Broken Dreams Stage Treatment By Ane Mulligan An adaptation of an old folk tale Based on Psalm 30:5 and Jeremiah 29:11
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Once on a high mountain top, 3 little trees stood and dreamed of what they wanted to be when they grew up.
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How do you know they dreamed?
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That’s how this story goes. The first little tree looked up at the heavens and the glittering stars and said, “I want …..
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(Interrupts) Now wait just a minute. I can buy dreaming ---maybe. But talking trees? No way.
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Look, if a tree falls in the forest and no one is around to hear it, does it make a sound?
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Sure it does.
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How do you know?
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It just does.
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Okay, then. These trees talked. Just because you weren’t there to hear them, doesn’t mean they didn’t talk.
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Ohhhhhh.
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May I continue now?
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Sure!
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Thank you. The first little tree said, “I want to hold a fabulous treasure. I want to be covered with gold and pearls and be filled with precious stones. I will be the most beautiful treasure chest in the world.”
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The second little tree looked out at the small stream trickling by on its way to the ocean and dreamed of grand travels. He said, “I want to be sailing the mighty seas and carry powerful kings. I’ll be the strongest ship in the world”.
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You’re really getting into this aren’t you?
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I like stories. What’s next?
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The third little tree looked down into the valley below where busy men and women rushed around working in a busy, noisy town, and she shuddered.
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I’m with her - I like country livin’ best.
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She must have too because she said, “I don’t want to leave the mountain at all. I want to grow so tall that when people look at me, they’ll raise their eyes to heaven and think of God. I will be the tallest tree in the world”.
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That’s going to take a long time. You said these were just little trees.
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You’re right, they were --- and it did. And many years passed, season by season. The rains came, the sun shone,
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(Begins to sing “Sunrise, Sunset”) Sunrise, sunset – sunrise, sunset, swiftly go the years…
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(Interrupts) That’s the wrong story.
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I was just showing the passage of time.
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Okay. But do you know what happened next?
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They grew up to be big trees and lived happily ever after in the forest? 2
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Well, they grew - - tall and straight. But they did not remain in the forest. One day, three woodcutters climbed the mountain. The first Woodcutter looked at the first tree and said, “This tree is beautiful. It is perfect for me.” He swung his axe and the tree fell and he dragged it away.
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Ohhhhh, booo hooo hoooo (cries into his arm on 1’s shoulder).
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Don’t cry. Remember the first tree’s dream? She wanted to become a beautiful treasure chest.
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(Brightens) Hey - that’s right! Then I bet she was excited, thinking, “Now I shall be made into a beautiful chest and I will hold wonderful treasure!”
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Bingo! And the second Woodcutter looked at the second tree and said, “This tree is strong. It is perfect for me.” And he swung his axe and the tree fell and he dragged it away.
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And that little tree thought, “My adventure begins! Now I’ll sail the bounding main! I’ll be a strong ship for mighty kings!”
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But the third tree felt her heart sink when the last woodcutter looked her way. She stood very straight and very tall and pointed bravely to heaven. (2 stands up taller & straighter) But the woodcutter never even looked up. He said, “Any kind of tree will do for me.” (2 drops the pose) And He swung his axe --- the tree fell and he dragged her away.
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Now, the first tree rejoiced when the woodcutter brought her to a carpenter’s shop.
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But the carpenter fashioned her into a feed box for animals. (#2 looks disgusted at this) The once beautiful tree was not covered with gold or jewels. Nor was she filled with treasure. She was instead, coated in sawdust and filled with hay for hungry farm animals…and she grieved for her shattered dreams as she settled into farm life.
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(a little peevishly) Well, the second tree was ecstatic when the woodcutter took him into a shipyard.
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Yes, but no mighty sailing ship was made that day. Instead, the once strong tree was hammered and sawed into a simple fishing boat. He was too small and too weak to sail an ocean, or even a river. He wept over his lost dreams as he was taken to a little lake.
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The third tree was confused when the woodcutter cut her into strong beams and then left her in a corner of the lumberyard. “What happened?”, she wondered. “My dreams weren’t grand or selfish or unrealistic! All I ever wanted to do was to stay on the mountaintop and point to God.”
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The years passed. The trees nearly forgot their dreams.
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Poor little trees.
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Yes, their lives didn’t turn out as they had dreamed.
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Is that the end of the story?
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No, it’s not, and we’ll tell it if you quit interrupting.
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Well hurry up and let’s tell it then!
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One night, golden starlight poured over the first tree as a woman placed her newborn baby in the feed box. Her husband said, “Oh, Mary, I wish I could make a cradle for him.”
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But his wife shook her head and said, “Joseph, this manger is fine, and see how warm the straw is.” And suddenly the first tree knew that she was holding the greatest treasure in the world.
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Many years later, in the early evening, a tired traveler and his friends crowded into the old fishing boat. The traveler fell asleep as the second tree sailed quietly out onto the lake. Soon a thundering and thrashing storm arose. The little tree shuddered. He knew he didn’t have the strength to carry so many passengers safely through the wind and the rain.
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The passengers were frightened and cried out. The tired man awoke.
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“Peace. Be still.”
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The storm stopped as quickly as it had begun. And suddenly the second tree knew that he was carrying the king of heaven and earth.
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It was on a Friday morning, when the third tree was startled as her beams were suddenly yanked from the forgotten woodpile. She flinched as she was carried through an angry crowd. She shuddered when soldiers nailed a man’s hands and feet to her. She felt ugly --- harsh --- and cruel.
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But, then on Sunday morning, when the sun rose and the earth trembled with joy beneath her, the third tree knew that God’s love had changed everything.
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It had made the her strong. And every time people thought of the third tree, they would think of God.
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And that was even better than being the tallest tree in the world.
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You’re so right! So the next time you feel that your dreams are shattered because your life takes an unexpected turn –
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Remember the three little trees -- and be of good cheer!
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Remember - God knows the plans He has for you – plans to give you a future and a hope.
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Remember that weeping only lasts for the night - - -
Both: and joy comes in the morning!
© Script Copyright 2000, Ane Mulligan
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