,,the ,,dramatization ,,of ,,bible      
,,stories     ,,the ,,university ,,of   
,,chicago ,,press ,,chicago1 ,,illinois 
,,the ,,baker  ,,taylor ,,company ,,new 
,,york  ,,the ,,cambridge ,,university  
,,press ,,london  ,,the                 
,,maruzen-,,kabushiki-,,kaisha ,,tokyo1 
,,osaka1 ,,kyoto1 ,,fukuoka1 ,,sendai   
,illustration3 ,a ,,shepherd     ,,the  
,,dramatization ,,of ,,bible ,,stories  
,,an ,,experiment ,,in ,,the ,,religious
 ,,education ,,of ,,children  ,by       
,,elizabeth ,,erwin ,,miller            
7,elizabeth ,miller ,lobingier7         
,illustration  ,,the ,,university ,,of  
,,chicago ,,press ,,chicago1 ,,illinois 
,,copyright #aiah ,,by ,,the            
,,university ,,of ,,chicago ,,all       
,,rights ,,reserved4 ,,published ,,april
 #aiah ,,sixteenth ,,impression         
,,october #aicd  ,,composed ,,and       
,,printed ,,by ,,the ,,university ,,of  
,,chicago ,,press ,,chicago1 ,,illinois1
 ,u4,s4,a4     ,,to ,,my ,,little       
,,friends1 ,,the ,,children ,,in ,,the  

,,dramatic ,,club ,,of ,,the ,,hyde     
,,park ,,church ,,of ,,disciples1 ,,this
 ,,book ,,is ,,lovingly ,,dedicated     
,,general ,,preface   ,the progress in  
religious education in the last few     
years has been highly encouraging4 ,the 
subject has attained something of a     
status as a scientific study1 and       
significant investigative and           
experimental work has been done4 ,more  
than that1 trained men and women in     
increasing numbers have been devoting   
themselves to the endeavor to work out  
in churches and ,sunday schools the     
practical problems of organization and  
method4  ,it would seem that the time   
has come to present to the large body of
 workers in the field of religious      
education some of the results of the    
studies and practice of those who have  
attained a measure of educational       
success4 ,with this end in view the     
present series of books on ,principles  
and ,methods of ,religious ,education   
has been undertaken4  ,it is intended   

that these books1 while thoroughly      
scientific in character1 shall be at the
 same time popular in presentation1 so  
that they may be available to           
,sunday-school and church workers       
everywhere4 ,the endeavor is definitely 
made to take into account the small     
school with meager equipment1 as well as
 to hold before the larger schools the  
ideals of equipment and training4  ,the 
series is planned to meet as far as     
possible all the problems that arise in 
the conduct of the educational work of  
the church4 ,while the ,sunday school1  
therefore1 is considered as the basal   
organization for this purpose1 the wider
 educational work of the pastor himself 
and that of the various other church    
organizations receive due consideration 
as parts of a unified system of         
education in morals and religion4       
,,the ,,editors     ,,contents          
,,page  ,,list ,,of ,,illustrations     
xiii  ,,introduction ,,by ,,edward      
,,scribner ,,ames                       

#a  ,,chapter  ,i4 ,,educational ,,aims 
,,in ,,dramatization                    
#e  ,,ii4 ,,the ,,method ,,of           
,,dramatization                         
#i  ,,iii4 ,,the ,,dramatization ,,of   
,,joseph                                
#ag  ,,iv4 ,,the ,,dramatization ,,of   
,,david ,,and ,,goliath                 
#dd   ,v4 ,,the ,,dramatization ,,of    
,,moses ,,in ,,the ,,bulrushes          
#eb  ,,vi4 ,,the ,,dramatization ,,of   
,,ruth                                  
#ei  ,,vii4 ,,the ,,dramatization ,,of  
,,queen ,,esther                        
#fh  ,,viii4 ,,the ,,dramatization ,,of 
,,abraham ,,and ,,the ,,three ,,guests  
#hd  ,,ix4 ,,the ,,dramatization ,,of   
,,daniel ,,in ,,the ,,lions' ,,den      
#ic  ,x4 ,,the ,,dramatization ,,of     
,,new ,,testament ,,parables            
#ih  ,,xi4 ,,the ,,dramatic ,,qualities 
,,in ,a ,,good ,,story                  
#aji  ,,xii4 ,,bible ,,stories          
,,suitable ,,for ,,dramatization        
#aac  ,,xiii4 ,,stage ,,setting ,,and   

,,properties                            
#acj  ,,xiv4 ,,costuming                
#add  ,,xv4 ,,the ,,organization ,,of ,a
 ,,church ,,dramatic ,,club             
#aeb  ,,index                           
#afa     ,,list ,,of ,,illustrations    
,a ,,shepherd                           
,frontispiece  ,,figure                 
,,page  #a4 ,,pharaoh',s ,,court        
#db  #b4 ,a ,,scene ,,from ,,david ,,and
 ,,goliath                              
#dg  #c4 ,,esther ,,and ,,mordecai      
#gc  #d4 ,,esther ,,dances ,,before     
,,the ,,king                            
#ge  #e4 ,,the ,,king ,,holds ,,out     
,,the ,,scepter ,,to ,,esther           
#gi  #f4 ,,queen ,,esther ,,pleads ,,for
 ,,her ,,people                         
#ha  #g4 ,,the ,,three ,,guests ,,bless 
,,abraham ,,and ,,sarah                 
#hh  #h4 ,,the ,,wise ,,and ,,foolish   
,,virgins                               
#aja  #i4 ,,the ,,good ,,samaritan      
#ajd  #aj4 ,,water ,,jugs ,,and ,,other 
,,clay ,,utensils                       

#acb  #aa4 ,,woman ,,carrying ,,water   
,,jug                                   
#acc  #ab4 ,,ancient ,,wells ,,in       
,,palestine                             
#acd  #ac4 ,,ancient ,,weapons          
#ace  #ad4 ,a ,,shepherd',s ,,sling     
,,and ,,loom ,,for ,,weaving ,,sling    
#acf  #ae4 ,,sickles                    
#acg  #af4 ,,scepter                    
#ach  #ag4 ,,shields                    
#aci  #ah4 ,,trumpets                   
#adj  #ai4 ,,signet ,,ring              
#ada  #bj4 ,,lamp                       
#ada  #ba4 ,,egyptian ,,designs         
#adb  #bb4 ,,helmets ,,and ,,crowns     
#adc  #bc4 ,a ,,group ,,of ,,children1  
,,showing ,,costumes ,,and ,a ,,trumpet 
#ade  #bd4 ,,the ,,costume ,,of         
,,abraham                               
#adg  #be4 ,,two ,,kinds ,,of           
,,costumes--,,the ,,rich ,,shepherd     
,,and ,,the ,,servant      #adh  #bf4   
,,costumes ,,showing ,,sandals ,,made   
,,by ,,the ,,children                   
#adi  #bg4 ,,costumes                   

#aej     ,,introduction  ,,by ,,edward  
,,scribner ,,ames   ,this book is its   
own best commendation1 for it is a most 
convincing record of an important       
experiment in education4 ,it is the more
 interesting because it is a real       
contribution to educational method from 
the field of religious education1 which 
too often only appropriates and imitates
 what has been achieved elsewhere4      
,this experiment is founded upon the    
powerful dramatic impulse of children   
and upon the educative value of the     
natural expression of that impulse under
 the mutual self-criticism of the       
participating group4 ,the function of   
the leader has been that of an          
unobtrusive member of the group         
contributing such suggestions from a    
wider experience and deeper insight as  
would naturally elicit and guide that   
criticism4 ,that this fine art of       
teaching has been realized with unusual 
skill in this experiment will be        
apparent to the discerning readers of   

this record1 as it has been by those who
 have watched the progress of the work  
itself4  ,too much emphasis cannot be   
given to the fact that the primary aim  
of this use of dramatization is the     
education of the children and not the   
entertainment of spectators1 although1  
when such dramatization is rightly      
estimated1 nothing could be more        
genuinely entertaining4 ,those who are  
expecting to find here ready-made plays 
for children1 with directions for       
staging them1 will be properly          
disappointed1 while those who are       
seeking illustrations of vital methods  
of education through the cultivation and
 use of the dramatic impulse will be    
amply rewarded4  ,the latter will       
appreciate the frank portrayal of the   
early and cruder efforts of the children
 and their own critical reactions due to
 further reflection and experimentation4
 ,these will understand something of the
 ability and patience that ,miss ,miller
 has employed in allowing the native    

impulse to develop naturally and to     
mature through the reactions of the     
children themselves4 ,they will realize 
that the little people actually         
formulated the scenes and the lines of  
the dramas even if it required many     
weeks in some cases to do so2 that it is
 better for the actors to make their own
 costumes and stage properties1 however 
simple they may be2 that it is more     
educative for each child to be familiar 
with all of the parts1 and thus with the
 drama as a whole1 than to be coached   
ever so cleverly to impersonate a single
 character2 and that facility and power 
in dramatization are thus attained which
 are permanent sources of pleasure and  
understanding4  ,it need scarcely be    
added that the biblical stories are     
exceptionally well suited to such use   
and that when so employed they yield    
their profound religious quality        
directly in deep and lasting            
impressions4 ,the children who have been
 so fortunate as to belong to this      

dramatic club not only know these       
stories1 but they have lived them in an 
intimate and durable experience4        
,,chapter ,i  ,,educational ,,aims ,,in 
,,dramatization   ,dramatization is not 
commonly recognized as a means of       
vitalizing the religious education of   
children4 ,the public school has found  
it to be one of the most effective      
methods for enriching the pupil's ideas 
of given units of subject-matter and for
 leading to the establishment of        
permanent interests and of habitual     
modes of action4  ,the use of           
dramatization in the school in order to 
accomplish these ends finds its         
justification in certain fundamental    
principles of teaching4 ,subject-matter 
is so presented that the important ideas
 stand out clearly4 ,these ideas are    
mastered by utilizing them in some form 
of activity which leads to              
self-expression on the part of the      
children4 ,judgments are formed and     
conclusions are reached when children   

enter actively into a situation which   
presents a problem2 ideas become their  
own through experience4 ,through        
dramatization children give expression  
to these ideas in the light of their own
 interpretation4 ,the formulation of    
standards1 the placing of values1 and   
the realization of truths and ideals    
follow as direct results of actively    
entering into the life-experience of    
others4  ,from a psychological point of 
view ideas and ideals1 whether religious
 or secular1 are developed according to 
the same general laws4 ,furthermore1 the
 principles of teaching which are       
effective in the daily classroom must be
 equally significant in religious       
training4 ,it follows1 therefore1 that  
dramatization and other forms of        
self-expression are as valuable in      
attaining the aims of the ,sunday school
 as they are in teaching the curriculum 
of the day school4 ,through dramatizing 
a ,bible story children come into a     
comprehension of the life-experiences of

 a highly religious people2 they are    
forming their own standards and ideals  
through meeting and solving the simple  
life-problems of the ,hebrews4 ,each    
child has as great an opportunity for   
self-expression through dramatizing a   
,bible story as that afforded through   
dramatizing any other story4 ,he not    
only develops his individuality1 but    
through this kind of work he must       
necessarily come into the realization of
 his place within the group1 as is the  
case in all well-directed dramatization4
  ,the period is rapidly passing in     
which dramatics is looked upon by church
 members as being sinful and not in any 
way to be connected with the church4    
,this view is a relic of a conception of
 religion in which all forms of freedom 
and pleasure were considered evil4      
,people interested in religious         
education are now realizing that        
dramatization is not an activity foreign
 to children1 but that it is an         
outgrowth of the play interest which is 

natural to all children4 ,they are aware
 of the fact that dramatization becomes 
evident in the earliest stages of       
childhood through the desire of children
 to imitate in play the surrounding     
social activities4 ,many churches have  
already made use of these natural       
tendencies by incorporating organized   
play as one of their activities4 ,since 
dramatization is but a specialized form 
of organized play1 and inasmuch as it   
can be used very effectively in         
vitalizing the religious training which 
all children should receive1 it deserves
 a wider recognition and adoption4      
,this book contains a description of a  
children's dramatic club which has been 
conducted as a part of the work of the  
,sunday school of the ,hyde ,park       
,church of ,disciples1 ,chicago1        
,illinois1 for the purpose of           
accomplishing the ends stated above4    
,before this dramatic club was organized
 a small amount of dramatization was    
attempted in certain of the classes     

during the ,sunday-school period4 ,the  
enthusiastic response from the children 
to this new phase of the work revealed  
the need for more of this kind of       
activity1 and as a consequence it was   
decided to devote one hour each ,sunday 
afternoon to the dramatization of ,bible
 stories4 ,the membership of the club   
included children ranging from six to   
fourteen years of age4 ,the average     
attendance has been from twenty to      
thirty children each ,sunday throughout 
these four years of the club's          
existence4  ,this organization was      
attempted more or less as an experiment 
with the hope that definite results     
could be accomplished4 ,the practical   
problems which have arisen1 the details 
of method of procedure1 and the results 
which have been secured will be         
discussed in the following chapters4    
,several of the stories are given in the
 dramatic form which the children have  
worked out4 ,this is done for the sake  
of showing what kind of a result may be 

secured4 ,it is hoped that these plays1 
as they are written here1 will not be   
given to children to learn and act2 such
 a procedure would be entirely contrary 
to the spirit and purpose in which this 
experiment is set forth4     ,,chapter  
,,ii  ,,the ,,method ,,of               
,,dramatization   ,two very different   
aims are revealed in the present-day    
employment of dramatization4 ,children  
are often required to give a dramatic   
production at some entertainment or     
social event4 ,for this purpose a story 
is selected which has already been put  
into dramatic form4 ,the parts are      
assigned by the leader1 and the children
 are asked to memorize these parts in   
exact form and order4 ,the children are 
then trained to give their parts        
according to directions4 ,throughout the
 preparation of the play the finished   
production is the goal of endeavor4 ,in 
such instances as this the children are 
a means to an end1 and their own        
training and development are usually    

sacrificed in the leader's attempt to   
secure a highly finished product4  ,in  
contrast to the case just mentioned1    
dramatization is looked upon as an      
important educational factor in the     
development of children4 ,from this     
point of view dramatization is utilized 
in developing on the part of the child  
intense and permanent interests in the  
words and deeds of noble characters1 in 
developing power of natural expression  
in them as individuals and as members of
 a group1 and in raising standards of   
action to higher levels by giving       
forceful expression to worthy ideals4   
,these aims are realized through the use
 of informal methods which give the     
children abundant opportunity for       
initiative and choice4 ,the children    
themselves prepare their dramatization  
under the guidance of a leader who has a
 vision of the results which may be     
secured and who is skilful in directing 
the activities toward these ends4  ,the 
little dramatic club herein described   

adopted at the outset the point of view 
outlined in the preceding paragraph4    
,its organization was based on the      
belief that the development of boys and 
girls is a much more vital consideration
 than the development of a dramatic     
production4 ,throughout its history the 
chief purpose of the club has been to   
promote the growth of children through  
the free1 spontaneous dramatization of  
,bible stories4 ,in order to accomplish 
this aim1 an informal method of working 
out dramatizations has been used4 ,the  
public presentation of a play is only   
incidental to the children2 there is no 
need for them to act out a story that   
has been dramatized by someone else4    
,their aim is realized in the joy of    
actually living the story over each time
 they play it1 though this may result in
 the highest form of entertainment4     
,that children should speak lines given 
them to memorize for the sake of        
entertainment is deadly--to the child as
 well as to the audience4  ,there is    

some difference of opinion as to the    
value of the classic language of the    
,bible for children1 and many advocate  
the use of modern or simplified         
versions4 ,if1 however1 the children    
have made their own efforts to dramatize
 the story1 using first of all their own
 words1 it is easy to help them to adopt
 much of the beautiful classic language 
in putting the work into its final form4
 ,the biblical wording helps to give the
 play its proper dignity and atmosphere1
 at the same time acquainting the       
children with the exact language of a   
piece of good literature4  ,the method  
of procedure which is followed in       
leading children to work out their own  
dramatizations varies slightly according
 to circumstances but in the main is as 
follows3  ,a story is chosen by the     
leader which includes the elements      
essential for a good dramatization1 and 
it is told to the children in such a way
 that the action or events are          
emphasized4 ,direct discourse is used in

 the telling1 and an effort is made to  
develop simple and vivid mental         
pictures4 ,the children divide the story
 into its most important pictures or    
scenes4 ,they then suggest in detail    
what should take place in the first     
scene1 and some of them are asked to act
 it out as they think it should be done4
 ,this first presentation is sometimes  
stiff and more or less self-conscious4  
,the leader raises such questions as1   
,which parts did these children do best8
 ,why8 ,where can they improve it8 ,what
 would you do to make the part better8  
,what do you think should have been said
 here8 ,this leads to constructive      
criticism of the scene by the children  
themselves rather than by the leader in 
charge4 ,each child is eager to offer   
suggestions at this point and is anxious
 for an opportunity to give his own     
interpretation of the part by acting it 
out4 ,he formulates his words as he     
acts4 ,he forgets himself in the genuine
 interest which arises as he relives the

 experience of someone else4 ,each scene
 is developed in a similar manner4  ,the
 leader encourages freedom in individual
 interpretation1 yet she is ever keeping
 before the children the fact that they 
are trying to give a true portrayal of  
the characters or conditions4 ,it is    
often valuable to have a discussion of  
individual characters for the purpose of
 securing clear ideas concerning them4  
,after all have tried various parts and 
have offered many suggestions1 they may 
be led to choose that interpretation    
which seems most adequate1 or they may  
all work out the interpretation of a    
part which will involve the ideas of    
many4 ,after the story has been played  
through a few times1 each child should  
be able to assume any character4 ,it is 
an essential part of this method to see 
that every child has a different part   
each time4  ,very often1 when the play  
develops to this stage1 some one child1 
or several1 will suddenly become aware  
of repetitions in the scenes and will   

suggest that some scenes are            
unnecessary4 ,it is then the time to    
refer to the number of scenes in a good 
drama1 and to lead the children to      
realize that in any good play much is   
left to the imagination of the audience1
 and that only the essential scenes need
 be shown4 ,by means of discussions the 
play is worked over again1 and it is    
finally reduced to the three or four    
scenes that seem absolutely necessary4  
,in many instances the dramatization    
needs no further development4 ,none of  
the words have been accepted as         
definite1 for1 although the thought     
given is the same each time1 exactly the
 same words are never said twice4 ,the  
story is interpreted slightly           
differently with each performance4 ,this
 interpretation1 without obtaining a    
highly finished result1 is best for     
short stories or incidents4 ,fables and 
parables may be used well in this way4  
,the action follows continuously with   
the development of the thought4  ,in the

 case of a story which has a more       
detailed plot and which involves more   
complicated situations the development  
may go further3 the wording is carefully
 worked out by the children and the     
language of the ,bible is employed4 ,the
 words which are finally used by the    
children may be composite results       
developed by the group as a whole1 or   
after they have gone as far as they can 
with them the leader1 or a committee    
composed of several children with the   
leader1 may suggest a final form which  
is good from a literary standpoint4     
,children either volunteer or are chosen
 by the others to take finally certain  
parts4 ,there is a marked socializing   
influence evident in the fact that a    
child is chosen by the other children   
for the good of the group and not for   
self-aggrandizement or partiality toward
 a friend4 ,it is always the case after 
a few rehearsals that each child knows  
every part and can easily adapt himself 
to the part of any character4 ,there is 

no trouble about a substitute when one  
or two children fail to arrive4 ,each   
child has lived the story until it has  
become a very vital part of him4 ,the   
finished product belongs to the         
children2 they have developed it2 it is 
not the production of someone else which
 they have learned by heart4  ,at the   
final presentation of the play the      
children invite parents and friends4    
,this is not thought of as a climax     
toward which they have been working2 it 
is hardly more important than any of the
 rehearsals2 it is simply an opportunity
 for others to enjoy the story with     
them4 ,the encouragement of this        
attitude toward the public presentation 
of a play is important in that it does  
away with the self-conscious feeling of 
a child that he is acting before people1
 or that people are interested in him   
rather than in the character that he    
portrays4 ,much harm can be done by     
allowing a child to feel that he is     
showing off on a stage4  ,this mode of  

procedure in developing a dramatization 
illustrates the general method which is 
employed in order to secure the results 
herein discussed4 ,it should be helpful 
as a method which may be varied or built
 upon according to the circumstances4   
,detailed descriptions of exact modes of
 procedure in presenting different kinds
 of ,bible stories to the dramatic club 
will follow4 ,costumes and stage        
settings have always been of the        
simplest nature and will be discussed at
 length in a separate chapter4  ,in     
order that this method may be of        
greatest practical value to those who   
are unfamiliar with it1 a summary may   
give the steps in logical sequence4     
,this outline is not to be taken as     
unchangeable1 but merely as a working   
basis for the beginner4       #a4       
,select a story with care2 then adapt it
 for telling4       #b4 ,tell the story1
 emphasizing the essential parts4       
#c4 ,let the children divide the story  
into pictures or scenes4       #d4 ,have

 a discussion of what should take place 
in each      scene4       #e4 ,let      
volunteers from among the children act  
out one scene      as they think it     
should be done1 using their own words4  
#f4 ,develop criticism by the other     
children with suggestions      for      
improvement4       #g4 ,have a second   
acting of the scene for improvement4    
#h4 ,let each of the other scenes be    
worked out in the same      manner4     
#i4 ,see that every child has the chance
 to try out many parts4       #aj4 ,play
 the story through many times4 ,change  
it often      according to the          
criticism1 until the children recognize 
the      result as a product of their   
best effort4       #aa4 ,with the help  
of the children change the words into   
biblical form4       #ab4 ,let the group
 assign definite parts to be learned for
 the      final performance4            
,,chapter ,,iii  ,,the ,,dramatization  
,,of ,,joseph   ,as will be noted in the
 following chapter1 it is well in       

beginning dramatic work with children to
 use for the first efforts very simple  
stories4 ,joseph is too long and        
complicated for an early experiment4 ,we
 may begin our exposition of method with
 this story1 however1 as it illustrates 
especially well the details of the      
developing process4  ,at the first      
meeting the story was told in terms that
 followed closely the ,bible version4   
,the children were asked to select the  
big events1 or pictures1 in ,joseph's   
life4 ,they readily spoke of his life in
 ,canaan as a boy2 his being put into   
the pit and sold to the merchants2 his  
life in ,egypt with ,potiphar2 the      
prison experience and the interpretation
 of ,pharaoh's dream2 the change of     
fortune in becoming ruler of the land2  
the famine and the visits of his        
brothers2 and1 finally1 his kindness to 
his father and brothers in giving them a
 home in ,egypt4  ,the story was told to
 the children very much as follows3     
,jacob was an old man1 too old to care  

for his large flocks4      ,he sat in   
the door of his tent day after day1 and 
sent his      twelve sons off with the  
sheep and goats to find grassy          
fields4       ,now of all the twelve    
sons ,jacob loved ,joseph1 a lad of     
seventeen years1 the best4 ,joseph was  
next to the youngest      and often     
stayed with his father while the older  
brothers      went away4 ,jacob gave    
,joseph a coat of many colors and       
showed him often that he was the        
favorite4 ,this made the      older     
brothers very jealous of ,joseph1 and   
they began to      dislike him4         
,once ,joseph dreamed a dream1 which he 
told to his brothers1      and it made  
them hate him all the more4 ,he said to 
them1      ,hear1 ,i pray you1 this     
dream which ,i have dreamed3 ,behold1   
we were binding sheaves in the field1   
and1 lo1 my sheaf      arose1 and stood 
upright2 and1 behold1 your sheaves stood
      round about and bowed down to my  
sheaf4 ,then his brothers      said to  

him1 ,shalt thou indeed reign over us8  
or shalt thou      have power over us8  
,then ,joseph dreamed yet another dream1
 and he told it again      to his father
 and brothers1 and said1 ,behold1 the   
sun and      moon and the eleven stars  
bowed down to me4 ,and his father       
said unto him1 ,what is this dream that 
thou hast dreamed8      ,shall ,i and   
thy mother and thy brethren indeed come 
to bow      down ourselves to thee8 ,and
 the brothers remembered what      their
 father had said1 and they wished that  
harm might come      to ,joseph4        
,it happened soon after this that ,jacob
 sent his ten older      sons with the  
flocks to ,shechem1 a place some        
distance away      where there was good 
grass4 ,now the brothers were gone for  
so long a time that their father became 
anxious and decided      to send ,joseph
 after them4 ,he said to ,joseph1 ,do   
not thy      brethren feed the flock in 
,shechem8 ,go1 ,i pray thee1 see        
whether it be well with thy brethren and

 well with the      flocks2 and bring me
 word again4 ,so ,joseph took money and 
food in his bag1 and his staff in his   
hand1 and went out to      find his     
brothers4       ,at ,shechem there were 
no brothers to be seen4 ,joseph was     
wondering what he should do next1 when  
he saw a man coming      toward him over
 the field4 ,what seekest thou8 said the
      man4 ,and ,joseph answered1 ,i    
seek my brethren2 tell me1 ,i      pray 
thee1 where they feed their flocks4     
,they have      departed from here1 said
 the man1 and have gone to      ,dothan4
 ,then ,joseph went after his brothers  
and found them      at ,dothan4         
,now when the brothers saw ,joseph afar 
off1 they knew that it      was he from 
his coat of many colors1 and they       
plotted      against him4 ,one of them  
said1 ,behold1 this dreamer cometh4     
,come1 now1 let us slay him1 and cast   
him into some pit1 and      we will say 
unto our father that some evil beast    
hath      devoured him2 and we shall see

 what will become of his      dreams4   
,reuben1 one of the brothers1 felt more 
kindly      toward ,joseph than did the 
others and said to them1 ,let us        
not kill him1 but let us cast him into  
this pit that is      near4 ,reuben     
thought that he would come back later   
after      the brothers had gone and    
help ,joseph out of the pit and         
take him to his father4       ,when     
,joseph came to his brothers1 they      
quickly took the coat      of many      
colors from him and bound him and cast  
him into an      old well which was dry4
 ,then they sat down to eat bread4      
,they had hardly become settled when one
 of them cried out1      ,behold1 ,i see
 a caravan6 ,it is a company of         
,ishmaelites1      with their camels    
bearing spicery and balm and myrrh1     
going      down to ,egypt4 ,then ,judah 
said1 ,why do we slay our brother       
and conceal his blood8 ,come1 let us    
sell him to these      ,ishmaelites1 and
 let not our hand be upon him1 for he is

