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The Tale of The Two Color Coat


By Tony Devaney Morinelli


based on a West African tale


 

Characters: 5 ( not gender specific)

Griot 1

Griot 2

Friend 1

Friend 2

Trickster

 

Note: a Griot  ( Gree-oh) is a traditional African story teller.

 

 

 

Griot 1:  Once in a far village

 

Griot 2: A village that sat in the side of a very green hill.

 

Griot 1: Lived two fine friends

 

Griot 2: In two fine houses.

 

Griot 1: These two friends were friends from childhood.

Griot 1: They planted their fields together.

 

Griot 2: Together they collected their grain.

 

Griot 2: And even their farms stood side by side.

 

Griot 1: A simple path

 

Griot 2: of simple sand

 

Griot 1: divided the house of one

 

Griot 2: from the house of the other.

 

Griot 1: For they were friends.

 

Griot 2: The best that friends might be.

 

Griot 1: Until the day that Trickster came.

 

Griot 2: The day that Trickster came.

 

Trickster: I see these are two friends

               

                Two friends alike.

 

                Two friends of one mind.

 

                (directly to the audience)

 

                But wait. Let us see.....!

 

Griot 1: So, Trickster made a coat.

 

Griot 2: A coat with two sides.

 

Griot 1: On the side of one friend red.

 

Griot 2: On the side of one friend blue.

 

Trickster:  Do you see my coat?

 

                Do you see its colors

 

                On one side red.

 

                On one side blue.

 

                And now I'll walk

 

                Along the path

 

                The sandy path

 

                That divides the homes

 

                Of one friend from the other.

 

                And we will see

 

                Just what friends can be!

 

 

Trickster struts upstage to reveal his coat - one side only to each friend. As he walks, he carries a wooden clacker to attract the attention of the two friends.

 

 

Friend 1: My friend, my friend, have you seen

 

                Seen the beautiful coat?

 

                The coat that traveler was wearing?

 

                The beautiful coat of blue?

 

Friend 2: My friend, my friend, have you seen

 

                Seen the beautiful coat ?

 

                The coat that  traveler was wearing?

 

                The beautiful coat of red?

 

Friend 1: The coat of blue?

 

Friend 2: The coat of red?

 

Friend 1: But surely you are mistaken.

 

                The coat was blue.

 

Friend 2: But surely YOU are mistaken.

 

                The coat was red.

 

Friend 1: My friend

 

                You are my friend.

 

                But the coat was blue.

 

Friend 2: My friend

 

                You are my friend

 

                But the coat was red.

 

Friend 1: I know what I saw.

 

Friend 2: I know was I saw

 

Friend 1: The coat was blue.

Friend 2: The coat was blue.

 

Friend 1: But surely you are wrong,.

 

Friend 2. But surely YOU are wrong.

 

(The following exchange is said at the same time.)

_______

Friend 1; THE COAT WAS BLUE!



Friend 2: THE COAT WAS RED!

______

 

 

Friend 1: You know nothing!

 

Friend 2: YOU know nothing!

 

(The following exchange is said at the same time.)

_______

 

Friend 1: OUR FRIENDSHIP IS OVER!

 

Friend 2: OUR FRIENDSHIP IS OVER !

 

_______

 

(The two friends stand stark still.

Trickster appears before them.)

 

Trickster: (to the first friend)  Look well.

                What do you see?

 

Friend 1: Blue

 

Trickster: ( to the second)  Look well.

                What do you see?

 

Friend 2: Red.

 

(Trickster now turns.)

 

Trickster: (to the first)  Look well.

                What do you see?

 

Friend 1: (astonished)

                Red!

 

Trickster: ( to the second) Look well.

                What do you see?

 

Friend 2: (astonished)

                Blue!

 

Trickster: Ha! Ha! Ha!

                Foolish !

                Foolish!

 

Friend 1: Foolish? Foolish!

                Not we!

 

Friend 2: Foolish? Foolish!

                Not we!

 

Friend 1: All our lives

                we have been friends.

 

Friend 2: All our lives

                friends have we been.

 

Friend 1: But you have brought trouble!

 

Friend 2: You have made strife!

 

Trickster: I have cause trouble?

 

                I have brought stife?

 

                You have brought trouble

               

                To your very own lives.

 

                You look at the world

 

                From you own point of view

 

                Each in your corner

 

                Each standing still.

 

                One seeing red,

               

                One seeing blue.

 

                But look at the world

 

                From more than one place:

 

                Beyond your own home

 

                Beyond your front gate.

 

Griot 1: And so the two friends,

 

                Became friends once again.

 

Griot 2: And now they each see

 

                the world with new eyes.

 

Griot 1: So go on your way.

 

Griot 2: on your way to your homes.

 

Griot 1: And remember the tale

 

Griot 2: of THE TWO COLOR COAT.


End of the tale.