  Ruth was dramatized by the club during the fall of the year because it is a story of the Hebrew harvest time. In order fully to interpret the life of Ruth it was necessary for the children to secure information concerning the barley harvest in ancient Palestine, and also to become familiar with the old customs involved in the story. Many children brought pictures which illustrated the points under discussion, and some of them contributed by telling what they had been able to read at home. Independence on the part of the children in looking up data was always encouraged by the leader; the information which she had to give enriched and supplemented that which was brought in by them. During the process of this dramatization constant comparisons were made with our own harvest time, and the study of the Hebrew harvest feasts and festivals served to increase the understanding and appreciation of our one harvest festival at Thanksgiving. The method of procedure in presenting this story for dramatization follows closely that described in connection with Joseph. The Bible version of Seven meetings were required before the group was satisfied with the play as a product of their best effort. As was the case with the other plays given by the club, the children who were to take the parts in the final presentation were selected by the group and not by the leader in charge. Every child knew each part and could represent any character, but children were chosen for specific parts because they seemed to represent certain characters unusually well. The dramatization of this story called for much construction work. The reapers made their sickles of cardboard and covered them with gold or silver paper or painted them. They found pictures which gave the shape, and from these they cut the patterns (Fig. 15). One little girl brought a real sickle which had once belonged to a Filipino. It gave her happiness to reap with it, but the others were just as content to use the sickles from cardboard. The need for a harvest song was felt, and in consequence a little song that most of the children knew was decided upon. The reapers sang it as they reaped and while Boaz was walking through his grain field. There was no real grain nor anything to represent it, the children deciding to leave this to the imagination. The action of the reapers and the words that were spoken gave evidence enough that grain was growing there. There was very little stage setting used in the play. The stage was bare in the first scene in order to represent the road from Moab to Bethlehem. In the second scene a big earthenware jar was needed from which the reapers could drink. The third scene required a box which represented a seat by the city gate; the door which led off the stage at the side was used for the gate. The action and the grouping of people in the third scene required careful planning by the children. Women came through the gate and passed down the street with water jugs on their shoulders; men gathered in groups to discuss bits of news; Boaz walked toward the gate and sat waiting for his kinsman. Finally, when the cousin appeared, Boaz hailed him and had him sit down. The citizens who were standing near were asked to be witnesses in this business transaction. That one man should take off his shoe and hand it to another was a custom that created much interest among the The costuming was very simple. The reapers wore the same little brown slips which had been worn in every play that had been given. Boaz enriched his costume by wearing brighter colors in his headdress and girdle and by wearing a slip that was longer than the others. The play follows as it was finally given. RUTHSCENE IPlace: In Moab, on the road to Judah. Characters: Naomi, Ruth, Orpah. Setting: Naomi, Ruth, Orpah, are on the road going toward Judah. [Naomi stops and faces about.] Naomi: Turn back, my daughters-in-law; return each of you to your mother's house. You have come with me far enough. I must take the rest of my journey alone. Orpah and Ruth: Oh, do not send us back! We will not leave thee! Naomi: Yea, you must leave me now. I am going home to my own country and my own people, to Bethlehem, Judah! It is ten long years since I left there to come to dwell in your land of Moab. But now that the famine is over I must return. Orpah: But, Naomi, our mother-in-law, we love thee. Do not thou leave us! Naomi: I must go. I came to this country happy—with my husband and two sons—but misfortune has dealt bitterly with me. My husband first died, and now my two sons, your husbands, are taken from me. I am old and sad. I have no one left to comfort me. I must go back to mine own people. Leave me, my daughters, and God bless you! [Both daughters weep.] Orpah [weeping and kissing Naomi]: If thou wilt be happier, then thou must leave us. I will return to my mother's house as thou sayest. [She goes off slowly, weeping.] [Ruth still stands by weeping. Takes hold of Naomi's hand.] Naomi: Behold, Orpah, thy sister-in-law, has gone back to her people and unto her gods; return thou after thy sister-in-law. Ruth: Intreat me not to