My kids go to a Waldorf school, and have been since they were little. Upon graduating Kindergarten, the child and parent perform a puppet play. The parent reads the story and the child acts out the puppet play. I wrote both kids a personal story, and had puppets made, or found props from around our house, and we performed the following.

Rabbit Ears was a story I wrote after listening to Siena name off name and animal. One zebra, two giraffe, three I can’t remember, geez that’s pathetic…anyway here it is:

rabbit ears

One night, when the zebra herd settled to sleep, the littlest one wished on the first star to wake up different from her brothers, sisters, and cousins. She closed her eyes, and in no time she heard the sound of hissing. The littlest zebra opened her eyes, blinked a few times to clear her sight, and there in front of her was a snake.
“Who are you?” She asked.
“I am King Cobra.”
“Where are your brothers, sisters, and cousins?”
“I’m alone.”
“Look how different you are from me.” As they were talking the littlest zebra hadn’t noticed she was following him as he slithered along.
“How do you do that?”
“Do what?”
“Move along without feet.”
“I just move.”
“That would make me different.”
“What do you mean?”
“If I moved like you I would be different than my brothers, sisters, and cousins.”
“Oh, I don’t think you will be able to move like me.”
“I can try.”
“Yes, you can.”
The littlest zebra dropped down to her knees, and tried to get her belly to the ground. As she struggled the snake kept going.
“Good luck.”
She got her back legs behind and her front legs in front, and her belly on the dirt. She had done it. Now, she only had to slither like the snake. The littlest zebra didn’t get very far before she scrapped her belly on a rock.
Up she stood to head back to the herd when she realized she was lost. She followed the path of the snake.
She came upon two giraffes eating their early morning snack. The littlest zebra had a thought. Her and her brothers, sisters, and cousins always had their early morning snack from the ground, but if she could eat her meal from the tops of the trees she would be different than them.
“Little one, what are you doing away from your family?”
“I followed King Cobra. I would like to eat my meals from up there.”
“I don’t think you will be able to.”
“I can try,
“Yes, you can.”
“It is always good to try new things.” Then the giraffes went back to eating.
She stretched her neck as far as she could, but still she was nowhere closer to the green leaves. She tried to make herself taller by standing on her back legs and reaching. She was still not tall enough. Standing on her tippy hooves she lost balance, toppled over and scrapped her forelegs. The littlest zebra was so busy trying to eat she didn’t noticed the giraffes were gone. They left a path, so she followed it.
She came upon three elephants standing by a river. The elephants were having a drink. The littlest zebra had another thought.
“Excuse me kind elephants. How do you get the water into your trunks?”
“We just do little one.”
“Why are you so far away from your family?”
“I followed a path that the giraffes made.”
“Why do you want to know about the water?”
“If I can drink it from my nose I will be different from my brothers, sisters, and cousins.”
“You do not have a trunk.”
“I don’t think your nose will work.”
“I can try.”
“Yes, you can.”
The littlest zebra walked into the river and bent her head down so that her nose was just above and nothing happened. She tried again, but this time she stuck her nose under the water. Again, nothing happened. She sighed and the breath going out made the water move. She was to breathe in. Which she did. Her head came out of the water, and water came shooting out of her nose. She got out of the river and wiped her face on the cool grass.
It was still early in the day, and the littlest zebra, although not yet successful at becoming different than her brothers, sisters, and cousins, was very content.
The elephants were gone, but they had left a path, so the littlest zebra followed, and not much time later she came upon four deer. Which at first didn’t seem that much different than her zebra family.
“Little one, why are you so far away from your family?”
“I followed the path of the elephants.”
The littlest zebra remembered she was hungry and bent her neck down amongst the deer. In this bunch she was different, but when she was to go back home she would be the same as everyone else; black and white.
“Do you know of a muddy place?” The littlest zebra asked.
“Why would you want that?”
