Santa Claus and the Wicked Djinn

Southland Times, Issue 21273, 19 December 1930, Page 18

Santa Claus and the Wicked Djinn

CHARACTERS: Santa Claus The Wicked Djinn ■ Saint George of England The Goblin A Nurse ■Any number of children. Any number of Christmas Fairies. _ ACT ONE. , - Santa Claus is discovered in the middle of the stage surrounded by parcels of every shape and size which he is busily sorting. The parcels can be arranged on a sleigh (or something resembling one), or else they must lie altogether on a sail-cloth or mat which can be dragged off the stage later, by the Fairies. SANTA CLAUS- (very busy): This for a girl! And that for a boy! And this will bring To a baby, joy. 11l pack the stockings with right good will. Up to the top each one I’ll fill. Enter the Christmas Fairies, each carrying a tiny parcel. THE CHRISTMAS FAIRIES: Good evening, Santa Claus! We’ve brought our offerings too. Please add them to the great big pile You take along with you. Our presents may be very small, But every single one Brings lovely laughter down to earth And lots and lots of fun. SANTA CLAUS: Indeed! I thank you, children! For offerings great or small. A FAIRY Gift, Full well, I know Brings much more joy To those below Than any gift at all. The Fairies crowd around him. THE FIRST FAIRY: Oh! Santa Claus! Can’t we come too, to help you Pack the children’s stockings? SECOND FAIRY: DEAR Santa Claus! DO take us with you. THIRD FAIRY: We’d be SO quiet And SO good And SO useful! You’d get through the work in HAKh the time. SANTA CLAUS (very impressively and very slowly): .... Nay! Nay! My little ones! You cannot come. For aeons —all alone, My work I’ve done. Come! help me harness Reindeer to my sleigh, For ’tis high time I started on my way. The Fairies catch hold of the sleigh or mat and draw it from the stage. Enter—A GOBLIN (with wild seared face).

The wicked Djinn Has burst his iron door! And vows that he Will harass you, full score! This Santa Claus! (mocks me) WHAT’S HE TO ME? I’VE THREATENED HIM FULL MANY A TIME BEFORE. Now I am free I ACT! ’Twixt him and ME! ’TIS WAR! SANTA CLAUS (terribly perturbed): What? He has escaped ? And on Christmas Eve too. Oh! Woe is me! He has vowed vengeance on the happiness I bring to the .children of earth at Christmastide. Come! We must find him and follow him!

Exit Santa Claus and the Fairies dragging the load of presents. From off the stage—far away—is heard long drawn-out cries and Trails. It is supposed to come from the children of earth. THE CHILDREN: Our stockings! Our stockings! The wicked Djinn has stolen our stockings. Our stockings! Our stockings! The wicked Djinn has stolen our stockings.

The sound dies away. On the stage walks an awful apparition. If possible he should walk on stilts (covered by trousers). Behind him trail twenty or thirty socks or stockings, knotted on a rope at intervals. THE DJINN (very maliciously): AT LAST! I STOP Your pretty game! Christmas... .without stockings! Will —never — Be the same! Haaa Haaa Heee Heee Heee Heee He vanishes, laughing. (End of Act One). SANTA CLAUS AND THE WICKED DJINN. ACT TWO. In a corner of the stage sits Santa Claus bound with thick ropes. On a line across the stage the socks and stockings are fluttering. SANTA CLAUS: ’Tis Christmas Eve, and here am I A prisoner without hope. Before my eyes the stockings hang All dangling on a rope. The wicked Djinrt has captured me. In fetters I am bound. Around my wrists and ankles fast The cruel cords are wound. Enter the Djinn. THE DJINN (mockingly): Good evening! Santa Claus Time to be filling the dear little Children’s stockings, isn’t it ? Surely you are not going to let Christmas Eve go by without filling the Dear little Children’s dear little stockings? What ever woud they think of their Kind old friend 1 SANTA CLAUS (sternly); Let me go, fellow! ' let me go. THE DJINN: Let you go indeed! ' ■ No! No! Santa Claus! YOU’VE kept ME prisoner for hundreds of years.

