The King of Togo Togo

An African folk-tale adapted for Puppet Play 

by Janene Ping

Download the PDF Here!

CHIME! Drum beat and flute as puppets enter - music ends as huntress and villagers are on stage.

Once upon a time... When was it? When was it not?

There was once a great huntress in Africa. Everywhere she travelled the people honored her. Villagers bow

One day she came to the Kingdom of Togo Togo. The King there made a feast for her that lasted 3 days and 3 nights.

Music, dancing..... Drum and flute - happy!

When the celebration ended, the huntress said, “That was no ordinary feast....”

The King answered, “You are clever, you are wise! I want you to stay in my Kingdom, be my barber and keep my secret. If you can keep my secret, I'll give you gold and riches, a house, and servants... anything you heart desires – but if you tell my secret – you will be dishonored.”    Drumbeat!

The huntress said, “ It is easy to keep a secret,” and she stayed. She cut the King's hair... (Kalimba while she cuts...) and she discovered the King’s secret. PAUSE The King of Togo Togo has two horns! The King of Togo Togo has two horns! If people knew that the King had two horns growing from his head, they would laugh at him. The good King would lose his power. 

“I'll NEVER tell anyone the King' s secret!” thought the huntress.

Music until the huntress and villagers are sitting together

But one day, she went down to the marketplace and visited with the other villagers. They talked and they talked.... 

Music - Kalimba and shaker

The ate some food. PAUSE 

They talked and talked.

Music - Kalimba and shaker

The stretched their limbs PAUSE until they sit down again

and then they sat down and they talked and talked some more. 

Music - Kalimba and shaker

All of a sudden the Huntress began to say - 

“The King of Togo Togo has t......” Drumbeat! LOUD - ONCE!

“Ohhh... I'd better be careful – PAUSE

I can't tell the King's secret! Oh.... I WON'T tell the King's secret!” The Huntress went home.....

Music - sad and slow flute as she paces back and forth

But after a time she couldn't stop thinking - “The King of Togo Togo has two horns – If ONLY I could say it once!”

But she couldn't.

Then one day she sent away her servants. PAUSE

She closed the door, shut the windows of her house. She stopped seeing her friends. She stopped going to the market. Soon she stopped sleeping...”What if I say it in my sleep and someone hears me?”

“I have to do something”

The huntress made a plan. 

MUSC - KALIMBA and Drum

She went to the King's palace and she cut his hair.

Msic - Kalimba

When she finished, she left the Kingdom of Togo Togo.

She crossed a great field. (Drum)

She went through a forest. (Kalimba)

She crossed a broad river. (Rain Stick) 

She cam to the middle of Africa and there was the tallest mountain and she climbed to the very top of the tallest mountain. (Wooden Xylophone)

There were no trees. There were no people. There were no animals. No insects. There were no clouds in the sky!

And there the Huntress dug a deep hole in the earth and she said into the hole, “ The King of Togo Togo has tow horns! (Drumbeat! - LOUD - ONCE)

PAUSE

“Ahh! I feel better! I can go home! I'll never tell anyone the King's secret!”

She went down the mountain.( Wooden Xylophone)

Pause until Huntress comes to bigger stage

She crossed the river .(Rainstick)

She walked through the forest. (Kalimba)

She walked across a great field. (Drum) Then she saw the Kingdom of  Togo Togo in the distance..... “I'm going HOME!”

But when she got to the gate, there stood the King.

“I thought I told you to never tell anyone my secret!” he said.

“I never told anyone your secret!”

“All of the people are laughing at me, I can be King no longer!”

Then the great Huntress knew – she was dishonored. She watched as the King of Togo Togo turned and left.

Music - Flute SAD

Do you know who told the King's secret?

Each blade of grass whispered to the other, “The King of Togo Togo has tow horns! The King of Togo Tog has two horns!” 

In Africa they say that everything is alive – everything speaks – it is not easy to keep a secret....

Repeat softly - “The King of Togo Togo has two horns! The King of Togo Togo has two horns!”(Whispering echoes)

Music - Flute - SAD

The great Huntress went into the village and sat down in the marketplace. She sat there and she wept. The people of the village soon came, one by one, to greet her. Then the Huntress raised her head and she said, “ The King of Togo Togo may have two horns – but the King of Togo Togo has also.... wisdom. The King of Togo Togo has …. compassion. The King of Togo Togo has.....  a great love for his people. The King of Togo Togo rules his Kingdom well.”

And the people of Togo Togo knew she spoke the truth.

They left the marketplace of their Kingdom and they travelled all through Africa until they found their King.

MUSIC - Drum and Kalimba until King and villagers return

They asked him to return home as King once more.

When that happened in the land of Togo Togo…. They had a celebration that lasted 12 days and 12 nights!

Music ~ Dancing..... Flute, Drum, and shaker! Celebratory! PAUSE then while puppets bow to the audience and music plays them off stage.

The End