“So I can role in it, and became brown like you. Then I will be different than my brothers, sisters, and cousins.”
“We will show you a muddy place, but we do not think you will like being brown for very long.”
“I can try.”
“Yes, you can.” The deer led the littlest zebra to the muddiest place they knew. It was on the outer edges of a jungle. It took some time, but she was finally finished. She looked all around herself and thought she was right. The sun was at its highest, and beat down on her. The mud began to dry and it was now shrinking and pulling on her fur. This was very uncomfortable, and becoming most unbearable. The littlest zebra ran back into the river. That didn’t work she thought as the water washed off the mud. The river floated her into the jungle.
The littlest zebra was now scared. It was dark in the jungle and there were many new noises. She was about to swim to shore.
“I wouldn’t do that if I were you,” hissed a water snake that was swimming past.
“Why?” Asked the littlest zebra.
The snake stuck out his tongue, “Tigers,” and then the snake floated away.
The littlest zebra saw five beautifully striped black and orange tigers. She admired the tigers from afar, and floated down the river. It was not long before she came upon a very strange noise. It made her look up into the trees, and there she saw six monkeys. They were having a great time swinging from branch to branch.
“How do you do that?”
“We just do little one.”
“Why are you far from your family?”
“I went into the river to clean myself.” She knew she wouldn’t be able to climb the tree to try and swing, so she just sat and watched.
It was getting late in the day and the littlest zebra knew she had better start her way home. The six monkeys showed her the way out of the jungle. She hadn’t walked for long before she bumped into seven lions.
“What are you doing so far from your family little one?”
The lion’s voice did not frighten the littlest zebra so she stood her ground, and told the seven lions about her journey.
“Yes, it was a good thing you did not talk to the tigers. You can never trust a tiger.” The other lions laughed a lazy sun filled laugh.
“What is it about us that would make you different from your brothers, sisters, and cousins.”
Now, the littlest zebra was still nervous about being the only zebra in a group of seven lions, so she thought, and she thought, and finally a thought came to her.
“You lions have the most wonderful way of spending a sun filled afternoon. If I did that I would be different than my brothers, sisters, and cousins.”
The seven lions looked at each other and laughed, which made the littlest zebra laugh, a quiet nervous laugh.
“You look tired little one, lay down and rest. We will not let anyone harm you.”
The littlest zebra didn’t really know if she could trust a lion, but she curled up, as lion like as she could, and quickly fell asleep.
Another noise woke her. When she looked around she saw the lions were gone, and up in the tree that was shading her, were eight birds, all looking down.
“What is a little one like you resting amongst lions?”
“I am on a journey to discover how I can be different from my brothers, sisters, and cousins.”
“How is your journey so far?”
“I have not found anything that I can do that will make me different. I am almost home and I am afraid I will get there the same.”
“You know little one, we have never slept with seven lions, or floated down the mighty river, or have six monkeys entertain us. That makes you different.”
“Only for a short time, and none of my brothers, sisters, or cousins saw.”
“It’s not what others see, it’s how you feel,” they cawed out as the flew off. The littlest zebra followed them as they seemed to float away in the slight breeze. It wasn’t long before she noticed something moving in the grass in front of her. Nine turtles were slowly walking.
The littlest zebra bent down to sniff them, “Where are you going little ones?”
“To were ever we get.”
“How will you know it’s where you want to be?”
“We just know.”
“We feel it, and then we stop.”
“When we feel it’s time to move on…”
“We move on.”
The littlest zebra looked over the nine turtles and noticed that they all seemed to look the same and asked, “How do you know who is who?”
“I have more green to my shell.”
“I have more brown.”
“I have a slightly crazy pattern.”
As each turtle was telling her why they were different, if only slightly, she was able to see and tell them apart.
“Why are you out here away from your family?”
“I was looking for something.”
“Did you find it?”
“Yes, I think I did and now I am heading home?” The littlest zebra could not follow the nine turtles’ path. They were going much to slow for her, but perfect for them. She made her own path.
