1. 1
Prince of stories
Author: Ms. Fariba Aghapour
Translator: Maryam Abedini
Dedicated to all children tired and injured of nightmare of war, which have no
dream but reconciliation and peace.
Dedicated to those who always laugh while weeping…!
3. 3
In his name, the most compassionate.
The first scene
Darkness and then a light music and a sad song. A red light turns on the right
corner of the stage. It’s the photography laboratory and a woolen man with the
head made of picture and negative, back to spectators, while turning over the
large panels of photographs of war scenes….the pictures are making by
Background picture makers , which are made of foil; hands with black elastic
fabrics and fingers that gloves with white over and red palm covered them .music
and the sound of sorrow song echoes.
With the sound of weeping of a child, the man exited the lab quickly and by
exiting him, the light of lab goes turning off. At the left side of stage, a smooth
and yellow light gets turn on. A child made of balls of colored wool and knitted
woolen threads, has sit on a cradle which is created by other background picture
makers, and is weeping.
Child: (deliriously) his hand …Knit …prince…knit…stick it ….his head has been
splited …His head …
Man: shshsh …shshsh ….I’m here ...give me your hand …..My hand is
here…..shshsh ……calm down….
Child: (sleepy) the story of prince…. (His voice is fade) tell the story …
Man: do you want I sing the song which you like?
Child: uh-huh…
His face still is invisible and music is playing and man knees beside the bed and
murmurs softly. The stage goes dark.
4. 4
The second scene
The sound of whistling of a bomb, then explosion of music with sharp and wild
rhythm. Stage is empty and man stands and perplexedly runs from side to side
and laughs while weeping. His face that now is been seen, has been framed in a
panel of film. Top of the panel, exactly in its middle, a small flashlight instead of
camera flasher has been installed that has a repulsive light. He laughs excitedly
and sometimes coughs. It’s the light playing that begins with his camera flasher.
By the first light which brightens the stage from the background picture makers in
the shape of illuminate and laser lights, he starts to report.
Man: gosh ….such an exciting firework! Look at there ….it is exciting, isn’t it? The
illuminates …whoopee…zip…left…zip…right….screeeech… they pass by my ear
whistling…molten … jeeeeez! ….squelch squelch…squalchhhhhhhhhhhh… you get
frozen. …..boooom….
The sound of whistling of a cartridge, then explosion. Walking, everywhere that
he wants to take photograph or film, the background picture makers, make a
shape and higgledy-piggledy lights and sounds and shouts can be heard from
away.
Man: whiiiistle. I hear a whistle in my ear……. I am tongue-tied out of
excitement...have you ever been in a place like this? Definitely you have gone to
amusements park …but not of this kind…creeeeaaakk … no, no it’s like
this……..rrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrroooooooooooooooaarrrrr………..it’s this …..rrooaarr
cycling of cycles….slow and continuous! Continuous and slow….rrooaaar r r r? I
am agitated… clackeeeeeety-clack clackeeety-clack clackeeety-clack… your eyes
won’t believe in this endless scary tunnel…….
Rescuer Foil- head dolls by accompaniment of lights, in conformity with a
coordinated program, move according to directs which correspondent man takes
film or photograph and got fixed by flash of camera. Sounds of shouting of pain of
men and women and children gets lost in music and elastic hands of rescuers
stretch out , sometimes it’s hope and a stretcher gets built, sometimes
disappointment and rescuers passing. Correspondent man is fixed I whole of this
5. 5
scene in the positions of picture taking, and events are moving to left and right
and or to the depth or towards the stage.
Man: here is the biggest scattered puzzle of the world…. the most skilful hands
and the stickiest glues can not connect this puzzle together…..can them? If it is so,
its name would be recorded in the list of the firsts…sniiiip …sniiip…Here you will
be frozen because of heat! booooom.......melted lead…hot as hell…ice cold…
(Man mixes all the sounds and ultimately pants for breath and speaks
interruptedly.)
Man: Here is a small village with a big firework…
The final explosion of music and lights and movements and everything escaping
from the stage and man falling down on the ground.
The third scene
The man by the light of his photography lamps moves falling and rising and he is
fuddled and static. And a ruined wall made of gunny comes towards him, man
falls beside the wall. An edge of the ruined house has been stuck to the wall and a
blue curtain is hung by the panel of a broken window. A light and shade which is
visible by a flashlight from behind the curtain, has come out of under of bed and
shadow of a lean child appears, the very same doll of the first scene.
