THE KINGDOM OF FOOLS

CHARACTERS:

1. Narrator
2. King
3. Minister
4. Thief
5. Merchant
6. Bricklayer
7. Dancing Girl
8. Goldsmith
9. Rich Man
10. Guru
11. Disciple

Scene – 1:

(Enter the King and Minister)

King: I'm tired of running things like other kings. I want to do something different.

Minister: Me too, Your Majesty. I've always wanted to change night into day and day into night.

King: That's a wonderful idea, Minister! Let's do it!

Narrator : (The King and Minister issue an order to the people, commanding them to be awake at night
and sleep during the day. Anyone who disobeys will be punished with death.)

Scene – 2:

(Enter the Guru and Disciple)

Guru: This is the most peculiar city I've ever seen. Everyone is asleep during the day and awake at night.

Disciple: I know, Master. It's very strange.

Guru: Let's go and see what's going on.

Narrator : (The Guru and Disciple wander around the city, observing the people and businesses.)

Disciple: Oh, Master, this place is amazing! Everything is so cheap! We can buy all the food we want for a
rupee.
Guru: Yes, but this is no place for us to stay. The people here are fools.

Disciple: But I don't want to leave, Master. Everything is so cheap here.

Guru: I know, but it's not worth it to stay in a place where the people are foolish. If you want to stay
here, you stay here but let me warn you that they all are fools. This won’t last very long ,and you can’t
tell what they’ll tell you to do next.

Disciple: But I want to stay here!

Guru: Okay! Do what you want! I’m leaving.

Narrator : The disciple stayed on, ate his fill everyday — bananas and ghee and rice and wheat, and grew
fat like a street-side sacred bull.

Scene – 3:

Enter the Thief and the Merchant)

Thief: (Sneaking into the Merchant's house) I'm going to make a fortune tonight.

Merchant: (Sleeping in his bed) I'm so glad I live in such a safe kingdom. Nothing ever goes wrong here.

Thief: (Stealing the Merchant's valuables) Jackpot!

(The wall of the Merchant's house collapses on the Thief, killing him instantly.)

Scene 4 -

Enter the King and his Minister)

King: What is the case before us today, Minister?

Minister: Your Majesty, a merchant has been accused of murder.

King: Murder? What kind of murder?

Minister: The ceiling of his house fell on a thief and killed him. His brother is here demanding justice for
him.

King: That is a serious crime. Bring the merchant before me.

(The King summons the Merchant)

Merchant : Yes your highness you summoned me

King: Were you at home when the dead man burgled your house?

Merchant: “Yes, My Lord. He broke in and the wall was weak. It fell on him.”
King: The accused pleads guilty. Your wall killed this man’s brother.

King: You have murdered a man . We have punish you.

Merchant: “I didn’t put up the wall. It’s really the fault of the man who built the wall. He didn’t build it
right. You should punish him.

King: Guards! Bring the Bricklayer the merchant is talking about to me this instant.

Merchant: (The Bricklayer is brought before the King)

King: Bricklayer, did you build this man's wall?

Bricklayer: Yes, Your Majesty.

King: And did it fall on a man and kill him?

Bricklayer: Yes, Your Majesty.

King: You are guilty of murder. You must be punished.

Bricklayer: Please wait, Your Majesty. I have a story to tell.

King: Very well. Tell me your story.

Bricklayer: I was building the wall, but I was distracted by a dancing girl who was walking up and down
the street. I couldn't keep my mind on my work. You must get that dancing girl. She is the one who is
responsible for the wall falling down.

(The Dancing Girl is brought before the King)

King: Dancing Girl, did you walk up and down the street while this bricklayer was building a wall?

Dancing Girl: Yes, Your Majesty.

King: And did you see him?

Dancing Girl: Yes, Your Majesty.

King: You are guilty of murder. You must be punished.

Dancing Girl: Please wait, Your Majesty. I have a story to tell.

King: Very well. Tell me your story.

Dancing Girl: I was walking up and down the street because I was waiting for the goldsmith to finish
making my jewelry. He made so many excuses, said he would give it now and he would give it then and
so on all day. He made me walk up and down to his house a dozen times. It's not my fault, Your Majesty,
it's the goldsmith's fault.

(The Goldsmith is brought before the King)

King: Goldsmith, did you keep this dancing girl waiting for her jewelry?

Goldsmith: Yes, Your Majesty.

King: And did that distract the bricklayer and cause him to build a bad wall?

Goldsmith: Yes, Your Majesty.

King: You are guilty of murder. You must be punished.

Goldsmith: Please wait, Your Majesty. I have a story to tell.

King: Very well. Tell me your story.

Goldsmith: I had to keep the dancing girl waiting because I was finishing a very important order for a rich
merchant. They had a wedding coming, and they wouldn't wait. You know how impatient rich men are!

(The Rich Merchant is brought before the King but it comes into light that the rich man is dead and the
son of the rich man is the merchant)

King: Merchant, did you father order jewelry from this goldsmith?

Rich Merchant: Yes, Your Majesty.

King: And did that cause him to keep this dancing girl waiting?

Rich Merchant: Yes, Your Majesty.

King: You are guilty of murder. You must be punished.

Rich Merchant: But Your Majesty, it wasn't my fault! It was my father who ordered the jewelry. He's
dead! I'm innocent!

King: Minister, what do you think?

Minister: Your Majesty, I think the rich merchant is right. We must find someone else to punish.

King: Very well. But who can we punish? The bricklayer is dead, the dancing girl is too old, the goldsmith
is too thin, and the merchant's father is dead.

King: What shall we do? We need to find a man fat enough to fit the stake.

Minister: The servants are searching the town for a man who fits the stake. They found a disciple who
has fattened himself for months on bananas and rice and wheat and ghee.

King: Good! Bring him to me.

(The Executioner brings the Disciple before the King and Minister)

King: Disciple, you will be executed on the stake.

Disciple: But why? I'm innocent!

King: Because you are fat enough to fit the stake.

Disciple: But that's not fair!

King: Silence! You will be executed at sunrise.

(The Executioner takes the Disciple away.)

Scene 2

(Enter the Guru)

Guru: King, I have come to save my disciple.

King: You cannot save him. He has been sentenced to death.

Guru: But he is innocent!

King: That does not matter. He is fat enough to fit the stake.

Guru: I will take his place. Execute me instead.

King: What? Why would you do that?

Guru: That is a secret

King: Very well. I will execute you instead of the disciple.

(The Executioner takes the Guru away.)

Scene 3

(Enter the King and Minister)

King: I have decided to postpone the execution until tomorrow.

Minister: Why?

King: I have a plan.

Minister: What is your plan?

King: We will disguise ourselves as the guru and the disciple, and we will be executed on the stake. Then,
we will be reborn as king and minister again.

Minister: It is a brilliant plan!

(The King and Minister disguise themselves as the guru and the disciple.)

Scene 4:

(Enter the Executioner)

Executioner: It is time for the execution.

(The Executioner takes the King and Minister, who are disguised as the guru and the disciple, to the
stake.)

Executioner: Any last words?

King: No.

Executioner: Very well.

(The Executioner executes the King and Minister.)