Bardic Guild 1st Circle Dramatist Composition

Note: this playlet was written to be performed with the aid of young children at our grove’s ritual, so some of the parts are written very simply to allow them to participate.

Characters: 

·      Narrator

·      Telipinu

·      Shining One

·      Shining Two

·      Hannahannah

·      Citizen One

·      Citizen Two

Narrator: Telipinu was the son of the mighty storm god.  He helped the plants to grow, and with his help, fertility was abundant.  One day, Telipinu was angry. He put his left shoe on his right foot, and right shoe on his left, and with this all happiness seemed to leave the world.  Plants wouldn’t grow, fire wouldn’t burn, and mist filled the world. In that moment, Telipinu went away!

Telipinu:  I’m so angry! I’m going to hide in the valley where no one can find me.

Narrator: Telipinu left the city and took with him all the grain and growth the people depended on. He went to a moor and hid from the world.  While he was there, the world began to fade.  Even the Thousand Gods began to feel his wrath, finding themselves hungry and thirsty. 

Shining One:  I’m so hungry!  No matter what I eat, I can never get full.

Shining Two:  I’m thirsty!  Where is Telipinu?

Narrator: The gods began to worry and searched for Telipinu from the high mountains to the deep valleys but no one found him.  Days went by, and still no one knew where Telipinu had gone. Finally, Hannahannah decided to get involved.

Hannahannah:  I will send a bee to find Telipinu.  He is wise and knows the hills and valleys better than anyone else. 

Shining One: The bee is much too small and weak to find Telipinu!

Shining Two: Its wings are too small to fly so far!

Hannahannah: I have faith in my tiny friend. The bee will find Telipinu.

Narrator:  The bee flew off and searched the lands high and low until finally it came upon Telipinu, sleeping in the moor.  The bee tried to wake Telipinu gently, buzzing around his ears and resting on his face, but Telipinu didn’t stir.  Eventually, the bee decided he could wait no longer and began to sting Telipinu’s hands and feet wake him. Telipinu finally began to wake.  However, he was still mad.  He knew he had to return to the city, but he was still quite displeased, so when he arrived the people of the city began to make offerings.

Citizen 1: Mighty Telipinu! We offer you honey, a gift from the bees.  May it sweeten your temperament and remind you of the beautiful growing flowers.

Make offering of honey

Citizen 2: Glorious Telipinu!  We offer you grapes and the goodness that lives inside.  Each grape bears the gift of wine behind its skin.  May the grapes bring goodness to your heart.

Make offering of grapes

Citizen 1 and 2: Telipinu, anger is a burning fire, and just as this fire….

Put out candle burning on the altar

…let your anger be extinguished. 

Narrator:  This prayer finally got his attention.  Telipinu looked at the land around him, and saw the consequences of his actions.   He began to calm and as he did the mist left the winds, smoke left the homes, and altars were again in harmony with the gods.