Amaryllis & Little Witch

Pascal Brullemans, Alexis Diamond

• Publisher: Playwrights Canada Press
• Year: 2020
• Print ISBN: 9780369101143
• eBook ISBN: 9780369101167
• Topic: Literature
• Subtopic: Canadian Drama
• Index: Literature

In these dark fairy tales, two girls face danger while grieving loved ones, and learn some hard truths about growing up along the way. Imaginative and curious, these fables illustrate adventures for children who have to make big choices.

In Amaryllis, a preteen goes missing on her birthday. Amaryllis heads out with her sister Fey's ashes, determined to scatter the remains and set Fey free. But when she discovers that Fey is stuck between life and death, she realizes she has to join Fey on a trek to the Land of the Dead.

In Little Witch, a sickly mother and her daughter live in the deep, dark wood. One day, Big Witch finds an ogre caught in a trap. They make a deal: in return for saving him, the ogre agrees to take care of Little Witch once Big Witch has passed. Soon, the little girl finds herself in the ogre's home, frightened and alone except for her pet cat. But when a Hunter Boy gets caught by the ogre, Little Witch must make a choice: save herself, save the boy, or choose another path...

Amaryllis

1.

The Narrator enters.

Narrator

When Amaryllis’s dad got the call, he was already close to the breaking point, and what he was about to hear would only make it worse. You see, her dad’s life basically revolved around work. Not because he loved money, or because he was ambitious, but because only work felt real. Eat, drive, work, sleep, over and over again. That’s pretty much all he could do to fill the emptiness inside him. When Amaryllis’s dad got the call, he’d been living with this emptiness for three years. It showed up after the death of his first child. Her absence left a gaping hole that had to be filled. Especially when another little girl, very much alive, was waiting to play in the park, chase creepy-crawlies, and eat candy. Unfortunately, her dad didn’t have the heart for any of this, as if Death had killed all joy the instant It claimed his first child. When the office called with condolences and asked, flat out, when he thought he might come back to work, Amaryllis’s dad answered, “How about right now.” You see, when her dad was at work, he felt in control, making it a lot easier to forget about the emptiness. Her mother couldn’t bear it and left. So, when the phone rang, her dad was on his way to a meeting. He grabbed the phone, annoyed by the new ring tone Amaryllis had downloaded.

Dad enters. The phone rings.

Dad

Hello?

Narrator

There was that nasal voice he knew all too well. He was tempted to hang up, to disappear . . . but he didn’t.

“Good morning, Mr. Gray. This is the principal speaking.”

Dad

Let me stop you right there. I know what you’re going to say. But today’s her birthday, so you can tell her that if she doesn’t behave, she can kiss her party, her cake, and her presents goodbye!

Narrator

“I’m afraid that won’t be possible, sir.”

Dad

Why not?

Narrator

“She ran away.”

Dad

What????!!!!

Narrator

“She told her friends she had a mission and left.”

Dad

...

Table of contents

• Dedication
• Amaryllis
• Dedication
• Translator’s Foreword
• Translator’s Note on the Title
• Production History
• Dramatis Personae
• Amaryllis
• Little Witch
• Dedication
• Author’s Acknowledgements
• Author’s Preface
• Translator’s Foreword
• Production History
• Characters
• Little Witch
• Acknowledgements
• About the Author
• About the Translator