Wonderful Things
2026 Write Now Winner - Grades 7 & 8
Act 1, Scene 1
Setting: Egypt, Carter’s living room
Time: October 23, 1922
LORD CARNARVON: Carter, I won’t fund you another season to find this ‘pharaoh’ of yours. Six years - and you’ve found nothing.
HOWARD CARTER (pleading): Lord, just give me one more month. Until the end of November. Please, I know it’s there. It’s got to be!
CARNARVON (thinking): Fine. One more month. Then no more.
CARNARVON leaves the house. CARTER sinks down onto the couch, slouching in defeat.
CARTER (determinedly): I have got to find that tomb.
CARTER exits.
Act 1, Scene 2
Setting: Egyptian Desert, near Ramses VI’s tomb
Time: October 29, 1922
CHILDREN run over and put a container of laundry detergent in the sand. They grin.
CHILD 1 (smiling): I can’t wait until my brother finds this tomorrow! He works so hard every day to help those men get the water they need so they can find what they’re looking for.
CHILD 2: It’s a great birthday present. Hussein will be so happy. He always comes home in a cloud of dust!
CHILD 3: Now he’ll finally be able to wash properly. Those archaeologists don’t seem to have time for that.
CHILDREN skip back home.
Act 1, Scene 3
Setting: Egyptian Desert, near Ramses VI’s tomb
Time: October 30, 1922
CARTER (speaking to his workers): All right, men, I’m sure we’re all tired and we want to give this up. But this is our last chance! We’ve got one more month to find King Tutankhamen’s tomb.
HUSSEIN (running towards them): Here, Mr. Carter. I’m sure you and your men must be thirsty.
HUSSEIN trips and spills the water. THE MEN groan, annoyed. CARTER rushes towards him.
CARTER: Are you all right, Hussein?
HUSSEIN: Yes, I’m fine. But I don’t know what I tripped over... what could be here in the sand?
MAN 1: He’s so clumsy!
MAN 2: He had one job… he wasted half the water!
MAN 3: It’s just laundry detergent. Who left this here?
CARTER (sternly looking at the men): I’m sure someone went to a lot of trouble to get this all the way out here in the desert. Hussein, what do you think?
HUSSEIN (taking a closer look): This is most definitely very useful. And thoughtful.
THE MEN go back to work. HUSSEIN grins to himself.
Intermission
Act 2, Scene 1
Setting: Egyptian Desert, near Ramses VI’s tomb
Time: November 4, 1922
CARTER stands on top of a sand dune. THE MEN watch him expectantly.
CARTER (reassuringly): All right, men, we can do this. I know our deadline is almost up, and Lord Carnarvon is not going to fund us after this. All our research has led us to this place; we can’t give up now. Let’s go find that tomb!
MAN 4, 5 cheer. MAN 1, 2, 3 stay silent. They start scouting around, looking around in the sand and digging; they talk amongst themselves too.
MAN 3: I can’t believe that we’re still looking; I don’t think it ever existed.
MAN 4: Of course it does! Tutankhamen was a famous pharaoh. There’s no way he didn’t have a tomb.
MAN 5: (MAN 4)’s right. We have to keep trying.
MAN 1: I hate this. Carter should just give up. I want to go home. I mean, people have lives!
MAN 4: I can’t believe you’re talking like this. The location of Tutankhamen’s tomb would be such a treasure for mankind to understand our history!
THE MEN finish the conversation and keep searching.
CARTER (beckoning to a messenger): Can you fetch Hussein to bring us some water? The men look like they need a break.
MESSENGER: Of course.
MESSENGER runs and exits stage left. After a few minutes, HUSSEIN enters on stage left.
HUSSEIN (skipping towards them): Mr. Carter! Here’s your water.
HUSSEIN trips and drops the water jar high into the air. MAN 5 catches it.
CARTER (half-smiling): Hussein, how is it that you keep finding laundry detergent to trip on in the middle of the desert?
HUSSEIN (peering closer): It’s not laundry detergent this time, it’s… something else.
MAN 2: What is it this time, a washing machine?
CARTER: Quit your jokes. I think Hussein may have found something.
HUSSEIN and CARTER dig under the sand. THE MEN watch, intrigued. They hear the sound of metal hitting stone.
CARTER (astonished): By Jove, it’s... the tomb! We’ve found it!
CARTER beckons to MESSENGER. MESSENGER runs towards him, ready.
CARTER: Hello, can you please send a telegraph to Lord Carnarvon? Excellent news! We’ve found the tomb, and we’d like him to be with us for when we unseal it at last!
MESSENGER: Of course. Right away, sir.
CARTER (smiling): Hussein, you too. You deserve to be there. You found it, after all!
HUSSEIN grins broadly.
Act 2, Scene 2
Setting: The entrance to Tutankhamen’s tomb
Time: November 26, 1922
CARNARVON, CARTER, and HUSSEIN stand in front of the door to the tomb.
CARTER: You’re looking quite smart today, Hussein.
HUSSEIN: Thanks. It’s my shirt. I cleaned it especially for today. I couldn’t meet the pharaoh wearing my usual dusty clothes!
CARTER (taking a deep breath): Good man. Are you two ready?
HUSSEIN nods excitedly. CARNARVON nods formally.
CARTER pushes open the door forcefully.
CARTER (face lighting up): Ah, wonderful things!
HUSSEIN: Look at all the gold! It’s more beautiful than I ever imagined! King Tutankhamen had such riches.
CARTER retrieves the necklace and places it around HUSSEIN’S neck. HUSSEIN smiles proudly.
CARTER: Your sparkling shirt deserves an equally sparkling necklace!
HUSSEIN: Never underestimate the power of a fresh set of eyes… and a fresh outfit!
Blackout
Footnote: This is based on the true story of how Howard Carter and “Water Boy” Hussein Abdel Rasoul discovered King Tutankhamen’s lost tomb, with one imagined detail about the laundry detergent. According to history books, Howard Carter actually exclaimed “Wonderful Things!” upon seeing the treasures in the tomb.