 our      brother and our flesh4 ,the   
brothers were content to do as          
,judah had said4 ,they drew ,joseph up  
out of the well1 and      when the      
,ishmaelites came near they sold him to 
them for      twenty pieces of silver4  
,and the brothers went away to kill     
a goat so that they might dip ,joseph's 
coat into the blood1      that their    
father might think that he had been     
killed by      some wild animal4        
,reuben did not know that ,joseph had   
been sold1 and returned      unto the   
pit after the brothers had left4 ,when  
he saw that      ,joseph was not there1 
he rent his clothes1 and ran after the  
others1 crying1 ,the child is not1 and  
,i1 whither shall ,i      go8       ,and
 when the brothers brought ,joseph's    
coat to their father1      they said1   
,this we have found1 thou knowest if it 
be thy      son's coat4 ,and ,jacob knew
 it1 and said1 ,it is my son's          
coat2 an evil beast hath devoured him4  
,then ,jacob put on      sackcloth and  

ashes and mourned for ,joseph many days4
       ,now the ,ishmaelites brought    
,joseph down into ,egypt and sold       
him to ,potiphar1 a captain of ,king    
,pharaoh's guard4 ,and      ,joseph was 
faithful and served the ,lord1 and      
,potiphar saw      that he could be     
trusted with great responsibility and   
made      him ruler over his household4 
,but ,potiphar's wife grew      jealous 
of ,joseph and disliked him1 and told   
,potiphar things      which were untrue 
about ,joseph4 ,after awhile ,potiphar  
began      to believe his wife and he   
decided that ,joseph was not a      good
 man1 so he had ,joseph cast into       
prison4       ,and it came to pass that 
the butler and the baker of the         
king of ,egypt were put into prison at  
the same time that      ,joseph was     
there1 and they were placed in his ward4
 ,one      morning ,joseph found them   
both very sad and he said unto          
them1 ,wherefore look ye so sadly today8
 ,and they said1 ,we      have dreamed a

 dream and there is no one to interpret 
it4      ,then ,joseph said1 ,do not    
interpretations belong to ,god8         
,tell me your dreams1 ,i pray you4 ,and 
they told him their      dreams1 and he 
gave them the meaning thereof4 ,to the  
chief      butler he said1 ,yet within  
three days shall ,pharaoh lift up       
thine head and restore thee to thy      
place4 ,but to the chief      baker he  
said1 ,yet within three days shall      
,pharaoh lift up      thy head from off 
thee1 and shall hang thee on a tree4    
,and      it came to pass that on the   
third day ,pharaoh gave a feast      to 
his servants1 and he restored the chief 
butler to his      place1 but he hanged 
the chief baker1 as ,joseph had         
interpreted4       ,at the end of two   
years ,pharaoh dreamed a dream4 ,he was 
greatly troubled1 and sent for all the  
wise men of the land      to tell him   
the meaning of his dream1 but there was 
none      that could interpret it unto  
,pharaoh4 ,then the chief butler        

spoke to the king and said1 ,i do       
remember this day1 that      when       
,pharaoh was wroth with his servants and
 put both me and      the chief baker   
into the prison1 that we each dreamed   
dreams      in one night2 and there was 
a young man there1 a ,hebrew1 who       
interpreted to us our dreams1 and they  
came to pass as he      interpreted1 for
 the chief baker was hanged and ,i was  
restored to my office4       ,then      
,pharaoh sent for ,joseph1 and they     
brought him in      hastily out of the  
dungeon4 ,and ,pharaoh said1 ,i have    
dreamed a dream1 and there is none that 
can interpret it1      and ,i have heard
 say of thee that thou canst understand 
a      dream to interpret it4 ,and      
,joseph answered ,pharaoh1 ,it is       
not in me2 ,god shall give ,pharaoh an  
answer of peace4 ,then      ,pharaoh    
said1 ,in my dream1 behold1 ,i stood    
upon the bank of      a river2 and there
 came up out of the river seven fat     
cows1      and they fed in a meadow4    

,and1 behold1 seven other cows came     
up after them1 lean and ill favored2 and
 the lean and      ill-favored cows did 
eat up the fat and well-favored cows4   
,then ,i dreamed again1 and1 behold1    
seven full ears of corn      came upon  
one stalk1 and then seven ears1 withered
 and thin1      came up after them1 and 
devoured the good ears4       ,and      
,joseph said to ,pharaoh1 ,god hath     
shewed ,pharaoh what he      is about to
 do4 ,this is the thing which he is     
about to do3      ,behold1 there will   
come seven years of plenty throughout   
the      land of ,egypt2 and there shall
 rise up after them seven      years of 
famine1 and the famine shall consume the
 land4 ,now1      therefore1 let        
,pharaoh look out a man1 discreet and   
wise1      and set him over the land of 
,egypt1 and let him gather up      all  
the food during the years of plenty and 
lay it up in the      cities1 so that   
the land shall not perish in the famine4
      ,and the thing was good in the    

eyes of ,pharaoh1 and he said1      ,can
 we find such a one as this is1 a man in
 whom the spirit      of ,god is8       
,forasmuch as ,god has shewed thee all  
this1 there      is none so discreet and
 wise as thou art2 thou shalt be over   
my house1 and according to thy word     
shall all my people be      ruled4      
,pharaoh took off his ring from his hand
 and clothed      him in fine linen and 
put a golden chain around his neck4     
,joseph went out from the presence of   
,pharaoh and went over      all the land
 of ,egypt4 ,he gathered up the food for
 seven      years1 and laid up the food 
in the cities4 ,and the seven      years
 of plenteousness that were in all the  
land of ,egypt      were ended1 and the 
seven years of famine began1 and there  
was famine in all the lands4 ,then      
,joseph opened the      storehouses and 
sold to the ,egyptians1 and other       
countries      sent to buy grain from   
,joseph because they had stored none4   
,now in ,canaan ,jacob and his eleven   

sons were suffering from      the       
famine4 ,they heard that there was food 
in ,egypt1 so      ,jacob sent down all 
the brothers1 except ,benjamin1 to buy  
food4 ,when they came before ,joseph and
 bowed themselves to      the earth1    
they knew him not4 ,but ,joseph saw his 
brothers1      and he made himself      
strange unto them1 and treated them     
roughly1 that they should not know him4 
,and when they bowed      before him    
,joseph remembered the dreams that he   
had dreamed      of them4 ,ye are spies1
 he said1 ye are come to see the        
bareness of the land4 ,they answered    
him1 ,we are true men1      we are no   
spies4 ,thy servants are twelve         
brothers1 the sons      of one man in   
,canaan2 and1 behold1 the youngest is   
this day      with our father1 and one  
is not4 ,hereby ye shall be      proved1
 said ,joseph1 if ye be true men2 let   
one of your      brethren be bound in   
the prison while ye go and carry grain  
to your father's house1 but bring back  

your youngest brother      to me4       
,the brothers took the food back to     
,canaan1 to their father's      tent1   
and told him what the ruler in ,egypt   
had said4 ,jacob      mourned and was   
loath to let ,benjamin1 his youngest    
son1 go      back to ,egypt with them4  
,my son shall not go down with      you1
 he said2 for his brother is dead and he
 is left      alone3 if mischief befall 
him1 then shall ye bring down my        
gray hairs with sorrow to the grave4    
,but the famine was      great in the   
land1 and they had eaten up all the     
grain which      they brought from      
,egypt4 ,the brothers would not go down 
again until ,jacob had consented to let 
them take ,benjamin      with them4 ,and
 ,judah said unto his father1 ,send the 
lad      with me and we will rise and   
go1 that we may live and not      die4  
,i will be surety for him2 if ,i bring  
him not back unto      thee1 then let me
 bear the blame forever4 ,then ,jacob   
answered1 ,if it must be so1 do this3   

take the best of the      fruits in the 
land1 and carry down the man a present1 
a      little balm1 and a little honey1 
spices1 and myrrh1 nuts1      and       
almonds and take double money1 and take 
also your      brother1 and arise and go
 unto the man2 and ,god ,almighty       
give you mercy before the man1 that he  
may send you away      with your other  
brother and ,benjamin4       ,and the   
men took the present and double the     
money and      ,benjamin1 and went down 
into ,egypt1 and stood before ,joseph4  
,when ,joseph saw ,benjamin1 he ordered 
that the men be brought      to his     
home1 and that a feast be made ready1   
and that the      other brother be      
brought out of the prison4 ,but the men 
were      afraid because they were      
brought into ,joseph's home1 and        
they bowed themselves to the earth      
before him and presented      their     
gifts4 ,then ,joseph was greatly moved  
and said unto      them1 ,is your father
 well1 the old man of whom ye spake8 ,is

      he yet alive8 ,and they answered1 
,thy servant1 our father1      is in    
good health2 he is yet alive4 ,and they 
bowed down      their heads4 ,then      
,joseph lifted up his eyes and saw      
,benjamin1 his mother's youngest son1   
and said1 ,is this your      younger    
brother of whom ye spake unto me8 ,and  
he said to      ,benjamin1 ,god be      
gracious unto thee1 my son4 ,joseph was 
so      overcome by his love for        
,benjamin that he hastened out of       
the room where he could weep alone4 ,and
 he washed his face      and composed   
himself and commanded that the food be  
served4      ,they all ate and were     
merry1 and ,joseph helped ,benjamin to  
five times as much as he did the others4
       ,then ,joseph commanded the      
steward to fill the men's sacks         
with food1 and to put each man's money  
back into his sack1      and to put his 
silver cup into the sack of the         
youngest4 ,as      soon as the morning  
was light the men were sent away4 ,and  

when they were gone out of the city and 
were not yet far      off1 ,joseph sent 
a servant after them to search their    
sacks      for his silver drinking-cup1 
and he sent word that the one      who  
had it should be brought back to him4   
,now the brothers were greatly          
distressed and protested that      they 
knew nothing of the cup4 ,what was their
 astonishment at      finding their     
money in their sacks and the cup in     
,benjamin's      sack6 ,then they rent  
their clothes and returned to the city4 
,and ,judah came to ,joseph and fell on 
the ground and said1      ,what shall we
 say unto my lord8 or how shall we clear
      ourselves8 ,god hath found out our
 sin1 behold we are my      lord's      
servants4 ,then ,joseph said1 ,get up   
and go in peace      unto thy father2 ,i
 shall keep for my servant only the man 
in      whose sack the cup was found4   
,and ,judah came near to ,joseph        
and besought him that he allow ,benjamin
 to return to their      father2 he told

 him that he had promised his father to 
bring      the lad back safely1 and that
 it would kill the old man if      they 
returned without ,benjamin4 ,now        
therefore1 ,i pray      thee1 let thy   
servant abide as a bondman1 instead of  
the      lad4 ,then ,joseph could not   
refrain himself1 and he wept      before
 his brothers and made himself known to 
them4 ,i am      ,joseph1 do ye not know
 me8 ,is my father yet alive8 ,and the  
brothers were troubled1 and they did not
 know how to answer      him4 ,come     
near1 ,i pray you4 ,and they came near1 
and he      said again1 ,i am ,joseph1  
your brother1 whom ye sold into         
,egypt4 ,now be not grieved nor angry   
with yourselves that ye      sold me    
hither1 for ,god did send me before you 
to preserve      your lives4 ,haste ye1 
go up to my father1 and tell him that   
,joseph1 his son1 still liveth1 and     
bring him down unto me4      ,and       
,joseph fell upon ,benjamin's neck and  
kissed him1 and he      kissed all his  

brothers1 and they were astonished1 for 
they      knew now that this was ,joseph
 whom they had sold4       ,now the word
 was spread over ,pharaoh's house that  
,joseph's      brethren had come1 and it
 pleased ,pharaoh greatly4 ,he came     
in where they were and said unto        
,joseph1 ,this do ye3 ,say to      your 
brethren that they are commanded to go  
back into      ,canaan1 and to pack all 
their household goods1 and to bring     
their father and their families1 and all
 their flocks1 and      to return into  
the land of ,egypt1 for all the good of 
the      land shall be theirs4          
,then the brothers were joyful1 and gave
 thanks unto ,pharaoh      and to their 
brother1 ,joseph1 and they left the city
 to go      back to their father4 ,and  
when they came unto ,jacob and told     
him all1 and showed him the wagons which
 ,joseph had sent to      bring him down
 into ,egypt1 his soul rejoiced1 and he 
said1      ,it is enough2 ,joseph1 my   
son1 is still alive3 ,i will go and     

see him before ,i die4  ,the children   
decided that it would take a great many 
scenes in order to act out the story    
adequately4 ,at first they mentioned    
seven or eight4 ,one child was asked to 
describe the first scene as he thought  
it ought to be1 and several others added
 to the description4 ,volunteers were   
then called upon to act it out then and 
there4  ,the first scene was placed in  
front of ,jacob's tent4 ,jacob is       
anxiously awaiting the return of his ten
 sons with the flocks4 ,he becomes      
worried because they do not come1 so he 
sends ,joseph to seek his brothers4     
,joseph accepts the command and leaves  
the tent4  ,this scene was acted very   
naturally and spontaneously by several  
groups of children4 ,each time it was   
changed1 for no two groups of children  
interpreted the action or words alike4  
,the children who were not acting were  
made to feel their responsibility also1 
for they were asked to make note of the 
best parts4 ,a general discussion was   

held at the end of each presentation1 in
 which the good points were emphasized  
and suggestions were given as to        
improvement4 ,the criticism in all of   
this work comes for the most part from  
the children2 the leader in charge      
directs it1 but keeps from imposing her 
opinions4  ,as the meetings of this     
dramatic club last but one hour1 nothing
 more could be done than work out one   
scene at this first time4 ,the children 
were asked to think the story over and  
to come the next ,sunday prepared to    
suggest the second and third scenes in  
detail4  ,at the next meeting the second
 and third scenes were worked out in the
 same manner as the first4  ,the second 
scene places ,joseph at ,shechem4 ,here 
he meets the man who tells him that his 
brothers have gone to ,dothan4  ,in the 
third scene the brothers are seated on  
the ground eating and resting1 with     
their shepherd staffs beside them2 they 
begin to talk about ,joseph and to tell 
of his dream and their hatred of him4   

,just at this point ,joseph runs in and 
gives his father's message4 ,he also    
tells of his experience in ,shechem in  
not finding them there4 ,then the       
brothers take him and bind him and throw
 him into the pit4 ,the caravan comes   
along and ,joseph is sold and taken     
away4 ,after the brothers depart1       
,reuben1 not knowing that ,joseph has   
been sold1 comes back to the pit1 hoping
 to help him out4 ,when he finds the boy
 gone1 he weeps and goes sorrowfully    
away4 7,a doorway which leads off from  
the stage at the back was used for the  
pit4 ,there were no camels in the       
caravan2 the men walked by47  ,during   
the next hour scenes which describe     
,joseph's life in ,egypt were roughly   
blocked out4 ,the children made up their
 words as they acted the parts4 ,the    
language at this stage was very modern1 
but for the time being the emphasis was 
placed upon the thought expressed and   
upon the action4  ,several of the older 
girls volunteered to write out the first

 few scenes in order to bring the       
language into better form4 ,at the      
fourth meeting these were brought in and
 discussed by the children4 ,the        
following is a version of the first     
scene just as it was written by a girl  
of twelve years4 ,it is given here that 
the contrast may be seen between this as
 a piece of work which may be made      
better and the final play at the end of 
the chapter4        ,,scene ,i          
,jacob3 ,it is time my sons are         
returning with their flocks4      ,see  
if thou canst see them coming4          
,exit servant4       ,first ,lady3 ,yes1
 they have been gone a long time4 ,we   
have      only ,joseph and ,benjamin    
with us4            ,enter servant4     
,jacob3 ,what didst thou see8           
,servant3 ,master1 ,i saw nothing of    
your sons4       ,jacob3 ,i shall send  
,joseph after them4 ,bring ,joseph      
hither4 ,turns to another servant4      
,bring a bag of food      for him to    
take with him on his journey4           

,servants leave4 ,,jacob looks away1    
hoping to see his           sons4       
,jacob3 ,i do not see them4 ,what can be
 the matter8            ,enter ,,joseph 
with servant4       ,second ,lady3      
,joseph will be sure to find them4      
,jacob3 ,joseph1 my son1 ,i am sending  
thee after thy      brethren4 ,take this
 food to ,shechem and bring thy brethren
      back to me4       ,joseph3 ,i will
 do as thou bidst4            ,,jacob   
stands and puts his hand on ,joseph4    
,jacob3 ,may the ,lord go with thee4    
,,end  ,the third scene was written by a
 girl of eleven years and was as        
follows3   ,,scene ,,iii            ,all
 brothers look down the road4       ,all
 ,brothers3 ,what shall we do with him8 
,seventh ,brother3 ,i know2 let's kill  
him6       ,all except ,reuben3 ,yea6   
,yea6       ,reuben3 ,nay1 do not kill  
him2 let's put him in a deep pit4       
,tenth ,brother3 ,well1 all right4      
,,joseph appears2 exit ,,reuben4        
,joseph3 ,ah1 ,i have found ye at last1 

my brethren4            ,all grab       
,,joseph4       ,joseph3 ,what have ,i  
done to deserve this8       ,fourth     
,brother3 ,get some rope6               
,exit sixth brother and brings some rope
 back with him4           ,eighth and   
ninth brothers bind ,,joseph with ropes4
 ,all           take hold of him and    
push him into the pit4       ,tenth     
,brother3 ,but what shall we tell our   
father8       ,eighth ,brother3 ,let's  
tell him that ,joseph was killed by a   
wild beast4       ,ninth ,brother3 ,we  
will take his coat of many colors1 which
      our father gave him1 and dip it in
 the blood of a goat4       ,all3 ,yea6 
,yea6            ,seventh brother sees  
some merchants4       ,seventh ,brother3
 ,i see merchants in the distance4      
,let's      sell ,joseph to them4       
,one brother goes after the merchants1  
while the           others bring        
,,joseph from the pit4 ,merchants enter4
       ,tenth ,brother3 ,what will ye   
give us for this lad8       ,merchant3  

,i guess we can give ye about twenty    
pieces of      silver4                  
,merchants take ,,joseph with them4     
,brothers go on           their way4    
,enter ,,reuben after his brothers have 
gone4           ,he runs to the pit4    
,reuben3 ,joseph6 ,joseph6 ,where art   
thou8 ,the lad is gone4      ,whither   
shall ,i go8            ,,reuben goes   
away1 sobbing and wringing his hands4   
,,end         99       99       99      
99       99  ,at the meeting when these 
were read the children began to         
criticize the length of the play4 ,one  
little boy made the remark1 ,we keep    
telling the same things over2 why can't 
we leave out that second scene8 ,it is  
so short1 and ,joseph could tell his    
brothers in the third scene that he     
didn't find them at ,shechem4 ,this     
suggestion was readily accepted1 and as 
a consequence the second scene was      
omitted4 ,then the entire group         
consciously worked on the play to see   
what parts were unnecessary4 ,several   

children had recently been to the       
theater and had seen some good plays4   
,they told the others that there were   
few scenes and that there was much left 
to the imagination of the audience4 ,the
 result was that this long-drawn-out    
play was cut down to three essential    
scenes4 ,the first scene was placed at  
,dothan1 and was much the same as the   
original scene iii4 ,the second scene   
was placed at ,pharaoh's palace where   
,joseph was brought to interpret the    
king's dream4 ,the third represented the
 brothers coming to ,joseph with        
,benjamin1 the youngest1 ending with    
,joseph's forgiveness of them and his   
sending for ,jacob1 their father4       
,after these three scenes were decided  
upon1 the older children were asked to  
begin writing them out in final form4   
,at the fifth meeting of the club all   
the children sat in a circle with       
,bibles and pencils and paper and1      
together with the leader1 they          
formulated the speeches1 making them    

conform as nearly as possible to those  
in the ,bible4 ,the work that had been  
done outside was discussed and built    
upon4 ,this part of the procedure did   
not take as long a time as it may seem1 
because the children knew so well what  
thoughts they wanted to express--they   
had lived the story so many times4 ,they
 practiced after this1 using the words  
they had decided upon4  ,for the next   
meeting or two the children acted out   
the play1 trying each time to improve it
 by better interpretations of the parts4
 ,the fact that they had learned        
definite words did not in the least     
check the freedom of the action or cause
 the play to lose the spontaneity which 
first characterized it1 for the reason  
that the story had quite become a part  
of the children before they decided upon
 the set speeches4  ,the question arose 
as to which children should take certain
 parts4 ,in some instances several      
wanted to learn the part of one         
particular character4 ,they were each   

given the opportunity of learning it1   
and then at the next meeting each acted 
it as best he or she could before the   
group4 ,the other children were judges  
and decided upon the one who seemed to  
represent the character best4 ,whenever 
this method of choosing characters has  
been employed there has never been any  
hard feeling on the part of a child     
because he was not chosen4 ,the justice 
of the choice is quickly recognized when
 it comes in this way rather than from  
the leader4  ,there were many little    
children in this club who were scarcely 
old enough to learn a part or to say    
very much4 ,they were easily worked into
 the caravan1 or they took such parts as
 servants in ,pharaoh's court4 ,each    
child was made to feel that one part was
 just as important as another and that  
those who had nothing to say were very  
essential elements because of their     
acting4  ,eight or nine meetings were   
needed before the play was entirely     
finished4 ,the children had very simple 

slips for costumes which they had been  
wearing at each rehearsal4              
,bright-colored sashes and headdresses  
they brought from home4 ,pharaoh was    
more gaily dressed than the others4 ,the
 child who took the part made for       
himself many ornaments from gilt paper4 
,very little attention was given to     
stage setting1 what was used was        
extremely simple4 ,a few of the older   
girls made designs from the ,egyptian   
lotus to stand around the walls of      
,pharaoh's palace or to be carried by   
the servants4 ,colored illustrations of 
,bible stories by ,tissot were          
suggestive helps in these details4 ,the 
ten brothers made themselves shepherd   
staffs from limbs of trees4 ,this small 
amount of stage setting and costuming   
was used at many rehearsals and was all 
that was necessary to produce the right 
atmosphere4  ,as soon as the children   
felt that the play represented their    
best effort they invited their parents  
and friends and presented it before them

 one ,sunday afternoon at the time for  
the regular meeting4  ,it happened that 
a few days before the final presentation
 four of the principal characters were  
taken ill with measles and chicken-pox4 
,four others1 who had not given special 
attention to these parts1 but who had   
minor parts1 assumed the important roles
 and went straight through the play with
 no trouble whatever4 ,the audience     
never knew the difference and the       
children thought that it was entirely   
natural that they should be able to do  
this4 ,the play all the way through was 
characterized by a spirit of dignity and
 seriousness4  ,as direct results of    
this work in dramatization it was noted 
that all the children had acquired a    
certain freedom of expression1 a        
self-confidence1 without conceit or too 
much sureness1 and the ability to work  
harmoniously with the group4 ,one or two
 timid children learned to forget       
themselves1 and one overconfident child 
was helped by seeing that others could  

learn to do the part even a little      
better than herself4  ,the children who 
took part in this little play of ,joseph
 will never forget it4 ,several years   
after the play was given they were      
frequently referring to it with great   
happiness4 ,joseph is one of their      
favorite characters because they have   
lived through his experiences with him4 
,the following is the play as it was    
given in its final form4 ,it is not to  
be taken as a play which may be given to
 children to be learned as it is2 it is 
given here that there may be some idea  
of the standard which may be reached4   
,,joseph        ,,scene ,i              
,,place3 ,dothan4                       
,,characters3 ,reuben1 ,simeon1 ,levi1  
,judah1 ,issachar1           ,zebulun1  
,dan1 ,naphtali1 ,gad1 ,asher1 ,joseph1 
,several           ,ishmaelitish        
,merchants4            ,the ten brothers
 are sitting and lounging on the        
ground1 eating bread4       ,reuben3    
,shall we stay longer in this place8    

