2-23-99
CKC
The Rich Man and the Poor Man
Characters:
Poor Man: A poor farmer living with his wife and children. They are virtually isolated on their farm.
Rich Man: A very wealthy landowner. He lives virtually isolated on his estate with his wife and children.
Scene: A poor farmer toils in his yard, plucking weeds from the ground and cleaning away debris from a past storm. The man hums happily to himself. From right stage, a rich man appears, resplendent in his fine robes and jewelry. The poor farmer's clothes are worn and ragged by comparison. The rich man watches the poor man, a puzzled expression on his face, for a moment before approaching him.
Rich Man: I say, sir. Whatever do you toil about for? Why do you not stay inside, or in the shade? It is so terribly hot outside, do not move about so.
Poor Man: (he continues to work, but turns to address the rich man) It is life, sir, that makes me work outside today. To waste my time indoors on a clear and bright day like this would be wasteful and unheard of. (he turns back to his work)
Rich Man: Wasteful? Unheard of? Why, that is where my family lies now. My wife lays and fans herself from the heat and my sons play games together in the shade. Have you no family?
Poor Man: Aye, sir, I have a wife and two sons as well. My wife sees to things around our home and gathers food from the woods and my sons help in the fields and gather game. They too have their duties to fulfill as do I.
Rich Man: (studying the poor farmer closely as he works) And your clothes, sir, are they not heavy and hot? Do they not cause you to sweat?
Poor Man: Aye, sir, that they are and that they do. But what is work without sweat? It is unthinkable. If I were to work and not sweat, I would hardly be a man and doing my job wrong!
The poor farmer pulls hard at a particularly stubborn weed and the rich man moves quickly to his side, perplexed.
Rich Man: But why do you strain yourself so!? Why do you not rest?
Poor Man: (straightening up, he looks the rich man in the face) Do you waste your time so?
Rich Man: (a tad flustered) Well... I... I do work of a different sort... I... I have important business.
Poor Man: Is this not important? I work in my garden to free up the plants so that my family and I might eat this winter. I clear away the debris so that we might burn it for fuel and also give the plants more room ton grow? This is not important business?
Rich Man: Ah, I now see... You make your living this way. It is not my way.
Poor Man: (utterly confused) Your... way...?
The rich man sits down on a nearby fallen log. The poor man sits down next to him, very curious.
Rich Man: Yes. I did not know such men as you existed until I took my walk this morning and I ended up here. I did not know there was such a life as yours where you and your family work all day and do not spend time only thinking or playing games. Are you never bored?
Poor Man: Bored? I am not bored, I do not think. I do not know the word very well. There is always work to be done. Do you never work? Do you often lie around and only think?
Rich Man: At my home, my sons do not work in the field and my wife does not work about the house. They lounge about and read or play games or think. They do not work. Is it... Tell me, do you think it is good to work?
The poor man thinks this over as the rich man gazes at him intently.
Poor Man: (slowly) Yes... I think it is good to work. But I could use a break now and again. Now that I know such a thing is possible. I had not known that men did not work at times. I have worked all my life, I never knew it was such a different way than others had, just as I have never seen such fine clothes as yours.
Rich Man: And I have never seen such fine clothes as yours. I have never worked a day in my life like you spend your days. I think that if I worked, I would have something to dream about.
Poor Man: Now that I know of your life, I have something to dream about.
Rich Man: Do you not like your work?
Poor Man: Now that I know that I do not have to, I think that I will work even harder so that I may enjoy a day in the shade as you do.
Rich Man: And I think I will enjoy my day in the shade even more knowing of your toil.
Both men rise and bow slightly to each other.
Rich Man: Good day to you, sir.
Poor Man: Good day to you, sir.