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| Teach Your Children Well - CAMPFIRE Play | |
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Iganyana Bush Camp CAMPFIRE PLAY Teach Your Children Well An anti-poaching play for student and guide actors PLOT OUTLINE:
CAST: 10 Roles (3 guides & 7-10 students) Humans: Actor (Scenes)Painted Dogs: Actor (Scenes)PROPS:
Scene One : Father teaches his son how to hunt. When spotlight turns on, Father and Nkululeko are out in the bush. Father is explaining how to set a snare and why. Father squats over a snare he is placing. His spear is on the ground by his feet. Nkululeko, a young boy, sits on the ground, watching his father.Father: Nkululeko, my son, …watch closely. I showed you how to make our snare out of bark fibres from iqonde. Now I am showing you how to set the snare along a game trail, so that the impala doesn’t notice it. You see? Nkululeko: Yes, Father. Father: Then we will go select our impala and chase it down this game trail here. If we are lucky, it will be snared. Then we will run up behind it and spear it. Nkululeko: But, wouldn’t the snare kill the animal anyway, Father? Father: Usually it would, yes. Nkululeko: Then why can’t we just leave the snare on the trail, go home, relax, come back and get the dead animal later, take it home and eat it?! Father: Oh no, my son. It is taboo to eat the meat of an animal that was not killed by a man’s hands…. There. (Finishes placing snare). Now, Nkululeko, (picks up spear from ground and stands) are you ready to do some stalking? Nkululeko: Oh yes, Father! (Both begin to walk off the stage, with Nkululeko on the audience side of Father. Nkululeko walks on his knees, to represent that he is a young boy.) Father: (After a few steps, stops and turns to his son) Remember last week, when we snared the sikwehle, you wanted to set the snare again in the same place because you thought it was a lucky place, and I said no? Nkululeko: Yes, Father. Father: Do you remember why I said ‘no?’ Nkululeko: Yes, Father. You said that this time of year, isikwehle probably have chicks near by, and that we had caught the father, so if we put the snare back up near the same place and caught the mother too, the chicks would probably die and the meat would be wasted and there might not be any isikwehle to catch around that place next year. Father: Good, my son. You learn fast! (Pauses, places a hand on Nkululeko’s shoulder, looks him in the eyes and pauses for emphasis) Remember, my son, all the things I teach you. Being a hunter is not just about bringing the meat home. A good hunter is also a wise hunter who takes only what he needs, and leaves the rest for the future. (Spotlight fades.) Scene Two: Four years later. Three painted dogs are in the bush. Alpha Dog talks to two of his puppies, Arrow and Eyespot, about hunting. When spotlight turns on, Alpha dog is sitting quietly, with knees drawn to chest and hands at toes. Two puppies are on all fours, can’t stay still. They are enthusiastically eating some impala meat off the ground. All three are wearing ears. Arrow: (To Eyespot) This impala meat sure is good, isn’t it Eyespot?
Eyespot: (To Arrow) It sure is, Arrow. But I wonder what it tastes like when you eat it right from the impala…, you know …fresh. Arrow: (To Eyespot) You mean not regurgitated…? Naw, I bet it doesn’t taste nearly as good! Eyespot: Yea, (nods) you’re probably right. Arrow: (To Alpha Male, more loudly) Thanks for bringing us the impala meat, Father. It’s delicious! Alpha Male: My pleasure, Arrow, my son. Someday you and Eyespot will be catching your own impala, then, indeed, you will know which is better…, fresh or regurgitated (big smile)! Arrow: How do you catch these impala anyway, Father? They seem awfully fast to me. Do you just chase and chase and chase them until they get tired?? Alpha Male: Chase and chase and chase? No you do not, my son. That would waste more energy than you would get from eating the impala, once you finally caught it. That’s what a farm dog might do. But not us, Arrow. We are painted dogs (proudly). We are intelligent hunters. We use hunting strategies and work as a team.