,our flocks      have fed well in       
,shechem and ,dothan4 ,let us return    
again      unto ,canaan and to the tent 
of our father1 ,jacob4       ,judah3    
,oh1 why should we go back8 ,our father 
loveth us      not6 ,it is ,joseph1 our 
younger brother1 that he favoreth6      
,levi3 ,yes1 this ,joseph6 ,this dreamer
 of dreams6 ,he      thinketh he is     
greater than we4 ,he thinketh he shall  
rule      over us6       ,judah3 ,ye    
heard him when he said1 ,hear this dream
 which ,i      have dreamed3 ,behold1 we
 were binding sheaves in the field1     
and1 lo1 my sheaf arose1 and stood      
upright2 and1 behold1      your sheaves 
stood round about1 and bowed down to my 
sheaf4       ,simeon3 ,ha6 ,shall he    
indeed reign over us8 ,or shall he      
have dominion over us8       ,levi3     
,yea1 and he dreamed yet another dream1 
for he said1      ,behold1 the sun and  
the moon and the eleven stars bowed     
down unto me4       ,dan3 ,what is this 
dream which he has dreamed8 ,shall his  

mother and father and eleven brethren   
indeed come to bow      down themselves 
to him8       ,simeon3 ,joseph and his  
dreams are hateful unto me6 ,i was      
glad when our father said to us1 ,take  
the flocks to feed in      ,shechem1 for
 now we are free of him4       ,levi3   
,it seemeth to me that ,i see this      
,joseph1 this      dreamer whom we hate4
 ,he is yet afar off1 but he surely     
approacheth us6       ,reuben3 ,can it  
be he8       ,dan3 ,yes1 for ,i see the 
coat of many colors1 the coat our       
father made for his favorite son4       
,levi3 ,why should he come to us8       
,cannot our father trust      the flocks
 to our hands without sending this      
,joseph to spy      on us8       ,dan3  
,it is he6 ,it is ,joseph6              
,simeon3 ,what shall we do8             
,judah3 ,our time is come4 ,we despise  
him2 let us slay him4       ,reuben3    
,nay1 thou dost not mean to slay him6   
,several3 ,nay6 ,nay6       ,judah3 ,we 
must surely slay him4 ,we must rid      

ourselves of      this dreamer4 ,think  
how he said he should reign over us6    
,let      us be rid of him6             
,simeon3 ,yes1 thou art right--we must  
slay him4       ,several3 ,yea1 yea1    
slay him6 ,destroy him6 ,he shall dream 
no more such dreams6       ,simeon3     
,behold1 this dreamer cometh near6      
,come1 now1 and      let us slay him1   
and cast him into some pit1 and we will 
say1 ,some evil beast hath devoured him1
 and we shall see      what will become 
of his dreams4       ,reuben3 ,let us   
not kill him4 ,shed no blood1 but cast  
him      into this pit that is in the   
wilderness1 and lay no hand      upon   
him4            ,,reuben goes away4     
,,joseph runs up4 ,,gad lays one hand   
roughly on his           shoulder4      
,gad3 ,how comes it that thou art here8 
,what is thy      business8             
,joseph3 ,my father commanded me and    
said1 ,go1 ,i pray thee1      and see   
whether it be well with thy brethren and
 well with      the flocks2 and bring me

 word again4 ,so he sent me out of      
the vale of ,hebron1 and ,i came to     
,shechem4 ,and you were not      there1 
and ,i came on after you and found you  
here4 ,what      troubleth you8 ,hath   
aught happened to the flocks8           
,simeon3 ,hear his tale6 ,this dreamer  
of dreams6 ,so he would      reign over 
us1 would he6 ,strip him of his coat of 
many      colors6 ,this favored son6    
,brothers bind ,,joseph and cast him    
into the pit4       ,joseph3 ,what have 
,i done to deserve this8                
,brothers sit down again to eat their   
bread4       ,gad3 ,behold1 ,i see a    
caravan6       ,simeon3 ,from what      
country8       ,gad3 ,it is a company of
 ,ishmaelites1 from ,gilead1 with       
their camels1 bearing spicery and balm  
and myrrh1 going down      into ,egypt4 
,judah3 ,what doth it profit if we slay 
our brother and      conceal his blood8 
,come1 let us sell him to these         
,ishmaelites and let not our hand be    
upon him1 for he is our      brother and

 our flesh4       ,several3 ,so be it4  
,gad3 ,hail the caravan1 and bargain    
with these men4       ,simeon salutes   
the head man of the caravan2 the        
brothers      listen attentively2 ,,gad 
brings ,,joseph out of the pit3         
,what wilt thou give us in exchange for 
this lad8 ,we would      sell him4      
,merchant looks ,,joseph over1 then     
consults with his      men3 ,twenty     
pieces of silver will we give for him4  
,simeon to the brothers3 ,these         
merchants will give us      twenty      
pieces of silver for this dreamer4      
,all3 ,sell him6 ,sell him6             
,,joseph is taken over by the merchants 
and they all           move on4 ,the    
brothers are dividing out the money4    
,gad3 ,the lad is gone with the         
merchants1 but what excuse      shall we
 make unto our father8       ,simeon3   
,say unto him that a wild beast hath    
devoured him4      ,here is his coat of 
many colors--we will kill a goat and dip
      the coat in the blood6 ,then our  

father1 ,jacob1 will grieve      for his
 son6       ,all3 ,as thou sayest1 so   
let us do6            ,brothers move off
 stage1 discussing the money4 ,,reuben  
comes back4 ,he runs and looks in the   
pit4 ,he tears his           clothes    
when he finds that ,,joseph is not      
there4       ,reuben3 ,the child is not1
 and ,i1 whither shall ,i go8           
,,scene ,,ii            ,,place3 ,egypt4
 ,in ,pharaoh's palace4                 
,,characters3 ,pharaoh1 ,joseph1 ,wise  
,men1 ,chief ,butler1                   
,servants4            ,pharaoh is       
sitting on his throne2 many wise men    
come           in and bow down before   
him4       ,pharaoh3 ,arise1 ,o wise men
 of ,egypt6 ,i have sent for you        
this day because of a dream which       
troubleth me4            ,men stand up4 
,wise ,men3 ,what is thy dream1 ,o      
,king8       ,king3 ,i dreamed1 and1    
behold1 ,i stood by a river1 and        
there came up out of the river seven fat
 cows1 and they fed      in a meadow4   

,and1 behold1 seven other cows came up  
after      them out of the river1       
ill-favored and lean4 ,and the          
ill-favored and lean cows did eat up the
 seven well-favored      and fat cows4  
,then did ,i awake1 but the second time 
,i slept      and dreamed4 ,and1 behold1
 seven good ears of corn came up        
upon one stalk1 and1 behold1 seven thin 
ears sprung up after      them1 and the 
seven thin ears devoured the seven full 
ears4      ,and ,i awoke again1 and1    
behold1 it was a dream4 ,now1 is        
there one among you who can tell me the 
meaning of these      dreams1 for my    
spirit is troubled because of them8     
,the wise men in turn come out and bow  
before the king           and say3      
,first ,wise ,man3 ,o my lord ,king1 thy
 dream troubleth me1      but ,i am not 
able to interpret it4       ,second     
,wise ,man3 ,o ,king1 also1 ,i cannot   
tell thee the      meaning of thy dream4
       ,third ,wise ,man3 ,most gracious
 ,king1 ,i1 also1 am unable to          

interpret thy dream4       ,fourth ,wise
 ,man3 ,o great ,pharaoh1 ,i regret that
 ,i am      unable to help thee4        
,pharaoh angrily3 ,are ye called the    
wise men of ,egypt1      and yet are ye 
not able to interpret a dream8          
,the chief butler comes forward and     
falls before the           king4        
,butler3 ,o great ,king1 ,i am only thy 
chief butler1 but ,i      beg of thee   
allow me to speak4       ,king3 ,speak1 
butler1 what wouldst thou say8          
,butler3 ,o ,king1 ,i do remember my    
faults this day4 ,when      ,pharaoh was
 wroth with his servants and put me in  
prison1      both me and the chief      
baker1 behold1 we dreamed a dream in    
one night1 and there was a young man1 a 
,hebrew1 and we told      him1 and he   
interpreted to us our dream4 ,and it    
came to pass      as he interpreted unto
 us1 for ,i was restored unto mine      
office and the baker was hanged4        
,pharaoh3 ,send for this young ,hebrew2 
bring him into my      presence4        

,servant goes out for ,,joseph4 ,butler1
 who is      this boy that interpreted  
thy dream8       ,butler3 ,his name is  
,joseph1 ,o ,king4 ,he was brought down 
from ,canaan by a caravan and was sold  
to ,potiphar1 the      captain of       
,pharaoh's guard4 ,but he displeased    
,potiphar1 so      he was thrown into   
prison at the time thy servants were    
there4            ,enter ,,joseph4 ,he  
falls on his face before ,,pharaoh4     
,pharaoh3 ,i have dreamed a dream1 and  
there is none that      can interpret   
it1 and ,i have heard say of thee that  
thou      canst understand a dream to   
interpret it4            ,,joseph rises4
       ,joseph3 ,it is not in me2 ,god  
shall give ,pharaoh an answer      of   
peace4       ,pharaoh3 ,repeats his     
dream to ,,joseph4            ,,joseph  
comes nearer to ,,pharaoh4              
,joseph3 ,what ,god is about to do he   
sheweth unto ,pharaoh3      ,behold1    
there will come seven years of great    
plenty      throughout all the land of  

,egypt4 ,and there shall arise          
after them seven years of famine4 ,and  
all the plenty shall      be forgotten  
throughout ,egypt1 and the famine shall 
consume      the land1 and it shall be  
very grievous4 ,now therefore let       
,pharaoh look out a man discreet and    
wise and set him over      the land of  
,egypt1 and let him appoint officers    
over the      land4 ,and let them gather
 all the food of those good years       
that come1 and lay up corn under the    
hand of ,pharaoh4 ,and      let them    
keep food in the cities4 ,and that food 
shall be      stored against the seven  
years of famine1 that the land may      
not perish through famine4              
,pharaoh3 ,this plan seemeth good unto  
me4 ,can we find such      a one as this
 is1 a man in whom the spirit of ,god   
is8       ,the ,wise ,men3 ,nay1 ,o     
,king1 he is most wise4       ,pharaoh3 
,forasmuch as ,god hath shewed thee all 
this1 thou      shalt be over my house1 
and according to thy word shall all     

my people be ruled1 only in the throne  
will ,i be greater      than thou4 ,see1
 ,i have set thee over all the land of  
,egypt4      ,to his servants3 ,bring a 
golden chain1 and fine raiment      for 
this man4            ,he puts a ring on 
,,joseph',s hand4 ,when the clothes     
are brought they are put around him1 the
 chain on his           neck1 etc4      
,pharaoh3 ,thou shalt ride in the second
 chariot and all my      people shall   
bow the knee unto thee4 ,all people in  
the      room bow4 ,i am ,pharaoh1 and  
without thee shall no man lift      up  
his hand or foot in all the land of     
,egypt4       ,joseph3 ,may the ,lord   
,god give me power to do his will4      
,,scene ,,iii            ,,place3       
,pharaoh's palace4                      
,,characters3 ,joseph1 ,his ,eleven     
,brothers1 ,servants1                   
,pharaoh4            ,,joseph is seated 
on his high seat4 ,a servant comes      
in4       ,servant3 ,master1 the men    
that came down from ,canaan to buy      

food of thee have returned and would    
have a word with thee4       ,joseph3   
,bring them in4 ,to another servant3 ,go
 see that      a feast is prepared for  
these men4            ,the brothers     
enter bringing ,,benjamin4 ,they all    
fall           on their faces4          
,joseph3 ,arise6 ,and have you returned 
bringing with you      your youngest    
brother8       ,reuben3 ,o sir1 we have 
brought our youngest brother2 he is     
here4            ,,benjamin is led      
forward4 ,,joseph goes near and puts    
his hand on ,,benjamin4       ,joseph3  
,and is this your younger brother of    
whom ye spake      unto me8 ,god be     
gracious unto thee1 my son6 ,to the     
brothers3 ,is your father well1 the old 
man of whom ye      spake8 ,is he yet   
alive8       ,levi3 ,thy servant1 our   
father all bow heads1 is in      good   
health2 he is yet alive4                
,,joseph turns away and begins to weep2 
he leaves them           abruptly and   
walks to the other side of the room4    

,joseph to the servants3 ,cause every   
man to go out from      me6 ,all begin  
to leave the room1 brothers included4   
,to      the brothers4 ,he walks quickly
 after them and holds his arms      out 
toward them4 ,stay6 ,i am ,joseph2 doth 
my father yet      live8 ,come near to  
me1 ,i pray you4 ,they come somewhat    
nearer and fall to the ground4 ,i am    
,joseph1 your brother1      whom ye sold
 into ,egypt4 ,now1 therefore1 be not   
grieved nor      angry with yourselves1 
that ye sold me thither1 for ,god did   
send me before you to preserve life4    
,for these two years      hath the      
famine been in the land2 and yet there  
are five      years more4 ,god hath sent
 me before you to save your lives4      
,haste ye1 and go up to my father1 and  
say unto him1 ,thus      saith thy son  
,joseph1 ,god hath made me lord of all  
,egypt4      ,come down unto me1 and    
tarry not4 ,and thou shalt be near      
unto me1 thou and thy children1 and thy 
flocks1 and thy      herds and all thou 

hast4 ,oh1 do you not see that ,i am    
,joseph      that speak unto you8 ,he   
weeps again and turns away4             
,illustration3 ,,fig4 #a--,pharaoh's    
court       ,brothers3 ,joseph1 our     
brother ,joseph6 ,can he forgive us8    
,,pharaoh enters here       ,joseph3 ,o 
,king1 these are my brethren1 and from  
my      father's tent4       ,pharaoh3  
,say unto thy brethren3 ,this do ye3 ,go
 back unto      the land of ,canaan and 
take your father and your household     
goods1 and come unto me4 ,and ,i will   
give you the good of the      land of   
,egypt1 and ye shall eat of the fat of  
the land4 ,now      ye are commanded3   
,this do ye3 ,take ye wagons out of     
,egypt      for your little ones1 and   
for your wives1 and bring your          
father1 and come1 for the good of the   
land shall be yours4       ,one         
,brother3 ,we thank thee1 ,o great      
,pharaoh1 and our      brother ,joseph4 
,this is greater than we deserve4 ,we   
will      bring our father down         

straightway4       ,joseph3 ,praise be  
to ,god who has done this good thing6   
,,end     ,,chapter ,,iv  ,,the         
,,dramatization ,,of ,,david ,,and      
,,goliath   ,when beginning dramatic    
work with a group of children who have  
never had the training before1 it is    
always well to select as the first story
 to be dramatized one that is short1    
simple in structure1 and full of action4
 ,if children undertake a long story    
which involves complicated situations1  
they easily become discouraged and lose 
the joy and spontaneity which are       
essential elements in successful        
dramatizations4 ,fables1 such as ,the   
,boy and the ,wolf or ,the ,fox and the 
,grapes1 are excellent to begin with1   
because they contain the necessary      
qualities which make up a good short    
story4 ,situations as simple as those   
which are presented in these fables are 
entered into with great freedom1 and    
they seem to pave the way for more      
ambitious dramatizations4  ,the story of

 ,david and ,goliath is short1 simple1  
and yet contains vivid action4 ,it was  
chosen as one of the first stories to be
 given to the dramatic club because of  
these qualities4 ,after the children had
 gone through the experience of         
dramatizing it they had gained a        
self-confidence and a realization of    
their own power in interpreting a story 
through dramatization4  ,the methods    
employed in presenting ,david and       
,goliath were much the same as those    
described in connection with ,joseph4   
,the point that must be kept in mind in 
all of this work is that the            
dramatization of a story begins with the
 action and that the words are          
developed4 ,the play is never written   
first and acted afterward4  ,while      
telling the story the leader placed much
 emphasis upon the activities and ideals
 of the shepherd life of the ,hebrews in
 the time of ,david4 ,the children made 
their own armor--helmets1 swords1       
shields--from cardboard and colored     

papers4 ,pictures and descriptions which
 they secured helped them to get correct
 ideas as to shapes and decorations4    
,the costumes were simple little slips  
that could be belted in at the waist1   
and came only to the knees4 ,the        
children helped to plan and make them4  
,david made his shepherd staff from a   
limb of a tree1 and the soldiers made   
their spears by fastening gilded points 
to long sticks4  ,a question arose as to
 how the sling was made4 ,the children  
found1 upon looking up this point1 that 
the sling was woven from different      
colored wools4 ,from a good picture they
 constructed looms from cardboard and   
actually wove several slings like       
,david's4 ,fig4 #ad shows a diagram of  
the loom as the children worked it out4 
,a very great value was derived from    
this construction work1 in that it came 
entirely from the children2 it was an   
outgrowth of their genuine interest in  
the subject4 ,they were reliving the    
same experiences and solving the same   

problems that had confronted ,david4    
,the gentle spirit of ,david had a      
direct influence upon the whole group4  
,it made no difference what part a child
 interpreted--whether that of ,goliath  
or of one of the brothers--it was       
evident that ,david's high ideals and   
sweetness of character called forth     
admiration4  ,fig4 #b gives one of the  
scenes from ,david and ,goliath4 ,the   
play follows as it was given4           
,,david ,,and ,,goliath                 
,,characters3 ,david1 ,david's ,three   
,brothers1 ,king ,saul1                 
,goliath1 ,israelite ,soldiers1         
,philistine ,soldiers4        ,,scene   
,i4 ,,the ,,challenge                   
,,place3 ,on the battlefield4           
,first ,brother3 ,have ye seen this     
,philistine who is come      up1 this   
giant who has defied the armies of the  
living ,god8       ,second ,brother3    
,who has seen him8       ,third         
,brother3 ,i have seen him2 he is verily
 a giant4 ,his      height is six cubits

 and a span4 ,he weareth an helmet of   
brass upon his head1 and he is armed    
with a coat of mail1      and he hath   
greaves of brass upon his legs1 and the 
staff of      his spear is like the     
weaver's beam2 and one bearing a        
shield goeth before him4 ,our soldiers  
are truly afraid4 ,they      flee as he 
approacheth4       ,illustration3 ,,fig4
 #b4--;,a scene from ,david and ,goliath
       ,goliath apart from the king and 
soldiers3 ,why are ye      come out to  
gather your armies to battle8 ,am ,i not
 a      ,philistine1 and ye servants to 
,saul8 ,choose you a man for      you1  
and let him come down to me4 ,if he be  
able to fight      with me1 and to kill 
me1 then will we be your servants2 but  
if ,i prevail against him and kill him1 
then shall ye be our      servants and  
serve us4 ,i defy the armies of ,israel 
this day2      give me a man1 that we   
may fight together4            ,some of 
the soldiers turn and flee4       ,saul3
 ,hear the words of this ,philistine4 ,i

 know not what      we can do4 ,have we 
no man among us with the strength or    
boldness to fight this giant8 ,i will   
enrich him with great      riches4      
,second ,brother3 ,in truth1 he is a    
mighty giant1 ,o ,king4      ,our       
soldiers are greatly dismayed2 no one   
will accept this      challenge4        
,the king and two soldiers go out4      
,enter ,,david4 ,he           runs up to
 his brothers and salutes them4         
,first ,brother3 ,this is ,david1 our   
younger brother6 ,how      cometh it    
that thou art here8       ,second       
,brother3 ,i thought we left thee       
tending the sheep4       ,third         
,brother3 ,what news dost thou bring of 
our father8 ,is      all well with him8 
,david3 ,my father commanded me1 saying1
 ,take now for thy      brethren this   
parched corn and these ten loaves1 and  
run to      the camp of thy brethren2   
and carry these ten cheeses unto        
the captain of their thousand1 and look 
how thy brethren      fare4 ,and ,i rose

 up early in the morning1 and left the  
sheep with a keeper1 and came as my     
father commanded4            ,brothers  
take food from ,,david4       ,goliath3 
,why are ye come out to gather your     
armies to      battle8 ,am ,i not a     
,philistine1 and ye servants to ,saul8  
,choose you a man for you and let him   
come down to me4 ,if he      be able to 
fight with me and to kill me1 then will 
we be      your servants2 but if ,i     
prevail against him and kill him1       
then shall ye be our servants and serve 
us4 ,i defy the      armies of ,israel  
this day2 give me a man1 that we may    
fight      together4            ,,david 
listens4 ,the soldiers seem disturbed   
and           frightened4       ,david3 
,what meaneth this8       ,soldier walks
 up to ,,david3 ,have ye seen this man  
who      is come up8 ,surely to defy    
,israel is he come up4 ,and it          
shall be that the man who killeth him   
the king will enrich      with great    
riches1 and will give him his daughter1 

and make      his father's house free in
 ,israel4       ,david3 ,who is this    
,philistine that he should defy the     
armies of the living ,god8       ,first 
,brother showing anger against ,,david3 
,why camest      thou hither8 ,and with 
whom hast thou left those few sheep in  
the wilderness8 ,i know thy pride1 and  
the naughtiness of thy      heart2 for  
thou art come down that thou mightest   
see the      battle4       ,david3 ,what
 have ,i now done8 ,he turns from his   
brothers      and speaks to the people4 
,what shall be done with the man        
that killeth this ,philistine and taketh
 away the reproach      from ,israel8   
,for who is this ,philistine that he    
should defy      the armies of the      
living ,god8 ,i will fight him1 and if  
,i      prevail against him and kill    
him1 then will the ,philistines      be 
our servants and serve us4 ,the ,lord   
,god of ,israel will      deliver him   
into my hands4       ,soldiers3 ,saul1  
the king1 shall hear these words6       

,,scene ,,ii4 ,,david ,,before ,,saul   
,,place3 ,saul's tent4       ,david     
comes in and salutes the king3 ,let no  
man's      heart fail because of this   
giant2 thy servant will go and          
fight with this ,philistine4            
,saul3 ,thou art not able to go against 
this ,philistine to      fight with him2
 for thou art but a youth1 and he a man 
of      war from his youth4             
,david3 ,thy servant kept his father's  
sheep1 and when there      came a lion  
or a bear1 and took a lamb out of the   
flock1 ,i      went out after him and   
smote him1 and delivered it out of      
his mouth2 and when he rose up against  
me1 ,i caught him by      the beard and 
smote him and slew him4 ,thy servant    
slew both      the lion and the bear2   
and this ,philistine shall be as one    
of them1 seeing he hath defied the      
armies of the living ,god4      ,the    
,lord that hath delivered me out of the 
paw of the lion1      and out of the paw
 of the bear1 he will deliver me out of 

the hand of this ,philistine4           
,saul3 ,go1 and the ,lord go with thee4 
,to soldiers3      ,bring forth armor2  
this youth must be ready to meet the    
foe4            ,the soldiers bring     
armor4 ,,saul puts the armor1 a         
helmet and a coat of mail1 on ,,david4  
,,david puts on his           sword1    
then walks a few steps4 ,he suddenly    
throws the           sword down and     
begins to take off the armor4           
,david3 ,i cannot go with these1 for ,i 
have not proved them4      ,he takes the
 armor off and keeps only his shepherd's
 staff      and sling4 ,the ,lord that  
delivered me out of the paw of      the 
lion1 and out of the paw of the bear1 he
 will deliver me      out of the hand of
 this ,philistine4            ,he bows  
to the king and goes out4        ,,scene
 ,,iii4 ,,the ,,battle                  
,,place3 ,the battlefield4              
,,david picks up five smooth stones and 
puts them into           his shepherd   
bag4 ,,goliath comes toward him4 ,he is 

dressed in armor1 and the man that bears
 his shield           comes before him4 
,,goliath looks surprised and           
disgusted when he sees ,,david4         
,goliath3 ,am ,i a dog that thou comest 
to me with staves8      ,come to me and 
,i will give thy flesh unto the fowls of
 the      air and unto the beasts of the
 field4       ,david3 ,thou comest to me
 with a sword1 and with a spear      and
 with a shield2 but ,i come to thee in  
the name of the      ,lord of hosts1 the
 ,god of ,israel1 whom thou hast defied4
      ,this day will the ,lord deliver  
thee into mine hand2 and ,i      will   
smite thee1 and take thy head from thee2
 and ,i will      give the bodies of the
 ,philistines unto the fowls of the     
air1 and unto the beasts of the field1  
that all may know      that there is a  
,god in ,israel4 ,and all this assembly 
shall      know that the ,lord saveth   
not with the sword and with the         
spear1 for the battle is the ,lord's and
 he will give you      into our hands6  

,,david puts his hand into his bag and  
takes out a           stone and slings  
it1 so that it hits the giant in the    
forehead4 ,the giant falls4 ,the        
,philistines flee4 ,,david              
stands with his foot on the body of the 
giant4       ,israelite ,soldiers with  
,david3 ,the battle is the ,lord's6     
,,end     ,,chapter ,v  ,,the           
,,dramatization ,,of ,,moses ,,in ,,the 
,,bulrushes   ,the method of presenting 
the story of ,moses in the ,bulrushes   
differed somewhat from that employed    
with ,joseph4 ,there was little need to 
tell the story at the beginning1 for    
every child already knew it in detail4  
,consequently the leader had the        
children tell most of it1 while she     
supplemented and directed attention to  
important parts4  ,in this case the     
entire play was planned roughly before  
any of it was acted4 ,the story was     
criticized by the children as to its    
organization and unity1 and as a result 
they made up an ending 7,act ,,iii7     

which they felt was needed to make the  
story complete4 ,experience with the    
other plays had led the children to feel
 the necessity for having a satisfactory
 ending after the climax4  ,at the      
second meeting several girls brought in 
the scenes as they had written them out4
 ,they had tried to embody the points   
which the children had decided upon as  
the general plan of the play4 ,the final
 play varies very little from these     
scenes thus written by the girls        
themselves4  ,there was no difficulty in
 solving the problem as to what they    
would do for a baby in the first part of
 the play4 ,many dolls were brought in1 
and the choice fell upon the one that   
received the largest number of votes    
because of his likeness to the baby     
,moses4 ,a woven basket served for the  
cradle of bulrushes4 ,there were many   
rehearsals when there was no doll or    
cradle1 but the children never felt the 
lack4 ,their imaginations can supply all
 needs4  ,a few big ,egyptian designs   

were made for the first and last scenes1
 which were placed in the king's court4 
,these were fastened on the walls and   
around the king's seat1 as was done in  
the play of ,joseph4  ,before the play  
was given before parents and friends the
 children decided to call it ,the       
,childhood of ,moses4 ,an older boy in  
the church printed programs for the     
occasion that the audience might better 
understand the play4 ,they read as      
follows3       ,,the ,,childhood ,,of   
,,moses       ,dramatized and ,presented
 by the ,children's ,dramatic ,club of  
the ,hyde ,park ,church of ,disciples   
,,characters       ,,pharaoh            
,king of ,egypt      ,,princess         
,pharaoh's ,daughter      ,,moses       
,a ,hebrew ,boy      ,,hebrew ,,woman   
,mother of ,moses      ,,miriam         
,sister of ,moses      ,,aaron          
,brother of ,moses      ,,wise ,,men    
,advisers of ,pharaoh      ,soldiers1   
,attendants to the ,princess1 ,servants 
,,synopsis ,,of ,,scenes       ,act ,i4 

