Fit For A King

EASTER FOR ALL GENERATIONS

FIT FOR A KING

By Bob Allen

A children’s sketch for Palm Sunday.

CAST OF CHARACTERS

                        Jake                             A ten-year old boy.

                        Sarah                           Jake’s younger sister.

                        Zach                            A young bully.

                        Ben                              Zach’s side-kick.

PRODUCTION NOTES

            The scene is a street in Bethphage, a small village on the side of the Mount of Olives just outside Jerusalem.  However the sketch will be just as effective in modern costumes on a bare platform since the themes of bullying and sacrificial giving are universal.  As the scene opens Jake and Sarah are hurrying down the street carrying a small bag of grain.

JAKE:             Hurry, Sarah.

SARAH:         I’m coming.  Don’t you think they’ll wait for us?

JAKE:             I don’t know.  They seemed to be in a real hurry.  But Donny just has to                             eat before such a long trip.  He’ll never make it otherwise.

(ZACH AND BEN ENTER RIGHT, BLOCKING THE WAY FOR JAKE AND SARAH.)      

ZACH:            Well, well.  If it isn’t the Sissy Sisters.  Sissy Sarah and Sissy Jake.

BEN:               Where’s your stumble-bum donkey Jake?  I didn’t think you went                                      anywhere these days without stumble-bum.

JAKE:             Come on, Sarah.  Just ignore them.  (THEY TRY TO LEAVE BUT                                    ZACH AND BEN CONTINUE TO PREVENT THEM FROM                                          MOVING.)

ZACH:            He doesn’t.  She’s right there beside him.  See he’s even carrying her                                  lunch.

SARAH:         You’re the ones who are dumb.

ZACH:            Told you he was a sissy.  Let’s his little sister do the talking.   Maybe we                            should feed them both with some of this donkey slop.  (HE GRABS FOR                                 THE SACK OF GRAIN BUT JAKE HIDES IT BEHIND HIS BACK.)

JAKE:             No.  I won’t give it to you.

BEN:               Oh, he won’t give it to you.

ZACH:            He won’t?  So what, I’ll just take it.

JAKE:             No!

SARAH:         It doesn’t belong to you.   Donny needs it.

(AS THEY TALK THE BOYS TRY TO CIRCLE AROUND BEHIND JAKE AND SARAH TO GET THE GRAIN BAG.)

BEN:               Donny Donkey.   What a stupid name.

ZACH:            That lazy donkey doesn’t work hard enough to get fed.  Just follows his                             mother around the pen like a little sissy.

SARAH:         He’s going to work hard today.

JAKE:             (WARNING)  Sarah.

SARAH:         He is!

ZACH:            So what is he going to do?  Carry Sissy Sarah on his back around the pen a                        couple of times?

BEN:               Maybe Sissy Jake is going to ride him.  He must weigh at least two pounds                        more than his little sister.

SARAH:         He and his mother are going to carry a king.

JAKE:             Sarah!

BEN:               She’s crazy.

ZACH:            A king?  What king?

SARAH:         The Messiah King.  Donny and his mother have been chosen to carry the                            king into Jerusalem.        Listen!

OFFSTAGE:   (SHOUTING)  Hosanna.  Hosanna in the highest.  Blessed is he that                                  cometh in the name of the Lord.  Hosanna to the son of David.

JAKE:             (TAKES ADVANTAGE OF ZACH AND BEN’S BEING                                                            DISTRACTED.)  Quick, Sarah.  Take the grain and run.  Donny’s going                            to need it.  (AS SARAH GRABS THE BAG AND RUNS OFFSTAGE,                            JAKE LAUNCHES HIMSELF AT THE TWO BULLIES TO KEEP                            THEM FROM CHASING HER.)

BEN:               Hey, what do you think you’re doing.

ZACH:            Come back here you little sissy.  That’s our grain.

JAKE:             No, it isn’t.  It belongs to Donny and he belongs to the King.

ZACH:            (GRABBING JAKE BY THE ARM AND RAISING HIS FIST TO                                 STRIKE.)  We’re going to teach you a lesson you’ll never forget.

BEN:               Do you really think we should?

ZACH:            Of course I think we should.

OFFSTAGE:   Hosanna to the son of David.

BEN:               But what if the king comes this way?  If the King chose his donkey, then                           he must know him too.

ZACH:            You’re right. (DROPPING HIS FIST) OK.  We’re going to let you go this                                    time sissy.    But if we ever catch you again…

OFFSTAGE:   (LOUDLY)  Hosanna in the highest.

BEN:               Hurry, Zach.  They’re coming.

(BEN AND ZACH EXIT LEFT.  SARAH COMES ON FROM THE RIGHT.)

SARAH:         Are you all right?

JAKE:             I’m fine.  Did you get the food to Donny?   

SARAH:         Just in time.  The King was already sitting on Donny’s mother.  It was so                           wonderful, Jake.  And people were taking off their robes and spreading                                    them all across the street for him to ride on.  And someone handed me                                     these palm branches.  Everyone is waving them.  Oh, it’s so exciting. 

JAKE:             (LOOKING OFFSTAGE RIGHT)  I can see them, Sarah.  They’re                                    coming.  Donny and his mother.  And there’s the king.  Hosanna!

JAKE AND SARAH:            Hosanna in the highest.  Blessed is he who cometh in the name of                           the Lord.

The End