Arrow: Oh yea,, (To Eyespot, embarrased) heh, heh, I knew that. Eyespot: (sarcastically, to Arrow) Suuuuure you did – ‘chase and chase and chase’ (in a mimicking voice). Ha! Arrow: Oh yea…? I’ll show you a chase! (Chases Eyespot off stage, both laughing) Alpha Male: (To himself) Some day you will learn it all, Arrow, my son. But it will take years for me, your mother, your aunts and uncles, your elder brothers and sisters…, the whole pack working together, to teach you… to be a good hunter. (Spotlight fades.)
Scene Three : One year later. Nkululeko is a young man now. He and his friend, Boniso, meet a poacher as they return from an unsuccessful hunt. When the spotlight turns on, they are walking though the bush, disappointed.Boniso: Once again, we return empty handed, Nku. How embarrassing. Nkululeko: (reproachfully) Oh, Boniso…. (Then agrees) Yea…I suppose you’re right. It is embarrassing. It’s becoming a pattern of failure for us, isn’t it? If only Father was still alive. He’d show us how to do it right. (Poacher approaches from opposite end of stage, unseen, holding a full sack.) But since he passed, there seems to be less and less game around here. Poacher: "There’s plenty of game, if you know where to hunt…" Nkululeko and Boniso: (startled) Baba-Macala! Sakubona. Poacher: "and know how to hunt it!…. Salibonani, boys. Linjani? Nkululeko and Boniso: Sikhona. Poacher: You can always buy some meat…, from me….No one need ever know you didn’t catch it yourself. Nkululeko: We haven’t got a dollar between us, do we Boniso? (Boniso shakes his head.) Poacher: Oh well, maybe next time. I’m sure I’ll find a buyer in the next village. (Starts to walk off.) Nkululeko: Ummm, Baba-Macala…. Would you… show us how to hunt like you hunt? Poacher: Oh now, boys, that’s quite a question. A hunter like me doesn’t share his secrets lightly. Nkululeko: Please, Baba. You know my father has passed. We just aren’t catching anything anymore. We need your help. Poacher: Well, now. Hmmm. You know, my son has also passed. Hmmm. Maybe I could. Nkululeko: Oh thank you, Baba-Macala! Poacher: Well… for starters, (points to snare in Nkululeko’s hand) why are you using bark rope snares when there is so much wire for the taking? And why in the world are you carrying a snare out of the bush, anyway?! Nkululeko: Well, that’s the way my Father showed me to do it…. Poacher: Why….? Did he ever tell you why? Nkululeko: Well… yes, he did. He said, by using bark rope snares, if the animal got loose and we couldn’t find it, or if a big animal like an elephant came through and got snared, that the snare would likely break, so the animal wouldn’t die and the meat rot in the bush. He also said, that if we were unsuccessful, to always remove the snare before we leave, so that an animal wouldn’t die in it later and be wasted. Poacher: Ha! Who cares about the animals? There’s plenty of them in the park…plenty of meat for everyone. Why would you ever want your snare to break…? That’s foolishness. And another thing, why just set one snare, when you can set out twenty - catch three or four animals in one go. (Nkululeko and Boniso look at each other with raised eyebrows.) Set out your snares, go home for a few days, relax, come back and get which ever of the dead animals is best and freshest. Leave the rest. Who cares? There’s plenty. Take the meat home, eat what you can, and sell the rest. Make money! Your families need money too, don’t they…? Tell you what, why don’t you two come hunting with me Monday night. I set some snares last night. We can go check them. I’ll show you how to really hunt. (Spotlight fades)
Scene Four : Later that day. The two puppies are a year older now. Arrow and Eyespot are in the bush, lying down on their sides with the rest of the imaginary pack around them.Arrow: (Raises his head, to Eyespot): Hey Eyespot…, I’m hungry. Eyespot: (Raises his head) Me, too. Arrow: (Looks left, then back) I’m going to go ask Auntie for some food, she always feeds us. Eyespot: I already did. She said she has nothing. Arrow: I’m going to go ask Uncle, then. Eyespot: Him, too. Save your breath. Arrow: Nothing? Eyespot: Zippo. Arrow: What about Mom, Dad, Elder brother, Sisters?? Eyespot: Naught, full stop. (Looks around) They’re all sound asleep anyway, Arrow. Arrow: Oh, maaaan, I’m gonna die. I’m starving. Eyespot: Me, too…. It seems like there’s nothing to catch around here anymore. Arrow: I know. Eyespot: Where did all the antelope go? Arrow: I don’t know, but Father will find something. I know he will. He is a good hunter. He will lead us. Let’s try not to worry about it. Eyespot: Yea, let’s try to get back to sleep. Arrow: Yea. (Both put their heads down. Spot light fades)
