by
Fred Narvey
The Scene:a Middle East background, palm trees, fig trees, etc.
Father: Son!
Son: Father!
(They embrace and kiss.)
Father:You have returned and a weight has been lifted from my heart, my son.
Son: My heart is gladdened too, my father. It is good to see you again.
Father: Let us sit and talk to one another.
(Father sits cross-legged on the stage, the son collapses completely.)
Father: What is it, my son?
Son: Do not be alarmed, father. It is just that I have not eaten for three days.
(The father utters a shrill whistle and a servant appears left stage.)
Servant: You called, master?
Father: My younger son has returned! Make haste and bring him food and drink. Immediately!
(The servant exits quickly.)
Father: Forgive me, my son, I was so happy to see you, I did not realize youwere hungry.
Son: It is I who ask your forgiveness for many things, father. (Pauses) There was a great famine in the land whence I have returned.
(He collapses again)
(The father whistles again, the servant appears laden with food and drink.)
Father: Quickly, place the food before him.
(The servant does so. The father raises his son's head and helps him first to drink, then to eat. Exit servant. Son revives.)
Son: Thank you, father.
Father: Eat your fill, my son, we will talk later.
(Son eats ravenously)
Father: How thin you look.
Son: You have grown older, father.
Father: It is written "only the dead stay young".
(Father whistles again, the servant runs in)
Servant: You called, master.
Father: Prepare a hot bath and a clean robe for my son who has returned. Kill the fatted and fill the wine jugs for we shall make merry!
Servant: Yes, master. Thy will shall be done. We are happy for you both!
(Exits)
Son: I am not worthy of this honor, my father, for I have sinned.
Father: A son who repents is as though born again. Let us not talk about sin, but rejoice in your return.
Son: Thank you, father. I shall be faithful to you henceforth.
Father: I do not doubt it, my son.
Son: Do you still kill the animals with one clean slit of the knife across the jugular vein while intoning a prayer?
Father: Yes, that is the custom.
Son: In foreign lands where I have been, it is the custom to kill the animals by hitting them over the head with an axe. Why are we different, father?
Father: Because of our tradition, my son. The ritual of slaughter is of deep religious significance to us, brought down by our ancient sages.
Son: What is the reasoning behind it, father?
Father: I shall reveal it to you some day, my son, as my father revealed it unto me,and his father unto him. (Pause) Tell me, my son, what happened to your share of the inheritance? As I recall, you left here with one camel, two asses, four goats, twelve sheep, and one tent.
Son: Father, I am truly ashamed. I have sinned before God and man, but I do repent. I traded the camel for a woman, and for a while it was good. Later I grew tired of the woman but did not have the heart to turn her away. I traded one of the asses for another woman, and traded two of the goats for a large cask of wine to celebrate the occasion. The three of us caroused all day and night in the tent and I finally fell asleep in a drunken stupor.
Father: What happened then?
Son: I do not know how long I remained thus, but when I awoke I was alone and I had a big lump on my head. I cannot tell for certain what happened but it seems that the two women might have hit me over the head, rode away on the remaining ass, and took the two remaining goats and twelve sheep with them.
Father: And what else?
Son: What else is there, my father?
Father: Many things, many things, but one lesson must be obvious even to you, my son. It is this: if you want to avoid trouble, never have two women living together in one tent!
Son: I shall remember that, father. (Pause) How is my older brother?
Father: Thank the Lord, he is still strong as an ox, but very stupid, of course. Thank the Lord, you have returned. With your worldly wisdom and his strength, you will complement one another and prosper.
Son:I am afraid my older brother will resent my homecoming, father.
Father: Not so. Your older brother may be stupid but he is also benevolent. I suggest that you greet him warmly, but do not turn your back when you take leave of him.
Son: It is written, "He who walks backwards, lands in a dung heap".
(Servant enters, excitedly)
Servant: Master, the bath has been made ready and a fresh robe is prepared for your son who has returned, the fatted calf has been slaughtered, the wine has been cooled, and we are prepared to make merry.
Father: Go and prepare yourself, my son. I shall stay here and await your older brother who will return from the field presently.
Son:I humbly take my leave, father. (Exits left)
(The father's eyes follow his prodigal son, he sighs deeply and shakes his head. The sound of music and merriment rises from the left as the older son enters from the right.)
Father: Sholem Aleichem, my son.
Older Son: Aleichem Sholem, my father.
Father: I trust all is well, my son.
Older Son: Our flocks grow and multiply. All is well, father.
Father: Blessed be the Lord! We have much reason to be joyful. Your younger brother was lost and now he is found; he was dead and now he is alive again. Be joyful and join in the merriment!
Older Son: (Angrily) Are you being fair, my father? I have worked faithfully for you these many years and you have afforded me nothing. Yet, when my younger brother returns after squandering his inheritance on harlots and riotous living, I am told that you have killed the fatted calf in celebration of his homecoming!
