The Honey Badger and the Bear
A one act play by Katie Popkins.
Cast
Narrator
Father Badger
Mother Badger (No lines)
Child Badger (No Lines)
Bear
Bear Cub (No Lines)
Elven Hunter
Play
Narrator: On the edge of the great Arelith forest lived a humble family of badgers. In the ground their dwelling was made. Its walls and roof were covered with rocks and straw. Old father badger was a great hunter. He knew where to track snakes and the sweetest honey and rats. This kept the baby badgers chubby and well-fed, and mother badger busy with storing the honey and drying the meat and hanging them in bags, beautifully painted bright colors up on the family dwelling, useful and decorative.
Narrator: Our scene starts on a particular day, where father badger had stayed home to play with his children. All of a sudden, they heard a stormy bang on their dwelling’s entrance. In stepped, a big brown bear.
[The small badger hide behind father badger. The bear would behave with starvation and desperation]
Father Badger: Friend! Your lips and nose look feverish and hungry. Will you eat with us?”
Bear: Yes, please! I am starved. I saw your racks of rat and honey, and if your heart is kind, please, give me food to eat, friend.
[Mother Badger moves to get said rat and honey, invisible or prop, cooking. The bear would be served, pretend eating with delight.]
Narrator: The bear ate his full, and day after day, the bear came, sitting at the entrance. His visits became so regular a fur rug was put in his sitting place. Soon his fur became glossy, his nose bright, and his body fat upon badger hospitality.
[The bear would enter scene again. His eyes would look wickedly on the father badger.]
Father badger: My friend, what is amiss?
Bear: [Takes a stride forward and shakes his paw in the badger’s face] I am strong, very strong!
Father Badger: Yes, yes, so you are. Yes, you grew strong from our well-filled bowls.
Bear: [Flashes a smile of sharp teeth]. I have no dwelling, or my own meat, or my own hunting skills. I have found all of this here, on this spot. I want them, and I will get them with my strength!
Father Badger [Quietly] I fed you, and called you friend, when you came here stranger and beggar. For the sake of my babes leave us in peace.
[The children would run to hide behind Mother badger at a motion of her paw. The Bear roars, and one by one “throws” the badger’s out.]
Bear: Be gone!
Narrator: The badgers, having gained their feet but losing their home, picked up their babes, and in sorrow. They walked until they found a small abandoned hut nearby. It was shelter for the night, but it lacked food and their home’s warmth. The father badger didn’t know how to feed his family, and went out to beg, first returning to the bear, visited by his other bear friends
Father Badger: Have you no heart, bear? My babes are starving. Please, give me a small piece of rat or honey for them.
Bear: Grr! Be gone! [The bear meanly kicks the badger out.]
Narrator: Poor Father badger began to return home to his family, when one bear followed him out, an ugly cub. He was the youngest cub that was in the hut, and his coat was not as glossy, his hair dry and dingy. Always laughed at by the other bears, he looked now at the badger with earnest sympathy. In his mouth was a piece of meat to share.
Father Badger: “Thank you, dear little cub.”
Narrator: The Bear Cub dashed back to the badger’s former home, singing and dragging his feet, making a quick side kick to drop a piece of hanging rat meat. IT was tough and full of sinews, but it was the only piece he could take without the Mean Bear’s notice. He gave it to the badgers and ran quickly back. Yet it was only enough for a day, and the badger had to return to beg.
Father Badger: Give-
Bear: Grrr!
Narrator: Once again, Father Badger was kicked out. But this time, he fell where the grass was wet with spilled honey. He took what he could.
Father Badger: I will take this and pray for the Great Badger to bless it.
Narrator: He came upon the Great Badger’s shrine, sprinkling water on the sacred stones, and then prayed.
Father Badger: Great Spirit, bless this little honey. [The badger then departs]
Narrator: Following the sulky badger was an elven hunter, who had been listening and watching for some time.
Elven Hunter: My poor badger. What is wrong?
Narrator: The Father badger told the Elven hunter of the sad story of his hungry little ones and the stingy bear.
Father Badger: My friend, we have no food. I am going again to beg for meat.
Elven Hunter: Then I will go with you.
Narrator: When the bear saw the badger again, he grinned his wicked grin. But when he saw the elf with the arrow quiver he stood erect and smiled upon them, as if he was a kind host.
Bear: Badger, my friend! Please, carve your favorite piece from our new rats.
Father Badger: How? Well, yes! [The badger goes toward an invisible rat]
Elven Hunter: [Waiting until the badger grabs his piece of rat, speaking in a deep commanding voice] I come to do justice. You have returned only a knife to the back of the poor badger. Now return to him his dwelling.
Bear: [Yelps] Come out, all of you! This is the badger’s dwelling. We must flee to the forest for fear of the elven hunter who carries the bow.
Narrator: The bears leave the dwelling and the badgers return home. The avenger smiles over them, and speaks one last word to them.
Elven Hunter: Friends of the earth, continue your kindness and we shall guard you always. Praise be the kind honey badger.
Notes
Lineless parts can be omitted, if casting is small.
The first play written by Katie Popkins, performed during a festival in Bendir Dale's village.