The day Christmas was stolen Read online

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  THE DAY CHRISTMAS

  WAS STOLEN

  A Holiday comedy for children

  by

  PATRICK DAVID CAMPBELL

  CAST OF CHARACTERS

  MACTO: He is the magician of Ragland. Sure of himself, nothing can scare him. Dressed in a colorful suit of rags. His voice is very correct and distinguish.

  FLORA: The little girl. Skirt and shirt of pink and red colors. With the little rags in her hair she looks very vulnerable. Intelligent and practical.

  BIDALL: Flora's best friend, male or female. All dress in blue rags he

  has a blue hair made out of rags also. Friendly and sensitive, always ready to help his friends.

  GOUGOYLE: Similar to a Gargoyle he is mad and weird. Because of his bad behavior, he slowly loses his rags on his body. Jealous of the others with their nice rags, he runs away with Christmas. Gougoyle has trouble speaking. He mixes all the words and sensations. His voice is very high and tiresome.

  Also there's a monster made out of rags.

  SCENE 1

  Ragland is a country where every object, every vegetation is made out of rags. When the lights come on, we are in what seems to be a park. In center stage, there is a huge bundle of rags on the floor. The rooster crows. Then, the rags starts moving. We hear a yawn and a hand pops out of the bundle of rags. It's Flora waking up.

  FLORA, yawning and stretching

  Ahhh! (Sigh.) What a nice day! The sun is shining and it's still not too cold. (To the rag rooster.) Thank you Mister Rooster for your beautiful song! (Humming a song she walks to the bundle of rags.) Now, where is that lazy Bidall? He's not awake yet? (To the children.) I see that you are all awake. But, I didn't introduce myself! My name is Flora and I live here in Ragland. It's called Ragland because all objects and living thing are made out of rags! Now, lets wake up Bidall. By the way Bidall is my best friend, but he's a bit lazy when it comes to waking up in the morning. (Shouting to the rags.) BIDALL! BIDALL WAKE UP! We have some visitors! BIDALL! You just can't sleep all day you know! Children, could you please help me with this. Could you say Bidall with me? (Wait for answer.) Ok, one, two, three, go! (All together.) No it's not working. Let's do it again, and this time louder and more than once! One, two, three, go! BIDALL, BIDALL, BIDALL...(Etc. Until Bidall gets up.)

  BIDALL, yawning

  You called?

  FLORA

  Yes we did. Look Bidall we have friends, you see?

  BIDALL

  I see monkeys.

  FLORA

  What do you mean monkeys? Go clean your eyes Bidall. We have children visiting us today.

  BIDALL

  Oh, yes, you're right. How do you do children? Why did you wake me up Flora?

  FLORA

  Well, Mister Rooster has crowed a long time ago!

  BIDALL

  The rooster, the rooster, what does he know?

  FLORA

  Yes, the rooster! You have to get up when the rooster crows!

  BIDALL

  Why do we need a rooster to get up?

  FLORA

  The rooster tells us that the sun is rising and...

  BIDALL

  Bah...

  FLORA

  And also, it is important we get up early today.

  BIDALL

  I don't see why. On a winter day, it is nice to stay in a warm bed.

  FLORA

  But not today!

  BIDALL

  What's so special today? No, I don't want to know. (He moves away a little.)

  Flora! Flora come back!

  MACTO, to the children

  We have a small problem.

  BIDALL

  You can say that again!

  MACTO

  We have a small problem. Where can Christmas be? It should be here, there, everywhere! Christmas cannot leave one year and come back the next!

  BIDALL

  You are the magician, find it!

  MACTO

  But how? How can you find Christmas?

  BIDALL

  I don't know, but you must! For Flora's sake. (He exits.)

  MACTO

  What can I do? I can't make Christmas reappear! I don't know how! And you children, do you know how to make Christmas reappear? (Wait for answer.) No Christmas this year. I can't bear the thought! No decorated tree, no turkey, no presents... (Realizes the fact that there will be no presents.)

  NO PRESENTS! Oh no! It's to awful! Children, we must find Christmas! Will you help me? (Wait for answer, add-lib if necessary.) If you ever find Christmas tell me right away! Thank you. We must find Christmas! We must, we must, we must... (He exits saying “we must...”)

  Gougoyle sneaks in.