Father: Be of good heart, my son. All that I own is yours. Your brother loves you. He is not bad, but merely stupid. He has come back of his own free will and has repented. It is written, "A man who comes unto you of his own free will is worth ten slaves." The slaying of the fatted calf is not entirely wasteful. As you know, our flocks have devoured all there is to feed on in these parts, and we must move them to greener pastures. The sheep and goats are hardy but the fatted calf would surely perish on the journey. Better we should eat it now and make merry. (Pauses) By the way, your brother has adopted some strange customs in foreign lands.
Older Son:How so, father? Father: When he takes his leave, he bows and walks backwards. It would please me if you would pretend not to find this custom strange and do likewise with him. This will pass in time.
Older Son: I will do it to please you, father.
Father: Good! Now let us go and join the merry-makers.
(The older son helps his father to rise. As they prepare to go off stage, left, the younger son appears, washed, combed and in a fresh new robe. The two brothers look at one another and say in unison, "Brother". They rush towards one another, embrace, laugh, and cry, loud and long.)
Father: You must have much to say to one another, my sons. I shall leave you together.
(The father bows and shuffles backwards off stage, left. The brothers sit cross-legged opposite one another and converse.)
Older Son: What was it like to be your own master, my brother? Younger S: It was good while it lasted, but it did not last long enough. One is not really his own master if he is hungry.
Older Son: Why were you reduced to hunger, my brother?
Younger S: It was my lust for a harlot with beautiful eyes like a camel's. Older Son: You had a harlot with beautiful eyes like a camel? Younger S: Is it not written, "It is better to drink wine with a woman than water with a camel"?
(They both laugh loud and long.)
Younger S: Why didn't you take your inheritance and come with me when I left?
Older Son: It is not easy to leave when you have two wives and eight children.
Younger S: (Rubs the top of his head) How do you manage with two wives? Older Son: I have two tents. (Pauses) Besides, I love our father in spite of the fact that he is stupid.
Younger S: Stupid? In what way?< P> Older Son: He refuses to change. Take for instance this idea of making a ritual out of killing an animal with one clean slit of the knife over the jugular vein while he is intoning a prayer. Why couldn't we just hit the animal over the head with an axe like our neighbors do?
Younger S: Our father says that the ritual has been handed down to us by our ancient sages. The question is, why?
Older Son: You ask him. In the meantime I shall wash my hands and feet and join in the merriment. Welcome back to the fold, my brother.
Younger S: Thank you, my brother.
(They get up, face one another, bow to one another, and shuffle backwards, younger son to the left, the older son to the right. Just before they reach the exits, a shout is heard off-stage above the merriment.
(Off-stage: Shouts of "Make room!" "Give him air! Give him air!")
(Enter two man-servants assisting the father who collapses to the ground. Enter wailing women and children and other people following. General tumult.)
Various voices shout:
...He collapsed in the midst of the merriment!
...too much excitement.
...seeing his younger son return from the dead!
...It must be his heart, his heart.
...Give him air!
(They lay the father down where he lies panting amidst the hubbub.)
Younger S: Speak to me, father.
Father: (struggles to speak - they prop him up) Welcome back, my son. I forgive you your transgressions and command you to be faithful to your older brother as you would be unto me.
Younger S: I promise to do so, father.
Older Son: Speak to me also, father.
Father: All that is mine is thine. I command you to look after your younger brother. Choose a good wife for him. (Pauses) If he must have two wives, make sure he has two tents.
Older Son: I promise to do so, father.
Father: I further command you to give half of your inheritance to your younger brother.
Older Son: (Interrupts) But, father...
Father: With the exception of what he has already received.
Older Son: But, father...
Father: Which consists of one camel, two asses...
Older Son: (interrupts) But, father...
Father: Four goats and twelve sheep...
Older Son: (again interrupts) But father...
Father: And one tent.
Older Son: (Resignedly) I promise to do so, father.
Father: I love you equally, my sons. Bless you both. (collapses)
Younger S: Father, don't leave us, we need you. You promised to tell us about the ritual killing of animals.
Father: (Weakly) The custom has been handed down to us by our sages, father to son, father to son, father to son...
Older Son:Yes, father, yes...
Father: Listen carefully so that you will hand it down to your sons, father to son, father to son...
Younger S: Yes, father, yes...
Father: When we kill an animal with one clean slit of the knife across the jugular vein, it feels no pain.
All assembled: Bless the Lord! Father: When our neighbors kill an animal with an axe, the animal dies in pain.
All assembled: Woe! Woe!
Father: The pain sets off adrenalin.
All assembled: Woe! Woe!
Father: The adrenalin in turn toughens the meat of their animals, while ours remain nice and tender!
All assembled: Verily, 'tis true! 'Tis true!
Younger S: Blessed be the lord who has taught us the ancient art of reasoning!
All assembled: Amen! Amen!
(Miraculously the father recovers, brushes off his attendants who try to assist him, and joins the assembly in saying 'Amen')
Father and Assembly: Amen! Amen!
Father: Now, on with the merriment, for the wine is chilled and the meat of the fatted calf is tender!
(General rejoicing. Curtain.)