Gupi Gyne Bagha Byne: The adventures of Gupi and Bagha
Upendrakishore Raychaudhury
Abridged, dramatized, and re-told in English by Pia A. Salter-Ghosh
[This is actually a "thrice-told" tale. Satyajit Ray's movie (in Bengali) has been based on his grandfather, Upendrakishore's Bengali short story for children. The movie has been enormously popular among all, children and adults alike. Pia, only 14 then and residing with her parents at Arecibo in Puerto Rico, was no exception. Pia retold in English an abridged and dramatized version of the story as depicted in the movie. She had also produced and staged it with her friends on the occasion of Halloween 2008.]

Act
I: Gupi and Bagha begin their Journey
Narrator: Once
upon a time in a little village in India, there lived a young man named Gupi
Gyne. He was the son of a poor grocer, but he didn’t care for his father’s
trade. Gupi was a very happy-go lucky person, who lived to sing and write
songs. His nights were filled with dreams of becoming a master singer, and of
being praised beyond all other singers in the land. Yet, there was one problem
with Gupi’s singing. He was tone-deaf. When Gupi sang, birds fell dead from
their nests, cats started yowling, dogs started howling, and his father’s
grocery shop suddenly lost all its customers.
After several years of putting up with Gupi’s braying, the village
elders decided they had had enough, and sent him to sing outside the local
landlord’s window…
Gupi: (walking
on) Good morning world! And what a good morning it is! On a morning like this,
there’s only one song I could possibly sing… (Sits down, clears throat, and
sings loudly out of tune)
Wake up! It’s a new day!
Turn your face to the sun!
(Louder)Turn your face to the suuuuun!
(As Gupi sings a loud crashing noise comes from behind the
scenes, and we hear a man shouting orders in the distance. A guard rushes out--)
Guard: (interrupting
the song) Our good lord has requested your presence inside the state room. If
you would be so good as to follow me, sir?
Gupi: (grinning) Certainly, mister, just let me finish
my song first…
Guard: (angrily)
Impudent wretch! Do not ignore the summons of your master!
Gupi: (gets up
fast) Allright, allright, I’m coming. (hopefully) Is it because the landlord is
going to reward me for my beautiful singing?
Guard: Yes,
he’s going to give you the reward you deserve, sure enough.
Gupi: (excited)
It must be a great huge reward!
Guard: …Follow
me, then.
(Gupi and Guard walk
backstage)
Narrator: Sure
enough, Gupi got his just reward. As a punishment for waking the lord up too
early, he was thrown out of the village with nothing but the clothes on his
back.
(As narrator
narrates, Bagha creeps in unobserved and “falls asleep”. Gupi comes onstage and
walks, slowly getting more tired.)
Narrator:
Finally, the sun started to set, and Gupi decided to spend the night in a
nearby bamboo grove…
Gupi: Phew,
I’m so tired! I’m hungry, and thirsty, too, but those dumb villagers threw me
out without anything for that! Oh, well. I guess I’ll just have to sleep here.
(Sits down, and starts humming)
Bagha: (snores
loudly)
Gupi: (afraid)
Aah, what’s that noise?!? (looks around himself) This place is so creepy at
night. (He starts to scare himself) Who knows what’s hiding in the bamboo!
Anything could be here! Demons, spirits, ghosts? Is that noise a tiger
growling? Or is it three tigers? Or worse, is that the noise ghosts make when
they come to take people away? (totally terrified now) Please, please I don’t
want to die! (Closes his eyes and starts wailing)
(Bagha wakes up, and
sees Gupi. Angry at being woken up, he attacks Gupi with his drum.)
Bagha: (furious)
Hey, what are you doing disturbing my sleep! Here I am, not bothering a soul,
but no, you have to come shouting and waking me up. I’m trying to sleep here,
idiot! (Hits Gupi with the drum) Hey, listen to me!
(Upon being hit with
the drum, Gupi shuts up.)
Gupi: (rubbing
his head) Aah, what hit me? (opens his eyes) Oh, a man!
