Christmas Candles: Plays for Boys and Girls

by Elsie Hobart Carter

Nicolas. Let's get down. [They scramble down the ladder, and seat themselves at Marie's feet.]

Marie. Was the old woman in the forest all dressed in gray?

Princess. Yes, all in a long gray cloak, with a queer white cap on her head.

Marie. Yes. Then I'm certain it was the Babushka. She is sure to be wandering about on Christmas Eve.

Prince. Is she?

Princess. Why?

Marie. That's what the story is about. Once upon a time, hundreds and hundreds of years ago, there was a lonely little house out in the fields where four great roads met.

Sascha. And by the house there was a big guidepost that pointed four ways at once, to show people which road to take. [Stretches out both arms and swings his body slowly to show how the post points.]

Marie. Babushka lived all alone in the little cottage. In the summer the place didn't seem so lonely, for the banks at the roadside were covered with bright flowers, and the days were long and full of sunshine. But in the winter everything was white as far as Babushka could see, and the wind howled, and the wolves howled, and the birds were all gone. And Babushka was poor, and old, and lonely. One winter day, when she was hurrying to get her work all done and her house tidied before the dark came down, because she was too poor to buy candles for herself, she heard a strange sound outside like silver bells ringing above the whistling wind. She looked out of her little window and saw a great train of people coming down the broadest of the roads toward the crossroad. She never had seen anything so strange before, for the leaders were not traveling in sleighs or on horseback, but on three great splendid white camels. The silver bells were hung about the camels' necks, and their saddles were decorated with silver ornaments. And on the camels rode Three Kings. Babushka knew they were kings because they were so richly dressed and because each one wore a golden crown on his head. And after them followed a long train of servants and guards. The Kings did not know which road to take, and one of the servants was sent to knock on Babushka's door and ask the way. At first the old woman was so frightened that she wouldn't open the door, nor answer at all, and the Kings themselves had to get down from their camels and come to speak with her. The servants frightened Babushka, but the Kings were so kind to her that she soon told them all she knew about the four great roads. It wasn't very much, for she had never traveled further than the nearest village, but she told the Kings that there they could find shelter for themselves and their camels and their servants.

Then the first King said: "We have journeyed a very long way, Babushka. We have been guided on the road by a glorious, shining Star, and we know that by and by the Star will lead us to a little new-born Baby."