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A Turkish Judgeadapted by Clarice Cabanlit

YOU ARE FREE AND WELCOME to print and distribute a sufficient number of copies of this play script for your performance, provided you are personally and directly involved in the production. What does that mean? If you are the director, producer, an actor or performer, musician, stage

hand, or a parent/caregiver of same for this play, you are welcome to make a sufficient number of copies. Otherwise, you may not distribute this script

in any format to any other third party whatsoever without permission – additional costs may apply.

Characters: FOREST ANIMALS (no speaking lines) KING HAROUN HORSE (no speaking lines) LAME BEGGAR NARRATOR JUDGE OIL MERCHANT PORTER SOLDIER #1 SOLDIER #2 WRITER TAILOR WITNESSES (no speaking lines)

Scene 1 – A forest

[Stage Set: A forest teeming with life. Paint a backdrop with trees, bushes and flowers, a blue sky, fluffy clouds, and a bright sun. FOREST ANIMALS are moving around quietly.]

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[KING HAROUN enters from stage right, riding his HORSE. He rides around slowly with a smile, looking happy. LAME BEGGAR enters right behind him.]

NARRATOR: This play is “A Turkish Judge,” a folktale from Turkey. It is brought to you by Stories to Grow by. Over a thousand years ago, there ruled a wise king whose name was King Haroun al-Raschid. If you know the book One Thousand and One Arabian Nights, you should know this is the very same king from that story. If you don’t know of the book, no matter. This is a different story, anyway, about the same king. One day, King Haroun left his palace to travel around his kingdom. He wanted to see for himself how his people were doing.

[KING HAROUN enters, on HORSE. To simulate the KING riding on a horse, HORSE walks on all fours. KING HAROUN walks behind HORSE, with the two of them facing and moving in the same direction.]

LAME BEGGAR:(loudly and gesturing towards KING HAROUN) Help me! Please won’t someone help me?

KING HAROUN:(looks at LAME BEGGAR and throws a coin to the ground) Here, take this coin. Buy yourself some shish kabob for dinner. (pauses and says thoughtfully) Where are you going, Old Beggar?

LAME BEGGAR:I am on my way to the city of Basra.

KING HAROUN:(to audience) I might as well take him to Basra. It’s on my way. Why should someone in his condition have to walk? (to LAME BEGGAR) Would you like a ride?

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LAME BEGGAR:You are too kind.

KING HAROUN:Let me help you get on my horse.

[KING HAROUN gets off HORSE. To simulate this action, KING walks around to the front of HORSE. KING HAROUN walks LAME BEGGAR to behind HORSE. Together, they “ride” HORSE across the stage by all moving together, that is KING HAROUN, LAME BEGGAR, and HORSE. They all stop when they reach the end of the stage.]

KING HAROUN:Here we are. (smiles) I’ll help you down now. Go in peace.

LAME BEGGAR:(forcefully) What are you talking about? I am the one who gave YOU a ride. (jumps off HORSE and this action is simulated by his moving to the front of HORSE) This is MY HORSE!

KING HAROUN:(also moves in front of HORSE, and stares at LAME BEGGAR) What?! You ungrateful man! I gave you a coin, and I even gave you a lift to Basra. Now you have the NERVE to repay me by claiming my horse is YOURS? I could have you sent to prison for trying to steal a horse!

LAME BEGGAR:I’d like to see you try. Here in this city, we are both strangers. It’s your word against mine. Prove it! Why would anyone believe you?

KING HAROUN:(to audience) I feel like just throwing this man to the streets! But if I do that, he will cry out. People will take his side and think I really stole this horse from him. They might even beat

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me. I could end up in prison myself. On the other hand, I can’t let him just take my horse!

[KING HAROUN walks back and forth, scratching his chin while thinking hard. Then he stops, lifts his right index finger upward, and opens his eyes wide.]

KING HAROUN:I know!

LAME BEGGAR:(grins mischievously and raises one eyebrow) So what will it be?

KING HAROUN:We will take this matter to the judge. We will settle this in court.

LAME BEGGAR:Such a lot of trouble. I have a better idea. Just pay me a nice sum of money now, and keep that lousy horse. Or take your chances in court. (to audience) I can be VERY convincing.

KING HAROUN:(to audience) Hmm. On the one hand, if I give him a large sum of money, he will surely go away and leave me alone. But I don’t want to do that! That would only encourage him to steal from other people. (to LAME BEGGAR) You know what? I’ll risk it in court. (to audience) At least, I will see with my own eyes how the judge of Basra deals with the cases brought before him. (to LAME BEGGAR) Let’s go!

[KING HAROUN pulls LAME BEGGAR with him along with the HORSE. They exit.]

