Script

SIDE 1

HORTON

(casually, to his clover) Hello... hello?

JOJO

(startled) Hello?


HORTON

Who's there?


JOJO

It's me, JoJo. The Mayor's son.

HORTON

I'm Horton. The Elephant.


JOJO

Are you real, or are you a very large Think?

HORTON

Oh, I'm real, all right. I would state that in ink.

JOJO

In my Thinks, I imagine a lot of strange things,
and I go to strange places, as if I had wings! I love a good Think!

HORTON

Well, for me that goes double.


JOJO

Sometimes my Thinks are what get me in trouble.

HORTON

When you think, do you dream?


JOJO

In bright colors!

HORTON

Me, too.

HORTON

And I go to strange places. Like Solla Sollew!


JOJO

When you think, do you think you could fly to the stars?

HORTON

Little friend, no one else could have Thinks such as ours! 

 

SIDE 2

 

HORTON

I meant what I said,


And I said what I meant.

An elephant’s faithful, One hundred percent.

(HORTON talks to the egg.)

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. 

 

SIDE 3

MARSHAL

This is the case of the People versus Horton the Elephant. Judge Yertle the Turtle presiding. 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.

They’re Whos here smaller than the eyes can see

It’s true sir! He’s a Who and so is she.

(HORTON shows JUDGE YERTLE the clover. JUDGE YERTLE stares at it as the crowd anxiously awaits a verdict.)

Mr. Mayor, Mr. Mayor! Oh, please, Mr. Mayor!

You’ve got to prove now that you really are there!

(The JUNGLE CITIZENS all lean in to “listen” to the clover. No sound is heard.)

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... it will boil in a hot steaming kettle of beezlenut oil.

HORTON, MR. MAYOR, MRS. MAYOR

JoJo, think of something!

(All freeze except the CATS and JOJO.)

CATS

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.

The kind of a word no one ever had heard!

(Time is suspended for a moment as JOJO clears his throat and opens his mouth.)

JOJO

Yopp!

 

SIDE 4

GERTURDE

Psst! Horton! Horton, are you there?

HORTON

What? Who is it?

GERTRUDE

It’s me, Gertrude! Horton! Oh, Horton! There’s nothing that I wouldn’t and I couldn’t and I haven’t gone through.
And Horton... it took me seven weeks but I found your clover.

(HORTON eagerly takes the clover from GERTRUDE.)

HORTON

Gertrude... I never noticed... you’re... amazing!

GERTRUDE

Aw, it was nothing. 

 

SIDE 5

MAYZIE

Good gracious! I’ve seen you before. Now, let’s see...

HORTON

Why, Mayzie, it’s Horton! Remember? It’s me!

I’ve sat on your egg now for fifty-one weeks!

MAYZIE

I may be unreliable, fancy free,

Irresponsible, crazy me,

But seeing you gives me true delight

Just for once I’ve done something right.

The egg is all yours!

(dramatically)

No, don’t thank me. I’ll cry!!!

(and now, very sincerely)

Good luck when it hatches

Good luck... And goodbye.