It wasn’t long before she came across ten rabbits sitting together, noses twitching, and eating flowers. One’s nose twitch faster, and one’s was slower. One thumped his back foot every once in awhile, and one thumped her foot fast and then slow. The littlest zebra saw ten different rabbits sitting together, noses twitching, and eating flowers. She walked past them without a word.
“Little one, you made it back safely.”
The littlest zebra felt a muzzle nuzzle her. It was her mother.
“Wake up sleepy head. All your brothers, sisters, and cousins are up, and down in the meadow. Run off and play.”
“My stripes are unique.”
“Yes they are.”
“You know mother, I am more than just stripes. I think I run the fastest, and eat the slowest. I have slept with seven lions…”
Her mother heard her talking about monkeys, tigers, elephants, and turtles all the way down to meet her brothers, sisters, and cousins. Her mother shook her head and muttered, “She is unique, that one.”
The littlest zebra, although the littlest, didn’t feel quite so little anymore. She knew she was different. She could just feel it. Along the path she came across a snake. The littlest zebra nodded her hello and ran past.
The snake hissed.

——————————————————

Wayland’s story begun in Canada. Wayland was sleeping on the couch of the house we rented for the week on Victoria Island. Wayland was very excited to tell me that he had seen the street lamp go out right when the sun peeked.

The Wayland’s Story that follows is in the original version. I had to edit out some parts to keep the puppet play down to less then ten minutes. A lot of what is put in the story comes straight out of our life living up in the sticks, surrounded by nature.

Wayland’s Story

The boy looked out the big front window into the darkness, as his mother got him a pillow and a blanket.
“Are you excited about tomorrow?” She asked.
The boy was silent. It was quite dark out there in the street. His mother put the pillow under his head and the blanket over him and went to turn off the light.
Click.
Now it was quite dark in the house.
His mother kneeled down, gave him a kiss on the forehead, and looked into his eyes.
“What’s wrong little one, you’re so quiet?”
“I forgot to bring my night light.”
“I didn’t know you wanted to bring it.”
“I didn’t, but now I do.”
The boy’s mother scooted him over and got under the blanket with him.
“I know being in a new place can be a little scary. We’ll go get one tomorrow. For now let’s open the curtains and let the moon light in.”
But as the boy’s mother open the curtain, dark clouds rolled in and blanketed the moon.
“Don’t frown little one. See, there’s the street lamp. That will give you some light.”
But as the boy’s mother spoke these words a bright light suddenly flash before them, and in a blink the street lamp had gone out. And before the boy’s mother could say anything, a clap of thunder so loud it shook the house, shook the house. As the boy hid under the blankets, buckets of rain hit the ground. The boy’s mother cuddled into him, knowing she was here until he fell asleep.
The boy felt his mother leaving. He peeked out the window, “the lamps not on.”
The boy’s mother kissed his forehead, “go back to sleep.”
The boy watched his mother disappear into the bedroom. He tried to fall asleep but all he could think was that lamp wasn’t on. He closed eyes.
Something woke the boy. His eyes opened suddenly, and his breath quickened as he sat up to see what it was. The room was as dark as he remembered it. He didn’t have to look out the window to know that the lamp wasn’t back on. He was nervous because he was pretty sure something had jumped on the couch.
The boy took a big, brave breath before looking down by his feet. His eyes widened with surprise. Sitting patiently, looking back was a creature he didn’t think really existed. The two of them just stared for a moment with out either of them uttering a word. The boy finally smiled.
“Who are you?”
“I’m Max,” the creature answered.
“That was my great-great-grandfather’s name.”
Max smiled, as the boy sat thoughtfully for another moment before asking, “What are you?”
Max laughed and the boy relaxed a bit.
“I’m keeper of the light,” and Max pointed out the window, “I have to fix the lamps, and I thought you could keep me company while I do it.”
