Glass ?S 6 3 5 ^ ^ 
 Gopyright}!? 
 
 COPYRIGHT DEPOSnV 
 
A PURIM SKETCH 
 
 Ig S«ll| ffirut 
 
 A^E^r YORK 
 
 " The Jetoish Book Concern " 
 Copyright, 1910, by Bloch Publishing Co., New York 
 

 DRAMATIS PERSONS 
 
 THE KING 
 
 JEPTHAH'S DAUGH 
 
 HERALD 
 
 TER 
 
 SARAH 
 
 HANNAH 
 
 HAGAR 
 
 NAOMI 
 
 REBECCA 
 
 RUTH 
 
 LEAH 
 
 JUDITH 
 
 RACHEL 
 
 QUEEN OF SHEBA 
 
 MIRIAM 
 
 VASHTI 
 
 DEBORAH 
 
 ESTHER 
 
 Scene: The Throne Room. 
 
 Place : Kingdom of Jiidea. 
 
 Time: Near Purim. 
 
 
 Appropriate traditional music should be played 
 softly during the play. Suitable selections will 
 be found in "Songs of Zion," $1.50; the Union 
 Hymnal, 50 cents ; Moses^ Sabbath School 
 Hymnal, 45 cents; the Jewish Hymnal, 25 cents. 
 
 GI.D 20843 
 
®I|p King Ctjnto 
 
 Herald: To the King: {Bowing) 
 
 Most mighty King, 
 
 'Great news I bring! 
 
 Outside there wait {Points) 
 
 In royal state, 
 
 Ladies bright and damsels fair ; 
 
 Prithee, wherefore are they there? 
 King: 
 
 Herald, sound thy trumpet call, 
 
 Be it known to one and all. 
 
 The King will this day choose as Queen, 
 
 The one he will most worthy deem. 
 
 Aind she alone will be that one 
 
 Who has the most for Israel done. 
 
 After all of these appear, {Points outside) 
 
 My choice you'll hear. 
 Herald: {Goes out and ushers in Sarah) reads 
 off a scroll: 
 
 Sovereign, King, 
 
 The first — I bring. 
 Sarah : {Enters and bows before the King, who 
 acknowledges her presence by standing and 
 waving his sceptre over her head.) 
 
 The Mother of Israel, you behold, 
 
 Abraham's wife in days of old. 
 
 I shared with him his cares and all. 
 
 And helped him obey the dear Lord's call. 
 
 Whatever good he did in life, 
 
 Is due, in fact, to me, his wife. 
 So, if a Queen you hope to see, 
 
 Where's a better one than me? 
 
King: (Sadly): 
 
 Pass on, pass on, Sarah of old, 
 
 My choice is not yet tO' be told. 
 Herald : ( Ushers in Hagar and Ishmael) reads: 
 
 Second, she 
 
 Comes to thee. 
 Hagar: (Boms before the King but keeps her 
 arm always around Ishmael's neck.) 
 
 Hagar asks no queenly throne, 
 
 No wealth or honor here tO' own ; 
 
 Well content is she to roam 
 
 From place to place, from home to home ; 
 
 For all she wants of life's sweet joy 
 
 Is Ishmael, her own dear boy. 
 
 So King, choose others here to keep 
 
 My son and I, another land will seek. 
 King : 
 
 Hagar, farewell, this happy day, 
 
 God's blessing be with you alway — 
 
 And now, herald, bring to me 
 
 One who wants my Queen to be. 
 Herald : 
 
 O, King of might, 
 
 She's third by right. (Brings in Rebecca) 
 Rebecca : 
 
 Throughout all time, I stand as first 
 
 To help the weary, quench the thirst 
 
 Of men, of beasts and all who want ; 
 
 For me Eleazar came to hunt, 
 
 And me he chose for Abraham's son. 
 
 For Isaac's bride was I then won. 
 
 Oh, mighty King, your Queen must be, 
 
 Kindly, good, and fair to see ; 
 
 If, then, you wish to fill this place 
 
 (Points to chair) 
 
 Could not Rebecca gain that grace? 
 
King: (Shakes his head sadly) 
 Again, alas, she's not the one, 
 Who must sometime my Queen become. 
 
 Herald: (Reads) 
 Sisters two, 
 Come next to you. 
 
 (Rachel and Leah come in hand in hand 
 and make obeisance to the King) 
 
 Leah : 
 
 Of life, of joy, of hope, of love, 
 Leah has not much to tell. 
 For all she knew was but to shove 
 Herself and all she loved so well, 
 Into the background of home's misery ; 
 For Leah, forsaken, behold in me, 
 And this my sister, Jacob's choice. 
 Asks you, O King, to hear her voice. 
 
