The Book of Bob by Seven Pillars of Wisdom [1937]
Scene One
Scene One
Black Drapings and a Bare Stage.
Four or five elders in flowing robes and Mortor Boards denoting their office on the set of learning - seated Round a Brazier warning their skinny hands and knobbly knees.
(Coughs and brunts and shivers)
1st Elder.(Warming his hands) Its me joints!! the herbalist tells me I ought to resign.
2nd Elder.When a Man's in his prime--seventy to seventy five its unthinkable Kanka.
3rd and 4th.Unthinkable!! Unthinkable!!
4th:When we go who shall take our place? I fear for the new generation of young [unclear: me]. and the taint that has come into the temple. The very priests are corrupted, Shakah! This new thought!!! This idealism!!! Bah!!!
3rd:Pish!!
1st:Tush!!
4th:Imphm!!
1st:Retire at my age!! Ridiculous!!
2nd:And what is this youth's name?
1st:Bob, he is called. He was discovered reading from poisoned tablets at the temple door.
2nd:I remember now. A crazy idolator--And calls his wretched philosophy "New Thought".
3rd:What shall we say to him??
1st:(Curtly) Same thing. Can't have the young priests corrupted. The tribe must be kept intact. Here he is....
(Enter Bob in loin cloth)
Bob:Do you wish to speak to me, Sirs?
1st:(Clearing his throat) The young Bob is it not?
Bob:Bob, sir of Uz
2nd:H'm yes, Uz did you say?
Bob:The same sir, [unclear: mu] father was a [unclear: patriacn] of Uz and a philosopher too.
1st:It has come to our ears, [unclear: faster] Bob that you circulate perfidious tablets [unclear: amongst] the youths in the schools and the temples. Some of the tablets have come into our hands-- In particular, I want to question you concerning a tract found in your possession at the time of the Feast of the Passover.
(Strikes a gong)
A slave will place it before you.
(A slave brings in an Antique which piled with five weightytablets of stone.
1st:(contd.)Am I to understand that you were responsible for these blaspherous scribblings.
Bob:Blasphemous scribblings, sir?? It is the writing on the wall. The venerable Marx harh a large following and his teaching will be the gospel of the priests of the future!!
The Elders creak a bit.)
2nd:We've heard all this before young man-- this half baked intellectualism of yours, this Marxian stuff. 'Tis all in the Books of the Prophets. It won't get you very far--- there's much stuff in the books we can't practise now a days --- concubines and that sort of thing.
4th:I've often wondered about that.
5th:Mrs. Lazarus bore me fifteen sons-- what need have I of concubines?
lst:The herd!! The herd!! He who rises against the herd must be turned without the herd like Nebuk-adnezzar of old, of to feed on grass!
2nd:This new thought. 'Tis loose. The family, the page break tribe, the statusquo! Break them, and what can we substitute----------
free love and wurzel- flummery!!
All:Pah !! [unclear: Impbr!!]
2nd:What shall we [unclear: to] with him?
1st:Do with him Zaroaster? Same as usual, [unclear: Deny] him entrance to the temple, deny him access to the [unclear: accredited] scribes -- [unclear: end] [unclear: him] to fatigue duty in [unclear: Nabaoth's] vineyard.
2nd:What have you to say young man?
Bob:Ah! What I would say will be [unclear: nild] as tribal [unclear: wisdom] in the years to come. I am young. My only crime is in my youth and with the foolgardiness of youth I have dared to question the wisdom of the patriarchs. Moses knew well the needs of the tribe but 'tis time we knew ourselves as [unclear: one] than bar-barbarous wanderers living on [unclear: the] [unclear: fringe] of the [unclear: w] wilderness. I believe in evolution though tis heresy to you. If there is no liberty in the tribe, the tribe rust be broken.
1st:Blasphemy!! Lock him away....
Bob:You can prepare your padded cells... you can prepare your gallows: but you will never padlock my lips -you will never dampen my spirit.
(Consternation on old men's faces slaves seize Bob and drag him away)
Bob; (contg):Goodbye old greybeards, there is much for me to do. A little while and my time will come.
(Old men creep back to brazier huddling round)
1st:A little while and our time will have come.
(Curtain)
Time Marches On!!!