TOO GOOD TO BE A GIFT

(accepting God’s gift of salvation, Ephesians 2:8 & 9)

 

[uses 2 girl puppets or change the names; props: a fancy pencil, an artificial daisy, and a homemade birthday card,(Set these props on a table in front of the puppet stage), and a sign with Eph. 2:8&9.]

 

(This script is ideal for a human arm puppet. If using a rod arm puppet point to each object rather than holding it.)

 

(Daisy enters and looks at her birthday gifts, singing “Happy Birthday to me.” Then Claudia enters from the other side of the stage.)

 

Claudia:  Sorry I’m late, Daisy.  Did you have a good birthday party?

 

Daisy: It was great!  All my friends were there–except you.  We played pin the tail on the donkey.  Everyone liked that–except Ralph.

 

Claudia:  Ralph?  Isn’t Ralph your dog?

 

Daisy:  Yeah.

 

Claudia:  But dogs can’t play “Pin the Tail on the Donkey.”

 

Daisy:  They can if someone with a blindfold gets them mixed up with the donkey.

 

Claudia:  Oh.  Poor Ralph.

 

Daisy:  We had a yummy chocolate birthday cake.  I saved a piece for you.

 

Claudia:  Did you get any presents?

 

Daisy:  I sure did.  My friends were so nice to me.  They brought me the nicest presents.  Wanna see?

 

Claudia:  Sure.

 

Daisy:  (moves to pencil and picks it up) See this cool pencil?  Bo gave me this pencil.  (Describes it.)  And it has this great eraser for when I make mistakes.  I’ll get a lot of use out of that.

 

Claudia:  That’s a really nice pencil, Daisy.  Did you get anything else?

 

Daisy:  (sets pencil down, moves to daisy and picks it up) Yeah.  Zach gave me this really nice flower.  Look.  It’s a daisy–like me.  I’m going to put it in a vase in my bedroom.  That Zach sure is a nice guy.

 

Claudia:  That is a nice flower.

 

Daisy:  (sets flower down, moves to card and picks it up) And look at this!  Olivia made me this nice birthday card.  She must have spent hours on it–or at least 5 minutes.  I’m going to put it by my dresser and look at it every morning.

 

Claudia:  Well, Daisy, I know I’m late for your party, but I wanted to bring you a present, too.  See that bike over there by ____?

 

(Both look offstage to where a pretend bike is standing.)

 

Daisy:  Yeah.  It’s really nice.

 

Claudia:  Well now–it’s really yours.

 

Daisy:  Mine?  But I don’t own a bike.

 

Claudia:  You do now.  That’s my gift to you.

 

Daisy:  But, Claudia, that’s a mountain bike.  It’s got ten speeds, and special tires, and brakes and everything!

 

Claudia:  Yeah, do you like it?

 

Daisy:  Well, I do, but I can’t take it from you.

 

Claudia:  Why not?

 

Daisy:  It’s too nice. (moves to each item and picks it up as she talks about it) I mean, Bo gave me a pencil, and it’s really nice, but it probably cost less than a dollar.  And I like the daisy Zach gave me, but it probably cost less than a dollar, too.  And I know Olivia spent a lot of time on her card, but it didn’t cost her anything.  Then you give me this bike that cost hundreds of dollars!  It’s just not right!

 

Claudia:  Why not?  It’s my bike.  My dad gave it to me for my birthday.  I like it.  But you’re such a good friend of mine that I want to give it to you instead.  I asked my dad about it.  He said it was OK to give it to you.

 

Daisy:  But what if your dad never buys you another bike?  What if you never get a bike of your own?

 

Claudia:  It’s all right.  I’ll enjoy watching you ride the bike.

 

Daisy:  Why don’t I just borrow it sometimes?  Then you can use it, too.

 

Claudia:  But that way it wouldn’t be a gift.  I want you to have it as your very own.

 

Daisy:  I know what.  I’ll buy it from you.  Every week I get 50 cents to do whatever I want to with.  My mom gives it to me for taking out the trash.  If I give you 50 cents a week, and there 52 weeks in a year…well, it might take me a few years, but I’ll work at it really hard.  I won’t ever buy any candy.

 

Claudia:  But I don’t want you to pay me for it.  It’s your birthday gift.  You didn’t offer to pay Bo or Zach or Olivia for their gifts did you?

 

Daisy: (moves to each item and points to it as she talks about it) No.  But they didn’t give me much.  I’ll probably lose the pencil.  The flower will wilt.  And I never do know what to do with birthday cards.

 

Claudia:  That doesn’t matter.  They gave you gifts.  You took them.  And you were just telling me how much you liked them.  Now I’m giving you a gift and I want you to take it, too.  I don’t want you to pay for it   You can thank me if you want.  But you don’t have to earn it.  It’s a gift–no strings attached.