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Judge Sanders Sauls & The Three Bears 
A Satire of the Year 2000 Presidential Recount in Florida
by
Nora Dickinson Petrucci





CHARACTERS:
JUDGE SANDERS SAULS - Charicature of Leon County Circuit Court Judge N. Sanders Sauls with thinning white hair and a receding hairline, silver rimmed reading glasses, wearing a judge’s black robe and holding a gavel.
PAPA GORE BEAR - Charicature of Vice President Al Gore as a brown bear wearing a bright blue tie.  He wears his brown hair parted on the left, pancake makeup, thinned eyebrows and flat beige lipstick.
MAMA HARRIS BEAR - Charicature of Secretary of State Katherine Harris as a brown bear wearing red clip earrings and a long red silk scarf.  She has over the shoulder length brown hair, curled under, and severely parted to the right side, dark sharply arched eyebrows, pancake makeup, dark red lipstick, blue eye shadow, black eyeliner & fake lashes.
BABY BUSH BEAR - Charicature of Governor George W. Bush as a brown bear wearing a bright red tie.  He wears his silver wavy hair parted on the right, light makeup and a sheer peach lipstick. 
NARRATOR:  A shimmery fairy princess with her wand.

SETTING:
Open view of three bears cottage with side door opening to a flowered trail into the woods. Right stage; kitchen with wooden table, three bowls & spoons and three graduating size chairs, facing the audience.  Left stage; livingroom with three graduating size rocking chairs, a fireplace and mantle with portraits of former President George Bush, Sr., President Bill Clinton and the hopeful “U.S. Ambassador to Chad of North Africa”, Florida’s current Secretary of State, Katherine Harris.  Sixteen American Flags are on either side of the fireplace.  Upstage is the three bears bedroom loft with three graduating sized beds facing the audience with political posters over the beds.



NARRATOR
          (Stage left as the lights rise on the fairy princess. She speaks slowly like a dramatic 
          storyteller and uses her wand to accentuate her words.)
Once upon a time…there were three bears.  Papa Gore Bear…

PAPA GORE BEAR

          (Upstage in the bear loft the lights raise on Papa Gore Bear as he awakens from a 
          dream.)
Count all the votes…count all the votes…count all the votes… 
          (He reaches for his lock box and begins counting the ballots while speaking with a slow
          and monotone voice) 
If we just count all the ballots here in my lockbox, I’ll surely be the winner.  I invented the lockbox.
          (He holds up each ballot with very large chads as he counts each one getting out of bed 
          and starts to walk downstairs.)
One…a hanging chad…two…a  swinging door chad…three…a triangle chad…four…a pregnant chad…and 5…a dimple chad…
          (Lights fade as Papa Gore Bear walks down the steps to the kitchen waving the ballots
          n his hand)
Count all the votes…count all the votes…count all the votes…

NARRATOR

Mama Harris Bear…

MAMA HARRIS BEAR

          (Upstage in the bear loft the lights raise on Mama Harris Bear as she stretches and 
          awakens from her bed.) 
I will be the next U. S. Ambassador to Chad in North Africa.  Governor George W. Bush gave his solemn bond.
          (Reaching for her mirror, she looks in it and puts on more lipstick.)
That should do it…there…certifiably beautiful!
          (Lights fade as Mama Gore Bear walks down the steps to the kitchen.)

NARRATOR

And Baby Bush Bear…

BABY BUSH BEAR

          (Upstage in the bear loft the lights raise on Baby Bush Bear as he awakens from his 
          bed holding an American flag in one hand and waving with the other.)
I won the first count… 
          (Holds up one finger) 
I won the second count…
          (Holds up two fingers) 
And I won the third count…
          (Holds up five fingers - then lowers his hand in front of face, looking confused, shaking 
          his head.
I should have paid more attention in Mathamedics.
          (He then turns his hand around and waves.  The lights follow him as he walks down the 
          stairs and joins the others at the kitchen table, waving his hand and flag.)

NARRATOR

          (Speaking as Baby Bush Bear finishes coming down the steps)
One morning as the bears came down for breakfast, Mama Harris Bear handed the boys their box of CHEATIES.