“You thought I could keep you company? But I’m afraid…”
But before the boy could finish Max had wiggled his ears and poof the boy was much smaller than he was before.
At first the boy was unsure he liked being shrunk. It took a moment for him to look around and experience the room now that he was much smaller. Max waited patiently, remembering the awe he felt when he was first shrunk.
The boy climbed down the couch at first with much care, but as he got used to the feeling he began to run around the room, discovering things he actually enjoyed about being shrunk. “Wow, it’s sorta cool.”
Max climbed down from the couch to join the boy.
“We really need to get a move on, if we’re going to fix the lamp before daylight.”
The boy settled down, and without saying anything followed Max as he headed toward the door. The boy was unsure of how they were going to open the door, but after having just been shrunk thought Max would work just more magic. The boy’s mother had always told him, “If you’re quiet you could hear the magic of nature.” Maybe she was right, and before the boy could say anything a doorway appeared and the next thing he knew, the boy was outside in the wind and rain.
“I don’t have a jacket.”
Max just smiled and continued to walk, so the boy followed. Amazingly he wasn’t cold, nor was he getting wet. Was this just a dream the boy thought. Just as he was thinking he wasn’t as scared as he once was, a big lighting strike and thunder clap made him remember he didn’t like the dark.
“Where are we going?” The boy finally asked.
“Into the wild to find a wood rat I know.”
The boy tried not to be scared, but going into the wild wood had him worried.
“Shouldn’t we get a flashlight?” The boy asked.
“I don’t have one, do you?”
The boy shook his head.
“We don’t need one, we have each other to light the way.”
The boy didn’t know how having each other would light the way, but before he could say anything a movement in the sky made him look up. Something dark flutter over them. The boy wonder at the silence, and then remembered what was silent as it flew through the night sky. The boy stopped walking and stood very still. Max had walked a few paces before realizing the boy was no longer with him.
“What’s wrong?”
“There’s a bat,” and the boy pointed to the sky, “flying over us. I think we should stand still.” Again the boy stood very still, “so he doesn’t eat us.”
“Oh he won’t eat us,” Max assured the boy, and motioned him to move on, which the boy did, but did so cautiously, as he wanted to believe this creature who had first shrunk him and then put him outside in the dark with no flashlight, but didn’t quite. The boy was wishing he would wake up.”
“But he is here for us.”
This made the boy stand very still indeed. Max laughed an assuring laugh and once again stated the lack of being a meal, and then stopped.
The bat landed between them with a thud; not a very graceful landing for one so silent. The boy held back a giggle, where as Max let out a lighthearted laugh.
“I see you haven’t lost your footing,” Max laughed.
“It is what it is,” the bat said back with a laugh. “I heard the lamps were out. I thought you could use some assistance.”
Max’s eyes twinkled as he looked at the boy. “And he thought you were going to eat us.”
Max and the bat had a good laugh. After a moment Max motioned the boy onto the bat’s back. The boy hesitated, but then climbed on.
The boy didn’t know if the excitement he felt in his stomach was caused by the fear he felt, or by the exhilaration he felt at the thought of flying.
The boy kept his eyes closed for many reasons, and as he worked each one out, his eyes slowly opened, until they were wide. He could see that they weren’t too far off the ground, and he felt disappointed.
The bat was struggling to stay afloat, and that after awhile landed in what looked like a park with yet another thud.
“I can go no further,” the bat gasped. “Two is just too many.”
Max and the boy rolled off as the bat went to the ground in a heap. “Through there,” and the bat pointed past some oak trees, “there’s your next stop. The bat was suddenly up and flying. “I’m hungry.”
The boy stood motionless for a moment, watching the bat fly off in silence in the ever-clearing sky.
“Well let’s keep walking. We’ve got a bit of a journey ahead of us still.”
“I still wish we had a flashlight,” the boy mumbled as he trotted to keep up.”
“Why, we haven’t needed one yet.”
