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SPARKLER: CLARA BELL
AND BEN TRIUMPH AGAIN
By Val Chatwin
(characters listen to narrator and act out parts)
The curtain opens and the play is on [Curtains
walk to side]. It is early morning and the sun
rises [Sun stands up]. Inside the covered wagon
SAM and his beautiful daughter CLARA BELL,
[ring tiny bell whenever she is named] wake up
and get ready for the day. CLARA BELL is
weeping. SAM’S ox en ate some locoweed and
are so sick that they can’t pull the wagon. There
are no other oxen available clear out here; only
rich OLD JED has any extra stock available. He
has offered to sell SAM some fine oxen for very
little money if SAM will let him have CLARA
BELL as his 4th wife. (And this isn’t polygamy,
folks. The other three died of mysterious
causes.) CLARA BELL loves BEN, whom she
met when he helped them cross the Platte River.
BEN is a hunter and is out looking for buffalo.
The hours pass slowly [hours walk across
stage]. One of SAM’S oxen dies. OLD
JED brings up a fine pair of oxen and tells
Sam that the wagon train is ready to move
out. He will sell SAM the oxen if CLARA
BELL will move to his wagon. CLARA
BELL runs away. SAM decides that even if
they are in mortal danger, he can not
sacrifice his daughter for OLD CLEM. He
starts to assault OLD CLEM. [Use salt
shakers to shake salt on each other]. OLD
CLEM assaults SAM. [Repeat salt] Wait,
what do I hear? Horses galloping toward us.
It is BEN, and he is bringing a pair of
horses. He traded an elk for a rifle and then
the rifle for a pair of horses. With BEN
helping them, SAM and CLARA BELL can
make it. He crosses [draw a cross on the
floor] over to CLARA BELL. OLD CLEM
stalks off [waves a stalk of celery.] Curses,
foiled again. True love triumphs in the end.
Great Salt Lake Council