Bagha: (grumbling)
Of course I’m a man. Now shut up, and let me sleep. (lies down and closes his
eyes. Resumes snoring, but more artificially.)
Gupi: (exclaims)
Oh, so that’s where the noise came from! (grins, and squats down next to Bagha)
Wow, snoring guy, you sure gave me a fright! I thought a tiger was coming to
get me, or something!
Bagha:
(grumpy) Do you think I didn’t hear you? (continues snoring)
Gupi: (shrugs)
Well, you were asleep.
Bagha: Not
for long. (desperate) Look, are you going to let me sleep, or not?
Gupi: (cheerfully)
Nope.
Bagha: (exhales
angrily, and sits up) Well, If you’re not going to let me sleep, I’m not going
to talk to you either.
(Bagha stands up,
and angrily snubs Gupi. Gupi grins cheekily, and runs in front of Bagha, and
imitates him. Bagha turns around. Gupi runs to face him again. Bagha glares at Gupi,
and Gupi reciprocates. They stand glaring for a few minutes, until Bagha breaks
eye contact by shaking his head. Gupi, of course, copies him. Bagha turns a
quarter-turn, and looks at Gupi out of the corner of his eye. Gupi copies.
Bagha sits down carefully. Gupi copies. Bagha scratches his head. Gupi copies.
Bagha yawns. Gupi copies. Bagha stares. Gupi copies. Finally Bagha breaks into
laughter. Gupi copies.)
Bagha: Ok,
you win. What’s your name?
Gupi: I’m Gupi
Gyne, the best singer in all of India!
Bagha: (skeptically)
Really?
Gupi: Really!
Would you like me to sing?
Bagha: Mm,
ok. It’ll keep the tigers away, anyway.
Gupi: (fearfully)
Tigers?
Bagha: You don’t know there are tigers here?
Gupi: No…
Bagha: Stupid!
Why, I even saw one sniffing around earlier. I beat my drum at it and
shouted, and it ran away with its tail between its legs.
Gupi: Wow,
you’re brave! I think it would have got me…
Bagha: Of
course it would have got you! But not me! (Boasting) I’m too tough for a tiger!
I bet all the tigers see me coming and say “Oh, look it’s Bagha! Let’s run
away!”
Gupi: (interrupting)
So, your name is Bagha, then.
Bagha:
(starts drumming badly) YES, I am the great drummer, Bagha Byne, the greatest
drummer ever! Unfortunately those dumb people from my village didn’t appreciate
me and--
Threw me out with
nothing but my drum!
Gupi: I can
see why! (Laughs) You’re awful!
Bagha:
(furious) Eh! Let’s hear what you can do then!
Gupi: (claps
in time to his song)
“Ta-ta-ta-ta-re,
Tigers in the forest,
Really are the cruelest,
But we are the baddest,
And we will get them all!
Ta-ta-ta-ta-ri
Ghosts are really creepy,
I should hide in a tree,
So that they don’t see me,
Or they will eat me up all!
(Bagha joins in with
his drumming. As they sing and dance darkness descends and ghosts appear and
dance. King of Ghosts appears and ghosts become reverent. Gupi and Bagha are
afraid)
King of Ghosts: Goopy Gayne, Bagha Bayne, don’t be afraid! Pay your respect to the King
of Ghosts.
(Gupi and Bagha
kneel, awestruck.)
KoG: We are
highly pleased with your music! We may even bestow upon you three wishes.
What would you
choose, oh masters of musical might?
(Gupi and Bagha look
at each other. Bagha points at Gupi, and indicate towards the KoG)
Gupi: (holds
his stomach) Oh Mr. King we are very hungry.
KoG: I grant
this first wish, wherever you are, and whenever you want, clap your left hands
together, and ask for whatever food you want. My ghosts will be at your
service!
Bagha:
(wistfully) I’ve always wanted to travel and see the world!
KoG: Here are
two pairs of magic shoes. Put them on and clap you left hands together and name
a place. You will be transported there instantly!
