The Mysterious Christmas Card

Summary

Characters

Calvin
Ronny
Nina
Anna
Mr Deegan (Postmaster)
Old Lady Priggle
Pastor Pete
Guests at mission dinner

Script

(It’s the last day of school before the Christmas holiday. Calvin, Ronny, Nina, and Anna have just got off the bus from school after a half-day session and are walking toward their neighborhood. Each is carrying a shopping bag with a present in it.)

Calvin: "Man, I’m really glad Miss Bingham let us trade our gifts. Jason really wanted that gameboy game that I got, and I really wanted the CD that he got!" (Calvin takes it out of the bag and looks at for a minute)

Anna: "The girls didn’t trade gifts. We all liked what we got this year!"

Ronny: "That’s just because you girls all like the same stuff anyway!"

Nina: "That’s not true! Please, I would never like the same things as Penny Milltane. She likes baseball cards and bubblegum. Yuck!"

Anna: "Nina, what did you get? I didn’t even get a chance to ask you yet."

Nina: "I got a gift certificate to Jenna’s Nail Salon. I can’t wait to get mine done. I want to get them done in red and green for Christmas." (Nina looks at her nails) Don’t you think that will look cool?"

Calvin: "Yeah, if you’re a elf. Ronny, what did you get?"

Ronny: "I traded with Albert and got this great football." (He takes it out and tosses a pass to Calvin . . . Calvin throws it back)

Anna: "Boys and sports. . . you’d think that’s the whole meaning of Christmas!" I got this charm bracelet. I just love jewelry for Christmas!"

Nina: "Well, I guess at least we all got what we wanted."

Ronny: "Except for two extra weeks of Christmas vacation, I’d have to agree"

(Now approaching Anna’s house, and the mailbox at the end of the driveway)

Anna: "Since I beat everybody else home today I get to look at the mail first. I LOVE getting mail, don’t you? I can’t wait to see if I got something!"

(Anna pulls a huge stack of mail out of the mailbox. She’s facing the mailbox witht the rest of the kids behind her. Intently look at her stack Anna begins flinging the mail behind her as she looks for something of value. . .)

Anna: "bill. . . advertisement. . . . advertisement. . . advertisement. . . bill. . . advertisement. . . advertisement. . . junk mail. . . sweepstakes. . . hey, it says we may have already won $10,000,000 dollars! Ah, it’ll never happen. . . advertisement. . .advertisement. . . hum, look at this guys! (At the bottom of the pile is a large red envelope Anna holds it up to the light as if to be able to see through it. She turns it over and over)

Ronny: "So, what is it?"

Calvin: "Yea, come on, Anna, what did you get? A love letter from Jordan Anchap? He likes you, you know!"

Nina: "Leave her alone! (She pushes the boys out of the way) So, what is it?"

Anna: "This is strange. . . it’s addressed to the four of us: it says ‘to: Anna, Nina, Ronny and Cavin’. Why would someone send all of us a letter to my house?

Calvin: "What’s the return address say?"

Anna: "That’s weird. . . it doesn’t have a return address, there’s just the number "7"".

Ronny: "How 'bout a postmark? It can’t come through the mail, you know, if it doesn’t have a postmark."

Anna: "It’s post office I never heard of being anywhere around here. Let’s see, it says "Celestial City".

Nina: "Celestial City"? That must be over in Twincreek County. I’ve never heard of it either.

Calvin: "Well, don’t you think we ought to open it and find out what it is?"

Anna: Ok, Ok. Here goes.

(Everyone crowds around trying to see what it is as Anna opens the envelope. She opens the envelope and out comes a Christmas Card. She opens the card to the first page)

Anna: It’s some sort of Christmas card. . .

Ronny: "So read it!"

Anna: "Ok, this is what it says:

Ronny: "Even if it is, it’ll be fun to try to figure it out. It said the "first clue is not up for sale, find it where there’s lots of mail."

Nina: "Well that would be Anna’s mailbox. But everything else is just junk mail or bills, except for this $10,000,000 sweepstakes we may have already won!"

Calvin: "I don’t think that’s it. . ."

Anna: "Allright, where else would there be lots of mail. . . (they all look at each other and all say at the same time. . .)

Everyone: "The POST OFFICE!"

Anna: "Maybe old Mr. Deegan got’s a special letter for us on hold!"

Nina: "Let’s go check!"

Calvin: "Yeah, it’s only a block away. Come on!"