His playing with a bigger arm, of the very same material of his own, the arm
fondles him. Music is playing and a song which has a childish poem, and
sometimes is without rhythm and rime.
6. 6
Child’s voice:
Mommy said that you’ll come soon.....so soon
When will you come to take me far far?
Did not you heared that my dear mommy’s woolen threads were stretched?
Then she laughed and then slept? Didn’t you heared?
I scared that my woolen threads to be torn, too
But I went under the bed dark and hided
I didn’t weep, too…I laughed like mommy
Didn’t you heared that my ears stretching because of sounds?
I didn’t tell you that my heart has been tightly knitted for my dear daddy?
So, why you didn’t come? Didn’t you heared my heart dup dup?
Man looks around in a semiconscious attitude.
Man (fuddled): dup dup…my head is beating…
Man silences after child’s voice and explores his around by looking.
Child’s voice:
Their scissors are not spurious at all…they’re real
You see you didn’t come? Split-tear auger has been appeared?
It throws fire everywhere, too
It has split the roof of our house over mommy by its belch.
My little white puppy…they pulled its string so that it’s lost.
My friends and …grandma and grandpa all have become cotton.
7. 7
They went up in smoke.
So, when you’ll come to my dear daddy be found?
To my mommy be knitted………. When you’ll come?
To stick all pulled off things together again? When you’ll come? (He weeps)
Child weeps and man tries to lift himself up of the wall slowly and reach to the
window. When the child understands the light of man’s flashlight, turns down his
flashlight.
Man: who’s there? Do not be scared. I have no gun and scissor. Are you waiting
for someone? Don’t say no, because I heard your voice…..what are you weeping
for, kid? You alone? Injured?
Child slowly draws back the curtain and half of his dirty and dusty face appears.
Child: you have been sent by split-tear auger?
Man: honestly, I have no relation with augers…..especially the split-tear ones. I
just have some sew-knit friends.
Child: what they sew knittened?
Man: it depends on….
Child: on what?
Man: on many things….never minds…….now, come out for now…
Child: are you policeman?
Man: no.
Child: doctor?
Man: you injured?
8. 8
Child: slightly my hands……… slightly my feet……. slightly my head and my face.
Man: how much slightly! Now who has been injured more than slightly?
Child: my dear mommy.
Man: which part of her body is injured more than slightly?
Child: her arm…
Man: never mind, something can be done for it.
Child: you are not a doctor!
Man: well, I didn’t say that I am…but maybe I know some tasks to do.
Child: are you on TV?
Man: great job!…I take photographs.
Child: shall you show me on TV?
Man: for what?
Child: because I say my dear daddy to find prince.
Man: prince?!
Child: uh huh!
Man: Now, who’s this prince?
Child: you’re a stranger. (He again hides behind the curtain)
Man: well, we’re getting familiar. Aren’t we?
Child: pardon dear mommy…….mommy says that I shouldn’t speak with
strangers.
Man: She has woken up? She’s fine?
Child: she says you go…
9. 9
Man: why don’t you want to make friends with each other…hey kid, if you want, I
can take some beautiful photos from you and your dear mommy…
Child: I don’t want…go go go…
Man: gosh, mother, I apologize. I didn’t remember at all that I should not speak to
a stranger. After all, a stranger who is a little girl and wants to…sniiip sniiiip split
me by a seam ripper …….maybe by a scissor hidden behind the curtain of a ruined
house…
Man rolls on the ground and child laughs.
Child: how stupid you are. Kids don’t have real scissors………you’re big and then
afraid of me?
Man: should be scared of all girls, little and adult…jeeeez
Child: I’m not a girl.
Man: how can I understand that you’re not girl?
Child: I myself know.
Man: if you tell the truth, come out of behind there that I can see you.
Child: I won’t come out.
Man: why?
Child: because you’re not him.
Man: who’s he then?
Child: I shouldn’t tell.
Man: so, ask permission from your mother…..
Child: she can’t talk…….
Man: well, if she can’t talk, say her to shake her head or arm…
10. 10
Child turns on the flashlight, and fondles his mother’s arm.
Child: my mommy’s fingers have gotten warm.
Man: this is a good hint….maybe she means that we should rely on each other. Of
course if you’re not a girl, I will rely on you…
Child: why? Girls are bad?
Man: no… they’re not bad…just never can be understood what’s going on in that
their head?
Child: maybe that girl has too much colorful woolen threads in her head.
Man: which girl…
Child: the one to whom your woolen threads are knit …..
