PEOPLE OF ATHENS: at last our city is complete
CECROPS: my people
now we must decide which of the gods we will offer our worship to
who among the deities of Olympus will we select to watch over us
shall it be Poseidon? Lord of the sea, creator of the horse, to protect our warships and supply us with battle stallions?
or shall it be Athena, goddess of wisdom and justice?
PRIESTS OF POSEIDON: LET IT BE POSEIDON
PRIESTS OF ATHENA: ATHENA, ATHENA, ATHENA
ATHENA: People of Greece
we are here
POSEIDON: we have heard your questions and are come from Olympus itself to help you decide
ATHENA: We shall each offer the city a gift
and whosoever’s gift you accept, shall become patron and protector of your city
CECROPS: You are both wise and generous, my lords
POSEIDON: I shall go first
Here, I strike the ground with my mighty trident
See the water gush forth
PEOPLE OF ATHENS: A spring!
POSEIDON: I give you SALTY WATER
PEOPLE OF ATHENS: Oh it’s
it’s salty
POSEIDON: well yes
I am Lord of the Sea
PEOPLE OF ATHENS: what are we supposed to do with this
it’s salty water
POSEIDON: I – well
yes
is that a problem
CECROPS: well
we appreciate the gesture
it’s just
we can’t really do much with a salt spring, can we
POSEIDON: it’s
well, I did make it out of nothing
CECROPS: no, I know
it’s just we can’t drink it
POSEIDON: oh, can’t you?
CECROPS: no we drink regular water
so although I don’t want to seem ungrateful
we actually probably could do more with the nothing that was here a minute ago
then a big mess of salty water here in the middle of town
POSEIDON: I just thought
you know, salt water is my favorite thing
and I thought I would share it with –
PEOPLE OF ATHENS: LET US SEE THE GIFT OF ATHENA
ATHENA: My gift is over there
the olive tree
PEOPLE OF ATHENS: ooh
CECROPS: ooh
POSEIDON: well what can you do with it
ATHENA: it grows olives, which you can eat
you can press the olives into oil, which you can use for cooking and storing and to make soap and to light lamps and also –
POSEIDON: well I bet you can’t fill the OCEAN with it
PEOPLE OF ATHENS: HAIL ATHENA
HAIL THE GODDESS OF ATHENS
POSEIDON: I thought it was a good idea
a good salty idea
I’m just going to drown everyone
