The Baker's Wand

As the applause dies down from the story, Brock appears in a spotlight playing a familiar song on his guitar, after Ash and Misty join in on their instruments, he starts to sing:

Pikachu went out to ride, gitty-alon, gitty alon,
Pikachu went out to ride, gitty alon and I.
Pikachu went out to ride, sword and buckle by his side;
Mecax, mekary, Ducklett-a-dil, gitty alon and I.

Emolga will marry me, gitty alon, gitty alon,
Emolga will marry me, gitty alon and I.
Emolga will marry me, ask my Pikachu, said she,
Mecax, mekary, Ducklett-a-dil, gitty alon and I.

Ash added a whistle flourish as Brock continued Pikachu, will you marry Emolga, gitty alon, gitty alon?
Pikachu, will you marry Emolga, gitty alon and I?
Pikachu, will you marry Emolga?
Why yes, kind lad, by half my house, mecax, mekary, Ducklett-a-dil, gitty alon and I....

After another flourish, Brock began the next verse. Emolga, where will the wedding be, gitty alon, gitty alon?
Emolga, where will the wedding be, gitty alon and I?
Emolga, where will the wedding be?
'Ask my Pikachu' says she, mecax, mekary, Ducklett-a-dil, gitty alon and I....

The fiddle and whistle play together for a moment before Brock sings the final verse. Pikachu, where will the wedding be, gitty alon, gitty alon?
Pikachu, where will the wedding be, gitty alon and I?
Pikachu, where will the wedding be?
At the top of a Cheri tree, mecax, mekary, Ducklett-a-dil, gitty alon and I....

The crowd claps along as whistle, fiddle, and guitar next play a jig-like interlude together. After a few renditions of the tune, Brock decides to scat along with the whistle for a moment before singing one last rendition of Mecax, mekary, Ducklett-a-dil, gitty alon and I.... to end the song, to thunderous applause.

Once the applause dies down, he begins the next tale of the night. "There was once a wicked lawyer who was in love with a baker's wife. He tried in various ways to get rid of the baker, but without success. They lived not far from the king, who owned all the land in the realm and was very powerful."

He explains to the audience "Now, in front of the king's palace there was a lake that some said was more than twelve thousand acres. One morning. the lawyer went to the palace and knocked at the door." He knocks at the stage floor for effect, to some laughter. "When the king came out, he said to him...

In a mimic of Gary for the lawyer, he tells an imagined person "Sire, there is a man not far from here who boasts that in less than seventy two hours, he can turn this lake into a beautiful meadow covered with grass that would give enough food for all your Ponytas and would be to the great benefit of the land."

"Who is this man?" he asks as the king.

"He is no less than the baker who furnishes your household with bread." he replies as the lawyer.

"I will send for him." he smiles as the king.

As himself, he continues over a tense melody "So the lawyer departed, and the king sent a letter to the baker saying that he wanted to see him. The poor baker thought he was to get his pay for the bread he had provided for the king and all his servants and soldiers. So he hurried to the palace and knocked at the door."

Ash knocks at the stage floor, prompting Brock to set the guitar aside and step in the scene as the king. "What do you wish of me, Sire?" Ash asks as the baker, bowing on one knee before Brock.

"I have heard of your boast that in less than seventy two hours, you can turn the lake into a beautiful meadow covered with grass and clover that would feed all the Ponytas, and would be a great benefit to the land." Brock explains as the king. "If you cannot do this, I will throw you into the dungeon for lying to me."

Ash trudges offstage as Brock narrates as himself over a sad melody. "The baker left the palace discouraged, for he did not know what to do. He walked off into the woods and sat down on a rock to cry."

The lights dim a little to mimic nighttime as Ash feigns crying on a stool standing in as a rock. "After an hour or two, the holy Delphox Kitsune, in disguise as an old woman, came that way, and asked what was the matter." Brock continues over a mystical melody to indicate a Legendary's appearance.

"What's the matter?" Misty asks as she arrives onstage as Kitsune.

"Have mercy, good lady! I will be a prisoner in forty eight hours; for the king has commanded me to turn the lake into a meadow, covered with grass and clover, and I am not able to do it." Ash explains through feigned sobs.