Scene Five: That evening. Nkululeko is visiting his Auntie’s house. As the spotlight comes on, Aunt is standing up, cooking dinner for her family stage left, singing or humming to herself. An empty chair is centre stage. Nkululeko then walks in from the right. Nkululeko: Mmmmm. something sure smells good! Aunt: Litshonile, Nephew. Linjani? Nkululeko: Sikona, Auntie. Aunt: You must be hungry. Nkululeko: Smells like nyama, Auntie. (Sits in chair, backwards) Where did you get it? Aunt: Oh, I bought it from Baba-Macala. He’s been poaching in the park. Nkululeko: What do you mean, "poaching?" Aunt: You know, hunting where he shouldn’t be, hunting illegally…. I know I shouldn’t buy meat from him. But where else am I going to find meat for my family. Half the time there is no meat at the butchery, and when there is, who can afford it? Nkululeko: You got that right! So why not buy it from Baba-macala? Aunt: Well, they say you shouldn’t. They’re always going on and on about not buying meat from poachers. Even the chief says not to. Nkululeko: Why not? Aunt: Well…, its complicated, Nephew…. Maybe you should ask Grandfather… Nkululweko: Yea, maybe I should…,. I will…, someday. (Fades)
Scene Six: The next morning, in the bush. Arrow and Eyespot are on all fours, panting, out of breathe and afraid, entering the stage shortly after the spotlight turns on.Arrow: Where’s Father?! Eyespot: I don’t know!! Arrow: I’m scared! Eyespot: Me too…! Where could he be?! He was leading the hunt, but he never came through to us, like he was supposed to! Arrow: Where is everyone else? Where is the rest of the pack?! (Arrow whoo calls frantically. Eyespot joins him.) Where is every body?!! Uncle! Aunt! Sisters! Maaaamaaaa…!! (Arrow pauses, sniffs the air) Uncle is near. (Spotlight fades)
Scene Seven : Monday night. Nkululeko and Boniso are in the bush, they enter the stage running scared, just after the spotlight comes on. They crouch down behind a tree with their backs to the audience, breathing hard.Nkululeko: Maye! Maye! They are going to catch us! Boniso: (Looking toward audience) Get down! (they both fall flat on the ground and scramble around to face the audience). Nkululeko: Maye! Did they see us?! Boniso: I don’t know…! It’s so dark, maybe not. Nkululeko: Maye! They’ve got guns! Maye! Boniso: Will they shoot us?! They won’t shoot us, will they?! Nkululeko: I don’t know! They only tackled Baba-Macala. Boniso: Maybe we should just turn ourselves in. Nkululeko: No! I don’t want to go to jail. Maybe they will beat us up! They were pretty rough with Baba-Macala! (pause) But I think this is more serious now… Boniso: More serious? What do you mean? This seems pretty serious to me already! Nkululeko: You know what that was in the snare, don’t you? Did you see it? Boniso: What? Nkululeko: It was a ganyana! Boniso: So what? Nkululeko: So what?! They’re an endangered species! That’s what! They’re protected by law! Boniso: So…, we weren’t trying to catch it. It just got caught. Nkululeko: It doesn’t matter. It’s still dead! (long pause) ….in the snare that we were checking…! And you know what that means? Bonisos: What? Nkululeko: It means…, it means this is very serious…. Boniso: Quiet! There they are! (Pointing) Nkululeko: Maye (quietly) (long pause) Maye. (fades)
Scene Eight : Takes up where Scene Six left off. Arrow and Eyespot are whoo-calling frantically.Arrow (lifts his head and sniffs the air) Uncle in near. (Uncle approaches slowlyon hands and knees, from the other side of the stage. His head is down, sadly.) Arrow and Eyespot: Uncle!!! (They are happy to see him and run to him.) Uncle, you found us! Hooray! (They nuzzle him and paw him excitedly.) Where is Father? (Both smiling) Uncle: (Sadly) Nephews, be still now. I have some very bad news for you. Arrow and Eyespot: What?! Uncle: Your Father is dead. Arrow and Eyespot: Nooooooo! (Both collapse on ground, crying quietly.) Uncle: (Sadly) Yes, our leader, our chief, my brother, he is dead. I do not know what