Gupi: We like
to sing and play, but nobody seems to like it!
KoG: What a
shame! We did so enjoy your ghastly music! From now on, all who hears your
music will be spellbound!
Gupi & Bagha: Thank you, thank you...
(Scene goes dark)
Act II: Gupi and Bagha go to Shundhi
Narrator: The
next morning, our heroes woke up and thought it was all a dream, but the magic
shoes were still there. They decided to test the magic, and clapped their left
hands together. Lo and behold, a feast appeared!
After their feast,
they packed their meager belongings and left down the road. A little while
later, they caught up with a procession led by a famous singer. One of the men
in the procession told Gupi and Bagha that they were headed for a competition
in the far away country of Shundhi, and Gupi and Bagha decided to take part in
it.
(Lights go on. Gupi
and Bagha run onstage and clap their left hands.)
Gupi & Bagha: (loudly) Shundhi!
(Gupi and Bagha run
off stage. Lights go off.)
Narrator: Thanks to the King of Ghost’s generous gift,
our heroes won the competition. The prize was that they were appointed court
musicians.
Shundhi was a large
peaceful country. It was so peaceful, its army was actually a huge orchestra!
So when the neighboring country, Halla, declared war on Shundhi, the good king
was very troubled indeed…
(Lights go on. King
of Shundhi, Gupi, and Bagha enter)
KoS:
(worried) My musicians, I have some very bad news. My little brother, the ruler
or Halla, has declared war on our precious country. (Shows scroll) He has sent
me this scroll, which says that he will be attacking us in three days’ time.
You know as well as I do that we are unprepared. None of my ministers know what
to do about this.
Gupi: That’s
a big problem. What do you want us to do about it?
KoS: Nothing,
nothing. I was just letting you know, so that you can escape our country before
it is crushed to smithereens.
(Gupi and Bagha look
at each other and grin)
Bagha: Are
you thinking what I’m thinking?
Gupi:
Probably not.
Bagha: Oh,
shut up. (To KoS) Your Majesty, I have a plan! Gupi and I will go and bring
your brother right here, so you can knock some sense into him!
KoS: You!?
Gupi: Us!?
Bagha:
(glares at Gupi) Yes, your majesty.
KoS: (sighs
unhappily) I suppose it’s the only thing to do. Very well, you have my
permission, but do be careful.
(Exit King of
Shundhi)
Gupi: You
know, I think I’m going to like this. Finally, an adventure!
(Gupi and Bagha clap
hands)
Gupi & Bagha: Halla!
(Scene goes dark)
Act III: Halla
Narrator: Gupi
and Bagha reach Halla quickly, but unfortunately they land a few miles from the
palace. Our Heroes make their way toward the palace. Using their spellbinding
music, they manage to gain entrance to the courtroom…
(Light returns. Gupi
and Bagha creep into the courtroom.)
Gupi: Well,
we’re in here at last! (Looks around) It’s not as nice as Shundhi, is it?
Bagha: Of
course it isn’t! Didn’t you see all those half-starved people living in huts on
the way here? Do you think you’d see that in Shundhi?
Gupi: Of
course not! Shundhi is a great place, not like here--
Bagha:
(interrupts) Shh!
Gupi: What?
Bagha: I hear
footsteps. Let’s hide.
(Gupi and Bagha hide
behind throne. King of Halla runs in shouting, laughing demoniacally. Minister
follows. KoH leaps onto throne.)
KoH:
(shouting gleefully) War is on its way! War! War! I can smell the blood
already, ahaha!!!!
(to Minister) When
does war start, huh?
Minister:
(nervous) Um, three days, your Majesty.
KoH: WHAT?
THREE DAYS?
Minister:
(Gulps) Yes, your Majesty. It’s the normal amount of time we give a country
before we plunder and pillage our way--
KoH: I know that,
you fool of a minister! But why bother waiting?!?
Minister: I,
um, I don’t follow.
