PLAYS is protected by U.S. copyright law. Only current subscribers may use this play (www.playsmagazine.com). Why We Have Day and Night

Flying animals are pitted against land animals in this Australian Aborigine tale that points out the foolishness of pride and war. . . .

By Barbara Winther

Characters SETTING: Backdrop painting of arid region of Australia. Up left is a group STORYTELLER of eucalyptus trees, one that can be climbed. Center is a large, flat rock. GOANNA (a kind of lizard) Hidden upstage of rock is a boomerang. KOALA AT RISE: GOANNA rests on rock. EAGLE-HAWK KOALA sleeps in a tree. STORY- COCKATOO TELLER enters right. GREEN PARROT STORYTELLER: After the first dark- ness, in the Dreamtime1, Yhi, the OWL Goddess, brought sunlight to the KOOKABURRA . and land animals lived in harmony. They danced together, KANGAROO played together, and enjoyed each other’s company. But that good rela- WALLABY (a small kangaroo) tionship ended one day when Cockatoo met with Eagle-hawk, the leader of the DINGO birds. Neither realized that Goanna FLYING FOX (a kind of ) (Gestures at GOANNA) rested on a rock, listening, or that Koala (Gestures EMU at KOALA) sat up in a eucalyptus tree, eating leaves. (Exits left. EAGLE- YHI (the Sun Goddess) HAWK enters right as if flying and crosses center. COCKATOO struts on left, preening feathers.)

1 To Australian Aborigines, a time of creation.

PLAYS • playsmag.com 1 EAGLE-HAWK (In a commanding GOANNA (Sliding off rock): Koala, manner): You wanted to see me, did you hear those birds? Cockatoo? KOALA (Pantomiming eating leaves): No, I fell asleep. COCKATOO (Proudly): Yes, Eagle- hawk. I’ve been doing a great deal of GOANNA: You are always sleeping. thinking lately. How do you manage to survive?

EAGLE-HAWK: Really? I thought KOALA: I stay up in a tree, that’s you spent your time displaying your how. These eucalyptus leaves don’t pretty feathers. give me enough nourishment to do much else. COCKATOO (Indignantly): Yes, but I think while I’m showing off. GOANNA: Too bad. Well, I’m going to tell Kangaroo, the leader of our tribe, EAGLE-HAWK: I see. Well, be quick what those arrogant birds are broad- about your thoughts. I must hunt for casting. my evening meal. KOALA (Peering right): Here comes COCKATOO: All right. (Spreads Kangaroo now. Sorry I can’t join your wings dramatically) It came to me in a conversation. I simply have to sleep. flash. (Sleeps)

EAGLE-HAWK: What did? KANGAROO (Hopping in right): Good evening, Goanna. You look upset. COCKATOO: The realization that we What’s wrong? birds are far better than land animals. We can do so much more than they GOANNA: Birds consider themselves can. Why, they can’t even fly. better than land animals. They fly about twittering, (Imitates) “Birds are EAGLE-HAWK (Thoughtfully): You better, birds are better.” are absolutely right. Birds are better than land animals. We should cele- KANGAROO: How disgusting and brate this fact. Go tell the rest of the absolutely untrue. Birds are a clutch of birds. feeble feathers.

COCKATOO: Indeed I shall. They’ll GOANNA: Right! be happy to realize how superior we are. (Exits left as if flying. EAGLE- KANGAROO: Call Wallaby and HAWK crosses right as if flying.) Dingo. We must hold a council meet- ing. EAGLE-HAWK (Squawking): Birds are better, birds are better. (Exits GOANNA (Scrambling left, calling right. After a moment, COCKATOO off): Wallaby, Dingo, Kangaroo invites reenters left, followed by PARROT, you to a council meeting. (WALLABY, OWL, and KOOKABURRA, who fly hopping, and DINGO, barking, enter around stage, twittering in unison.) left. KANGAROO hops onto rock.)