Man: that girl. It is obvious that you’re so clever.
Child: my dear daddy has thought me. It’s why I’m cleverer than girls.
Man: obviously no girl can fraud you.
Child laughs and also man. Man slowly approaches the wall and tries to lift
himself up of the wall.
Man: so kid, be ready because I’m coming to save you and your mommy…
He wants to hang up the wall that the frail wall shakes and some pieces of breaks
fall down on his head and ground. Man catches his head in front of wall and
bends. Child laughs.
Child: you see that you don’t know? Just the prince can climb of all walls and not
fall.
Man: what’s the story of the prince?
Child: he can come from far away soon …….even if he is on the moon…
Man: uh huh! Now, where’s this prince?
11. 11
Child: stories land…
Man: stories…?
Child: have you ever gone there?
Man: what about you? Gone?
Child: I go more often with my mommy and sometimes with my dear daddy. After
all, prince has come to our home.
Man: when?
Child: Whenever that I was thinking to him. But I don’t know why he doesn’t
come today; despite that I call him too much. My dear daddy might find him… He
might make friends with you if you like stories. And he might come to us if you tell
a story...shall you tell a story for me?
Man: honestly, I really like to tell…. (Sorrowfully) but this village has made the
stories forgotten for me…
Child: you see you don’t know?
Man: good girl! So, you don’t wanna come out? No?
Child: I’m not a girl…I said… don’t you understand?
Man: whatever, girl or boy for now! I can’t wait for you anymore. Why I bother
myself so uselessly, when you don’t help your injured mommy…then I shall go
instead of wasting time...I go.
Man hides behind the wall.
Child: I myself saw you…you went and hid behind the wall.
Man: ok…You wanna be there forever? Do you know how much dangerous is it...?
You don’t know…..but Mr.DJ knows.
Child: who’s Mr.DJ?
12. 12
Man: have you ever heard of digital camera?
Child: I don’t say.
Man: uh huh! … It means you haven’t. People have names…Even flowers and
trees and everything...right?
Child: uh huh!
Man: a digital camera lived in cameras land that all called him Mr.DJ…Mr.DJ was
so happy. In fact, I can say that he was the happiest camera that lived in cameras
land. He always laughed for no reason…and took photographs from everything for
no reason… from flower and tree and mountain and sea to man of every kind and
colorful clothes and …
Child: he took photos from dogs, too?
Man: ooooh, very much…from dogs, cats, birds,….from everything. For short, he
was so happy for himself and enjoying himself too much and just laughing.
Child: why he was just laughing?
Man: I told you that he was happy…
Child: then what happened…?
Man: what happened? Well, one day, a camera woman whose name was DJ, of
course DJ NO.2...showed one of her photos to Mr.DJ. He that was smiling from
ear to ear…he pulled a long face at once and laughed no more and he couldn’t
take photos for a long time.
Child: why?
Man: because he had felt sad because of seeing the photo that Mrs.DJ had shown
to him.
Child: what was in the photo then?
Man: what?
13. 13
Child slowly comes out…he has his mommy’s cut arm in one hand and he pulls
back the curtain by another hand and is sit on the bed and hangs his foot from
the window. Man shocks when sees the child in this condition.
Man: (suddenly frightened): uh-oh …uuuuuuuhh-oooooooh …uh-oh
Child: did you see that I’m a boy?
Man: uh-oh...yeah…….the one in your arms…?!
Man: no … She’s my mommy…
Man: so, where’s the rest of her body?
Child: I told you that she’s splited.
Man: yeah you told…but…
Child: when split-tear auger came to belch on our house…my mommy said to me
to go and hide under the bed.
The rest of child’s dialogue is showing off by background picture makers. They
make mother’s soul by woolen threads in which the majority is white. woolen
threads are pulled everywhere and showing the restless and disturbance of the
soul. By child’s voice, mother’s soul goes there and shadows on his head and finds
tranquility.
Child: mommy…
Woolen threads of mother’s soul embraces child.
Mother: go and hide under the bed…don’t come out until the prince comes to
take you. Don’t go with anybody…except your daddy or prince… will you
remember what I told you?
Child: I will remember. I promise mommy.
Man: sorry.
14. 14
By man’s voice, suddenly the soul gets split open and gets lost in the darkness.
Child dazzles to the darkness with seeker eyes.
Child: you thought that my mommy left me alone? No. Her arm escaped from
scissors and came to me to taking caring of me.
Man: wanna keep it in your arms that way?
Child: uh-huh.
