The Korean Cinderella
By Shirley Climo
Adapted by Alicia Harabin
Characters:
Father / Narrator 5
Pear Blossom
Omoni
Peony
Frog / Narrator 4
Sparrow / Narrator 1
Ox / Narrator 2
Magistrate / Narrator 3
Scene 1
Pear Blossom
(At rise, FATHER plays with baby PEAR BLOSSOM.)
NARRATOR 1: Long ago, in Korea, a baby girl was born to an old man
and his wife. The girl was named Pear Blossom, and
with each season she grew more beautiful, just like
the pear tree.
(PEAR BLOSSOM grows up.)
NARRATOR 2: One winter, her mother grew ill and died. Her father
was worried that an old man alone would not be able
to raise Pear Blossom properly.
(FATHER exits.)
NARRATOR 1: So, he consulted the village matchmaker, and was soon
married to a widow with a little daughter who was
just Pear Blossom’s age.
(FATHER enters with OMONI and PEONY.)
FATHER: Oh, Pear Blossom! Where are you?
PEAR BLOSSOM: Here I am.
FATHER: My dear daughter, I have a happy surprise for you. Here is
your new mother, your omoni, and a new sister, too!
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OMONI: This is my daughter, Peony.
(PEONY makes a face at PEAR BLOSSOM.)
FATHER: I’m sure that you will grow to be great friends.
(FATHER sits in a chair and falls asleep.)
NARRATOR 2: But, as soon as her father’s back was turned, Omoni and
Peony began to order Pear Blossom around like a
servant. She could never please them.
NARRATOR 1: And, although Omoni dressed her in rags and tied up
her braid with rope, nothing could hide Pear
Blossom’s beauty. Peony became jealous.
NARRATOR 2: Pear Blossom’s father was too old and weak to notice
that anything was wrong, and Pear Blossom was not
one to complain. So, she worked and worked.
OMONI: Pear Blossom, the stove it too cold. Fetch some wood and heat
it up. NOW!
PEAR BLOSSOM: Yes, Omoni.
(PEAR BLOSSOM loads up the stove with wood.)
(OMONI reaches for the kettle – it burns!)
OMONI: Yeow! Too hot! You’ll scorch the noodles, you silly girl.
PEONY: Little Pigling in her pigtail!
PEAR BLOSSOM: Yes, sister?
PEONY: I am thirsty. Fetch me some water in this jar.
(PEONY hands PEAR BLOSSOM a clay jar.)
PEAR BLOSSOM: This jar leaks, Peony. It cannot carry water. It has a
hole the size of an onion!
OMONI: Stubborn little pigs get tied up and taken to market! Listen to
your sister and fill that jar!
(PEAR BLOSSOM exits with the jar.)
PEONY: I wish we could sell her, Omoni. Then I will be the loveliest.
OMONI: Who says we can’t? Who could blame us, with such an unruly
child as that!
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(EXEUNT.)
Scene 2
Tokgabi
(PEAR BLOSSOM enters with the jug.)
NARRATOR 3: Pear Blossom had no choice but to do as Peony
demanded. Despite what Omoni said, Pear Blossom
was a good girl, and wanted to please her family.
PEAR BLOSSOM: Oh, how will I ever fill this broken jug? Will none in
this world help me?
(FROG enters. PEAR BLOSSOM does not see him.)
FROG: Jug-jug-jugful.
PEAR BLOSSOM: Ah! There must be a tokgabi – a goblin – hiding here.
(FROG hops over to PEAR BLOSSOM.)
FROG: Jugful!
(FROG hops into the jug.)
PEAR BLOSSOM: As you wish.
NARRATOR 3: The frog squeezed itself into the hole in the jug, acting
like a stopper. When Pear Blossom filled up the jug, it
did not leak!
(OMONI and PEONY enter.)
OMONI: So! Off to market, Little Pig!
PEAR BLOSSOM: But Omoni, the jar is full! A frog helped me.
OMONI: A magic frog? Peony, go look inside that jar.
(PEONY peers into the jar.)
(FROG jumps out and splashes PEONY.)
FROG: Jugful.
(FROG exits.)
PEONY: Waaah! I’m all wet. Pigling’s to blame!
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OMONI: Trickery! Well, Little Pigling, I have another chore for you.
Polish all of this rice, or else I’ll send you to China!
(OMONI dumps a bag of rice on the ground.)
(OMONI and PEONY exit.)
PEAR BLOSSOM: Will none in this world help me?
(SPARROW enters.)
SPARROW: Cheer! Cheer! Cheer!
NARRATOR 3: Pear Blossom looked up and saw a sparrow perched in
the pear tree. The sparrow flew down to the ground
and began polishing the rice with its beak.
(SPARROW begins pecking at the rice.)
PEAR BLOSSOM: It’s no use, little friend. It is too much work for one.
SPARROW: Cheer! Cheer! Cheer!
