HALLOWE’EN SKETCH - TRICK OR TREAT
A Two Act Play for Hallowe’en
A conversation at the gate of heaven between Jesus and Peter
Murdoch MacKenzie
A Two Act Play for Hallowe’en
A conversation at the gate of heaven between Jesus and Peter
Murdoch MacKenzie
This sketch was written by Murdoch for a Youth Service at Hallowe'en in 2004. John Bell and Graham Maule have written many 'Eh Jesus!' 'Yes, Peter' sketches and so Murdoch's inspiration for this format came from them. It appeared in Ruth Burgess' book 'Acorns and Angels' published by Wild Goose Publications in 2009 ISBN 978-1-905010-56-1.
ACT ONE
Peter Eh, Jesus!
Jesus Yes, Peter!
Peter Have you ever heard of a place called Scotland?
Jesus Maybe I have, I think it’s away beyond Jerusalem, Judaea and Samaria.
Peter Perhaps it’s in the uttermost parts of the earth.
Jesus You’re probably right Peter. That’s where it will be. Why did you ask me?
Peter Funny people in Scotland.
Jesus There are funny people everywhere Peter, even in Jerusalem. What’s so funny
about Scotland?
Peter Well, my brother Andrew is the Patron Saint there.
Jesus I thought he was the Patron Saint of Greece.
Peter He’s that also. They keep him pretty busy you know. But he was telling me
about Scotland, how gangs of wee boys and girls go roaming around the
streets knocking on people’s doors and shouting: ‘Trick or Treat!’
Jesus Is that what they do on St Andrew’s Night?
Peter No. They do it on Hallowe’en.
Jesus Hallow what?
Peter Hallowe’en. It means the night before All Saints’ Day on November 1st.
‘Hallow’ – it’s not a real language like Hebrew. They do it from left to right.
Jesus That’s amazing! Front to back!
Peter Yes. It’s called English and ‘Hallow’ is old English, like they spoke when that
chap Henry was around, you know ‘the eighth’, the one who started a new
branch of your Church. Well in those days ‘Hallow’ meant ‘Holy’ like in the
prayer you gave us once. You remember: ‘Hallowed be Thy name.’
Jesus O, yes, I remember, they say it every day, or at least every Sunday in church.
But what’s all this got to do with All Saint’s Day?
Peter Well, hallow means holy and holy is what saints are.
Jesus Ah, now I get it. So it’s a holy night before All Saints’ Day.
Peter That’s it. You got it in one…or…not quite in one.
Jesus But what’s that got to do with this trick or treat business?
Peter I’m not sure but I’ll go down there and find out.
ACT TWO
Somewhere in Argyll outside a cottage door
Peter (knocking)
Alasdair Well, well and who are you, knocking at this time of night?
Peter My name’s Peter. Can I come in?
Alasdair Yes, come away in. Can we offer you some Highland hospitality? A wee dram
perhaps?
Peter And what might that be?
Alasdair Some whisky. It’s a drink.
Peter No thank you I only drink wine. What I want to ask you is whether you
know anything about Hallowe’en?
Alasdair I know it’s on 31st October but I don’t know that much about it. My sister
will know. She’s a dab hand at all that kind of thing – very religious you
know. (Shouting) Are you there Morag? (Enter Morag) There you are now.
Can you tell this gentleman about Hallowe’en?
Morag And what would you be wanting to know?
Peter My brother, who is very fond of Scotland, has told me about something called
‘trick or treat?’ and my Master and I are curious to know more about it. So
I’ve come to find out.
Morag Well it’s a long story but I’ll keep it short. For our Celtic ancestors the 31st
October was the time when they returned with their herds from the Sheilings
in the high mountain pastures. The 1st November was the beginning of the
New Year when land tenures and other things were renewed. They also
thought it was the time when the souls of the dead were supposed to revisit
their homes and there was a lot of nonsense about ghosts and witches,
hobgoblins, fairies and demons roaming around. They used to light huge
bonfires to frighten away evil spirits. It was before people heard about Jesus.
Peter So you know about Jesus?
Alasdair Do you?
Peter Just a bit. He is my Lord and Master.
Morag Well that’s very good. Far too few people know about Jesus these days. He’s
the one who put the evil spirits in their place and whom they call the Son of
God. Thus the ancient customs have now become child’s play like trick or
treat.
Peter Ah, trick or treat, that’s what Andrew was on about. How does it work?
Morag Well, it’s about good and evil. Long ago Moses gave people a choice. He told
them: ‘See I have set before you this day life and good, death and evil.
Choose life.’ We still have that choice between the trickery of evil and the
reward that goodness brings. It’s a case of trick or treat.
Alasdair If you’re wise you’ll ask for a treat. They might sing you a wee song or
something. Otherwise it might be something nasty!
Morag It’s all a bit of fun to remind us of serious things as we prepare for All Saint’s
Day and give thanks for those who, in the power of Jesus, have overcome
evil with good. We call them the saints in heaven. Some are quite famous like
Peter – the real Peter I mean – and others are our own loved ones who have
gone before us for whom we give thanks on All Saints’ Day. They’re all
around us, especially in our worship.