 Rachel : 
 
 Fourteen years long did Jacob toil, 
 Tilling, ploughing in the soil. 
 Working hard for Rachel's sake ; 
 At last a bride, his love could take. 
 If my sister loved him too. 
 What was there I could do? 
 Was it wrong for me to go 
 Through the world with Jacob so? 
 Now, oh King, if thou like'st me. 
 Cannot I your fair Queen be? 
 
 King : 
 
 Alas, alas, I know full well. 
 
 My Queen must both of you excel. 
 
 (Waves them out kindly) 
 
 Herald : 
 
 King, behold, 
 
 This maid of old ! ( Ushers in Miriam) 
 
Miriam : {Comes in masterfully and joyfully) 
 Sound aloud the trumpet's blast, 
 Israel's sorrows now are past, 
 Jehovah's hand hath showed its might, 
 Jehovah's love hath led us right. 
 O'er the sea, led by me, 
 Israel come, cheerily, 
 Singing hymns to God above. 
 Crying loud His mighty love. 
 Stand, oh King, let us raise 
 Songs of glory in His praise. 
 Miriam greets thee thus, to-day ; 
 Does thou want her for alway? 
 
 King : 
 
 Though thou'rt brave and fair to see, 
 I cannot take thee, maid, to me ; 
 My Queen must loving, peaceful be. 
 
 {Shakes hands with her hut has the 
 herald lead her out) 
 
 Herald : (Reads) : 
 Gracious King, 
 Her, next I bring. (Points to Deborah) 
 
 Deborah: : ( Comes in very stately, but yet cour- 
 teously) 
 I greet thee, sovereign peer, 
 I bow most friendly to thee here, 
 I wait the judgment thou'll bestow 
 If I'm the Queen to be, or no. 
 But if thou choosest a mate to-day, 
 Ponder well what I now say : 
 Deborah needs no word of praise, 
 No one to sing her worth in lays. 
 But as of old in Israel stands 
 A judge of might in many lands — 
 So, not thy favor here tO' sue. 
 Am I, but as an equal mate for you. 
 
King: 
 
 Pass on, Deborah, judge of old, 
 
 For thee my choice shall not be told ; 
 
 My Queen must grace this festival 
 
 With humble air and love withal. 
 Herald: (Reads): 
 
 From near, from far, 
 
 Tliey come, they come, 
 
 And thus, I usher 
 
 In another one. 
 
 (Brings in Jepthah's daughter) 
 Jepthah's Daughter: 
 
 King, O King, let me go 
 
 Back to all that love me so. 
 
 What have I to offer you 
 
 But a life cut short and new ? 
 
 Jepthah's daughter longs to be 
 
 With her father, verily 
 
 Therefore, give me leave, I pray. 
 
 To regain him on this day. 
 
 Sacrifices of long ago 
 
 Rewards must get, as you know. 
 King: 
 
 Return unto thy father dear, 
 
 I would not keep thee unhappy here. 
 Herald : (Reads) : 
 
 In joy, in sorrow, still they're here 
 
 Mighty King, your sight to cheer. 
 
 ( Ushers in Hannah) 
 Hannah: 
 
 Full many a grief I've had to bear, 
 
 Many the woes I've had to share; 
 
 And now at last before thy throne, 
 
 My lowly lot I humbly own ; 
 
 But, King of might, I ask of thee, 
 
 Has Hannah not proved worthily 
 
 That Queen, or mother, anywhere, 
 
She a throne or home might share? 
 
 Has she not shown a patriot's life 
 
 As great as Maccabeas' strife? 
 King: 
 
 A mother's love, oh Hannah dear, 
 
 Thou hast shown with patriot's cheer; 
 
 But now, alas, thou canst not be 
 
 My choice, my Queen in verity 
 
 Young and fair and gay must be. 
 Herald: (Reads): 
 
 Again, and once again I bring 
 
 More and more before thee. King. 
 
 (Brings in Ruth and Naomi) 
 Naomi : 
 
 I care not for kingly pomp, 
 
 Courtly charms and worldly cheer; 
 
 All I love and all I own, 
 
 Behold, oh King, in this maid here. 
 
 From her home she went with me 
 
 Into lands, far, far away; 
 
 Lived and toiled and laughed for me, — 
 
 Naomi now for Ruth will pray : 
 
 Take her, King, thy Queen to be. 
 
 None more worthy is than she. 
 Ruth : 
 
 Nay, I pray thee, list to me; 
 
 I care not thy Queen to be. 
 
