Finale: Children Will Listen

[JACK'S MOTHER, spoken]
The slotted spoon can catch the potato…

[MYSTERIOUS MAN, spoken]
Every knot was once straight rope...

[CINDERELLA'S PRINCE & RAPUNZEL'S PRINCE, spoken]
The harder to wake, the better to have…

[STEWARD, spoken]
The greater the good, the harder the blow…

[STEPMOTHER, spoken]
When going to hide, know how to get there

[CINDERELLA'S FATHER, spoken]
And how to get back…

[FLORINDA & LUCINDA, spoken]
And eat first…

[GRANDMOTHER, spoken]
The knife that is sharp today may be dull by tomorrow…

[RAPUNZEL]
Ahhh...

[BAKER, spoken]
Now we can all return home and let us hope there will be no more killing

[JACK, spoken]
Where am I to go? I have no onе to take care of me

[BAKER, spoken]
You'll havе to take care of yourself now, Jack. It's time

[LITTLE RED RIDINGHOOD, spoken]
No, it's not. I'll take care of him

[JACK, spoken]
You will?

[LITTLE RED RIDINGHOOD, spoken]
Yes. I'll be your mother now

[JACK, spoken]
I don't want another mother, I want a friend. And a pet

[LITTLE RED RIDINGHOOD, spoken]
Well, of course, we have nowhere to go, so we'll move in with you

[BAKER, spoken]
Oh, no

[LITTLE RED RIDINGHOOD, spoken]
It'll be fun!

[BAKER, spoken]
My house is in shambles and there is hardly room for—
Of course you can come home with us

[JACK, spoken]
And you shall join us, too

[BAKER, spoken]
You'll not return to the castle?

[CINDERELLA, spoken]
I'll gladly help you with your house. There are times I actually enjoy cleaning
How proud your wife would have been of you

[BAKER, spoken]
And how sad it is that my son will never know her

Maybe I just wasn't meant to have children—

[BAKER'S WIFE, spoken]
Don't say that
Of course you were meant to have children…

[BAKER, spoken]
But how can I go about being a father
With no one to mother my child?

[BAKER'S WIFE]
Just calm the child

[BAKER]
Yes, calm the child

[BAKER'S WIFE, spoken]
Look, tell him the story
Of how it all happened
Be father and mother
You'll know what to do

[BAKER, spoken]
Alone…

[BAKER'S WIFE]
Sometimes people leave you
Halfway through the wood
Do not let it grieve you
No one leaves for good
You are not alone
No one is alone

Hold him to the light now
Let him see the glow
Things will be all right now
Tell him what you know…

[BAKER, spoken]
Shhh. Once upon a time… in a far-off kingdom… there lived a young maiden… a sad young lad… a childless baker… with his wife...]

[WITCH, overlapping]
Careful the things you say
Children will listen
Careful the things you do
Children will see
And learn

Children may not obey
But children will listen
Children will look to you
For which way to turn
To learn what to be

Careful before you say
"Listen to me"
Children will listen

[ALL]
Careful the wish you make
Wishes are children
Careful the path they take—
Wishes come true
Not free

[WOMEN]
Careful the spell you cast
Not just on children

[MEN]
Sometimes the spell may last

[ALL]
Past what you can see
And turn against you…

[WITCH]
Careful the tale you tell
That is the spell
Children will listen…

[ALL, variously sung in three groups]
Though it's fearful
Though it's deep, though it's dark
And though you may lose the path
Though you may encounter wolves
You can't just act
You have to listen
You can't just act
You have to think

[ALL]
There are always wolves
There are always spells
There are always beans
Or a giant dwells there

So
Into the woods
You go again
You have to
Every now and then
Into the woods
No telling when
Be ready for the journey

Into the woods
But not too fast
Or what you wish
You lose at last

[MEN]
Into the woods, but mind the past

[WOMEN]
Into the woods, but mind the future

[MEN]
Into the woods, but not to stray

[ALL]
Or tempt the wolf
Or steal from the giant

The way is dark
The light is dim
But now there's you
Me, her and him

[MEN]
The chances look small

[WOMEN]
The choices look grim

[ALL]
But everything you learn there
Will help when you return there

[BAKER, CINDERELLA, LITTLE RED RIDINGHOOD & JACK]
The light is getting dimmer—

[BAKER]
I think I see a glimmer—

[ALL]
Into the woods—
You have to grope
But that's the way
You learn to cope
Into the woods
To find there's hope
Of getting through the journey

Into the woods
Each time you go
There's more to learn
Of what you know

Into the woods, but not too slow—
Into the woods, it's nearing midnight—
Into the woods to mind the wolf
To heed the witch
To honor the giant
To mind
To heed
To find
To think
To teach
To join
To go to the Festival!

Into the woods
Into the woods
Into the woods
Then out of the woods—
And happy ever after!

[CINDERELLA]
...I wish…