A Short Play by: Dennis
L. Siluk, Dr. H.c.
(The) Triumph
of:
Seven Little Angels (In
Poetic Prose)
(The play is led
by a musical prelude of: EL Condor
Pasa, toward the end of which the curtain is drawn, disclosing an Andean
grotto, at the foot of a wooded hillside, in a bright sunlit morning. Seven little angels are discovered sleeping.
They are tossing about in their slumber and appear a tinge uneasy, perhaps not
being able to get into the right sleeping position, heads on top of wings, and
legs on top of shoulders, and little bodies crisscrossing each other. During
the closing measures of the song, the first little angel awakes, slowly and
half ascends.)
First Little Angel
(Lazily)
Who
calls my name? Leave me sleep.
(Rising—not
being able to go back to sleep)
What
is it that wakes me so!
I
know it is those imps that give me such awful dreams
I
think there might be some night imps around:
They can be a menace. My brothers and sisters
stir, and mumble in their sleep, but what can be done, we were born angels, and
lost or left somehow in this old grotto awaiting for them to come back; and umpteen
centuries, thus far!
(The other little angels, who range from six
to ten, --but are of course much older as we now know—become more restless in
their sleep.)
Awake!
Lest some imp come and bite you all on the toes!
Second Little Angel
(Half
lazily)
I
was having a good dream!
First Little Angel
(Shaking
each one of the other six little angels eagerly)
Awake I say! An Imp I can smell an Imp
nearby!
Second Little Angel
(Rising
fully)
Nights are sure strange. To be an angel and
have to sleep and dream like humans, and fear the imps approach, but we must
stick together, save, together we are strong, alone, we are not.
First Little Angel
Oh,
yes, yes you are so right!
Other Three Angels
Oh,
we agree!
First Little Angel
It
seems to me we should catch the imps by surprise this morning, or wait until
the night, and prepare to hogtie them to a tree or something, so they can’t ever
come around and bug us again!
Second Little Angel
(Addressing the other little angels, who have
now all arisen and are sitting up, wiping the due from their eyes, and
stretching fully, and ready to listen anxiously to binding the little imp
demons.)
Yes indeed, well said! What strength do we have, if we are not
united? Whose grotto is like ours? Nice and cozy, with no bugs, and especially
spiders, or rats, or of any other such creatures. And those nasty little imps, wake us up, or
sit on our chest when we are sleeping, and send into our heads nightmares, and then
escape. The little beasts. Oh brothers and our two sisters, let us pray we can
bind them, all three of them, together, until our elders find us.
First Little Angel
The Andes have heard our cry, as has the
heavens. That cry has run for three thousand years along the valley floors of
this land, Peru. Yes, centuries have come and gone and heard our prayers, our
song, and more may pass before our rescue, and only God knows why we are left here,
and that will have to do for now.
A Short Musical Measure of: El Condor Pasa
First Little Angel
Brothers
and sisters, our souls are strong and wise, we are not like the imps, we are
not like ghosts, as they are, as they are strong together, we are stronger—I
hope! Because we are six, to their three. So you see, we have no need to fear
them, yet I sense we do. Although they do create a menace of the night, and
seem formless, and sneak about in the traitorous dark, like serpents. And of
course this has been baffling, and at times when they make them funny sounds,
it at times drive me to the loony cave, but we have to just laugh about it, and
we will tonight, with merriment, shake the joy of the imps playful game of
antagonizing us, once and for all!
Second Little Angel
Let’s Dance! For the winds make such music in the
valley below.
Let’s dance for the joy of life God gave us, even
though we don’t know why we are whom we are, not human, but angels that need
sleep only, and can’t fly, by gosh, I wish our wings would grow a little bigger
to carry our lumpy little bodies.
(The Little angels withdraw from the center of
the stage, allowing dancers to step in and do a cultural dance of the Andes,
for several minutes, then all of a sudden, they too are interrupted by a wind
that sweeps them away, and the music stops, followed by the appearance of a
large angel, called “The Angel of the Winds”.)
Angel of the Winds
Who challenges the little angels, he who does
come forth, you will have my tempest? This is a warning, they shall stand
unscathed, lest you taste my fury! Ere, that will come forth!
Second Little Angel
Little angels, dance your hearts out, do not heed
the empty noises of the imps, you heard what the angel of the winds has said.
Although I’d have hoped he’d stop their awful nonsense at night, too!
(The little angels gaze in wonderment at the
Angel of the Winds, and hesitate, to say anything else.)
First Little Angel
Yes, let’s all
dance:
We shall dance like heaven’s star dust, in winter
winds!