,pharaoh orders the killing of ,hebrew  
boys4       ,act ,,ii1 ,scene #a4 ,in   
the home of a ,hebrew family4           
,scene #b4 ,a ,hebrew mother hides her  
child                       among the   
bulrushes4               ,scene #c4 ,the
 child is found by ,pharaoh's           
daughter4       ,act ,,iii4 ,moses is   
brought to ,pharaoh's court4  ,the      
following is the play as it was given3  
,,the ,,childhood ,,of ,,moses          
,,act ,i            ,,characters3 ,king1
 ,wise ,man1 ,chief ,adviser1 ,queen1   
,maids1 and ,soldiers4       ,king3     
,behold1 the people of the children of  
,israel are      more and mightier than 
we4 ,come1 let us do wisely with them   
lest they rise up and make war against  
us4       ,chief ,adviser3 ,what more   
can we do than we have already          
done8 ,we have made their lives bitter  
with hard service1 and      we have made
 them carry our brick and mortar and    
work in our      fields4       ,wise    
,man3 ,o ,king ,pharaoh1 ,i beg thee to 

let me speak4       ,king3 ,speak1 ,wise
 ,man4       ,wise ,man3 ,o ,king1 ,i   
pray thee to be kind to these people4   
,when these ,hebrews first came down    
from the land of ,canaan1      a young  
man named ,joseph saved our land from   
great famine4      ,these ,israelites   
are his children's children and we      
should      treat them kindly4          
,king3 ,treat them kindly6 ,we have been
 kind to them long      enough2 we must 
destroy them4 ,i will command that every
      ,hebrew boy baby be killed6       
,exeunt ,,king and courtiers followed by
 soldiers4       ,princess3 ,o most     
gracious father1 have mercy upon them4  
,,act ,,ii       ,,scene ,i             
,,place3 ,the home of a ,hebrew family4 
,,characters3 ,moses1 ,mother of ,moses1
 ,miriam1 ,aaron4            ,the mother
 is singing to the baby in her lap4     
,,aaron           is playing on the     
floor4 ,,miriam runs in4       ,miriam3 
,o mother6 ,the king has commanded that 
all the boy      babies be thrown in the

 river6 ,how can we save our baby8      
,mother3 ,where shall we take him8 ,i   
have hidden him for      these three    
months1 but he is so big now and his    
cries are      so loud that they will be
 sure to find him wherever we go4       
,miriam3 ,come quickly1 mother2 we will 
go to the river and      hide him       
nearby4 ,pharaoh cannot find him there1 
for he will      think that he has been 
thrown in the water4       ,mother3 ,o  
my poor baby6            ,the three run 
out4        ,,scene ,,ii                
,,place3 ,the river bank4               
,,characters3 ,moses1 ,mother of ,moses1
 ,miriam4            ,the mother appears
 with the baby in her arms4 ,,miriam    
follows4       ,miriam3 ,o mother6 ,we  
can hide him in these tall grasses6     
,mother3 ,but ,i must have something to 
put him in4 ,gather      these rushes   
and ,i will weave a little cradle for   
him4            ,they both pick         
bulrushes and the mother weaves the     
basket4       ,mother3 ,how can ,i leave

 him here alone8 ,my little             
daughter1 will you stay and watch and   
bring me word quickly      if anything  
happens8 ,we will hide the baby in this 
basket      among the flags1 here at the
 edge of the water4       ,miriam3      
,good6 ,mother1 ,i will hide nearby and 
see that no      harm comes to our baby4
            ,the mother kisses the baby 
and puts him in the basket1             
then rises and turns away4              
,mother3 ,keep watch until ,i return4   
,exit mother2 ,,miriam hides4           
,,scene ,,iii            ,,place3 ,the  
river bank4            ,,characters3    
,the ,princess1 ,her ,maidens1          
,soldiers1 ,moses1           ,mother of 
,moses1 and ,miriam4            ,several
 soldiers walk across the stage4 ,enter 
,,princess and her maids4               
,,princess looking around3 ,what        
beautiful clear water for      my bath6 
,first ,maid3 ,yea1 ,princess4 ,will you
 bathe here8            ,a baby's cry is
 heard4       ,princess3 ,what is it ,i 

hear8 ,it sounds like a baby crying6    
,look about1 maidens6 ,is there         
something here8            ,all look    
about4       ,second ,maid finds baby2  
all come running up to her3      ,see   
what is here6       ,princess3 ,a baby  
hidden in a basket6 ,bring him to me6   
,third maid hands basket to ,,princess1 
who takes the           baby out4       
,princess3 ,oh1 what a beautiful baby6  
,he is mine1 for ,i      have found him6
 ,a ,hebrew baby6 ,his mother has hidden
 him in      the bulrushes to save his  
life4            ,,miriam runs out4     
,miriam3 ,lady1 would you like a nurse  
for that baby8       ,princess3 ,a nurse
 for him8 ,yes1 ,i do need a nurse4     
,miriam3 ,i can get you one very        
quickly4       ,princess3 ,go bring her1
 child2 ,i will wait here4              
,,miriam goes away running4             
,princess3 ,he is my boy1 and ,i will   
call him ,moses1 for ,i      drew him   
out of the water4            ,enter the 
mother and ,,miriam4       ,miriam3     

,here is the nurse1 lady4               
,princess3 ,will you take good care of  
this baby for me      until he becomes a
 youth8 ,i will pay you wages4 ,i am the
      ,princess1 ,king ,pharaoh's       
daughter4 ,i will see that he is        
educated as a prince in my father's     
court4            ,,princess and her    
maids go out4       ,mother3 ,my boy is 
saved6 ,my boy is saved6        ,,act   
,,iii       ,,scene ,i                  
,,place3 ,pharaoh's palace4             
,,characters3 ,king ,pharaoh1 ,princess1
 ,maids1 ,soldiers1           ,wise     
,men1 ,mother of ,moses1 ,moses1        
,miriam1 ,aaron4            ,king sits  
on his throne1 wise men and soldiers    
around4           ,enter messenger4     
,messenger3 ,o ,king1 the ,princess     
awaits without and would      have      
speech with thee4       ,king3 ,bid her 
enter4            ,enter ,,princess and 
a few attendants4       ,princess3 ,o   
gracious ,king and father1 ,i have a    
request1      and ,i beg that you grant 

it4       ,king3 ,speak1 my ,princess2  
do ,i not always grant what you         
ask8       ,princess3 ,yes1 father1 and 
,i know that you will grant me          
this4 ,several years ago ,i adopted a   
son and ,i ask that you      allow him  
to be educated in your palace4          
,king3 ,adopted a son6 ,what can be the 
meaning of this8 ,i      never heard of 
this6 ,where did you get the boy8       
,princess3 ,i found him1 a little baby1 
hidden among the      rushes by the     
river bank4       ,king3 ,why was he    
hidden8 ,that is strange6               
,princess3 ,he is a ,hebrew boy1 ,o     
father4       ,king3 ,a ,hebrew boy6    
,did ,i not command that every ,hebrew  
boy should be killed8       ,princess3  
,i must take the blame2 ,i had his life 
spared4      ,will you not let him be   
brought here8       ,king3 ,no1 ,i will 
not6 ,no ,hebrew boy shall be brought   
here6       ,princess3 ,if you would    
only see him1 he is so beautiful1       
you would love him as ,i do4 ,he is     

without2 permit me to show      him to  
you4       ,king3 ,bring him in4        
,maid goes to get ,,moses4 ,,moses      
enters with his           mother1       
,,miriam1 and ,,aaron4 ,,princess leads 
him to           the ,,king4            
,princess3 ,this is my son4 ,is he not a
 wonderful boy8       ,king3 ,he is fair
 to look upon1 but yet he is a ,hebrew4 
,princess3 ,o my father1 forget that he 
is a ,hebrew and      remember only that
 he is my son4       ,king3 ,o my       
,princess1 for your sake1 ,i accept this
 boy4 ,i      leave his training to you4
 ,may he grow up to be a prince         
worthy of the house of ,pharaoh4        
,,end     ,,chapter ,,vi  ,,the         
,,dramatization ,,of ,,ruth   ,ruth was 
dramatized by the club during the fall  
of the year because it is a story of the
 ,hebrew harvest time4 ,in order fully  
to interpret the life of ,ruth it was   
necessary for the children to secure    
information concerning the barley       
harvest in ancient ,palestine1 and also 

to become familiar with the old customs 
involved in the story4 ,many children   
brought pictures which illustrated the  
points under discussion1 and some of    
them contributed by telling what they   
had been able to read at home4          
,independence on the part of the        
children in looking up data was always  
encouraged by the leader2 the           
information which she had to give       
enriched and supplemented that which was
 brought in by them4  ,during the       
process of this dramatization constant  
comparisons were made with our own      
harvest time1 and the study of the      
,hebrew harvest feasts and festivals    
served to increase the understanding and
 appreciation of our one harvest        
festival at ,thanksgiving4  ,the method 
of procedure in presenting this story   
for dramatization follows closely that  
described in connection with ,joseph4   
,the ,bible version of ,ruth is so      
simply and beautifully told that it     
needed very little adapting4 ,when it   

was first given to the children parts of
 it were read and parts were told by the
 leader4 ,many scenes were then planned1
 but these were soon cut down to the    
three necessary scenes4 ,from the first 
the children used much of the ,bible    
language as they acted the story4 ,the  
beauty and the poetry of it caused them 
to remember readily the exact wording in
 many cases4  ,seven meetings were      
required before the group was satisfied 
with the play as a product of their best
 effort4 ,as was the case with the other
 plays given by the club1 the children  
who were to take the parts in the final 
presentation were selected by the group 
and not by the leader in charge4 ,every 
child knew each part and could represent
 any character1 but children were chosen
 for specific parts because they seemed 
to represent certain characters         
unusually well4  ,the dramatization of  
this story called for much construction 
work4 ,the reapers made their sickles of
 cardboard and covered them with gold or

 silver paper or painted them4 ,they    
found pictures which gave the shape1 and
 from these they cut the patterns 7,fig4
 #ae74 ,one little girl brought a real  
sickle which had once belonged to a     
,filipino4 ,it gave her happiness to    
reap with it1 but the others were just  
as content to use the sickles from      
cardboard4  ,the need for a harvest song
 was felt1 and in consequence a little  
song that most of the children knew was 
decided upon4 ,the reapers sang it as   
they reaped and while ,boaz was walking 
through his grain field4 ,there was no  
real grain nor anything to represent it1
 the children deciding to leave this to 
the imagination4 ,the action of the     
reapers and the words that were spoken  
gave evidence enough that grain was     
growing there4  ,there was very little  
stage setting used in the play4 ,the    
stage was bare in the first scene in    
order to represent the road from ,moab  
to ,bethlehem4 ,in the second scene a   
big earthenware jar was needed from     

which the reapers could drink4 ,the     
third scene required a box which        
represented a seat by the city gate2 the
 door which led off the stage at the    
side was used for the gate4  ,the action
 and the grouping of people in the third
 scene required careful planning by the 
children4 ,women came through the gate  
and passed down the street with water   
jugs on their shoulders2 men gathered in
 groups to discuss bits of news2 ,boaz  
walked toward the gate and sat waiting  
for his kinsman4 ,finally1 when the     
cousin appeared1 ,boaz hailed him and   
had him sit down4 ,the citizens who were
 standing near were asked to be         
witnesses in this business transaction4 
,that one man should take off his shoe  
and hand it to another was a custom that
 created much interest among the        
children4 ,they began to examine        
pictures for the kinds of shoes that    
were worn1 and this led many of them to 
wear their own sandals1 which approached
 most nearly to those seen in the       

pictures4 ,the children who did not own 
sandals tried to make them with         
cardboard and strips of cloth 7see ,fig4
 #bf74  ,the costuming was very simple4 
,the reapers wore the same little brown 
slips which had been worn in every play 
that had been given4 ,boaz enriched his 
costume by wearing brighter colors in   
his headdress and girdle and by wearing 
a slip that was longer than the others4 
,the play follows as it was finally     
given4        ,,ruth        ,,scene ,i  
,,place3 ,in ,moab1 on the road to      
,judah4            ,,characters3 ,naomi1
 ,ruth1 ,orpah4            ,,setting3   
,naomi1 ,ruth1 ,orpah1 are on the road  
going           toward ,judah4          
,,naomi stops and faces about4          
,naomi3 ,turn back1 my daughters-in-law2
 return each of you      to your        
mother's house4 ,you have come with me  
far enough4 ,i      must take the rest  
of my journey alone4       ,orpah and   
,ruth3 ,oh1 do not send us back6 ,we    
will not leave      thee6       ,naomi3 

,yea1 you must leave me now4 ,i am going
 home to my      own country and my own 
people1 to ,bethlehem1 ,judah6 ,it is   
ten long years since ,i left there to   
come to dwell in your      land of      
,moab4 ,but now that the famine is over 
,i must      return4       ,orpah3 ,but1
 ,naomi1 our mother-in-law1 we love     
thee4 ,do not      thou leave us6       
,naomi3 ,i must go4 ,i came to this     
country happy--with my      husband and 
two sons--but misfortune has dealt      
bitterly with      me4 ,my husband first
 died1 and now my two sons1 your        
husbands1 are taken from me4 ,i am old  
and sad4 ,i have no one      left to    
comfort me4 ,i must go back to mine own 
people4 ,leave      me1 my daughters1   
and ,god bless you6            ,both    
daughters weep4       ,orpah weeping and
 kissing ,,naomi3 ,if thou wilt be      
happier1 then thou must leave us4 ,i    
will return to my      mother's house as
 thou sayest4 ,she goes off slowly1     
weeping4            ,,ruth still stands 

by weeping4 ,takes hold of ,,naomi',s   
hand4       ,naomi3 ,behold1 ,orpah1 thy
 sister-in-law1 has gone back to        
her people and unto her gods2 return    
thou after thy      sister-in-law4      
,ruth3 ,intreat me not to leave thee1   
nor to return from      following after 
thee3 for whither thou goest1 ,i will   
go2 and      where thou lodgest1 ,i will
 lodge2 thy people shall be my          
people1 and thy ,god my ,god3 where thou
 diest1 will ,i die1      and there will
 ,i be buried3 the ,lord do so to me1   
and more      also1 if aught but death  
part thee and me4       ,naomi3 ,since  
thou art so steadfastly minded to go    
with me1      ,ruth1 ,i will cease      
urging thee4 ,come1 thou mayest go with 
me      to ,bethlehem4        ,,scene   
,,ii            ,,place3 ,in the barley 
fields of ,boaz4            ,,time3 ,the
 harvest season4                        
,,characters3 ,boaz1 ,ruth1 ,head       
,reaper1 ,reapers1 ,gleaners4           
,the reapers come in with their sickles1

 followed by           the gleaners4    
,head ,reaper3 ,truly we have a         
wonderful harvest this year6            
,first ,reaper3 ,yea1 we will have food 
enough for ourselves      and for all   
the poor in our city of ,bethlehem4     
,head ,reaper3 ,it is the great ,god    
that hath given us this      bounty4    
,all sing harvest song as they reap4    
,while they are           singing ,,ruth
 comes in and begins to pick up the     
grain4       ,second ,reaper looking    
toward the entrance to the      field3  
,the master is coming1 the great ,boaz6 
,all reapers look in that direction as  
they stand1           resting their     
sickles on the ground4 ,,boaz enters4   
,boaz3 ,the ,lord be with you6          
,reapers3 ,the ,lord bless thee6        
,all go to work again1 singing as       
before4 ,,boaz walks           among    
them2 he sees ,,ruth and watches her4   
,boaz to the ,,head ,,reaper3 ,my good  
man1 ,i would speak a      word with    
thee2 come hither4       ,head ,reaper3 

,speak1 ,o master6       ,boaz3 ,whose  
damsel is this that gathereth grain     
after the      reapers8       ,head     
,reaper3 ,my master1 she is ,ruth1 the  
,moabitish damsel      that came back   
with ,naomi1 thy kinswoman4 ,she hath   
been      gleaning here since early     
morning4       ,boaz3 ,go1 bid the      
reapers not to harm her1 and bid them   
let fall purposely some of the handfuls 
of grain for her4            ,the ,,head
 ,,reaper bows low and goes back among  
the           reapers4       ,boaz to   
,,ruth3 ,hearest thou not1 my daughter8 
,go not to      glean in another field1 
but stay here by my reapers4 ,let       
thine eyes be on the reapers1 and do    
thou glean that which      they leave   
behind4 ,when thou art athirst1 go unto 
the      vessels and drink that which   
the young men have drawn4       ,ruth   
bows to the ground3 ,why have ,i found  
such favor      in thine eyes1 seeing   
that ,i am a stranger in the land8      
,boaz3 ,it has been told me of thy great

 kindness to thy      mother-in-law1    
,naomi2 how thou didst leave thine own  
people      to come with her and be     
among strangers2 and how thou didst     
leave thy gods to take the ,god of the  
children of ,israel4      ,the ,lord    
will bless thee for this4       ,ruth3  
,i thank thee1 ,o great ,boaz1 for thou 
hast comforted      me and thou hast    
spoken friendly words unto me4          
,boaz3 ,come hither at meal times and   
eat of the bread and      dip thy morsel
 in the vinegar with my reapers4        
,the reapers have departed4 ,,boaz goes 
off4       ,ruth3 ,the ,lord ,god is    
truly good unto me6        ,,scene ,,iii
            ,,place3 ,at the gate of the
 city4            ,,characters3 ,boaz1 a
 ,cousin of ,naomi1 ,ten ,citizens1     
,ruth1           ,naomi4                
,several citizens stand in groups1      
talking4 ,,boaz           enters4       
,boaz speaks to one of the group3 ,hast 
thou seen my      cousin pass this way8 
,i am seeking him4       ,first         

,citizen3 ,nay1 good sir1 ,i have not   
seen him4       ,boaz3 ,i must speak    
with him2 ,i will wait here by the city 
gate2 perchance he will come soon4      
,one or two citizens pass by and speak  
to ,,boaz1           saying1 ,good-day1 
sir4 ,enter ,,kinsman4       ,boaz3 ,ho1
 ,kinsman1 turn aside6 ,i would have a  
word with      thee4 ,sit thee down4    
,,kinsman sits down4       ,kinsman3    
,what wilt thou1 ,cousin8       ,boaz3  
,i would speak about a matter of        
importance2 wait      thou here until ,i
 can bring witnesses4 ,he turns to      
citizens4 ,a piece of land is about to  
be sold2 will ten      citizens witness 
this deed8       ,citizens3 ,aye1       
indeed4 ,they come forward4       ,boaz3
 ,sit ye down here4 ,they sit down4 ,to 
,,kinsman3      ,dost thou remember     
,naomi1 our kinswoman1 who went with her
      husband and two sons to the land  
of ,moab8       ,kinsman3 ,yea1 ,i do   
know ,naomi4       ,boaz3 ,she selleth a
 parcel of land which was her           

husband's4 ,now1 thou art nearest of kin
 to ,naomi1 so ,i      thought to advise
 thee that thou mayest have the first   
chance to redeem the land in the        
presence of the elders of      the city4
 ,if thou dost not care to redeem it1   
then the right      to redeem it cometh 
to me1 for ,i am next of kin4 ,what wilt
      thou do8       ,kinsman3 ,i will  
buy the land from our kinswoman1 ,naomi4
       ,boaz3 ,on the day that thou     
buyest the field from the hand      of  
,naomi1 thou also takest ,ruth1 the     
,moabitess1 for thy      wife1 according
 to our custom and law4       ,kinsman3 
,then ,i will not redeem the land1 for  
,i cannot      take ,ruth for my wife4  
,take thou my right to redeem it and    
buy it for thyself4       ,boaz taking  
off his shoe and giving it to the       
,,kinsman1      he says to the          
witnesses3 ,ye are witnesses this day   
that      ,i have bought this parcel of 
land from ,naomi and that ,i buy        
also1 as my wife1 ,ruth1 the            

daughter-in-law of ,naomi4 ,of all      
this ye are witnesses4       ,citizens3 
,we are witnesses4 ,bow4                
,,kinsman returns shoe to ,,boaz and    
walks off4 ,,ruth           and ,,naomi 
come through the street4       ,boaz3   
,ye are well met1 ,naomi1 my kinswoman1 
and ,ruth4 ,i      have good news for   
you2 ,i have bought your land and ,i can
      now take ,ruth for my wife4 ,come1
 all ye fellow-citizens1 for      the   
wedding feast is prepared at my house6  
,takes ,,ruth by the hand4       ,naomi3
 ,blessed am ,i that ,i should live to  
see this good      thing come to pass6  
,the ,lord hath been most gracious unto 
me6       ,,end     ,,chapter ,,vii     
,,the ,,dramatization ,,of ,,queen      
,,esther   ,the story of ,esther        
involves a much more complicated        
situation than any of the others here   
described4 ,it is not too difficult for 
dramatization1 however1 if it is taken  
after such stories have been worked out 
as ,david and ,goliath and ,joseph4  ,in

 the case of this dramatic club the     
story of ,esther was told to the        
children after they had had much        
experience with other plays4 ,the       
interesting plot and the beauty and     
richness of the court made so great an  
appeal to them that they were eager to  
begin the dramatization4 ,the story was 
first simplified and adapted by the     
leader1 and then told in such a manner  
as to emphasize the main events4 ,the   
method of procedure followed that       
described in chapter iii in connection  
with the story of ,joseph4 ,after the   
telling of the story the scenes were    
selected4 ,these were acted out very    
freely at first1 little thought being   
given to the words4 ,many pictures were 
brought in1 and descriptions of the     
court of ,king ,ahasuerus were read by  
the children from the ,bible and from   
books of ,bible stories4  ,in the second
 scene the children decided to have the 
maidens dance before the ,king4 ,several
 little girls who were trying out the   

part of ,esther made up dances for      
themselves4 ,this feature made this     
scene especially attractive4  ,this play
 was longer than those that had         
previously been dramatized1 and it      
therefore took a longer period of time  
to bring it into final shape4 ,there is 
no reason to hurry a dramatization4 ,if 
the aim of this kind of work is kept in 
mind1 there will be growth on the part  
of the children at each meeting4 ,the   
value lies1 not in how many stories can 
be dramatized during a year1 but in how 
thoroughly the children are reliving a  
few good stories4  ,the play of ,queen  
,esther made it necessary to construct  
several articles4 ,gold dishes of       
various kinds were made by covering     
cardboard with gold paper4 ,these were  
used at the ,queen's banquet4 ,from the 
many scepters that were submitted the   
,king chose the one for final use4      
,elaborate gowns and headdresses were   
gathered2 beads and jewels of all       
descriptions were made from brilliantly 

colored papers4  ,the children took the 
responsibility of the costuming4 ,the   
majority of them planned their own      
garments and either brought things from 
home or selected some suitable costume  
from those which the club had on hand4  
,two of the older girls took entire     
charge of the younger ones and saw to it
 that each had some simple slip to wear 
in the play4  ,the play follows as it   
was finally worked out by the children4 
,,the ,,story ,,of ,,queen ,,esther     
,,scene ,i            ,,place3 ,the     
,king's palace--,shushan4               
,,characters3 ,king ,ahasuerus 7king of 
,media and ,persia71           ,haman   
7chief counselor71 ,persian ,princes1   
,servants4            ,the ,,king is    
seated on his throne1 princes seated    
before the ,,king1 and ,,haman is seated
 by the ,,king',s           side4       
,servants are bringing drinks in golden 
vessels4       ,king3 ,the seventh day  
of this feast hath come1 and on this    
day will ,i bring my beautiful ,queen1  

,vashti1 before you4 ,the      princes  
of my land must depart1 bearing a good  
report of my      fair ,queen as well as
 of the great riches of my court4       
,chamberlains1 come forth6 ,the servants
 come before the      ,,king and bow4 ,i
 command you to bring ,vashti1 the      
,queen1      before my presence4        
,servants withdraw4       ,first        
,prince3 ,o ,king1 this is a great honor
 that thou      bestowest upon us6      
,second ,prince3 ,yea1 ,vashti1 the     
,queen1 is already known      over the  
land for her wondrous beauty4 ,we are   
most happy      that thou wilt allow thy
 servants to behold her4       ,third   
,prince3 ,what wonderful tidings we will
 spread over      thy provinces1 ,o     
,king4 ,thy people do not know the half 
of      thy riches and thy wonderful    
greatness and generosity4               
,enter servants4 ,they bow low4         
,king3 ,rise2 what is thy message8      
,they do not rise4       ,first         
,servant3 ,o ,king1 be merciful unto us6

            ,they bow lower4            
,king3 ,what meaneth this8 ,speak6 in   
astonishment ,i      command thee4      
,where is the ,queen8       ,second     
,servant3 ,o great ,king1 we delivered  
thy message as      thou didst command1 
but the ,queen has refused to come      
before      thy presence4               
,all the princes and the ,,king show    
surprise and           anger4           
,king3 ,refused to obey me8 ,this is    
impossible6 ,are ye      certain that   
she understood the meaning of my        
command8       ,servants3 ,we are1 ,o   
,king4       ,king3 ,she hath refused6  
,it cannot be6 ,he looks absently       
away4 ,she must be punished4            
,haman3 ,what shall we do to ,queen     
,vashti according to the      law1      
because she hath not performed the      
commandment of ,king      ,ahasuerus8   
,first ,prince3 ,she hath not done wrong
 to the ,king only1      but also to all
 the princes of the land1 for this deed 
of      the ,queen shall become known   

unto all the women of ,media and        
,persia and they shall despise the      
command of their husbands3              
,because1 they shall say1 ,king         
,ahasuerus commanded ,vashti1      the  
,queen1 to be brought before him and she
 came not4       ,second ,prince3 ,what 
shall we do8 ,this will cause great     
trouble and disobedience4       ,king3  
,what thinkest thou1 ,haman1 my chief   
counselor8       ,haman3 ,if it please  
the ,king1 let there go forth a royal   
commandment and let it be written among 
the laws of the      ,medes and         
,persians that ,vashti come no more     
before      ,ahasuerus1 and let the     
,king give her royal estate to          
another that is better than she4 ,then  
when this decree      shall become known
 all wives shall give honor unto their  
husbands4       ,king3 ,this saying     
pleaseth me greatly4 ,i shall do        
accordingly4 ,to servants3 ,send letters
 unto every      province to every      
people1 which shall state this decree1  

so      that every man shall know it4   
,haman3 ,o ,king1 ,i pray thee1 let     
there be fair maidens      brought      
before thee from which thou shalt choose
 another      which shall be thy ,queen4
       ,king3 ,so be it6 ,see that fair 
maidens from every province      be     
brought here to my palace2 and the one  
that pleaseth me      best1 ,i will take
 her for my ,queen4            ,all bow4
        ,,scene ,,ii            ,,place3
 ,at ,shushan1 the palace4              
,,characters3 ,king ,ahasuerus1         
,mordecai1 ,maidens1 ,haman1            
,servants1 ,courtiers4            ,two  
servants are standing in the court room 
of  the           palace4 ,enter a      
messenger followed by ,,esther and      
,,mordecai4       ,messenger announces  
to the servants in the room3 ,this      
maiden has come to see the ,king4       
,he goes out4       ,first ,servant3    
,this is the place4 ,wait thou here4 ,to
      ,,mordecai3 ,what art thou here   
for8 ,thou wilt have to depart4         

