Chapter VII: Prologue: Now many years have passed. Eli is still the priest and

judge of Israel, though he is blind; and his sons continue still in
evil. Yonder come Hannah and her husband to give thanks for the gift
of the child Samuel, and to give him to the Lord. (PROLOGUE _goes._)

(_Enter_ HANNAH _and_ ELKANAH _leading the child_ SAMUEL.)

HANNAH (_caressing child_): See thou, this is the very spot on which
I prayed the prayer which brought me thee.

SAMUEL (_roguishly_): God heard thy prayer, and sent thee a little
son to boast of. (_He smiles up at her._)

ELKANAH (_rumpling_ SAMUEL'S _hair_): Nay, an imp of mischief!

(ELI _enters, groping blindly._ SAMUEL _regards him in amaze._)

SAMUEL: There cometh the priest in raiment. (_He shrinks away._) Ai!
Why walketh he in such fashion?

HANNAH: He is become blind. (_She advances to him._) Sir--O Eli--

ELI: Woman, thy voice is known to me--and yet--who art thou?

HANNAH: O sir, I am that woman who stood here praying, these
many years ago. For a child I prayed, and the Lord hath granted
my petition. (_She leads_ SAMUEL _to_ ELI, _who passes his hands
delicately over the child's head._) Therefore I also have given the
child to the Lord. As long as he liveth he is granted to the Lord.
(_She turns to_ SAMUEL.) Kneel thou, my son, before this holy man and
beseech him to take thee into the service of the Lord.

SAMUEL (_pulls_ HANNAH _away and puts his lips to her ears_):
Hark'ee, dear mother, I would fain go home with thee again.

HANNAH: Nay, little son, night approacheth; we must leave thee.

ELKANAH: Come, say, "Farewell." (SAMUEL _goes to him._)

HANNAH (_prays, as though facing the altar of the Lord_):
My heart exulteth in the Lord;
My horn is exalted in the Lord.
The Lord maketh poor and maketh rich;
He bringeth low; he also lifteth up.
For by strength shall no man prevail.
The Lord shall judge the ends of the earth;
He shall give strength unto his king
And exalt the horn of his anointed.

(_She turns, embraces the child, then bows before_ ELI.)

O Eli, priest of God and judge of Israel, the Lord be with thee.

(HANNAH _and_ ELKANAH _go._)

ELI (_sits on couch and beckons to_ SAMUEL): Come hither, lad.
(SAMUEL _goes to him reluctantly._) What do they call thee?

SAMUEL (_sniffling_): Samuel, master.

ELI: Samuel? And what hath thy mother taught to thee?

SAMUEL: She hath taught me that the Lord Jehovah is one God, and
there is none beside him, that I must love him and speak truth
always.

ELI: And what else--if there be aught beside?

SAMUEL: She bade me serve and follow in thy steps.

ELI (_musing_): Follow in my steps? Come, thou shalt serve these
blind eyes and quench the candles. (_Omit this if there are no
candles._) (_While_ SAMUEL _puts out the candles_, ELI _muses._)
Follow in my steps? Shall it then be this lad, and not my sons, who
shall rule Israel? Come, little lad, thou shalt lie here the night.
(_He motions to couch on which he sits._ SAMUEL _lies down._ ELI
_kneels as though before altar._) O God, God, would that my sons
were pure as is this child! Yea, I have reared my sons in folly; now
I reap the punishment thereof. Lo, what shall be the end?

(_He falls silent._)

(_There is a pause; then_ SAMUEL _half rouses and listens. He runs to_ ELI.)

SAMUEL: Here am I, master, for thou calledst me.

ELI: Nay, my son, I called thee not; lie down again.

(_He reclines on other couch._)

SAMUEL (_after a pause of about twenty seconds, again runs to_ ELI):
Here am I, master, for thou calledst me.

ELI: Nay, my son, I called thee not; lie down again.

SAMUEL (_lies down for twenty seconds; then he half rises and looks
bewildered_): He _did_ call me, he _did!_ he _did!_ (_He crosses to_
ELI.) Here am I, master, for _truly_ thou didst call me.

ELI: Not I! (_He reflects._) It is the Lord, who speaketh
to _thee_ and not to _me._ Alas, I have not the open
vision. Go, lie down, and it shall be if he call thee, thou
shalt say, "Speak, Lord, for thy servant heareth."

(SAMUEL _lies down; presently he rises and kneels._)

SAMUEL: Speak, Lord, for thy servant heareth.

