Jorinda and Jorindel

Dramatization of a tale by the Brothers Grimm.

by Ruth Salles

It tells of Jorindel's care and courage to save his dear Jorinda from the witch's spell. Music in pentatonic scale.

CHARACTERS:
Choirs / Jorinda and Jorindel / Witch / Cat / Owl / Sheep / Loose birds / Castle gate.

The choir sings as the witch walks past with her pointed hat and a cage in her hand.

CHORUS (sings):
“Deep in the forest,
in the Castle of Darkness,
there lives such a baleful witch
who has no heart.
If someone passes by
and reach your gate,
she turns into a bird
and locks him in the basement!
Seven thousand cages have!
Don't feel sorry for anyone!"
(The choir speaks as Jorinda and Jorindel walk past holding hands.)

CHORUS (speaking):
– Jorinda and Jorindel,
under the clear sky,
through the woods they walk,
of the castle approaching
without thinking about the cruel witch.
Watch out, Jorinda and Jorindel!
Look at the witch with her hat!
(The witch's hat appears by the tree, but then it disappears and the cat appears,
which also soon disappears and the owl appears. The two are the witch in disguise.)

CAT:
– Miaaauuu…

DAY:
– Look, Jorindel, the cat meowing in the tree.
Did you see?

JORINDEL:
- Yes, I've seen that. But he got scared and disappeared.

OWL:
– Uhu… uhuuu…

JORINDEL:
– Look, Jorinda, now it is an owl that is
peeping there.

OWL:
– Uhu… uhuuu…

DAY:
- How sad. It's so dark...
I can't even see the blue of the sky.
Shall we go back, Jorindel?

JORINDEL:
“You don't see the sky, and I don't see the way.
The afternoon serenity covered everything.
And now?

JORINDA (already wearing a feather coat):
- Tweety, pee, my little collar,
sing in this sad hour.
I turned into a turtledove, peep, peep.
I'm about to be taken away. (The witch takes Jorinda)

JORINDEL (paralyzed):
- Oh, I can't even move!
Jorinda, Jorinda, don't go!
What will become of me without you?

OWL:
– Uh-hu… You can let go now,
but your Jorinda you will never see again!

JORINDEL (walks out, exclaiming):
– What will become of me without Jorinda,
my Jorinda so good and so beautiful?
(The choir speaks, while Jorindel appears
tending the sheep and then leaning back
and falling asleep. Then wake up and start
look for the flower.)

CHORUS (speaking):
– Jorindel became a shepherd,
went to tend his flock;
and crying so much for love
fell asleep and had a dream:
dreamed you found a flower
blood color, very red;
in the middle a pearl shone,
and with the flower, he disenchanted
everyone the witch has bewitched.
Look! Now he woke up!

JORINDEL (waking up):
– I never had such a beautiful dream, (looks around)
and the whole field is already blooming…
The flower of my dream I will look for
and I shall find it!

CHORUS (speaks as Jorindel looks for the flower):
– Through hills and valleys, from god to god,
looking in the fields, there goes Jorindel.

JORINDEL (finds the flower, picks it up and exclaims happily):
– For nine days I searched,
and the red flower now found.
And the pearl, where is it?
Oh! It's a glistening dewdrop,
that I can't let go!
(Jorindel walks carefully, leans the flower against the castle gate, and it opens.)

CAT:
– Miaaauuu…

OWL:
– Uhu…uhu…

CHOIR:
- Careful, Jorindel!
The cat meowed, the owl hooted, and look at the witch with her hat!
(Jorindel is not afraid. He walks towards the witch
and hear birds chirping louder and louder.
The witch, whose only hat could be seen, appears,
advances towards Jorindel, but is paralyzed when
he hands you the flower. The birds' jokes
turn into voices, that sing or speak,
while Jorinda meets with Jorindel and
holds hands with him.)

CHORUS AND BIRDS (sing):
“We were rescued from the castle,
and we already see the blue of the sky,
all because of this flower
who found it was Jorindel.
And now so Jorinda,
hand in hand with your love,
go home already smiling,
to take the beautiful flower.
The castle collapsed,
and the witch is gone.”