ACT I
In a certain small town there
lived two couples: Dr. Good Luck and his wife, Rachel, and
Berka, a shoemaker, with his wife, Blessing. Rachel is an
ill-tempered woman, who beats and insults her husband, her
servants and the people about her. the shoemaker's wife is
just the reverse -- she is a fine, delicate, quiet woman;
but her husband the shoemaker, is the ill-tempered one who
beats his wife.
Then faith appears in the form
of a woman, and she warns both couples, calling their
attention to the outcome of leading such a life, where the
man abuses the wife and vice-versa, where the wife abuses
the husband. She tries to convince them that the greatest
happiness in life can be acquired only in a peaceful and
harmonious way. She puts both women, Rachel and Blessing,
into a trance, and asks them to imagine themselves the
following:
Rachel -- the wife of the
doctor to be the wife of the shoemaker, and Blessing, the
wife of the shoemaker, to be the wife of the doctor with
this understanding; that in the presence of all, Blessing
should appear to be the wife of the doctor, and Rachel the
wife of the shoemaker. But the two heroines should not
forget for a moment their real identity They go into their
trance and while in that condition we see Blessing go into
the doctor's house, and Rahel into the shoemaker's.
ACT II
When Blessing awakens in the
doctor's house, her maid is in a whirl. Realizing and
knowing that she is the shoemaker's wife, yet the rich
surroundings cause her to doubt. After a debate with herself
she comes to the conclusion that she is the doctor's wife,
and that her former life with the shoemaker was only a
dream. The actions of the servants, relatives, and the
doctor strengthen her belief and yet, to a certain extent
she is in doubt, and as a result of this doubt many funny
situations occur. The same funny situations appear when
Rachel awakens in the shoemaker's home. Whereas the
shoemaker was in the habit of beating his wife, Rachel beats
him now.
EPILOGUE
Toward the finish both women
awaken from their trance and realize their mistake. The
personified Faith appears again and reminds them of the
quarrelsome lives they have been leading, and how happy
their lives will ber if peace will prevail in their homes. |