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This Collection of his Writings and Photographs is a Memorial
​to the Life and Work of Murdoch MacKenzie              
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

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
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