Scene 2 – A courtroom

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[Stage Set: A courtroom with a raised table in the middle. Several seats are placed sideways on the left side of the stage, facing the raised table. These are seats for witnesses. On the right side is a door that will be the point of entry and exit for the actors. Please read the Performance Notes to see how to do this.]

[JUDGE sits behind the raised table with OIL MERCHANT and PORTER standing before him. SOLDIER #1 and SOLDIER #2 stand on each side of the door/exit. WRITER, TAILOR, and WITNESSES sit on the chairs near the JUDGE’s table. KING HAROUN and LAME BEGGAR enter from stage right and sit on two empty chairs.]

NARRATOR:So King Haroun and the beggar went to the place where the judge was holding court. When they arrived, some other people were already there. They, too, were asking the judge to decide on some matters concerning ownership of things.

PORTER:(holds up a gold coin) Your Honor, this gold coin is mine, yet this man is accusing me of stealing it from him.

OIL MERCHANT:(desperately) It is MINE! I’ve been carrying it with me for many years. I only lost it today… (glares at PORTER) when this man stole it from me.

PORTER:No! It’s MINE. How dare you call me a thief!

OIL MERCHANT:YOU stole it from ME! That makes you a thief!

JUDGE:(bangs gavel on the table) Enough! I will have no fighting in my courtroom. Now, are there any witnesses?

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OIL MERCHANT and PORTER (together):No, Your Honor.

JUDGE:Very well. Leave the coin with me and come back tomorrow. (calls out to those waiting) Who’s next?

[OIL MERCHANT and PORTER exit the stage right. SOLDIER #1 and SOLDIER #2 open the door to let the two pass through; then they shut it again. WRITER and TAILOR approach the JUDGE’s table.]

JUDGE:(looks at WRITER) What is your occupation?

WRITER:I am a writer.

JUDGE:Why are you here?

WRITER:This morning, before I left my house, I remember putting my Book of Learning back on my bookshelf. But when I came home, I discovered that it was gone. Then when I saw this tailor outside my house, I saw him holding it. Yet he claims that it is his!

TAILOR:(hugs a book tightly) But it really IS mine! I bought it at a book store in town.

JUDGE:Are there any witnesses?

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WRITER and TAILOR (together):No, Your Honor.

JUDGE:Very well. Leave the book with me and come back tomorrow. (looks at everyone) Meeting is adjourned. I will see you all again tomorrow. (bangs gavel on the table)

[WRITER and TAILOR exit the stage. SOLDIER #1 and SOLDIER #2 open the door to let the two pass through; then they shut it again. KING HAROUN shakes his head. He looks surprised, trying to figure out JUDGE’s actions.]

NARRATOR:King Haroun was very curious about the way the judge handled the two cases. He wondered why the judge decided to keep the coin and the Book of Learning. He looked forward to how judge would decide his own case.

JUDGE:(calls out) Anyone else?

[KING HAROUN and LAME BEGGAR approach the JUDGE’s table.]

KING HAROUN:We’re next, Your Honor.

JUDGE:Who are you, and what is your trouble?

KING HAROUN:I am a traveler from a faraway land. A few miles from your city gates, I met this beggar by the side of the road. He was asking for help, so I let him ride my horse and brought him here. However when we reached your city, he claimed that my horse was his. After how I helped him, this is how he repays me!

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JUDGE:(looks at LAME BEGGAR) How do you answer to that?

LAME BEGGAR:(sighs) The horse really IS mine! I raised him from when he was still a colt. He is my only family. I am but a poor lame man. If you take my horse away from me, how can I get around? I need my faithful horse to carry me. (pretends to wipe a tear and sniffs)

KING HAROUN:(looks at audience) He is a really good actor. If I didn’t know better, I would think the horse really was his. I hope the judge has more sense than me.

JUDGE:Do you have any witnesses?

KING HAROUN and BEGGAR (together):No, Your Honor.

JUDGE:Well, then leave the horse with one of my soldiers. Come back to this courtroom tomorrow.

[KING HAROUN hands HORSE to SOLDIER #1. ALL ACTORS exit.]

Scene 3 – The courtroom, the next day

[Stage Set: Same as in Scene 2. KING HAROUN enters the courtroom through the open door as if in a hurry and takes a seat. LAME BEGGAR, OIL MERCHANT, PORTER, WRITER, TAILOR and WITNESSES enter after him and take their seats. JUDGE enters last and goes behind his table. SOLDIER #1 and SOLDIER #2 take their place by the exit and shut the door.]

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JUDGE:I have spent a lot of time thinking last night, and I have come to a decision regarding the cases brought before me yesterday. (points at OIL MERCHANT and PORTER) You and you! Come forward.

[OIL MERCHANT and PORTER approach the JUDGE.]

JUDGE:(smiles at OIL MERCHANT) Here is your gold coin. Take it home with you.

