ZEMLYA GOVORIT (THE EARTH SPEAKS)

An original folktale by Christie Gibbons

Spring of 2005

CHARACTERS:

Young Marksman: A hunter who is easily persuaded by the Tsar’s promise of riches.

Vasilissa: Raised in Old Russia by peasant parents. Lives close to nature and wants all people to live in harmony with Moist Mother Earth.

Moist Mother Earth (Narrator): Calm, quiet, nurturing, beautiful, and graceful. Pregnant.

Tsar: Greedy, gluttonous, and hard-hearted.

Firebird: Gorgeous and graceful. Has hypnotizing, rhythmic movement.

The Birch Trees: Trees that cry out when cut down. They are also the show's musicians.

SETTING: Outdoors on the St. Olaf campus lawn during spring. Behind Buntrock Commons, near the Science Center, the huge gray rock, and the perennial garden.

STORY:

Moist Mother Earth: I am Moist Mother Earth, and I bid you come and hear this tale of one who becomes familiar with the earth’s voice. The tale begins in Old Russia, which was ruled by a powerful Tsar. This Tsar is greedy and thinks only he may enjoy the beauty of the natural world. There is one peasant family who does not heed the Tsar. They live close to the earth, tending to me and harvesting my provisions. Since Vasilissa, their daughter, was born, she has walked in my presence and has been my close companion. There she is, tending the new growth of spring. (Directs audience’s attention to Vasilissa, and joins her. They embrace. The Firebird sings from the distance. They pause to listen.) That is the glorious song of the Firebird. (The Firebird flies in. All three characters perform a beautiful dance. Moist Mother Earth leaves the dance to address the audience.) Who could this be? Ah, a young marksman. (The Marksman watches the dance.) In his greed, thinking of the Tsar’s likely reward, he seizes the Firebird and runs off. (The bird instantly falls off of Moist Mother Earth’s head. Vasilissa, though shaken, comforts Moist Mother Earth, who has begun to have labor pains.)

Vasilissa: Who could steal such a gorgeous and graceful creature? (Moist Mother Earth comforts Vasilissa and urges her to go home.)

Moist Mother Earth: Follow me. (Motions with her arm. Leads the audience to the big rock, which is draped in gold/jeweled cloth.)

Young Marksman: Powerful Tsar, I have captured for you the gorgeous Firebird.

Moist Mother Earth: (The Tsar takes hold of the Firebird and laughs loudly.) The young Marksman lingers in hope of a reward.

Tsar: Well done, Marksman. Take this bag of money as your reward. And since you have proven yourself faithful to me, I now command you to perform another task: to get for me fresh flowers with which to make lots of perfume for myself. And Marksman, if you cannot bring them to me, I will have you locked up in a dungeon with hungry wild bears.

Young Marksman: Yes, Tsar. I will bring them to you as soon as possible.

Moist Mother Earth: Let's follow him. (She motions to the audience to follow her toward the perennial garden. The young Marksman happens to see Vasilissa tending an array of beautiful flowers. He joins her.) They sit together, enjoying the nice weather, and Vasilissa, not knowing he is the one responsible for capturing the Firebird, begins to grow into love with the young Marksman and he with her.

Vasilissa: Oh! I just remembered that I must return to help my parents with the spring planting. Goodbye, young Marksman. (She runs off. The Marksman picks her flowers.)

Moist Mother Earth: The Marksman hurries off to receive his reward from the Tsar, thinking he will use the money to woo Vasilissa. (Moist Mother Earth’s flowery hand disappears up into her sleeve. Vasilissa returns to find her flowers missing.)

Vasilissa: Who could steal such beautiful creations? (She sits and cries with Moist Mother Earth, who again experiences labor pains.)

Moist Mother Earth: Let us see what the Tsar will do. (She leads the audience back to the rock. The Tsar greedily takes the flowers.)

Tsar: Well done, Marksman. Take this bag of money as your reward. And since you have proven yourself faithful to me, I command you to perform another task. Go cut down all of the birch trees you can find, with which to make me a new palace. If you don’t get them for me, I will exile you to freeze in the biting cold of the long Russian winter.