Man: until when?
Child: until prince comes…then he kniteds my mommy again and sticks her arm to
her body….and after that he wakes her up because prince knows every task.
Man: I’ll be back soon…. (He goes behind the wall and vomits.)
Child (with loud voice): he can stick her arm. Can’t he? After all,…my dear daddy
will come with her.
Man (returns): well, yeah…prince....will stick her arm to your daddy’s arm…then…
Child: prince’s arm is cut? My dear daddy has three arms? (Laughs)
Man: yeah, laugh…it’s too funny…I wish Mr.DJ would be happy again, too.
Child: you yourself didn’t tell….why did he feel sad?
Man: because of that photo…
Child: whose photo was it?
Man: the photo of fetch- fire split-tear belcher auger…if you don’t come down he
would appear...maybe you’ll fall down from up there…..will be wounded…
Child: if I fall down, will red woolen threads stick out of mommy’s arm again?
Man: obviously they will… (He approaches the wall)
Child: if I move, the wall will fall down on your head?
15. 15
Man: obviously…so, very slowly jump in my arms when I counted until number 3
…ok? But first please put that arm under the bed for prince…then yourself come
down.
Child: Mr. DJ doesn’t laugh anymore?
Man: he will laugh if you come down.
Child: is Mr.DJ here?
Man: well, yeah… he decided to go and find split-tear auger and express him that
how ugly he is… Mr.DJ thinks that if the auger sees his own photo and knows how
ugly he is, then he will be ashamed and can show his face to no one.
Child: then he’ll go to hide himself?
Man: I think.
Child: perhaps he himself gets been torn………
Man: I hope to be so.
Child: I love Mr.DJ.
Man: he loves you, too…now come down to Mr.DJ makes friends with you.
Child: I told you prince must come first…
Man: we are back to the square one…? Well…look! That arm….look! Put it under
the blanket in order to not catch a cold. Did you know that if it catches a cold, it
won’t be stuck to its place?
Child: (he felt a lump in his throat) u telling the truth?
Man: of course that I’m telling the truth.
Child: ok…
Child slowly and carefully covers the arm under the blanket.
Child: now, it’ll be stuck?
16. 16
Man: I think… Don’t move too much unless we would be obliged to stick your arm
and foot to each other, too. Now, come because I’m gonna to save you…
Child: mommy has said…..
Man: uh-huh…
Child: (he has felt lump in his throat and frost bitten) I want my mommy…
Man: I want my mommy, too... why don’t you come down so that we go home in
company with each other? To my mommy…
Child: I want my own home…I want my own mommy…
Man: kid! Come down then…come down…come down…
Man jumps up and down and sits because he is tired.
Child: mommy…mommy…I want my prince…
Man: enough, for the sake of God, cut it off….don’t weep……be quiet.
Child bursts into tears, then silence. Man begins to weep and again silence.
Man: do you wanna know a secret?
Child: I don’t want...
Man: even it shall be about prince?
Child: prince?
Man: prince of stories is here……exactly opposite of you... (he makes an idiot
gesture)
Child: why didn’t you tell from the first?
Man: because, I, the prince, on my own way, a piece of meteor at once, hit my
head and caused me to forget everything. When you repeatedly moved me up
and down, my brain fell in place and I realized that the prince has been here till
now unknowingly…
17. 17
Child: then, come and stick my mommy’s arm…
Child: First, come down…
Child: if you’re the prince, you yourself come up…..
Man: so, honestly scissor-holders cut my plumages on the way…for this reason I
can’t come up…of course, don’t worry, a pair of wings will germinate instead.
Now come down.
Child: I won’t be deceived. You’re not prince.
Man: why? I’m a strange bird? Look well…you’re a clever kid…….why don’t you
recognize?
Child: liar. You’re not prince…
Man: all right …all right…so, what does your prince look like?
Child cries. He is tired and restless.
Child: I want my mommy…. I’m thirsty. I want water. Tell the prince to bring water
for me. I want something to eat, too. Mommy….dear daddy…
Man (confused and piteously): Don’t weep…my God…where I can find water
from?
Child: prince! Where are you?
Man: look! I say that the prince might have lost the way of your home….
Child: my dear daddy knows!
Man: so, maybe they didn’t find each other…how about is it that I go and find
them and fetch them here?
Child: can you?