OIL MERCHANT:(happily) Thank you, Your Honor. Thank you! (kisses gold coin and walks toward exit while smiling widely)

[SOLDIER #1 and SOLDIER #2 open the door for OIL MERCHANT to pass through. They leave it open.]

JUDGE:(looks at PORTER sternly) As for you, you have lied to me and to all these people here. You tried to take what did not belong to you. For that, you will be given twenty strokes with a rod on the soles of your bare feet. Soldiers! Take him.

[SOLDIER #1 and SOLDIER #2 take the PORTER away. PORTER tries to resist but is taken out forcefully. SOLDIER #1 and SOLDIER #2 exit with PORTER but immediately return to their position by the exit.]

JUDGE:You (points at TAILOR) and you (points at WRITER) are next.

[TAILOR and WRITER approach the JUDGE.]

JUDGE:

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(looks at WITNESSES and holds up a book) This Book of Learning is his (points book at WRITER). I now return it to him. (hands book to WRITER)

WRITER:(clasps book to his heart) I am grateful beyond words, Your Honor. This book means more to me than I can say.

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[WRITER walks toward SOLDIER #1 and SOLDIER #2 excitedly while flipping the pages of the book, stops between SOLDIER #1 and SOLDIER #2, and sighs contentedly. SOLDIER #1 and SOLDIER #2 open the door for WRITER to pass through and leave it open.]

JUDGE:Soldiers, take this tailor and give him thirty lashes with whips on the palm of his hand. He stole that writer’s book, and lied about it to this court.

[SOLDIER #1 and SOLDIER #2 take the TAILOR away. PORTER looks down with a sorry face. SOLDIER #1 and SOLDIER #2 exit with PORTER but come back in and return to their position by the door.]

JUDGE:(looks at KING HAROUN and LAME BEGGAR) Now, you two are next. Old Beggar, why did you repay this man’s kindness with such ingratitude? Do you not know that an ungrateful man is the worst kind of person? Since you are lame, I will not have you beaten. But I will send you to prison. You will stay there until you have repented your evil ways.

LAME BEGGAR:(pitifully) But Your Honor... have mercy on me!

JUDGE:Get him out of here now. (to KING HAROUN) Good traveler, the horse is yours. Take it with you and continue on your way. May your kindness be better rewarded in the future.

[SOLDIER #1 and SOLDIER #2 take LAME BEGGAR away. LAME BEGGAR tries to resist. They exit through the door. WITNESSES approach the JUDGE and shake his hand. They talk with him quietly while KING HAROUN observes

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them from the side. All of this is happening while KING HAROUN steps forward to face the audience. WITNESSES exit the stage slowly.]

KING HAROUN:(to audience) How did he do it? He seemed to know exactly how to rule about the gold coin and the book. And he was certainly right about my horse. But how did he figure it out?

[KING HAROUN approaches JUDGE after all have left.]

KING HAROUN:Honored Judge, I admire your wisdom. There’s no question that you are inspired. How else could you render such righteous judgments?

JUDGE:I did not need any inspiration at all. The cases were very simple.

KING HAROUN:What do you mean?

JUDGE:The oil merchant said he always had the gold coin with him. Last night, I placed the coin in a glass of clear water. When I looked at it this morning, I saw the surface of the water covered with tiny drops of oil. I was absolutely sure then that the gold coin belonged to the oil merchant.

KING HAROUN:Good! What about the case concerning The Book of Learning? How did you know it was the writer who owned it?

JUDGE:

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That was easy. When I examined the book, I observed that the pages that were most used were the ones on which the duties of writers and scholars were explained. It was definitely clear that the book belonged to the writer.

KING HAROUN:Excellent! Now that you have explained how you came to your judgments, it actually seems so easy. But how were you able to tell that the horse was mine and not the beggar’s?

JUDGE:Yours was an interesting case. You would have to agree that the beggar was very convincing. Last night, I instructed my soldiers to put the horse in a stable where you and the beggar would have to pass on your way to court. This morning, I waited by the stable. When the beggar passed, the horse did not even look up. But when you did, he stretched out his head towards you. I know that horses only do this when they see their masters approaching. Then, I knew that the old beggar was not telling the truth.

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KING HAROUN:You are truly wise! Honored judge, I am not who you think I am. (takes off ordinary-looking clothes to reveal his kingly robe) I am the King Haroun al-Raschid!

JUDGE:Ah! It is true! (bows)

KING HAROUN:Judge, I need someone like you in my capital city. I am making you the Judge of the High Court in the land!

JUDGE:(bows again) I am honored, Your Majesty.

NARRATOR:And so the wise judge became the Judge of the High Court of the land.

[KING HAROUN shakes JUDGE’s hand. They exit together while talking to each other happily.]

NARRATOR:And what of the beggar?

