Long, long ago, the dwarves lived in a very flat place. There were no
hills or mountains in the world. Everything was flat.  Then the 
dwarves  decided to build  a mighty Mountain. They wanted to reach 
Heaven by building the Earth all the way up to the Sky. The dwarves 
built with picks and shovels and wheelbarrows. They worked with all 
their might and spirit, from dawn until sunset:

Dwarves:(singing as they work)
We dig with shovels.
We dig with picks.
We build with Earth,
Instead of bricks.

King of the Dwarves:   (or several dwarves can do a couplet each.)
Building a Mountain,
So very high.
Shoveling the earth
Till it reaches the sky
Climbing and building it
Up toward the sun,
From morning till evening
Until we're all done.

When they had worked as hard as they could and there was no
light any more for them to even see where they were, the 
dwarves lay down and went to sleep, right where they were, 
around the Mountain. They slept only until they had new 
strength, and new light, for another day of building.

But when the last dwarf fell asleep and began to snore, 
a tinkling sound began to fill the sky, as if from some 
tiny music box. And a dazzling light, too, began to fill 
that dark, dark sky. The fairies had come!

Narrator: (sings)
The Fairies were wild,
The Fairies were bold,
They played strange music.
They shone like gold!

The fairies began to dance on the Mountain the dwarves had 
built!

Fairies: (sing)
Dancing on the Mountain,
Dancing on the Mountain,
Dancing on the Mountain,
Hard work built in the day.

Dancing on the Mountain,
Dancing on the Mountain,
Dancing on the Mountain till
We Dance it all away!
    
The fairies laughed and played, And danced and sang 
all night. And when they were done, There was no Mountain 
left at all. Their fairy feet had danced the great Mountain 
all away!

At dawn, the fairies quickly fled. Shortly after, the first 
dwarf woke from sleep. He looked at where the Mountain had 
been, And rubbed his eyes. He shook the friend sleeping next 
to him.

Dwarf 1(pointing his finger) "Didn't we build a Mountain there?"
Dwarf 2: (looking and rubbing his eyes) I thought we did! 

Soon all the dwarves were awake, making a big to-do, wondering 
aloud where Their Mountain had gone.
(Dwarves talk loudly and gesture)
It was the King of the dwarves who finally spoke.

King of the Dwarves: 
All of us think we built 
A Mountain here yesterday.
But we may be under a Spell. 
Maybe we did not, 
And have been enchanted 
To believe we did!

But today we will build. 
For we must have a place 
High up, close to Heaven! 
We must rise above the earth! 

And this time,
We will not be so lazy.
We will place our Spell 
On the Mountain. 
We have power over earth and stone.
Earth and stone, we command you: 
whoever places a foot upon our Mountain,
Bury their feet and freeze them in place, until morning!"

Dwarves! Get your shovels, get your picks, get your wheelbarrows. 
Let us build!"




Dwarves:
We dig with shovels.
We dig with picks.
We build with Earth,
Instead of bricks.

(Repeat as long as needed) 

Building a Mountain
So very high.
Shoveling the earth
Till it reaches the sky
Climbing and building it
Up toward the sun,
From morning till evening
Until we're all done.


The Dwarves went to sleep that night beside their new Mountain, knowing the 
Mountain would still be there when they woke up.

*****

That night the Fairies came again, and began to sing:

Fairies:
Dancing on the Mountain,
Dancing on the Mountain,
Dancing on the Mountain
Till we dance it all away!

But alas, as their feet touched the Mountain, it was as if the earth had mouths 
that reached up and devoured those feet. The feet disappeared, frozen under 
rock and earth.

The Earth: (speaking with many mouths):
Fairies,
We hold you fast!
You will not pass!
You will not fly
Away this time!
The Fairies panicked:

Fairies:
Help, O Help,
Please let us go,
We only mean 
To dance and sing,
Our mischief is but fun.
We mean no harm
To anyone.

The Earth (speaking with many mouths):
We have our orders,
Sprites of the air,
We serve the Dwarves
Asleep over there.
We have been told
To hold you fast.
Our wills are strong.
Our hold will last.


Fairies:
Oh, no,
Oh, no,
What shall we do?
If sunlight catches
Us here, we're through.
We must be gone,
And be gone soon.
Who can help us?

Oh! Mother Moon!
We call on you,
So bright above!
Send your sparkling
Rays of Love,
Unbind our feet
From this rough earth.
We meant no harm
With our bright mirth.
Oh, Mother Moon,
Have Mercy, please!
Grace us with
A swift release!

Mother Moon:
Oh, fairies, you're
Like children dear.
There's always laughter
When you're near.
But you must learn
The dwarves have need
To build this mountain.
When you're freed,
You must not dance
It down again.

For dwarves, who have
No fairie wings,
Mountains are the only things
That can take them to the sky
And help their heavy hearts to fly.
Those of the earth must pray in Air.
And you must not disturb them there.

Fairies:
We promise.
For we mean no harm,
Nor to give
The dwarves alarm.
It's just our joyful faerie will
That brings us dancing on the hill.

And so, Mother Moon set the fairies free.


The next morning was one of those mornings--I'll bet you've seen them 
now and then--when  the Moon stays in the sky when it's light, after the 
Sun has come. I'll bet you don't know what's happening then? The 
Moon is reporting to the Sun, telling him something that happened 
during the night.

So the Moon told the Sun what had happened, and the Sun told the dwarves,
 who were overjoyed to find their Mountain still there when they woke up.

Sun:
Yes, my little dwarves.
Your mountain's here to stay!
The fairies promised 
They will keep away!

But my dwarf friends,
The fairies are my children, too!
I'll tell you what you could do
To bring sweet Happiness to all!

On top of the Mountain, build a hall,
A golden palace! Take this chance!
Make a place for the fairies to dance!

Dwarves:
Yes, o sun, your majesty! 
And so the Dwarves built a special Palace on the very top of the Mountain.
They made it of gold and jewels, and invited the fairies to dance there every 
night. The gold and jewels were hard, so that the fairies' feet did not wear 
them away.

And so, dwarves and fairies lived to enjoy the world together, another day. 
And yet another day after that. Every morning, just before the fairies went 
away, and just after the dwarves had gotten up, they would all join hands 
in a circle and sing together:

FAIRIES and DWARVES: (joining hands in one circle, they dance around
 the Mountain, and sing:
(tune: London Bridge)

Dwarves and Fairies can be friends,
Can be friends, Can be friends.
Dwarves and Fairies  can be friends,
On the Mountain.

(repeat, circling the other way)



THE END


© 2004 by Max Reif