One More Step Along the Way
Leicester PM Children and Young People’s production December 2005, constructed from ideas that came out of a Meeting for All Age Worship on the theme of ‘Make Poverty History’. The ideas were then developed and scripts devised by the children and young people
This begins with singing: ‘One more step along the world I go … ‘
The miller’s son and Puss are talking about how the others were left sums of money and wealth when the miller died, but the youngest son was left this cat.
‘Come on Puss, we’re off to seek our fortune’ said the miller’s son. ‘I need my boots’ said Puss
So Puss in Boots and the miller’s son are walking round Leicester surrounded by rich people.
They come across a young girl sleeping on the streets in her stripy clothes, with her dog and a baby. ‘Who are you?’ they ask. The voice of Poverty says: This is a young girl who has run away from home because she had a bad time with her parents, and now she lives on the streets. We hear some English pop music. ‘Would you like to join us?’ asks Puss, and she does.
They travel down the road singing ‘One more step along the world I go … ‘
Further down the road there’s another street-sleeper. ‘Who are you?’ asks the miller’s son
‘I was a farmer in Kurdistan-Iraq, but it became unsafe in my country. I came here to seek asylum, looking for safety. They said my situation wasn’t really that bad and I should go back. Now I have to live on the streets. I have no food for my stomach, no roof over my head or the chance to work to stay alive. I’m sleeping on the streets because I don’t believe it’s safe to go back. Would you like to come and see my country?’
They travel together with their Kurdish friend, following a magnificent fish, with the aid of a magic carpet across the sea to Kurdistan-Iraq to see what’s happening there, singing ‘One more step …’
‘This is my country there’s a problem with war here. This was my house but it’s been ruined. The country is short of electricity, and water supplies have been disrupted. There’s not enough work for people; there are security people all over the place because suicide bombers are blowing people up.’ We hear some Kurdish dance music.
The miller’s son looks round at a young man watching them. ‘Who are you?’ he asks.
‘I’m an American soldier and I came to Iraq to bring justice, peace and freedom as well as getting rid of a tyrant, but it was all an excuse to enlarge America’s status and finish the father’s work. They lied to us about this war. I’m sick of it.’
‘Can we help you’ asks the miller’s son
‘Sure, if I could ride with you and your magic rug they wouldn’t be able to stop me, then I’d be free of any guilt from destroying freedom here’, says the soldier
They all take the magic carpet and follow the fish across the sea to the USA singing ‘One more step along ….’
In America: ‘Who are you?’ asks the miller’s son.
‘I’m a goat’, says the goat as a helicopter flies overhead jettisoning it’s load of aid supplies. We hear some American dance music.
A young man explains: ‘In New Orleans there are still people trying to get their lives back after the flooding. It’s been really desperate here especially for the people who didn’t get out before the floods came. People have lost everything, but we know there are children worse off than us, in Zimbabwe. We want to give them this goat’
‘Would you like to come with us?’ asks Puss.
They all travel across the sea to Zimbabwe, led by the fish, holding the magic carpet singing ‘One more step…’
‘Who are you?’ asks the Miller’s son
‘I am an orphan and I live in Harare. This was my house until the government came and knocked it down. Now I have to live on the street’. We hear Zimbabwean dance music.
There’s a man standing nearby. This is Markim, an African man who works with street children, and who has been trying to find a way to make their lives better. He’s been studying in Leicester and attending Leicester Meeting.
‘Shall we go back to Leicester?’ asks the miler’s son.
They all go together following the fish, across the sea, holding onto the magic carpet, singing ‘One more step …’
Puss, and the miller’s son have travelled the world. They have made friends along the way and had many adventures. Now they are home again, in Leicester and they begin to dissemble the familiar buildings of the Clock Tower, the Guildhall and Friends Meeting House.
On the backs of the blocks that make up the buidings are some words - we need some help to put them in the right order.
They say: ‘Together We Can Make Poverty History’
and we’re saying the work continues here, with you, today.
Together we can make a difference.