  GOUGOYLE

  Oh what a great day! A great day for Gougoyle! Lots to do, lots to do! Play with Gougoyle and Gougoyle will play with you! Oh, oh, children over there! All to see Gougoyle! Gougoyle likes children. Likes children alot! Not when children take off rags from Gougoyle. (Laugh) You,

  friends to Gougoyle because Gougoyle friend to you! Good day, good day, Gougoyle like good day! You like this place? Do you? Do you? Do you? But you do not know what Gougoyle know! Christmas is not here! And not there! Not everywhere! No Christmas this year, Gougoyle say! (Cry.) Gougoyle cry much. (Laughs.) But Gougoyle know where is Christmas! Gougoyle know much! Good Gougoyle! Gougoyle intelligent he is! But Gougoyle not tell you where Christmas is! You children want to know? Want to know? Gougoyle tell... Gougoyle tell not... tell... tell not! Yes! No! (Pause.) It is Gougoyle! Gougoyle has stolen Christmas. All Christmas! It was easy for Gougoyle. Wait! Wait! Gougoyle will show you! (Runs out, and brings back a black box.)

  Look, look! Here Gougoyle has Christmas in there he got! Gougoyle stole Christmas and has put in inside the black box! (Laughs.) Gougoyle is not mad, is he? Tell me that Gougoyle is not mad? (Wait for an answer.) (Cry.) Gougoyle is always losing his rags. (Takes one off.) See? Gougoyle wants more rags so he has stolen Christmas! You don't beleive Gougoyle do you? Look, Gougoyle will show you all Christmas inside box. (He opens the box and hands out a Chritmas garland.) Do you believe Gougoyle now do
you? (Laughs.) No colours, no decorations, no Christmas! And it's all Gougoyle who thought about it! Gougoyle has stolen Christmas and... You better not say anything to the others, or else Gougoyle will put you all in black box also! (Laughs and leaves.)

  SCENE 2

  BIDALL

  Ok, ok! Ouh! I've never seen Flora like this, my friends. At first I talked to her gently. Then she got enraged and I had to leave so as not to upset her. All this because Christmas is not here this year. I have to do something. Let's think. (Enters Macto.) What are you doing Macto?

  MACTO

  I'm thinking.

  BIDALL

  So am I. (Pause.) I have a question. If Christmas is everywhere but here, it means that Christmas does exist.

  MACTO

  Of course.

  BIDALL

  So if it's not here, it means that it has been stolen from us!

  MACTO

  Of course.

  BIDALL

  So it's a burglar we must find, not Christmas!

  MACTO

  Of course, we must find a burglar. (Waking up.) Yes! You're absolutely right! Why didn't I think of that! If Christmas is there, but not here, it's because it is somewhere else! Now if the burglar is not here, he must also be somewhere else and that place is where Christmas is!

  BIDALL

  Yes, but who is the burglar. I wish you could help, us my friends.

  MACTO

  Let's think. (He exits.)

  BIDALL

  Can you imagine, somebody has stolen Christmas from us. Do you know my friends who might have stolen Christmas? (Try to get the children to answer.) Who is it?

  Bidall continues talking to the children. Suddenly, Gougoyle enters behind Bidall and tip toes from left to right. He bends down to pick up a piece of rag. Sticks it to his chest and leaves by the same side that he had enter. Bidall is still questionning the children.

  What? Behind me? Gougoyle? (Bidall turns sees nothing.) Nobody's there. You say that Gougoyle has stolen Christmas? Are you sure?

  Enters Flora.

  FLORA

  Bidall, there you are! (Bidall is all exited and he frantically gesticulates in front of her.) I've looked everywhere and Christmas is nowhere to be found! What are you doing? Why are you jumping and moving like that? I'm not in a mood to play! I have to find Christmas. At least I care. Stop it! All you're thinking of is playing all the time. You could at least help me look! No, I guess not. Thanks alot Bidall. I should leave and find myself some new friends. Some that take Christmas seriously! What is the matter with you? Say something? Oh, I'm leaving. (Bidall grabs her.) Bidall, if you have something to say, say it!

  Enters Macto.

  MACTO

  I've got it, I've got it, I've got it...

  FLORA

  You have what Macto?

  MACTO

  I know why Christmas is not here!

  FLORA

  Yes, well why?

  MACTO, kneels in front of Flora

  It's all my fault if Christmas is not in Ragland this year. I'm a magician and I know lots of tricks. Card tricks, rope tricks, hat tricks, white magic, black magic, but there's one kind of magic I don't know. I always wanted to know what was the magic of Christmas.

  FLORA

  Oh, Macto you didn't?