(The Little angels resume their dance, at the
edge of their grotto, towards the entrance, below the cave the Angel of the
Winds can still be seen, and three little imps nearby advance with threatening
gestures.)
Angel of the Winds
Imps, heed these words, they are imminent
insight:
Should you harm one feather on those little
angels, I now announce your doom, and bid you bow to everlasting imprisonment!
Second Little Angel
We need not fear little angels, a mighty Power
stands guard over us!
Angel of the Winds
I am the Power of this region, I guide the winds,
and frozen peaks of the mountains, I have my home in the clouds, and when need
be I then go forth to cleanse the region of those who would scourge God’s
creation. I check all living things, and none have power over me. I can reach
up high to the highest peaks, and deep into grottos, and bend my way into the
world of the unseen, where the imps hide. I am faster than light, and shout
louder than any thunder, I have dreadful strength, and no living thing can
challenge me to the lands below the clouds.
First Little Angel
I know of you. I am leader of this grotto. And from this grotto have I
striven to lead my brothers and sisters, we have not fallen into any disgrace.
Angel of the Winds
Your rescue will come, and
should the imps challenge you harmfully, their doom, I have sworn not one
feather shall they torn, ere, they shall taste my wrath.
First Little Angel
(Turing to the other little angels.)
Brothers and sisters, draw near to me, that so we
hold together against these imps that are nightly boasting in our earlobes to
punish us, and have become unrestrained menaces.
(The group of little angels now gather themselves
before the Angel of the Winds, an angelic Power.)
Angel of the Winds
I
tell you my little angels that you do not stand helpless in this war that has
not yet begun! Go back to dreaming as you wish, I will watch over you, oh
little ones! You are of the angelic brotherhood. God has given us powers to use
wisely, the imps have been shaken into the dark world, they resent that, sacred
walls have been well-made peaks, for them not to cross, but should they dare, I
will drive terror into their hearts: wrap the wind around them like sheets of
foam, I have prepared this night for my war, with them, once and for all. Oh
arrogant devilish imps, I have told them my strength, and they best bow to
this, or be bound. So my little brothers
and sisters, sleep well.
(The
Angel of the Winds, moves—as wind is heard—and the orchestra, or source of
music, is heard, and the angel is seen elsewhere, near the imps.)
Angel of the Winds
Oh Imps, I am the Angelic power of this region!
Do not go back and seek more help, you shall only bring your kind into my
fervent heat, and I have already destroyed phantoms galore of your kind, of the
pestilence you bring to mankind and wish to do this evening to the little
angels. I shall be ready this night, I shall compel upon your mind, should you
try to resist me, the earth below your feet will sink, and you will be like
lost leprous imps among your kind, bound to the roots of trees.
One of the Three Imps
Nay, you boastful Power, you
are ever so noisy, we despise your words.
Angel of the Winds
Disappear, Oh loyal brothers
to the Dark Angel with Ten Wings; Lucifer!
(The Imps, now disappear, and the music is heard from the orchestra.)
Angel of the Winds
(Talking out loud, as if to himself.)
My cloudy eyes look down upon this valley, upon
these little un-resting angels, I am the angel of the winds. I shall leap if
need be one tip of a mountain to another to find those imps and smite them on
the side, harder than I strike a howling earthquake to break its force, should
they defy my command.
One of the Three Imps
(The Imps now reappear. And can be seen and heard by the angelic
Power, although a distance away. As well as the little angels by the grotto.)
Thunder comes from the Power’s breath, such a threat!
I doubt he can take on the all three of us, he has braggart breath.
Angel of the Winds
Behold me imps. I am master of the Andes, the
sierras are my granite throne, and the valley’s and pathways and grottos are my
resting places. The mountains and the winds are my musical instrument. I raise
the spirit of music unto the sky. You are pitiless, I shall tread you down, you
scamps!
One of the Three Imps
So much of sound, so little of attack, he uses
noise for scorn. A claim is not a blow. We scorn just like you, angelic wind
angel, and fear not your manic display.
Angel of the Winds
My allies, I need not any to handle you three,
although the Forebear, the power before
my time, has kept you frightened of his power, come forward and meet me if you dare test me!
(The Power, called the Forebear, an ancient
Archangel, hears his name mentioned, and appears, bearing a heavy chain.)
The Power Forebear
I have been gone for centuries, my eyes have seen
little since. I nearly forgot about the little angels, and the mountain imps.
But I have still all needed strength in my hands. Have you not forgot, little
imps, in my time I broke the armies of kings, I smashed their swords and clubs,
when they did not heed my word. Your
brothers were there to watch, and I have put many of you into everlasting
tombs, with the blessings of the Almighty. And with others I have thrown their
ghostly ashes into the wind, and scattered there debris into the comic mist.