Man: I’ll be back…
18. 18
Man walks but he is static. Wall décor goes out of the stage. pieces of ruined walls
are been brought in the stage by background picture makers who are covered in
black : panel of a window by which a half burned curtain is hanged …some bottles
of water and a snuggled box of conserve and a bottle of water in which a little
water is remained. A half burned doll and a plastic knitting-needle and colorful
clothes which have got dirty. Everything is static and the man is searching among
the things.
Man: no knitter is seen, no sewer.
Man picks up the bottles and disappointedly drops on the ground. But when he
sees a little water in one of the bottles, he gets happy. He opens the top of the
bottle and wants to drink a gulp, but puts by and closes its top again. Man picks
up the half-burned doll and sighs sorrowfully. When he hears the whistle of
bullet, he jumps and drops the doll. After a brief pause, he picks up the knitting-
needle and again keeps searching. He searches among the pieces of clothes.
Suddenly, as if something springs to his mind.
Man: I found…
Man picks a perforated cloth and binds it up his eyes so his eyes are visible from
the holes. He spines the knitting-needle in the air like a sword. He looks around
before leaving there. He plucks the half-burned curtain from the window and
throws it on his shoulders in the form of cape.
Man: I would better get back sooner…
Far away in the distance, the sound of shooting and a shouting oblige the man to
escape. He runs but he is static and things goes out of the stage and little by little
the wall appears and the wall approaches the middle of the stage and when the
man stops, the décor of wall gets motionless. Man doesn’t see the child and
everything drops from his hand.
Man: where are you?
He searches around the wall but doesn’t find the child.
19. 19
Man: hey! …where are you?
We hear child’s faint voice.
Child: I hid under the bed. Because the bad soldiers scissor-holder wanted to
splited me with the real scissors.
Man: don’t be afraid. Now they’re gone…
Child: gone?
Man: completely gone.
Child comes out of his hideaway and gets surprised when he sees the man. Man
notices his appearance and pretends and starts to shaking the knitting- needle
and killing imaginary enemies.
Man: you thought that bad soldiers could have a narrow escape from me and had
an easy time?
Child: you rock!
Man: who you are yourself that doesn’t know me? The entire world knows me!
I’m from stories land. My name is knit-go, who helps the frayed-seams and
spliteds …he knits and goes…he goes and knits …knit and go…knit and go...knit
knit go go…
Child: I don’t want knit-go… I just want the prince.
Man: yet, didn’t you understand that I’m the prince in knit-go’s clothes…? Come!
I have brought water for you.
Child: you’re not the prince.
Man: every wise individual knows this that if I kill myself, too, I’m not the prince
in your opinion… look, dear boy! Because your prince of stories had a lot of more
important tasks to do, he asked me to come and help you.
Child: so, where’s your horse?
20. 20
Man: you’re not getting along!
Child: prince hasn’t sent you…he hates swords…and also knit-go hasn’t camera …
Man: this isn’t sword. It’s knitting-needle…
Child: I want water.
Man: here it is water.
Man throws the bottle of water on the bed and child picks it up and drinks a gulp.
Child: drink you, too...take it.
Man: I’m knit-go. I tolerate well… you‘d better drink it all and become very
strong…
Pieces of wall collapse. Man looks this spectacle with fear.
Child: then, when he would come?
Man: who?
Child: the prince.
Man: look kid! I’m bored with the story of prince…you’d not better to be a wise
kid and come down sooner before you come down with the wall?
Child: mommy has said that he will come. After that, if I go and my dear daddy
returns, he would get sad. He would think that I’ve got lost… If the prince comes
and finds that I’m not here…how would he find my mommy and stick her arm?
How?
Man: ok…ok...let me think a little…there might be a way that I can bring you
down…
Man removes the cape and mask and gets ready to save the child anyway
possible.
21. 21
Man: I made the mistake from the first that I put a kid my wise …now, sit down
and don’t move like a good boy so that I find something and climb off…sometimes
must resort to force…
Child: if you come off, I’ll go and stand over the wall in order you not to reach
me…
Man: but why?
Child: don’t you know that individuals should obey his mother’s words? I don’t
want to come with you at all….you might have real real scissor and have hid it. If
you’re telling the truth, show it to me…. (He weeps). Do you want to take me to
the split-tear auger and it throws fire on me? Or to split my woolen threads in
order not to be knitteding and all my red woolen threads pour ……..out?
