Small One

This short play was written for a class performance at a Steiner School Christmas Celebration. It is based on the Book (pub. by Pernell Books 1980) ‘The Small One’ which presents the Walt Disney Production(1979) of the film.
Introductory Song
Now your years are many you’re not so strong.
The rough forest roads are difficult and long.
The heavy loads of wood give you trouble
and make you stumble.
Your playful nature is still sweet,
But working days are hard to greet.
In your bed you would like to stay
Sleepily dozing and eating hay.

The time has come for you to leave,
Joshua finds it hard not to grieve.
A kind new home must be found
So you can work on easier ground.
Who will be your new friend?
Will your story have a happy end?

2ndSong sung while the merchants are trying to get Joshua to let them auction his donkey for their own gains.
Come on little fellow, don’t be afraid,
You’ve got to find someone who’ll buy.
We must look around in the air on the ground,
And we can’t if you won’t let us try.
We must search high,
We must search low,
So we get our 10%
We’re not out to cheat you,
To swindle or beat you,
Deal with us and you’ll be quite content.

Introduction
This is a story about a boy called Joshua who lived with his father. They lived beside a forest near the town of Nazareth. Joshua was not able to spend time playing like children of today. Every day he had to help his father look after their donkeys and go into the forest to collect wood. Every morning Joshua got up very early to get the donkeys ready for their day working in the forest. One little Donkey was small and very old.
[Joshua puts out buckets of water and food for the donkeys Joshua fusses Small One and says]
“Get up Small One, you can’t sleep any longer, you must eat your breakfast.”
[Small One gets up and follows Joshua and grabs his belt and runs off. They play chase together until Joshua trips on a bucket and falls to the floor. Then Small One gently gives back the belt to Joshua.]
Father calls out to Joshua….
“Are the donkeys ready to go to the forest?”
“Yes, father” Joshua replies
“Quick Small One eat your food as quickly as you can!”
“Come on Small One we are late!” They go off into the forest to collect wood. Small One trips and falls on to his knees. [Joshua is so worried about how he has hurt his knees that he takes the bundles of wood and starts to carry them himself. Together they struggle on and arrive home where their father awaits them.]
Joshua’s father’s speaks to him saying……
“Small One is too old now to do this hard work in the forest and we cannot afford to buy him food if he is not helping to collect wood to sell. I will have to take Small One and sell him at the market tomorrow in Nazareth.”
“Oh, father please let me take Small One into town tomorrow. He is kind and gentle and I want to find him a good home that will appreciate his good qualities and look after him well.”
“It is a long way to walk to Nazareth on your own and you will have to be sure to sell him before you return home.”
“Yes, I know father but I still want to take him, please let me go.”
“You will need to set off very early in the morning.”
Scene Two
[The cockerel announces the early morning.
Joshua comes in and awakens Small One and makes him beautiful and talks to him…..]
“You are my best friend and I am going to find you a really good home. We will find a kind person who will care for you well and appreciate how special you are.”
They set off on their long walk……
Everyone sings the songSmall One
Now your years are many you’re not so strong.
The rough forest roads are difficult and long.
The heavy loads of wood give you trouble
make you stumble.
Now your years are many you’re not so strong.

Your playful nature is still sweet,
But working days are hard to greet.
In your bed you would like to stay
Sleepily dozing and eating hay.

The time has come for you to leave,
Joshua finds it hard not to grieve.
A kind new home must be found
So you can work on easier ground.
Who will be your new friend?
Will your story have a happy end?

Joshua and Small One reach the gates to the city of Nazareth where the guard stops them and asks ……
“ Why does a young boy and an old little donkey come to Nazareth. What is your business here!”
“I have come to sell my donkey, do you know where I should go ? “
“I know the Baker was looking for a horse may be your old donkey could manage to carry a few loaves of bread. “
Joshua goes into town but he finds it very busy and noisy. He says to Small One “I hope you can manage all this noise and activity, it is very different here in town, you are used to the peace and quiet of the forest.”
Joshua and Small One walk a short distance and then enter the Baker’s shop. Inside the Baker’s wife ( who is very wide!) is collecting doughnuts on a stick.
Joshua goes in and asks ….. “would like to buy my donkey?
But when she sees Small One she laughs very loudly and says “Your old donkey is much too small and weak for me to ride.”
Joshua goes out of the bakers looking rather sad.
He meets two merchants who greet him with enthusiasm and a cheerfully cheeky disposition. They offer to help him sell small one.

All sing the merchants song:-
Come on little fellow, don’t be afraid,
You’ve got to find someone who’ll buy.
We must look around in the air on the ground,
And we can’t if you won’t let us try.
We must search high,
We must search low,
So we get our 10%
We’re not out to cheat you,
To swindle or beat you,
Deal with us and you’ll be quite content.
The merchants take them to the auctioneer who teases and torments Small One and speaks unkindly about him. He laughs at the idea that he may be able to sell Small One by auction. When Small One finally bucks him onto the ground the auctioneer is very angry and throws something of them as he chases them away.
Joshua and Small One run about trying to get away they find a small alley and hide, huddled in a dark corner. Then Joseph appears and quietly walks towards them.
He asks “Would you like to sell your donkey” Joshua and Small One are very pleased.
Joseph says “ I have only one silver coin would that be enough to buy your donkey.”
“Oh, yes! I just want to find someone who will be kind to him because he is a very kind and gentle donkey and he always tries to do his best”
“I will look after him well he will always be able to stay with me and my wife Mary. Tomorrow we have to start out on our long journey to Bethlehem and Mary is expecting a baby very soon.”
Joseph takes Small One away with him.
Everyone sings the traditional Christmas song ‘Little Donkey’
The end.