Children adore simple stories told with figures, play silks and gentle voices. Cedarwood Waldorf School has graciously shared this script for a sweet, May Day story written by teacher Dylan Wilde.
For the puppets, you could make your own with paper mache, or use an assortment of our wooden figures. Playsilks and hand drawn scenes make beautiful scenery!
You can find a printable, color-coded version of the play HERE.
MAY DAY PUPPET PLAY
The NARRATOR’s lines are in blue, LADY SPRING’s lines are in green, and SPARROW’s lines are in red (printable version). Stage directions are in italics (do not read aloud).
Note on the scenery: Choose a flat area (like a tabletop) to serve as the puppet stage. Drape a green cloth (ideally silk or cotton) on the table for the meadow, and add some trees and small animals (trees can be small branches from a tree; use children’s toys for the animals. Animals of the meadow and/or farm are best: deer, fox, squirrel, duck, horse, mouse, etc). If possible, hang a blue cloth behind the puppet stage to represent the sky, as the puppets will be more clearly visible against a backdrop. Have your child draw a rainbow on printer paper, cut it out, and tape it to the backdrop about two feet up. Drape a white silk over the scene as the snow, which will be removed once Lady Spring arrives. Lady Spring, Sparrow, and the maypole* should be hidden from view at the beginning of the play. Tape a plain brown or grey piece of paper or cloth around Sparrow’s body to hide his rainbow colors. Make sure it can be easily removed when indicated to do so.
*For the maypole, select a straight stick (perhaps 8-12” tall) and tie colorful ribbons and/or yarn to one end, to resemble a maypole. A small lump of play dough or clay can be used as a stand for the maypole.
NARRATOR: A long time ago, in a land far away, there was a little village where many happy children lived with their families. And beside the village was a big green meadow. Every year, winter was long and dark and cold. The snow lay over the land like a glittering white blanket. In the nearby village, the children stayed in their homes, keeping warm by the fire. The animals hid in their burrows to protect them from the bitter cold, and they waited. They waited, day in and day out, for Lady Spring. And finally, when the time was just right, Lady Spring appeared.
Enter LADY SPRING
As she walked, the snow melted away...
As LADY SPRING walks across the puppet stage, slowly pull away the white silk to reveal the scenery underneath
...and all the animals began to dance and sing.
Enter SPARROW, with brown or grey paper or cloth covering his rainbow feathers. Move the animals to look like they’re dancing while singing:
Look who’s here, it’s Lady Spring!
Lady Spring! Lady Spring!
Look who’s here, it’s Lady Spring!
Lady Spring is here!
Lady Spring loved to see all of her animal friends so happy. She smiled and bowed to them all.
Bow LADY SPRING around to the animals
And then she spoke:
LADY SPRING: My dear friends, I have a special surprise for you. Tomorrow, on May Day, when the children of the village all come to the meadow to dance around the maypole, I will pick the most colorful creature in the forest to be my companion, and together we will dance for the children.
Exit LADY SPRING.
The animals all murmured excitedly. All of the creatures loved Lady Spring, and they all wished to be the one to dance with her on May Day. But none of the animals loved her more than Sparrow.
While speaking the next line, move SPARROW up and down like he’s hopping, then have him stop:
He hopped up and down in excitement, up and down, until he looked down at himself. His feathers were quite plain and dull. He had a little color here and there, but he was nowhere near as colorful as Butterfly or Hummingbird or even Pheasant. Sparrow sighed.
SPARROW: If only there were some way I could have all of the colors of the rainbow!
Sparrow was a clever bird, and he began to think. He looked around and saw some colorful flowers growing in the meadow. He flew over for a closer look.
Fly SPARROW over to the flowers
Sparrow tried to rub all over the flowers, hoping their colors would rub off on him [Rub SPARROW against the flowers] …but nothing happened. His feathers were still plain. Sparrow looked up and saw a rainbow in the sky.
SPARROW: Maybe I can fly into the rainbow, and its colors will stick on me!