(_There is a pause while_ SAMUEL _listens._ ELI _turns toward him eagerly, then calls._)

ELI: Samuel, my son! (SAMUEL _goes to him slowly._) What is this
thing the Lord hath spoken to thee? I pray thee, hide it not.

SAMUEL (_reluctantly_): He said--he said--the Lord hath
said: Behold, I will judge the house of Eli forever,
because his sons did bring a curse upon themselves, and he
restrained them not. Master, what did he mean?

ELI (_slowly and mournfully_): It is the Lord! Let him
do what seemeth unto him good. (_He raises his arms to
heaven._)

SHOUTS OUTSIDE: News! News for the priest!

ELI: What meaneth the noise of this tumult?

(THREE SOLDIERS _run in._)

FIRST SOLDIER: O Eli, servant of God, woe unto thee!

SECOND SOLDIER: O Eli, be strong, and hear the news we bring.

FIRST SOLDIER: Israel hath joined battle with the
Philistines; Israel was smitten before the Philistines.

SECOND SOLDIER: We brought the ark of the covenant to save
us: It was thy two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, who carried
the ark.

THIRD SOLDIER: And there was a very great slaughter--And
thy two sons, Hophni and Phinehas--

FIRST SOLDIER } The Lord hath slain them! SECOND SOLDIER }

(ELI _trembles and falls backward_; _the_ FIRST _and_ SECOND SOLDIERS _support him._)

THIRD SOLDIER: Lo, ye have slain him with your evil tidings.

SAMUEL (_runs to_ ELI _lovingly, and kneels before him,
embracing him_): O my dear master! (_A pause, then he rises
and turns to the soldiers._) Bear him hence between you.
(FIRST _and_ SECOND SOLDIERS _lead him out._) (_To_ THIRD
SOLDIER.) Grieve not; ye have not slain him, but he is
smitten of the Lord. For the Lord, he came unto me in a
vision of the night, saying, I will smite the house of Eli
forever, because his sons did bring a curse upon themselves
and he restrained them not.

(FIRST _and_ SECOND SOLDIERS _return._)

FIRST SOLDIER: Alas, alas, who now shall judge our people?

THIRD SOLDIER (_seizes_ SAMUEL _and raises him aloft_):
Behold the judge who shall rule Israel.

(_The_ SOLDIERS _pass out, bearing_ SAMUEL _and shouting_, "_Huzza!_")

(_The_ EPILOGUE _advances._)

EPILOGUE: Hear ye the words of the preacher, how he said:
Even a child is known by his doings, whether his work be
pure and whether it be right. Bring up a child in the way
he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from
it. (_The_ EPILOGUE _passes out._)

DAVID AND GOLIATH

(THE STORY OF A NATIONAL HERO AND A NATIONAL GOD.)

THE PEOPLE

THE PROPHET SAMUEL.
JESSE THE BETHLEHEMITE.
ELIAB, }
ABINADAB, }
SHAMMAH, }
NATHANEEL, } JESSE'S SONS.
RADDAI, }
OZEM, }
ELIHU, }
DAVID, }
DAUGHTER OF JESSE.
SAUL, KING OF ISRAEL.
TWO ATTENDANTS, ONE OF WHOM IS ARMOR-BEARER.
FIRST MESSENGER.
SECOND MESSENGER.
THE PRINCESS MICHAL.
HER WOMEN.
PRINCE JONATHAN.
CHALLENGER FOR GOLIATH.
GOLIATH OF GATH.
ISRAELITES AND PHILISTINES.

THE PLACE

ACT I. _A field near Jesse's home in Bethlehem._
ACT II. _A field near the pavilion of Saul._

(_The same blue curtain, or out of doors, will do for both scenes._)

THE PROPERTIES

A horn of oil for the Prophet Samuel.
A sword and horn for Eliab.
A platter of food for Daughter of Jesse.
A harp, a loaf of bread, a bottle of wine, a slingshot for David.
Helmet, spear and shield for Armor-bearer.
Pebbles for attendant to give David.
Sword and shield for Challenger.
Horn and spear for First Messenger.
Horn and spear for Second Messenger.
A crown of flowers for Michal.

For the head of Goliath take a fierce-looking mask; attach it to helmet. Sew long swaggering locks of hair on either side, and a sweep of red cloth at back. So, when David removes mask from Goliath's face, in cutting off his head, the red cloth will give the whole a solid appearance.

If possible, have a harp for the music.

DAVID AND GOLIATH