(They all head off excitedly for the Post Office)Scene II: The Post Office
 
 

(The four kids burst noisely into the small, old-fashioned Post Office. Mr. Deegan is bustling behind a counter with a grilled window. Mr. Deegan is an old man with wire-frame glasses and a large white moustache.)

SOLO: "THE POSTMAN’S PLEDGE"

Mr. Deegan: "Hello children! Off from school early today?"

Calvin: "Yes sir, and not a moment too soon."

Nina: "Hi Mr. Deegan. Looks like things are pretty slow for this time of year. Where is everyone?"

Mr. Deegan: It’s always a little slower right after the lunch rush. Come 3:00 O’clock and it’ll start pickin’ up again. What can we do for ya?"

Anna: "We we’re kindof hoping that you would be expecting us. . ."

Mr. Deegan: "You don’t say!"

Ronny: "We thought maybe there might be an envelope here for all of us."

Mr. Deegan: "Well now, let’s see. . . I keep pretty good track of these things, you know. Not a piece of mail comes through this office that I don’t know where it’s supposed to end up. . . (Mr. Deegan looks through a stack of mail) Doesn’t appear to being anything here with your names on it. . .

(Everyone looks dejected)

Hey, wait a minute. There is one envelope here that came in this morning. . . Here it is! It’s not addressed to anyone, and there’s only a return address on it. It looks like a small child wrote it. I was going to send it back. . ."

Anna, excitedly: "NO! That’s got to be it! It’s the one we’re expecting!"

Nina: "Can we have it. . ."

Mr. Deegan: "I’m really not supposed to. . . oh, all right. Here ya go." (Mr. Deegan hands the letter to Anna)

(Anna takes the letter and carefully opens the envelope. . . They all crowd around as she begins to read it:)

Anna: Ok, here goes. . .

 Anna puts the letter down. . .

Nina: "My younger brother would never write such a nice letter! I wish I had Bobby for a brother!"

Calvin: "Yeah, but what can we do?"

Ronny: "Sure is too bad. . ."

(Everyone is standing around, trying to think of a solution. . .)

Ronny: (after a pause) ". . .although. . . no, you guys won’t go for it."

Anna: "What? Tell us what you were thinking!"

Calvin: "Yeah, come on, if you have an idea, let’s hear it!"

Nina: "That would be a first - Ronny with an original thought!"

Ronny: "Very funny, Nina. Allright: I’ll just say it: I think we should send Bobby the gifts we got at school this morning!"

(Everybody else looks at Ronny likes he’s from Mars or something. . .no one really wants to reply to this)

Anna: "The Christmas Card DID say we’d know what to do. . ."

Nina: "And I suppose we’ll be getting lots of other presents just two days from now. . ."

Calvin: "I guess I could listen to my other CD’s for a few more weeks."

Ronny: "Great! Let’s ask Mr. Deegan how much it will cost to send all this stuff to Bobby. Let’s see, I’ve got 2 dimes, a nickel, 7 pennies and a coupon for free french fries at McDonald’s."

Calvin: "I’ve got a quarter."

Nina: "I’ve got two nickels.

Anna: "I don’t have anything."

Ronny: "So all together, let’s see, that’s sixty-seven cents. (Mr. Deegan has been busy minding his booth. . . Ronny calls over to him) Can we send a package for sixty-seven cents?"

Mr. Deegan: "I’ll tell you what. . . I love them fries at McDonald’s. You give me the free fries coupon, and I’ll send your package."

Ronny: "It’s a deal!"

Anna: "Mr. Deegan, we’ll need a box, some tape, a scissors, and some string."

Mr. Deegan: "Just like my wife, always ordering me around!"

(Mr. Deegan and the kids start bustling around, wrapping the package while the choir sings)

CHOIR SINGS: "PACKAGED WITH LOVE"

(After the song the kids clean up the paper and supplies and hand their package to Mr. Deegan.)

Nina: "NOW we can look at the next page of the Christmas card."

Calvin: "Are you sure we want to?"

Ronny: "Come on, Calvin, live a little! I feel great knowing that Bobby and his families will have a little brighter Christmas!"

Calvin: "I guess you’re right. Go ahead, Anna, let’s hear it. . "

(Anna takes out the card and carefully turns to the second page.)

Anna: "Another puzzle, guys. Listen to this:
 

 Calvin: "What’s on this road past Second Street?"

Nina: "Nothing, really. The only thing that’s down there is Millar’s auto repair shop, the laundramat, and. . . oh boy!

Ronny: "What’s ‘oh boy’"?

Calvin: "Come on, what else is down there?"

Nina: "That’s where old lady Priggle lives. I’m afraid of her! She’s always chasing us out of her flower garden in the summer when we cross behind her house to the rec center."