  MACTO, rises, slowly turning his back to Flora

  Yes, I wrote a letter to...

  FLORA

  Not Santa Claus?

  MACTO

  Yes! (Sobbing.) In the letter I asked him; "Who he thought he was!"

  FLORA

  No, you insulted him!

  MACTO

  Yes. And, I asked him if he thought that he was a better magician than Macto!

  FLORA

  No, you didn't write that?

  MACTO

  Yes. And...

  FLORA

  You mean there's more?

  MACTO

  Yes! I also chalenged him to come and prove to me if the magic of Christmas was better than Macto's magic!

  FLORA

  Oh, Macto, Macto...

  MACTO

  And that's why we have no Christmas this year. Santa is mad at me, so he decided to fly over our town and that's all because of me. Of me! (Burst crying.)

  BIDALL

  No...

  MACTO

  Yes. (Burst crying.)

  BIDALL

  No, no...

  MACTO

  Yes, yes! (Burst crying.)

  BIDALL

  No, you're not responsible Macto.

  MACTO

  Why not? (Angry.) If I say that I'm responsible, I mean that I am really responsible! Why couldn't it be my fault? Are you jealous?

  BIDALL

  No!

  MACTO

  Yes.

  BIDALL

  No.

  MACTO

  Yes!

  BIDALL

  No!

  FLORA, walks between them

  SHHHHH! Stop it will you!

  Bidall and Macto turn their backs from each other. Pause.

  MACTO

  Yes!

  BIDALL

  No!

  FLORA

  STOP IT I SAY! Now Bidall, what is going on?

  BIDALL

  It's not Macto's fault if Christmas is not here!

  MACTO

  And why not?

  FLORA

  Macto, be quiet!

  BIDALL

  Christmas was stolen and I know by whom!

  FLORA

  Stealing Christmas! That's impossible. Nobody can be that mean! It would take a mad, crazy, inhuman being. Nobody fits that description in Ragland.

  BIDALL

  Exactly! Gougoyle did it!

  MACTO

  Gougoyle? You mean that brainless Gargoyle? Impossible! (Laughs) That monster can't even walk straight and when it does, it trips over it's own legs! Let me laugh! (Laughs.)

  BIDALL

  Ask the children, they know all about it.

  FLORA

  Ok, I'll ask them. My friends, is it true that Gougoyle stole Christmas?

  (Wait for an answer.) Are you sure? (Should have a discussion with the children.)

  Well, that's different. Gougoyle has stolen Christmas.

  MACTO

  Yes, of course, I knew it all along. It would have been impossible for me to be responsible for the disappearance of Christmas. Am I not the greatest magician in the world?

  FLORA

  But we still have a problem. Nobody knows where Gougoyle lives.

  BIDALL

  Some say that he lives underground.

  FLORA

  If we search for him, it might take us all day and tomorrow will be too late.

  MACTO

  And if we wrote a letter to Santa Claus?

  FLORA, BIDALL

  NO!

  MACTO

  I get it. You only like me for my magic tricks! They like it when I come out of a trap! But when I have an idea, no way they...

  FLORA, BIDALL

  MACTO! (They have gotten an idea at the same time.)

  MACTO

  What?

  FLORA

  You're magnificent!

  MACTO

  Who me?

  BIDALL

  Yes, a genius!

  MACTO

  Now, you realize that my idea was good?

  BIDALL

  No, the idea was dumb, but the trap!

  MACTO

  What trap?

  FLORA

  A trap! If we cannot find Gougoyle, let Gougoyle find us! We all know why Gougoyle comes often in Ragland, don't we?

  BIDALL

  Flora, you don't think that we should explain it to our friends? They did help us.

  FLORA

  Of course! My friends, Ragland as you can see, is made out of rags. We all live in peace and harmony and we are all nice to each other. But there's something different about us.

  BIDALL

  Yes, every
time that we do something bad, we lose some rags. A long time ago, Gougoyle had as much rags on him as we do now. But it started doing bad things.

  MACTO

  It broke my magic wand. (Shows it.)

  BIDALL

  It took my three dollars I was saving to buy him a present for its birthday.

  FLORA

  So, Gougoyle lost almost all of its rags. That's why it comes often in Ragland, looking for some rags to pin back on himself.

  BIDALL

  Now let's do our trap!

  MACTO

  What kind of trap?

  BIDALL

  We'll bait Gougoyle with some rags.

  FLORA

  I'll get them. (Exits.)