MAMA HARRIS BEAR

          (Legal Beaver David Boies on Papa Gore’s box, Legal Beaver Barry Richard on 
          Baby Bush’s box and Jeb Bush on Mama Harris’s box.  Each box has a stylus 
          attached to the top to punch out the chad that the cereal will come out of.)
Here’s your CHEATIES, boys.  First follow the instructions and punch through the chad with your stylus so you can pour your cereal properly. 
          (The three bears punch their chads at the topside of the boxes so they can pour their 
          cereal in their bowls.)
Very good…now let’s see who can fill up their cereal bowls with the most votes…ready…set…go…November 7th, 8th, 9th, 10th, 11th, 12th, 13th, 14th - stop!  All votes are in.  Let’s see who the winner is.

BABY BUSH BEAR

I’m cautiously optimistic.  My brother Jeb owns CHEATIES and he had his representatives send this box spesyphilisly to me.  After all, he promisoried I’d win.
          (Puts his hand in the bowl and counts.) 
One…two…three…five…
          (Looking confused.) 
My brother Jeb was better at mathamedics.

MAMA BUSH BEAR

I certify Baby Bush as the winner!

PAPA GORE BEAR

That’s not fair… 
          (He looks at the opening of his CHEATIES  box and notices that it has a hanging chad.)
My chad didn’t punch out completely.  I need a new box.

MAMA HARRIS BEAR

          (She has already poured CHEATIES in her bowl.)
“Sorry Papa Gore, but Baby Bush has already been certified the winner. And you know,  your Mama doesn’t like to recount.  Plus, Papa Gore…it’s not the fault of the CHEATIES box…it’s your responsibility to punch the chad completely through. 
          (She scolds him condescendingly as she pours milk in all three bowls.)

PAPA GORE BEAR

          (Throws his hands up and pouts.)
I’ve been disenfranchised! 

BABY BUSH BEAR

I won the first count… 
          (Holds up one finger) 
I won the second count…
          (Holds up two fingers) 
And I won the third count…
          (Holds up five fingers, then lowers his hand in front of face, looking confused, shaking
          his head.)

PAPA GORE BEAR

Well, we’ll see about that.  I’m going to consult Legal Beaver David Boies and my Legal Beaver team to order a recount.

BABY BUSH BEAR

You can refer that matter to Jim Baker.  He’s my strategerist.

MAMA HARRIS BEAR

Now…now… boys. Let’s go for a walk while out CHEATIES get nice and soggy.
          (She checks her mirror again and puts on more lipstick.)

NARRATOR

After Mama Harris Bear poured the milk in their CHEATIES to get nice and soggy, the three bears went for a walk in the woods.  Minutes later, wandering through the forest, along came Judge Sanders Sauls.

JUDGE SANDERS SAULS

          (Whistling as he walks through the woods to the bear’s house , he knocks on the 
          door and the door opens.)
Why…this door was opened already.
          (He questions as he puts his hand on his chin then steps inside.)
There seems to be no evidence of anyone home.
          He looks around, walks towards the livingroom and sits down on Papa Gore Bear’s 
          rocking chair, rocking back and forth while whistling)
This chair is too high.
          (He walks over to try out Mama Harris Bear’s rocking chair.)
This chair is too low. 
          (Next, he tries out Baby Bush Bear’s rocking chair.)
This chair is just right.
          (He hammers on the arm of Baby Bush Bear’s chair with his gavel and the chair breaks 
          in half.   He falls to the floor.)
Oh my!
           (He gets up and shakes off his robe and walks over to the kitchen table.)
Boy, am I hungry!  These CHEATIES are two hard.
           (He says as he takes a spoonful of Papa Gore Bear’s cereal.)
These CHEATIES are too soggy. 
          (He says as he takes a spoonful of Mama Harris Bear’s cereal.)
These CHEATIES are just right. 
          (He says as he takes a spoonful of Baby Bush Bear’s cereal and finishes the rest of the 
          bowl.)
Order in the court.  It’s time to recess.  I shall retire to my chambers.
          (He rubs his stomach as if full, hammers his gavel on the table as he speaks and then 
           heads upstairs.)

NARRATOR

          (Speaks as Judge Sauls goes upstairs.)
Judge Sanders Sauls became very tired after eating Baby Bush Bear’s CHEATIES and went upstairs for a nap.

JUDGE SANDERS SAULS

          (The Judge goes over to Papa Gore Bear’s bed, moves the pillow to the bottom, puts 
          his hand on his glasses as if to check closer and tests the firmness of the mattress with 
          his gavel.)
This bed is too hard.
          (The Judge goes over to Mama Harris Bear’s bed and also tests it out with his gavel.)
This bed is too soft.
          (The Judge goes over to Baby Bush Bear’s bed, tests it out with his gavel, seems satisfied 
          and smiles.)
This bed is just right.
          (He lies down and falls fast asleep.)

