Goat-Donkey and the Christmas Story
A children's Christmas play...
‘Come they told me, pa rum pa pum pum
A new-born King to see pa rum pa pum pum’
The little children singing this beautiful carol were singing it with all the innocence and sincerity that only little children can bring to it. They were in the age group 6 to 8 years, and were dressed like little angels. Sounded like the angels too! Of course since they spotted their parents in the auditorium, they wanted to attract their attention, so periodically you would see a little hand waving! The choir mistress would frown and quickly the little hand would go down and a smile would slowly spread over the little angel’s face as he/she saw her parents now looking at him/her, and at him/her alone!!
The narrator started on the Story of Christmas. The curtain opened to show a room in a house. Mary and Joseph were getting ready to go to Bethlehem, where Joseph’s family home was. There was to be a census and Joseph had to register his family there. Mary was to travel on a donkey. Joseph went off stage to get the donkey. A few minutes passed. The music teacher played the chord that signaled to Joseph that he should come back now. No Joseph no donkey! So she repeated the music and played the chord again. Still no Joseph, no donkey! Joseph and the donkey were just not coming on to the stage…what was happening? The music had to be repeated, and then repeated again.
Backstage, though was another drama…..the little child who was to be the donkey had not come to school. Panic…what was to be done? The teachers grabbed the little goat and quickly began working on him, converting him into a rather curious-looking, horned donkey, much to the goat’s consternation!!!! This was not his part!!! This was not what he had practiced for!!! And he had never had reins on him to be pulled at!!!! Just what was happening????? He tried to voice his apprehensions, but the teacher just patted him on the head and told him to be a good donkey and that this was a very important role he was helping fill in. The goat-donkey was not very convinced.
‘But how will Mummy know it is me? She will look out for me only when the shepherds come innnnnnn…’, he started wailing.
‘Don’t worry, we’ll tell your Mummy. She will recognize you’, went the teacher in panic…you just go on and do as Joseph tells you.
‘Are you sure Mummy will see me??’
‘Yes, yes she will. Now just go…Mary is waiting for you’.
Meantime, Joseph was hopping on one foot. He could hear his cue coming over and over…Finally, little goat-donkey allowed himself to be pulled by the reins and taken onto the stage. Frantically he looked around for his mother. Joseph whispered to him that as soon as he brought Mary close, he should start walking around the stage. Mary came and stood on one side and Joseph stood beside her. ‘Walk’, went Joseph giving goat-donkey a nudge. And so goat-donkey started the long walk to Bethlehem. They were to take 2 rounds of the stage and reach a point which was the inn. Joseph was to talk to the innkeeper, and then lead Mary and the donkey off the stage. But goat-donkey had not been trained for this, so round and round and round the stage he went, and round and round went Mary and Joseph. The choir mistress and music teacher made all kinds of signs, and sounds, and Joseph kept nudging him, but little goat-donkey had quite got into his role, and kept trotting around the stage. Finally when nothing else worked, the teacher put her hand out and grabbed little goat-donkey by his horn-ears and pulled him in. ‘Yow!! You’re hurting me’. ‘Shhhhh’ went everyone else.
Joseph talked to the innkeeper, and he and Mary went off the stage to get ready for the stable scene.
Meanwhile, goat-donkey had to be changed back to goat – so the teachers worked on him while the narrator continued with the story.
When the narrator announced the entry of the shepherds, little goat-to-donkey-now-back-to-goat, happily trotted onto the stage with the other goats and sheep. Happiness! And relief!! Now he knew his part and what he was supposed to do. ‘While shepherds watched their flock by night’ went off like a dream. Even the ‘shining throng of all the naughty-ones-morphed-into-angels’ did their part splendidly. They all trooped off backstage, ready to come back on for the stable scene. Shepherds, goat, sheep and angels were in their element. Teacher told them they had done very well!
‘O little town of Bethlehem’, and the curtains opened onto the stable scene. Mary, Joseph, and Baby Jesus in the manger were center stage. The naughty kids-turned-angels glided in with beatific looks on their tiny faces and joined palms, and formed a large semicircle around them. The shepherds came in with their sheep and goats, and the teachers told the shepherds to give little goat-donkey-goat pride of place since he had been so helpful!
Some movement at the back of the auditorium signaled the entry of the Wise Men. To the strains of ‘We three kings’, they walked ponderously down the aisle of the auditorium, following the moving star, holding their gifts up high, and surreptitiously checking to see if their families were looking at them. They reached the stage steps. Gold went up. Frankincense followed, carefully lifting his gown. But Myrrh, in his hurry to get onto the stage stepped on Frankincense’s robe and down went Frankincense with his gift flying off straight across the stage. He wailed, ’Ma’am, see what Ayush has done’. The teacher yanked Myrrh down. He yelped in pain, ‘Ma’aaaaam’. Somehow the teacher righted Frankincense, patted him and sent him on. Frankincense knew that his gift had to be given to Baby Jesus, so he got his gift, dusted it off, and put it at the foot of the manger. Meanwhile Myrrh got a good shaking from the teacher, and then just as the corners of his mouth turned down to cry, the teacher quickly gave him a hug, told him he was a sweetheart and to quickly now get on to the stage and do his part. Corners of the mouth went up again, and he gave Baby Jesus his gift happily and proudly!!
‘Silent Night, Holy Night’ brought with it all the serenity, peace and love of Christmas. The angels’ voices soared, and the voices of the children on the stage joined in, making it a wonderfully spiritual experience. Christmas was real once again.
Backstage, the teachers collapsed with relief. The little voices singing in all their innocence and sweetness filled their hearts and made the whole experience worthwhile. They too joined in ‘Christ the Savior is born, Christ the Savior is born’.
