Wolfgang Maria Bauer

Poor Abeku! For years the lion has lived in the local zoo and has had to pose for photos. Abeku knows every square metre and every bar of his enclosure. Nothing happens - it is always the same routine. Fences, bars and lock. Whenever he can hardly stand it in the zoo, he thinks back to his home - to the horizon and the freedom - when he was still dashing through the South African savannah with the lioness Elisa. An unplanned life together with Elisa is what Abeku wishes for more than anything else. All just a dream, nothing more. After all, who wants to free a lion and help him on his journey to South Africa?
That would have to be a pretty crazy guy, wouldn't it? Enter:Sparrow. One day, when the feathered chatterbox lands in Abeku's enclosure, sparrow spontaneously decides to help the lion. The keys are stolen off the keeper and the journey can begin. What Sparrow did not foresee is what a huge chaos a full-grown lion can cause in the local fauna.

The animal world panics when Abeku suddenly roams through forests and meadows. Hares, bees, badgers, pigs - everyone is on the alert. The journey is endless and you cannot rely on the help of the local animals. The travel adventure seems to end even before it has really begun. But when everything seems hopeless, Abeku and Sparrow meet the little Wolperdinger - a legendary animal figure! Can the little wolperdinger help them on their journey? Will Abeku ever see Elisa and his home again? And what about the keeper from whom the sparrow stole the keys to the enclosure? A real mess all this.

Wolfgang Maria Bauer's children's play is a turbulent and fast-paced animal adventure. A fable-like story about friendship and tolerance.