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General Stone Tiger

A Play Adaptation

By Andrew CerecedesPublished 2 years ago 7 min read
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GENERAL STONE TIGER

A short play by Andrew R. Cerecedes

Based on the comic strip from Great Buddhist Stories, Illustrated by Rob Koo

SCENE 1

(Lights up. In the bright day with the sun shining over a house in a Chinese village Father and Mother Kuang are outside tidying up their garden. They are slim bodied, average height and elderly but are strong enough to wake up each day and do their daily chores)

MOTHER

The roses have blossomed into colorful beads of sunshine.

FATHER

Yes they have. It looks like Mother Nature is giving our village a wonderful season this year.

MOTHER

Have you seen our son at all today?

FATHER

Yes I have. He got up this morning to go practice his skill with the bow over in the shed. He’s been in there almost all day.

MOTHER

Oh my. He is so determined to become good enough to fight in our military.

FATHER

In all my life I have never seen a person with such as strong determination like him.

(Lights out on Mother and Father Kuang. Lights up to reveal their son, Li Kuang, in the shed. He is tall, has an athletic build, and has the presence of a warrior. All that is around him on stage is a target board, while a wooden bow is in his hand and a case with arrows is worn on his back. Li takes an arrow and prepares to shoot it. As he pulls the arrow back on the bow he takes a deep breath. After he slowly exhales, he releases the arrow. It did not hit the bull’s-eye of the target board. Without thinking he grabs another arrow and prepares to shoot it. Lights out on the shed.)

(Lights up on the Kuang home. Father and Mother Kuang are finishing up their chores. Li enters. He appears to be exhausted from his long practice.)

FATHER

My gosh son! You look like you’ve been in a war. You should get some rest.

LI

I will father. The garden is looking good. It’s as lovely as you Mother.

MOTHER

That’s a nice thing to say Li. I wish I could say the same about you. You are practicing way too much. Have you been able to perfect you aim?

LI

(A little irritated) No. I was so close Mother. I’m going to have to do longer practices.

MOTHER

You’re going to work yourself to death my son! There’s more to life than practicing to be a soldier. Why do you put yourself through this?

LI

I want to fight for you and Father. Fight for the village. No…fight for all of China. I want to protect you all from harm and danger. That is my destiny!

FATHER

Your destiny is to become a one-man army for China? A bit far-fetched if you ask me.

LI

Forgive me for exaggerating Father. I’m just passionate for fighting and protecting others.

MOTHER

Well before you go off saving China, could you first focus on being a good son and helping out around here?

LI

I’m always gonna be your son. And I’ll always be there for you when you need me.

(The family gets into a group hug and then makes their way into the house, which is offstage. Lights out.)

SCENE 2

(Lights up. It is late at night outside. The crickets are chirping, the owl is hooting and the Kuang family is fast asleep. It all appears to be peaceful. But then out of the distance a tiger enters. The tiger is hungry and in search for food. He starts to prowl through the Kuang’s garden. As he sniffs and nibbles, the dim light of a lantern turns on from offstage.)

FATHER

(Offstage) TIGER! TIGER! (He enters rapidly and comes face to face with the tiger and starts waving a broomstick at him.) GET OUT! GO AWAY!

(The tiger roars and strikes his paw at Father Kuang. Li and Mother Kuang come out to help him. Li has his bow and arrows on him.)

LI

Father, get away from him! Let me handle this! Go back inside!

MOTHER

No Li! Keep your father safe! (She grabs the broomstick from Father and begins to wave it at the tiger. As she waves it she moves out of the way across the stage. The tiger moves in the same direction.)

LI

Mother stop!! Get out of the way!! (He gets his bow and arrow ready to shoot.)

MOTHER

DON’T!!

(Mother Kuang and the tiger are now offstage. Li and Father are left standing in shock. A loud roar from the tiger is heard. From that roar they realize that the tiger had killed Mother Kuang.)

LI

MOTHER!!!!!!

(Lights out)

SCENE 3

(Lights up. It’s a cold and cloudy morning. Father and Li Kuang are standing over Mother Kuang’s grave in the field of the village. They are devastated.)

LI

I could have saved her. I had a clear shot on the tiger. Why wouldn’t she let me take him down?

FATHER

She didn’t want to see you die. For a parent there is nothing worse than losing a child. She sacrificed herself to protect you. I would have done the same for both of you.

LI

She didn’t have to die this way. (A thought comes to him.) The tiger is still out there and no one has attempted to find him.

FATHER

What is it that’s on your mind?

LI

The tiger may be a mere creature, but he still needs to pay for what he did.

FATHER

What are you saying my son?

LI

(Total seriousness) I am making a vow right here and now that I will hunt down the tiger and avenge Mother’s death.

FATHER

You are too upset my son. Let’s go home so you can get some rest.

LI

No! No rest. I will not rest until I see the dead body of the tiger lying by my feet. I have made my decision father. Please don’t try to stop me.

FATHER

But… (Unsure of what to say to change Li’s mind) If this is what you wish then so be it. (Li walks off. Father looks at Mother Kuang’s grave stone) I don’t think there will be any way to stop him. Not even a typhoon will stop him. He has a string determination. Just like you always had. (He chants Nam-myoho-renge-kyo three times, bows to the grave and then exits.)

(Lights out)

SCENE 4

(Days have gone by. Within those days Li Kuang has been practicing his fighting and weapon skills. He has trained as if he were an athlete about to go into the ring. He has gotten so good that he can swing a sword faster than lightning can strike the earth. Even more impressive is his growth on his archery. After hours of practicing each day he has been able to hit the bull’s eye on a target board. Never once has he missed. He has gotten so good that he can even shoot his arrows perfectly while blindfolded. When he had finished with his training he knew that he was ready to go hunt for the tiger. Thinking about nothing but avenging his mother’s death he had packed his weapons and all that was needed for him to survive on his journey. )

(Lights up. It’s a cold and windy night. Li is in the outskirts of the village. He has been searching for the tiger for days and nights. He appears to be exhausted but he’s not letting it keep him down. He walks through the night armed with his bow and arrow. There’s nothing but pitch black and silence. The sound of a stick cracking is heard from behind. Li swiftly moves behind him, ready to shoot the arrow.)

LI

(Softly) Show yourself. (He walks slowly upstage. He sees something in the distance. It is too dark to make out what the figure is.) There you are. (He takes a deep breath, hold it for a few seconds and as he exhales he shoots the arrow. It pierces the figure in the distance.) Got him!

(Li moves closer to the figure. A light goes up to reveal that the figure is a large rock, not the tiger. The arrow went all the way into the rock.)

LI

That’s impossible!

(The lights go dim on Li. Father Kuang enters and faces the audience)

FATHER

(To the audience) My son’s determination had been so strong that he had shot the arrow right into the rock. The arrow went in all the way to the feathers. When the news of this incident reached the village and all of China, Li Kuang came to be known as General Stone Tiger.

(Mother Kuang enters and faces the audience)

MOTHER

(To the audience) Buddhism teaches that to do amazing things, we have to be really determined. Like my son when he shot the arrow into the rock, we should chant Nam-myoho-renge-kyo and take action with fierce determination that we will achieve our goal.

(Lights out)

END OF PLAY

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