Man: the problem is here that you still don’t trust me…but we are friends… I’ve
stayed here because of you and it might the auger that you says, tear both of us
with each other and then burn us…I don’t know your idea, but I don’t intend to be
torn, not at all…understand what am I saying? At all, I’m doing the very same task
that if your prince came, he would do. The very same task that every father
does… imagine that I’m your dear daddy…imagine that if he knows that I helped
you to be survived , how much he would get happy…Why do you move your head
like a goat’s kid? What you mean? Understand what I said?
Child: uh-huh…
Man: so, help me…help me that I can help you.
Child: uh-huh
Man: what do you mean by uh-huh? You mean yeah, well?
Child: I want my dear daddy…
Man: I haven’t seen a kid so naughty in my life. If I obeyed from my mother like
you, now I would be taking photos from flowers and nightingales…
Child: I want my mommy…
22. 22
Man: how can I find all these for you?
Suddenly sound of an explosion ……and then tremor of wall makes the man take
refuge. Child weeps.
Man: did you see such a belch he did? Hold on! I’ll bring you down…..
Child: no (stands).
Man: all right…ok…ok…you just sit down…sit down…so that I find a prince for you
and come back…
Child: don’t go….
Man: (talks to himself): let me see if I can find a knitter and foist it on this kid
instead of the prince... (To the child) look! I go and this time will come back with a
real prince…you need to close your eyes and count to one hundred…you know
counting, right?
Child: 20
Man: ok, that’s good…when you count to 20 for 5 times, I will come…
Man gets lost behind the wall.
Child: one…two….three…four
His counting gets lost among the sounds of bullets. Child hides under the bed.
Man returns frightened and gets refuge at this side of wall.
Man: It shall be an interesting story. A silly correspondent and photographer
who got involved in the repeated flatulence of a split-tear auger and its scissor-
holder soldiers, for the sake of an obedient child and the legend of the prince of
stories. Hey kid! You again went under the bed.
Child: If you don’t come with the prince, I won’t talk to you anymore and I won’t
come out of my bed.
23. 23
Man: I happened to see a prince behind the wall who was lying on the floor...I
think that he has traversed a long path for coming here …for this reason he is
sleeping…
Child: he never sleeps.
Man: he is doing no good. Every wise individual should sleep 8 hours.
Child: he’s not an individual.
Man: obviously he’s not an individual … if he was…we wouldn’t be bombarded
with all this misery.
Child: he is like us but he differs…
Man: what do you mean, what a prince looks like? How does he talk? (To himself)
So, it’s clear, idiot...too formal…his form of appearance is so important… he has
crown…and …
Talking to himself, man gets lost behind the wall. Child peeps out.
Child: Liars...Liar…liar …you all are liars…my mommy lied to me, too…the prince
won’t come… you also can’t find him…my dear daddy won’t come back any more,
too.
Then child turns down the flashlight when he hears the sound of an explosion and
hides under the bed. When the light of the stage is being turn on with the man’s
flashlight that is coming out of the back of wall, child also peeps slowly from
under of the bed and transfixes with seeing a doll which in fact is a man’s woolen
body. A crown made of shells of bullet on the head and a big and red split
between two eyebrows which the red woolen thread are being stuck out of its
around… and an odd clothes made of different fabrics and a soldier’s boots which
it has worn …made the body very ridiculous….man carries it hardly and shakes the
doll’s hands and feet from the back.
Child: daddy… (He’s got surprised.)
24. 24
Man: o child! Your expectations came to an end…we apologize that we are late.
We had a lot to do… why you’re dump? Don’t you believe that we have reached?
But you called us and we came. We had felt asleep behind this very wall.
However, every wise individual must have 8 hours of beneficial sleep. But 8
minutes suffices for princes.
Child groans.
Man: alas! Maybe you are afraid of us? Woes are us! Woes are us that kids are
afraid of us. Alas! Prince had become sad by this your deportment too much and
is going to leave this thankless kid.
Child: he …he … (He has driven to tears)
Man: maybe we don’t look like the princes. Maybe it is so. Honestly, we were fine
before coming to this village and were enjoying ourselves. But when you called
us, prince decided to put his soul in the body of a man from dead land and come
to save the alive.
Child: (in snatches) ... Didn’t …you …promise to…fetch …him…?
Man: I’ve brought…
Child: mommy promised me that you’ll come back….mommy said you’ll come
back with prince….why your head splited and red wool are sticking out?
Man: this that you see is a red diamond which is connected to our crown…
Child: I don’t want to prince come back any more.
Man: now he has came and is going to rescue you.
Child: my dear daddy….why you are like this?
Man: what?
Child: he is slept? Like mommy, isn’t it?
Man: what did you say?
