The next day was rehearsals without the script. All the children were on and around the stage, in their regular clothes, and using makeshift props. Vanilla the rabbit watched as the kids played their parts, sitting on a chair on the stage.
On the stage was Ryan, along with other kids playing wolves. They were circling around a young fox named Kenny. Ryan stood in front of Kenny, arms crossed, looking stern, whereas Kenny looked up at Ryan acting nervously.
“Greetings, gents,” Kenny said. “Lost something, have we?”
After Kenny said his line, Ryan’s stern look faded to worried and confusion. There was a pause of silence.
“Go on, Ryan, you have the next line,” Vanilla said. There was still a pause. Ryan then turned his attention from Kenny to Vanilla.
“I’m sorry, Ms. Vanilla. Can you give me the first word?” Ryan asked, pretending not to know his lines. Upon hearing that, Vanilla opened her script and read it.
“Don’t,” Vanilla said.
“Don’t,” Ryan nodded. He turned back to Kenny, looking stern. “Don’t, uh… uh… Don’t, uh…” Again, Ryan looked worried. Even Kenny looked a little worried for Ryan too. Ryan turned back to Vanilla. “Can you give me the second word?”
“Don't patronize me! I know where your allegiance lies. We're looking for some humans,” Vanilla quickly said, almost impatiently.
“Oh yeah,” Ryan said. He turned back to face Kenny and continued the act. “Don't patronize me! I know where your allegiance lies. We're looking for some humans.”
“Humans? Here in Narnia? That's a valuable bit of information, don't you think?” Kenny replied acting. Quickly, one of the ‘wolves’ grabbed Kenny from behind and Ryan got in Kenny’s face.
“Your reward is… uh… uh…” Ryan again had the deer-in-the-headlights look before turning back to Vanilla. “What’s the reward?” Kenny answered very quickly.
“Your reward is your life. It's not much. But still,” Kenny quickly said Ryan’s line. “You okay, Ryan?”
Vanilla got up from her seat and approached the group of kids. The ‘wolf’ holding Kenny let him go.
“Ryan, what is wrong?” Vanilla asked. “You were fine up until now.”
“I guess it’s because I’ve been reading out of my script,” Ryan quickly said as an excuse. “My memory’s just no good.”
“Oh, you’re probably just having a little attack of nerves, that’s all,” Vanilla calmly said to try to reassure Ryan.
“But suppose I get a big attack the night of the play?” Ryan said, pretending to be worried. “Maybe you should get someone else.” Vanilla stared down at Ryan for a bit.
“Let me have your script, Ryan,” Vanilla said. Ryan reached in his back pocket and pulled out his script, handing it to Vanilla.
“I don’t blame you for taking away my part, Ms. Vanilla,” Ryan quickly said as he went to the side of the stage to get his backpack and jacket. “If I can’t remember my lines, I shouldn’t be in the play.”
“Ryan, come here. You too, Kenny,” Vanilla said as she kneeled down to Kenny. Ryan approached them nervously. Vanilla then ripped off the page from Ryan’s script, grabbed some tape from her pocket, and taped the paper on Kenny’s shirt. “This is an old actor’s trick. Now, we just tape your lines on Kenny right here. Then, if you get stuck, all you have to do is look down and read them. I bet you never thought of that.”
Ryan, however, had his jaw open wide. He then let out a rather nervous chuckle.
“No I didn’t,” Ryan said. In the back of his mind, he sighed in defeat.

***

Ryan sat in his bedroom, head in his hands, feeling defeated. Zee-Zee stuck his head in through the door.
“You coming to breakfast?” Zee-Zee asked.
“I’ll be down in a couple of minutes,” Ryan solemnly said.
“Ryan, look, if you’re still trying to get out of that play, forget it. There’s no way out,” Zee-Zee said before leaving.
“There’s got to be a way out,” Ryan said, slamming his fists down.
Ryan stood up and paced around, trying to think. There has to be some way to get out of the play. As he paced around his room, he nearly stepped on a roller skate. He angrily picked it up and was about to throw it, but stopped short when he had an idea. As he smiled, he tossed the skate aside, moved his desk chair, and desk, paused, and at the same time he dropped the chair, shifted the desk, and fell on his butt while holding his ankle.
“Ow! Ow! Ow!” Ryan shouted, hoping to get the attention he needed. Soon, Zed and Zena came rushing into the room.
“Ryan? Ryan, are you alright?” Zena quickly asked.
“I tripped over the skate and twisted my ankle!” Ryan quickly lied.
“Let me see,” Zena said as both she and her husband looked at Ryan’s ankle. “Oh, Zed, what do you think?”
“I don’t know,” Zed said, looking at Ryan’s ankle. “The skin’s not broken. There doesn’t seem to be swelling.”
“Maybe you should stay home from school today,” Zena said. Ryan continued the act though.
“Oh, no, I don’t want to miss rehearsal, I’ll be okay,” Ryan said.
“You sure?” Zena asked.
Ryan slowly stood up and pretended to limp as he grabbed his backpack, jacket, and limped out the door.