The boy thought about this for a moment, said nothing, and continued on.
If the boy had been full size the walk would have been quick, but as he was as small as a beetle the walk seemed endless.
“I need a rest,” he sighed.
“Then we can rest,” answered Max, “Here’s a good spot.”
The boy looked up to see that the nice hard surface was the base of what his mother had called a totem pole. The creatures looked more menacing then they did this morning. Max and the boy sat for a moment in silence until Max pulled out something to drink and offered it. The boy drank big gulps, spilling some down his chin, and as her watched the drip from his chin hit the ground, he wished out loud.
“I wish we could’ve flown all the way. I was beginning to enjoy it.”
Max smiled and nodded his agreement, as his mouth was full of cake. The boy took the piece Max offered him, and ate it slowly, to savor the flavor. The boy looked up to the top of the pole and was startled by the big bird looking down upon him. Just as the boy laughed at himself, remembering the bird was made of wood, the bird moved. The bird stretched his wings and then took to flight.
The boy’s mouth stopped chewing as he watched the big bird fly around and then land in front of them.
“I see the lamps are out.” The big bird said to Max.
“Yes, and we’ve set off to fix them.”
“You have a very long journey ahead of you.”
“That we do. The bat tried to help, but we were too heavy.
The big bird laughed, “I will carry you to the wood rat. That is where you are going?
“He is the one with the key, or I wouldn’t be going. He is getting quite absent minded, and although I enjoy his company, I need this to be a quick visit.”
The big bird once again laughed, and this time it was a knowing laugh, and he spread his wings out and Max and the boy climbed aboard. The boy was determined to keep his eyes open the whole time.
The boy’s stomach dropped as the big bird took off. The bird flew higher and higher before he leveled out. The boy gasped and held on tighter to Max when he looked down and realized how high they were, and how dark it still was. The confidence he was beginning to feel faded away to his fear and he again closed his eyes.
The big bird flew and flew and the boy felt the wind on his face, but he still did not open his eyes or loosen his grip.
“We are on the ground my friend,” said the bird.
The boy sighed a big relief as he got off. He noticed that they were now at the edge of the oak tree forest.
“I can go no further, as I am not really a creature of the night.” The bird and the boy both looked into the forest only to realize it was even darker in there.
‘I really wish we had a flashlight,” the boy said under his breath.
Max shook his head, “We do not need a flashlight, we have each other.”
The boy watched the big bird take off into the air, and fly back to his perch on top of the totem pole. He then looked back at Max, and watched him step into the darkness of the oak trees.
“We need to hurry if we are to fix the lamps before morning.” Max called back to the boy. The boy followed Max apprehensively, but with the bravest face he could muster.
It was dark amongst the trees and the ground was like a swamp from all the sudden rain. The boy was trying hard to keep up with Max, who offered encouragement throughout, so the boy trudged on without complaint, even though his feet were soaking wet and very cold.
The boy finally couldn’t take it any longer, “We didn’t get wet before.”
“We weren’t in the tress before. My magic doesn’t work very well in here. These are old trees with old magic.”
“Oh,” the boy wasn’t quite sure he liked hearing that, but Max didn’t seem worried. So the boy decided not to worry either.
They walked on for some time until they came to what was a roaring creek to Max and the boy, but really only a small stream of water. They could no go around it, for it was too long. Max stopped, but the boy could not stand still. He was too busy trying to think of what to do. Max’s magic didn’t work, and the boy doubted another flying creature would appear.
The boy walked up the creek, and then the boy walked down the creek. When he walked back to Max, the boy drug what was really just a twig, but more like a small log to him, and pushed it with much effort across the creek.
Max stood as the log fell. He gave the boy a big grin. “Good thinking,” Max laughed as he ran across the log.
The boy stepped onto the log, but could not get his balance. He stepped of the log. Max waited silently on the other side. The boy stood for a moment, and then started to take off his shoes. He tied them together and put them over his shoulders, and stepped back onto the log.