leave thee, nor to return from following after thee: for whither thou goest, I will go; and where thou lodgest, I will lodge; thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God: where thou diest, will I die, and there will I be buried: the Lord do so to me, and more also, if aught but death part thee and me. Naomi: Since thou art so steadfastly minded to go with me, Ruth, I will cease urging thee. Come, thou mayest go with me to Bethlehem. SCENE IIPlace: In the barley fields of Boaz. Time: The harvest season. Characters: Boaz, Ruth, Head Reaper, Reapers, Gleaners. [The reapers come in with their sickles, followed by the gleaners.] Head Reaper: Truly we have a wonderful harvest this year! First Reaper: Yea, we will have food enough for ourselves and for all the poor in our city of Bethlehem. Head Reaper: It is the great God that hath given us this bounty. [All sing harvest song as they reap. While they are singing Ruth comes in and begins to pick up the grain.] Second Reaper [looking toward the entrance to the field]: The master is coming, the great Boaz! [All reapers look in that direction as they stand, resting their sickles on the ground. Boaz enters.] Boaz: The Lord be with you! Reapers: The Lord bless thee! [All go to work again, singing as before. Boaz walks among them; he sees Ruth and watches her.] Boaz [to the Head Reaper]: My good man, I would speak a word with thee; come hither. Head Reaper: Speak, O master! Boaz: Whose damsel is this that gathereth grain after the reapers? Head Reaper: My master, she is Ruth, the Moabitish damsel that came back with Naomi, thy kinswoman. She hath been gleaning here since early morning. Boaz: Go, bid the reapers not to harm her, and bid them let fall purposely some of the handfuls of grain for her. [The Head Reaper bows low and goes back among the reapers.] Boaz [to Ruth]: Hearest thou not, my daughter? Go not to glean in another field, but stay here by my reapers. Let thine eyes be on the reapers, and do thou glean that which they leave behind. When thou art athirst, go unto the vessels and drink that which the young men have drawn. Ruth [bows to the ground]: Why have I found such favor in thine eyes, seeing that I am a stranger in the land? Boaz: It has been told me of thy great kindness to thy mother-in-law, Naomi; how thou didst leave thine own people to come with her and be among strangers; and how thou didst leave thy gods to take the God of the children of Israel. The Lord will bless thee for this. Ruth: I thank thee, O great Boaz, for thou hast comforted me and thou hast spoken friendly words unto me. Boaz: Come hither at meal times and eat of the bread and dip thy morsel in the vinegar with my reapers. [The reapers have departed. Boaz goes off.] Ruth: The Lord God is truly good unto me! SCENE IIIPlace: At the gate of the city. Characters: Boaz, a Cousin of Naomi, Ten Citizens, Ruth, Naomi. [Several citizens stand in groups, talking. Boaz enters.] Boaz [speaks to one of the group]: Hast thou seen my cousin pass this way? I am seeking him. First Citizen: Nay, good sir, I have not seen him. Boaz: I must speak with him; I will wait here by the city gate; perchance he will come soon. [One or two citizens pass by and speak to Boaz, saying, "Good-day, sir." Enter Kinsman.] Boaz: Ho, Kinsman, turn aside! I would have a word with thee. Sit thee down. [Kinsman sits down.] Kinsman: What wilt thou, Cousin? Boaz: I would speak about a matter of importance; wait thou here until I can bring witnesses. [He turns to Citizens: Aye, indeed. [They come forward.] Boaz: Sit ye down here. [They sit down.] [To Kinsman]: Dost thou remember Naomi, our kinswoman, who went with her husband and two sons to the land of Moab? Kinsman: Yea, I do know Naomi. Boaz: She selleth a parcel of land which was her husband's. Now, thou art nearest of kin to Naomi, so I thought to advise thee that thou mayest have the first chance to redeem the land in the presence of the elders of the city. If thou dost not care to redeem it, then the right to redeem it cometh to me, for I am next of kin. What wilt thou do? Kinsman: I will buy the land from our kinswoman, Naomi. Boaz: On the day that thou buyest the field from the hand of Naomi, thou also takest Ruth, the Moabitess, for thy wife, according to our custom and law. Kinsman: Then I will not redeem the land, for I cannot take Ruth for my wife. Take thou my right to redeem it and buy it for thyself. Boaz [taking off his shoe and giving it to the Kinsman, he says to the witnesses]: Ye are witnesses this day that I have bought this parcel of land from Naomi and that I buy also, as my wife, Ruth, the daughter-in-law of Naomi. Of all this ye are witnesses. Citizens: We are witnesses. [Bow.] [Kinsman returns shoe to Boaz and walks off. Ruth and Naomi come through the street.] Boaz: Ye are well met, Naomi, my kinswoman, and Ruth. I have good news for you; I have bought your land [Takes Ruth by the hand.] Naomi: Blessed am I that I should live to see this good thing come to pass! The Lord hath been most gracious unto me! End |
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