,mordecai3 ,i only brought this maiden4 
,i beg of thee let me      have a few   
words with her2 then ,i will withdraw4  
,first ,servant3 ,speak then quickly1   
before the ,king cometh4                
,servants withdraw to another part of   
the room4       ,illustration3 ,,fig4   
#c4--;,esther and ,mordecai             
,mordecai taking ,,esther',s hand3      
,esther1 my child1      thou art like my
 very child1 for although ,i am but thy 
uncle      ,i have been as a father to  
thee4 ,i bid thee farewell now1      for
 it seemeth to me that the ,king will   
surely choose thee      to be his       
,queen--thou art so fair4 ,this one     
thing remember1      tell him not that  
thou art a ,jewess4 ,fare thee well1    
,esther6      ,may the ,lord bless thee6
       ,esther3 ,farewell to thee1      
,mordecai6            ,,mordecai goes   
out4 ,other maidens come in announced by
           the messenger4               
,messenger3 ,these maidens would see the
 ,king4            ,the servants show   

them where to sit4 ,enter second        
messenger4       ,second ,messenger3    
,the ,king6 ,the ,king6                 
,enter ,,king and ,,haman4 ,,king sits  
on his throne4       ,second ,servant   
bowing before the ,,king3 ,o ,king1 the 
maidens from all parts of the country   
have arrived and await      thy         
pleasure4       ,king3 ,let them come   
before my presence one at a time1 and   
,i will choose from among them the one  
that seemeth most      fair4            
,the musicians begin playing and1 one by
 one1 the           maidens come out4   
,they bow and dance4 ,,esther comes     
last of all4 ,as ,,esther dances the    
,,king speaks4       ,king3 ,what       
marvelous beauty6 ,surely this maiden is
 fair      enough to be my ,queen4      
,haman3 ,yea1 ,o ,king1 thou art right2 
she should be thy      ,queen4          
,king takes ,,esther',s hand3 ,what is  
thy name1 fair      maid8       ,esther3
 ,my name is ,esther1 ,o ,king4         
,king3 ,esther1 ,i do here take thee to 

be my ,queen4 ,bring      the royal     
crown and the ,queen's robes6           
,servants come immediately and put them 
on her4       ,illustration3 ,,fig4     
#d4--;,esther dances before the king    
,king leading ,,esther out3 ,come unto  
the wedding feast      which is now     
prepared4 ,all are welcome6             
,,scene ,,iii            ,,place3 ,the  
palace gate4            ,,characters3   
,haman1 ,mordecai1 ,servants1 ,esther4  
,servants are standing and walking by   
the gate4 ,women           come by      
carrying water jars4 ,,mordecai stands  
apart           from the crowd4 ,,herald
 comes in4       ,herald3 ,bow the knee1
 bow the knee4 ,the chief counselor1    
,haman1 approacheth6 ,thus saith the    
,king4            ,,haman comes in4 ,all
 bow to him except ,,mordecai4          
,haman pointing to ,,mordecai3 ,who is  
this man who doth      not bow the knee 
to me8       ,first ,servant3 ,he is    
,mordecai1 the ,jew1 my lord4 ,to       
,,mordecai3 ,why dost thou break the    

,king's commandment8       ,haman3 ,thou
 ,jew6 ,dost thou think that thou art   
mightier      than ,i1 whom the ,king   
hath set above all the princes of the   
land8 ,thou shalt suffer for this4      
,turns to servant4 ,send      letters   
unto all the ,king's provinces1 to      
destroy1 to kill1      and to cause to  
perish all ,jews1 both young and old1   
little      children and women1 in one  
day--even upon the thirteenth day       
of the twelfth month1 and to take the   
spoil of them for      prey4            
,servant bows and goes away4 ,,haman    
passes on1           leaving ,,mordecai 
with two servants4 ,,mordecai1 in       
deep thought1 walks anxiously up and    
down4       ,mordecai3 ,i must see      
,queen ,esther4 ,canst thou not take me 
to the ,queen8       ,second ,servant   
laughing scornfully3 ,thinkest thou that
      the ,queen will see thee8         
,mordecai3 ,give the ,queen this paper  
and say to her that ,i1      ,mordecai1 
the ,jew1 bid her come to me4           

,servant withdraws4       ,mordecai     
walking1 talks to himself3 ,israel1 ,o  
,israel1      my people6 ,you shall not 
perish4 ,esther1 your ,queen1 will      
save you4            ,enter ,,esther4   
,esther3 ,mordecai1 my uncle1 why art   
thou here8 ,thou      lookest unhappy4  
,hath aught happened to thee8           
,mordecai3 ,yea1 ,esther1 ,i am unhappy4
 ,i have sorrowful news      to tell    
thee4       ,esther3 ,chamberlains1     
withdraw6 ,speak1 ,mordecai2 tell me    
quickly4 ,it may be that ,i can help    
thee4       ,mordecai3 ,esther1 thou    
canst help me1 and thou art the         
only one who can4 ,haman1 the ,king's   
counselor1 hateth the      ,jews--thy   
people and mine4 ,he hath sent a decree 
over all      the country commanding    
that every ,jew1 both old and young1    
little children and women1 be killed on 
the thirteenth day      of the twelfth  
month4 ,esther1 thou must save thy      
people and      thyself8 ,thou must go  
before the ,king and beg of him that he 

spare thy people4            ,,esther   
shows great distress4       ,esther3    
,oh1 what shall ,i do8 ,dost thou not   
know that for      one who dareth to go 
before the presence of the ,king1 if the
      ,king hath not called him1 there  
is certain death2 except to      whom   
the ,king shall hold out the golden     
scepter--he may      live8 ,i have not  
been called to come in unto the ,king   
these      thirty days4 ,he will surely 
put me to death for such      boldness4 
,mordecai3 ,thou must go unto the ,king 
even so4 ,think not      that thou wilt 
escape death from ,haman because thou   
art in      the ,king's house4 ,who     
knoweth but that thou hast been made    
,queen for such a time as this6         
,esther after thinking deeply3 ,go1     
gather together all      the ,jews that 
are present in ,shushan1 and fast ye for
 me1      and neither eat nor drink for 
three days1 night or day1 ,i      also  
and my maidens will fast likewise--and  
so ,i will go in      unto the ,king1   

which is not according to the law1 and  
if ,i      perish1 ,i perish4           
,mordecai3 ,may the ,lord go with thee6 
,,scene ,,iv            ,,place3 ,in the
 court of the ,king's palace4           
,,characters3 ,king ,ahasuerus1 ,esther1
 ,haman1 ,courtiers1                    
,servants4            ,the ,king sits on
 his throne4 ,,queen ,,esther enters    
and bows before the ,,king4 ,the ,,king 
looks at her in           astonishment4 
,courtiers in loud whispers3 ,the       
,queen6 ,it is the      ,queen6         
,king3 ,esther1 hast thou dared to come 
before my presence      when ,i have not
 called thee8 ,thou surely dost not know
 what      thou art doing6 ,this act of 
boldness can mean thy death6 ,but       
thou art so beautiful1 ,esther1 ,i      
cannot be hard with thee4      ,rise6   
,he holds out the golden scepter4 ,what 
is the      request that has brought    
thee here8 ,it shall be given thee1     
even though it be half of my kingdom4   
,,esther touches the scepter and rises4 

,esther3 ,if it seemeth good unto the   
,king1 let the ,king and      ,haman    
come this day unto the banquet that ,i  
have prepared      for them4            
,she turns and goes out4       ,king3   
,hearest thou1 ,haman8 ,make haste and  
let us do as      ,esther hath said4    
,come1 we will prepare for this banquet4
            ,,haman bows4 ,the ,,king   
and ,,haman go out4 ,others             
follow4       ,illustration3 ,,fig4     
#e4--,the king holds out the scepter to 
,esther        ,,scene ,v               
,,place3 ,the ,queen's apartment4       
,,characters3 ,queen ,esther1 ,king     
,ahasuerus1 ,haman1           ,servants1
 ,mordecai4            ,the servants are
 preparing the feast4 ,enter ,,esther4  
,esther3 ,see ye that the feast is in   
readiness1 for the      ,king will soon 
arrive4            ,servants bow4       
,servant3 ,the ,king cometh6            
,esther going to meet the ,,king as he  
enters3 ,welcome1      my lord6         
,the ,,king sits upon a throne prepared 

for him4       ,king3 ,i am happy to be 
with thee1 my fair ,queen4 ,thou must   
have a request which thou desirest to   
make--speak1 be not      afraid4 ,i will
 grant it though it be half of my       
kingdom4       ,esther3 ,if ,i have     
found favor in thy sight1 ,o ,king1 and 
if      it please the ,king1 let my life
 be saved and the lives of my           
people--the ,hebrew people4 ,we are to  
be destroyed1 to be      slain and to   
perish4       ,king3 ,thy people8 ,the  
,hebrew people8 ,who is this and where  
is he that dareth in his heart to do    
this thing to thy      people8          
,esther3 ,the enemy is thy chief        
counselor1 this wicked      ,haman4     
,king3 ,did ,haman do this deed8 ,how   
didst thou know of his      plan8       
,esther3 ,o ,king1 ,mordecai1 the ,jew1 
my uncle1 hath shown me      the letter 
which ,haman hath sent over the country4
 ,the ,jews      are to be killed on the
 thirteenth day of the twelfth month4   
,i am begging thee for my life and for  

the lives of my      people6            
,illustration3 ,,fig4 #f4--,queen       
,esther pleads for her people           
,king3 ,fear not1 ,esther2 thy people   
shall be saved4      ,mordecai1 the     
,jew1 hath once done me a great service4
 ,he      hath not been rewarded for    
this4 ,he shall have honor1 for he      
deserveth it4       ,servant3 ,the great
 ,haman hath come1 ,o ,queen4           
,,haman enters2 they seat themselves1   
and the feast is           served4      
,king3 ,haman1 what shall be done unto  
the man whom the ,king      delighteth  
to honor8       ,haman aside3 ,whom     
would the ,king like to honor more      
than myself8 ,to the ,,king3 ,for the   
man whom the ,king      delighteth to   
honor1 let the royal apparel be brought 
which      the ,king useth to wear1 and 
the horse which the ,king rideth        
upon1 and the royal crown which is set  
upon his head2 and      let these be    
given the man whom the ,king delighteth 
to      honor2 and let him ride on      

horseback through the streets of        
the city2 and proclaim before him1 ,thus
 it shall be done      unto the man whom
 the ,king delighteth to honor6         
,king3 ,make haste and take the royal   
apparel and the horse      as thou hast 
said and do even so unto ,mordecai1 the 
,jew1      that sitteth at the ,king's  
gate4 ,let nothing fail of all      that
 thou hast spoken4            ,,haman   
bows his head low and goes out to       
,,mordecai4       ,servant3 ,o ,king1   
,haman hath built a gallows upon which  
to      hang ,mordecai1 the ,jew1 this  
day4            ,,haman returns with    
,,mordecai and puts on the crown1       
etc4       ,king3 ,let him who hath made
 the gallows hang upon it6              
,servant takes ,,haman out4       ,king3
 ,come near1 ,mordecai4 ,thou hast found
 great favor in      mine eyes4 ,from   
henceforth thou shalt be my chief       
counselor1      and thou shalt rule the 
land in ,haman's place4 ,thy people     
shall be spared1 and letters shall be   

sent over all the      land and into    
every province which shall state that   
the      ,hebrew people shall not be    
destroyed1 but instead they shall       
be honored and have joy and feasting4   
,mordecai3 ,i thank thee1 ,o ,king and  
,esther1 my ,queen1 for      the great  
deliverance and for this great honor to 
me4 ,may      the ,lord give me strength
 to deal wisely with these peoples4     
,esther3 ,this is a great happiness     
which thou hast bestowed      upon me1  
,o ,king4     ,,chapter ,,viii  ,,the   
,,dramatization ,,of ,,abraham ,,and    
,,the ,,three ,,guests   ,this incident 
should be simplified and adapted before 
it is told to children4 ,the            
dramatization is best worked out in the 
form of a short1 free play which        
involves only one act4 ,it is           
unnecessary to carry it to the point of 
fixed words and actions4 ,the emphasis  
should be placed upon the customs of the
 times which are so well brought out in 
the story2 for example1 the hospitality 

of ,abraham to the strangers represents 
the feeling toward strangers among the  
nomad peoples1 and the manner in which  
he showed his hospitality makes children
 acquainted with customs peculiar to    
those people4 ,there is excellent       
opportunity here for enriching the      
children's understanding of the life of 
a shepherd people1 of which the         
,israelites are an example4             
,descriptions and pictures of the kind  
of tent the people lived in are         
necessary4 ,it is important that        
children should get the idea of the     
correct shape of the ,arab tent and not 
confuse it with the ,indian wigwam4 ,no 
stage scenery need be used2 it is best  
to leave that to the imagination4 ,a    
curtain may be put up to represent the  
front of the tent1 but nothing more4    
,there is much of this incident that    
should be left out in the telling2 by no
 means should it be read directly from  
the ,bible to children4 ,the story may  
be told so that the following points are

 emphasized3  ,abraham is sitting at the
 door of his tent4 ,three men appear2 he
 runs to meet them and bows to the      
ground4 ,he invites them to rest under  
the shade of the tree and offers to get 
food and to have their feet washed4 ,the
 strangers sit and talk together1 then  
,abraham comes with the food4 ,they all 
eat and are rested1 and as they rise to 
depart they ask for ,sarah1 ,abraham's  
wife4 ,the strangers tell ,sarah and    
,abraham that they are to have a son    
whose name shall be ,isaac and whom ,god
 shall bless and who shall be the father
 of many people4 ,abraham and ,sarah are
 greatly astonished and pleased4 ,they  
fall upon their knees to thank ,god1 and
 when they arise they find that the     
strangers have departed4 ,the scene     
closes with their exclamation1 ,surely  
these were angels from the ,lord who    
have visited us6  ,this story was       
dramatized by the children of the       
dramatic club after they had had        
experience with many other              

dramatizations4 ,during the first hour  
after the story was told the children   
succeeded in getting the play into very 
nearly its final form4 ,two of the older
 girls1 undertaking to write out the    
scenes as they thought they should be1  
brought in their versions at the second 
meeting4 ,each one was read aloud1 the  
other children being asked to remember  
the parts that seemed especially good4  
,then by combining1 adding to1 or taking
 from1 a composite result was obtained4 
,several children wrote down the final  
decisions at the dictation of the group4
  ,below is given the version which one 
child worked out by herself1 and        
following that is the final form of the 
play which the group as a whole decided 
upon4 ,the leader purposely left this   
play entirely in the hands of the       
children2 the product is wholly their   
own4        ,,the ,,play ,,exactly ,,as 
,,one ,,child ,,wrote ,,it              
,abraham3 ,the day is hot and ,i am     
weary4 ,i will rest myself      from the

 heat of the day4 ,he seats himself in  
the shade of      the tent4             
,sarah3 ,it is indeed hot1 and ,i will  
bring thee food and      drink that thou
 mayest refresh thyself4 ,,sarah retires
 into      the tent4       ,abraham     
rises to his feet and shades his eyes   
with his      hands3 ,sarah1 come       
hither6 ,yonder are strangers who are in
      need of rest4 ,,sarah comes out1  
and she and ,,abraham kneel      before 
them4 ,welcome1 strangers1 seat         
yourselves that ye      may rest4 ,my   
wife1 ,sarah1 will bring you food1 and  
water      that you may wash your feet4 
,first ,stranger3 ,the ,lord bless thee1
 ,abraham4 ,sarah      and the servants 
withdraw1 and ,,abraham and the three   
men      seat themselves before the     
tent4 ,,sarah returns with water        
and food4 ,the strangers wash their feet
 and eat4       ,sarah offering them    
food3 ,drink thou this fresh milk1      
and refresh thyself with this fruit1 for
 ye look weary4      ,they finish eating

 and ,,sarah and the servants retire4   
,second ,stranger3 ,we bring thee good  
tidings and would      speak with thee  
and thy wife4 ,,sarah comes from within 
the      tent4       ,third ,stranger3  
,we are messengers from the ,lord to    
tell      thee that thou wilt have a    
son4       ,first ,stranger3 ,he will be
 the father of many men and             
thousands will respect him4 ,ye shall   
name him ,,isaac4       ,sarah3 ,that   
cannot come to pass6 ,for many years ,i 
have      been childless1 and the ,lord 
will not give me a son4       ,abraham  
falling on his knees3 ,thanks be to the 
,lord6 ,a      son at last6             
,sarah3 ,can it be that these tidings   
are true8 ,if so1 it is      indeed a   
message from the ,lord6 ,she too falls  
on her knees      before them4 ,the     
three men quietly leave1 and when       
,,sarah      and ,,abraham rise to their
 feet they are out of sight4            
,abraham3 ,they were angels from heaven6
 ,our wish has been      granted at     

last6       ,,end   ,the following is   
the play as it was finally presented3   
,,abraham ,,and ,,the ,,three ,,guests  
,,place3 ,in front of the tent of       
,abraham4            ,,characters3      
,abraham1 a ,shepherd2 ,sarah1 ,his     
,wife2 ,three           ,strangers2     
,four ,servants4            ,,abraham   
and ,,sarah come out of the tent4       
,abraham3 ,the day is hot1 and ,i am    
weary2 ,i will sit down      and rest in
 the shade of this tree4       ,sarah3  
,yea1 it is hot4 ,i will bring thee     
drink and food      that thou mayest    
refresh thyself1 my good husband4       
,,sarah goes into the tent4 ,,abraham   
sees three           strangers          
approaching4 ,he stands up1 shades his  
eyes           with his hands1 and looks
 out over the desert4 ,he calls         
to ,,sarah4       ,illustration3 ,,fig4 
#g4--,the three guests bless ,abraham   
and      ,sarah       ,abraham3 ,sarah1 
my wife1 come hither6 ,lo1 ,i see three 
strangers approaching over the desert4  

,,sarah comes out of the tent and looks 
also4       ,,sarah3 ,they will be weary
 and in need of rest4 ,i will hasten    
and prepare food and drink for them     
also4            ,,sarah goes away4     
,,abraham rises to meet the strangers3  
he falls on the ground before them4     
,abraham3 ,welcome1 strangers1 to the   
tent of ,abraham6 ,if ,i      have found
 favor in thy sight1 pass not away1 ,i  
pray thee6      ,let now a little water 
be fetched and wash your feet1 and      
rest yourselves under the tree2 and ,i  
will fetch a morsel of      bread1 and  
this will strengthen your hearts2 after 
that ye      shall pass on4       ,the  
,three ,strangers3 ,so do as thou hast  
said1 good      ,abraham4               
,,abraham turns to the servants who are 
standing near4       ,abraham3 ,haste   
ye1 bring water2 fetch a calf1 tender   
and      good4 ,servants hasten away4   
,to the strangers3 ,sarah1      my wife1
 will make ready three measures of fine 
meal and      knead it into cakes4      

,first ,stranger3 ,our host1 ,abraham1  
is a true servant of      the ,lord4    
,second ,stranger3 ,we are indeed weary2
 we have journeyed      far across the  
desert4            ,servants appear with
 water and food4 ,,sarah also           
brings food to them4       ,sarah3      
,drink thou this fresh milk1 and refresh
 thyself      with these dates1 for ye  
look weary4       ,third ,stranger3     
,this is indeed a rest4                 
,,sarah goes into the tent and the      
strangers finish           eating4 ,the 
strangers rise to go4       ,abraham3   
,tarry yet awhile with us4       ,first 
,stranger3 ,we thank thee1 good         
,abraham1 but we must      be on our    
way4       ,second ,stranger3 ,we would 
speak with thee and thy wife1           
,sarah4 ,where is thy wife8             
,abraham3 ,sarah1 come hither4          
,,sarah appears4       ,third ,stranger3
 ,we bring you a message from the ,lord4
 ,you      shall have a son1 and his    
name shall be ,isaac4 ,he shall be      

the father of many men1 and thousands   
shall respect him4       ,sarah3        
,surely1 this cannot come to pass6      
,abraham3 ,thanks be to ,god for this   
great gift6            ,,sarah and      
,,abraham fall down on their knees      
before           the strangers4 ,the    
strangers stretch out their hands to    
bless them4       ,three ,strangers3    
,the ,lord will bless you1 ,sarah and   
,abraham6            ,the strangers     
depart4 ,,abraham and ,,sarah arise4    
,abraham and ,sarah3 ,surely these were 
angels from the ,lord6       ,,end  ,as 
this play was very short1 the suggestion
 was made that we might lengthen the    
program1 as well as make it more        
interesting1 by having some of the      
children tell the audience just how we  
worked up the dramatization4 ,the two   
older girls undertook this and decided  
entirely by themselves just what they   
would say4 ,one of them wrote with great
 care a description of the method of    
procedure4 ,she read it to the club for 

approval1 then she learned it by heart  
and gave it in an interesting manner to 
the audience on the day the play was    
given4 ,the other girl wrote a poem     
about it1 and recited it just before the
 play was given4 ,the description and   
poem are as follows3        ,,the       
,,introduction       ,,by ,,margaret    
,,miller        ,the play which the     
children are now going to give--,abraham
      and the ,three ,guests--has been  
worked out and practiced at      the    
dramatic club4 ,this club meets every   
,sunday afternoon      from three until 
four o'clock1 and is composed of any of 
the      children of the ,sunday school 
who wish to belong4       ,the first    
,sunday ,miss ,miller told the story to 
the members1      and then they1 knowing
 it1 acted it out1 making up the parts  
as they went along4 ,this they did      
several times until they      knew the  
story perfectly4       ,the two oldest  
girls did not take part in the acting of
 the      play1 but became assistants   

and helped ,miss ,miller direct      it4
 ,during the next week the assistants   
wrote out the      speeches very much as
 the children had made them up4 ,these  
were read before the club and discussed1
 and after a number      of suggestions 
had been added by all the children      
present      the scene was finally      
written as it now is4       ,the        
children each took home a part to learn1
 and the      following ,sunday they all
 tried the different speeches4          
,before the final characters were chosen
 each child was able      to represent  
any one of them4 ,the final characters  
were      decided upon by the group and 
were chosen according to their          
preferences and their ability to enact  
the different parts4                    
,unfortunately1 most of the costumes    
which the club had on      hand were    
much too small for the children this    
year4 ,we      therefore held a         
sewing-bee during the week1 and         
lengthened      the old ones or made new

 ones where we found it necessary4      
,we have worked on this play for five   
meetings1 which      represents         
altogether five hours1 except for a     
little work      that the assistants did
 outside4       ,we have had much fun   
with this play1 and we are hoping that  
you will enjoy it too4        ,,poem    
,,by ,,melba ,,pyle       ,before you   
soon you shall see      ,the story of   
,abraham and the ,strangers ,three4     
,the partakers1 they have worked2       
,the assistants1 they have shirked--    
,but not as much as you would think1    
,for they have helped to join each link4
      ,as day by day passed quickly away
      ,we read the ,bible and wrote the 
play4      ,each child helped as best he
 could1      ,and thus we worked in     
brotherhood4      ,word with word we did
 neatly join1      ,then home we went1  
our parts to learn1      ,next to the   
box where the costumes lay1      ,and   
straight to sewing and not to play4     
,and 'tis our happy aim1 you see1       

,to make you joyous as can be6          
,,chapter ,,ix  ,,the ,,dramatization   
,,of ,,daniel ,,in ,,the ,,lions' ,,den 
,the story of ,daniel in the ,lions'    
,den was dramatized by the members of   
the club according to the same methods  
as those which were used in connection  
with the story of ,abraham and the      
,three ,guests4  ,this play is given    
here in order to show how a story which 
deals with a miraculous event may be    
treated4 ,when ,daniel was thrust into  
the den of lions1 he was in reality put 
out of the door which opens at the side 
of the stage4 ,the children readily came
 to the decision that it was unnecessary
 to show ,daniel actually in the den of 
lions on the stage4 ,in telling the     
story no explanation was made or asked  
for concerning the miracle which        
happened4 ,the children accepted it and 
enjoyed it as they would any other good 
story4  ,the final play which follows   
represents entirely the children's      
interpretation2 the product is their    

own4        ,,daniel ,,in ,,the ,,lions'
 ,,den        ,,scene ,i                
,,place3 ,the court room of ,king       
,darius4            ,,characters3 ,king 
,darius1 ,daniel1 ,four ,conspirators1  
,soldiers1 ,servants4            ,,king 
,,darius is seated on his throne4       
,soldiers and           attendants stand
 nearby4 ,the conspirators are talking  
together at one side4 ,,daniel1 followed
 by two           soldiers1 comes in and
 kneels before the ,,king4              
,daniel3 ,king ,darius1 live forever6   
,king ,darius3 ,good ,daniel1 ,i have   
sent for thee that thou      mayest know
 my will4 ,it has pleased me to set over
 my      kingdom one hundred and twenty 
princes1 and over these      princes    
have ,i set three rulers4 ,thou hast    
been so faithful      and true that ,i  
wish to make thee the first of these    
three      rulers4 ,thou shalt have     
great responsibility1 and thou shalt    
report to me when thou thinkest it well 
to do so4       ,daniel3 ,thou art kind 

and gracious unto me1 ,o ,king6 ,may    
the ,lord1 ,jehovah1 help me to do this4
       ,king ,darius3 ,come unto the    
feast1 ,daniel1 and have the      royal 
robe placed on thee4            ,,daniel
 bows to the ,,king and they both go    
out1           followed by the soldiers 
and servants4            ,the           
conspirators are left alone in the room4
 ,they           show great anger and   
begin talking to each other4            
,first ,conspirator3 ,see how this      
,daniel has found favor in      the     
,king's sight6 ,he is not of our        
country1 he belongs to      the ,hebrew 
people2 but the ,king has appointed him 
over us      all6 ,we must destroy this 
,daniel4       ,second ,conspirator3    
,yea1 thou art right4 ,what can we do8  
,they all walk back and forth in deep   
thought4       ,third ,conspirator3 ,i  
can think of nothing against him6       
,fourth ,conspirator3 ,thou sayest the  
truth2 he hath no      fault4 ,he is    
faithful and doth nothing wrong4        