Sparrow flew as high as he could [Fly SPARROW up near but not quite up to the rainbow] But it was too far. He flew until he was too tired to fly any more, but he could not reach the rainbow. And he came back down.
Fly SPARROW back down to the ground.
Sparrow looked down. His feathers were still plain. He was tired, and off he went to bed.
Exit SPARROW.
Beat. Set up maypole.
Enter SPARROW.
The next morning, Sparrow woke up and flew to the meadow. The maypole was there, its rainbow ribbons fluttering gently in the breeze. All of the animals gathered around to watch the children dance, but Lady Spring had not yet arrived. The children began to dance around the maypole, and Sparrow watched the colorful ribbons weaving this way and that. Suddenly, he had an idea.
SPARROW: If I can’t dance with Lady Spring, I will dance with the children instead!
Fly SPARROW over to the maypole.
Sparrow flew up into the air and soared over to the maypole. He began to weave in and out of the colorful ribbons, up and down, around and around. The children watched him and giggled in delight.
Enter LADY SPRING.
While Sparrow flew around the maypole, Lady Spring arrived. She watched him flit and flutter between the rainbow ribbons and saw how the children laughed and skipped so happily at the sight of him. Sparrow was having so much fun dancing around the maypole with the children that he forgot all about Lady Spring and the color contest. When the dance ended, he saw Lady Spring and flew over to her.
SPARROW: Who is the winner?
Lady Spring smiled and told him:
LADY SPRING: You are, Sparrow!
Sparrow couldn’t believe it!
SPARROW: But why me? My feathers are so plain. There are many animals more colorful than I.
LADY SPRING: Ah, but when you danced around the maypole with the children, you brought so much joy and magic into their hearts, and I saw your true colors. Though your feathers are plain, your soul is as bright as a rainbow.
Lady Spring bent down and gave Sparrow a kiss on the forehead...
As LADY SPRING kisses SPARROW, pull away and hide the paper or cloth covering SPARROW’s rainbow feathers
...and when she did, all of the animals gasped. Sparrow looked down, and his feathers weren’t plain anymore; now they were beautiful and shiny, in every color of the rainbow!
Fly SPARROW around in circles and loop-de-loops above the stage
Sparrow zipped into the air and flew all around, showing off his bright new plumage as he flew around and around above the meadow. He only came down when he heard Lady Spring calling his name.
Lady Spring: Sparrow! Sparrow!
Fly SPARROW back down facing LADY SPRING.
LADY SPRING: Would you like to dance with me?
Sparrow had never been so happy! He looked around at all of his friends, but they didn’t look very happy at all. They all seemed disappointed. Sparrow realized they all looked the way he felt when he thought he would never dance with Lady Spring. Just then, Sparrow had another idea.
SPARROW: Yes, Lady Spring, I would be honored to dance with you. But only if everyone gets a turn!
Lady Spring smiled.
LADY SPRING: Very well. I’ll dance with you first, Sparrow, and then I will dance with all of the creatures of the meadow. We shall all dance together!
Form the animals into a circle, with LADY SPRING and SPARROW in the center. Move them so they look like they're dancing.
The animals cheered, and they all formed a circle in the meadow and began to dance and sing:
Look who’s here, it’s Lady Spring!
Lady Spring! Lady Spring!
Look who’s here, it’s Lady Spring!
Lady Spring is here!
Who’ll come into our wee ring?
Our wee ring, our wee ring?
Who’ll come into our wee ring And dance with Lady Spring?
Sparrow will come into our wee ring!
Our wee ring! Our wee ring!
Sparrow will come into our wee ring
To dance with Lady Spring!
Move a different animal into the circle with LADY SPRING and fly SPARROW in the air above them
Lady Spring and the creatures of the meadow danced all day long, and the children joined them. Sparrow flew high above everyone’s heads, streaking across the sky like a radiant, beautiful rainbow. It had truly been the most wonderful May Day ever.