the elves

play by Ruth Salles

This is a free version of Kopisch's15 verses, which speak of the ancient belief in the help provided by the leprechauns and, also, of some professions. With one group speaking and another acting, the verses were turned into a small play.

CHARACTERS:
Choir 1 / Choir 2 / Elves / The Lazy / Carpenter / Baker / Butcher and his apprentice / Butcher / Tailor and his wife.

Everyone can enter singing, then the choir takes its position, and the various characters come out of it, who return to it after playing their role with gestures and movements.

ALL (entering, sing):
“It used to be so good,
when there were elves!
Oh, if only they could return...
But they will never return!”

CHORUS 1 (while the scene goes on):
- It used to be so good,
when there were elves!
The sluggard stretched, (slowly)
comfortably rested, (slowly)
while the bunch of little men
(hurried up to “sandpaper”)
all night worked:
beats that beats, scrapes and cracks,
clean that cleans, files and sands;
and when the day dawned, (slowly)
the work was done.

CHORUS 2 (while the scene goes on):
– The carpenter dozed off, (slowly)
in the sawdust he was already lying down. (slowly)
– Come, come! What a hassle!
(hurried up to “slats”)
Let's saw this wood!
Put in stakes! Oh, what a chore!
Take chisel, adze and plane!
Let's lay the beams now
and on the rafters fasten slats!
And, as soon as the night ended, (slowly)
the new house was ready.

CHORUS 1:
– Already the baker, in the ember, (slowly)
I didn't even remember work. (slowly)
And there came the elves arriving, (rhythmized until “assa”)
heavy bags carrying.
And they moaned, bent over: “Oh,
how much flour that goes here!
Let's love this dough soon!
Leave it in the oven while it bakes!”
And while the baker snores, (slowly, hearing the baker's snoring)
a batch is ready.

CHORUS 2:
– And in the butcher shop, what happened? (slowly)
Apprentice and master slept. (slowly)
Meanwhile, the little men (hurrying up to "tidying up")
they work all the time
much faster than the wind
when moving the mill blades.
Their axes swing in the air,
chopping the pig into pieces.
On skewers everything hangs,
and wash, macerate, mix.
And they are already bagged in sausages,
all the clutter tidying up,
while the master stretches (slowly)
and the apprentice goes on yawning.

CHORUS 1:
– The cellar in the tavern, (slowly and rocking, even “slept”)
I tried so much what I drank,
that in the barrel of your cellar
lay back and slept.
Tiptoe, the little men (a little less slowly, with rhythm)
try to prepare the wine.
They are mixing and stirring
and in the barrels they pour;
and, by raised pulleys,
barrels are being stacked.
“What a beautiful wine! What a good smell!” –
says, waking up, the cellar.

CHORUS 2:
– A tailor, once,
should a suit prepare
to the most illustrious customer,
who was the mayor of the place.
He was so wrong that he gave up,
left everything and slept. (very slowly, then rushing until “decked”)
And here come the elves coming,
the farm is already cutting,
basting and sewing,
and they do a good job of embroidering
of this decked out uniform.
The tailor, still dizzy,
when you wake up you see everything ready.
CHORUS 1 AND 2:
- But the woman, out of curiosity,
scatters peas on the ground
and through the silent night,
hear someone step on the grain.
There goes the sprite stumbling, (hurrying up to "scream")
down stairs slipping,
and ends your tumble
inside the soap tub.
What noise! What a scream!
The woman runs and the light turns on,
but not good for the spy room,
elves disappear.

ALL:
– Oh, what a pity that the little men
never reappeared!
each work alone
when scraping the wood,
when sewing the cloth,
till the land every year,
ironing, cooking,
drive nails, wash the floor.
Oh, if only they could return...
But they will never return!
(If they want to, they can end up singing it again like they did at the beginning.)

End