(More sparrows enter and begin polishing rice.)
NARRATOR 3: Suddenly, wings whirred overhead, and a whole flock of
sparrows flew out of the tree. In a matter of minutes,
they had polished the rice and piled it in a corner.
(SPARROW returns to the tree.)
(OMONI and PEONY enter.)
OMONI: Off to China, Little… What? How can this be?
PEAR BLOSSOM: Sparrows flew out of the tree and polished the rice.
PEONY: Birds don’t hull rice. They eat it!
OMONI: (whispering to Peony) There’s magic flying about. Catch some
for yourself!
(OMONI pushes PEONY beneath the pear tree.)
SPARROW: Cheat! Cheat! Cheat!
(SPARROW pulls PEONY’s hair.)
PEONY: Waah! Pigling’s to blame!
(OMONI comforts PEONY.)
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NARRATOR 3: Omoni did not give Pear Blossom anything to eat that
day or the next, but Pear Blossom still had to prepare
food for her family to take to the village festival.
PEONY: (sing-song) Dirty-Piglet-Stay-at-Home! You can’t co-ome!
OMONI: Oh, Piglet may go. After she weeds all the rice paddies! And
here is Piglet’s special picnic.
(OMONI hands PEAR BLOSSOM a basket.)
PEAR BLOSSOM: I am most grateful, Honorable Mother.
(EXEUNT.)
Scene 3
The Magistrate
(PEAR BLOSSOM enters with her basket.)
NARRATOR 4: When Pear Blossom reached the fields, she found so
many weeds that the rice rippled like a green lake. In
her lunch basket she found rotten vegetables.
(PEAR BLOSSOM drops her basket and cries.)
PEAR BLOSSOM: Will none in this world help me? Who could do such a
task? There are more weeds here than rice!
(BLACK OX enters in a whirlwind.)
BLACK OX: DO-O-O!
NARRATOR 5: Suddenly, a whirlwind appeared, and a huge black ox
reared up from the cloud of dust. It had great big
horns and a deep voice. Pear Blossom was frightened.
BLACK OX: DO-O-O!
(PEAR BLOSSOM hides her head.)
(BLACK OX crosses back and forth, munching.)
NARRATOR 4: The black ox began to munch the weeds, moving faster
than the wind itself. Although it left behind giant hoof
prints, it didn’t trample a single blade of rice.
BLACK OX: DO-O-O!
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(BLACK OX exits.)
(PEAR BLOSSOM peers up cautiously, then stands
and waves after the OX.)
PEAR BLOSSOM: A thousand thanks!
(PEAR BLOSSOM begins walking. She stops and
removes a pebble from her shoe.)
(MAGISTRATE and his assistants enter.)
MAGISTRATE: Make way! Make way for the magistrate!
(PEAR BLOSSOM is startled. She tries to balance on
one foot, but topples and sends her shoe flying.)
NARRATOR 5: Just as Pear Blossom was removing a pebble from her
shoe, a nobleman came by on his way to the festival.
Pear Blossom was startled and dropped her shoe in
the river.
(PEAR BLOSSOM exits, embarrassed.)
MAGISTRATE: Stop! Who was that beautiful girl? You – go and fish her
shoe out of the river before it floats away. Quickly! We
must find her when we reach the village.
(MAGISTRATE and assistants exit.)
(Festival performers enter and entertain.)
(PEAR BLOSSOM enters.)
NARRATOR 4: When Pear Blossom arrived at the festival, she found her
basket filled with fruit and honey candy. She nibbled
on her treats while she watched the performers.
(OMONI and PEONY enter and see PEAR BLOSSOM.)
PEONY: Little pig! What are YOU doing here?
PEAR BLOSSOM: I am here because a great black ox ate all of the weeds
in the rice paddies. That same ox gave me this lovely orange.
OMONI: Black ox, indeed! Oxen are brown. You stole that fruit!
(MAGISTRATE and assistants enter with the shoe.)
MAGISTRATE: Hear this! We seek the girl with one shoe!
PEONY: It’s Pigling! She’s lost her shoe!
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OMONI: The magistrate has come to arrest you for stealing! Now you’ll
get what you deserve.
MAGISTRATE: Then she must deserve me as her husband, for this lucky
shoe has led me to her. I did not mean to scare you away.
OMONI: Another of Pigling’s magic tricks. My daughter will give you two
shoes! That is twice as lucky!
(MAGISTRATE looks at OMONI like she’s cuckoo.)
MAGISTRATE: I’ve luck enough if she who wears this one becomes my
bride. Will you?
(PEAR BLOSSOM takes shoe and puts it on.)
NARRATOR 5: And that is just what happened. The magistrate planted
a dozen pear trees in his courtyard, and in the spring they
burst into bloom. All around the animals called,
SPARROW: Ewha! Ewha!
FROG: E-WHA!
NARRATOR 5: For, in Korean, Ewha means “Pear Blossom.”
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