happened. He got stuck in the bushes and couldn’t get out. We tried to help him, but it seemed like he couldn’t breathe….Then…, he died…. He is dead… (long pause) I will be your Father now…(almost to himself, looking far off, toward the audience). I will lead the pack the best I can… but we will miss him. He taught us all so much. He was a great leader. We just have to do the best that we can without him. But we will always remember all that he has taught us…. Arrow, (looks down at puppies) Eyespot, my sons, listen to me. Arrow and Eyespot: (Slowly raise their heads and respond after a pause) Yes, Uncle…, Yes, Father. Uncle: I am the new leader of this pack, but you are almost grown and there is little left for me to teach you. You have learned more than you realize. It will soon be time for you to put it all to practice on your own, as brothers. You will be leaving the pack soon to start a new pack of your own, just like your Father and I did long ago. One of you will be the pack leader and one of you will be the uncle to all his children, as I have been. And the time may come when you must step forward to take your brothers place, as I also have done. Wherever you go, you must teach all that you have learned to your sons and daughters, your nephews and nieces, so that the way of the hunt will continue; so that our culture is preserved. Never forget your Father in all that you do. (Spotlight fades)
Scene Nine: A few days later. Nkululeko talks to his grandfather. When the light comes on, an old man is sitting in a chair, facing the audience, with a walking stick in his hands. Nkululeko is sitting at his feet to one side. Grandfather: So then what happened, Grandson? Nkululeko: Well, they never caught us. It was a dark. We hid and ran all night long through the bush - ran like crazy men, tearing through the bush. Grandfather: You are very fortunate. Did you hear what happened to Baba- macala…? He was sentenced to prison. Nkululeko: We were lucky. Whew. I’ll never go poaching again. (pause) But what is so bad about it, Grandfather? We all need meat. Why is poaching such a bad thing? Grandfather: Ah, grandson, long ago there was no such thing as poaching. A man could hunt anywhere he pleased. There were no parks or protected lands. But there were far fewer people then. The land didn’t need to be protected and our culture taught us how to respect the land and use it wisely. There were no such men as poachers back then. A poacher is like a walking man who only looks down at his feet. He never looks ahead. He doesn’t care about the future nor the fortunes of his own descendents. Nkululeko: What do you mean? Grandfather: A hunter who sets two dozen snares and leaves them for days, kills more animals than he needs. He is wasteful. The meat just rots in the bush. With his wire snares, he doesn’t care if he cripples elephants or buffalo that tear loose and go off to die in the bush and rot. For every animal he carries home, he leaves two or three or more to rot. The wasted animals could have bred and produced more meat for all of us. If we all hunted like poachers, there would be no wildlife left for our children to hunt…. Even just buying meat from poachers encourages them and other men to poach even more recklessly. Nkululeko: (musingly) Poachers do not care about the future. Grandfather: And that, my grandson, is why your father taught you so well, because he cared about the future, he cared about you, and he cared about the children you will some day have. Nkululeko: Father (musingly, quietly) Grandfather: And it was I who taught your father to hunt wisely, as you must teach your children, so that there will always be wildlife here for our people to hunt. In everything you do, Nkululeko, you must remember your father’s words. Nkululeko: I remember now…, what he told me. We were out hunting one day. I didn’t really understand what he was talking about…. I was just a boy. Father stopped me as we were walking. He looked me right in the eyes and said, "Being a hunter is not just about bringing the meat home, my son. A good hunter is also a wise hunter, who takes only what he needs and leaves the rest for the future." I think I understand now, Grandfather. I will remember his words. I will consider the future. And I will teach my children well. (Fade) | |
| © Siren Conservation Education 2003. |