z A Playlet in Three Acts

It’s MT’ turn now! Let you go indeed! I Not I! Not I! SANTA CLAUS: I implore you, let me go! Only let me go and find the presents; And lay them by the children’s bedsides, And I promise you I will return. THE DJINN: Promises... are made to be broken, Santa Claus. There will be no kind old Santa Claus to Visit the children this year, I assure you. And that’s my promise to you..which Will not be broken dear kind old Santa Claus. Let the little children think what they will. This year...their kind old friend has quite Forgotten them. The Djinn goes off laughing. Santa Claus struggles, and at last gives up in despair. Enter the Goblin leading in Saint George of England. THE GOBLIN: Here! Sire, he lies Before your eyes. SAINT GEORGE: What Santa Claus, And in this plight, And Christmas Eve This very night? Dear Friend What Foe Has laid you low, To fill the Christmas world With woe? Up! Up! And to your Work, my friend. To all vile deeds 1 MAKE AN END. Saint George slashes the cords and Santa Claus is free. He falls on his knees and kisses the hands of Saint George. Enter the Djinn. Seeing Saint George he staggers and put his hands before his eyes. Saint George strikes him and he falls. Saint George puts his foot on him. SAINT GEORGE: And so you thought, Oh Djinn To sadden earth And steal from little children Christmas mirth. Back to your prison full of woe Back to your prison you shall go. (End of Act Two). SANTA CLAUS AND THE WICKED DJINN. ACT THREE., There are as many children as possible asleep on the stage. It is dark and a night-1 light is burning. 1

FIRST CHILD (waking up): Oh! Oh! I dreamed a Wicked Djinn had stolen my stocking. SECOND CHILD: He has stolen them, too —mine is not here. THIRD CHILD: Nor mine. FOURTH CHILD: Nor mine. Oh dear! What shall we do? Santa Claus will never leave us any Presents if he doesn’t see any stockings. Very soft music is played. The Fairies tiptoe into the room. The children, absolutely enchanted, sit up in bed perfectly still staring at them, as they move around their beds. FIRST FAIRY (very sleepily and slowly): When the pretty flowers sleep And the little birds sleep And the fish in the water sleep too— ALL THE FAIRIES (whispering): Then sleep, little children of earth, Justsleep It’s the comfiest thing you can do. . SECOND FAIRY: When the tall trees sleep And the pussy cat sleeps, And the dog in his kennel sleeps too — ALL THE FAIRIES (Very softly): Then sleep, little children of earth, Justsleep. It’s the- comfiest thing you can do.

THIRD FAIRY: When your Mummy’s asleep And your Daddy’s asleep And the King in his palace sleeps too— ALL THE FAIRIES: Then sleep, little children of earth, Justsleep It’s the comfiest thing you can do. One by one the children fall asleep. THE FIRST FAIRY (Hunting around): Look, sisters, look! What I’ve found—the pair to every stocking That was stolen by the Wicked Djinn. The Fairies hang the stockings up by the bedsides. THE SECOND FAIRY: He won’t have it all his own way this time ANYHOW. And if only the Goblin find Saint George, all May yet be well! There is a sound of galloping reindeer outside, and Santa Claus comes staggering into the room with a great sack of presents on his back. SANTA CLAUS: The Midnight hour has not yet struck, Saint George has set me free! We’U lay the presents near the beds For the little ones to see THE FIRST FAIRY (Pointing); Dear Santa Claus SEE! WHAT HANGS THERE We’ve found the lost stocking For every pair.

SANTA CLAUS: Oh Fairy Ladies, fond and true, My gratitude I tender you. . Now help me; everyone, I pray . That all may be ready for Christmas Day. They pack the stockings and tip-toe out. There is a silence on the stage for a while. Then a Nurse comes into the room and draws the curtains.'THE NURSE: Wake up, children! It's Christmas Day. FIRST CHILD (Waking wonderingly): Oh! Here’s' my stocking full to the very top. It was only a dream after all. SECOND CHILD (Slowly): I had a dream, too—about a Wicked Djinn. « THIRD CHILD (most dramatically): My dream was awful. I dreamed that Santa Claus had for.gotten us altogether. FOURTH CHILD: . ’ • In my dream the Fairies came and sang to us. ?■' : ■ Oh! MY DREAM IS TRUE; - 'Enter the Fairies. The Fairies pull the children from their beds and dance in a ring with them. Soft music should be played.

FIRST FAIRY: When the pretty flowers wake, And the little birds wake, And the fish in the water wake too, Then wake little children on Christmas Day. ALL TOGETHER: And a Happy Christmas to you. SECOND FAIRY: When the tall trees wake, And the pussy eat wakes, And the dog in his kennel wakes too. Then wake little children on Christmas Day. ALL TOGETHER: And a Happy Christmas to you. THIRD FAIRY: When your Mummy’s awake, And your Daddy’s awake, And the King for his crown gives a call, Then wake little children of earth wake up—(They break the circle, and stand across the stage in a long line wishing the audience AND A HAPPY CHRISTMAS TO ALL. (End of Act Three) * CURTAIN. A happy New Year could be substituted if acted after Christmas. (By Mrs Malcolm Mason),