NARRATOR

Judge Sanders Saul’s fell fast asleep.  Meanwhile the three bears came home after finishing their walk in the woods.

          (The three bears walk home through the woods and see that the door is ajar.)

PAPA  GORE BEAR

          (Walks over to his chair in surprise.)
Somebody has been sitting in my chair.

MAMA HARRIS BEAR

          (Walks over to her chair in surprise.)
Somebody has been sitting in my chair.

BABY BUSH BEAR

          (Walks over to his chair in surprise.)
Somebody has been sitting in my chair and it’s broken all over the floor.

PAPA GORE BEAR

Don’t worry Baby Bush.  We’ll let the courts fix it.

          (The three bears walk over to the kitchen table.)

PAPA GORE BEAR

Somebody has been eating my CHEATIES.
          (He says holding up his bowl to see.)

MAMA HARRIS BEAR

Somebody has been eating my CHEATIES.
          (She says holding up her bowl to see.)

BABY BUSH BEAR

Somebody has been eating my CHEATIES…and they’ve eaten them all up.
          (Says Baby Bush Bear, sadly with his head down.  He then looks up with a smil
          as if discovering something new.)

NARRATOR

The three bears went upstairs to see if someone was in their beds.

PAPA GORE BEAR

          (Noticing his bed is messed up.)
Somebody has been sleeping on my bed.

MAMA BUSH BEAR

          (Noticing her bed is messed up.)
Somebody has been sleeping on my bed.

BABY BUSH BEAR

          (Baby Bush Bear goes over to his bed to investigate.  When he sees that someone 
          is in his bed he pulls off the covers.)
Somebody has been sleeping on my bed and they’re still here.

          (The three bears gather around Judge Sanders Sauls and start yelling.)

PAPA GORE BEAR

Count all the votes…count all the votes…count all the votes…

MAMA HARRIS BEAR

Your time has run out.  The winner has been certified.
          (She looks in her mirror.) 
Certifiably beautiful.

BABY BUSH BEAR

I won the first count… 
          (Holds up one finger.) 
I won the second count…
          (Holds up two fingers.) 
And I won the third count…
          (Holds up five fingers - then lowers his hand in front of face, looking confused.)

JUDGE SANDERS SAULS

          (He sits up straight and hammers on the bed with his gavel.)
Order in the court.  I order this mess to end.

          (Characters freeze, lights dim slightly, and the characters walk slowly down the steps, 
          through the house and into the woods.  Papa Gore Bear holds his voting ballots in the
          air and waves to the audience.   Mama Harris Bear walks with her mirror raised and
          faces it to the audience blowing them a kiss.  Baby Bush Bear walks across the stage 
          following the others and waves his hand and flag to the audience.  Judge Sanders 
           Sauls, parading after the others, stops at the kitchen table, faces the audience, 
          hammers his gavel and then raises it.  All Characters continue their parade throug
          the woods. 

NARRATOR

           (The fairy princess waves her wand across the view of the stage and proceeds to 
          narrate the end of the story.)

Judge Sanders Sauls and the three bears went down to the Tallahassee courthouse to see who the real winner was.  Papa Gore Bear was represented by Legal Beaver David Boies.  Baby Bush Bear was represented by Legal Beaver Barry Richard.  The case was thrown out of court and sent to the Florida Supreme Court.  The Florida Supreme Court threw it out and sent it to the U.S. Supreme Court.

Mama Harris Bear flew to North Africa to be sworn in as the new U. S. Ambassador of Chad. 

Judge Sanders Sauls was made an offer by a major television network to star in his very own TV courtroom drama show, “Sanders Live!”.

Legal Beavers David Boies and Barry Richard announced their opposing candidacy for the U. S. President in 2004.

President Bill Clinton remained in office for another 4 years debating what the meaning of the word “is” is, while the U. S. Supreme Court spent their days with Papa Gore Bear and Baby Bush Bear debating who really won.

          (Lights fade on the stage.  All Characters walk back on stage, joining the Narrator in 
           front and take a final bow.  Both Papa Gore Bear and Baby Bush Bear continue to 
          Vie for who will Bow in Center State. Lights fade.  Curtain closes.) 

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