Anna: "Do you think that’s who we’re supposed to "make glad?" How in the world will we do that?"

Calvin: "I don’t know. We’ve only got sixty-seven cents between us, and we’ve already traded off the McDonald’s coupon."

Ronny: "What do you do for an old lady to make her glad anyway? Just stay out of her yard, probably!"

Anna: "I’ve got it! Let’s go caroling at her door! She can’t chase us away for doing that!"

Calvin: "You expect me to believe that when she hears our croaking voices she won’t call the police instead?"

Ronny: "Well, do you have a better solution?

Calvin: "I guess not. . ."

Nina: "I want to stay in the back row!

Anna: "It’s settled then. Let’s go Carolling!

CHOIR SINGS: "LET’S GO CAROLING!"Scene 3: At Old Lady Priggle’s House

(The opening of the scene takes place while the choir sings "Let’s Go Carolling" During the song, the kids gather at the door, and knock on it. When old lady Priggle opens it they start their carolling. They continue until the choir song stops.)

Mrs. Priggle: "Children, that was so beautiful! Please come in for a minute!"

Anna: "We don’t want to bother you, Mrs. Priggle."

Mrs. Priggle: "Nonsense! I’ve got some fresh-baked cookies on the kitchen table. . ."

Calvin: "Good enough for me! Show me the way to the kitchen!"

Nina: "Calvin, stop being such a hog!"

Ronny: "Is there any milk to go along with that?"

Mrs. Priggle: "How ‘bout some hot chocolate. . . will that do?"

Anna: "You mean the kind with the little marshmellows?"

Mrs. Priggle: "Is there any other way to have hot chocolate?"

Everybody: Yeah! Let’s go! OK etc.

(Everybody enters Mrs. Priggle’s house, and Anna is the first to spot the rocking chair.)

Mrs. Priggle: "I was just sitting in my rocking chair a few minutes ago, thinking very sad thoughts, when you children came along. Matter-of-fact, I was almost in tears."

Ronny: "Why? What happened?"

Nina: "Were you sick or something?"

Mrs. Priggle: "No, I was just thinking about a Christmas many years ago, when my husband Arnold was still alive, and my only son, Arnold Jr., came to visit with his wife. It was the last happy Christmas I can remember. After that, my husband, God rest his soul, passed on, and my son and his wife got transferred to Europe. I almost never see them anymore. All I have now are some memories. I baked some cookies this afternoon, thinking I would take them over to the church tonight where they are serving dinner for some of the homeless people. Anyway, you kids have reminded me that I have much to be thankful for, even without my family around. I’d have to say you have really brightened this Christmas up."

Calvin: "This is so amazing. . ."

Anna: "What, that Mrs. Priggle liked our singing so much?"

Calvin: "NO, not that. . . it’s amazing that we’ve been able to figure out these two things on this mysterious Christmas card. How much more is there?

Anna, pulling out the card: "There’s only one page left. . . should I read the last page?

Ronny: "I guess you’d better, otherwise, we’ll never get to the bottom of all this!"

Nina: "Yes, please read it!"

Anna: "OK, here goes. The last page says:
 

Ronny: "I guess we’re going to the church next. That’s good. I’m getting hungry. . . maybe we can scarf down some of the chow they’re feeding the homeless people!"

Nina: "What? You just stuffed your face with cookies!"

Anna: "That’s how men are, Nina. They eat, they sleep, and complain that they work too much."

Calvin: "Some women, too, you know!"

Ronny: "Yea, just like the people that will be at the dinner for the homeless. I bet they’ve never done a single day’s work!

Mrs. Priggle: "Don’t be too hasty to judge people, children. After all, you thought I was a mean old witch, now, didn’t you?"

(All the kids look down at their shoes with guilt. . .)

Calvin: "Mrs. Priggle is right. . . I bet there’s another important lesson waiting for us at the church.

Ronny: "So, what are we waiting for? Let’s go!"

(Children exit and leave for the church)
 
 

Scene 4: The Church dinner for the homeless

(The children enter the hall where the dinner is being served and immediately spot Pastor Pete, who is serving behind a table laden with pots and dishes. They do not recognize any of the people who are there to dine, so they approach Pastor Pete.)

Pastor Pete: "What brings you children to our homeless dinner? Want a little taste of my wife’s pot stew?"

Anna: "No thanks, Pastor. We’re not here to eat."

Calvin: "Pastor Pete, I never seen any of these people before. Where do they come from?

