The central section of the scenery shows a meadow with flowers and trees. Colourfully shimmering dewdrops are visible on the tall blades of grass. A nightingale sits on a tree. The scenery to stage left shows a lake with fish leaping out of the water. The scenery to stage right shows an albatross flying across the sea. There is a shooting star in the sky. Five narrators sit in front of the set.

Narrator 1:        Once upon a time there was a little hedgehog. His name was Hector.

Narrator 2:        One morning he went for a walk in the meadow.

Hector Hedgehog comes on stage and walks up and down sniffing the flowers in the meadow. Then after he had sat down to study a flower, lost in thought, a fairy appeared to him. The Day Fairy appears to music. She dances and then stops in front of Hector Hedgehog.

Day Fairy:        Good morning, Hector Hedgehog.

Hector Hedgehog:    Good morning. Who are you?

Day Fairy:        I am a Day Fairy from Fairyland.

Hector Hedgehog:    Oh, I would love to see Fairyland one day. Could you take me there, Day Fairy?

Day Fairy:        Yes, Hector Hedgehog, I think I could. Come on, we’ll go!

She takes him by both hands and they spin round slowly while some music plays, ending centre stage.

Day Fairy:        Can you see the dewdrops in the meadow, Hector Hedgehog?

Hector Hedgehog:    Yes, it looks as if the meadow were covered with thousands of gems.

Day Fairy:    And do you know why the dewdrops look so beautiful, Hector Hedgehog?

Hector Hedgehog:    After a clear night there is often dew in the meadow. I know that. But I don’t know why it looks so beautiful, no.

Day Fairy:    The dewdrops look so beautiful because they are really the tears of stars. Would you like to hear why that is so, Hector Hedgehog?

Hector Hedgehog:    Oh yes, please tell me Day Fairy.

Day Fairy:        I’ll tell you. Once upon a time, there was a big white albatross.

The albatross comes on stage and some music plays. He flies several times from one side to the other and then stops stage right.

Narrator 3:    During his long and distant flights across the sea he fell in love with a bright star in the constellation of Andromeda.

Narrator 4:    The star also loved the albatross very much. She guided him on his flights. She encouraged him when he was in danger due to a storm. And she comforted him when he was feeling lonely.

Narrator 5:    The love of the albatross became stronger and stronger. And so he decided one night to fly to his beloved star.

Narrator 1:    He collected all his strength and his courage. He went up in the air and went higher and higher up into the sky. Much higher than any bird had ever flown before. But he couldn’t get any nearer to his star.
                    The albatross flies through the audience while music plays. Then                     he collapses on the edge of the stage.
Eventually his strength failed and, disappointed, he returned to earth. 

Narrator 2:    The star saw all this and was also sad. She missed the albatross deeply. Now she too gathered all her courage, and, turning herself into a shooting star, she left her constellation and went down to earth!

A shooting star enters from behind the audience, swinging a bright torch in each hand.

Narrator 3:    As she came nearer to the earth, she shone brighter and brighter. So bright, that she nearly outshone the moon. But then she broke into a thousand pieces that burned out as they fell to earth.

She dashes through to the stage, and leaves stage left. The albatross leaves stage right.

Day Fairy:    The other stars saw all of this and they cried. During clear nights their tears fall down to earth and you can see them as dewdrops on the grass and flowers.

Hector Hedgehog:    Now I know why the dew in the meadow looks so beautiful.

Day Fairy:        Come on, we’ll go further, Hector Hedgehog.

They spin round slowly to the scenery stage left.

Hector Hedgehog:    There is the lake where I often go for a walk.

Day Fairy:    Look how the fish leap out of the water. Do you know why they look so joyful when they do that, Hector Hedgehog?

Hector Hedgehog:    No, I don’t know. Please tell me.

....

Photos of a production: