DfArtagnan and
the Three Musketeers
Original: Alexandre
Dumas
Script: Naoto
Murai
@@ @Act T
@@
Narration
It was spring 1625.
DfArtagnan was eighteen years old. His father, the squire
of Gascony
province in Southern France, was going to send his son to Paris in
order to
make him a courageous musketeer. He said to his son on the day of
parting,
gIfll give you four gifts: a cob, money, my sword and teachingsh. However,
the first three gifts were terrible to dfArtagnan. The cob given to him had
short
legs with ulcers on its feet and was already 13 years old. The money
as the
second gift was just fifteen crowns, which was too small to go on
traveling to
Paris for fifteen days. What was worse was his fatherfs
ancestral sword. It was
so large that he did not bring himself to use it. In
fact, dfArtagnan would rather
feel like weeping, because he was very
disappointed at his fatherfs gifts except
his valuable advice. They were the
following; Be brave and proud as a Gascon.
Donft be afraid of fighting.
Respect the King, the Cardinal and Monsieur de
Tréville, Captain of the
Musketeers. After giving this advice, he added like this; I
am an old friend
of Monsieur de Tréville, so I will write a letter of introduction. I
am sure
that this will be helpful to you. DfArtagnan left for Paris encouraged by
his fatherfs warmhearted gifts. However, he had no sooner arrived in Paris
than
he had his letter of introduction stolen by a man. Although he was very
disappointed, he was trying to pursue the man because he fortunately
remembered his face. Then, he happened to notice him walking some way off.
(The thick curtain opens)
(In front of the first curtain of the
stage)
DfArtagnan: (Pointing his
forefinger at a man passing over
there)
He is the man that stole my letter of introduction. I wonft let him
go
off. Wait, Mr.
(DfArtagnan begins to rush down the stairs of the stage and
collides with
Athos)
Athos:
Ouch! (Athos holds his right arm) You shoved me on purpose,
didnft
you?
DfArtagnan: I am sorry, Mr. Athos. I was in a
hurry.
Athos:
Do you know me? Donft you see this bandage? My right arm is hurt,
my
lad.
DfArtagnan: You said, gMy ladh? I have no
reason to be addressed in that
way.
Athos:
Shut up. I dislike your arrogant attitude. A yokel with a Gascon
accent!
DfArtagnan: I am a yokel as you
say, but I donft forgive you for saying bad
things about my birthplace,
Gascony.
Athos:
What do you mean by saying, gI donft forgive ch?
DfArtagnan: That goes without saying. (He puts
his hands on his
sword-hilt)
Athos:
Wait. This place is awkward because dueling is illegal. I will wait
for
you
near the Carmelite Convent.
DfArtagnan: What
time?
Athos:
About midday.
DfArtagnan: OK. I am sure Ifll be
there.
(After parting Athos)
(On the premises of Monsieur de Trévillefs
house)
DfArtagnan: Alas, I committed a blunder.
I cannot believe that I will fight against
one
of the three musketeers. Oh, yes. Where is the thief? I am bound to
find him.
(He suddenly breaks into a run and gets entangled in Porthosf
cloak puffed up with
the
wind)
Porthos: What the
hell! Get out of my cloak at once. You are doing something
stupid.
(DfArtagnan is confused and gets entangled still more underneath the
cloak)
Porthos: Stop
it. Get out from my cloak right now. I am afraid that the back of
my
shoulder-belt will be seen.
(Indeed, Porthosf shoulder-belt is embroidered
with gold only in the front)
(DfArtagnan manages to get out from underneath
the cloak)
DfArtagnan: I am very sorry,
Porthos.
Porthos:
Do you know me? It has come out that the back of my shoulder-belt
is
plain buff. Are you trying to humiliate
me?
DfArtagnan: No, not at all. I am
sorry again. I was in a great hurry.
Porthos: Are you
in a great hurry? Do you have eyes? Are you blind? Are
you
mad?
DfArtagnan: Although I have
apologized to you in this way, it is you who
are
humiliating me. You said that I was blind and mad, didnft you? But I
know that you are a great bragger, because your shoulder-belt is
embroidered with gold only in front. Look! Everyone is laughing at
you.
Porthos: Are
you a spy of the Cardinal? OK. Letfs meet behind the
Luxembourg.
DfArtagnan: What
time?
Porthos:
How about one ofclock?
DfArtagnan: All right.
Donft think of escaping!
