First Glimmer: Experience

The light of Education is hanging above. The background for this and the next two pictures may be the same—a forest scene.

Characters

Costumes: Flesh-colored tights and skins of animals.

Rash Daring is writhing on the ground in agony. Fleet Foot runs toward him with water in her cupped hands. On the ground lies some brightly colored fruit.

Fleet Foot. Here, my brother, drink the pure water. It may allay your suffering. Oh, that ye had heeded my words, my brother!

She kneels beside Rash Daring, and tries to force him to drink. Then smooths his brow with her moistened fingers. Suddenly Rash Daring’s body jerks spasmodically; then is still.

Fleet Foot (seizing his hands in terror). Look at me! Speak to me, my brother! (Cries aloud.) O father! father!

Strong Arm rushes in, takes in picture at a glance, and kneeling beside Fleet Foot, examines the body of the boy.

Fleet Foot. What shall I do, father? Shall I fetch more water?

Strong Arm. Nay, little daughter. There is nothing to be done. Your brother is dead.

Fleet Foot throws herself down, weeping bitterly.

Strong Arm touches her head gently with his hand.

Strong Arm. Tears are but idle. Sit up, my daughter, and tell me what caused the death of my son.

Fleet Foot (controlling herself by a great effort). Far away in the forest we found a small tree covered with beautiful fruit. See, father, there is some of it at your feet. (Strong Arm picks up a fruit and examines it, while Fleet Foot continues her story.) Rash Daring wanted to eat some of the fruit as soon as we found it; but I persuaded him to gather it and carry it home for you to see, for I feared it was poisonous because, with many monkeys in the neighboring trees, not one fruit on the small tree had been bitten or plucked. On our way home I ran ahead of my brother. Suddenly he cried aloud. I hastened back and found him lying on the ground in great pain. He told me that he had eaten some of the fruit and suffered greatly. I ran to the brook for water, but he could not drink it. Then I called you.

Strong Arm. Yes, the fruit is poison. Would that we could purchase our experience at a smaller cost! O my son! my son!

As Strong Arm speaks the sentence, “Would that we could purchase,” etc., the light burns brightly.

Curtain

As the curtain falls, Education, bearing her lamp and leading Any City, steps before it.

Any City. But, Education, I do not understand! Your light burned aloft; but there was no school!

Education. No school? You have visited the hardest school in the world, the school ruled by the sternest teacher in the world—the School of Experience. Fortunate are they who learn from the experience of the past and the experience of others.

As Education speaks, her light is cast for a moment on the tax paper. Any City glances at the paper and tries to conceal it. With a beckoning gesture Education leads him again behind the curtain.