PARROT, OWL, COCKATOO and KANGAROO (With front paws up, KOOKABURRA: Birds are better, voice commanding): We have a prob- birds are better. (KOOKABURRA lem. Birds are flying around chirping laughs just before they exit right.) about how great they are. They consid-

2 PLAYS • playsmag.com er themselves superior to land ani- hundred times stronger than your mals. scrawny ones.

GOANNA, WALLABY and DINGO EAGLE-HAWK (Louder): That’s an (Ad libbing): That’s ridiculous! Stupid birds. They’ve got tiny brains. Nobody 2 Sparsely settled back country of Australia. should believe anything a says. insult. I should peck you to pieces. (Etc.) KANGAROO (Louder): You wouldn’t DINGO: Kangaroo, I suggest you meet dare. I could punch you so hard you with Eagle-hawk, the bird leader. would splash into the billabong.3 Explain to him the silliness of what his (KOALA wakes with a start and peers tribe flies around twirping. down.)

GOANNA: I agree. Surely Eagle- EAGLE-HAWK (Screeching): Into the hawk will realize we can’t allow this. billabong! How dare you make such a threat! WALLABY: And inform Eagle-hawk that we land animals are far better KANGAROO (Bellowing): How dare than birds because we can leap across you fly around broadcasting false the ground and they can’t. statements? I don’t like you at all.

KANGAROO (Hopping off rock): Good EAGLE-HAWK (Screeching louder): I idea, Wallaby. (To GOANNA) Please don’t like you either. The way you hop tell Eagle-Hawk I want to see him. around is repulsive. (GOANNA exits right.) You two, (Gesturing to DINGO and WALLABY) KANGAROO (Hopping in a frenzy): gather our land tribe together and wait That does it. My land tribe will wipe in the outback.2 (DINGO, barking, and out your sky tribe. WALLABY, hopping, exit left. From right, EAGLE-HAWK enters flying.) EAGLE-HAWK (Waving wings and shouting): A battle it shall be. We will EAGLE-HAWK: You wanted to see flap you to pieces. (Exits right, flapping me, Kangaroo? wings and shrieking) Birds are better, birds are better. KANGAROO: Yes, Eagle-hawk. Tell your birds to stop spreading falsehoods KANGAROO (Exiting left, hopping about how much better they are than and shouting): Land animals are bet- land animals. ter, land animals are better. (FLYING FOX flies on left, looking worried.) EAGLE-HAWK: I can’t do that. They speak the truth. KOALA (Peering down): Hello, Flying Fox. Apparently, there’s going to be a KANGAROO: They certainly do not. battle.

EAGLE-HAWK: Oh, yes they do. I’ll FLYING FOX: So I’ve heard. The rea- give you an example of our superiority. sons for it don’t make sense, though. We can fly and you can’t. You don’t Birds insist they are better than land even have feathers or wings. animals because they can fly. Well, I’m not a bird, but I can fly. (EMU rushes KANGAROO: But you can’t move fast on left, looking flustered.) over the ground. My hind legs are a

PLAYS • playsmag.com 3 EMU: And I, Emu, am a bird, though I FLYING FOX: But I’m not a bird. can’t fly. But I run faster than most animals. OWL: So what? You can fly, and we need your help. KOALA: Well, I’m not a bird, but I don’t FLYING FOX: Furthermore, I’m 3 A backwater pool on a river. against this war. feel much like a land animal, either. I stay up in the trees. OWL: Shame on you. Where’s your patriotism? (Exits left, swooping and FLYING FOX: It appears that the hooting) reasons for this battle are based on half-truths. Birds think they are better KOALA: I do wish animals would stop because they can fly, but not all birds waking me up. (EMU reenters in tears.) can. Land animals think they are bet- ter because they can move fast over the EMU: The birds don’t want me. They ground, but not all land animals can. say I’d better learn how to fly or else.

KOALA: This is too complicated. FLYING FOX: Or else what?

FLYING FOX: I see no valid reason EMU: I don’t know, but I’m sure it’s for a war. I refuse to fight in it. (Exits something awful. (Rushes off left, cry- left) ing)

EMU (Calling after): Do what you FLYING FOX (Shaking head): Poor wish, but as a matter of honor I must Emu. (Exits. KOALA sighs and goes join the bird army. (Rushes off right. back to sleep. STORYTELLER reen- KOALA sighs and goes back to sleep.) ters.)