(After parting from Porthos, dfArtagnan begins to
repent of his rash action)
DfArtagnan:
Alas! I made a terrible mistake. I may be able to defeat Athos
because he has hurt his arm. Porthos is different from Athos. I may be
killed by him. No. I am sure that I will be killedc But I will fight against
them bravely because I am a brave Gascon. By the way, where has that
thief gone?
(DfArtagnan starts to run out again. When he stops, he finds
Aramis dropping a
ladiesf handkerchief and putting his foot on
it)
DfArtagnan: Mr., you dropped a
handkerchief.
(Aramis ignores dfArtagnan, goes on talking with his friends
and has his foot on it)
DfArtagnan: Mrc (When
dfArtagnan picks up the handkerchief, it gets
torn)
Aramis: What are
you doing? The handkerchief is
torn.
DfArtagnan: I am sorry. I picked it up
because you didnft notice it.
Aramis: Huh! This is
not mine. You did what is unnecessary. Besides, you tore
it.
I donft like impolite people from the country. I also hate your
provincial accent, young Gascon.
DfArtagnan:
What did you say? I will never forgive you for insulting my
hometown,
Gascony.
Aramis: What
do you mean?
DfArtagnan: A
duel!
Aramis: There is
nothing for it. Ifll be happy to see you at two ofclock
in
Monsieur de Trévillefs house.
DfArtagnan: All
right. At two ofclock in Monsieur de Trévillefs house. Donft
get
scared then.
(They part. As soon as dfArtagnan says so, he again begins to
regret it)
DfArtagnan: Oh, I have made another
big mistake. I have promised to duel with
all
the members of the three musketeers. But I will fight with all of them
with my full strength, because I am one-hundred-percent Gascon.
@@ @Act U @@
(Near the Carmelite Convent, Athos is waiting for dfArtagnan on a big
stone)
(The bells strike twelve ofclock, and dfArtagnan
appears)
Athos:
(Standing up) My name is Athos. You are sharp on
time.
DfArtagnan: My name is dfArtagnan. I am
very sorry I was so rude some time ago.
I
suppose your wound is very sore. I have a good ointment to cure
it.
Athos: Thank
you very much for your kindness. But I am afraid that my
seconds are late. By the way, how about your
second?
DfArtagnan: I have no seconds because I
have no friends in Paris, except
Monsieur de Tréville, Captain of the
Musketeers.
Athos:
Do you know the captain?
DfArtagnan: Yes, I do.
He is my fatherfs
friend.
Athos: I
see. Oh, my seconds are coming.
(Porthos and Aramis
appear)
Athos:
This is Porthos, and this is Aramis. They are my
seconds.
DfArtagnan: What! Are they your
seconds?
(Porthos, Aramis and dfArtagnan say together) Oh, no! What a
coincidence!!
Porthos: He
promised to duel with me at one
ofclock.
Aramis: He also
promised to duel with me at two
ofclock.
Athos:
Then, did you promise to duel with all of us?
(Aothos, Porthos and Aramis say
together) Unbelievable!
DfArtagnan: Anyway, a
promise is a promise. If I am defeated by Monsieur Athos,
please allow that it would be impossible for me to fight with the
others.
(Athos and dfArtagnan cross their drawn swords. Then, Jussac and four
guards appear)
Jussac:
What are you doing? I suppose that you are about to duel. You know
that dueling is illegal, donft you? Sheathe your swords, and come along
with us.
Athos:
No. Pass in front of us without saying such a thing, or you will
suffer.
Jussac: This is
the edict, gentlemen. What do you think of the
edict?
Athos: Our
only master is Monsieur Tréville. You will not be able to arrest
us.
Jussac: You
swine.
Athos:
(Athos, drawing his sword, says to Porthos and Aramise)
Our enemies are five, but we are just three. We may have no
chance of winning.
DfArtagnan: Donft you
realize that I am here? I can make it
four.
Porthos: You are not a
musketeer yet. In addition, you are too
young.
Jussac: Young
gentleman, you had better go back to your mummy.
(Other guards laugh at
dfArtagnan)
Athos: OK.
Letfs fight with them together. We are four!
(DfArtagnan and Jussac fight.
DfArtagnan drives his sword right through his body.
Jussac falls down to the
ground)
(Athos is fighting with Chausac, suffering hardship)
DfArtagnan: Turn and face me,
sire.
(Chausac turns his
face)
Athos:
Donft kill him. I have got an old score to settle with him. Disable
him!
Disarm him!
(DfArtagnan sends his sword flying into the air, and breaks
it)
(Only Porthos and Bicarat are still
fighting)
Athos:
Stop it now, Bicarat. You are alone. Your friends have been killed
or
wounded.
Bicarat: Shut
up! I will not stop
fighting.
