trees and the man...

THE GIVER OF LIFE

(A Play)

Smrithi Rumdali Rai

***

CAST

Voice of the Supreme Being
Tree
Man 1
Man 2
Man 3
Famine
Want
Death
Greed
Smog
Acid Rain
Ultra-Violet Rays

***

(Scene opens to a stage with three men – standing left, right and centre.
Glow of light at the back-centre.)

Man 1: (Mimes ploughing, hunting and searching for food.)

Man 2: (Shivers and freezes alternately.)

Man 3: (Mimes a wound that hurts and is sickening gradually, tossing in fever.)

Man 1: Weary am I, how hard I toil
Tired am I of the plough and bow
The hard and barren soil
Wish I could rest and work no more
Ah! Food, food!
How hard I work lest I starve
Some food from nature I wish I had
Some rest and food I wish I had.

Man 2: O blazing sun! Torch nit my soul
Freezing winter snows have left it sore
O rain, ah hail, o gusty gale!
Away, away
Torture me no more.

Man 3: Claws of the beast have torn my flesh
My blood rages in torrents of liquid fire
O soothing wind! Blow, lull me to sleep
Let not pain engulf me in her mire
And carry me to my pyre.

(All turn to the centre and lift their hands.)

All: Thou giver of life, look down and see
Trouble and pain that follow
Abandon me not in this hour
Help me, it is in thy power
Hasten, I pray!

Man 1: For I starve.

Man 2: I freeze.

Man 3: I die.

(All sink to the ground slowly, centre-stage. Light glows bright.)

Voice of the Supreme Being:

Pity to see creation’s best
Fail to pass a simple test.

Yet, my children turn to me
From their trials I set them free
An answer to their prayers I give
To make their lives easier to live
A gift to man I make
Toil thy back no more shalt break
In the sun thou shalt no more bake
Poison thy life no more shalt take.

A Tree I give to thee.

(Stage goes dark. Centre brightens up slowly to reveal kneeling Tree.)

Voice of the Supreme Being:

Arise, go forth, I command
Fulfill my children’s demand

(Tree stands up and goes forward to centre-stage.)

Voice of the Supreme Being:

Just a thought I can’t help think
My children are still naïve
I hope they understand my gift.

(Light fades.)

Tree: Some flowers to brighten the day (Scatters flowers).
Scent of blossoms if I may (Sprays perfume).

For the hungry, fruits abound (Gives Man 1 fruit and grain).

From the weather, walls shall surround
(Covers Man 2 with shelter)
And protect you well
From the miseries of hell.

Thy wounds these leaves shall soothe
(Gives Man 3 some leaves and herbs)
From now fear neither claw nor tooth
In sickness thou shalt no more lie
Live, my friend, thou shalt not die.

(Man 1, Man 2 and Man 3 arise.)

Man 1: Fruits that need no toil or sweat
O happy day the hour I met
A giver of life like thee.

Man 2: Freedom from the blazing sun’s hold
Warm and safe in winter’s cold
Come hail, frost and icy sleet
Happily now we shall meet.

Man 3: Fever and pain have taken wing
I feel my blood run and sing
I live, I live, I live.

(All three men move to the right of the Tree
and sit in postures of indolence and plenty.)

Tree: (Smiling)
In comfort thus, spend thy days
Forget the time of painful cares
Music – food for the soul they say
A lute, a pipe, a drum, a reed
Turn to me for all your needs.

(Strains of soft music. The three men lay about in Paradise.)
(Enter Famine, Want and Death.)

Famine: Here I see no hunger or need.

Want: Where is my sister Human Greed?

Death: My friends Fear and Pain have retreated
Am I thus to be defeated?

Famine, Want and Death, turning to the Tree:

It is you who has cost
All our domains to be lost
Away, leave us, our lands to regain
Long in the shadows we have lain.

Tree: The prize thou seekest thou have lost
Away, away, evil ones
Haunt the other end of the Universe.

Famine, Want and Death:

(Calling out in different directions)
O brothers! We call upon thee
Help us destroy this enemy
Smog, Ultra-Violet rays, Acid Rain
Let not our existence wane.

Smog, UV Rays and Acid Rain: (As they enter)

Here we are, your call we hear
You shall rule earth again
Never fear
But first witness with glee
The fall of your enemy.

(All the evil ones rush towards the Tree, but with no effect. They fall back.)

(Music).

(All the evil ones confer, and then raise an attack towards the Men. Tree fends off the attack.
Smog assaults but is thrown back by waving branches.
Acid Rain rushes but dies in the onslaught.
UV Rays shines a beam on the men but Tree throws her veil to cover the Men.
The men don’t even realize the attack.
All the evil ones retreat.)

Death: I will not be cheated of my dues.

Want: Nor I.

Famine: So what do we do?

Want: O sister Greed! Where art thou?
Come, pray help us now.

Greed: (As she enters)
Step softly, step light
Shoulder to shoulder we’ll stand and fight
No Smog, Acid Rain, nor UV Rays
Honeyed words will pave our way
Promise them wealth, development and power
And see who prevails in the final hour
When the wine of illusion they shall quaff
We, my friends, shall have the last laugh.

(All the evil ones crowd, huddle and put heads and hands together.
Whispering.
Then all approach the three Men.)

Want: Builders are we and
I can see there’s so much here that can be.

Greed: Roads and bridges, dams and towers
Everything is now within your powers.

Famine: In luxury shall your days be spent
Wondering where troubles went
When rewarded richly for the help you lent.

Death: The Tree must go, for it stands
Against the soaring wings of our plans
This gold its bounties will compensate (Throws gold coins at the Men)
Hurry, God knows, fortune never did wait.

(The three Men take the gold and run towards the Tree to axe it.
As they strike it together, the Tree sinks slowly to the ground.)

Tree: Ah! Bleeding drops, weep not for me
I fall, I die, to sleep for eternity
What now, O Man, without a tree?

Famine: Victory is ours.
Once more shall we walk abroad
Unfettered and free
Cry havoc
Earth is ours.

(Music.)

(Famine, Want and Death run in different directions, striking down the men.
Smog, UV Rays and Acid Rain rise and stand left, right and centre, miming.)

Man 1: Heaven, I starve, I die of hunger and pain.

Man 2: I have lost all, even the shelter under which I had lain.

Man 3: No leaves there are for my fever to slake
The promise of a better life was a fake.

Man 1: I starve.

Man 2: I freeze.

Man 3: I die.

All the three Men:

Driven by unparalleled greed
By us were the hounds of hell freed
Death, Famine and Want walk for all to see
While man dies for want of a Tree.

(All the three Men fall down and die.)

***

© 2003