For Aslan! For Rebecca!

Today started out slightly better, which isn't saying much.  It was a rough day/night for Mommy, who was still suffering the unexpected consequences of anesthesia a few days ago.  We won't dive into the details, but suffice to say she didn't make it to church this morning.  Madison and Daddy, however, did.  And that's where Madison met... the Vikings!

Today's script had the Vikings with their treasures - but finding what we like to call a McGuffin.  That would be the object that drives the characters in a particular direction as they are going.  As I've posted the two previous scripts for our story - here's part three of the continuing adventure:

KidPak Adventures:  Northern Lights
Berserker

PROPS:

Three burlap bags:  Two filled, but with the tops showing treasure like crowns and so forth.  One filled with items, but appearing to be filled with shoes.

CUE SLIDE:  SNOWY BACKDROP

NARRATOR:  "The Vikings are back, and they look pretty happy.  And that can’t possibly be good news for the castle they just visited.  Too bad the queen is away, with her sister the princess chasing after her up into the snowy mountains.  What will it be like when they get back?  Let’s see what’s going on next as the Vikings return… under the Northern Lights!”

GARDAR leads VLAD, INCALZANDO and CRESCENDO out on STAGE LEFT.  GARDAR and VLAD are carrying burlap bags, both presumably with loot in them.  VLAD gestures to his charm bracelet.

GARDAR:  "Loot, glorious loot!”

VLAD:  “And I got a new charm!”

VLAD proudly shows off his new bracelet charm.

CRESCENDO:  “What about the so-called battle?  I thought you were going to go into some big desperate war.  Up against all odds?”

GARDAR puts his hands on CRESCENDO’S shoulders.

GARDAR:  “You would make a terrible leader.  That would be a foolhardy thing to do with just three of us.  No, it made better sense if we just sneak in…”

VLAD:  “And sneak out with the treasure!”

GARDAR: “Lad, you see we’re not going to face off against an army unless we have to.”

INCALZANDO:  “But what of your friend Torny?  You just left her behind!”

VLAD:  “Not hardly.  She can handle herself just fine.”

INCALZANDO:  “All by herself?”

VLAD and GARDAR laugh.

GARDAR:  “Besides, she chose to go back.”

VLAD:  “No, brother.  She had to go back.”

CRESCENDO:  “But why did she have to go back?  What was that all about?”

 

VLAD:  (darker) “Let me tell you about Vikings, son.  There are the archers.  There are the swordsmen and those handy with the war hammer.  And then, there are the berserkers.”

CRESCENDO and INCALZANDO: “Berserkers?”

VLAD:  “The berserkers are unstoppable warriors that just keep relentlessly coming at you, always on the attack.  They are only focused on one thing, and that… is victory.  You can keep knocking a berserker down, but they will keep getting up again and again, always coming at you.”

GARDAR: “Sometimes there’s a trigger.  It’s just one word that you don’t want to say around a berserker.  It’s like setting off an avalanche!”

CRESCENDO: “ What was… the word?”

VLAD looks around to make sure TORNY is not around.

VLAD: (dramatically) “Shoes.”

INCALZANDO: “Excuse me?”

VLAD: “ Shoes.  She’s crazy about shoes.  We were about to leave the castle here, and Gardar here said, ‘Hey, did you see all those shoes back in the princess’s room?’”

VLAD is pulling out a piece of parchment paper from his burlap bag, and reading it.

GARDAR: “ And the next thing you know, Torny is going back in there, risking her neck to go steal a bunch of shoes?  Ha!”

INCALZANDO:  “They must be really expensive shoes.”

GARDAR:  “No, I’m afraid we’ve already taken the best treasure there!”

VLAD (reading):  “Perhaps not, my friend.”

GARDAR:  “What do you mean?”

VLAD hands paper to GARDAR.

GARDAR: “It’s a page of some sort of journal.  It says, ‘A treasure is concealed within this castle.  There is beauty in it.  But also great danger.  And this power will only grow.  We must conceal it.  Don’t let it show.”

VLAD:  “What treasure could this possibly be?”

GARDAR:  “I do not know, but I am intrigued!  Perhaps we will be going back to the castle after all!”

TORNY enters STAGE LEFT with a burlap bag of shoes.

TORNY:  “There’s no need for that!  For I have all the treasure one could want!”

GARDAR:  “She must have the treasure this paper speaks of!”

CRESCENDO:  (worried) “What have you done?”

TORNY: (awestruck) “Look and see!  There is indeed great beauty in it!”

TORNY shows off a shoe from inside.

TORNY:  “You should see all the shoes I have gotten!  These will last me at least six months!  I will add these to my collection!”

TORNY, GARDAR and VLAD laugh heartily.

INCALZANDO:  “Footwear?  Alas, if only your unstoppable attitude was aimed in a better direction.”

TORNY (while admiring shoes):  “What are you talking about?  Look at this one!”