Athos:
If the other guards come, all of us will be
arrested.
Jussac:
(Drawing his right knee up) Stop it, Bicarat. This is my
order.
Bicarat: (Bicarat
stops fighting reluctantly) Damn it!
(He breaks his sword and throws it over the wall)
@@ @Act V
@@
Narration
One day Monsieur Bonacieux,
dfArtagnanfs landlord, visited him in his room.
He talked with him over his
wifefs disappearance. He said someone kidnapped
her the previous morning,
and that she might have been involved in some political
incident. He asked
dfArtagnan to save his wife. However, he was also missing
after making his
wish, because members of the Cardinalfs group, dfArtagnanfs
enemies, caught
him. On the other hand, Monsieur Bonacieuxfs wife, dfArtagnanfs
landlady,
deserted from them and returned home next night. When the Cardinalfs
men ran
after her and attacked her in her room, dfArtagnan, who was in the
lodging
room, saved her. Madame Bonacieux was about 22 or 23 years old and a
fabulous woman with chestnut hair. She told him that she was kidnapped,
because
she serves Queen Anne from Austria, the Queen of France, and knows
her private
matters. One example is about the company kept between the Queen
and the Duke
of Buckingham. One day he visited France incognito. Then, as
the Queen was told,
she gave him her little rosewood box containing twelve
diamond tags, a recent gift
to her from the King. Besides, Madame Bonacieux
added that the King had assumed
her to have fallen in illicit love with the
Duke. Meanwhile the Cardinal, one of the
strongest men of power, schemed to
expel the Queen from the court, making bad
use of this scandal; the Quee had
jilted the Cardinal before. What is worse, the
fact that Queen Anne is from
Austria also makes the matter more complex. This
is why the Cardinal is
planning to give a big ball on October 3, and plotting to trap
the Queen by
saying that the King should ask the Queen to wear the diamond
tags. However,
just ten days are left. It is almost sure that the Queen will not be
able to
wear them at the ball. After saying so, she abandons herself to grief. So
dfArtagnan offers to help her; he promises her to fetch the diamond tags to
England by the day of the ball.
DfArtagnan: I made an irreparable promise. The
journey to fetch the diamond
tags may risk my life. Owing to Monsieur Tréville, the three musketeers
help me, so I feel reassured. But the Cardinal will run after us by
smelling out our unusual action.
(At eight in the morning. In the communal
dining-room of an
inn)
Athos: We
are in Chantilly. We rode about forty kilometers from Paris. I
am
hungry. It is time to have breakfast.
(The party goes into the inn. A
gentleman has been already having
breakfast)
Gentleman: Fancy meeting you!
I am happy to see the famous three musketeers
and
dfArtagnan so early in the
morning.
Porthos: Do
you know him,
Aramis?
Aramis: No, I
donft. He is a true stranger. Be
careful.
Gentleman: Please come here,
gentlemen! This table is vacant.
(Everybody takes seats at the
table)
Gentleman: To begin with, shall we
drink the Cardinalfs health?
Porthos: OK, but the
King comes before the
Cardinal.
Gentleman: Oh, no! The king is
not more important than the Cardinal. This
country belongs to
him.
Porthos: You are a
crazy sot!
Gentleman: Letfs fight to the
finish. (He draws his
sword)
Porthos: It
canft be helped. Porthos, Aramis and dfArtagnan, you shouldnft
be involved in his trick. He is probably a member of the Cardinal. Go
ahead, right now. I will follow you just after beating
him.
Athos: OK.
We are waiting for you. Catch up with us as soon as possible.
(They leave the
inn. However, Porthos did not appear although they waited for
two hours on
the way)
Athos:
(Behind the stage) Porthos isnft coming, is he? Therefs nothing for
it.
Shall we start?
(In front of the
stage)
Aramis: Be
careful! Look at those strange workmen. They are sprinkling
water on the road. It is
muddy.
Athos:
They may be a Cardinalfs men.
(Suddenly, there are the loud reports of
guns)
Aramis: (Aramis
falls backward) Run away at once. They were lying in
wait
for us. Run away without interfering with
me.
Athos: Come
back alive, Aramis! (Athos and dfArtagnan leave this place)
(Athos and
dfArtagnan reach Amiens at midnight and dismount at the Golden
Lily
Inn)
Innkeeper: Welcome to our
inn.
Athos: Wefd
like to stay here. Do you have an unoccupied
room?
Innkeeper: Yes, sir. We have two
special rooms. You can stay
individually.
DfArtagnan: No, thank you. Wefd
like to stay together.
