AN ENGLISH PLAY

Return to the age of Cai Lun

The technique of papermaking is one of the four greatest inventions in ancient China. It has made enormous contributions for the cultural dissemination, and provided the solid foundation for the economic prosperity of our country. Due to the invention of the paper, the civilization of China has been greatly accelerated.

As we all know, it was Cai Lun，a Eunuch in East Han Dynasty, who invented the papermaking process in 105 A.C.

Action 1

In East Han Dynasty, Cailun is a postman, whose daily work is to deliver letters. (In early days, people recorded information by tying knots, and later carving inscriptions on animal bones and tortoise shells. Nowadays we call it “Oracle” pe riod). Now we can see, Cai Lun is writing a letter to one of his friends…

The tortoise says: “Although I am already 880 years old, my ears and my eyes are still very keen. I can’t tolerate such cruel tortures. Now I am leaving……”

Cailun: “ Oh, buddy, please be right back. I cannot write on elsewhere. And except you who else would be the messenger?”

How time fled! It comes to the Bronze Age, when people start to cast and carve characters on the bronze wares, which we called “golden scripture”.

Now Mr. Cai is sending a postcard to one of his friends. How difficult it is!

Lqh: thanks, Lao Cai, thanks a lot for your hardworking!

Cailun: to Serve for the people!

Lqh: E xcellent, Lao Cai, let’s go and drink several cups.

Time passed quickly, and soon it comes to the Bamboo Age, people write on the bamboo prods. But it is so heavy to carry and such an inconvenience to read. So Songjingdi, the emperor of the time, assigned a mission to Cailun...

Cailun is thinking about all the difficulties which he encountered before as a postman, and he really wants to invent something which is easy to carry, and convenient for reading, but he has no idea yet! Now, we can see that he takes out his cell phone, and dials: 8590134(the number of post-doctor's Sceince & research Station):"hello, Tachnology Center? This is Laocai, would you help me to invent a kind of portable tool as a medium for writing words on. I have been tired of sending letters by those he avy stuff!”

After a little while, Cailun feels so hungry, that he begins to boil a pot of soup using bark as food. Accidentally, the soup pot turned over. After evaporation, a layer of thin film left on the ground. Suddenly it inspired him to use barks, hemps, rags, old fishnets, and so on to produce the tool, which he has been so eager to get!

Action 2

Cailun begins to make papers, Soaking, mincing, cooking, washing, pounding, washing again, beating, pressing, and drying. Eventually, the original model of the first inferior paper comes out. Cailun is extremely excited, he walks around the paper to watch and says,

Oh, my love, my darling, ...... What should I call it? Oh, yes, I can name it "paper"!

He writes 4 characters on it . "Tiger forest and paper". They bends and greets to each other.

After the first inferior paper was produced successfully, Cailun is so glad that he wants to develop the paper with higher quality. Cailun tries to repeat all the unit process---soaking, mincing, cooking, washing, pounding, washing again, beating, pressing drying---another piece of paper is produced successfully again. now he is writing the Chinese character "wind "on it.

Wind: Thanks, Cailun, (kiss) please let me introduce myself, i am "Feng".

Cailun: Can you spell it?

Wind:F-E-N-G, Feng.

Cailun contiues to make a bunch of makehigh-quality papers. And he writes a word "elegant” on the third piece of paper and word “praise” on the fouth.

Elegant: thanks, Cailun!

Praises: Yeah! Cailun, you are both my daddy and mommy. Oh, I forgot to introduce myself. I am Song. S-O-N-G, Song. Thank you!

After the fashion show:

One day, Cailun is working in the office.

someone: Mr. Cai, I’ve got bad news for you, we don't have enough raw materials for papermaking, but we still have a large number of orders. If we couldn't deliver the paper to the customers on time, we will get into troubles by the law.

Cailun:"really? I am going out first. I will think about it. "

Cailun sits down, and begins to think: Are there any things exist to substitute for the barks?

soon, he gets a good idea!

Cailun: Y ou are responsible for chopping down the trees, but we can't do nearsighted things. After cutting off the big trees, we must plant new ones. So (second person) you are responsible for planting trees. This is what we called "forest and paper intergration". In this case, we will continuously have material for papermaking, and the dream: to develop a circulation of economy will be realized. hahhahah......how smart i am!

i am sure i will be written into the history books and will be memorized by the people.

All: how smart Cailun is! what a good idea!

The tree steps onto the stage: Thanks , Cailun, i will try my best to provide the premium material for the realization of "the forest and paper integration", and "circulation economy". and help to establish a harmony society, I will contribute all my strength! Christmas is coming, so here i would like to bring a Christmas song for everybody." Edelweiss", hope you will enjoy it!