Arizona Argument

Characters:

• Coyote
• Pekari

(Scene: A sunny patch of desert in Arizona. Coyote is lounging under a saguaro cactus. Pekari trots in, looking busy.)

Coyote: Well, well, well. Look what the desert dragged in. If it isn't Percy Pekari, the busiest creature in Arizona. What's got you in such a tizzy today?

Pekari: (Huffily) I'm gathering prickly pear fruit, of course! It’s the best food Arizona has to offer. A fine, nutritious meal. What are you doing, lounging around as usual?

Coyote: Relaxing and enjoying the view! And thinking. Thinking about how lucky I am to live in such a beautiful state. And how tasty those lizards are.

Pekari: Lizards? Really, Coyote? Prickly pear is far superior. It’s juicy, it’s sweet, it’s…prickly!

Coyote: (Chuckles) Prickly is right. Give me a plump lizard any day. Now that's a delicacy. Besides, Arizona's beauty isn't about what you eat. It's about the wide-open spaces and the amazing sunsets.

Pekari: Open spaces? I prefer the cozy shade of the mesquite trees. And the sunsets? Too much orange! I like the green of the desert after a good rain. It’s soothing.

Coyote: Soothing? Where’s your sense of adventure, Percy? Arizona is about the thrill of the chase, the howl of the wind, the mystery of the mountains!

Pekari: The thrill of the chase? Sounds exhausting. I prefer a gentle root around for tasty grubs. Much more satisfying.

Coyote: (Sighs) You know, Percy, we’re never going to agree. You like your prickly pears and your grubs. I like my lizards and my sunsets. But you know what?

Pekari: What?

Coyote: That’s what makes Arizona so great. There's something for everyone. Even busy pekaris and lazy coyotes.

Pekari: (Grumbling) I suppose you have a point. But prickly pear is still better.

Coyote: (Winks) Keep telling yourself that, Percy. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I think I hear a lizard calling my name.

(Coyote trots off, leaving Pekari to his prickly pears. Pekari munches contentedly, then glances up at the vast Arizona sky.)

Pekari: Still too much orange.

(Pekari goes back to eating, shaking his head. The Arizona sun beats down, indifferent to their debate.)