THE STORYTELLER'S BIBLE
Act V - The Synoptic Gospels, Scene 6
Script by Bob Allen
For four voices

                                                                               Scene 6

VOICE FOUR:            (STAND AND MOVE TO CENTER)  It had been a beautiful summer for growing corn.  Plenty of moisture at the beginning of the growing season when it was needed.  Lots of warm days to encourage the stalks to grow straight and tall.  A beautiful harvest time as the trees changed to their autumn coats and stood around in resplendent glory observing as the crops were taken from the fields.

VOICE ONE:              Farmer Senuah had enjoyed a particularly rich harvest.

VOICE THREE:          (STAND AND CROSS TO #4 AT CENTER)  Tell me again, Elul.  How many acres did we have in corn this year?

VOICE FOUR:            Five hundred, sir.

VOICE THREE:          Magnificent.  That’s more than any other farmer in the whole country.  I must be the richest man around.  Just think of all the things I’ll be able to buy when this crop is sold.

VOICE FOUR:            There’s someone to see you sir.

VOICE THREE:          Tell him to go away.  Can’t you see I’m busy planning how to spend my money? 

VOICE FOUR:            But it’s your foreman, sir.

VOICE THREE:          All right.  Send him in.  He probably has some more good news to report about my wonderful farm.

VOICE ONE:              (STAND AND CROSS TO #3 AND #4 AT CENTER)  I have some good news and some bad news sir.

VOICE THREE:          Give me the good news and give the bad news to Elul here.  He takes all my bad news for me.  That’s why I pay him so well.

VOICE ONE:              Well, the corn crop is even bigger than we expected.

VOICE THREE:          Good news!  Good news!  We’ll get the bank to foreclose on that widow next door and I’ll own everything from here to Bethlehem.

VOICE ONE:              But, sir.  The olive crop was also bigger than we expected.

VOICE THREE:          Is that the bad news?  That’s the most wonderful news I’ve heard in years.  I’ll corner the olive market and force old Mr. Cohen out of business.  Then he’ll have to sell me that vineyard I’ve always wanted.

VOICE ONE:              But sir, you don’t understand.  We have filled the barns with olives and we don’t have room for the corn.  What will we do, sir?

VOICE THREE:          Better and better!  Pull down the small barns and build big ones.  Build them big enough to hold all the corn and olives between here and Bethlehem because that’s what I’m going to own.  I’ll own everything.  I’ll be the richest man in the whole world.

VOICE FOUR:            But sir, what will happen to all those people who have to leave their farms when you force them out?  What will happen to them?

VOICE THREE:          Ask me if I care.  Who cares about people   Life is made up of things.  The more I own, the better life I lead.  I’ll retire.  I’ll take it easy.  I’ll hire a new cook and eat six meals a day.  I’ll eat and drink and be the happiest man in the world.

VOICE TWO:             So Farmer Senuah went to bed that night dreaming about corn and olives and bigger barns and six meals a day, about eating and drinking and being happy.   But sometime during the night there came a knock on the door.

VOICE THREE:          Hello?  Who’s there? 

VOICE FOUR:            It’s me, sir.  Elul.  I’m not sure what it means, sir, but a message has just arrived for you.  The man who brought it said it was a message from God.

VOICE THREE:          A message from God?  Wow!  That’s really something.  I guess He noticed I’m now the richest man on earth and wanted to congratulate me or something.  He must really be impressed.  Well, what are you waiting for?  Go ahead and read it.

VOICE FOUR:            Well, sir, it says this, “Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee; then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided?”

VOICE THREE:          Thou fool?  Thou fool? (TURN BACK TO AUDIENCE.)

VOICE ONE:              Those were the last words Farmer Senuah ever spoke.  He died right there on his bed, and the next day we held his funeral.  It was still a beautiful harvest, and we took in more corn than we had ever taken in, and we went ahead and build the big barns.  But it sure didn’t do any good for Farmer Senuah.  He had made abundant preparation for this life, but now he was in the next life and he hadn’t made any preparation for that life at all.  I guess he really was a fool.

VOICE FOUR:            So is every man who lays up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.

VOICE ONE:              Just a story, but those who listened were expected to see themselves in the narrative.