A new-born King to see pa rum pa pum pum’
The little children singing this beautiful carol were singing it with all the innocence and sincerity that only little children can bring to it. They were in the age group 6 to 8 years, and were dressed like little angels. Sounded like the angels too! Of course since they spotted their parents in the auditorium, they wanted to attract their attention, so periodically you would see a little hand waving! The choir mistress would frown and quickly the little hand would go down and a smile would slowly spread over the little angel’s face as he/she saw her parents now looking at him/her, and at him/her alone!!
The narrator started on the Story of Christmas. The curtain opened to show a room in a house. Mary and Joseph were getting ready to go to Bethlehem, where Joseph’s family home was. There was to be a census and Joseph had to register his family there. Mary was to travel on a donkey. Joseph went off stage to get the donkey. A few minutes passed. The music teacher played the chord that signaled to Joseph that he should come back now. No Joseph no donkey! So she repeated the music and played the chord again. Still no Joseph, no donkey! Joseph and the donkey were just not coming on to the stage…what was happening? The music had to be repeated, and then repeated again.
Backstage, though was another drama…..the little child who was to be the donkey had not come to school. Panic…what was to be done? The teachers grabbed the little goat and quickly began working on him, converting him into a rather curious-looking, horned donkey, much to the goat’s consternation!!!! This was not his part!!! This was not what he had practiced for!!! And he had never had reins on him to be pulled at!!!! Just what was happening????? He tried to voice his apprehensions, but the teacher just patted him on the head and told him to be a good donkey and that this was a very important role he was helping fill in. The goat-donkey was not very convinced.
‘But how will Mummy know it is me? She will look out for me only when the shepherds come innnnnnn…’, he started wailing.
‘Don’t worry, we’ll tell your Mummy. She will recognize you’, went the teacher in panic…you just go on and do as Joseph tells you.
‘Are you sure Mummy will see me??’
‘Yes, yes she will. Now just go…Mary is waiting for you’.
Meantime, Joseph was hopping on one foot. He could hear his cue coming over and over…Finally, little goat-donkey allowed himself to be pulled by the reins and taken onto the stage. Frantically he looked around for his mother. Joseph whispered to him that as soon as he brought Mary close, he should start walking around the stage. Mary came and stood on one side and Joseph stood beside her. ‘Walk’, went Joseph giving goat-donkey a nudge. And so goat-donkey started the long walk to Bethlehem. They were to take 2 rounds of the stage and reach a point which was the inn. Joseph was to talk to the innkeeper, and then lead Mary and the donkey off the stage. But goat-donkey had not been trained for this, so round and round and round the stage he went, and round and round went Mary and Joseph. The choir mistress and music teacher made all kinds of signs, and sounds, and Joseph kept nudging him, but little goat-donkey had quite got into his role, and kept trotting around the stage. Finally when nothing else worked, the teacher put her hand out and grabbed little goat-donkey by his horn-ears and pulled him in. ‘Yow!! You’re hurting me’. ‘Shhhhh’ went everyone else.
Joseph talked to the innkeeper, and he and Mary went off the stage to get ready for the stable scene.
Meanwhile, goat-donkey had to be changed back to goat – so the teachers worked on him while the narrator continued with the story.
When the narrator announced the entry of the shepherds, little goat-to-donkey-now-back-to-goat, happily trotted onto the stage with the other goats and sheep. Happiness! And relief!! Now he knew his part and what he was supposed to do. ‘While shepherds watched their flock by night’ went off like a dream. Even the ‘shining throng of all the naughty-ones-morphed-into-angels’ did their part splendidly. They all trooped off backstage, ready to come back on for the stable scene. Shepherds, goat, sheep and angels were in their element. Teacher told them they had done very well!
‘O little town of Bethlehem’, and the curtains opened onto the stable scene. Mary, Joseph, and Baby Jesus in the manger were center stage. The naughty kids-turned-angels glided in with beatific looks on their tiny faces and joined palms, and formed a large semicircle around them. The shepherds came in with their sheep and goats, and the teachers told the shepherds to give little goat-donkey-goat pride of place since he had been so helpful!
Some movement at the back of the auditorium signaled the entry of the Wise Men. To the strains of ‘We three kings’, they walked ponderously down the aisle of the auditorium, following the moving star, holding their gifts up high, and surreptitiously checking to see if their families were looking at them. They reached the stage steps. Gold went up. Frankincense followed, carefully lifting his gown. But Myrrh, in his hurry to get onto the stage stepped on Frankincense’s robe and down went Frankincense with his gift flying off straight across the stage. He wailed, ’Ma’am, see what Ayush has done’. The teacher yanked Myrrh down. He yelped in pain, ‘Ma’aaaaam’. Somehow the teacher righted Frankincense, patted him and sent him on. Frankincense knew that his gift had to be given to Baby Jesus, so he got his gift, dusted it off, and put it at the foot of the manger. Meanwhile Myrrh got a good shaking from the teacher, and then just as the corners of his mouth turned down to cry, the teacher quickly gave him a hug, told him he was a sweetheart and to quickly now get on to the stage and do his part. Corners of the mouth went up again, and he gave Baby Jesus his gift happily and proudly!!
‘Silent Night, Holy Night’ brought with it all the serenity, peace and love of Christmas. The angels’ voices soared, and the voices of the children on the stage joined in, making it a wonderfully spiritual experience. Christmas was real once again.
Backstage, the teachers collapsed with relief. The little voices singing in all their innocence and sweetness filled their hearts and made the whole experience worthwhile. They too joined in ‘Christ the Savior is born, Christ the Savior is born’.
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