Pastor Pete: "Calvin, these people have had sad lives. For example, look at that young mom over there" (Pastor Pete points to a surprisingly young woman who is sitting at a table with two young children by her side. They have just sat down to the meal.) Her name is Nora. Nora’s husband was a construction worker who died in a automobile accident. They had no insurance, and live in a small apartment. Nora has a hard time getting work because her children are so young, and the rest of their money has just run out. They are going to get thrown out of their apartment unless they can come up with a way for Nora to get some work. If she could just get someone to watch her kids a few hours a day, she could make enough to keep her family going. She is a wonderful artist, you know."

Nina: "I think I’m figuring out the final piece of this Christmas puzzle. . ."

Ronny: "Nina, I think I know what you’re going to say. And I couldn’t agree more. I think we should offer Nora to help babysit her kids every day after school. Between all of us, it would only be a little more than once a week."

Anna: "I’m in. I think that would be a great Christmas present."

Nina: "You know, I just had a thought. Jesus never really owned a home, so he was kinda homeless too. He lived his whole life without a street address. Yet He had more to give others than anyone who ever lived.

Ronny: "You’re right. It’s really amazing that Jesus spent his whole life serving others, and never really thought of himself first. He was truly the most amazing homeless person that ever lived!

CHOIR SINGS: "NO HOME TO CALL HIS OWN"

Calvin: Have you guys noticed a pattern here? It seems like instead of getting something wherever this card has taken us, we’ve been able to give something away."

Nina: "I never realized how easy it was to give to others, but now I know that Christmas really is about giving, and giving is much more better than receiving!"

Ronny: "Well, let’s not get TOO carried away. . . I still like opening presents on Christmas morning. But I do agree, this has been a great experience of all of us. Hey look, there’s Mr. Deegan. It looks like he brought Mrs. Priggle here. (Mr. Deegan and Mrs. Priggle come over to the children)

Mrs. Priggle: "So children, have you figured out who sent you that mysterious Christmas card yet?"

Anna: "No, but I don’t think that’s very important anymore. What is important is that we’ve all learned a lesson about the real meaning of Christmas."

Ronny: "We learned that people are more important than presents. . ."

Calvin: "And that giving is more important than receiving. . ."

Nina: "And that the birth of Jesus Christ is the reason we ALL have to celebrate Christmas! I couldn’t imagine now a better way to celebrate Christmas!

Mr. Deegan: Mrs. Priggle and I are thrilled to see what you kids have been up to! In spite of our old age, we still feel like kids when it comes to celebrating Christmas!

Pastor Pete: "We are all a part of this celebration - young, old, and in-between. This celebration reaches into every corner of the world, and every nation on earth. This is what Christmas is - an ageless celebration!"

CHOIR SINGS: "AN AGELESS CELEBRATION"

(At the end of the song everyone turns back to serving, chatting, and helping out at the homeless dinner, except for Anna. She comes center stage for the final monologue.)

(Anna, holding the card in one hand, looks up to heaven and talks to God:)

Anna: "Well Lord, I’m not sure where this card came from and why it came to me and my friends, but I’m sure glad you sent it, just as you sent Jesus to us 2,000 years ago. I don’t think enough people believe in you anymore. It’s very sad. If they only knew what they were missing! Anyway, from now on I’m going to think more about what I can do for others, and less about what others can do for me. That’s what this card taught us tonight, and that’s what I’m going to remember about this special Christmas. Thanks, Lord, and by the way, Happy Birthday!"
 

 Verse 1:

A Christmas card greeting we send on this night

to everyone gathered here

This Christmas card greeting with messages all

of happiness love and good cheer

The glittering words in bright shades of gold

Proclaim the good news in letters so bold

That Jesus was born in Bethlehem

Born to bring peace on earth!CHORUS

A Christmas card greeting

We send to you with love

A Christmas greeting

filled with messages from above

A Christmas card greeting

To you and all your kin

Bringing joy and good news

Erasing your blues

and filling you with peace within!
 
 

Verse 2:

A Christmas card greeting delivered with love

and sealed with the Father’s care

Expressing the hope of the season’s true light

That Christ came his life to share

This greeting is meant for you today

This greeting is right now on its way

So open your heart to the one whose birth

Gave meaning to this earth!

Song: "The Postman’s Pledge"

Verse 1:

I’m as busy as a beaver,

As nervous as a bride,

With Christmas drawing closer,

I’ve got nowhere else to hide!

