<p>Category: Contemporary Created by: Kaikorai Presbyterian Number of speaking parts: 9 Duration: Short Includes: Carols and secular songs</p><p>Animal Nativity</p><p>Written by Shelley and Anne with God’s help.</p><p>CAST: Cat Donkey Sheep Cow Mary Joseph Angels Shepherds Angel of the Lord</p><p>Mary sweeping Cat: [Grooming and purring at microphone] Purrrrr Hello! I’m Abigail Delilah, but my owner Mary, she calls me Abby Dabby . She’s a lovely young girl, so sweet, so kind [she never forgets to feed me] She’s a very special person. She once had a visit form an Angel of the Lord God! Angel comes He just appeared! I ran for cover but Mary she knelt and listened. The Angel told her she had been chosen to have God’s son. This was a big ask! She wasn’t even married but she did have a boyfriend who was going to marry her. His name was Joseph. Mary Most girls would have said ‘Choose someone else!’ Thoughtful But Mary wanted to please God and said, “I’m the Lord’s maid, ready to serve” and agreed to have God’s son.</p><p>Angel departs behind organ</p><p>Mary stands up and walks away to behind organ, Cat follows purring.</p><p>SONG: Mary,Mary</p><p>Clippy clop sound as Donkey approaches microphone from lectern.</p><p>Donkey: It’s happened! It’s happened! Someone has asked me to Mary and take passengers. Everyone said I was too little to take anyone for Joseph any distance. Packing Ha, ha, ha to them. I’m going to Bethlehem and not even my big brother, Dufus Donkey has been that far!!! But, actually, I’m a wee bit worried – not ‘cos I’m too little, but because my passenger is a young girl who is soon to have a baby. I’ll have to go very carefully and avoid all the rocks and bumps and holes. It seems strange that they should take a journey when the young girl is so close to having her baby but the whole of country is full of people coming and going because they have to go to the place they were born to get counted. What a silly idea! Better get started.</p><p>Joseph guides Mary and carries suitcases over to the Donkey and they depart door behind lectern. </p><p>SONG: Little Donkey</p><p>Mary, Joseph and Donkey appear again in the last verse out of the side door.</p><p>Cow sleeping, mooing in sleep [at microphone] Donkey arrives led in by Joseph with one arm around Mary. He leaves Donkey by microphone and takes Mary over to hay.</p><p>Donkey trips on cow, who splutters and looks dazed. Donkey: Sorry, sorry, I didn’t see you there. I’m so tired I can hardly keep my eyes open. Cow: Huh! Not more animals in my stable, pretty soon they will be putting people in here! Donkey: They are! Cow: What??? Donkey: They are! We tried to get a bed in the Inn but there were none left so my people got sent out here. Cow: You are right. Am I seeing things – that young girl looks like she is going to calve soon! Donkey: Well she won’t be calving but I think it won’t be long ‘till she has her baby. Cow: Poor thing, where will she put the new born? Donkey: She could use your manger. Cow: I suppose I could eat off the ground just this once. Oh, I’m forgetting my manners, you are worn out. Please help yourself to my hay. Cow and Donkey wander off to back/side of Mary and Joseph</p><p>SONG: Away in a manger</p><p>An old sheep wanders up to microphone from edge of Shepherd’s pew</p><p>Sheep: That was a wonderful night. I was sleeping peacefully out in the fields. The shepherds were talking quietly around their fire. Some had fallen asleep and the sound of their snoring floated on the air. [Mutters and snores can be heard] It was a still and quiet night. The sky was filled with stars, then….. [Angels jump up] [Shepherds quiver, shake, shriek and cling to one another] </p><p>Angels [Together] Glory to God in the highest and Peace to His people on Earth.</p><p>[The shepherds crouch in the aisles and watch the Angels.]</p><p>Sheep: The Angels told the Shepherds to go to Bethlehem and look for a baby born in a manger.</p><p>[Shepherds approach manger and sit before Mary and Joseph with baby Jesus] Angels move behind Manger scene.</p><p>SONG: While Shepherds watched their flocks by night</p><p>Sheep: That night was a night that I will never forget; it was a night that God’s Son was born to man. It was the first Christmas and man has celebrated this throughout the world. Man can live forever more because of Christmas Day.</p><p>Whole cast performs SONG: Mary’s Boy Child [Boney M]</p>