The Testing of a Wizard - Viktor Gitin

on stage. He walks up to the stage and turns over the hourglass. After that he carefully untangles his nets. After some time, a refreshed Gelo walks on stage. The Fisherman notices him and gives him a warm smile.

FISHERMAN – I’m glad to see you had a good rest.

GELO – Thank you for your hospitality. I haven’t slept like that in a long while. I’ve been travelling for more than a week, and I was quite tired. But now I’m ready to go on my way.

FISHERMAN – Maybe before you leave you could tell me why and where you are going?

GELO – I’m an apprentice of a Wizard, and I’m looking for the MIRACLE. The aim of my journey is to find it and make all the people in the world happy. I want to dedicate my life to it.

FISHERMAN – (Interested) Is that so! What a noble task. But do you know what happiness is?

GELO – (Hesitate and answers non-confidently) I used to think I knew what it meant. But after an encounter in the forest, I now have some doubts. First of all, happiness for me is to fulfil my duty by helping people. And second of all it is love.

FISHERMAN – I can agree on the last one. Without love a person can’t be happy. But about your duty, I think you are trying to hard.

GELO – Why?

FISHERMAN – Take for example me and my family. I’m happy because I have my wife and my children. And I don’t need anything more. You can only be happy when you live in harmony with yourself and the environment. And for that you need to learn to accept this world with joy. You need to learn to be happy with the clean bright sky and the summer rain. Stop fussing about meaningless and worthless matters. If you want to be happy, just be happy. Learn to be happy with life and help out those who are close to you. And happiness will find you.

GELO – Is it that simple? And nothing more?

FISHERMAN – I’m always happy because I can do what I want, and I don’t want anything I cannot achieve!

GELO – But what should one do if his desires are out of his reach.

FISHERMAN – You don’t need to achieve all your desires to be happy, even if it is possible to accomplish it. There are some wishes which are best left alone, which should be put to the back of your mind. That’s exactly the way I try to live. And anyway, the infinity of our desires will never squeeze into the limitations of our possibilities.

GELO – To be modest and discreet about your needs is a very good quality. But you and your family still need food, clothes and many other things without which life would be very hard and unbearable.

FISHERMAN – I have everything I need. And if problems do arise then I try to solve them instead of moaning and whimpering about it. Many people often try to justify their innocence by putting blame on others, when really; they should be looking deep within their souls. The most horrible filth is not around us but in our souls. Purify your soul and you will find happiness. Genuine happiness is not about the material things which surround you, but about the amount of kindness in your soul.

GELO – (With irony) That’s means your present and past life is an example of purity and kindness?

FISHERMAN – Of course not, but why should one dwell about the past. I have no regrets about the past because all things happen for a reason!

GELO – What did you say?

FISHERMAN – I have no regrets about the past because all things happen for a reason … I wouldn't swap my happiness for all the treasures in the world. In my world, I give happiness to those who are close to me: my family, my children, and my relatives.

GELO – But this sort of happiness is very volatile and doesn’t last for long, and it passes by.

FISHERMAN – Possibly. But it’s concrete. And happiness can’t be abstract. It always should be concrete. And I’m its creator. I don’t have to ask anybody for it. And I don’t have to pay anyone for it.

GELO – Are you happy with your life?

FISHERMAN – Oh yeah! Life is dismal and monotonous only because we make it so. When we are young, in our dreams we can all fly and have wishes would come true. But with years we betray ourselves and the purity of our childhood. We descend into a world of problems. We forget that celebrations are in our souls and hearts and not on the streets and squares.

GELO – So I see you’re a philosopher!

FISHERMAN – No, I’m an ordinary man. I have long forgotten what it means to be ashamed, it spoils and suppresses your soul, because it is a moral error, which is born from self-discontent and the realization of your guilt, but I have nothing to be ashamed of, because I have no power, wealth, or fame. I’ am free from this burden.

GELO – But freedom of thought is not the same as freedom of action. Certainly, you can think of anything you like, but you can’t do whatever you want. Your freedom is limited by your island and your family.

FISHERMAN – But that is great. I and my family live away from all the politics, newspapers, and superficial charity. Here, nobody is amused by our failures, and we have nothing to do with their failures either. In that world away from our island and our happiness is the rage of people’s passion…

I could have been a politician since it’s not so difficult. You just have to bend your principles or forget about them altogether. But at the same you