,first ,conspirator3 ,i can think of    
nothing1 save that we      find it      
against him concerning his ,god4        
,fourth ,conspirator3 ,ah1 that is true2
 ,daniel worshipeth a      different    
,god2 ,i have seen him praying thrice in
 one day4       ,second ,conspirator3   
,let us influence the ,king to make a   
firm decree that whosoever shall worship
 any ,god or man1      save the ,king1  
for thirty days1 he shall be cast into  
the      den of lions4       ,third     
,conspirator3 ,that soundeth well6 ,if  
,daniel be      faithful to his ,god1 he
 will surely disobey this decree2 and   
if the ,king once signeth it1 the law of
 the ,medes and the      ,persians saith
 that it cannot be altered4       ,first
 ,conspirator3 ,ah1 this will surely be 
,daniel's ruin      now6       ,fourth  
,conspirator3 ,come1 let us hasten to   
the ,king and      have him establish   
and sign this decree4 ,he will be       
pleased2      he will not think of      
,daniel4       ,third ,conspirator3     

,yea1 we will hasten before the setting 
of the sun4        ,,scene ,,ii         
,,place3 ,the same as in scene i4       
,,characters3 ,the same as in scene i4  
,,time3 ,several days after the events  
in scene i4            ,the ,,king is   
seated on his throne4 ,the four         
conspirators come before the ,,king and 
kneel4       ,the ,conspirators3 ,great 
,king ,darius1 live forever6       ,king
 ,darius3 ,arise1 my friends6           
,first ,conspirator3 ,o ,king1 hast thou
 not signed a decree      that he who   
shall pray to any ,god or man within    
thirty days1      save to thee1 shall be
 cast into the den of lions8       ,king
 ,darius3 ,this thing is true1 according
 to the law of      the ,medes and      
,persians1 which altereth not4          
,second ,conspirator3 ,a man in thy     
kingdom regardeth not      this law1 and
 doth pray to his ,god three times a    
day--we      have seen him6       ,king 
with anger3 ,who is this man that       
breaketh my      laws8       ,first     

,conspirator3 ,he is ,daniel1 whom thou 
hast favored      and made ruler6       
,king ,darius with surprise and sadness3
 ,daniel6 ,it      cannot be6 ,daniel   
must not die1 for ,i love him4          
,third ,conspirator3 ,thou knowest1 ,o  
,king1 that the law of      the ,medes  
and ,persians is that no decree which   
the ,king      establisheth may be      
changed4       ,king sadly3 ,thou sayest
 truly2 the ,king's word may not      be
 broken4 ,bring ,daniel hither4         
,soldiers go for ,,daniel4 ,the ,,king  
walks back and           forth in great 
distress4       ,king talking to        
himself3 ,oh1 ,i would that this had not
      happened6            ,,daniel     
appears and bows before the ,,king4     
,king3 ,why hast thou disobeyed my law1 
,daniel8 ,wherefore      didst thou pray
 to thy ,god when thou knewest of my    
decree8       ,daniel3 ,great ,king     
,darius1 my ,god1 the ,god to whom ,i   
pray1      is the true ,god1 and ,i     
shall worship no other4 ,do with me     

what thou wilt4       ,king3 ,daniel1 ,i
 would that thou hadst not done this    
thing1      for ,i love thee4 ,thou art 
a brave and bold man6 ,thy ,god whom    
thou servest continually1 he will       
deliver thee6 ,to the      soldiers3    
,take this man from me2 cast him into   
the den of      lions4                  
,soldiers take ,,daniel and thrust him  
into the den4           ,the door is    
closed1 and the ,,king seals it with his
           signet4 ,the ,,king and      
attendants withdraw4 ,the               
conspirators are alone4       ,first    
,conspirator3 ,daniel has fallen at     
last6 ,no longer      will he be the    
,king's favorite6       ,fourth         
,conspirator3 ,we1 instead1 will be the 
favored ones6            ,they leave the
 room in high spirits4        ,,scene   
,,iii            ,,place3 ,the same as  
in scene i4            ,,characters3    
,the same as in scene i4                
,,time3 ,the next morning after the     
events in scene ii4            ,the     

,,king hastens to the door of the lions'
 den4       ,king calling eagerly3 ,o   
,daniel1 servant of the living          
,god1 is thy ,god1 whom thou servest    
continually1 able to      deliver thee  
from the lions8       ,daniel from      
within3 ,o ,king1 live forever6 ,my ,god
 hath      sent his angel and hath shut 
the lions' mouths1 and they      have   
not hurt me1 for the ,lord knoweth that 
,i have done no      wrong1 either      
before him or thee1 ,o ,king6           
,king to servants who have followed him 
into the room3      ,come hither1       
servants6 ,quickly bring ,daniel out    
that ,i may      see him6               
,the door is opened1 and ,,daniel comes 
out4 ,the ,,king           shows great  
joy in greeting him4       ,king3 ,thy  
,god is truly the living ,god6 ,bring   
forth the men      that have done       
,daniel this wrong4 ,cast them into the 
lions'      den4            ,the        
conspirators are standing in the room1  
looking           at ,,daniel in        

astonishment4 ,the soldiers seize them  
and push them down into the den4 ,as    
they go they cry           to the       
,,king4       ,conspirators3 ,o ,king1  
spare us6       ,king3 ,i will now sign 
a decree that in every dominion of      
my kingdom men shall bow before the ,god
 of ,daniel1 for he is      the only    
true ,god4 ,he delivereth and rescueth  
and worketh      great wonders2 he hath 
saved ,daniel from the power of the     
lions4       ,daniel3 ,the ,lord ,god   
will surely bless thee for this good    
thing6       ,,end     ,,chapter ,x     
,,the ,,dramatization ,,of ,,new        
,,testament ,,parables   ,many of the   
,new ,testament parables present        
interesting problems for dramatization4 
,the selection should be limited to     
those which involve dramatic situations 
and unity of structure4 ,the simplicity 
and conciseness of words and actions in 
many of the parables are qualities which
 call forth a ready and free response   
from children4  ,among the parables     

which have been worked out by the       
dramatic club are ,the ,good ,samaritan1
 ,the ,wise and ,foolish ,virgins1 ,the 
,great ,supper1 ,the ,talents1 ,the     
,prodigal ,son4  ,in the case of these  
short parables the story was not told   
first1 but the parable was read to the  
children directly from the ,bible4      
,there was no discussion as to the      
truths supposed to be taught1 the       
emphasis being placed entirely upon the 
story element involved4 ,the customs of 
the times and the division of the story 
into scenes were discussed as fully as  
was done with other stories4 ,usually   
one or two meetings were all that were  
necessary for working one of these      
parables into dramatic form4 ,when it   
was completed1 the result was not a     
finished product1 as the words and      
action had been interpreted with slight 
variations each time4 ,the children     
learned the story by heart1 as it is    
given in the ,bible4 ,this influenced   
their words when they were dramatizing4 

,several parables were given together at
 the meeting when parents and friends   
were invited4 ,one child recited the    
,bible version just before the play was 
given4 ,this feature added interest and 
dignity to the occasion4  ,the parables 
were given in the following order3      
,,the ,,wise ,,and ,,foolish ,,virgins  
,ten virgins with their lamps are       
waiting for the           bridegroom4   
,first ,virgin3 ,the bridegroom tarries2
 let us rest here      awhile4          
,other ,virgins3 ,yea1 let us rest4     
,they all sit down and go to sleep4     
,a ,cry ,without3 ,behold1 the          
bridegroom cometh6 ,go ye out to        
meet him6            ,all the virgins   
get up hurriedly4 ,the five wise ones1  
with oil in their lamps1 stand in       
readiness4 ,the five           foolish  
ones are in great confusion4            
,first ,foolish ,virgin3 ,we have no    
oil6 ,our lamps are gone      out6      
,second ,foolish ,virgin speaking to the
 five wise      virgins3 ,give us of    

your oil--we have none4       ,first    
,wise ,virgin3 ,not so1 lest there be   
not enough for      ourselves and for   
you4 ,but go ye rather to them that     
sell1      and buy for yourselves4      
,the foolish virgins hasten away4       
,a ,cry ,without3 ,behold1 the          
bridegroom cometh6 ,go ye out to        
meet him6            ,the ,,bridegroom  
comes in1 followed by a few             
attendants4 ,he walks by1 and the five  
wise virgins           follow him4 ,they
 go in a door which is closed after     
them4 ,the foolish virgins come         
hurriedly back and rush           to the
 door4 ,they beat on it and call out    
several           times4       ,foolish 
,virgins3 ,lord1 ,lord1 open unto us6   
,the door opens and the ,,bridegroom    
stands there4       ,bridegroom3        
,depart1 ,i know you not6       ,,end   
,during the work on this play the       
question arose as to the kind of lamps  
that were used at the time of the story4
 ,the children looked up pictures and   

descriptions1 and from these they made  
themselves lamps out of plasticene or   
clay4 ,fig4 #h is a photograph of one of
 the scenes taken out of doors4 ,the    
lamps can be seen1 also the simple      
costumes which the children worked out4 
,,the ,,great ,,supper            ,the  
,,master of the feast stands in his door
 and           speaks to his servant4   
,the ,master3 ,go1 bid my friends come  
to the supper1 for all      things are  
now ready6            ,the servant bows2
 the ,,master goes into the house4      
,the servant walks down the street1 and 
as he meets           people he delivers
 his ,,master',s message4       ,servant
 to the men as they come by3 ,my ,master
 bids      thee come to his feast1 for  
all things are now ready6               
,illustration3 ,,fig4 #h4--,the wise and
 foolish virgins       ,first ,man3 ,say
 to thy ,master that ,i have bought a   
piece of      land and must needs go and
 see it4 ,i pray thee have me           
excused4            ,the servant bows   

and the man passes on4 ,the servant     
delivers the message to the second man4 
,second ,man3 ,i have bought five yoke  
of oxen2 ,i must go to      prove them4 
,i pray thee have me excused4           
,third ,man3 ,i have married a wife1 and
 therefore ,i cannot      come4         
,the servant goes back to his           
,,master',s house2 the                  
,,master comes out to meet him4         
,servant falls on his knees before his  
,,master3 ,o sir1 ,i      did as thou   
commandedst1 but one by one they made   
excuse1      and would not come to thy  
supper4 ,one man had just bought a      
piece of land and must go to see it2    
another had bought five      yoke of    
oxen1 and was on his way to prove them2 
and another      had just married a     
wife4 ,all begged that thou excuse them4
       ,master shows great anger3 ,what6
 ,they that are bidden      refuse to   
come to my feast6 ,go out quickly into  
the streets      and lanes of the city1 
and bring in hither the maimed1 and     

the halt1 and the blind6            ,the
 ,,master goes into his house1 and the  
servant      again walks down the       
street4       ,servant as he meets the  
lame1 the halt1 and the blind3          
,come6 ,my ,master invites you to a     
great supper1 which is now      prepared
 at his house6            ,each person1 
or group of persons1 bows and thanks him
           with such remarks as--       
,maimed1 ,halt1 ,blind3 ,we thank thee2 
we will be there4 ,we      gladly accept
 this invitation4            ,the       
,,master stands in the door to receive  
his guests           as they come4 ,when
 they are all in1 the servant comes     
back to his ,,master4       ,servant3   
,lord1 it is done as thou hast          
commanded1 and yet      there is room4  
,master3 ,go out into the highways and  
hedges1 and compel      them to come in1
 that my house may be filled4 ,for ,i   
say unto      you that none of those men
 that were bidden shall taste of      my
 supper6            ,the servant bows2  

the ,,master goes in4       ,,end       
,,the ,,good ,,samaritan        ,,scene 
,i            ,,place3 ,the road from   
,jerusalem to ,jericho4                 
,,characters3 ,a ,traveler1 ,thieves1 a 
,priest1 a ,levite1 a                   
,samaritan4            ,a man comes     
along the road carrying his bundle over 
his back4 ,many thieves rush out from   
ambush and attack           him4 ,some  
knock him down and rob him1 while others
 are           looking anxiously up and 
down the road4 ,after beating           
and cutting the man they go off1        
thinking that he is           dead4     
,as the traveler lies groaning and      
begging for water1 a           priest   
comes along the road1 but when he sees  
the man he           passes by on the   
other side of the road4 ,also a ,levite 
comes along1 and after looking at the   
man passes by on           the other    
side of the road4            ,then a    
,samaritan comes along1 and as soon as  
he hears           the groans he hastens

 over to the man4 ,he kneels down       
and looks at him and speaks4       ,good
 ,samaritan3 ,what is this--a man6 ,hast
 thou been hurt1      my friend8        
,man3 ,oh1 help me6 ,thieves fell upon  
me and took all ,i had1      and have   
left me here to die4                    
,illustration3 ,,fig4 #i4--,the ,good   
,samaritan       ,good ,samaritan3 ,i   
will help thee1 my good friend2 thy     
wounds shall be bound4 ,drink this wine4
 ,it may help thee4      ,art thou able 
to get on this beast of mine8 ,i will   
take thee      to the inn where thou    
wilt be cared for4 ,he helps the man    
to rise and supports him as he hobbles  
off4 ,they both go      out4            
,,scene ,,ii            ,,place3 ,the   
,inn4            ,,characters3 ,the     
,samaritan1 the ,traveler1 the          
,innkeeper4            ,the ,,good      
,,samaritan brings the man to the door  
of           the inn and knocks4 ,the   
,,innkeeper1 appears4       ,innkeeper3 
,good day1 sir4       ,good ,samaritan3 

,here is a wounded man4 ,take care of   
him4      ,here is money1 and whatsoever
 thou spendest more1 when ,i      come  
again ,i will repay thee4 ,he gives the 
,,innkeeper      some money4 ,the       
,,innkeeper takes the man4              
,traveler to ,,good ,,samaritan3 ,god   
bless you1 my friend6       ,,end       
,,the ,,prodigal ,,son        ,,act ,i  
,,place3 ,in the father's home4         
,,characters3 ,the ,younger ,brother1   
the ,father1 the ,elder                 
,brother1 ,servants4            ,the    
,,father and ,,elder ,,son come into the
 room           together4 ,the ,,younger
 ,,son comes in from another door4      
,younger ,son3 ,father1 give me the     
portion of goods that      falleth unto 
me4 ,i am weary of living at home4 ,i   
will go      into some far country and  
make my fortune4       ,father3 ,my son1
 why is it that thou desirest this8     
,hast      thou not everything at home8 
,younger ,son3 ,yea1 father1 but ,i beg 
of thee to divide thy      living       

between us4 ,i must have my share4      
,father3 ,thou art very foolish2        
nevertheless ,i will do as      thou    
askest4 ,to servant3 ,bring my money    
bags4 ,to      ,,elder ,,son3 ,and dost 
thou intend to take thy living also1    
and leave thy father8       ,elder ,son3
 ,nay1 father1 ,i am fully content to   
live with      thee2 ,i do not want my  
portion4            ,servant returns    
with money bags4 ,,father gives money   
to his younger son4       ,father3 ,this
 is thy share--use it wisely4           
,younger ,son3 ,i thank thee1 father4 ,i
 shall become a rich      man with this2
 but now ,i must leave thee2 ,i can stay
 here no      longer4       ,father3    
,this grieves me1 my son1 for ,i know   
that thou art      foolish--but go and  
learn thy lesson4            ,he        
stretches out his hands toward his son  
as if           blessing him4           
,,act ,,ii        ,,scene ,i            
,,place3 ,along the roadside in a       
distant country4                        

,,characters3 ,the ,prodigal ,son1 a    
,farmer4            ,the ,,prodigal     
,,son comes down the road1 tired and    
hungry4 ,he sits on a rock and talks4   
,prodigal ,son3 ,would that ,i had      
something to eat6 ,my money      is all 
spent1 and there is famine in the land4 
,what shall ,i      do8 ,i am sick1 and 
feel that ,i may soon die4 ,if ,i could 
but      find something to do that ,i   
might get a little food4            ,a  
man comes along4 ,the ,,prodigal ,,son  
goes toward him           and falls down
 before him4       ,prodigal ,son3 ,o   
sir1 ,i am starving unto death4 ,wilt   
thou      give me any task to do that ,i
 may make enough to keep me      alive8 
,man3 ,i have no work to be done--unless
 it be to take care      of my swine4   
,thou wilt find them in yon field2 they 
need a      keeper4       ,prodigal     
,son3 ,i will gladly do this4           
,he goes off joyfully4        ,,scene   
,,ii            ,,place3 ,in the field  
with the swine4            ,,character3 

,the ,prodigal ,son4            ,the    
,,prodigal ,,son comes in driving the   
pigs4 ,he sits           down4          
,prodigal ,son3 ,how horrible is this   
life2 ,i am dying of      hunger4 ,no   
man will give me anything--all ,i get to
 eat is      the food that ,i give the  
pigs4 ,oh1 ,i wish that ,i had never    
left home6 ,how many hired servants of  
my father's have bread      enough and  
to spare1 and ,i perish with hunger6 ,i 
will arise      and go to my father1 and
 will say unto him1 ,father1 ,i have    
sinned against heaven and before thee1  
and am no more worthy      to be called 
thy son2 make me as one of thy hired    
servants4            ,he rises and goes 
away hurriedly4        ,,act ,,iii      
,,scene ,i            ,,place3 ,in front
 of the father's home4                  
,,characters3 ,the ,father1 the         
,prodigal ,son1 the ,servants4          
,the ,,father stands looking for his    
son4       ,father3 ,it seemeth to me   
that ,i see my son coming home6 ,i      

knew that he would come6 ,i will go to  
meet him6 ,he meets      him4 ,it is my 
son6 ,the ,,father shows great joy4 ,the
      ,,son falls on his knees before   
his father4       ,prodigal ,son3       
,father1 ,i have sinned against heaven  
and      before thee1 and am no more    
worthy to be called thy son4            
,father3 ,bring forth the best robe and 
put it on him2 and      put a ring on   
his hand1 and shoes on his feet2 and    
bring      hither the fatted calf1 and  
kill it1 and let us eat and be          
merry1 for this my son was dead and is  
alive again2 he was      lost and is    
found6        ,,scene ,,ii              
,,place3 ,in the field1 near the        
father's house4            ,,characters3
 ,elder ,son1 ,servant1 the ,father4    
,the ,,elder ,,son is hoeing in the     
field4 ,a servant           comes out4  
,the ,,elder ,,son calls to him4        
,elder ,son3 ,i hear music and dancing  
in the house2 what do      these things 
mean8       ,servant3 ,thy brother is   

come2 thy father hath killed the        
fatted calf1 because he hath received   
him safe and sound4      ,thy father    
sendeth for thee to come in4 ,the       
,,elder ,,brother      shows anger4     
,elder ,brother3 ,i will not go in4 ,why
 should he make merry      over my      
brother who has wasted his living8      
,the ,,father comes out4       ,father3 
,my son1 wilt thou come unto the feast8 
,thy lost      brother hath returned6   
,elder ,son3 ,lo1 these many years do ,i
 serve thee2 neither      have ,i at any
 time disobeyed thee1 yet thou never    
gavest me      a kid that ,i might make 
merry with my friends4 ,but as soon     
as thy son was come1 which hath wasted  
thy living1 thou hast      killed for   
him the fatted calf4       ,father3     
,son1 thou art ever with me1 and all    
that ,i have is      thine4 ,it was meet
 that we should make merry and be glad1 
for this thy brother was dead and is    
alive again2 he was      lost and is    
found4 ,come thou in to greet thy       

brother6            ,they both go in4   
,,end     ,,chapter ,,xi  ,,the         
,,dramatic ,,qualities ,,in ,a ,,good   
,,story   ,the stories in the ,bible1 if
 taken just as they are given1 present a
 body of material which is complicated  
by a historical background and a        
religious symbolism that is remote from 
the young child's experience4 ,they     
embody the historical incidents as well 
as the myths and folklore of ancient    
,hebrew life1 and for the most part they
 express the highest idealism of the    
,hebrew people4 ,there is no reason1    
however1 why good stories and           
appropriate incidents may not be given  
to children from this body of material  
through selecting from and simplifying  
the biblical version4 ,a great deal of  
what is in the ,bible should not be     
used1 but there is much that is highly  
dramatic and becomes valuable for       
dramatization4  ,it is possible to adapt
 an incident by simplifying1 and in a   
measure reorganizing1 the parts1 and yet

 to keep the dignity and integrity of   
the story as it is given in the ,bible4 
,the attitude of the children1 created  
by contact with this type of story1     
should be one of reverence and dignity1 
coupled with a consciousness of the high
 ideals of the people they are          
impersonating4  ,before any attempt is  
made to select parts of the ,bible      
narrative for dramatization the leader1 
or director of the children1 should have
 well in mind standards which will help 
in making the part that is chosen a     
well-organized story4 ,when any good    
story is analyzed it is found to be     
built upon an underlying basic          
structure4 ,there is always a beginning 
or setting2 a middle part1 where the    
incidents rise to a climax2 and an end1 
where the events of the story are       
satisfactorily worked out4 ,there should
 be a feeling of movement straight      
through the story2 the incidents should 
develop2 there should be action that    
leads to some end4 ,a unity must        

underlie the whole story--there must be 
no part which is not essential to the   
working out of the plan4 ,the end of the
 story should give a sense of           
completeness1 of satisfaction4  ,it is  
often the case that the three essential 
parts of the story call for three acts  
when the story is dramatized4 ,in some  
of our modern dramas five acts1 but in  
many only three acts1 are required in   
order to complete the structure4        
,sometimes1 however1 all three parts of 
a story may be given in a one-act       
dramatization4 ,before a story is       
dramatized it is very necessary that it 
be told so clearly that the children are
 conscious of these parts2 otherwise the
 resulting drama will lack in           
organization4 ,no matter how elaborate  
or simple the story1 the children should
 have a feeling for the basic structure1
 which should guide the form of the     
dramatization4  ,the leader in charge of
 a dramatic club in which ,bible stories
 are used must take the responsibility  

of changing the ,bible version so as to 
make an organic unit of the story and   
yet keep the spirit and big meaning4    
,there are many parts of the ,bible     
narrative which already embody this     
simple organization--or division into   
related elements--if all of the heavy1  
unnecessary incidents are omitted4#a    
,although the main purpose of these     
dramatizations is not that an artistic  
result be secured1 yet that is an       
important factor1 and should be         
recognized by both the leader and the   
children4 ,the product many times will  
be necessarily crude and lacking in the 
aesthetic element1 but nevertheless     
there should be an attempt1 even though 
gradually1 to train the children toward 
a recognition and an appreciation of the
 artistic qualities of the literary     
production they put forth1 as well as of
 the stage groupings and effects4  ,care
 must be taken that the stories chosen  
are ethically sound4 ,the story of      
,jacob is one that may well be omitted4 

,jacob deceives1 and yet all the good   
things in life come to him--he takes    
them away from those who rightfully have
 earned them4 ,this injustice in the    
story always raises a question in the   
minds of the children1 and for this     
reason it is not a good story4 ,the     
stories of ,samson1 ,jephthah1 ,jael1   
and others on this order should be      
eliminated for similar reasons4 ,they   
are each based upon attitudes toward    
society and standards of friendship     
which are now outgrown4 ,there are so   
many simple episodes in the ,bible that 
can easily be readjusted into           
well-constructed stories1 about which   
there can be no question of the moral   
value1 that no time need be wasted in   
considering any story about which there 
is the least suggestion of an unethical 
quality when judged by our present-day  
standards4  ,,footnotes3  ,footnote #a3 
,as a matter of fact1 it is often the   
later editorial additions to the simple 
old stories that have produced the      

cumbrous effect4 ,when the original     
story is recovered1 it lends itself much
 better to the purpose here discussed4  
,such a reorganization of the stories   
with a preservation of the biblical     
language has been made in ,soares'      
,heroes of ,israel 7,the ,university of 
,chicago ,press71 where also there is   
much illustrative material              
interpretative of the situations4       
,,chapter ,,xii  ,,bible ,,stories      
,,suitable ,,for ,,dramatization   ,the 
stories which have been taken for       
dramatization in the previous chapters  
were not chosen because they are the    
best ones for that purpose1 but because 
they represent different kinds of       
stories and illustrate the opportunity  
for various methods of presentation4    
,there are many other stories and       
incidents in the ,bible which are equal 
to1 or better than1 those described4  ,a
 list of some of these stories is given 
below1 together with a few of the most  
essential points which should be        

considered in dramatizing each4 ,no     
attempt is made to give the story in    
full or to elaborate the dramatization2 
the plan for each is merely suggestive4 
,i4 ,,samuel  ,i ,,samuel1 ,,chapters #b
 ,,and #c  ,the story of ,samuel may be 
worked into a short play of one or two  
scenes4 ,the most interesting and       
dramatic incident is the familiar one of
 the ,voice ,calling ,samuel at ,night4 
,the first part of the story1 however1  
is beautiful1 and may be used along with
 this incident4  ,in scene i ,hannah    
brings little ,samuel to the temple and 
dedicates him to the ,lord4 ,eli1 the   
old priest1 takes the child to live with
 him in the temple so that he may train 
him to serve the ,lord4  ,scene ii takes
 place several years later4 ,it is night
 time1 and the child ,samuel is sleeping
 near the old priest1 ,eli4 ,he thinks  
he hears a voice calling him1 and he    
runs to ,eli to ask what he wants4 ,eli 
has not called him and tells him to lie 
down again4 ,three times he runs to     

