The Acorn-Planter / A California Forest Play (1916)

A forest tribe repeatedly stages ritual contests between archetypes—the philosopher Red Cloud, the militant War Chief, the prophetic Shaman, and the Dew-Woman—over whether life should be multiplied by cultivation or secured by war. Red Cloud maintains that planting and kindness produce abundance, while the War Chief insists violence preserves the people; the Shaman's prophecies sway allegiances. Across generations the community encounters outsiders who bring different tools and crops, cycles of massacre and recognition unfold, and ultimately Red Cloud recognizes the newcomers as fellow makers of life, followed by an epilogue that celebrates the defeat of war in favor of the acorn-planter way.