Karagiozis and Economic Development

Karagiozis and his friends live a simple but happy life. Karagiozis is a poor man who makes any available work to sustain his family. His best friend Chatziavatis often helps him find some temporary work and he is just giving him some news.

Chatziavatis: ‘My dear friend Karagiozis, I have good news for you! Some investors have come and are looking for the owner of the forest outside the town to buy it and build a large factory. They will bring, they say, economic development and jobs for all! Scientists have come from abroad. Engineers have also come ....’

Karagiozis: ‘They will get us into trouble. The forest belongs to my uncle, Barba-Giorgos. He will not sell it. He needs to graze his sheep and goats.’

Chatziavatis: ‘He will give it. We will tell him that he will become a national hero. They will end up building a statue in his honour!’

Karagiozis: ‘But kids go out and play in the forest. Schools use it for their excursions. We all pick flowers there on May Day ....’

Chatziavatis: ‘Come on, Karagiozis, we can do it elsewhere. The factory will bring development! And we will get a good commission if we can convince your uncle.’

Karagiozis: ‘Well, then, I'm going to find him and I will suggest to sell the forest. Please, go and talk to the investors.’

Karagiozis goes to find his uncle who is in the forest and grazes his sheep and goats. While approaching him, he shouts:

Karagiozis: ‘Where are you uncleeeee?’

Barba-Giorgos: ‘Karagiozis, is it you?’

Karagiozis: ‘My dear uncleeee!’

Barba-Giorgos: ‘What do you want Karagiozis?’

Karagiozis: ‘Come down, I want to talk to you!’

Barba-Giorgos: ‘Here I am! I have just come down from the hill to see what you want.’

Karagiozis: ‘My dear uncle, long live the economic development!’

Barba-Giorgos: ‘What development?’

Karagiozis: ‘My dear uncle! Investors have come and they want you to give them your property to build a factory.’

Barba-Giorgos: ‘And what kind of factory will that be?’

Karagiozis: ‘Oh, it will be … you will press a button, and it will take milk from the goats! You will press another button and it will make cheese! You will press another button and a cheese pie will appear!’

Barba-Giorgos: ‘Oh, come on, and will I get any payment?’

Karagiozis: ‘Yes, my uncle! And it will be good for the town. People will get jobs. My wife also will get a job. I will get a job ….’

Barba-Giorgos: ‘Oh, Karagiozis! I am really moved! Tell the investors to get the land. Goodbye Karagiozis!’

On the same day the investors start to cut trees and in few days they begin to build the factory.

But those who used to go to the forest to enjoy the nature are now upset and one by one they come to Karagiozis' house to protest.

The first to appear is Sior Dionysios or Nionios, as Karagiozis calls him:

Karagiozis: ‘Oh! Nionios! Welcome Nionios!’

Sior Dionysios: ‘Oh, oh, Karagiozis! Oh you and your ideas!’

Karagiozis: ‘What is the problem, Nionios? What have I done? What are you murmuring about?’

Sior Dionysios: ‘Oh, oh, didn’t you see what happened? Oh, the forest has gone! Cantata ended! I have no place now to play my guitar and sing.’

Karagiozis: ‘But why are you complaining, Nionios? We have economic development now!’

Sior Dionysios: ‘Oh Karagiozis. It was better before! Oh, I was going to the forest singing! What can I do now?’

Karagiozis: ‘Ah Nionios, I see you do not like economic development.’

Sior Dionysios: ‘I do not like it at all! Oh, I'm going to protest. Bye Karagiozis!’

Here is yet another protester coming! It is Morphonios! He is also very much dissatisfied ....

Morphonios: ‘My mum sent me to complain!’

Karagiozis: ‘Who did send you?’

Morphonios: ‘My mum. She told me, ‘Go and find Karagiozis, to complain. You will tell him that he is a madman.’’

Karagiozis: ‘Why? What did I do?’

Morphonios: ‘It is all your fault! You lied to us about the economic development. You and Chatziavatis did it all wrong! Αtishoo! Here you are! I am sneezing and coughing because of the dust and the smoke. Αtishoo!’

Barba-Giorgos is having problems too. He also comes to complain to his nephew:

Barba-Giorgos: ‘Come here Karagiozis. Oh, you fooled me! My sheep are ill. I work all day and I do not have a penny in my pocket!’

Karagiozis: ‘I am sorry, my uncle. How could I imagine what was going to happen? I'll see what I can do now to fix the situation. I'm going to find Chatziavatis.’

Barba-Giorgos: ‘I will go my way and you go to see what you can do.’

So, Karagiozis goes to find Chatziavatis to see what they can do to rectify the situation.

Karagiozis: ‘What we have done, Chatziavatis! We’ve messed up!’

Chatziavatis: ‘Indeed we’ve messed up! That was the real economic development....’

Karagiozis: ‘You are to blame, Chatziavatis! You fooled me.’

Chatziavatis: ‘I am not to be blamed, Karagiozis! Those investors told me foolish things. Now, all our friends complain. Everybody has lost his sleep. We have to think of something to save our town!’

Karagiozis: ‘I found it, my friend!’

Chatziavatis: ‘Tell me, Karagiozis. What have you thought of?’

Karagiozis: ‘We will stop the factory!’

Chatziavatis: ‘How could we do it? What do we say? We could not just go to the factory director and tell him to stop it.’

Karagiozis: ‘Oh no! We'll go with all our friends together. We will give to the investors their money back and keep part of the factory to use it as a cultural center. We will re-plant the forest on the other part of the land and make a playground as well.’

Chatziavatis: ‘Bravo Karagiozis! Good idea! Let's go and find our friends. Barba-Giorgos, Nionios, Morphonios, all together!’