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Playing

Kerstie is coming for a visit at the end of the week with our little girls.

I think it’s time to introduce them to the theatre.

The marionettes and their theatre have been mine for maybe 30 years. I guess you could call them vintage. They have performed for tons of children and been loved and loved to pieces. They’ve had broken strings, bent wire supports and the occasional foot or head has fallen off, but they’ve been repaired and maintained and stored away carefully for their next performance.

I love that my children call them Loutky; Czech for marionettes. I brought them from Prague.

There lives a king, his queen, their beautiful princess and her friend, a jester. They live on the castle stage. Usually the princess ends up in a pickle.

There lives and an old mum, her handsome young son (who doubles as the prince), his little sister, (who doubles as little red riding hood or Gretel). They live on a cottage stage.

One day, the handsome young son learns that an evil witch has captured the princess and will give her to the Hasterman (evil water spirit) in exchange for magic powers. The Hasterman will drown her and put her soul into a little jar he keeps under the bridge and she will be trapped for ever. The handsome young son says goodbye to his sister, his old mum and the rest of the villagers and leaves the village for the dark forest.

There he defeats the old witch and the Hasterman, rescues the princess and they live happily ever after.

Then, the Loutky take a bow.

And then they will perform again.
And we will play and play and play.

“Come, children, let us shut up the box and the puppets, for our play is played out.”
William Makepeace Thackeray

More play today, linked to TALU and this post: Kind of like little red riding hood…but different

Comments: 2

  • November 14, 2012
    reply

    Those are truly a treasure! Thank you for sharing them 🙂

  • November 15, 2012
    reply

    I grew up playing with marionettes so hey are still dear to me. 😉

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