,eli1 thinking that he hears him        
calling4 ,then the priest tells him that
 it must be the ,lord who has spoken and
 tells ,samuel what to say the next time
 he is called4 ,samuel hears the message
 from the ,lord and1 upon ,eli's        
request1 tells him what he has heard4   
,eli realizes that the ,lord has spoken 
truly1 and accepts his fate as just4 ,he
 praises ,samuel and tells him that he  
will soon leave the care of the temple  
and of the people of ,israel to him4    
,neither in this play1 nor in any other 
play1 should there be an attempt to     
represent the ,lord's voice4 ,the child 
may listen as if he were hearing someone
 speaking1 and from what he says and    
does the audience will be aware of what 
is happening4 ,for the sake of the      
result1 from an artistic point of view1 
such parts as this should always be left
 to the imagination1 no attempt being   
made to interpret them literally4   #b4 
,,the ,,queen ,,of ,,sheba',s ,,visit   
,,to ,,solomon  ,i ,,kings1 ,,chapter   

#aj  ,the visit of the ,queen of ,sheba 
to ,solomon furnishes a unit of work for
 a short one-act dramatization4 ,there  
is no plot or complicated situation     
involved and there is very little       
activity suggested4 ,the attention of   
the children may well be directed1      
however1 to the description of          
,solomon's court and of the rich gifts  
which were exchanged4 ,this is an       
excellent opportunity to have the       
children do construction work4 ,they    
should make many things which will help 
to give the impression of richness to   
the court4 ,they may also make their own
 costumes richer by adding jewels and   
bright-colored sashes and headdresses4  
,this little dramatization will include 
many children4 ,a number will be needed 
to come in with the ,queen of ,sheba1   
and there should be many attendants upon
 ,king ,solomon4 ,the conversation will 
be for the most part between ,solomon   
and the ,queen1 heralds and servants    
making announcements4  ,the play opens  

with the ,queen of ,sheba's arrival at  
the court of ,solomon4 ,messengers      
announce her to the ,king4 ,solomon     
talks with the ,queen and she tells him 
that she admires his great wisdom and   
his wealth4 ,then ,solomon commands that
 the feast be served1 and while they eat
 the ,queen presents her gifts to       
,solomon4 ,when the ,queen takes her    
leave ,solomon gives her wonderful      
presents4 ,the play will end with the   
exit of the ,queen and her attendants4  
,unless the children put much thought   
upon the stage setting and the          
conversation1 this incident may prove   
uninteresting4 ,it has1 however1 great  
possibilities for the working out of a  
beautiful picture4   #c4 ,,joshua ,,and 
,,the ,,gibeonites  ,,joshua1 ,,chapter 
#i  ,the story of ,joshua and the       
,gibeonites is so simply told in the    
,bible that children of nine or ten     
years of age can read it as it is given 
and dramatize it directly from that     
version4  ,the dramatization of this    

narrative calls for many characters4    
,the older children may take the parts  
of ,joshua and the leaders of the       
,gibeonites1 while the younger ones are 
needed for ,israelite soldiers and      
citizens of ,gibeon4 ,all the characters
 in the play will need to do much acting
 even though they do not enter into the 
conversation4  ,although the            
dramatization should be a product of the
 children's work1 yet the leader should 
have well in mind the three main        
divisions of the story that she may     
guide the children by her questions4    
,this story may be worked into one of   
the more elaborate productions4 ,the    
,bible language should ,be used and the 
result should be full of dignity and    
spirit4 ,for detail in the method of    
presentation compare that employed in   
the story of ,joseph 7chapter iii74     
,the story may be given so that the     
following divisions or scenes are       
emphasized3       ,,scene ,i            
,,place3 ,at ,gibeon4 ,street scene4    

,the inhabitants are discussing the     
victories of the      ,israelites4 ,they
 are afraid of ,joshua1 the leader4     
,messengers report that he is advancing 
toward ,gibeon4 ,the      ,gibeonites   
plan to make a league with him so that  
he will      not destroy their city4    
,they decide to deceive ,joshua by      
dressing as strangers from a far        
country1 wearing old      garments and  
taking moldy bread and wine4            
,,scene ,,ii            ,,place3        
,joshua's tent at the camp of ,gilgal4  
,the men from ,gibeon come to ,joshua   
and tell him that they      are from a  
far country4 ,they say that they have   
heard of his      great victories and   
wish to make a league with him4 ,the    
conversation between ,joshua and these  
strangers is      interestingly given in
 the ,bible and may be quoted almost    
exactly4 ,joshua makes the treaty with  
them4       ,,scene ,,iii               
,,place3 ,at ,gibeon4       ,the        
,israelite soldiers rush into ,gibeon to

 take it1 but find      that the        
inhabitants are the same ragged         
strangers with whom      they made the  
league4 ,the ,israelites reproach them1 
but      cannot go back on their word1  
so spare their lives4 ,in      order to 
punish the ,gibeonites for their        
deception1 ,joshua      makes them      
slaves of the ,israelites4  ,there is   
much opportunity for construction work  
in the dramatizing of this story4       
,costumes1 pieces of armor1 and weapons 
may be made in a simple manner by the   
children4   #d4 ,,isaac ,,and ,,rebekah 
,,genesis1 ,,chapter #bd  ,the story of 
,isaac and ,rebekah is unusually        
valuable for dramatization4 ,it involves
 a well-worked-out plot which is        
beautifully and simply told in the      
,bible1 and which brings the children in
 contact with many interesting customs  
among the shepherd people4 ,the story   
needs little changing2 it may be given  
almost as it is written4  ,the following
 outline for the divisions of the story 

is merely suggestive3       ,,act ,i    
,,scene ,i            ,,place3          
,abraham's tent in ,canaan4             
,abraham is lying down in his tent4 ,he 
is talking to ,isaac1      his son1     
about the wife he wishes him to have4   
,he calls a      servant and bids him go
 to ,mesopotamia1 his old home1 and     
bring a wife for ,isaac from his own    
kinsfolk4 ,abraham makes      the       
servant swear that he will do as he has 
been told4      ,perhaps ,abraham has   
his hand on ,isaac while he is talking1 
and ,isaac will take some small part in 
the conversation4        ,,act ,,ii     
,,scene ,i            ,,place3          
,mesopotamia4       ,the messenger1 with
 his servants1 comes to the well just   
outside of the city walls1 where the    
women draw water4 ,there      should be 
no attempt to represent the camels4     
,these may be      indicated by the     
conversation and left to the            
imagination4      ,the messenger1       
through praying to ,god1 decides how he 

shall      know which young woman to    
choose for ,isaac4 ,when ,rebekah       
comes with her pitcher she offers to    
give water to him and      to his camels
 also4 ,the man is sure then that       
,rebekah is      sent by ,god1 and      
therefore he arranges to go to her      
father's      house for the night4      
,this scene should be made very         
picturesque as well as interesting4 ,the
 children may look up pictures of the   
wells of those times and then construct 
something that will serve the purpose4  
,pieces of pottery may be brought in on 
the shoulders of the women to represent 
water jugs4 7,compare with the street   
scene described in the story of ,ruth1  
chapter vi47        ,,scene ,,ii        
,,place3 ,rebekah's home4       ,in this
 scene comes the discussion of          
,rebekah's leaving home      to become  
the wife of ,isaac4 ,the messenger makes
 known to      the family that it is    
,abraham1 their kinsman1 who is sending 
for ,rebekah4 ,he gives ,rebekah the    

gifts which his master has              
sent--earrings1 bracelets1 and the like4
 ,the family finally      decide that   
,rebekah may go back to ,canaan1 but    
they ask the      servant to let her    
stay with them for ten days longer4 ,he 
is unwilling to wait1 and the question  
is therefore put to      ,rebekah4 ,she 
answers that she will go with him now4  
,,act ,,iii       ,,scene ,i            
,,place3 ,canaan4 ,a field near ,isaac's
 home4       ,isaac walks alone in the  
field at sunset4 ,he is constantly      
looking into the distance1 and he is    
wondering when the      messenger will  
return with a wife for him4 ,at length  
he sees      the camels approaching and 
hastens to meet them4 ,this is all      
indicated by his soliloquy--no camels   
must be shown4 ,the      servant and    
,rebekah have dismounted and come to    
meet ,isaac4      ,the servant gives    
,rebekah to ,isaac who embraces her and 
shows his joy at receiving such a       
beautiful wife4 ,the play      should   

end where ,isaac turns toward his       
father's tent with      ,rebekah4       
,while the children are playing this    
story there should be much detailed     
discussion which will give them an      
adequate background for understanding   
the customs upon which the story is     
based2 and there should be shown many   
illustrations which will insure correct 
mental pictures4   #e4 ,,elijah ,,and   
,,the ,,widow',s ,,meal  ,i ,,kings1    
,,chapter #ag  ,this may be used as a   
very simple incident of two scenes1 or  
it may be elaborated into a longer play4
  ,the first scene is placed by the gate
 of the city of ,zarephath4 ,as ,elijah 
comes toward the gate he asks a woman1  
who is gathering sticks1 for a drink of 
water4 ,she gives him the water and he  
asks for bread4 ,the conversation       
between them brings out the facts that  
there is famine in the land1 and that   
the widow has hardly enough meal left in
 the house to make bread for herself and
 for her son4 ,she agrees to divide with

 ,elijah1 however1 and takes him into   
her house4 ,the wording for this scene  
may be taken almost directly as it is   
given in the ,bible4  ,the second scene 
is placed in the house of the widow4    
,the woman and her son are eating with  
,elijah4 ,from what they say to each    
other it is apparent that the meal and  
oil have lasted for many days1 and the  
three people have had plenty to eat     
during the famine4 ,the widow is        
convinced that a miracle has been       
wrought by her guest4 ,she begs him to  
tell her who he is4 ,the stranger       
answers that he is ,elijah1 the prophet 
of the ,lord1 and that it is through the
 ,lord's care of them that they have had
 food enough4 ,the play may well end    
here with the final speech from the     
widow as it is given in the ,bible3 ,now
 by this ,i know that thou art a man of 
,god1 and that the word of the ,lord in 
thy mouth is truth4  ,in case the part  
of the story which gives the raising of 
the widow's son is used1 a third scene  

may be added1 and the widow's speech    
would come at the end of that scene4    
#f4 ,,elisha ,,and ,,the ,,shunammite   
,,ii ,,kings1 ,,chapter #d  ,this       
incident is similar to the story of     
,elijah and the widow's meal1 and may be
 dealt with in the same manner4 ,it     
should be simplified by selecting       
certain parts for dramatization4 ,the   
emphasis throughout falls upon the      
generous qualities of the two           
characters--,elisha1 ever ready to help 
others1 and the woman1 who always kept a
 room for the prophet because she       
admired his goodness4   #g4 ,,daniel    
,,interprets ,,the ,,king',s ,,dream    
,,daniel1 ,,chapters #a ,,and #b  ,the  
stories about ,daniel have unusually    
interesting possibilities for           
dramatization4 ,they need very little   
explanation4 ,they are so vividly and   
beautifully told in the ,bible that the 
children will understand them readily   
and have no difficulty in interpreting  
them4 ,a few historical facts may be    

given to make the setting clear4 ,the   
following divisions are suggested for   
the first story3       ,,scene ,i       
,king ,nebuchadnezzar brings four       
,israelites into his court in      order
 to have them trained as councilors4 ,he
 appoints them a      daily provision of
 the king's meat and wine4              
,,scene ,,ii       ,the ,king dreams a  
dream and forgets it4 ,he calls all of  
his      wise men and demands that they 
tell him what his dream was      and    
also interpret it4 ,the wise men declare
 that this is an      impossibility and 
refuse to obey4 ,nebuchadnezzar is      
furious      and orders that they all be
 put to death4       ,daniel then comes 
before the ,king and asks that the ,king
      give him time that he may         
interpret the dream4 ,the ,king         
grants this4        ,,scene ,,iii       
,daniel appears before the ,king again4 
,the ,king asks if he is      able to   
tell what the dream was and to interpret
 it4 ,daniel      answers that he is    

able to tell him1 not1 however1 by his  
own power1 but by the power of ,god in  
heaven who revealeth      secrets4 ,then
 ,daniel gives in detail the dream and  
tells      ,king ,nebuchadnezzar the    
meaning thereof4 ,the ,king is so       
affected that he falls on his face and  
worships ,daniel4 ,he      recognizes   
the ,god of ,daniel1 and commands that  
,daniel be      made governor of        
,babylon4 ,at ,daniel's request he also 
makes      the three other ,israelites  
rulers of certain provinces4  ,this     
story may be treated in the same manner 
as the story of ,joseph 7chapter iii74  
#h4 ,,shadrach1 ,,meshach1 ,,and        
,,abed-,,nego ,,in ,,the ,,burning      
,,fiery ,,furnace  ,,daniel1 ,,chapter  
#c  ,this story may be read to children 
directly from the ,bible4 ,after they   
have worked it over several times the   
final product will include three scenes 
of the following character3             
,,scene ,i       ,the heralds come      
through the streets crying aloud that   

,king      ,nebuchadnezzar commands all 
people to bow down when they      shall 
hear the musical instruments and worship
 the image of      gold which he has set
 up4 ,those who do not obey will be put 
into a burning fiery furnace4 ,the      
instruments of music sound      and all 
the people fall to the ground to worship
 except the      three ,israelites1     
,shadrach1 ,meshach1 and ,abed-nego4    
,some of      the men notice that the   
,jews do not obey1 and go off           
immediately to tell the ,king4          
,,scene ,,ii       ,the men come before 
the ,king and begin their story by      
saying1 ,o ,king1 live forever6 ,the    
,bible language may be      used        
directly here in the conversation which 
follows4 ,the      ,king is very angry  
at what these men tell him4 ,he orders  
that the three ,jews be brought before  
him4 ,they are brought      in and the  
,king tells them that they will have to 
be put      into the fiery furnace if   
they do not obey4 ,the ,jews are not    

afraid and reply that their ,god will   
take care of them4 ,the      ,king then 
orders them to be bound and to be taken 
out to the      furnace1 which has been 
heated seven times hotter than          
usual4 ,men come running back to the    
,king to tell him that      the servants
 which thrust the ,jews into the furnace
 were      burnt up by the heat1 but    
that the ,jews were not harmed4         
,another man runs in and tells the ,king
 that a fourth person      is in the    
furnace1 and that he resembles the ,son 
of ,god4      ,nebuchadnezzar commands  
that the three men be brought out       
from the furnace4 ,they come before him1
 with no mark of the      fire on them4 
,the ,king is so greatly impressed that 
he makes      a decree that no one shall
 speak against the ,god of              
,shadrach1 ,meshach1 and ,abed-nego4 ,he
 then appoints these      three men to  
positions of greater trust than ever    
before4   #i4 ,,belshazzar ,,and ,,the  
,,handwriting ,,on ,,the ,,wall         

,,daniel1 ,,chapter #e  ,this story1    
like the others from ,daniel1 is so     
dramatically told in the ,bible that it 
may be taken almost exactly as it is    
given4 ,it should be worked into a      
one-act play4 ,much attention should be 
given to the setting1 and the children  
may make many things which will give    
some idea of the richness of the banquet
 hall4  ,the play opens with the feast  
of ,belshazzar4 ,the people are making  
merry in the midst of all the pomp and  
luxury of the court4 ,suddenly the      
handwriting appears on the wall4 ,the   
,king and the people see it and are     
terrified4 ,the children should not     
attempt to show the handwriting1 but    
from the words and actions of the ,king 
and the people the audience must be made
 aware of what is happening4 ,none of   
the wise men present is able to         
interpret the handwriting4 ,the ,queen  
comes before the ,king and begs that he 
send for ,daniel1 the ,jew4 ,daniel is  
brought in1 and after a little thought  

gives the interpretation4 ,the scene    
should end with the recognition of      
,daniel's power4 ,the scarlet robe is   
placed on him and the golden chain is   
put around his neck1 and the ,king      
proclaims that ,daniel shall be the     
third ruler in the land4   #aj4 ,,the   
,,story ,,of ,,job  ,,the ,,book ,,of   
,,job  ,the most majestic piece of      
literature in the ,bible1 and one of the
 world's masterpieces1 is the ,book of  
,job4 ,the ,prologue and ,epilogue are  
in the prose epic style1 which          
characterizes the best narrative        
portions of the ,bible4 ,the main part  
of the book is actually dramatic in     
form1 and the deep problem of human     
suffering is discussed in the loftiest  
poetic language4 ,the theme is so       
profound and the imagery so elevated    
that it is quite beyond the ability of  
small children4 ,high-school students   
might well present the drama4 ,many of  
the speeches may be abbreviated1 while  
the ,prologue can easily be dramatized4 

,job has been so presented with great   
success by children of high-school age  
at ,all ,souls' ,church1 ,chicago4 ,it  
may be noted that the voice of the ,lord
 was given in an elevated monotone by a 
person unseen4   #aa4 ,,the ,,prophets  
,for the older children many of the     
,prophets make interesting characters   
for dramatization4 ,the great value of a
 study of the ,prophets lies in their   
appeal as beautiful pieces of literature
 and expressions of the deepest         
spiritual feeling1 rather than in the   
dramatic situations presented4 ,if a    
study is made of the life of the        
,prophets1 and of the times in which    
they lived1 ample material will be      
discovered which may serve as a         
background for the dramatization of     
these characters4 ,this material is not 
entirely available from the ,bible1 but 
should be reinforced by outside         
references1 such as ,the ,prophets of   
,israel by ,c4 ,h4 ,cornill1 ,the       
,modern ,reader's ,bible by ,r4 ,g4     

,moulton1 ,the ,hebrew ,prophets by     
,chamberlin4  ,the prophet ,amos may be 
taken as an example of what can be done 
with this material4 ,the ,children of   
,israel are celebrating their autumn    
festival with great joy and abandon4 ,as
 the mirth is at its highest an unknown 
man makes his way through the crowd4 ,he
 silences the festivity by chanting his 
dirgelike reproof to the merrymakers4   
,the astonishment of the people at this 
sensational interruption is great4 ,the 
high priest hurries toward him and      
demands an explanation for this unusual 
disturbance4 ,he orders ,amos to cease  
speaking and to go back to the hills and
 mind his sheep4 ,amos answers that he  
is sent by the ,lord to reprove the     
people of ,israel1 and he continues to  
intone his lamentations4 ,the most      
beautiful and vivid selections for use  
in dramatization are found in chapters  
#h and #i4 ,while the final beautiful   
words of the prophecy are regarded as an
 editorial appendix1 there can be no    

impropriety in using them as a dramatic 
climax4 ,the people may then be         
represented as subdued in spirit1       
accepting the upbraiding as being the   
word of ,god4  ,isaiah1 ,jeremiah1 and  
other ,prophets may be worked out in    
like manner4 ,the result in each case1  
however1 should insure the utmost       
dignity and beauty2 otherwise the       
dramatization should never be attempted4
  ,the many ,prophets with their various
 messages suggest the possibility of    
their use in a pageant4 ,this form of   
dramatization may be given to advantage 
by a group of children as a climax to   
their detailed study of the ,prophets4  
99       99       99       99       99  
,from each of the following subjects    
several dramatizations may be taken4    
,they suggest many short one-act plays1 
and also some excellent long ones4      
,saul ,chosen and ,anointed ,king of    
,israel4 ,i ,sam41 chaps4 #i      and   
#aj4       ,samuel ,anoints ,david4 ,i  
,sam41 chap4 #af4       ,david and      

,jonathan4 ,i ,sam41 chaps4 #ah-bj4     
,david ,spares ,saul's ,life4 ,i ,sam41 
chap4 #bd4       ,moses ,begs ,pharaoh  
to ,allow the ,children of ,israel to   
,leave      ,egypt4 ,exod41 chaps4      
#e-ac4  ,it may be well to state1 in    
connection with the selection of stories
 from the ,bible for dramatization1 that
 other stories outside of the ,bible may
 be dramatized by these same methods and
 will accomplish the same results4 ,it  
is not best to allow children to        
dramatize in succession too many of the 
heavier type of stories1 such as the    
,bible stories represent4 ,they may     
become tired if they work too long at   
the same kind of dramatization4         
,children need stories which will       
lighten and relieve the extreme         
seriousness and dignity which they      
necessarily have to express in playing  
the ,bible stories4 ,there is a host of 
fairy tales1 folk-tales1 and historical 
incidents that may well be adapted for  
this purpose4  ,the ,children's         

,educational ,theatre1 by ,alice ,minnie
 ,herts1 describes dramatic work with   
children older than those who made the  
plays in this book4 ,it is an           
interesting experiment in education     
which uses dramatization as a means for 
accomplishing certain aims4             
,,chapter ,,xiii  ,,stage ,,setting     
,,and ,,properties   ,the point has been
 emphasized in the preceding chapters   
that very little stage setting and only 
a few properties are used in connection 
with these dramatizations4 ,it is always
 best that as much as possible should be
 left to the imagination1 and that only 
such setting and properties be used as  
the children themselves can construct   
and as are needed to produce the        
atmosphere of the play4 ,this point of  
view influences any consideration of    
these matters4  ,it is frequently true  
that1 after the children have made the  
articles they find a need for1 the      
results are very crude1 and there is yet
 much opportunity for free play of the  

imagination4 ,great benefit is derived1 
however1 through the construction of    
these objects4 ,the children gain a     
clearer understanding and a keener      
appreciation of them after they have had
 the experience of trying to express the
 shape or form through some medium1 such
 as clay-modeling1 paper-cutting1       
drawing4  ,care should be taken that    
children make nothing in the nature of  
stage scenery1 such as trees1 grass1    
bulrushes1 and other bits of landscape4 
,the only stage setting which seems at  
all necessary for them to make involves 
very simple designs which show the      
characteristic ornamentation of the     
times1 for example1 the lotus and       
papyrus designs in ,pharaoh's court4    
,drawings and descriptions of a few of  
the most essential stage properties and 
settings are given below1 with          
suggestions as to where and how each may
 be used4  ,water jugs and dishes4--,in 
the earlier stages of ,hebrew           
history--as is found to be the case with

 all primitive shepherd people--skins   
and wooden bowls were used for holding  
water1 milk1 and food4 ,clay vessels    
were probably not in general use during 
the nomadic period4 ,when dramatizing   
the stories of ,abraham and ,isaac1 and 
others of that period1 this fact should 
be taken into account1 and only vessels 
of wood and skin should be used4  ,most 
of the clay utensils1 which are         
mentioned in the stories of a later     
time1 were shaped like those shown in   
,fig4 #aj4 ,many of the water jugs had  
small handles1 though some were without 
handles4 ,fig4 #aa shows the position in
 which a ,hebrew woman usually carried  
her water jug4  ,the ,hebrews had little
 interest in the aesthetic except in the
 realm of literature1 and the lack is   
very evident in their pottery4 ,the     
water jugs are far from having the      
beauty of line and proportion which is  
found in ,greek pottery4 ,whenever any  
of these vessels are needed for use in a
 dramatization1 it is well to have the  

children bring jars and bowls from home 
which conform as nearly as possible to  
the shapes here given4 ,earthenware     
bowls and jars may be used effectively4 
,illustration3 ,,fig4 #aj4--,,water     
,,jugs1 ,,drinking ,,bottle1 ,,milk     
,,jug1 ,,cooking ,,pot1 ,,dish1 ,,water 
,,jug  ,wells4--,the importance of wells
 in the life of the early ,hebrews      
cannot be overemphasized4 ,the scarcity 
of water in the desert made the digging 
of wells a necessity for the survival of
 people and of flocks4 ,as much of the  
land was rocky1 wells could be dug only 
at certain places4 ,these favorable     
places were the means of determining    
where the tents were to be pitched4 ,in 
most of the stories of the nomadic life 
wells play a conspicuous part4          
,illustration3 ,,fig4 #aa4--,,woman     
,,carrying ,,water ,,jug  ,children     
should have correct mental pictures of  
those ancient wells1 so that they do not
 confuse them with the modern wells4    
,the wells of ,palestine usually had low

 stone walls around them1 and often big 
flat stones for covers4 ,the rocks were 
piled high enough to keep animals from  
falling in4 ,in some of the wells the   
water was so low in the ground that     
people had to go down steps on the      
inside in order to get it4 ,in other    
wells the vessels were let down by means
 of ropes4 ,the women of the land were  
always required to draw and carry the   
water4  ,the simplest way for children  
to represent a well on the stage is by  
piling up rocks to resemble the outside 
or by using something that will look    
like a great stone4 ,fig4 #ab shows two 
kinds of wells in ,palestine4           
,illustration3 ,,fig4 #ab4--;,,ancient  
,,wells ,,in ,,palestine  ,staff and    
rod4--,the shepherd boy always had with 
him a rod and a staff 7,fig4 #ac74 ,the 
rod was about two and a half feet long  
and was used for protection4 ,the thick 
knob at the end was cut out of the tree 
from which the limb came1 and was       
frequently covered with knots or nails  

to make it more terrible as a weapon4   
,the children may find pieces of wood   
which will serve the purpose1 or if they
 live near a forest they may make their 
own rods4  ,the staff was usually about 
five feet long4 ,the shepherd used it to
 help him climb hills and mountains and 
also to keep the sheep from straying4   
,some staffs were nothing more than the 
straight limbs of trees2 others had a   
fork or crook at the end so that they   
could more easily catch into the wool of
 the sheep when they needed guiding4    
,children may use long sticks or        
branches from trees when they represent 
staffs4  ,illustration3 ,,fig4          
#ac4--,,spears1 ,,swords1 ,,staff1      
,,rod1 ,,arrows1 ,,bow  ,sling4--,the   
sling which was used in ,david's time   
was frequently woven of rushes1 hair1 or
 sinews2 sometimes it was made from soft
 leather4 ,from ,fig4 #ad it will be    
seen that the shape of the woven part is
 wider in the middle and comes to a     
point at the end4 ,a string was tied to 

each end and the stone was placed in the
 wide part4 ,the sling was whirled      
around over the head1 and as one string 
was let loose the stone flew out4 ,when 
the sling is used in a dramatization1   
the stone may be left to the            
imagination4  ,illustration3 ,,fig4     
#ad4--;,a ,,shepherd',s ,,sling1 ,a     
,,simple ,,loom--,,made ,,from          
,,cardboard  ,children take great       
pleasure in trying to weave this sling4 
,a diagram of a simple cardboard loom is
 given in ,fig4 #ad4 ,the shape should  
be drawn on the cardboard1 then holes   
made for the thread which strings up the
 loom4 ,coarse woolen yarn may be used  
for the weaving4  ,shepherd bag4--,the  
shepherd bag which was used by ,david   
was carried by every shepherd boy along 
with the staff1 rod1 and sling4 ,it was 
made from a piece of skin with a cord at
 each end4 ,the cords were fastened to  
the girdle so that the skin formed a    
kind of bag4 ,pebbles for the sling were
 carried in it1 and often supplies of   

food4 ,a piece of leather or of brown   
cloth may be easily made into one of    
these bags for the children to use4     
,sickles4--,sickles were of two         
kinds--those made of metal and those    
made of wood4 ,the wooden ones were     
toothed with sharp pieces of flint4     
,fig4 #ae gives the characteristic      
shapes4  ,illustration3 ,,fig4          
#ae4--,,sickles  ,children may represent
 these sickles by cutting the shapes    
from stiff cardboard and coloring them  
some dark color to make them look as if 
they were wood or metal4 ,some of the   
boys may be interested in cutting       
sickles directly out of wood4           
,scepter4--,the scepter was used by     
kings in the later history of the       
,hebrews4 ,it was nothing more than a   
development of the rod used in the      
shepherd period4 ,as a rod it was a     
means of protection and power over      
enemies1 and as a scepter it was a      
symbol of the same power4 ,scepters were
 sometimes short1 with much             

ornamentation2 others were long1        
probably five feet in length4 ,they were
 all characterized by a ball at the end1
 and in many cases the kings had them   
made from gold1 or richly ornamented    
with gold4 ,the ,persian kings used the 
long scepter1 which therefore is the    
kind most appropriate for the play of   
,esther 7see ,fig4 #af74  ,tents4--,the 
ancient ,hebrew tent was much like the  
modern ,bedouin tent4 ,it was low and   
spread out over the ground1 and was made
 of black goat's hair cloth4 ,this cloth
 was usually stretched over nine poles1 
arranged in rows of three and from six  
to seven feet in height4 ,the inside of 
the tent was divided into two parts by a
 long curtain which hung across the     
middle4  ,illustration3 ,,fig4          
#af4--,,scepter  ,a tent may be         
represented on the stage by placing a   
big thick cloth 7a blanket or canvas or 
dark curtain7 over poles or screens4    
,shields4--,there were two kinds of     
shields found among the ,hebrews4 ,one  

was very large and covered a man from   
head to foot2 it was usually carried by 
a shield-bearer4 ,the other was small   
and was sometimes called a buckler4     
,many different shapes were found in    
both kinds of shields2 some were like   
the ,egyptian--long1 broad1 and straight
 at the bottom2 others were round and   
oblong4 ,all shields were convex with   
handles on the inside to hold them by4  
,the kings had shields covered with     
gold1 or decorated with gold and        
precious stones2 but the common soldier 
had a shield of wood or stiff leather4  
,leather formed the basis of the shields
 that were decorated4 ,fig4 #ag will    
show drawings of some of the typical    
shapes4 ,children can easily make       
shields out of cardboard2 some may be   
covered with gold paper or with         
dark-brown paper4 ,a handle may be glued
 or sewed in the inside so that the     
shield may be held without trouble4     
,illustration3 ,,fig4 #ag4--,,shields1  
,,front ,,and ,,side ,,views            