(KoH leaps off his
chair and pins the hapless Minister to a wall.)
KoH: Listen,
I’ll spell it out nice and easy. (Shouting) Why wait three days to attack a
country with no real army or weapons or anything when we could take it right
now, this very second?
Minister:
(afraid) Your Majesty, please, it’s courtesy! Don’t hurt me!
(KoH releases
Minister and gnashes his teeth together evilly.)
KoH: I hate
courtesy. We leave tomorrow at dawn. Get the army of Halla ready!
Minister:
Y-yes, your Majesty.
KoH: And stop
stammering, you worm!
Minister:
(nods) Yes, Your Majesty!
(KoH growls and
sweeps out of the room. Minister visibly relaxes, his face gains a sullen
expression and he begins to pace. After a while he pauses.)
Minister:
(loudly) Borfi! Borfi!
(Borfi shuffles into
the hall cackling)
Minister:
Take a seat!
(Borfi sits,
cackling. Minister sits in throne.)
Minister:
Stop that cackling, it’s putting me off!
(Borfi gives one
extra-loud cackle, and becomes quiet).
Minister:
That’s better. Now, we’ve got things to talk about, magician. Firstly, the
King’s medicine is running out. He has not been tyrannical or violent enough
recently. He was, in fact, horribly tame today. How long will it take you to
get more medicine for him?
(Borfi cackles a bit
and throws a bag at the Minister. The Minister misses, and picks it up from the
floor. He looks in it.)
Minister: Ah,
more medicine! Wonderful, wonderful. I’ll put this in a safe place. (Conceals
the bag on his own person.) Now, the second matter: The people in Halla are
starving. Even the army is weak and hungry. It’s so famished, in fact, that it
won’t get up to fight. Can you do anything about those worthless people?
(Borfi cackles and
makes signs at Minister. The Minister looks shocked.)
Minister: You
only have two spells left before dying? Does magic work that way?
(Borfi nods and
cackles)
Minister: I
had no idea… still, the country’s fate is more important than you, and I do
need all those riches and products from Shundhi. Do you have enough magic to
get the army going?
(Borfi nods more and
cackles louder.)
Minister:
Very well, then. Go. Come to the palace gate before sunrise tomorrow for your
instructions.
(Borfi nods and
cackles. He gets up and bows to the Minister, and then shuffles out of the room
the way he came in. He pauses at the door and makes some signs pointing towards
the chair.)
Minister:
What? There’s someone hiding in this room?
(Borfi nods, cackles,
and raises two fingers. Then he leaves. Minister looks behind the throne. Gupi
and Bagha jump out.)
Minister:
Trespassers! Guards!
(Guards rush in.)
Gupi: (To
Guards) Stop, stop, stop! (To Minister) You stop!
“Oh, Minister man, you sinister man,
Stop!
You sit there making evil plans
inside of your head.
Evil plans that will leave all the
innocents all dead.
But tomorrow morning all your plans
will drop.
Your plans, you will see, will all
be shot!
All shot! So stop!
So Minister man, you better stop!
Oh, Minister man, we’ve heard your evil plans,
Oh, Sinister man, we’ve heard your evil plans,
And they all will be shot. So stop!
Bagha:
(loudly during long note at the end of song) Keep singing!
Gupi: I
can’t! Drum at them!
(Bagha drums.)
Gupi: Keep
drumming. I’ll sing and look for the medicine!
Bagha: (drums
intro to song) You do that!
Gupi:
(searches while singing)
“Once there was a king.
Once there was a king sitting sadly,
sadly.
And that King, that poor King, felt
very lonely, lonely.
What makes people sad?
What makes people sad?
Piles of money rotting slowly,
Walls of bricks covered with ivy,
Made him sad, made him sad.
If that King could leave his palace,
See his country, leave his terrace,
He’d be glad, he’d be glad.
What makes people sad?
What makes people sad?
No smiles ‘cos his house is prison,
Why’s he sad, why’s he sad? (Finds medicine. They slowly leave during
last lines)
If that king could leave his palace,
See his country, leave his terrace,
He’d be glad, he’d be glad.”