Innkeeper:
(Regretfully) Would you? Please stay in this room. Good
night.
(Innkeeper leaves the room)
DfArtagnan: Athos,
we had better be together, because any danger may
attack
us.
Athos: You
are right. As we are very tired, letfs sleep soundly.
(The next morning. At
the front desk)
Innkeeper: Did you have a
good
sleep?
Athos: So,
so. Let me have check, please.
Innkeeper: Four pistols in
all.
Athos: Could
you come down to two pistols? (Athos holds two pistols to
him)
Innkeeper: (After looking at it
carefully, all of a sudden he cries out) Oh, no. This
is
counterfeit money! Everybody, capture them.
(Four armed men attack Athos and
d2fArtagnan)
Athos:
(Athos shoots a pistol) Run away, dfArtagnan. They are secret agents.
Be
sure to get away to England and to succeed in fetching the twelve
diamond tags.
DfArtagnan: All right. Take care.
See you again without fail.
(DfArtagnan leaves the scene)
@@ @Act W
@@
Narration
DfArtagnan manages to reach
England and meet the Duke of Buckingham.
After explaining the situation in
detail, he asked him to return the twelve diamond tags
to the Queen.
Sympathizing with her, the Duke decided to leave it in dfArtagnanfs
care.
However, he noticed that the tags had lost two diamonds. To tell the truth,
someone had already stolen them from the Duke of Buckingham, and it was done
at
the Cardinalfs suggestion. Although the Duke lost his head, he was a very
clever
man. He had a veteran craftsman make the imitations, which were
exactly like them.
The Duke told dfArtagnan to go back to the Queen with the
imitations of the
diamond tags and to help her through a tight squeeze. At
once, dfArtagnan went
back to France to be in time for the ball. Of course,
he was able to hand over the
tags to the Queen smoothly. In France, the
Cardinal (the Duc de Richelieu), who
did not know this fact, was looking
forward to the ball.
(At the ball)
Richelieu: The Queen gave the diamond
tags to the Duke of Buckingham.
The
King: I do not want to believe such a
story.
Richelieu: No, she surely wonft
wear the diamond tags.
(The Queen without any diamond tags appears)
The
King: Oh, no! Whatfs the matter with
you? Why didnft you wear the
diamond tags? I had asked you to wear them at the
ball.
Richelieu: Do you have any
reason not to wear them?
The Queen: No,
none. I just left them at the Louvre.
The
King: Thatfs OK. If you are right,
fetch them at once. The ballet starts in an
hour.
The Queen: Certainly, sir. (The
Queen curtsies) Ifll come back soon.
(After a while. The Queen is
dancing)
The King: Oh, she is
dancing there, but wearing the diamond tags. I
feel
relieved. By the way, why did you talk nonsense, Richelieu?
Richelieu: No. My story is not nonsense.
The diamond tags are missing.
The
King: What? (He looks at her
carefully) Ah, itfs difficult to count them
because she is moving.
Richelieu: Ifll
call the Queen.
(The Queen appears)
The
Queen: Is anything wrong with me?
The
King: I want you to count the number
of your diamond tags.
The Queen:
Why?
Richelieu: Because two of your
diamond tags are missing.
The Queen: Why do you
say such a groundless thing?
Richelieu:
OK. Please look at these carefully. (Richelieu takes
out
a box and open it)
The King: Oh,
these are the diamond tags, arenft
they?
Richelieu: Thatfs right. These are
two of the diamond tags. Please count
them,
your Majesty.
The Queen: If you give me
two more, that makes fourteen!
The
King: Are you sure? (The King counts)
There is no doubt that the tags has
twelve diamonds. Richelieu, why did you talk
nonsense?
Richelieu: (Richelieu is very
surprised) I am sorry. I thought of presenting these
beautiful diamonds to the Queen.
The
Queen: You are too kind. Maybe it took a lot
of time and money for you to
pilfer these two diamonds.
Narration
The Queen gave dfArtagnan a lot of
rewards, owing to his services. It is the
narratorfs duty to make a report
on the three musketeers left behind. Pothos, who
escaped from the enemies,
lived safely at an inn he knew. Fortunately, Aramis
survived and lived in
the form of a monk. Athos shut himself up in a cellar of the
Golden Lily inn
in question. He ate food and drank wine there as much as he wanted.
Anyway,
all of his friends were safe. The Queen also gave them rewards. Through
their success of the last mission, dfArtagnan and the three musketeers made
a
fresh resolve to work for the King and the Queen of
France.
The
End
Copyright (c) 2003 by Naoto Murai