STORYTELLER (Reentering): So STORYTELLER: The battle raged on began a terrible battle. The bird war- and on. The land animals regrouped riors swept down on the land animals and fought back. Now their weapons and struck many blows. Their weapons flashed, and the thud of their clubs gleamed. The sound of their war clubs shook the ground like an earthquake. was like thunder. The land animals (If desired, another stylized battle may retreated. (If desired, a stylized enact- be enacted to music. When finished, all ment of the battle can be created to exit, and OWL reenters as before, hoot- music. When finished, all exit, and ing and swooping about. FLYING FOX OWL flies on right and dramatically watches him.) swoops about stage, hooting. KOALA wakes up with a start.) KOALA: What’s happening now, Owl?

FLYING FOX (Reentering): Owl, OWL: The land animals are winning what’s the latest report from the bat- in the outback. They’ve declared a deci- tlefront? sive victory over the birds. I do believe they will win this war. OWL: The Birds are winning the war, especially in the rain forest of the FLYING FOX: You’d better hurry and north. I’ve been sent to recruit more help your flying brothers. birds. Flying Fox, why are you still here? You should help your flying OWL: Oh, no! I’m switching sides right brothers. now. I want to be with the winners. If

4 PLAYS • playsmag.com you have any sense, Flying Fox, you’ll KOALA: I might as well go back to do the same thing. sleep. (Starts to go to sleep, but YHI bursts on left, startling KOALA and FLYING FOX: I refuse to get involved FLYING FOX.) with either tribe. YHI (Leaping on rock): I am Yhi, OWL: Hmpf! That’s pretty dumb of Goddess of the Sun. How stupid of you. (Exits up left, hooting) those creatures (Gesturing right and left) to declare war on each other. Even FLYING FOX (Looking off left): Here though they have ended their conflict, comes Kangaroo. (Looks off right) And I will teach them a lesson. I shall take here comes Eagle-hawk. I suppose now my light away and see how they like there will be a struggle between the that. (Leaps off rock) Flying Fox, you two leaders? (Retreats upstage) were wise to take no part in the war. Because of that, I will let you see in the KOALA: I’d better eat more leaves so I dark. (Makes a sweeping gesture and can stay awake and watch. (Chews on lights dim. Exits left) leaves) KOALA: What happened to the sun? KANGAROO (Entering left, dragging club): I’m so tired of fighting. FLYING FOX (Crossing center): Unfortunately, she’s gone. I feel sorry EAGLE-HAWK (Entering right, drag- for the birds and land animals. I need ging club): This war has gone on too to get away from this turmoil. Since long. (Meets KANGAROO at rock. They now I can see in the dark, I’ll fly to the both drop clubs and lean on rock.) coast and visit my relatives in the fruit trees. (Exits right. OWL reenters, flying KANGAROO: Do you remember what about and hooting.) we were fighting about? OWL: The birds are furious with me EAGLE-HAWK: It had something to for changing sides. As for the land ani- do with who was better. We were too mals, they told me I was a traitor and boastful. to get lost. Lucky for me, it’s dark now, so no one can find me. I’d better hide KANGAROO: So were we. Shall we for a while until everyone forgets what stop this ridiculous battle? (Extending I have done. (Exits right, flying and paw) hooting. KANGAROO and EAGLE- HAWK, each carrying a torch, enter EAGLE-HAWK (Grasping paw): Yes, from opposite sides. WALLABY, right now. Birds and land animals DINGO and GOANNA follow should go back to being friends. KANGAROO; PARROT, KOOKABUR- RA, EMU and COCKATOO follow KANGAROO: I’ll tell my land tribe to EAGLE-HAWK. Lights up half way.) stop fighting. KANGAROO (Sadly): Yhi, the Sun EAGLE-HAWK: I’ll do the same with Goddess, is so angry with us that she my sky tribe. (KANGAROO exits left; took away the sun. EAGLE-HAWK exits right.) COCKATOO: I cannot live this way. FLYING FOX: That’s the first good Why, I can scarcely see my beautiful news I’ve heard in a long time. feathers.