***

Ryan limped his way to the auditorium stage where Vanilla was talking to a group of children.
“Alright, now, girls, you try on your costumes, and boys, we’ll try the beaver’s dam scene,” Vanilla was saying to the kids. She soon noticed Ryan approaching her with a limp.
“Hi, Ms. Vanilla, sorry I’m late,” Ryan said.
“Ryan, what happened to you?” Vanilla asked with concern.
“Well, there was this roller-skate in my room, and while I was practicing my lines I tripped over it,” Ryan lied.
“Oh, I’m sorry, does it hurt?” Vanilla asked.
“The pain’s not bad, it’s just that I can’t walk without this limp, so I guess I’m out of the show,” Ryan said as he turned around. However, to his horror, Vanilla smiled and called him back.
“I wouldn’t dream of letting you go,” Vanilla said, causing Ryan to turn and face her.
“Huh? You wouldn’t want a Maugrim who limps,” Ryan tried to say.
“Ryan, didn’t you know? In C.S. Lewis’ earliest novels, Maugrim was wounded in his younger days. He had a limp for the rest of his life,” Vanilla explained. This caused Ryan’s eye to bulge.
“He did?” Ryan asked nervously. “Which leg?”
“The same one as yours, isn’t that lucky?” Vanilla said with a bright smile.
“Yeah, really lucky,” Ryan tried to force a smile.

***

Later that day in the backyard, Bat was helping his daughter Cari with the scenery for the frozen waterfall. Zed and Zena were there too to watch it unfold. Bat climbed down from the ladder as he finished.
“Okay, I think we’re about ready for the frozen waterfall to thaw,” Bat said.
“Okay, here we go,” Cari said. She pulled a rope and, like a large pop-up book, the icy waterfall turned into water, which was just blue-painted cardboard. Everyone clapped at her success.
Bristy, Cari’s mother, entered the backyard from the house.
“Cari, telephone, Ms. Vanilla from school,” Bristy quickly said.
“Oh, she probably wants to know about the sets for dress rehearsal,” Cari casually said as she entered the house.
As Cari left, Bat, Zed, and Zena caught sight of a certain black wolf approaching them slowly.
“Hey, aren’t you home a little early from rehearsal?” Bat said to the wolf.
“Can’t talk,” Ryan said in a very hoarse voice while holding his throat.
“What?” Zed asked.
“Laryngitis,” Ryan said in his scratchy voice.
“That’s sudden, what did it happen?” Zena asked, a little concerned.
“During rehearsal,” Ryan replied.
“Will you be able to do your part in the play?” Zena asked. Ryan shook his head.
“Ms. Vanilla is getting someone else. What luck,” Ryan said, acting upset.
“That’s tough, Ryan, especially after all the time you put in on it,” Bat said to Ryan.
“I better go gargle or something,” Ryan quickly said as he walked off. As Ryan walked away, the three grown-ups quickly noticed something. Ryan was walking away just fine, heal-toe, all the way through the backyard and into the house.
“His laryngitis seemed to have cured his ankle,” Zed said suspiciously.
“Yeah, I noticed that too,” Zena replied.
A minute later, Cari exited the house and reentered the backyard. Everyone quickly noticed the upset, sad look on Cari’s face. Quickly, they walked up to her.
“What’s the matter, honey,” Bat asked his daughter.
“Well, the play’s off because Ryan has laryngitis,” Cari sadly told them. “Ms. Vanilla said to just stop making the sets because she can’t find a replacement in time.”
“Did you tell Ryan that?” Zena asked.
“No, I didn’t have the heart to. It would make him feel worse if he knew that,” Cari explained. However, Zed and Zena decided to go up and confront Ryan.
“Let’s see how much worse,” Zed said as he and Zena entered the house. Once gone, Bat gave Cari a comforting hug.

***

Ryan sat in his room, reading a comic book. There was a knock on his door.
“Come in,” Ryan said in his normal voice. Zed and Zena slowly entered his bedroom. Quickly, Ryan got up and continued his laryngitis act. “I was just going to go gargle.” The two squirrels, however, blocked his path.
“Ryan, you must feel really bad about dropping out of the play this way,” Zena said.
“Oh yeah, real bad,” Ryan replied in his hoarse voice. Zed was upfront with Ryan.
“Ryan, this morning it was your ankle, this afternoon it’s laryngitis. Now I want you to level with us. You don’t want to be in that play, do you?” Zed asked. Caught, Ryan dropped the act and confessed.
“No, I don’t,” Ryan said as he sat on his bed.
“But why, Ryan, you said you were going to be the best Maugrim ever,” Zena asked.
“You don’t know what it’s been like. Everybody riding me, bullying and hissing me because I’m playing an evil wolf.”
“Oh, come on, listen,” Zed said as she sat next to Ryan. “Because you dropped out, the whole play is off.”
“What do you mean off?” Ryan asked worriedly. “Ms. Vanilla can get someone else.”
“No, Ry, she can’t, there isn’t enough time,” Zena told him. This caused Ryan to rethink his actions. He wanted to be out of the play, but not have the whole play called off.
“Gee, I never thought that could happen,” Ryan said defeated.
“Yes, and you let a whole lot of people down too, you know,” Zed explained. “All those kids who worked on the show, Ms. Vanilla, even the audience. You know, that’s pretty much what the real Maugrim would have done, isn’t it?”
“I never thought of it that way,” Ryan replied.
“Yes, but that’s the way it is, isn’t it, Ryan,” Zena told him. Ryan sighed.
“Yeah, if I don’t play the part of an evil wolf, I’ll be an evil wolf,” Ryan softly said.
“That’s just about it,” Zed said nodding.