25. 25
Man and the body fall on the ground with one another.
Man: woe...woe...idiot…what did you do?
Child: wake my dear daddy…wake up…I promise to come down…I promise not be
waiting for the prince of stories any more.
Man: you said that he has gone far away.
Child: my dear daddy didn’t find the prince…
Man: I sleazed.
Child: why he doesn’t move…?
Man: he can’t save you...but I’m sure he had returned for you…
Child: you told a lie…
Man: I know.
Child: the princes don’t lie.
Man: well, he’s not an individual…differs, doesn’t he? Are you still waiting for
him?
Child: my mommy said he would come, so he would come.
Man : honestly, I like very much that he come and stick your mother’s arm and
your father’s soul to them and save me from you and my silly solutions...see, you
put me in so much troubles?…I wish he come and I would see that how he looks
like? How he speaks? What he says that you believe in him and not in me. What
he wears at all? Is he a winged fairy…? How he enchanted you? Oh God! What I
can do? Prince! Where you are? Where you are? (He weeps)
Child: why you’re weeping?
26. 26
Man (man’s voice gradually peaks from weeping to anxiety): I weep because this
wall is frail…I weep because your mother’s arm is cut and stuck to you... I weep
because your prince of stories might come never….. I weep because they have
planted a crown of red woolen threads on your father’s head … I weep because
you don’t come down from up there …because it might be too late to come the
knitters…I weep because you and this wall might collapse…I weep because I don’t
have the ability to bring you down… I weep because the auger, out of ecstasy,
might belch so much that… (He is breathing with difficulty). Dear kid! I don’t want
you to get hurt…look! How whole of your body injured. If you fall, it might…
Child weeps. We hear a tragic music. Mother’s limbs of body from which are
child’s material, have gathered by background picture makers from the different
spots, and are concentrated in one spot. At last, the arm which is by child, sticks
to mother’s body. Background picture makers, make visionary images from stars
and moon and …
Child: my mommy was saying:
Mother: when stars party sets in the sky
When lady Sun becomes visible from behind the mountains
When she laughs end of weeping of a sorrowful man
When she sees colorful flowers in the darkness
The prince will become visible; will bring a present for her
Will bring a new story, from the stories land
This prince’s clothes are of rainbow
A crown of stars sits around his head
He is just kind, doesn’t have magic
Brings love with himself, doesn’t have scissor and knife
The color of his eyes is blue, like sea and sky
27. 27
He takes the good people to their city of stories
Child: what he says in his stories? Say what looks like his voice?
Mother: his voice is as the same as children’s. This way
At the beginning of story, he says that don’t forget my love
At the end of story, he says I’m alive on the love of you
Fading the sound of music and again being scattering the limbs of women’s body.
Child: don’t forget my love.
Man: I keep in my mind. Know boy, I liked it very much that your mother would
have tell stories for me, too. …the prince of your stories is so handsome and
kind…honestly, now that you informed about him, I remember something. I think
that I’ve seen him at one time…
Child: when?
Man: when I was a little kid like you.
Child: then, why you had forgotten?
Man: you know, whatever people grow more; their dreams and stories become
smaller, to the extent that they can’t see them. It was for this that I had forgotten.
Child: I hadn’t forgotten.
Man: when you grow, you’ll forget.
Child: as a result, I will grow never.
Man: then, all people think that you are half-witted and say look at the bright-
eyed champion…
Child: so, why he didn’t come…I feel sleepy.
Noises and shooting and shouting from far and near are being heard. rescue’s
voice:
28. 28
Somebody: we must evacuate here.
Another one: helicopters of rescue are coming…
Somebody: shall not search more? Somebody might be remaining alive.
Another one: there is no time…
Somebody: all insider forces are retreating.
Another one: ouch!... I burnt…
The sounds go away. The wall shakes.
Man: for God! Come down. You heard? All of our friends are leaving…
Child: leave you,too.
Man: it will not be possible without you…I can’t leave you alone.
Child: I want to stay with my dear mommy and father.
Man: they …they can’t take care of you anymore.
Child: I will take cared of them.
Man: they have gone.kid, don’t you understand?
Child: but prince will come.
Shooting gets more and stronger and man is between going and staying, that a big
explosion happens and pieces of stone and wall and glasses and a piece of mirror
pour in the middle of the stage. The wall is slanted. Generally, this scene is like a
big mirror that breaks by the sound of explosion. Of course this mirror is not being
seen. Just its scattering is done by background picture makers. In fact, this is the
man’s mental image that disintegrates. Man is lying on the ground and has put his
hands on his ears. A piece of broken mirror falls down opposite of his face.
