The Innkeeper and His Wife

By Margie Taylor

Summary

The Christmas story, told by the Innkeeper and his wife. Suitable for a large number of children.

Characters

The Innkeeper
His wife
Mary & Joseph
Gabriel
Shepherds
Angels
Stars
Sheep
Cows
The Kings
Pages of the Kings
Travellers
Criers
 

Script

Innkeeper:
Spic and span,
Spic and span,
I am the Innkeeper,
Yes, I am.

Sweep up the hay,
Sweep up the hay,
Clean up the mess,
Every day.

Fresh water and food,
Fresh water and food,
Feed the animals,
That is good.

Safe in the stable,
Safe in the stable,
Light the lantern,
On the table.


Wife: Reuben, are you finished?  We have some visitors who have  come to hear our special story.

Innkeeper: I'm coming...I'm just scattering some clean hay into the stalls. Welcome friends. I am so pleased that you have come to  hear the story.  It happened not so long ago.  Sit back and  we'll tell you all about it.
Wife: Luckily, Reuben always keeps the stable spic and span.  As you  know, the Romans rule our land.  The great Augustus, emperor of Rome wished to count all of the people in the land in  order to tax them.  He sent out a message:-

Criers: All people must return to their home towns to be counted . Hear ye!  Hear ye!

Innkeeper: This news was upsetting for many people, as they would have  to travel over deserts and through wild places to reach their  home towns.  It was especially difficult for people with  children and those  who were ill or old.

Wife: What about....?

Innkeeper: Yes, I'm coming to that... (Reuben is a bit grumpy about the interruption) Some time before the announcement, in  Nazareth, there lived a young girl.  Mary was her name.

Wife: One day, Mary was sitting sewing at her home when a bright  light shone onto her work.  She looked up and she saw a  glorious angel  standing in front of her.

Innkeeper: She fell to the ground in fear.(LITERALLY!)

Gabriel: Do not be afraid Mary, for I bring you good news.  You are to  have a baby boy, who is the son of God.  You will name Him,  Jesus.

Mary: I will do this thing.  I will tell Joseph when I see him  tomorrow.

Innkeeper: That night Gabriel appeared to Joseph in a dream to tell him  about the coming of the baby.
(JOSEPH LIES DOWN ON  THE STAGE TO SLEEP AND GABRIEL WALKS  OVER TO HIM AND STANDS FOR A FEW SECONDS.  EXIT  GABRIEL)

Mary: Joseph!...Joseph!...I have some amazing news ...

Joseph: Let me guess...You have finished your sewing!

Mary: No!  I...

Joseph: One more guess...You have been chosen among all women to be  the  mother of the Lord Jesus.

Mary: But...How did you know!

Joseph: Mary, the angel told me in a dream.  We are so lucky that this  has  happened.

(JOSEPH AND MARY HUG EACH OTHER.)

Innkeeper: Months passed.

Crier: Hear ye!  All people must go to their home towns to be counted.

Wife: Now Joseph and Mary were very worried.  They would have to  travel far to go to Bethlehem, which was Joseph's home town.   The baby was nearly due.  Joseph had a good idea.

Joseph: What about taking the little donkey.  When you are tired, he  can carry you and I will lead him along.

Mary: What a good idea, Joseph.  I will pack while you fetch the  donkey.
(MARY COLLECTS BUNDLE OF THINGS WHILE JOSEPH FETCHES THE DONKEY, WHO DOES NOT CRAWL ON ALL FOURS!)

Innkeeper: So they set off with many other travellers and travelled day  and night until they came to Bethlehem

SONG:  [Little Donkey]

SONG:  [RAT-A-TAT-TAT]

Wife: Reuben and I felt so sorry for the man and woman that we  offered  them the stable to rest for the night.  All of our  rooms were full. (With expression) Luckily,  Reuben always  keeps the stable spic and span.

(INNKEEPER MAY BRING IN THE COWS. HE ARRANGES THEM AROUND THE STABLE.)

Wife: That night, in the soft glow of the lantern, the little baby  Jesus was born.

MUSIC:  [Once in Royal David's City]

Innkeeper: Outside Bethlehem, some shepherds were watching their  sheep.

(SHEEP EMERGE FROM DIFFERENT POINTS OF THE ROOM BAAAAAAAING LOUDLY.  SHEPHERDS COME IN LOOKING FOR THE SHEEP.  THEY ROUND THEM UP AND TAKE THEM ONTO THE STAGE AND PUT THEM TO SLEEP.)

Innkeeper: Once the sheep were rounded up, the shepherds were sitting  around their fire when the whole sky was lit up with beautiful  angels, singing  praises to God and of peace and goodwill to all   men.

(ANGELS ENTER.  THEY MAY HAVE A DANCE OR DO SOME ARM MOVEMENTS.  SHEPHERDS ARE AGHAST AT FIRST...THEN FASCINATED.)

Gabriel: Go to the stable behind the inn in Bethlehem and see the new  born King.

Shepherd: Let us go and see if it is true.

Wife: A short while before the baby was born, far away in the east,  there were wise men who studied the stars.

(STAR DANCE OR MOVEMENT.)

Innkeeper: There was one star that was much brighter than the others.   The wise  men had been told that the bright star would show  them where a  new King had been born.  They got onto their  camels and followed the star.

(THE KINGS AND PAGES ENTER FROM THE REAR OF THE ROOM AND WALK AS IF THEY'RE RIDING CAMELS.)

Wife: The wise men went to the palace of King Herod to see if the  new  King was there, but He was not.  Herod was upset and  jealous when he heard about the new King.  The wise men then  followed the star to the stable where they found the baby.

SONG:  [WE THREE KINGS]

Innkeeper: The first gave Him a gift of Gold. The second...frankincense, and the third...myrrh.

SONG: PERHAPS SILENT NIGHT.

Innkeeper: So you see...I am very pleased that I keep my stable spic and  span.

Wife: Thank you for listening to our story.  May you all have a   blessed Christmas.  We will all sing O come all ye faithful.

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© Margie Taylor, all rights reserved
This play may be performed free of charge, on the condition that copies are not sold for profit in any medium, nor any entrance fee charged. In exchange for free performance, the author would appreciate being notified of when and for what purpose the play is performed. She may be contacted at: rhinopr@iafrica.com