The Angel of the Winds has been patient with you. I shall not be so patient.
First Little Angel
We know thee not, except by legend, and deed.
Angel of the Winds
They are foolish are they not, old friend,
Forebear? I have known you well all these years, they surely will not war with
us now! Why do you appear, Old Friend, I can handle this, it is not essential for
you be here, although I see your soul is like fire, hearing such insinuations.
(The Angel of War, hears the word ‘war’ has been
mentioned, and standing high on top of a nearby mountain, fire appears in a
burst of flame. He rushes down the
mountain, bearing a flame torch in one hand a sword in the other. He has a
helmet on, and a shield attached to his side, and the three imps, step aside as
he crosses their paths, to join the Angel of the Winds, and the Forebear, now
all gathered together.)
The Angel of War
I come, and I have an appetite to war with these
annoying ones who wish to harm the little angels.
Angel of the Winds
Greetings, to both of you, you are both
changeless, and bring terror to the ill-minded imps, and by night they have
brought terror to our little angels, behold the prey, they stand over there.
The Angel of War
(All go up to join the little angels, the Angel
of War, the Angel of the Winds and the Power Forebear.)
I am angry and furious, over these untamable
imps, I’ve know their fathers of yesteryear, they did not dare mix with me, I
was merciless with them. I need only roar and my flaming fire, its glare that
will bring them to tears, and they cannot move to quench their thirst. And when
I heard their ancient groans, I had laughter, and then upon their release, they
fled into the fields, and crevasse. My sword has power to cut through rock, or
whatever hardness they hide behind. And I have harnessed them, and like a
whirlwind, tossed them halfway across the Andes. I know I am quick to anger, like a tempest,
what would you have be do, Angel of the Winds, for you have been given full
command over this domain?
(The orchestra or music begins here, as to the
conflict which follows.)
All Three Imps
We still defy all you angelic beings, and powers!
We three stand united, for we are not alone.
Shall any angel resist the warring of the Angel
with the Ten Wings?
For he is on his way!
Angel of the Winds
You raging and relentless imps, that hold the
abyss, we have the heavens, whose voice the thunder is, that of Almighty God’s.
Your stubbornness will be your downfall, and he
you have called on, the eminence of the dark world, the lost Archangel, who is
called Lucifer, will not come, for Michael and Gabriel, with Uriel, all
Archangels, and us three, will hurl him and shatter him, in the name of the
Lord Most High.
(The three turning to their allies, one to the
other, and looking at the three more angels in the far distance, standing by,
perhaps shadows seen behind a curtain.)
Do not leave, until all the imps are doomed, we
no longer can allow them to be near the little angels.
((The three angelic beings: Angel of the Winds,
the Power Forebear, and the Angel of War, advance towards the imps; and the
imps make ready to repel the assault, armed with battleaxes. The stage is
darkened as they rush upon the three, and the conflict is represented chiefly
by the music, which comes thunder from the drums, and lightening from the light
fixtures, and the howling of the wind, perhaps by loud fans. As the assault comes to a close, the stage
gradually gets brighter, and the three angelic beings are looking down on the
three imps, as have the little angels disappeared inside the grotto: the three
angels look to see where the little angels are, and while they do so, the imps
disappear. The music that accompanies the conflict now, merges into a victory singing
group or chorus, or song of some kind: at which point the three little angels
reappear.) (The victory song can be as follows… :)
Viceroy Song
We are angels of victory
Small and large—
We look up into the heavens
And dare to dream at God’s will!
We remain obedient, stern and strong!
And now the night belongs to us…
Unconquered in our region
O God of victory!
Look down upon us.
We praise your power,
Which you have given us!
Cast from all these mountains
The dark lords of the night!
We sing now high and happy songs.
We remain, victorious and strong.
First Little Angel
We have conquered!
We have conquered all of them!
We have withstood their onslaught, nor bowed to
their will!
Who dare endeavor to corner us, evermore?
Perhaps now we can join in the Heavens, in our
ancient and rightful place?
We can dream, and will remain humbled in our
Lord’s sight!
For like he once tested Job, he has now tested
us.
(The sound of Gabriel’s horn is heard from behind
the grotto. The three angelic beings peer up at the little angels, gathered
about the outside their grotto.)
Written 15 and 16 of October, 2014) Completed 12:18 a.m.
Copyright © by Dennis
L. Siluk, Dr. H.c.
Triumph of the Seven
Little Angels (a play)
Inspired and dedicated
by/and to: the Sisters of the Divine
Trinity, and the Power that watched over me in 1994
During my recovery
from heart surgery (who stood at the back edge of my bed for three days).