"Take heart, and do not be troubled, but go to sleep, and all will be well." Misty assures Ash.

She produces a wooden wand seemingly from thin air. "Sing to this wand before you sleep--it has great power." she explains as she gives the wand to Ash. "While you sleep, it will make whatever you desire come to pass."

"Thanks, Kitsune." Some "Aw"s go up as Ash and Misty hug. After Misty has exited the scene, Ash assumes a conductor's "ready" pose and sings to the wand Jao wiisha nes chiel com yutuul... making it glow red for a moment before Ash sprawls on the floor and pretends to sleep, the wand at his side.

"When he had slept about an hour, he was jolted awake by the smell of hay, and when he looked around him, he saw that the lake was gone, and only a small river was left that ran through the middle of a beautiful meadow down to the great river not far away." Brock narrates as Ash's spotlight expands to include Misty. "Kitsune was still by his side."

"Go to the king and show him what you have done." Misty instructs Ash as the lights come up to mimic daytime.

"When he approached, he saw the king looking out the window at the meadow, and all the men and Ponytas at work making hay." Brock narrates as he sets the guitar aside. "He knocked at the door..."

Ash knocks on the stage floor again for effect. "...and when the king came downstairs, he asked him if he was satisfied."

"Are you satisfied?" Ash asks as Brock steps in the scene as the king.

"No I am not, because the river is still running through the middle of the meadow." Brock replies, a stern note in his "king" voice.

"Well the river has been left to provide water for the Pokemon and to help in making hay, because there is so much hay that all the Ponytas in the land can't carry it." Ash explains. "It will have to be brought in boats."

"That is true..." Brock muses as the king. "You are free to go." he tells Ash.

After returning to his nook and retrieving the guitar, Brock continues over a tense melody "Before long, the wicked lawyer came again, and the king showed him the meadow and the men and women and Ponytas making hay. The lawyer was surprised to see all this, but he did not show it. Instead, he told the king that he had no doubt the baker could do a great deal more than that."

As the lawyer, he brags "Why, the baker has boasted that he could cast a spellsong for the king that would create a great deal more than the meadow and would be a great advantage to the land. "

"What is a spellsong?" he asks as the king as he sets the guitar aside again. "Is it a song that is a spell? Or a spell that is a song?"

"I don't know," he replies as the lawyer; "but the baker said he could cast one."

"I will send for him," he smiles as king.

As himself, he continues "So he sent for the baker, who was just making his bread. When he had put the bread in the oven, he went to the palace and knocked again..." Ash knocks on the stage floor again. "and the king came to the door."

Ash bows before Brock as Brock steps in the scene as the king. "I have heard that you boasted that you can cast a spellsong that would be worth more than the meadow and a great advantage to the land." Brock explains. "Return home and prepare the appropriate regents for it, and unless you can bring them to me and cast it for me in forty eight hours, it is off to the dungeon for you."

"What is a spellsong? Is it a song that is a spell? Or a spell that is a song?" Ash asks, prompting laughter over the joke's repetition.

"I don't know, but I must see one cast within forty eight hours." Brock intones.

Ash trudges off again as Brock narrates as himself "The baker left the palace even sadder than before. He had no idea what a spellsong was; but he knew he would be thrown in the dungeon for all eternity unless he cast one within forty eight hours."

Ash finds the rock from before and comically feigns crying as Brock continues "He went out into the forest again and sat down on the same rock from before, and cried as hard as he could."

Ash then slumps to the floor, "asleep". "When he had cried himself to sleep, Kitsune came, woke him up, and asked him what the matter was." Brock narrates.

"What's the matter?" Misty asks, jolting Ash from his feigned sleep.

"I'll be thrown in the dungeon for sure this time!" he cries, prompting some laughter at his melodramatic pose. "I have been ordered to cast a spellsong for the king, and I don't know what one is."