Man: fell………my God……the wall fell …….I couldn’t save him….. (He weeps)
29. 29
Child: why you’re weeping? You afraid?
Man gulps his saliva surprisingly and picks up the mirror and looks his behind by
it, and begins to laugh frantically.
Child: now the prince will come.
Man: how did you know? You have lost your wits?
Child: didn’t you heared when I told that my mommy has said: when somebody
worries and weeps, then laughs, it means that the prince will come.
Man looks at himself in the mirror.
Child: he’s coming.
Man: you’re right…yeah, he’s coming. In fact, he has reached. He’s here.
Child: I can’t see him.
Man: how would you not see him? He is over there…up there …on the
wall…….closer than you to yourself.
Child looks at around. Man gives the mirror to child who is now near the ground
because of wall slanting.
Man: look.
Child: but this is me.
Man: you mean that you don’t see the prince?
Child: !
Man: I see in your eyes all things, in one place, that you said about rainbow and
sea and sky and magic of kindness … about dancing of stars and mountain and
lady Sun. didn’t you go to the stories land? You know a lot of stories, don’t you?
At all do you know that how many kids like you are waiting for prince coming? It
means that you don’t know that now the prince is being united with you? Listen!
You hear the voice of his talking from your heart.
30. 30
Dup dup… I’m here dup dup, I’m prince of stories…..I always save others but now
a little boy wants to save me…dup dup, he wants to take me to other kids in his
heart…
Child: me?
Man: dup dup, yeah, you…
Child: the kids?
Man: dup dup, yeah, the kids…..They are waiting for their little prince of
stories.dup dup, come off the wall…unless prince of stories will die in your
heart……..gosh, the wall’s collapsing…
Child: I don’t wanna him die.
Man: I don’t wanna , too.
Child: I’m small but I know that my mommy and dear daddy won’t be knitteding
anymore. But I don’t have a home to bring the prince there by myself…..no one
want to be my mommy and dear daddy anymore…it means that now I’m like my
friend who just lives with his grandma…but I also don’t have grandma ….even my
white beautiful puppy is missing… he might have died, too…
Man: be sure that many people like to have a child such as you.
Man: you like, too?
Man: what? Me? Me?
Child: I let you be my dear daddy… now; we are friends with each other. Because
my dear daddy said that we are friends with each other… a son should be friend
with his father. Shouldn’t he?
Man: well, now that I think… I would rather you stay up there…
Child: why?
31. 31
Man: because you tried me out, tonight…because you’re horrible….you made me
crazy…
Child: well, I’m too clever.
Man (laughs): you’re right… you’re too clever.
Child: if I come down and grow, I will forget prince of stories in my heart?
Man: well, don’t grow…be a kid.
Child: well, didn’t you say that all people would call me half-witted and bright-
eyed champion?
Man: let them say whatever they like…Let them say bright-eyed champion …let
them say half-witted…you just let me hug you and you save this little prince…
Child puts off.
Man: let’s go unless our friends will leave…let’s go and say that a brave little boy
saved the prince of stories.
Child weeps.
Man: why you’re weeping again? Well, I know that you’ll miss your mother and
father and home and beautiful white puppy… but we are friends, aren’t we?
Child: you wanna be my dear daddy?
Man: I’ll be, but under the condition that you never get hide under the
bed…never step on any ruined wall, too. ..promise that you grow…Promise that
you laugh… end of your weeping…no…among your weeping, would be my prince
of stories …be my son and jump in the arm of dear daddy NO.2 right now…
agree?
Child: you also promise that red woolen threads not sticking out of your head.
Man: I promise.
32. 32
Child: promise that your arm also never be cut.
Man: (weeps): I promise.
Child: promise that you never release my hand…
Man: never.
Child: promise to be a real daddy.
Man: I’ll try.
Child: promise to tell me the stories… very much. Very very much.
Man: very very much…I promise.
Child: jump?
Man: jump.
Child throws himself between the man’s arms and man hugs him tightly and
child’s head is settled on man’s shoulder. Man moves in company with child and
this time this is him that leaves the events and goes and the ruined wall remains.
A voice out of the stage:
Somebody: hold on, who’s there…?
Man’s voice that shouts: it’s me and a prince…prince of stories…
The end
June, 2006/ the ultimate rewriting: December, 2012
Translator’s note: mother’s arm is cut from elbow.
