The crib straw

 

 

Christmas play based on the eponymous tale by Noemia Kuester Pisari Gerulis.

by Ruth Salles

The children only sing at the end of the piece, with music in a pentatonic scale.

CHARACTERS: Straw, Rain, Sun, Wind, Pigeon, Ant, Bee, Snake, Leaf, River, Swallow (each of these characters must be represented by a group of two or three children); Estrela, José, Maria, the Ox, the Donkey, the Choir. The choir may consist of children who are not on stage at the moment.

NOTE: The colors of the characters' robes must be according to each one. For example, the yellow-robed Sun; the Straw, beige; the River, blue; the Serpent and the Leaf, green; and so on as per the teacher's imagination.

CHOIR
(while the rain and the sun pass, with gestures, and the wind, with breath):
- Once upon a time, one day,
a small straw,
very silky and very soft,
who roamed in the fields.
With the rain she got wet,
but the sun soon dried it up,
and had the help of the wind,
that blew and blew.

STRAW (when seeing the pigeon pass):
- Hey, my friend Pigeon!
Where are you going
flying so happy
and so fast too?
Where are you going?

Pigeon:
- I go where everyone goes,
to see the Boy King
who will be born in Bethlehem:
Jesus, Son of God the Father!

STRAW:
- The Blessed Child,
by whom was everything created?!
oh i want to see it too
this King when he is born!
I'll roll across the grass,
I will fly on the wings of the wind.
If the time has come,
I don't want to waste any more time!
(when he sees the ants passing by on all fours on the ground, he calls out):
– Ant, Ant!

ANT:
– Who is calling me at this hour?

STRAW:
- It's Straw, Ant!
I beg you, my friend,
take me on your back
very quickly, without delay!

ANT:
– Why, Straw? Why
in such a hurry all of a sudden?
Where are you going!

STRAW:
- I go where everyone goes,
to see the Boy King
who will be born in Bethlehem:
Jesus, Son of God the Father.

ANT:
– Straw, what we do
it's already heavy work.
We take cut leaves
which, after being well guarded,
give us a mold that we eat.
But if you want help
on such an important mission,
let's load you
for a little further…
(calls the other ants):
- Come on, come on, little ants,
load this straw!

STRAW:
– Thank you so much, Formiga!
(she rides the ant and they walk)

ANT:
- You're welcome, my friend!
(they walk with the straw)
Look, we don't have a gift
to give to the Little Child,
but take our work
and give it to her, Straw!

STRAW (going down further):
- Leave it to me. I do not forget,
your valuable work
priceless! (looks around):
- I hear a river murmuring
and some bees flying!
(she calls a bee, and they stop, buzzing):
– Bee, help me now
and take me on your back,
very quickly, without delay,
to the river that passes!

BEE:
- I'm having fun!
Why, Palhinha, why
in such a hurry all of a sudden?
Where are you going?

STRAW:
- I go where everyone goes,
to see the Boy King
who will be born in Bethlehem:
Jesus, Son of God the Father!

BEE:
- I'll take you to the river,
and for him you go.
But... I'm slippery...
And as soon as I take off,
you will slip
at the time of the wind.
Look, pass my back
this beehive wax.
(putting a ball of wax in the hands of the straw)
It sticks like glue.

STRAW
(after passing the wax and mounting on the bee):
– Bee, what a good idea!
we can go up now
and fly in the blue of the sky!

BEE (hands a honeycomb to the straw):
– Straw, take it to the Boy
our honey as a gift!
(the bees keep buzzing)

CHORUS (while what he says happens):
- But the sun was hot,
and the wax melted.
Good thing the river was close,
because of the bee's back
the straw slipped
and in the sand he found himself.

STRAW
- Goodbye, Bee! Thanks!
I'm already close to the water!

CHOIR
(while the green snake passes and things happen):
- The snake snakes,
moves the tail and moves the sand;
go to the sand and move the straw,
the straw goes and falls on the leaf,
that swam in the water.

STRAW
(riding on the leaf, which follows the river that comes passing):
- Thank you so much, Serpent,
for pushing me!
- Thank you very much, Leaf.
for carrying me!
- Thank you very much, Rio.
for taking us!
i need so much
arrive... arrive...

RIVER:
- I know very well
where are you going.
Go to Bethlehem
see the Boy King,
Son of God the Father!

STRAW:
- That's right.
I just do not know when…

LEAF:
– Well, pay attention!
We're already there.
jump real high
and fall to the ground!

STRAW (jumping):
- Farewell, Rio Jolly!
- Farewell, Light Leaf!
See you soon! I'm going!

LEAF:
– Take it to the Boy, as a gift
the joy that the leaf feels
for being the plant he created!

RIVER:
– Take the Child, the King of Peace,
the buzz that Rio makes!

STRAW:
- I see a cave nearby.
Night is coming.
And right at the top of the cave
I see a shining star!
(she spots the swallow and calls out):
– O Swallow, Swallow,
that flies so much during the day
as well as in the evening,
take me some in your beak!

SWALLOW:
– But where are you going?

STRAW:
– I will see the Boy King:
Jesus, Son of God the Father!

SWALLOW:
- It's already dark, Straw.
I must return to the nest.

STRAW:
- But just a little
for me to arrive...

SWALLOW (pulling the straw):
- It's ok.
But take the Child Jesus,
my gift of joy
for knowing how to fly, fly:
the black feather of the night
and the white feather of the day!

CHORUS (while he speaks, everything is happening):
– The straw then came down
right at the entrance to the cave,
right when he was born
Jesus the King and Lord.
Jose looked around
and lined the manger
with the soft straw,
and then lay in it
the holy Child.

CHORUS (sings):
“The straw delivered
the goodies:
ant work,
bee honey,
leaf joy,
the gurgle of the river,
the two feathers
of the swallow.
The star shines with so much light!
Underneath it, everything glitters:
the cave, the straw, the ox, the donkey,
Joseph and Mary, Jesus! Jesus!"