14: CAIRN

by Joseph Frost

a play written for The 31 Plays in 31 Days Project

Draft August 14, 2013

Attic Scripts, 2013 4550 Normandy Dr Jackson, MS 39206 atticscripts@gmail.com

A MAN is placing stones into a cairn a marker tower of stacked rocks. He carries heavy stones to the center, then places them purposefully. A story TELLER sits on a far stool. He holds a pint, and drinks occasionally. TELLER And they asked the man, excuse me. Excuse me, they said. Why are you stacking those stones? Excuse me, mister, they said. Why are you stacking those stones? (beat) He didnt often notice them, or acknowledge the question or their presence. He continued to stack, occasionally checking the horizon, with his squinty eyes. Hed look, sometimes with his hand on his forehead, shielding from the sun. (beat) Excuse me, they said louder. I said excuse me, sir. I wonder why you are stacking those stones. (beat) Youd feel bad for them. He was unflappable. Theyd ask, and hed work, and neither would be satisfied at the end of day. And when the sun went down. When the sun went down hed take his eyes off his work. Hed take his eyes off the horizon. And it was then. It was then hed notice them, if anyones still there. If they hadnt gone. Hed smile a pleasant smile at them, almost make them forget how stubborn hed been all day. (beat) Sir, theyd say, if you dont mind telling me why do you stack those stones? Oh, of course not, hed say right back immediately, I dont mind at all. I suppose Id ask if I saw a man stacking stones by the sea. (beat) Then why do you stack the stones? Because, says he, they wont stack themselves. The man has assembled the full cairn. The story teller exits, his pint now empty. The stacking man looks out at the horizon, squinting and holding his hand to his forehead. He moves downstage. Upstage enters a young GIRL, in a simple dress, carrying a basket. She sets down the basket, and pulls out a small blanket, which she lays out on the floor.

2. The stacking man moves away from the cairn, and the girl. The girl begins to eat a picnic during the following. STACKING MAN The story of the Arabian king goes like this. (beat) Once, there was a king. And he ruled all of an Arabian kingdom. He was blessed with a beautiful wife, whom he lost when she gave birth to an even more beautiful daughter. Not only was this child the most stunning thing the king had ever laid his eyes on, she was the image of her mother, the love of his life. He doted on the girl for her whole upbringing, giving her all of the finest jewels and linens, and reading her the best books, and playing for her the most gorgeous music. She wanted for nothing, though being as beautiful inside as out, she never demanded any of these things from her father, not spoiled in the least. (beat) But there was this one thing. Her feet, or her toes more like, where gnarled like a grandmas knuckles, craggy as tree roots, all twisted like a city councilman. Didnt hurt her at all, didnt stop her walking, they were just - if it can be said of such a beauty - ugly, ugly feet. (beat) Her father, with all the care in his heart, wanted to do anything he could to fix the problem, but he didnt want to make her self-conscious about them. He didnt mention them to her, ever; but he spread word throughout his kingdom that if someone could help his daughter with her only flaw, the reward would be great. (beat) Wise men and wizards and all kinds come up to the palace, to the king, and come up with all sorts of solutions. Potions. Creams. One fella wanted to build her jade shoes which would stretch her toes, another wanted to cut em off and replace them with a kind of wheel, like roller skates. The king was not satisfied. He wouldnt try any of these solutions until he was completely convinced. (beat) Then there was that day that the mysterious stranger arrived. That one day. The king told him the story of the daughters ugly feet, and the stranger screwed up his face, like, all twisted and confused. He was mysterious, sure. The mystery man says to the king, Your daughter is beautiful in all else but this. Cant you be happy with that? The king was insulted. He fussed and he fumed and he threatened Mr. Mystery with kicking him out of the kingdom or worse. Probably killing him, is the worse. So Mr. E says to the king, Fine, fine. Heres what you do. You gather all the stones in this courtyard, all the big ones, and I want you to build a cairn. (MORE)

3. STACKING MAN (CONT'D) Stack the stones as high as theyll go, and the answer to your problems will come to you. (beat) So the king orders his servants to gather the stones. And the stranger is, no. You, yourself must do it. With your own hands. (beat) Now, this king, hes a good man, but an honest days works never hung over his doorstep. He starts gathering stones, and his hands get roughed up, little nicks and cuts, and callouses form, and since hes pretty old too, his knuckles ache and all around, I gotta say, his hands looked horrid. His hands looked as theyd gone 14 rounds bare knuckle. Hed been juggling a machete and lost. Scars and slashes all over. (beat) Next day, the stranger comes back. King says, I done it like you said. Now what? Stranger looks at the pile. He gives it a good slap, and the whole thing tumbles down flat. Stranger says, do it again. So the king does. Stacks and re-stacks and learns how to stack it right to make it sturdy and strong. But his hands are now twice as bad. (beat) Next day, stranger slaps the stack, and the stones stay strong. Kings all satisfied with himself. Stranger looks king in the eye, and as he does, he kicks the bottom stone loose. Crumble. Says, do it again. The Mystery Mans becoming a real jerk. Takes all the king has not to behead him right there himself, if he could hold a sword with his swollen fingers. But the king remembers the girls feet and gets back to stacking the stones. By this time, kingys hands are like ground beef mitts. Theyre just barely hanging on, really, stumpy stubs on his wrists. Nasty. (beat) Next day, here comes stranger man. King stops him and says, Dont touch the stones, man. Just tell me what will fix my daughters toes. Im not fixing her toes, Im fixing your eyes. Your hands are far more ugly than her toes ever were. Look at them. Now look at her toes. King looks at hands, then at toes. Mystery stranger was right. To him, they were no longer ugly, but a part of the full beauty of the girl. (beat) King turns back to the stranger to thank him... all he sees is sand... strangers gone... (beat) Mysterious, no? A moment. He crosses back to where the girl is picnicking. He picks up an apple from her basket and eats it. He goes to the cairn.

4. GIRL It was a warning (rises to knees) A warning to those far away out at sea up the valley to the top of the distant mountains dont come round here, it said dont come round here things happen things happen to folks who come round nosy folks things happen, and youve been warned a warning it was (she stands) They painted the cairn the stones in stack painted them sos to distinguish the cairn from natural a pale red such as the sky had never been a pale red unlike the blood on the land a pale red that would scream to them scream loud in a voice that drowns out the wind this is the place this is the place you should not come this is the place (she circles behind the cairn) And they cried when they finished they cried because they knew the warning they gave damned them cursed them separated them from all others that travellers would stay clear and messengers would turn back and word would never come that enough days had passed and time had taken course that enough moons had come and gone for it to be safe it wasnt safe it would never be safe as long as it stood as long as it stood for as long as it stood

5. The girl stands directly behind the man. She leans into his back. The story teller re-enters, goes to his place. His pint is full. TELLER What do I think? Whew, dont know, exactly. Ive nothing against them, sure. They mark the territory. Boundaries. Mountain peaks. (beat) I dunno, is there a place for making them anymore. I guess the question is: is there anything left to mark? New places unexplored. Have the boundaries moved? And... ooh, and... is there anything else thats happened, or will happen, that will be worth remembering. For the generations, or for all of us, or even just for yourself. (beat) Thats a question. (beat) That is a question. He puts his pint on the stool. Teller picks up the last unstacked rock. Teller, Girl and Stacking Man work together to place this last stone. They all step back. Lights dim, then go out. End