LEAVING FOR INDIA
half hour tele-play
CHARACTERS: 1) Dharma The Cat, 2) Bodhi the teenage novice monk, 3) Siam The
Mouse, 4) Bodhi's guru, 5) The little neighbour girl.
1 (OPENING: MUSICAL MONTAGE) 1
30 seconds of quick personality clips show Dharma The Cat's amusing antics with his two
house mates, Bodhi the novice monk and Siam The Mouse. This montage is edited to
Dharma's Theme Song (chorus only, alternating female / male lines):
"Dharma The Cat's in a state of grace / This cat never loses face / All four paws on the Noble
Path / This cat's never had a Buddha's wrath / Dharma! The cat is coool!"
2 EXT. HOUSE & YARD -- NIGHT 2
The frogs and crickets take over from the music. It's a starry night in the suburbs, with a
bright crescent moon.
We follow a Hoot Owl flying over some cosy looking houses, with warm light glowing
from the windows, and smoke curling up from the chimneys.
The owl lands in a tree where Dharma The Cat is reclining languidly on a lower limb.
DHARMA
Aaahh, what a life! I've got my own tree, in my own
yard, with my own house. And in the house is my own
personal assistant!
Follow Dharma's eye line to reveal a small house with a human silhouette moving around
in the window.
DHARMA (CONT'D)
So, what do I feel like now? Well, let's see . . . I think
a nice little after-dinner snack would hit the spot!
Hmm, maybe something crispy, and crunchy -- mmmm!
[he licks his lips] So how do I get it?
Dharma yawns, stretches and lies back on the limb, then gives us a cheeky wink.
DHARMA (CONT'D)
All I have to do is wait until it beckons!
The house door opens, spilling a shaft of yellow light into the dark front yard. Young
Bodhi stands in the doorway, his own shadow playing along the shaft of light. He rattles
a box of dry cat food.
BODHI
[to himself]
Ha! Dharma thinks he's going to stay out all night.
But all I have to do is rattle his food box, and he'll
come running!
Bodhi whistles, and rattles the box again.
BODHI (CONT'D)
Here Dharma! Come on, hurry up, I have to catch a
plane!
(CONTINUED)
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2.
2 CONTINUED: 2
DHARMA
Catch a plane?!
Dharma meows loudly.
BODHI
Here he comes. Heh heh! The lower forms of life are
so easy to control!
Bodhi goes back inside, leaving the door open. He gives the food box a final shake.
DHARMA
Yup, sounds like Krunchy Kitty-Bits, all right!
Dharma hops down from his perch and prances through the open doorway.
DHARMA (CONT'D)
Heh heh! Humans are so easy to control!
3 INT. BODHI'S HOUSE (A TINY 1-ROOM STUDIO) -- DAY 3
Dharma enters the house, nose in the air and tail held high. He arrives just as Bodhi is
pouring the Kitty-Bits into his bowl. Bodhi pats him on the back affectionately.
BODHI
Good boy, Dharma! You are such an obedient animal.
Dharma winks at us.
DHARMA
Human psychology -- it's a pushover!
He licks his lips and prepares to stick his face in the food.
Suddenly a big block of Swiss cheese falls from nowhere, landing right on the edge of
Dharma's bowl. Dharma recoils. The bowl flips up, scattering Dharma's little Kitty-bits
to the far corners of the kitchen.
He looks up and sees Siam The Mouse peering down at him defiantly from the counter
top.
DHARMA (CONT'D)
Aww, rats! You again!
SIAM
Outta my way, Fur-Face!
Siam scrambles down from the counter, grabs the little string tied around her cheese and
starts towing the block toward her mouse hole. Bodhi sees this and is shocked.
BODHI
Siam! That's my cheese! I have to eat some of the
food around here too, you know!
He grabs the cheese from Siam, who is shocked.
BODHI (CONT'D)
This household isn't run entirely for your benefit!
He tosses some cake crumbs to Siam.
(CONTINUED)
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3.
3 CONTINUED: 3
BODHI (CONT'D)
Here -- time to learn a little humility! Mice should
know their place around here.
SIAM
What?!!
DHARMA
Hah! Let them eat cake!
SIAM
That's a dog of a deal!
Dharma falls over laughing.
DHARMA
Ha hah! I'll tell you what, Ratso -- it's called Karma!
What goes around, comes around.
Siam examines her cake crumbs with dismay.
SIAM
What's got into that boy?! He's so high and mighty
all of a sudden!!
Bodhi is holding his passport and an airplane ticket to India. He places them down
reverently on the chest of drawers, next to the framed photo of his guru. In the photo,
the guru's smiling face suddenly changes to a worried look.
DHARMA
He said he's going to catch a plane tonight.
SIAM
Oh, no, not that again!
All of a sudden Bodhi takes hold of a trolley stacked high with his personal belongings.
It wobbles wildly as he starts wheeling it across the room.
BODHI
Watch out, you two!
He steers the trolley toward an open closet. Dharma and Siam watch him, puzzled.
SIAM
He's one-eyed and hell-bent!
DHARMA
Like you with your cheese!
SIAM
Yeah, but no meditating monk!
Bodhi's forward momentum stops abruptly, as the trolley gets stuck in the door jamb.
Bodhi catches his breath, then turns around to address his audience.
BODHI
You see, guys, here's the way it is.
He pauses to puff a bit.
(CONTINUED)
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4.
3 CONTINUED: (2) 3
BODHI (CONT'D)
If one is to travel the path to Enlightenment, one