 Long, long ago, my love I left, 
 
 Now alas, I am bereft. 
 
 In the fields I gleaned one day, 
 
 There Boaz crossed my way; 
 
 There Naomi loved us too, 
 
 What could I now give to you? 
 King: 
 
 On, on, time passes fast. 
 
 Be assured thy memories last ; 
 
 8 
 
Yet perhaps the next will be 
 
 She who soon will love but me. 
 Herald: (Answers King's words while usher- 
 ing in Judith) 
 
 Maybe she 
 
 That one will be. 
 Judith : 
 
 With this spear I greet thee, King, 
 
 Which did much joy to Israel bring. 
 
 It made Holofernes keep 
 
 Eternal rest, eternal sleep ; 
 
 It brought to Judah hope and rest ; 
 
 And it sought the Assyrian's breast. 
 
 Israel's hope rose high in air 
 
 When this, my sword, his head did bear. 
 
 So, mighty King, behold this one 
 
 Who should by right thy Queen become. 
 King : 
 
 Nay, not for me, warrior maid, 
 
 Has thy sword so hard inveighed; 
 
 My lovely Queen, the one I seek, 
 
 Though courageous, must be meek. 
 
 {Waves her out) 
 Herald : 
 
 A stately lady seeks this way 
 
 To gain thy love and crown to-day. 
 Queen of Sheba: (Very stately and slightly 
 proud) 
 
 Need I whom once the wisest King 
 
 Did bow before, in low devotion, 
 
 Seek thy smile to win, thy praise to wring 
 
 By even the slightest motion ? 
 
 Nay. King, if me thou 'dst win 
 
 Bend even now thy royal knee, 
 
 Lowly, as Solomon oft I'd see — 
 
 For the Queen of Sheba here greets thee ! 
 
King: 
 
 Away, away, what thou hast done, 
 Brought bad to all, and good to none! 
 
 Herald: (Reads): 
 
 She is next, and then but one 
 Remains, and after her, none. 
 
 (Brings in Vashti) 
 
 Vashti : 
 
 I stand rebuked in Fame's large book 
 Because I would not let the King's friends 
 
 look 
 Upon my shame, my queenly slavery, 
 Yet I was right ; but for my bravery, 
 I yielded up all life s sweet joy. 
 Which before, naught could alloy. 
 Vashti has not much to ofifer. 
 But to the King, her love would proffer, 
 Since to Ahasuerus I could not be 
 Submissive, let me be it to thee ! 
 
 King: 
 
 Nay, Vashti, something tells me true, 
 
 (Points to his heart) 
 My Queen comes, but 'tis not you. 
 Your suflfering grieves much alas, 
 But time and that together pass ; 
 Farewel', for now the last I'll see, 
 Oh, may that one, my dear Queen be ! 
 
 Herald: (Reads): 
 
 Last of all, I sound her name 
 Known to all in glorious fame; 
 King, I pray you, give her heed. 
 Perhaps of her you stand in need. 
 
 ( Ushers in Esther) 
 
 Esther : (Bows low hut with dignity) 
 Nothing much has Esther done 
 Fc7 Israel small good has won; 
 
 10 
 
One day, alone, she tried to save 
 
 Her people from a dreadful grave. 
 
 But what she did, and how she knew, 
 
 Mordecai has told tO' you. 
 
 Mordacai, her uncle dear. 
 
 Saved Israel, from fear. 
 
 Therefore, what can Esther say 
 
 To win thy praise and love to-day? 
 King: (Jumps up and goes to her) 
 
 At last, at last, my Queen has come, 
 
 At last, at last, I see the one 
 
 Who worthy is my Queen to be 
 
 And celebrate this feast with me. 
 
 Esther, this is Purim Day, 
 
 Israel's happiest, so they say; 
 
 This the feast of all the year 
 
 When Jewish hearts are full of cheer. 
 
 So, my Queen, I here greet thee, 
 
 May we always happy be. 
 
 {Leads her up to the throne; the other 
 zvomen Hie into the throne room and circle 
 about the tzvo thrones. Music plays all 
 
 the zvhile.) 
 King: 
 
 You other maids of Bible fame, 
 
 Each of you I would retain. 
 
 For each has done upon this earth 
 
 Something good, for Israel's worth; 
 
 But to-day, my Queen is she, 
 
 Because of her this feast have we ; 
 
 So I bid you all farewell, 
 
 For how long, I cannot tell ; 
 
 But before you go your way. 
 
 Cheer for Esther and Purim Day. 
 All: 
 
 Hail, Esther, Queen alway. 
 
 Hail to you and Purim Day. 
 
 Curtain. 
 
 II