PLAYS • playsmag.com 5 OTHERS (Ad libbing): How can we GOANNA (Loudly, with determina- find our food? How can we see our way tion): I shall find Flying Fox. home? Plants won’t grow without sun. We’ll all starve. This is terrible. (Etc.) OTHERS (In unison, amazed): Goanna? Oh-h-h! KANGAROO (Holding up paw for silence): Does anyone have an idea as EAGLE-HAWK: Are you willing to to how we can change Yhi’s mind? We take on this giant undertaking? need to convince her to bring the sun back. KANGAROO: It will be a hard jour- ney. You must travel in the dark and KOALA: I have an idea. (Others gasp across arid land. and stare at KOALA.) GOANNA: I know. However, I feel I COCKATOO (Surprised): Koala is must do it. I’m partly responsible for awake. starting the battle that caused us to lose the sun. I want to do something KANGAROO (Crossing to tree, hold- good for us all. ing torch up to see KOALA): Tell us your idea. EAGLE-HAWK: You’d better take along your boomerang. You might need KOALA: Well, since Flying Fox took it for protection and hunting. no part in the battle, Yhi likes him. I think Flying Fox can bring back the GOANNA: Of course. I have it right sun. here. (Picks up boomerang from behind rock) EAGLE-HAWK: Where is Flying Fox? OTHERS (Raising wings and paws, in unison): Safe journey, Goanna! KOALA: Someplace on the coast. He’s (GOANNA exits right. OTHERS exit visiting relatives in the fruit trees. left. STORYTELLER reenters.)

KANGAROO: How on earth can we STORYTELLER: It took a long time find him? for Goanna to travel to the coast. (GOANNA reenters and scampers KOALA: I don’t know, and I’m around in circles.) He couldn’t fly like exhausted from so much talking. I the birds; he couldn’t hop like gave you my idea. Now you solve the Kangaroo and Wallaby; and he could- problem. Meanwhile I’ll go back to n’t run as fast as Emu. In spite of this, sleep. (Sleeps) he kept on going. Owl was curious. He came out of hiding and peered down at OTHERS (Ad libbing): I don’t see how Goanna. we could locate him. Flying Fox might not want to help us. It’s such a long OWL (Peeking around edge of curtain, journey to the coast. Flying Fox has so hooting): Where are you going? many relatives. It’s an impossible task. (Etc. GOANNA climbs on rock, rises on GOANNA: To the coast to find Flying hind feet and makes a clicking sound, Fox. which startles others so much they immediately cease talking and back OWL: Why? away in awe.) GOANNA: We think he can bring