INCALZANDO:  “What I’m talking about is this.  The Apostle Paul shared your fighting spirit.  He wanted to share the good news about Jesus with all the world.”

TORNY:  “What is your point?”

INCALZANDO: “ Nothing could stop him.  He was stoned by rocks, beaten, and on a few occasions left for dead.  But… he kept getting back up to the attack!”

TORNY:  “Well now, you have my attention!  I think I’d like this warrior Paul.  Tell me more about this brave fighter!”

CRESCENDO:  “He knew that to die is to gain.  He spread the message of the gospel relentlessly.  He told others about Jesus no matter what.”

TORNY: “ Are you trying to make a Christian out of me in such a short time?”

INCALZANDO:  “It doesn’t matter if it is a short time or a long time.”

INCALZANDO smiles sweetly as TORNY looks clearly affected.  TORNY looks back to the church a moment, clearly dwelling on what she has heard.

Yet IVAR enters STAGE RIGHT, panting somewhat, clearlyinterrupting.

IVAR:  “Father!”

GARDAR:  “Here you are, no doubt successful!  But where is the queen?”

IVAR:  “Ice powers!”

GARDAR: “ We know.”

IVAR: “ No, you don’t know.  You have no idea!  She can create towering snow monsters to protect the castle!  I saw as nearly nine men attacked the castle – some were swept away with one sweep of its large icy claws!  I turned and fled after that. ”

TORNY:  “It is a Frost Giant!”

IVAR:  “I suggest we forget about this whole idea of kidnapping the queen.  Let it go!  And just go home with the treasure you’ve taken.”

GARDAR is looking at the parchment paper with the words on it.

GARDAR:  “I don’t think so.”

INCALZANDO and CRESCENDO:  “What?”

GARDAR:  “I think there’s a greater treasure to be found, friends.  It’s time we find get to the bottom of this icy mystery.”

IVAR:  “What are you talking about?”

GARDAR considers parchment paper.

GARDAR:  “I think I know what this means.”

CRESCENDO:  “What does it mean?”

GARDAR:  “It means treasure and power beyond anything we’ve ever known!  More valuable than anything golden!  Corral your unstoppable fighting spirit!  Let us make plans to go to the castle once more!”

FADE LIGHTS

NARRATOR:  “Uh-oh!  Gardar is on to something big here, and it doesn’t look good for the Queen of Arendelle!  You don’t want to miss what happens next because danger and adventure await us here at KidPak Adventures:  Northern Lights!”

*****

Madison had a great morning.  Not only did she get to see the skit - she also got to hear her Daddy preach to the full house.  Plus, she got to see Mrs. Groundhog do her interview.  It was a fun little segment where we interviewed Mrs. Groundhog before the big day tomorrow.  For the rest of the day, she's had the groundhog family with her at the house, Mr. and Mrs., and a little groundhog as well.  Tomorrow, we'll find out if they see their shadow or not!

We got home later, which is one of those things that tends to happen when you're Daddy has his hands in so many pots.  There was an outreach ministry going to local urban neighborhoods - Daddy was helping prepare that.  There was KidPak Español to help set up as well.  Also, there was a lot to clean up in the office, as always.

The 'big game' is tonight, by which I mean the 'Super Bowl.'  We know who is playing, or at least I do.  And that's about that.  We haven't watched a game in years, I don't think.  We were more interested in getting Madison back to Narnia.  Which is what we did.  Once she finished her homework, and once we finished Mommy's awesome chili dinner, we had just enough time to squeeze in a little culture:  we watched "Prince Caspian."  Of course, this movie is just a bit different than the book.  But that's not a bad thing in this case - I think it all works out just fine.  The message is not lost at all, and for a few hours, Madison was back there with the characters, and up there on the front lines screaming, "For Aslan!"

It just so happens that she's creating for her art class a lion this year.  We were talking to her about this tonight before bed, and when she said she's creating a lion, we asked her:  "Is his name Aslan?"  She said, "No.  Her name is Rebecca."

This got a good laugh.  Madison is simply wonderful at coming up with names for creatures and aliens. Seriously, before naming anyone in the future, I need to ask Madison for her opinion.  WHICH, by the way, she's very clear about giving.  She's been learning with her recent homework assignments how to give an opinion, and be respectful of others' opinions.  This is something that seems to get harder to do with age, but hopefully this new generation can do a better job than ours did.  Or the ones before us.  I say that a little tongue-in-cheek, but nobody is perfect, and there's a bit of intolerance to go around.

And so we're off to bed.  We said our prayers tonight, thankful that Mommy is better, and thankful that we'll all get a good night's rest.  Narnia was saved, and today - February 1st - is the start of our "Romantic Movie Night" series that Mommy and Daddy always have.  In December, you have Christmas movies.  In February, it's time for romantic comedies and so forth.  Tonight's feature is a new movie called "The Hundred Foot Journey."  We'll let you know how it is later - because Mommy and Daddy are heading upstairs now to watch it in bed!  Goodnight!