Head Reaper: Truly we have a wonderful harvest this year!

First Reaper: Yea, we will have food enough for ourselves, and for all the poor in our city of Bethlehem.

Head Reaper: It is the great God that hath given us this bounty.

[All sing harvest song as they reap. While they are singing RUTH comes in and begins to pick up the grain.]

Second Reaper [looking toward the entrance to the field]: The master is coming, the great Boaz!

[All reapers look in thai direction as they stand, resting their sickles on the ground. Boaz enters.]

Boaz: The Lord be with you!

Reapers: The Lord bless thee!

[All go to work again, singing as before. BOAZ walks among them; he sees RUTH and watches her.]

Boaz [to the HEAD REAPER]: My good man, I would speak a word with thee; come hither.

Head Reaper: Speak, O master!

Boaz: Whose damsel is this that gathereth grain after the reapers?

Head Reaper: My master, she is Ruth, the Moabitish damsel that came back with Naomi, thy kinswoman. She hath been gleaning here since early morning.

Boaz: Go, bid the reapers not to harm her, and bid them let fall purposely some of the handfuls of grain for her. [The HEAD REAPER bows low and goes back among the reapers.]

Boaz [to RUTH]: Hearest thou not, my daughter? Go not to glean in another field, but stay here by my reapers. Let thine eyes be on the reapers, and do thou glean that which they leave behind. When thou art athirst, go unto the vessels and drink that which the young men have drawn.

Ruth [bows to the ground]: Why have I found such favor in thine eyes, seeing that I am a stranger in the land?

Boaz: It has been told me of thy great kindness to thy mother-in-law, Naomi; how thou didst leave thine own people to come with her and be among strangers; and how thou didst leave thy gods to take the God of the children of Israel. The Lord will bless thee for this.

Ruth: I thank thee, O great Boaz, for thou hast comforted me and thou hast spoken friendly words unto me. Boaz: Come hither at meal times and eat of the bread and dip thy morsel in the vinegar with my reapers.

[The reapers have departed. Boaz goes off.] Ruth: The Lord God is truly good unto me!

SCENE III

PLACE: At the gate of the city.

CHARACTERS: Boaz, a Cousin of Naomi, Ten Citizens, Ruth, Naomi.

[Several citizens stand in groups, talking. Boaz enters.] Boaz [speaks to one of the group]: Hast thou seen my cousin pass this way? I am seeking him.

First Citizen: Nay, good sir, I have not seen him.

Boaz: I must speak with him; I will wait here by the city gate; perchance he will come soon.

[One or two citizens pass by and speak to Boaz, saying, "Good-day, sir." Enter KINSMAN.]

Boaz: Ho, Kinsman, turn aside! I would have a word with thee. Sit thee down.

[KINSMAN sits down.]

Kinsman: What wilt thou, Cousin ?

Boaz: I would speak about a matter of importance; wait thou here until I can bring witnesses. [He turns to

citizens.] A piece of land is about to be sold; will ten citizens witness this deed?

Citizens: Aye, indeed.

[They come forward.]

Boaz: Sit ye down here. [They sit down.] [To KINSMAN]: Dost thou remember Naomi, our kinswoman, who went with her husband and two sons to the land of Moab ?

Kinsman: Yea, I do know Naomi.

Boaz: She selleth a parcel of land which was her husband's. Now, thou art nearest of kin to Naomi, 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 city. If thou dost not care to redeem it, then the right to redeem it cometh to me, for I am next of kin. What wilt thou do?

Kinsman: I will buy the land from our kinswoman, Naomi.

Boaz: On the day that thou buyest the field from the hand of Naomi, thou also takest Ruth, the Moabitess, for thy wife, according to our custom and law.

Kinsman: Then I will not redeem the land, for I cannot take Ruth for my wife. Take thou my right to redeem it and buy it for thyself.

Boaz [taking off his shoe and giving it to the KINSMAN, he says to the witnesses]: Ye are witnesses this day that I have bought this parcel of land from Naomi and that I buy also, as my wife, Ruth, the daughter-in-law of Naomi. Of all this ye are witnesses.

Citizens: We are witnesses. [Bow.]

[KINSMAN returns shoe to Boaz and walks off. RUTH and NAOMI Come through the street.]

Boaz: Ye are well met, Naomi, my kinswoman, and Ruth. I have good news for you; I have bought your land

and I can now take Ruth for my wife. Come, all ye fellowcitizens, for the wedding feast is prepared at my house! [Takes RUTH by the hand.]

Naomi: Blessed am I that I should live to see this good thing come to pass! The Lord hath been most gracious unto me!

END

CHAPTER VII

THE DRAMATIZATION OF QUEEN ESTHER

The story of Esther involves a much more complicated situation than any of the others here described. It is not too difficult for dramatization, however, if it is taken after such stories have been worked out as David and Goliath and Joseph.

In the case of this dramatic club the story of Esther was told to the children after they had had much experience with other plays. 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 dramatization. The story was first simplified and adapted by the leader, and then told in such a manner as to emphasize the main events. The method of procedure followed that described in chapter iii in connection with the story of Joseph. After the telling of the story the scenes were selected. These were acted out very freely at first, little thought being given to the words. Many pictures were brought in, and descriptions of the court of King Ahasuerus were read by the children from the Bible and from books of Bible stories.