Let's Have A Puppet Show

Auckland Star, Volume LXXI, Issue 159, 6 July 1940, Page 4 (Supplement)

Let's Have A Puppet Show

(Concluded.) 117 F. riii™ down the curtain on " our series of articles about those lovablo little clowns, marionettes, with a simple puppet play. It is an adaptation of a folk-talc, called "The Lad and the Ogre." CAST : Martin : A little hoy. His Mother: A poor widow. The OUT.'. Lilian: A little girl. Act I. The ciirt.'iin rises on n peasant kitchen. There is a bench or table, a stove with a red-pnper-nnU-elertric-light-bulb fire. Mother la bustling about baking. She wears nn apron unci a kerchief over her head. Martin has a funic aml liaggv trousers. Mother Is singing ■ Four and Twenty Blackbirds" rhyme. Martin: -Mamma, did you ever bake a blackbird pie? Mother: Well, my little boy, not exactly a blackbird pie, but before wc became poor I often cooke<l a blackberry one. Martin: 1 think (hat I should like that even better. What about making one to-da v ? Mother: Oh, my, I couldn't lie so extravagant! But oh, the times we used to have! Dancing and feasting up at the palace, and fine gentlemen bowing so (bows) and lovely Indies curtseying so (curtseys). That was before Prince Florizel died. Martin: Why can't we have feasts like that now? Mothers Why, because the Ogre carries off our cattle, and sometimes little children, and so everyone in poor. Martin: Yes, I s'poae so. Still, blackberry pies do sound lovely. Mother: My darling, you don't need pies. You are as round and fat a butter ball. Martin: Some day someone will capture the Ogre. Then shall we have pies? Mother: To be sure! Martin: Then I'm going to try to capture him. Mother! H««sh! There's Rover barking. (Goes to the window.) It's a man with a big black beard and shaggy hair, and with a gTeat black sack on his back. Heaven help ue, I believe it's the Ogre!

Martin: And he's comin<* in here! ° Mother: Oh, hide, Martin, hide! Get behind that chest and don't make even the tiniest sound! (Martin hides. Mother returns to her cooking and tries to look unconcerned. Enter Ogre.) Ogre (gruffly): Good dav to you. Mother: G-good d-day, sir. Ogre: Where's the fat little boy Martin? Isn't he at home to-day? Mother: He's probably out playing in the woods. N-nice weather we're having, isn't it? Ogre: Is it? (Wanders round room, going near chest.) Mother (anxiously): Wouldn't you like to sit down? Do have some of my new loaf! Ogre: No, I want to see Martin. (A slight noise from the chest.) What's that noise? , Mother; Oh, a mouse! If we don t get ricl of these mice soon. Ogre: Have you anything in the garden you could give me for supper ? Mother: Mercy me, yes! Would you like a nice fat cabbage? Do come out and choose one! Ogre: No, I'll wait here. (Mother departs, muttering anxiously to herself.) Ogre: Now, isn't it too bad that Martin isn't here, when I had such a nice knife to give him ? Martin (unable to resist temptation): Here I am! Ogre: Well, my eyes and whiskers ! Martin: Where is it? Ogre: Not so fast, not so fast! It's in the bag. I'm old and stiff and so you must crawl in and fetch it for yourself. (Martin feels about in sack.) Ogre: That's the way. It's right down at the Very bottom. Martin: I'm almost there. Ogre: Whoops, then! Over you go! (Pushes Martin in. There are muffled cries Of, "Let me Oiit! Let me out!" a& he drag* it off stage, just as mother enters with a ca'bbnge.)

Mother: Oh, help, help! The Ogre has taken him. Oh, Martin! (Curtain.) Act 11. t.£ caT,ern with a flickering fire. j' «. a rn Sged little girl enslaved by the Ogre, Is working with broom an<l duster. Lilian: I must hurry and get this room tidy before the Ogre comes home. Then I shall have to get the dinner. I wonder what he is bringing home to-night ? Lately he ha& been bringing such queer Wrings. Here he comes now. Horrors! He is bringing a little lx>y! I can't cook'him. I'll have to hide. (Exit Lilian. Enter 00-re with Martin.) Ogre: You're a heavy load, you are, but you'll make a fine juicv stew! Cabbages, indeed! I'll tie vou up so you won't get loose while I go and call my guests. Where is that girl; Lilian! Lilian! (Exits.) (Lilian appears and looks anxiously about.) Lilian: Are you the dinner? Martin: Supposed to be! But you won't cook me, will you ? Lilian: I have to do what the Ogre tells me. I don't Bee what I am going to do. Martin: Why ever don't you run away? Lilian: I have tried to, but he always catches me and beats me. Martin: Then we shall both have to go. ■ Untie, me. please, will you ? Lilian: Oh, I am afraid to. He would kill lis both. Martin: I see I shall have to capture him after all. Lilian: Oh, do you think we could ? Martin: Well, let me think. Oh, I know! Listen now, do you think that this would work ? (Whisperß in her ear as the curtain falls.) Act 111. The same scene. Two heftTjr cauldrons are on the fire, one with a long rope from Its lid to an unseen rafter above. Lilian: Oh, are you sure that it will work!

Martin: Sure as sure can be. Here is one end of the rope tied to the lid of the kettle. The rope goes over the rafter, and th© other end is tied to a big stone. The stone 16 balancing now, but as soon as the Ogre lifts the lid to stir the soup it will fall down, knock him unconscious, and we shall capture him and tie liim up! Lilian: And we can call the prince's soldiers tn deal with him. We shall take all the gold and go home: Martin: Gold? Lilian: Yes, he has great stacks of it down in his counting room. Martin: Then there won't be any more poverty. (Sniffs.) What have you in the kettle, Lilian? Lilian: An old hoot. I had to put something in! Listen, I think that that is the Ogre now! Run and hide. (Martin hides and Ogre enters.) Ogre: Well, Lilian, is everything ready? You had better stir up the soup. Lilian: I have stirred and stirred it, sir, and it is almost done. But I didn't know how much seasoning it needed. Could you please taste it and tell me how much it wants? 0«re: Of all things! Well, all right. Get me a spoon. Lilian: It's there by the kettle, sir. Ogre (tasting soup): This is very queer tasting soup! Lilian (anxiously): Maybe it needs more pepper. How is the other kettle? (Ogre lifts the lid. the stone falls, and he crumples to his feet.) Martin (running in): We're free! Let's tie him up. (They do so). They commence to dance about the stage, and as thgy do so Mother enters. Mother: Martin! Safe! Martin: And we've caught the Ogre. Mother: And we have a new prince! Liliaii: And we have lots of gold! Martin: Now can we have a blackberry pie ? (Curtain.)