The Sweet Smell of Soup and the Sad Sound of Money
Characters:
Old Lady
Old Man
Manager
Policeman
SCRIPT:
(An old lady begs for food in the street. An old man gives her a piece of bread).
Old Man: I don’t have money… but I have this piece of bread… do you want it?
Old Lady: Yes, please… I am very hungry.
(The old man gives her the bread)
Old Lady: Thank you for your kindness. May God bless you!
(The old man leaves. The old lady looks at the bread and takes a small bite)
Old Lady: Oh, I wish I had something to put on it.
(She looks across the street, she sees a restaurant. She crosses the street and enters the restaurant. There are people dining. The manager sees her and takes her out of the restaurant).
Manager: This is not a place for you, old lady!
Old Lady: Help me, please. I have this piece of bread, but nothing to put on it.
Manager: Go away… I don’t want to see you near my restaurant ever again!
(The old lady crosses the street and keeps looking at the restaurant manager. The manager enters the restaurant. The old lady crosses the street again and goes to the backdoor of the restaurant, into the kitchen. There’s no one in the kitchen).
Old Lady: It smells good in here.
(She sees a large pot of soup cooking over the fire. She holds her piece of bread over the steaming pot, hoping to capture a bit of flavor from the good-smelling vapor. Suddenly the manager enters).
Manager: How did you manage to get inside!
Old Lady: Oh!
Manager: You’re stealing the soup!
Old Lady: No, I am not! I am only smelling the vapor.
Manager: Then you must pay for the smell!
Old Lady: No, please, I have no money… I only have this piece of bread.
Manager: I don’t care! You will have to pay! Let’s go!
Old Lady: Where are you taking me?
Manager: To the police station.
Old Lady: Let me go, please, I beg you!
Manager: Of course not, I will personally take you there.
(The angy manager draggs her to the police station. A policeman writes the report)
Policeman: So, you want this old lady to pay you for your soup?
Manager: Yes
Policeman: Have you noticed that she doesn’t have any money?
Manager: That is not my problem. I want my money, that’s all I want!
(The policeman looks at the old lady. He feels sorry for her. He takes a few coins from his pocket and shows them to the manager.)
Policeman: I will pay you myself.
Manager: Why should you? I want her money!
(The policeman rings the coins together loudly)
Policeman: Did you hear the coins ring?
Manager: Yes, I did… why?
Policeman: I will pay you for the smell of your soup… with the sound of money. Get out of here!
(The manager leaves)
Old Lady: Oh, thank you.
Policeman: Take these coins, and buy yourself a hot bowl of soup.
(The old lady takes the coins and leaves the police station).
The End
Author: K I D S I N C O – based in a Popular Folktale
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Tags: beggar, bread, manager, money, old lady, old man, police station, policeman, pot of soup, Restaurant, smell of soup, sound of money, soup