Characters: narrator, Ganesh, baby elephant, moon. |
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| Narrator: "Ganesh has a special day devoted to him, called Ganesha Chaturthi. It is the fourth day after new moon in August/September. On this day, you are not supposed to look at the moon, or Lord Ganesha will not be happy. This is the best story of why." | |
| Baby elephant: "Pranam Ganesa, would you like to go with me to the sugar cane field?" | Ganesa: "Of course I will go. Oh how I love to eat sweets!" |
| Baby elephant: "Here we are!" | Ganesa: "I shall eat as much sugar cane as I like. Ah, what an enormous field, full of delicious sugar cane. And nothing to stop me, no fence, no hedge. Just a bit more . . . just a bit more. . . . |
| Baby elephant: "It is getting dark, Ganesa, and my stomach is so full. We should go home!" | Ganesa: "Just a bit more. . . ." |
| Baby elephant: "Look at the stars. I need to go. Won’t your mother worry about you?" | Ganesa: "My mother won’t worry, she knows I can look after myself. I’ll just eat a few more stalks." |
| Baby elephant: "What do you think boys and girls? Has he had enough sugar cane? Do you think he should go home now?" | Ganesa: "I’ll see you later." |
| Baby elephant: "Ok, good night." | Ganesa: "There are so many stout canes, some purple, some green. I just tug them with my trunk to break them off, then lie them on the path, and eat them one by one . . . What lovely juice, sweet rich juice . . . I think I shall stay here till midnight. Oh, a thin slice of moon has popped up into the sky." |
| Moon: "Pranam, Ganesa." | Ganesa: "Namaste." |
| (Moon slides along the sky) | Ganesa: "Ah it is nearly midnight, I guess I have had enough now. Oh my goodness, I am a little unsteady . . . My head is spinning. Maybe that was a little more than was good for me. My stomach is making funny noises! I suppose I should go back. Oh! I just tripped over a stone! Ouch! A tree!" |
| Moon: "Did you eat too much sugar cane? I said, did you eat too much sugar cane Ganesa?" | Ganesa: "Mind your own business." |
| Moon: "My business is to light up the earth, when the sun is away." | Ganesa: "Just do that. Do you know that you have no light of your own? You shine under reflected glory. The sun gives you light. You owe everything to the sun." |
| Moon: "Hey, be careful. There is a big hole." | Ganesa: "I don’t need you as a guide, I know my way around. . . ." |
| Moon: "You look funny, my dear Ganesha. You are dancing! I love to see you dance. Shall I ask someone to bring the drums?" | Ganesa: "Didn’t I tell you to mind your own business? You don’t have a nose big enough to get out of trouble. That is where I have my advantage. I can send my nose, my trunk that is, all the way up, seize you and shake you up, if I decide to. . . ."(Ganesa rocks back and forth.) |
| Moon: (laughs) | Ganesa: "I think I’ll take a shortcut through the mud here." |
| Moon: (whispers) "I hope he doesn’t fall in the mud." | Ganesa: "It is dark, with this little slice of moon, oh!" (falls down) |
| Moon: (laughs) | Ganesa: (tries to get up) |
| Moon: (laughs) | Ganesa: (one of his feet always stays stuck in the mud. Finally, he gets out.) "Oh, I am wet and muddy all over. Stop your laughter. You think it’s funny." |
| Moon: "Of course!" | Ganesa: "Today is Ganesha Chaturthi Day. Today is my day. I can do whatever I like, even overeat sugar cane and walk with unsteady feet. Who are you to laugh at me? Will you stop now? |
| Moon: "Ho, ho, ho!" | Ganesa: "You, you Moon! Anybody who looks at you on Chaturthi Day will be sorry! Henceforth on this day when people worship me, they will not even look at you. That is your punishment." |
| Narrator: "So that is why you must remember at the end of summer, four days after the new moon, not to look at the moon. And eat some sweets to celebrate Ganesa’s special holiday!" | |
| Adapted by Sarah Loudon and Beverly Harding from Stories of Lord Ganesha by R.K. Murthi, New Delhi: Pitambar Publishing, 1993. P.S. We did this as a puppet show for pre-schoolers—a hit! |
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