[NARRATOR gestures to LAME BEGGAR at one side of the stage. He is in prison.]

LAME BEGGAR:I would have had a horse if not for that Judge! AUGHH!

NARRATOR:This is how, traveling in his land, the famous King Haroun al-Raschid could find out how the people of his kingdom really fared, and if justice was served. This time, he felt pretty good about it.

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[If you have a curtain, close it now. If you have no curtain, all actors come on stage and bow to the audience.]

SOURCE:The play script, "A Turkish Judge," was adapted by Clarice Cabanlit from a story of the same name found at www.storiestogrowby.com/stories/one_mans_horse_turkey.html and further described at the end of the story. ©1998 Elaine L. Lindy. All rights reserved.

Performance Notes:

THREE WAYS THAT STUDENTS AND TEACHERS CAN UTILIZE THIS PLAY

1. Students can read the play aloud from their seats. Students simply read their lines. They do not follow the stage directions.

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2. Students can perform the play in the classroom. Clear an area that can be used as the stage. Have the audience sit on the floor in front of the stage. Students in the play can make simple costumes and/or sets as described below. When the scene change, the characters "on stage" simply walk to the back of the room where they wait until their next appearance "on stage."3. Students can perform the play on stage. For performance on a real stage, see the notes on costumes, props, and sets.

COSTUMES

FOREST ANIMALS — Clothes in the color of the animal they are representing. Additional accessories such as ears and tail will be worn as needed.

HORSE — Brown clothes, a headband with horse’s ears and a tail made of brown yarn.

KING HAROUN — Light gray shirt, dark gray trousers and black boots. He has a neutral-colored traveler’s cape over his clothes. In ACT 3, he dons a red satin cape underneath the neutral-colored cape. He reveals this at the end of the play to indicate his kingly status.

LAME BEGGAR — Tattered clothing, neutral in color. NARRATOR or NARRATORS — can wear anything. Perhaps nice

shirt(s) and slacks and/or a nice skirt(s) and blouse(s), or a nice dress(es).

JUDGE — Big black robe. OIL MERCHANT — Brown robe with a red belt, with a white turban

on his head. PORTER — Plain light-colored shirt and folded brown or black

trousers. SOLDIERS — Black short open-fronted jackets with red shirts and

red knee-length baggy trousers. They have a red fez on their head. WRITER — Light brown shirt, black baggy pants, black vest, black

knee-length socks and black shoes. Optional would be black hat with a feather.

TAILOR — Plain shirt and trousers

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WITNESSES — Plain shirts and dull-colored trousers for boys. Light-colored shirts and long flowing skirts for girls.

PROPS

A silver coin. A gavel made out of carton or Styrofoam, painted dark brown. A real

gavel can also be used if available. A gold coin. A hard-bound book that looks old.

SETS

Paint a backdrop showing a forest scene with trees, flowers and bushes. If you do not have performers who can play as FOREST ANIMALS, animals can just be painted on the backdrop. Another suggestion is to make gray rocks made of cartons and papers to be placed along the painted backdrop.

The courtroom has a raised table for the judge and seats for the witnesses. A wooden teacher’s desk that is about 1 ½ meters wide can be used as a judge’s table. This can be raised by creating a small platform made of wood. The platform should be big enough to fit the teacher’s desk and a chair, and should be the same color as the teacher’s desk.

On the left side, arrange 12 chairs in four rows. These are for OIL MERCHANT, PORTER, WRITER, TAILOR and WITNESSES. If you have the appropriate carpentry support, put up a wooden freestanding double-entry door on the right side which will serve as the entry and exit points for characters. Please ensure that it is firmly secured to the floor to prevent any accident from happening.

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Another option is to simulate a doorway by using two pieces of dark fabric. The length and width of the fabric will depend on the size of the doorway that you want to create. Make sure to add an extra 18 inches for hemming.

At the top and bottom edge of the fabric panels, sew 2-inch hems which should look like curtain rod pockets. No sewing is needed for the finished edges along the sides.

Slide an elastic band right through the pockets you have sewn on both fabric panels. Do this for both the top and bottom edges. (Note: It will be easier to slide the elastic band through the rod pockets if you tie its end around a screwdriver. The screwdriver will serve as your guide.)

Stretch the elastic bands and attach their ends on to something sturdy which will serve as the frame for the doors. To open the doors, simply slide the fabric panels to the side. Slide them back to the center to shut the doors. Add a doorknob by securing bathroom tissue paperboard core on fabric panels with duct tape. You will need two cores covered with silver foil.

Since the doorway will only be used in ACT 2 and ACT 3, make sure that you put this up quickly after the end of ACT 1.

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› ... › uploads › A-Turkish … · Web view, you should know this is the very same king from that story. If you don’t know of the book, no matter. This is a different story,