Misty then reveals the truth to Ash and the audience. "It is only that wicked lawyer who is in love with your wife and wants to get rid of you. You must do exactly what I tell you, and the lawyer will be punished, for I will teach you a spellsong that will satisfy the king. Go to your house and tell your wife that you are commanded to cast a spellsong for the king and that you have no magical regents to cast it with. Tell her to put two days' provisions in a bag for you, and when she has them ready, go to your room and take the latch off the window. Then say good bye to your wife, and walk across the land until dark. As soon as you are gone your wife will send for the lawyer and invite him to dinner. Before he comes, and after it is dark, you must come back to your house, climb in the window and hide under the bed. Now, the lawyer will not eat without first washing his hands. When he comes, your wife will send him into the room where you are hiding to wash, and when he dips his hands into the wash basin you must sing Rou iitsa ron selga vichii... Take the wand that I gave you, and anything you point it at when you sing this incantation will stick to whatever it is touching."

"The baker did everything Kitsune told him to do, and his wife was happy to learn that he was going on a trip for the first time since she could remember." Brock narrates as the lights go down. She packed up a large bag of provisions and sent him off. As soon as he was out of the house she sent a letter to the lawyer telling him that her husband was away on a two day journey and that she would like to have him come to dinner."

After playing a traveling melody to indicate the passage of time, Brock narrates "Meanwhile, the baker walked across the land until it was dark, and then returned and hid under the bed."

He waits for Ash to do this on a house set, then continues "His wife told a servant to set the table and prepare a nice dinner, and then she went to get ready to receive her guest.

He goes on "Soon the lawyer arrived, and he servant showed him into the spare room that served as a washroom."

He adds as an aside "Little did the lawyer know that the baker was under the bed in the room."

Giggles go up at this as Brock narrates "The water in the washbasin was cold and soapy, and when the lawyer picked the basin to throw the water out, the baker, who was under the bed, waved his wand and sang..."

Rou iitsa ron selga vichii... Ash sings from his hiding place, a blue aura indicating where he is on the stage.

"...and the lawyer's hands stuck to the basin, and the basin stuck to the stand." Brock continues. "He called for the servant to come and help him, but she was busy with dinner and did not hear him. When the baker's wife heard him, she panicked and ran in to see what the matter was. When she found the lawyer stuck to the wash stand, which was very large and heavy, she grabbed him with both hands to pull him away. Then her husband sang from under the bed..."

Rou iitsa ron selga vichii... Ash fills in the spellsong, to more laughter.

"...and the wife could not let go of the lawyer. Then the baker went out and called in some of his friends, and they ate the food and drank the wine that had been prepared for the lawyer who was stuck to the wash stand, and the wife who could not let go of the lawyer." Brock narrates.

The audience roars with laughter at the comical scene. "When morning came, the baker took the wand that Kitsune had given him." Brock narrates as Ash emerges from his hiding place to find Misty struggling to "unstick" herself from an imagined person.

"If you want to get loose, you must do as I tell you." Ash instructs.

"With his wand he loosened the basin from the wash stand." Brock interjects.

Jao wiisha nes chiel com yutuul... Ash sings, making a prop washtub seemingly unstick from the stand it is on.

"Then he made them go out into the street, and he started them towards the king's palace." Brock continues, playing a marching melody in time to Ash and Misty walking around the stage. "So they all went to the king's palace – the lawyer with the heavy wash basin, and the woman holding on to the lawyer. The baker knocked at the door...." He waits for Ash to knock on the floor before setting the guitar aside for a moment. "...and when the king opened it, he said..."

"Your Majesty, you ordered a spellsong cast, and I have brought you one, the best that was ever made." Ash explains as Brock steps in the scene as the king. "If you will be pleased to try it, I hope you will be content."

"The king grabbed ahold of the basin to pull it away from the lawyer, but the baker sang...." Brock narrates as he does this.

Rou iitsa ron selga vichii... Ash fills in the spellsong.

"...and the king was stuck to the basin like the others. He tried his hardest to get away but the spellsong held him there."

The audience laughs as Brock "struggles" to "unstick" himself. "What will it take to get me off of here?" he asks as the king, "struggling" all the while.

"I will let you go if you would give me a great sum of money every year to me and my family." Ash replies as the baker. "And it has to be in writing!"

As himself, Brock narrates "The king consented, an agreement was drawn up, and the king signed it on the wash-basin. The baker undid the spellsong...."

Rou iitsa ron selga vichii... Ash sings again.

"...and everyone came unstuck." Brock concludes. "Needless to say, the lawyer did not bother the baker again for a long time!"

The crowd cheers as the Trio takes a bow...