(Song ends with Gupi
and Bagha offstage. Minister and Guards come to life again. Minister storms
around angrily.)
(Light goes off)
Act IV: The
Beginning and End of the War
Narrator: Just
as easily as they had gotten in, our heroes escaped the palace. They spent the
night in what had once been a field. They didn’t sleep long, though. They were
up before dawn, and hiding near the gate as the Evil Minister and Borfi
arrived…
(Light goes on.
Minister paces agitatedly. Borfi sits happily in chair, cackling quietly.)
Minister:
(furious) I don’t understand it. I don’t understand it at all. When those two
men started their singing yesterday, I just couldn’t move an inch, and neither
could the guards. If only I had gotten them. They’d be dead right now! But they
got away. (To Borfi) And you know the worst of it? The King heard their
singing, and it went right to his brain. There’s not a drop of violence left in
him now. He’s like a little child!
(Borfi nods and
signs at the Minister.)
Minister: (Even
more furious) WHAT? You never told me music was the only weakness of your
medicine! Why didn’t you tell me, you fool of a magician?!?
(Borfi shrugs and
signs at the Minister. Minister seems to calm down.)
Minister: Oh,
so you’ll make him more medicine. Can you do that and still have enough powers
left to make the army go?
(Borfi nods.)
Minister:
Good. (To Guards) Guards! Bring Borfi’s cauldron!
(Guards bring
Borfi’s cauldron. Borfi stands up and mixes things in it, chanting. Then he
pulls out the Medicine and puts it in a little bag, which he hands to the
Minister with a bow.)
Minister:
Very Good. (to Guards) Guards! Take this dingy pot away, and bring me the King!
(Guards take
cauldron away. They escort KoH in. KoH sees Minister and rushes at him.)
KoH:
(shouting) Minni, Minni, is it my Birthy-day today?
Minister: Um,
yes your Majesty.
KoH: (claps
hands joyfully) Oh, goody, goody! Whad you get me?
(Minister gives the
medicine to the King.)
Minister:
Just some Chocolate for our little Majesty.
KoH: Oh,
Chockies! Yum, yum!
(KoH tucks into
Medicine. He instantly becomes warlike.)
KoH: War, War,
Blood, Guts AND Chocolate! This is the BEST Birthday ever, Ahahahaaah! Let’s trample
Shundhi RIGHT NOW, Ahahaha!!!
Minister: You
said it, your Majesty! Let’s go get the army!
(KoH, Minister, and
Borfi leave. Gupi and Bagha pop out of their hiding place.)
Gupi: Did you
hear that, Bagha? They’re going to attack!
Bagha: Of
course I heard it, I’m not deaf!
Gupi: What
are we going to do?
Bagha: I don’t know! Think of a plan!
Gupi: You
think, too!
Bagha: Ok,
I’m thinking, I’m thinking.
(They think.)
Gupi: Ah,
I’ve got a plan!
Bagha: Quick,
the army’s coming!
Gupi: Let’s
hide then, and I’ll tell you.
(They hide again.
Minister, KoH, and Borfi return with army. Army promptly sits down and starts
dying of hunger.)
KoH: Get up,
worthless worms! IT’S TIME FOR WAR, WAR, WAR! AHAHAHA!!!
(King starts kicking
soldiers.)
Minister: (To
Borfi) You know what to do.
(Borfi salutes,
performs spell, and dies. Army leaps to attention.)
KoH: All
right! TO SHUNDHI!!!
(Army starts
marching. Gupi and Bagha pop up, Bagha drumming, Gupi with a huge tray of food
and sweets.)
Gupi:
(singing)
“Look at all the soldiers going warring,
Look at all the soldiers going warring,
Many soldiers, tons of soldiers, look at all the soldiers going warring,
A-ha-re, a-ha-re, a-ha-re
Can you go and win a war if your stomach’s small and sore?
Small and sore?