6 PLAYS • playsmag.com back the sun. Come along and help me freeze. FLYING FOX stands in pose of find him. throwing boomerang into left sky; oth- ers in pose of peering at the left sky. OWL: No. I don’t want to help you or STORYTELLER reenters. All watch anybody. I found out how to see in the the imagined flight of the boomerang dark. I hope you don’t find Flying Fox. as STORYTELLER describes it.) I don’t care if it stays dark forever. (Exits, hooting) STORYTELLER: Flying Fox threw the boomerang to the south. It flew STORYTELLER: Goanna was not way out in a streak of light and curved discouraged. Because he was so deter- back to Flying Fox from the north. mined, he finally reached the coast. Then he threw the boomerang to the (GOANNA exits right.) He ran from east. Again it flew far out in a streak of tree to tree, calling for Flying Fox. light. This time it curved back from the west. (OWL reenters and swoops across GOANNA (From offstage, calling) stage, hooting.) Flying Fox! Flying Fox! OWL: I don’t understand what Flying STORYTELLER: Eventually, he Fox is trying to do. It looks pretty silly found him, and Flying Fox agreed to to me. Anyone can throw a boomerang. help. Together, the two made the long (Exits, hooting) journey back to the place where the birds and land animals waited. STORYTELLER: The third time (GOANNA and FLYING FOX reenter Flying Fox threw the boomerang, he right; all others reenter left. STORY- aimed it to the west. Out, out flew the TELLER exits.) boomerang, glowing like a comet, curv- ing to the north, then to the east and KANGAROO (Hopping with excite- then to the south. Finally the ment): Look! It’s Goanna, and he’s boomerang raced back to Flying Fox, brought back Flying Fox. bringing with it the light. The earth was once more bathed in the rays of OTHERS (Thrilled; ad libbing): Wel- the sun. (Lights up. Exits. Others come back. Congratulations, Goanna. cheer.) Flying Fox, we’re glad to see you. Hope you can help us. (Etc. KOOKABURRA KANGAROO: How did you do this? laughs happily, ending ad libs.) FLYING FOX: I cut the darkness in EAGLE-HAWK: Flying Fox, we are half. Part of the time there will be day, suffering without light. Do you know and part of the time there will be how we can get the sun to return? night. I will keep the darkness for myself. FLYING FOX: I think so. As we trav- eled across the outback, I thought YHI (Reentering): Flying Fox could about this. Goanna, lend me your bring back the sun because his heart is boomer-ang. (GOANNA gives good and he didn’t fight. Goanna, boomerang to FOX.) Thank you. (Leaps because you were so brave and deter- on rock) mined to find Flying Fox, and because you lent him your boomerang, you will KANGAROO: How can a boomerang always carry the sign of the boomerang bring back the sun? on your neck. (OWL staggers onto stage.) FLYING FOX: Watch and see. (All

PLAYS • playsmag.com 7 OWL (Moaning): Where am I? I can’t dle of gray, short, crepe paper stream- see in this bright light. ers attached to backsides); land ani- mals wear gloves with claws attached YHI: Go away, Owl. While other birds (suggest cutting them from empty, will always enjoy flying in the daytime, white plastic bottles) and, where ap- you will only be able to fly at night. proprate, cloth-stuffed tails attached to (KOOKABURA laughs. OWL screeches backsides. Flying Fox’s wings can be as if in pain and exits. YHI exits. made out of dark gray or black nylon Others freeze as STORYTELLER re- cloth, attached from arms to ankles. enters.) SETTING: Backdrop painting of arid outback with scattered shrubs such as STORYTELLER: The birds and the spiniflex; the immense red stone that land animals never forgave Owl for his the Aborigines call Uluru (Ayers Rock) selfishness. This is one of the many is seen in the distance. Eucalyptus stories from our Dreamtime. (Curtain) trees can be constructed of brown THE END wrapping paper over a wooden frame- work with real eucalyptus branches attached to top; a stepladder is upstage PRODUCTION NOTES of trees (so that it is hidden) for Koala CHARACTERS: 14 male and female. to climb up and peer out from the PLAYING TIME: About 30 minutes, branches. The flat rock can be made depending on how much time is spent from a low table covered with brown with birds flying about and the possi- cloth painted to look like rock material. bility of introducing stylized move- PROPERTIES: Two clubs; 2 torches ments in the war between the birds (wooden sticks with flashlights and the land animals. attached to top and covered with red COSTUMES: Storyteller wears a loin- cellophane to look like flame); cloth that looks like leather; he has boomerang (real or made of card- typical Australian Aborigine designs board). painted on his body in white, black and LIGHTING: Lights are dimmed and ocher and goes barefoot. Yhi wears a then come up to half and then up to full red or yellow jumpsuit (or pants and at times indicated in the script. shirt) with a matching cap, to which SOUND: Before the start of the play are attached gold painted cardboard and at the end of it, suggest using a rays. In a simple production, birds and recording of didgeridoo music. (The land animals wear masks to represent didgeridoo is an Australian Aborigine their character and dark tights or musical instrument made from a long, sweatpants. In a more elaborate pro- hollowed-out eucalyptus branch.) If duction, head masks can be made of stylized battle scenes are enacted, the papier maché; birds wear cardboard same music might be used to accompa- wings on their arms with crepe paper ny them. attached for feathers (Emu has a bun-

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