The Hat and the Prophet

The Hat and the Prophet is a play written by Palestinian fiction writer and journalist, Ghassan Kanafani.

He claims that its the idea of fearing Strangers planted by the community, that caused the excessive reaction (considering that "The Thing" was peculiar to him when it first landed in his place).

As a comeback, Numbers 1 and 2 would consider enviness, hatred, and the past, filled with his relationship problems with the "Lady", and endless phobias, as factors leading to crime.

"The Lady" trying to lure her love into taking a new direction of better marriage and life, asks him to sell "The Thing" which she and her mother tended to encounter due to his "effortless attempt of being funny" while all on stage, as laboratories were eager to uncover "this big secret" of "The Thing", and the millions of dollars was going to fix his relationship with "The Lady's" mother.

While "The Guilty" points out to the fact that "The Thing" had zero feelings towards its lost "Hat" friend, and that it is probably causing the same drama of being a different creature somewhere else, making it of high importance, probably prophet.

Numbers 1 and 2 then show up, accusing him again of stealing and cheating, especially after hearing his plans with the thing in merging their two worlds together.

The Guilty said he only wanted to find prophets, and at the same time make sure the lady wears the perfect safe hat.

Explaining to them differences and importance within the two objects of hats and prophets, Numbers 1 and 2 don't get a thing, making "The Guilty" feel angry because they do not realise the difference between the expensive and cheap, leading to a realisation that people don't wanna leave their comfort zone which is why they discuss hats instead of prophets.

[1] He was reading plenty of mail, replying excessively through the telegraph, while "The Thing" shouts out what's inside from requests of buying him that came from everywhere; universities, factories, organisations.

Due to confusion and lack of evidence, Numbers 1 and 2 declare him innocent, but "The Guilty" calls them cruel, and they insisted that they tried their best in arresting him.

The play ends with a voice scolding "The Guilty" for letting "The Thing" die, but it starts moving again, making them reunite and go off together.