They are hardly as blue as I expected. You must go get a bag of stars from the sky to make up for this. CASSANDRA: Stars from the sky!? But that's impossible! GIANT: Well, if you really want the crown, you'll find a way. NARRATOR: Cassandra goes outside and says: [CASSANDRA goes to the other side of the stage, and the GIANT turns his back but stays onstage] CASSANDRA: I want to be a toad! NARRATOR: And she turns into a toad. She goes to a pool and sees the stars reflected in the water. She fills a bag with the water and returns to the castle, saying: CASSANDRA: I want to be a parrot! NARRATOR: And flies into the Giant's window. [GIANT turns around] CASSANDRA: Here are the stars you asked for. GIANT: Your power is greater than mine. Have the crown, I no longer need it. CASSANDRA: Okay, well good-bye! NARRATOR: Cassandra grabs the crown and flies to the shore. At the shore, she says: CASSANDRA: I want to be a fish! NARRATOR: Then she turns into a fish, jumps into the water, and swims to the Fish-Queen. She gives the crown to the Fish-Queen in the presence of all the other fishes. The Fish-Queen turns back into a human, and so does Cassandra. QUEEN: Cassandra, thank you very much. I am so happy to be human again. CASSANDRA: As am I! QUEEN: Then let us go to my old palace and rejoin my husband and son.