,swords4--,the sword was always hung    
from the left side of the sword-belt4   
,it was made from bronze or iron1 and   
was about seventeen inches long4 ,fig4  
#ac shows some of the usual shapes4     
,many swords were two-edged and had     
leather sheaths in which they were      
carried4 ,children may make these out of
 stiff cardboard1 or out of thin wood4  
,they should be colored a dark color1   
and the hilts may be decorated with     
bright colors to represent jewels4      
,illustration3 ,,fig4 #ah4--,,trumpets  
,spears4--,spears averaged about five   
feet in length4 ,the javelin was a long1
 heavy spear used for casting2 the lance
 was a lighter spear used for defense4  
,all spears had a shaft of wood and a   
metal or stone point4 ,fig4 #ac gives   
several of the characteristic shapes of 
spear-points4 ,spears may be made by    
fastening cardboard points to long      
sticks1 or by cutting the point directly
 out of the wood4  ,bows and            
arrows4--,the bows and arrows of the    

,hebrews were very much like those of   
all other primitive peoples4 ,the bows  
were often four or five feet long and   
the arrows were pointed with sharp flint
 or metal4 ,illustrations of the shapes 
are found in ,fig4 #ac4 ,children need  
little direction in the making of these 
weapons1 a string and some pliable wood 
being all that is necessary4            
,trumpets4--,fig4 #ah illustrates the   
kinds of trumpets used4 ,the small      
ram's-horn trumpet was associated with  
the feasts and other public             
celebrations1 while the long metal horn 
was used for the most part by the       
priests4 ,these metal trumpets were     
frequently made from hammered silver4   
,children can make them out of stiff    
paper or thin cardboard and cover them  
with silver paper4  ,illustration3      
,,fig4 #ai4--,,signet ,,ring            
,illustration3 ,,fig4 #bj4--,,lamp      
,signet ring4--,a signet ring is        
something that the kings were never     
without4 ,in the earlier times it was   

worn on a chain which hung from the     
neck2 later it was worn on the finger4  
,fig4 #ai gives a drawing of a signet   
ring4 ,the design was raised so that it 
left an imprint4 ,the king used this    
imprint as his royal signature instead  
of signing his name4 ,when a signet ring
 is needed in a dramatization1 as is the
 case in ,daniel in the ,lions' ,den1   
any large ring may be used1 or the      
children may be interested in making a  
ring from paper or cardboard4           
,lamps4--,fig4 #bj shows one of the     
simpler types of lamps used at the time 
of ,christ4 ,this was probably the kind 
referred to in the parable of the ,wise 
and ,foolish ,virgins4 ,the lamps were  
terra cotta and held a very little oil4 
,children will be interested in making  
these lamps out of clay or plasticene4  
,they are almost in the shape of a      
shallow bowl with a handle4             
,illustration3 ,,fig4 #ba4--;,,egyptian 
,,design  ,egyptian design4--,in the    
scenes placed in ,pharaoh's court a few 

decorations suggestive of the ,egyptian 
will add interest4 ,fig4 #ba gives some 
of the simpler designs which the        
children may use for ornamentation4 ,the
 servants may carry the large fan-shaped
 designs1 which they make on stiff      
paper4 ,these designs were made from the
 lotus and the papyrus plants2 the      
leaves were usually a blue-green1 and   
red1 blue1 yellow1 white1 and black were
 used in many designs4 ,fig4 #ba shows  
some of these designs that were made by 
the children and used in representing   
,pharaoh's court4  ,illustration3 ,,fig4
 #bb4--;,,helmets1 ,,crowns1 ,,assyrian1
 ,,egyptian1 ,,egyptian  ,as it may be  
of interest to those who have access to 
a library to know where more definite   
and detailed information may be secured 
concerning the articles that are but    
briefly described here1 the following   
works are recommended3 ,the ,new        
,schaff-,herzog ,encyclopedia of        
,religious ,knowledge2 ,hastings'       
,dictionary of the ,bible2 the ,jewish  

,encyclopedia2 ,kitto1 ,cyclopedia of   
,biblical ,literature2 three books by   
,w4 ,m4 ,thomson--,central ,palestine   
and ,phoenicia1 ,southern ,palestine and
 ,jerusalem1 ,lebanon1 ,damascus1 and   
beyond ,jordan2 ,elmendorf1 ,a ,camera  
,crusade through the ,holy ,land4       
,,chapter ,,xiv  ,,costuming   ,the     
question of costuming may be dealt with 
in much the same manner as that of stage
 setting and properties4 ,costumes are  
unnecessary in many of the simpler      
plays1 and even where they are used they
 should be so treated that they are of  
minor importance in the minds of the    
children4 ,it is nearly always the case 
that the very smallest suggestion of a  
costume--a sash or a cloth around the   
head--is satisfying and sufficient to   
produce the proper atmosphere of the    
play4 ,there is danger of placing so    
much emphasis upon this phase of the    
work that the children attach undue     
importance to it and thus lose the real 
spirit of the dramatization4  ,if       

costumes are used they should not be    
saved for the final performance1 but the
 children should have the pleasure of   
wearing them at each practice where they
 are actually living over and over the  
lives of other people4 ,children should 
get their ideas of the dress of the     
times from pictures and descriptions and
 then in very simple ways try to        
represent what they have observed4 ,the 
simplicity of the costumes among the    
,hebrew people makes the problem        
comparatively simple4  ,illustration3   
,,fig4 #bc4--;,a group of children1     
showing costumes and a trumpet  ,there  
is very little definite knowledge about 
the exact costume of the ancient        
,israelites1 for they have left no      
records4 ,the only sources of           
information on the subject are the few  
references to dress in the ,old         
,testament and the few ,jewish figures  
found among the ,egyptian1              
,assyro-,babylonian1 and ,persian       
carvings4 ,the conclusion has been      

reached1 however1 that the ancient      
,hebrew costume was in general similar  
to that of the modern ,arab4  ,it is    
fairly certain that among the earliest  
tribes a simple slip or short tunic1    
with close-fitting sleeves1 was worn4   
,later a big loose mantle was usually   
thrown over this slip4 ,the little      
under-garment was white1 woven from     
wool1 or sometimes made out of skins2   
the outer garment was frequently        
striped1 a bright color with white4     
,among the old patriarchs the outside   
cloak reached to the ground4 ,it was    
often in the shape of a blanket1 and was
 draped by throwing one end over the    
left shoulder1 then passing it across   
the front of the body and under the     
right arm1 then across the back1 and to 
the left shoulder again4  ,at a still   
later period there was the long gown1   
which reached to the ankles and was     
belted in at the waist by a girdle4     
,this was sometimes covered by an       
outside robe which was like a cape4     

,frequently these garments were brought 
over the heads in order to protect their
 wearers from the sun4  ,as a rule the  
servants and lower class of people wore 
only the one garment--a short tunic1    
with or without a girdle4 ,the richer   
men wore the outside cloaks4 ,kings and 
nobles had many kinds of cloaks which   
were very elaborately decorated4 ,they  
had silk girdles1 while the poorer men  
wore leather girdles4 ,see ,figs4 #bc-bg
 for costumes made by the children4     
,illustration3 ,,fig4 #bd4--,the costume
 of ,abraham  ,the women's dress was    
very much the same as that worn by the  
men4 ,all garments may have been a      
little longer1 but the draping and the  
kinds of garments were the same4 ,great 
ladies had beautiful veils and shawls4  
,illustration3 ,,fig4 #be4--,two kinds  
of costumes--the ,rich ,shepherd and the
 ,servant4  ,both men and women wore    
sandals4 ,the soles were made of leather
 or thick woven cords4 ,they were       
fastened to the feet by means of strings

 of leather1 linen1 or of papyrus4 ,two 
straps were usually attached to the back
 of the sandal1 then crossing from the  
back over the instep they were tied to a
 third strap which was fastened at the  
front and came between the great and    
second toe4 ,fig4 #bf shows sandals     
which were made by the children4        
,illustration3 ,,fig4 #bf4--;,costumes1 
showing sandals made by the children    
,the headdress in the earlier days was  
nothing more than a piece of square     
cloth1 folded diagonally and placed over
 the head with the long point at the    
back2 the two ends were then crossed    
under the chin and thrown back over the 
shoulders4 ,a cord was tied around the  
head to keep the cloth on4 ,later a kind
 of turban was worn which had no loose  
ends1 but which projected over the face 
enough to protect one from the sun4     
,figs4 #bc-be give examples of different
 kinds of headdress made by the         
children4  ,illustration3 ,,fig4        
#bg4--;,costumes  ,the crowns which the 

kings wore were frequently of gold1     
studded with jewels1 although the       
,persian king had a stiff cap of felt or
 cloth1 encircled by a blue and white   
band4 ,fig4 #bb gives a few of the      
typical shapes for crowns4  ,the helmets
 which were worn by the soldiers were   
varied4 ,the shapes employed by the     
,assyrians and the ,egyptians were      
probably used among the ,hebrews4 ,see  
,fig4 #bb for drawings of some of the   
best-known helmets4 ,children may make  
these easily by using cardboard and gilt
 paper4  ,the ,hebrew men and women had 
many personal ornaments1 such as        
necklaces1 armlets1 bracelets1 rings4   
,children delight in making all kinds of
 bracelets and chains from gold and     
silver paper4 ,they may bring all the   
bright-colored beads that they can get  
for the enrichment of the costume4      
,,chapter ,,xv  ,,the ,,organization    
,,of ,a ,,church ,,dramatic ,,club      
,the kind of dramatics described in this
 book may be undertaken with success in 

connection with any ,sunday school4 ,the
 most necessary element is a leader in  
charge who is wide awake to the aims and
 purposes of such work and who has the  
ability to deal with little children4 ,a
 trained teacher is preferable4  ,this  
dramatization can be most effectively   
presented to children between the ages  
of six and thirteen4 ,in case the       
,sunday school is very large and more   
children join than can be easily managed
 by one leader1 it would be best to     
divide the members into two or three    
smaller groups1 each with a competent   
leader in charge4 ,one person should be 
able to handle well from twenty to      
twenty-five children4#b  ,this training 
ought not to stop with younger children1
 but may well be carried on with pupils 
of high-school age4 ,this would involve 
problems slightly different from those  
here presented1 but on the whole the    
same aims may be achieved4  ,it is      
sometimes the case that a few of the    
children outgrow the club4 ,they begin  

to realize that they are much larger    
than the others1 and they decide that   
they do not care to take part in the    
acting1 yet they are still interested   
enough to come to the meetings4 ,if     
there is no other dramatic club into    
which they may go1 then they may be used
 as assistants in the younger club and  
made to feel that they are a necessary  
part of it4 ,there are many ways in     
which they can be of valuable help to   
the leader1 at the same time            
experiencing a development through the  
training4  ,during one year in the      
history of the dramatic club here       
described three girls of fourteen came  
regularly to the meetings4 ,they could  
not be persuaded to take part in the    
dramatizations1 but they expressed an   
eagerness to help in the direction4     
,they entered into the discussion and   
criticism of the plays that were being  
acted each ,sunday1 and their           
suggestions were always very much to the
 point4 ,they had the ability of        

explaining what they meant to the       
children so that it was easily          
understood4 ,these girls would write out
 the scenes1 sometimes while the        
children were actually giving them2 or1 
again1 they would write them at home and
 bring them for discussion at the next  
meeting4 ,they took entire charge of the
 costuming1 and would meet outside at   
sewing-bees1 where they mended1 pieced1 
or made over the costumes on hand4 ,then
 at the plays they always took the      
responsibility of dressing the little   
children1 putting on their headdresses1 
tying their sashes1 and seeing that     
their costumes were draped in the right 
way4  ,when a dramatic club is first    
started1 it is advisable to dignify the 
organization by electing a president and
 secretary from among the children4 ,the
 president may take charge of the       
meetings and then turn them over to the 
director1 and may help in many ways to  
keep the club together4 ,the secretary  
may call the roll and be responsible for

 sending notices to the members4        
,children always delight in this amount 
of formality1 and through it each one   
becomes a much more vital part of the   
group2 the responsibility as far as     
possible is placed upon the children1   
and they usually rise to meet it4  ,it  
is hardly practical in most cases to    
attempt to hold more than one meeting a 
week4 ,the time should be set according 
to the convenience of the majority of   
the members4 ,sunday afternoon was found
 to be the best time for this little    
club to meet1 but any week day will do  
as well4 ,occasionally1 just before a   
play is to be given1 a few call meetings
 may be necessary4  ,it is desirable    
that the club own the simple costumes   
which the members wear4 ,a costume box  
is a convenient place for keeping them4 
,the same garments may be used over and 
over again1 and should be kept where    
they may be easily obtained at each     
meeting4 ,the older girls in the group  
will be glad to take charge of the      

costume box1 and they should see that   
all of the garments are kept in order4  
,the supply of costumes will grow1 for  
children will be constantly bringing new
 things to add to it4  ,there are       
various methods of getting a number of  
costumes on hand4 ,the children may     
bring from home old sheets and          
bright-colored shawls and ribbons1 which
 may be used to advantage4 ,often the   
,sunday school will appropriate a small 
sum in order to help buy materials4 ,a  
very small amount of money need be      
spent1 for the costumes must be         
extremely simple and they should be     
planned and made by the children4  ,the 
construction work which the children do 
in connection with the dramatization is 
an important part in the working out of 
a play4 ,as already noted1 the greatest 
value of it lies in the fact that it    
represents the efforts of the children4 
,there is hardly time at one of the     
regular meetings to have the            
construction work done4 ,a discussion of

 the articles needed may be necessary1  
after which the children should be      
encouraged to make them at home4 ,the   
older ones are able to look up pictures 
and descriptions which will help1 while 
the younger ones need to have the matter
 frequently talked over in order to give
 them the correct mental pictures of    
what they are to make4 ,it is always    
surprising to see how readily children  
take hold of this kind of work4 ,they   
bring in very many interesting things   
which they have made--often things which
 they have thought out for themselves   
and which they had not been asked to    
make4 ,there are times when all the     
members are working on the same problem1
 such as lamps for the ,wise and        
,foolish ,virgins4 ,it may be best under
 these circumstances to have a meeting  
outside where they all work together4   
7,descriptions of these constructed     
articles may be found in a previous     
chapter47  ,a word of warning may be in 
place at this point4 ,parents of the    

children are usually anxious and eager  
to help in making costumes and the      
constructed objects4 ,the very best aid 
that they can give is to see that the   
children have the opportunity for making
 these things themselves2 they may      
encourage and guide wisely1 but the     
finished product must be the child's1   
not the mother's4 ,some mothers have    
thought that they were doing the right  
thing to have a carpenter make the      
spears and other weapons for the        
soldier4 ,the boy derives more benefit  
if he looks around for some sticks which
 will serve his purpose1 no matter how  
crude they may be4  ,the order in which 
plays are given in this book should not 
be taken as the proper sequence for a   
dramatic club4 ,the story of ,joseph is 
described in detail first because the   
method used there may be followed with  
any of the shorter or longer stories4   
,this particular story1 however1 should 
not be the first one presented to       
children who have never had such work   

before4 ,such stories as ,david and     
,goliath1 ,abraham and the ,three       
,guests1 or any of the parables should  
come first4 ,joseph1 ,ruth1 and ,esther 
are well worked out by children after   
they have had a little experience with  
dramatization4  ,as a final summary1 let
 it be ever kept in mind that this      
dramatization functions as a factor in  
religious education only when the       
highest development of the children is  
the aim4 ,it should be so conducted that
 it forms an essential part of the      
religious training of the ,sunday       
school1 and also one of the valuable    
activities of the church4  ,,footnotes3 
,footnote #b3 ,in church schools which  
are organizing on the most approved     
methods of the correlation of all       
educational activities the dramatic club
 may be a regular part of the junior    
department1 similar clubs being integral
 parts of the other departments4        
,,index     ,,index   ,aaron1 #ee       
,abraham1 the dramatization of1 #hd-ib1 

#aah  ,ahasuerus1 king of ,media and    
,persia1 #gj-hc  ,aims of dramatization1
 #e1 #i-aj  ,amos1 the prophet1 #abg    
,angels1 #he1 #ij  ,armor and weapons1  
#ej1 #ach-adj1 #aea   ,bag1 shepherd1   
#acf  ,banquet1 ,queen ,esther's1 #fi1  
#hj  ,belshazzar1 #abe  ,boaz1 #fd-ff   
,bow and arrow1 #adj   ,cardboard1 use  
of1 #de1 #fj1 #aea  ,citizens of        
,bethlehem1 #fe  ,clay1 use of1 #ajj1   
#aca1 #adb  ,cloak1 outer garment1 #adf 
,conspirators1 #id-ig  ,construction    
work1 #de1 #fj1 #acj-adc  ,costumes1    
#de2   the making of1 #add-aea2   the   
method of obtaining1 #aee  ,crowns1 #aej
   ,daniel1 the dramatization of1       
#ic-ig1 #abb1 #abe  ,darius1 #ic-ie     
,david1 #dd2   the dramatization of1    
#df-ea1 #abh  ,design1 ,egyptian1 #adb  
,diagram of loom1 #de1 #acf  ,dishes1   
#aca   ,education1 religious1 #f-h1 #aeg
  ,elijah1 #abj-aba  ,elisha1 #abb      
,esther1 the dramatization of1 #fh-hc   
,feast1 #hj1 #aae-aaf  ,fiery furnace1  
#abc-abd   ,gibeonites1 #aaf-aag        

,girdle1 #adf  ,gleaners1 #fc  ,goliath1
 #dd1 #dh1 #ea   ,haman1 #ga-gd         
,harvest1 #ei1 #fa  ,headdress1 #fi1    
#add1 #aej  ,helmet1 #adc1 #aea         
,innkeeper1 #aje  ,isaac1 #aah-abj      
,isaiah1 #abh   ,jacob1 #ah1 #aab       
,jael1 #aab  ,jephthah1 #aab  ,jeremiah1
 #abh  ,jericho1 #ajc  ,jerusalem1 #ajc 
,job1 #abf  ,jonathan1 #abh  ,joseph1   
the story of1 #ag-be2   the             
dramatization of1 #cd-dc  ,joshua1 #aaf 
,lamps1 #ii-ajj1 #adb  ,lions1 den of1  
#ic1 #if-ig  ,loom1 #de1 #acf   ,method 
of presenting dramatization1 formal1 #i2
   informal1 #aj-af  ,miriam1 #ee       
,moab1 the land of1 #fc  ,mordecai1     
#gb-gd  ,moses1 the dramatization of1   
#eb-ef1 #abh   ,naomi1 #fb-fc1 #ff-fg   
,nebuchadnezzar1 #abb-abc               
,organization1 of dramatic club1 #g1 #h1
 #aeb-aeg2   of stories1 #aaj-aaa       
,ornaments1 personal1 #aea   ,papyrus1  
#adb1 #adi  ,parables1 the dramatization
 of1 #ih-ajh  ,performance1 public1 #ad1
 #cc1 #ij  ,pharaoh1 #ba1 #ci1 #ed1     

#eg-eh  ,pharaoh's daughter1 #ee-eh     
,pictures1 the use of1 #de1 #hd         
,plasticene1 #ajj1 #adb  ,president of  
the club1 #aed  ,prodigal ,son1 ,the1   
dramatization of1 #aje-ajh  ,prophets1  
the1 #abf-abg   ,queen of ,sheba1       
#aae-aaf   ,reapers1 #fc-fd  ,rebekah1  
#aah-abj  ,ring1 signet1 #ada  ,ruth1   
the dramatization of1 #ei-fg            
,samaritan1 ,the ,good1 the             
dramatization of1 #ajc-ajd  ,samson1    
#aab  ,samuel1 #aac-aad1 #abh  ,sandals1
 #fb1 #adh-adi  ,sarah1 #he  ,saul1 #dh1
 #abh  ,scepter1 #fi1 #gh1 #acg         
,secretary of the club1 #aed  ,servant1 
#ajj1 #ajh  ,shepherd customs1 #hd      
,shield1 #de1 #ach  ,sickles1 #fj1 #acg 
,sling1 #de1 #ea1 #ace-acf  ,soldier1   
#di1 #if  ,solomon1 #aae-aaf  ,spears1  
#de1 #adj  ,staff1 #de1 #acd  ,stage    
setting1 #hd1 #acj  ,supper1 ,the       
,great1 #ajj  ,swords1 #de1 #aci        
,tents1 #hd1 #ach  ,trumpets1 #ada      
,tunic1 #adf-adg  ,turban1 #aej         
,virgins1 ,the ,wise and ,foolish1 the  

dramatization of1 #ii-ajj   ,water jugs1
 #aca-acb  ,wells1 #acc  ,,printed ,,in 
,,the ,u4,s4,a4     ,,principles ,,and  
,,methods ,,of ,,religious ,,education  
,edited by ,w4 ,c4 ,,bower1 ,,edwin ,e4 
,,aubrey1 and ,w4 ,c4 ,,graham   ,a     
,survey of ,religious ,education in the 
,local ,church4 ,by ,william ,c4 ,bower4
  ,the ,junior3 ,life-,situations of    
,children ,nine to ,eleven ,years of    
,age4 7,revised edition1 #aicb47 ,by    
,ernest ,j4 ,chave4  ,out of ,doors with
 ,youth4 ,by ,j4 ,w4 ,f4 ,davies4  ,the 
,sunday-,school ,building and ,its      
,equipment4 ,by ,herbert ,f4 ,evans4    
,recreation and the ,church4 ,by        
,herbert ,w4 ,gates4  ,character        
,building through ,recreation4 ,by      
,kenneth ,l4 ,heaton4  ,graded ,social  
,service for the ,sunday ,school4 ,by   
,william ,n4 ,hutchins4  ,a ,summer     
,program for the ,church ,school4 ,by   
,miles ,h4 ,krumbine4                   
,world-,friendship through the ,church  
,school4 ,by ,john ,leslie ,lobingier4  

,projects in ,world-,friendship4 ,by    
,john ,leslie ,lobingier4  ,the         
,dramatization of ,bible ,stories4 ,by  
,elizabeth ,erwin ,miller 7,elizabeth   
,miller ,lobingier74  ,dramatization in 
the ,church ,school4 ,by ,elizabeth     
,erwin ,miller 7,elizabeth ,miller      
,lobingier74  ,far ,peoples4 ,by ,grace 
,d4 ,phillips4  ,church ,school         
,projects4 ,by ,erwin ,l4 ,shaver4  ,the
 ,project ,principle in ,religious      
,education4 ,by ,erwin ,l4 ,shaver4  ,a 
,project ,curriculum for ,young ,people4
 ,by ,erwin ,l4 ,shaver4  ,handwork in  
,religious ,education4 ,by ,addie ,grace
 ,wardle4   ,,the ,,university ,,of     
,,chicago ,,press         99       99   
99       99       99  ,transcriber's    
,notes  ,made minor punctuation and     
formatting changes1 e4g41 indentations4