***

After some phone calls, the play was back on and Ryan was proud to continue playing as Maugrim. He decided to stop playing shenanigans to get out of the play. As time went on, the sets, props, and costumes were made for the play.
Dress rehearsal was already underway. In the audience were several groups of adult, mostly the ones involved with the show setting. Several children were running across a makeshift icy river on the stage. Suddenly, Ryan, dressed in menacing clothing and makeup, jumped out in front of the children, hissing. One of them pulled out his cardboard sword.
“Put that down, boy,” Ryan hissed, slowly approaching the group of kids. “Someone might get hurt. Leave now while you can, and you're brother leaves with you.”
“Stop, Peter, maybe we should listen to him!” one of the female actors said.
“Smart girl,” Ryan said in a menacing tone.
“Don't listen to him. Kill him. Kill him now!” one of the male beaver actors called out.
“Look, just because some man in a red suit hands you a sword doesn't make you a hero! So just drop it!” the female actor said.
“No, Peter! Narnia need you!” the beaver actor called out.
“What's it gonna be, Son of Adam? We're not going to wait forever. And neither is the river,” Ryan growled at the kids.
The special effects gave way as the icy waterfall turned to water while all the actors quickly jumped away. Cari, standing by, clapped at herself for a job well done.
As the dress rehearsal continued on, two girls were in a set forest-like area. They were laughing and giggling. Suddenly, Ryan and another ‘wolf’ jumped out into the scene growling and snarling!
“Please, don’t run, we’re tired, and we prefer to kill you quickly,” Ryan growled.
Just then, a male actor ran onto the scene holding out his cardboard sword. Ryan faced the sword-wielding actor.
“Come on, we’ve been through this before,” Ryan snarled. “We both know you haven’t got it in you.”
Just then, other actors appeared on stage, the one playing Aslan holds one of the wolves, leaving Ryan in the face off.
“You may think you’re a king,” Ryan growled, “but you're going to die like a dog!”
Ryan lunged at the actor and pretended to be impaled on the sword. He gargled as he fell to the floor. Once done, the curtains closed and the small groups clapped at the scene.
“That’s fine, children,” Vanilla happily announced. “I just hope our performance goes just as well tomorrow night.”
Vanilla then got up and stood in front of the stage.
“Ladies and gentlemen, I want to thank you all for being here and special thanks for Bat and Bristy for helping us with our sets,” Vanilla announced.
Backstage, the four adults, Zed, Zena, Bat, and Bristy, met Ryan who was still in his Maugrim costume.
“Well, how was I?” Ryan asked.
“You were terrific, you were great,” the adults told him.
“Ms. Vanilla,” Zena called out, getting Vanilla’s attention. “You did a wonderful job with the kids.”
“Oh, thank you,” Vanilla smiled. “You deserve credit too. How did you ever get Ryan over his laryngitis so quickly?”
“Well, we used an old family remedy,” Zed replied.
“Oh, bet I know. That dreadful stuff that you have to mix something sweet with to get it down,” Vanilla replied. Ryan shook his head.
“No, Ms. Vanilla, this family just gave it to me straight,” Ryan chuckled.

***

Days after the play, everything went well and everybody had fun. Ryan was praised for his work as Maugrim. In fact, he put on his Maugrim costume and stood in front of the tall mirror in his room.
“Put that down boy, someone might get hurt,” Ryan said as Maugrim. “What's it gonna be, Son of Adam? We're not going to wait forever, and neither is the river.”
Clapping was heard at the doorway. Zee-Zee stood there clapping his hands at Ryan’s performance, while also holding a piece of paper.
“Great acting job, Maugrim,” Zee-Zee said to him. “In fact, you were so good, did you read the news lately?”
Zee-Zee entered the room, holding Ryan the paper, which contained a printed news article. Ryan read the highlighted part.
“The play was spectacular, but it was the acting job of the young kids who brought it to life. Especially for a young wolf named Ryan who did a brilliant job portraying the evil Captain of the Secret Police, Maugrim,” Ryan read out loud. “This means a lot to me, Zee-Zee. He was actually fun to play.”
“Just one thing missing about the river scene, Ryan,” Zee-Zee told him.
“What?” Ryan asked.
“The spray of water in your face!” In an instant, Zee-Zee reached behind his back, pulled out a water pistol, and shot water on Ryan. The two boys giggled ferociously as they tackled each other, rolling on the floor.