Small and sore?
Empty stomachs all the way! A-ha-re!
Look at all the soldiers going warring,
Look at all the soldiers going warring,
Oh, the land of Halla’s army!
Oh, the land of Halla’s army!
Why do you fight; what are you fighting for?
Why do you want to fight when you know that you you’ll never see
daylight?
Why do you want to fight when you know that you you’ll never see
daylight?
How can you tempt your fate when all you need is a full plate,
Why do you fight; what are you fighting for?
The King of Halla screams and curses, Minister just fills his purses,
And you all starve and die, and only they are left alive,
Why do you fight; what are you fighting for?
Food, food, lovely food!
Yummy food, yummy food,
Cakes and candies, all the sweets you like!
From the heavens, from the heavens,
From the heavens, from the heavens,
For you!
(Gupi puts the plate
of food on the ground and the hungry army falls upon it.)
KoH:
(happily) Sweets!!! My Birthday feast!
(KoH falls upon
sweets too.)
Gupi: (to
Bagha) Are you thinking what I’m thinking?
Bagha: You
bet!
(Gupi and Bagha each
grab one of KoH’s arms, and clap their left hands together.)
Gupi & Bagha: Shundhi!
(Lights go off.)
Act V: Return to Shundhi; The End
Narrator: And
so our heroes accomplished their mission and brought the King of Halla back to
Shundhi, restoring peace to the warring nations at last!
(Lights go on. Gupi
and Bagha are standing in front of the King of Shundhi, holding the King of
Halla between them. KoS jumps up from his throne in surprise.)
KoS:
(surprised) Gupi, Bagha! You’re all right, and you have brought my brother
back!
(KoH looks up from
his food. Seeing the KoS, his mouth drops open.)
KoS: (to KoS)
Do you remember me? Your big brother?
KoH: Yes,
yes, it’s all coming back to me now… My evil Minister and some Magician made me
forget everything and think you were my enemy. I can’t believe I fell for their
trap! Can you forgive me, brother?
KoS: Of
course, it’s all in the past now. Happy Birthday!
(Brothers embrace.)
KoS: Now, to
celebrate my brother’s return, we must have a feast!
Bagha: We’re
on it!
(Gupi and Bagha clap
hands. Feast appears.)
KoH: So I do
get a birthday feast! (to Gupi and Bagha) Thank you, Magical Musicians!
(The kings tuck in.)
Bagha: Hey, Gupi,
listen to this.
(Bagha whispers to Gupi.
Gupi grins.)
Gupi: It
sounds good, but will it work?
Bagha: Of
course it will, idiot! (to kings) Your Majesties, we have a little thing to ask
from you. It’s a matter of payment.
KoS: Why yes,
of course we must pay you!
KoH: Yes!
Gupi: Well,
it’s not really money we want.
KoS: Oh, I’m
so grateful, I’d give you guys anything in my realm!
KoH: Me too,
in exchange for some more food!
KoS: (to KoH)
Oh, hush. (to Gupi and Bagha) What do you ask of us?
Gupi:
Weeeeeel…
Bagha:
(interrupts) Have you got any princesses?
KoS & KoH:
WHAT?!?!? (Lights go out)
Narrator: And
they all lived happily ever after.
---The End---
Published in Parabaas, November, 2014
The original story "Gupi Gyne o Bagha Byne" (গুপি গাইন ও বাঘা বাইন) by Upendrakishore Raychaudhury was first published along with several others in the monthly children's magazine Sandesh (সন্দেশ) started by Upendrakishore himself during 1913-1915.
Abridged, dramatized, and re-told in English by Pia Salter-Ghosh. Pia was born in Arecibo, Puerto Rico, of a Bengali mother
and a British father. Her school education...
(more)
Illustration, by Dipankar Bhattacharya, is taken from the cover of Goopy Gyne Bagha Byne: Magical world of Upendrakishore Roychoudhury translated by Swagata Deb.
Click here to send your feedback
©Parabaas 1997 - 2015
|