Moist Mother Earth: (She directs their attention away from the rock, toward Buntrock. The young Marksman returns to the forest to find Vasilissa resting beneath some trees. He approaches with the intent to woo her.) Vasilissa is upset, but he does not know why. (He tries to comfort her.) They sit together beneath the trees, enjoying the spring weather, and grow more into love. Vasilissa falls asleep on the ground. The young Marksman, still awake, then realizes that they are sitting beneath birch trees. (He begins to cut them down to bring them to the Tsar. The birch trees cry out. She awakes to see that they have been cut down and she begins to cry. She finds Moist Mother Earth whose birch branch hand disappears up into her sleeve. They comfort each other, while Moist Mother Earth feels even more labor pains.)

Moist Mother Earth: (She directs the audience’s attention back toward the rock.) Let us again return to the Tsar.

Tsar: Marksman, I am disappointed in you. These are not enough to build an entire palace. (Pause.) I will not throw you into exile, but you will receive no reward.

Young Marksman: But…I…(The Tsar tosses the trees aside. The birch trees cry out and finally die.)

Tsar: If you want a reward, you must do for me another task: find the clearest, freshest water in which to dispose of all the palace waste. If you do not find it for me, I will cut off your head with my mighty sword. (The Marksman goes away sadly.)

Moist Mother Earth: The Marksman did not receive his due reward, and he is beginning to realize that the Tsar is a greedy, thoughtless person…Let’s follow him. (She directs the audience to the Science Center, away from the rock.) He sees my pure, flowing waters and approaches, intending to offer them to the Tsar. Vasilissa is still unaware that he is the one that is responsible for harming our Firebird, our flowers, and our trees. (With greed in his eyes he stares at the water. Vasilissa realizes he is the one responsible for all the harm done, and confronts him.)

Vasilissa: Can’t you see her? She has been wounded. Soon it will be too late to save her. How can you do such thoughtless things? Please don’t destroy her last provision!

Moist Mother Earth: He slowly peers into my waters. Upon seeing his reflection, he sees the coming doom of continuing to live a life of greed. (He looks away in shame. Vasilissa urges him to look again.)

Vasilissa: Look deeper.

Moist Mother Earth: He finally sees me…Beautiful, yet injured, Moist Mother Earth. He cannot bring himself to tell the Tsar of my fresh flowing waters. (He falls to his knees, and bows to the ground, begging for forgiveness. He has had a change of heart. Vasilissa sees this.)

Vasilissa: Have a drink from these fresh waters and be cleansed. (A sort of baptism.)

Moist Mother Earth: Vasilissa teaches the young Marksman to gather berries and mushrooms, instead of hunting all the animals of the forest…She teaches him to plant and tend flowers, instead of picking them…She teaches him to nurture the trees and enjoy them, instead of cutting them all down…(As the young Marksman’s heart is changed, Moist Mother Earth’s missing parts are restored. She directs the audience’s attention back to the rock.) We must return to the Tsar to save the Firebird, and ask him to change his ways before it is too late. (They all return to the Tsar.)

Tsar: You have failed again I see, Marksman. So, it seems I must do as I told you I would, cut off your head with my mighty sword.

Marksman: No, please hear us, Tsar. My actions, and yours, have done great harm to Moist Mother Earth. She has been deeply injured, and you, like I have done, must change your ways now and leave behind your life of greed.

Vasilissa: Yes, please, before it’s too late to turn from your mistakes.

Moist Mother Earth: Their attempts fail. The Tsar will not change his ways. His heart becomes so hardened that he turns into a huge gray stone. (The gold/jeweled cloth is removed from the rock to reveal the large gray stone. The Firebird is released. The bird is restored to the top of Moist Mother Earth’s head.) Let us all be reminded, as we pass this large stone, of the fate of this greedy Tsar. Let it stand as a reminder for all generations. And remember the next time the wind blows her secrets gently to you, listen, for it is Moist Mother Earth that speaks to you. May we, with all of creation, live together in peace and prosperity for the rest of our days. Until we meet again, my friends.