Tuesday 1 October 2013

An Old-School Beaker Act of Worship

The Beaker Folk await without

Charlii: Who waits without?

All: We wait without.

Charlii: Then speak friend and enter.

All: What's the password?

Burton: Oh! I know this!  It's a riddle!

Young Keith: What's the elvish for "friend"?

Stacey: Quenya or wood-elf?

Burton: Sorry, I could have helped if it was Klingon...

Charlii: Forget it. Just come in.

The path to the centre of the Moot House is marked out with lumps of sandstone and tea lights. Beaker Folk may kick the stones and/or set fire to their (well-named) flares.

Charlii: We light a light against the dying of the light

Lights are lit

Charlii: We drop a stone into the Well of Longing

Stones are dropped, causing ripples, that never come back.

Burton: I thought we'd blown up the Moot House?

Charlii: Yes. But we have been blessed richly by the little random gods of poor continuity.

Burton: Right-o. Just thought I'd ask.

Charlii: We strew Mother Nature's beauty liberally.... because we can

Rose petals and hips, eggs, hazel twigs and elderberries are strowed across the floor.

Charlii: Shouldn't that be "strewn"?

Probably. 

Charlii: OK. Ignoring the fact that the rubric has started answering back.....

Sorry

Charlii: What shall we build to mark our joyful meeting forever?

All: An eternal cairn!  An eternal cairn!

The band plays "Waltzing Matilda", as the Beaker Folk build an mighty and permanent cairn as a sign to all ages.

Blessing

Charlii: OK. You're all blessed.  Sling your hooks.

Young Keith: And please take the stones from the eternal cairn with you. Can't leave it there - health 'n' safety.

2 comments :

  1. Wasn't "Speak Friend and Enter" the password to Moria, where the Fellowship lost a wizard to a Balrog? If I were Burton, I would be looking out over the starboard bow.

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