This time the boy could feel the log beneath his socked feet. He did not run as Max had done, but the crossing was easier once he could feel where he was going. The boy jumped onto the other side of the creek, and both he and Max continued in silence but with grins on their faces.
They did not have to walk far before Max stopped in front of what the boy thought was just a pile of sticks.
“Wood rat won’t be home.” Max said. The boy’s face gave away his surprise, but the more the boy looked, the pile of sticks slowly turned into a house.
“But I know the way in and it is an emergency, Wood rat will understand.”
The boy followed Max around to the other side and through the door. The boy didn’t really know what to expect. What would the inside be like? He smiled at the simplicity of it all. It looked like the way a house of a wood rat should look.
Max looked around and spotted another pile of nature. The boy stood in the doorway as Max walked over to it. Max reach in, searched for something, and then pulled out what the boy thought he recognized.
“This isn’t the key,” Max said as he sat down. The boy had walked over to Max, asked for the object, sat down next to Max, and examined it.
“This is a snail’s shell,” the boy said with confidence.
Max sat up with quiet interest, because the boy looked as if he was working things out in his head.
“Maybe the wood rat put this here to remind him who has the key.”
“Brilliant,” Max said to the boy as he motioned for the shell. The boy handed it too Max, and was quiet with interest as Max examined the shell, working something out in his head. After a moment Max smiled, put the shell back, took a ring off his pinkie finger and placed it with the shell.
“So wood rat knows I also had to borrow it. Let’s go. I know where the key is.”
The boy and Max stood up together, and walked towards the door.
“We don’t have to go much further.”
They stepped out into the night air, and walked steadily on. Max smiled because the boy had wished for a flashlight.
It was true, their journey was not long before they were walking amongst a town of mushrooms. The boy’s tummy grumbled.
“I guess I’m hungry. To bad we can’t eat the mushrooms. You never eat mushrooms you don’t know. Besides I don’t really like them, but my mom says you’d eat it if you were hungry enough. I’m almost that hungry. Are we almost done fixing the lamps?”
“Yes,” Max laughed as he pointed to a snail without his tail.
The boy watched the snail’s antenna move as Max stood and listening. The snails backside moved slowly searching for something, and after finding it handed Max what looked like a very small key.
Max nodded to the snail and walked back over to the boy. “he heard the lamps were out, and knew I needed this,” Max gave the boy the key, “he waited where I knew I could find him. He’ll use this to help him find a new shell after we’re done with it.”
The boy looked at the key; it was awfully small.
“This is what we were looking for? It doesn’t look all that… well I mean to help with the lamps.”
“Looks, well you can’t always rely on what something looks like,” Max replied while holding out his hand. The boy placed his hand in it with the key between their palms.
“This little key will help my magic get us back, as well as fix the lamps.” Max grinned and in a blink Max and the boy were back, standing beneath the broken lamp in front of the window the boy had once looked out of.
The boy watched Max fly up and disappear into the lamp part of the lamppost and in another blink the lamp and all the ones down the street were back on.
The boy smiled a relief, but in another blink he watched all the lamps blink off. At first the boy thought something had gone wrong, but then he noticed that the night sky was no longer night. The beginnings of daylight had crept in without notice.
And with out notice the boy was back to his regular size and he was back on the couch looking out.
Max flutter around the boys ears as the boy said disappointedly, “We didn’t do it in time.”
Max laughed, “Yes we did. They will be on tomorrow night, not that you need them, like I told you, the light is within you.”
“How,” the boy finally asked.
“By knowing what to do in the dark, you made enough light to see through it,” Max fluttered up to the boy’s face and looked him in the eye. “Only you make the dark scary.”
“That’s what my mom says.”
“What do I always say?” The boy’s mother asked as she rubbed his back to wake up.
The boy glanced around the now bright room and smiled, “I don’t need that night light.
The boy’s mother smiled back.