The pile is getting higher

The packages three deep

The nights are getting shorter

And I’m losing lots of sleep

So many people depending on me

It almost makes me faint,

But as long as I’m done before December twenty-five,

I’ll be a post office saint!Chorus:

Because a postman is as good as his pledge

Come rain, wind, snow or sleet

Yes a postman lives his life on the edge

Sometimes not even stopping to eat!

So I ask the good Lord to give me strength everyday

for I know the season soon will appear

When a postman’s got to do what he must

To spread a little Christmas cheer

To spread a little Christmas cheerVerse 2:

My mailbag’s getting heavy

I almost out of stamps

I’ve hauled so many packages

My legs are getting cramps!

I’m working triple overtime

and every weekend too

because the Christmas season

has made this place a zoo!

A merry Christmas is always our goal

Until my job is done

I will not rest before December 24

I promise everyone

Verse 1:

No tinsel, lights or candles were hanging on the trees

On that night the Christmas gift arrived

No wrapping paper colored with the brighest red or green

no silky bow carefully hand-tied,

But there was a special way this gift was sent

By one who was watching from above

It came to a humble manger late one night

For the infant child came packaged in love.CHORUS:

He was packaged with Love, yes he was

Wrapped in his Father’s loving care

He was packaged with Love, yes he was

the sins of the world he came to bear

He was packaged in love, because

He was a gift to everyone

He was packaged in love, yes he was

the gift of God’s only son.
 
 

Verse 2:

The best gift ever given, the best gift ever sent

was the one that came so long ago

To the virgin Mary the humble maiden girl

but soon her name the world would know

For the gift of God she brought forth late that night

proclaimed the Father’s love to all

No gift that has been given could ever compare

to the gift found in that manger stall

Put on your mittens and your warm wool cap,

It’s time to wake up from your winter’s nap,

Take along the pitch pipe to help us stay in tune,

And we’ll all go caroling beneath a winter’s moon.
 
 

Let’s go caroling together Caroling together

I can think of nothing better if we’re caroling together

Let’s go caroling together Caroling together

No matter what the weather we’ll go caroling together
 
 

Here we come a-caroling among the leaves so green,

Here we come a wand'ring so fair to be seen.

Love and joy come to you and a merry Christmas too,

And God bless you and send you a happy new year

And God send you a happy new year
 
 

Oh little town of Bethlehem how still we see thee lie,

Above thy deep and dreamless sleep the silent stars go by

Yet in thy dark streets shineth the everlasting light

The hopes and fears of all the years are met in thee tonight.
 
 

Joy to the world the Lord is come let earth recieve her king

Let every heart prepare him room and heaven and nature sing

and heaven and nature sing and heaven and nature sing.
 
 

Let’s go caroling together caroling together

I can think of nothing better if we’re caroling together
 
 

Let’s go caroling together caroling together

No matter what the weather we’ll go caroling together
 
 

We’ll go caroling together, caroling together

Let’s go caroling together!
 

Verse 1:

A stranger among strangers

Few he would call friend

Far away from His Father

Until the very end

Though he came and told us that he would

Never leave us alone

There was no place to lay his head

No home to Call His Own
 
 

CHORUS

No home to call his own

No place to lay his head

No fancy mansions

No featherbeds

No home to call his own

From the very start

But I’ve asked now to come and live

within my heartVerse 2:

In a dusty stable

on the manger straw

Mary laid her baby

that night so cold and raw

Underneath the starry sky while angels watched from above

The father let his homeless son go with his boundless loveBridge

No place no home to call his own

No place no home to call his own

No place no home to call his own

SONG #6

It’s an ageless celebration

a timeless song of love

a mighty demonstration of the God who dwells above

It’s a story that will never end

for that night in Bethlehem

a savior had been born to man

and the celebration began.
 
 

An ageless celebration

the son of God was born

to humble earthly parents

on that first Christmas morn

An ageless celebration

To this we join and sing

and celebrate the coming

of Christ the infant king
 
 

It’s an ageless celebration

eternally the same

for the promise of salvation

is why the savior came

It’s a celebration of God’s grace

come to Bethlehem

All the world will soon proclaim

the wonders of his name!
 
 

Hark the herald angels sing

Glory to the newborn king

Peace on earth and mercy mild

God and sinners reconciled

Joyful all ye nations rise

Join the triumph in the skies

With angelic hosts proclaim

Christ is born in Bethlehem

Hark the herald angels sing

Glory to the newborn king.

................................................................................

© Copyright Raymond J Lombardi. All rights reserved.

A Royalty is payable for use of this script. Sheet music and backing CD's are available from the Author. To pay Royalties and obtain copies of the music, visit the Author's Website at http://www.lorraymusicals.com for details.