Today I helped the staff at the Nursery School I visit with their Nativity play. It was the very best place to be! If some-one had come along and tried to whisk me away to Capri half way through I would of said 'No'.
True it was organized chaos, true some of the children were overcome and cried. On the whole the fifty, Two to school age children were wonderful. In the group were two year old triplets, one a sheep , one a cow and the only girl a Chinese lady. They just about caused mayhem between them, the cow kept trying to pull the sheeps tail, the cow then decided it would be a marvelous game to bash all comers with his horns. Once I persuaded him that it was not 'kind' to bash our friends he decided the only way to wear them was over his eyes so he could not see me or any-one else for that matter and immediately tripped over a Abbie who lost her hat with corks all around the perimeter (she was that famous Australian who visited Jesus in the stable) and threatened tears. In the meantime the girl triplet dressed in a floor length real silk Chinese dress pulled a whole washing up bowl of water of the shelf and completely soaked herself from head to toe. I decided to sit them all Down and read a story while the staff sorted out the very wet and distressed China doll, and try to dry her costume over a fan heater.
I truly felt like Joyce Grenfell, thank goodness there was not a 'George' in the class. It was a case of, 'It was Christmas eve and every-one was asleep, er don't do that Tom! Except the mice, can you tell me who is asleep look. No Cally give Rosie her teddy back, Rosie darling don't snatch, that's right say thank you'. So it went on, I think I got to the end but who knows!
We eventually had to walk the children down the road and, nightmare! Across the road to the village hall. We had them in pairs but some of them are so tiny they have a problem negotiating the deep kerbs while holding hands. The little boy dressed as and Indian prince tripped so many times, bless him that I thought I had better pick him up. The Angels halo got blown askew by a big gust of wind, it never stood up properly again, she looked rather cheeky with it crooked. We must of looked a motley crew crossing the road, a member of staff dressed as a King held up the traffic while Angels, Shepherds, Kings sheep, cows oh of course there was the donkey as well! And 'Children of the World' ranging from Cowboys to Frenchman resplendent with a beret and a string of onions round his neck (type cast or what) crossed the road!
Once on the stage they came into their own I was amazed at how well they spoke their lines. One usually very shy little girl came alive once on the stage singing louder than any-one else and edging all the time to the front centre stage. The songs were brilliant, and I had more than one little tear in my eye. Abbie threatened to cry first because she could not see Mummy, then because she could see Mummy so I sat her on my lap and told her how amazingly clever and beautiful she was and look how pleased Mummy is to see such a clever girl, she settled into her Australian girl part with great gusto after that.
The beauty of working with children of this age is that you get to see the World as they do, a beautiful new exciting adventure, you see the wonder in their eyes as they act out the oldest story in the world but new and wonderful to them. Life is not yet cynical and cruel but a blank sheet of paper to map out their lives on. Already you see who are the peacemakers among them, who are the organizers and as far as quiet little Cally, who will aspire to be actresses.
I felt very lucky to have been part of it! It was the best fun!
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment