get out. After a long while he finally manages to crawl out like a worm, utterly exhausted. His creations roaringly gyrate past him and slowly disappear .)
( Shadow appears again, keeping a certain distance from him. )
Shadow:
( Narrates in a serene voice. ) Then winter came along. It was snowing hard that day, and you walked barefoot on the ice to experience the bone-chilling cold. You seemed to feel that you were Jesus Christ, that you were the loneliest person, the only person who was suffering in this world. You felt that you were pervaded by the spirit of self-sacrifice, even though you were not sure for whom you would be sacrificing yourself. Yes, you did leave your footprints in the snow, and in the distance was a hazy, misty forest.
( Totally worn out, Man walks into a simulated forest made of human bodies. )
Shadow:
( Following him. ) You walked into the dark and shady forest. The trees, every one of them, had already shed their leaves, stretching out their shaven branches like naked women. Somberly they stood in the snow, lonely and speechless. You could not help wanting to tell them about your sorrows and torments. You recalled the time of your youth, when you waited for her on the roadside for a long long time. That day it was also snowing, and you were determined to tell her that you loved her. You want to say that at the time you were still young and innocent, but now you have sinned deeply, and you will never be able to go back to those early days any more. You have long lost your faith in people, your heart has grown old and it will not love again. Your only wish is to go walking among the trees in the forest until you are totally exhausted. Then you will collapse somewhere, hoping never to be found.
( Finally Man leans against a tree to take a breath. Shadow comes closer and closer, observing him. )
Shadow:
In fact it is nothing more than a kind of self-pity. You are unwilling to end like this, you are so vain. ( Exits. )
( The tree Man has been leaning against bends down its trunk and speaks in a human-like voice: “Oh, here you are.” Then all the trees in the forest move slowly towards him like monsters. They reveal their human forms and become the Crowd, all dressed in mourning clothes .)
Crowd:
( They speak and move, but they are unfeeling and expressionless. )
We’ve been looking all over for you.
Come on, take us to the pub to have a drink.
You’re our host, how come you’re here in the snow?
You’re a giant, and we have to look up to see you.
You’re famous, so famous that we’re scared of you.
We admire you, but we don’t want to idolize you.
You’re no more than a crook, only we don’t have your tricks.
Get up and come with us.
You should donate money to our charities for children, you must know that children need money the most.
You went through the forest alone, a forest even the devil fears to tread, you’re number one.
You’re a pathfinder, you’ve walked out a road nobody wants to walk on, you’ve led people astray.
You’re lucky, not everyone is as lucky as you are. It’s not that you’re more talented than the others, it’s only that they don’t get the chance to show what they’ve got.
You’re the tops, let’s us give him a pat on the behind!
( The Crowd laugh coldly and sinisterly. Some start to pull at him and grapple with him. )
Crowd:
( Suddenly. ) Here he comes!
Talk of the devil.
Make way.
( Shadow backs in as the Crowd step aside to make way for him. )
Man:
( Weakly. ) Who are you?
Shadow:
Your heart.
( As the Crowd watch the drooping, blind, and deaf heart slouching past them, Shadow quietly drags Man away. The Crowd slowly follow behind the heart which is extremely old and actually invisible. All exit. )
( One by one the Actors enter from the other side .)
Actors:
We set off before dawn. The morning dew was thick, and in the dark we heard the cows breathing while they
( Shadow appears again, keeping a certain distance from him. )
Shadow:
( Narrates in a serene voice. ) Then winter came along. It was snowing hard that day, and you walked barefoot on the ice to experience the bone-chilling cold. You seemed to feel that you were Jesus Christ, that you were the loneliest person, the only person who was suffering in this world. You felt that you were pervaded by the spirit of self-sacrifice, even though you were not sure for whom you would be sacrificing yourself. Yes, you did leave your footprints in the snow, and in the distance was a hazy, misty forest.
( Totally worn out, Man walks into a simulated forest made of human bodies. )
Shadow:
( Following him. ) You walked into the dark and shady forest. The trees, every one of them, had already shed their leaves, stretching out their shaven branches like naked women. Somberly they stood in the snow, lonely and speechless. You could not help wanting to tell them about your sorrows and torments. You recalled the time of your youth, when you waited for her on the roadside for a long long time. That day it was also snowing, and you were determined to tell her that you loved her. You want to say that at the time you were still young and innocent, but now you have sinned deeply, and you will never be able to go back to those early days any more. You have long lost your faith in people, your heart has grown old and it will not love again. Your only wish is to go walking among the trees in the forest until you are totally exhausted. Then you will collapse somewhere, hoping never to be found.
( Finally Man leans against a tree to take a breath. Shadow comes closer and closer, observing him. )
Shadow:
In fact it is nothing more than a kind of self-pity. You are unwilling to end like this, you are so vain. ( Exits. )
( The tree Man has been leaning against bends down its trunk and speaks in a human-like voice: “Oh, here you are.” Then all the trees in the forest move slowly towards him like monsters. They reveal their human forms and become the Crowd, all dressed in mourning clothes .)
Crowd:
( They speak and move, but they are unfeeling and expressionless. )
We’ve been looking all over for you.
Come on, take us to the pub to have a drink.
You’re our host, how come you’re here in the snow?
You’re a giant, and we have to look up to see you.
You’re famous, so famous that we’re scared of you.
We admire you, but we don’t want to idolize you.
You’re no more than a crook, only we don’t have your tricks.
Get up and come with us.
You should donate money to our charities for children, you must know that children need money the most.
You went through the forest alone, a forest even the devil fears to tread, you’re number one.
You’re a pathfinder, you’ve walked out a road nobody wants to walk on, you’ve led people astray.
You’re lucky, not everyone is as lucky as you are. It’s not that you’re more talented than the others, it’s only that they don’t get the chance to show what they’ve got.
You’re the tops, let’s us give him a pat on the behind!
( The Crowd laugh coldly and sinisterly. Some start to pull at him and grapple with him. )
Crowd:
( Suddenly. ) Here he comes!
Talk of the devil.
Make way.
( Shadow backs in as the Crowd step aside to make way for him. )
Man:
( Weakly. ) Who are you?
Shadow:
Your heart.
( As the Crowd watch the drooping, blind, and deaf heart slouching past them, Shadow quietly drags Man away. The Crowd slowly follow behind the heart which is extremely old and actually invisible. All exit. )
( One by one the Actors enter from the other side .)
Actors:
We set off before dawn. The morning dew was thick, and in the dark we heard the cows breathing while they
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