Alasdair How would you like to come to our Hallowe’en Party?
Peter Thanks so much, but I’ve got to get back now. I hope you have a heavenly
party!
THE END
Murdoch MacKenzie
Peter Eh, Jesus!
Jesus Yes, Peter!
Peter Have you ever heard of a place called Scotland?
Jesus Maybe I have, I think it’s away beyond Jerusalem, Judaea and Samaria.
Peter Perhaps it’s in the uttermost parts of the earth.
Jesus You’re probably right Peter. That’s where it will be. Why did you ask me?
Peter Funny people in Scotland.
Jesus There are funny people everywhere Peter, even in Jerusalem. What’s so funny
about Scotland?
Peter Well, my brother Andrew is the Patron Saint there.
Jesus I thought he was the Patron Saint of Greece.
Peter He’s that also. They keep him pretty busy you know. But he was telling me
about Scotland, how gangs of wee boys and girls go roaming around the
streets knocking on people’s doors and shouting: ‘Trick or Treat!’
Jesus Is that what they do on St Andrew’s Night?
Peter No. They do it on Hallowe’en.
Jesus Hallow what?
Peter Hallowe’en. It means the night before All Saints’ Day on November 1st.
‘Hallow’ – it’s not a real language like Hebrew. They do it from left to right.
Jesus That’s amazing! Front to back!
Peter Yes. It’s called English and ‘Hallow’ is old English, like they spoke when that
chap Henry was around, you know ‘the eighth’, the one who started a new
branch of your Church. Well in those days ‘Hallow’ meant ‘Holy’ like in the
prayer you gave us once. You remember: ‘Hallowed be Thy name.’
Jesus O, yes, I remember, they say it every day, or at least every Sunday in church.
But what’s all this got to do with All Saint’s Day?
Peter Well, hallow means holy and holy is what saints are.
Jesus Ah, now I get it. So it’s a holy night before All Saints’ Day.
Peter That’s it. You got it in one…or…not quite in one.
Jesus But what’s that got to do with this trick or treat business?
Peter I’m not sure but I’ll go down there and find out.
ACT TWO
Somewhere in Argyll outside a cottage door
Peter (knocking)
Alasdair Well, well and who are you, knocking at this time of night?
Peter My name’s Peter. Can I come in?
Alasdair Yes, come away in. Can we offer you some Highland hospitality? A wee dram
perhaps?
Peter And what might that be?
Alasdair Some whisky. It’s a drink.
Peter No thank you I only drink wine. What I want to ask you is whether you
know anything about Hallowe’en?
Alasdair I know it’s on 31st October but I don’t know that much about it. My sister
will know. She’s a dab hand at all that kind of thing – very religious you
know. (Shouting) Are you there Morag? (Enter Morag) There you are now.
Can you tell this gentleman about Hallowe’en?
Morag And what would you be wanting to know?
Peter My brother, who is very fond of Scotland, has told me about something called
‘trick or treat?’ and my Master and I are curious to know more about it. So
I’ve come to find out.
Morag Well it’s a long story but I’ll keep it short. For our Celtic ancestors the 31st
October was the time when they returned with their herds from the Sheilings
in the high mountain pastures. The 1st November was the beginning of the
New Year when land tenures and other things were renewed. They also
thought it was the time when the souls of the dead were supposed to revisit
their homes and there was a lot of nonsense about ghosts and witches,
hobgoblins, fairies and demons roaming around. They used to light huge
bonfires to frighten away evil spirits. It was before people heard about Jesus.
Peter So you know about Jesus?
Alasdair Do you?
Peter Just a bit. He is my Lord and Master.
Morag Well that’s very good. Far too few people know about Jesus these days. He’s
the one who put the evil spirits in their place and whom they call the Son of
God. Thus the ancient customs have now become child’s play like trick or
treat.
Peter Ah, trick or treat, that’s what Andrew was on about. How does it work?
Morag Well, it’s about good and evil. Long ago Moses gave people a choice. He told
them: ‘See I have set before you this day life and good, death and evil.
Choose life.’ We still have that choice between the trickery of evil and the
reward that goodness brings. It’s a case of trick or treat.
Alasdair If you’re wise you’ll ask for a treat. They might sing you a wee song or
something. Otherwise it might be something nasty!
Morag It’s all a bit of fun to remind us of serious things as we prepare for All Saint’s
Day and give thanks for those who, in the power of Jesus, have overcome
evil with good. We call them the saints in heaven. Some are quite famous like
Peter – the real Peter I mean – and others are our own loved ones who have
gone before us for whom we give thanks on All Saints’ Day. They’re all
around us, especially in our worship.
Alasdair How would you like to come to our Hallowe’en Party?
Peter Thanks so much, but I’ve got to get back now. I hope you have a heavenly
party!
THE END
Murdoch MacKenzie
