Stormy Night = A Full Cast (A Short Christmas Story)

STORMY NIGHT- A FULL CAST

                                      

Joshua King had been a farmer for twenty years and in all that time he had never experienced a stormier Christmas Eve. The east wind had blown all day and the snow had begun falling just as it got dark. Now the snowdrifts were starting to build up against the wall of the old barn.

“What a night,” said Joshua, to himself. “Pity help any poor traveller out on the road in this weather.”

The weather forecast on the television last night had been full of grim warnings of gales and blizzards. In fact, it had been so bad that Joshua had led his six cows into the old barn for shelter. The two horses, an old Shire called Jed and his daughter’s Shetland pony, Frisky would be glad of the company.

The farmer pulled the curtains closed and once again, checked the front door was locked. He could hear the wind buffeting against the outside of the house and wondered how deep the snow would be in the morning.

Quietly he walked into the lounge where his wife Annie was carefully wrapping up presents in shiny multicoloured paper. Each of the children’s stockings hung at the back of a chair. They were each full to the brim with sweets, fruit and comic books.

Joshua and Annie had three children; John, who was twelve, was the oldest child. Pam, their daughter, was ten going on thirty. A lively little girl with her own ideas.

Patrick was the baby of the three, at eight he was taller than his sister, but knew better than to cross her.

“Almost ready for bed, love?” Joshua whispered, not wanting to wake the youngsters. It had taken long enough to get them all into their beds, let alone persuading them to sleep. Patrick had been told that Santa couldn’t deliver his gifts if he was awake. Hopefully they wouldn’t get up till eight, thought Joshua, mentally crossing his fingers.

As Joshua and Annie lay in bed awaiting sleep, they whispered to one another.

“Are you sure you bolted the stable door Josh? Annie murmured.

“Yes, I’m sure” her husband replied. He felt warm and cosy under the blankets and quilt. He could hardly keep his eyes open.

All through the night the storm raged, but the family slept soundly and dreamt of a wonderful Christmas Day together.

It seemed to Joshua that he had only been asleep for a couple minutes when he heard an insistent ringing. He was so sure he was dreaming the sound that he tried to ignore it and go back to sleep.

“Josh!” grunted Annie. “It’s your mobile!”

Complaining, the farmer struggled out from underneath the blankets and located the noisy mobile, lying on the dresser top.

“Yes?” he said angrily into the phone. “Who is it?”

Joshua could hear someone’s voice as if it was coming from far away. The howl of the wind threatened to drown out any words.

“You‘ll have to speak up!” the farmer replied, as loudly as he dared.

The voice returned and Joshua could make out most of it.

“Me and John ……all night out on the moor……….two sheep. Found them….We’re near your farm.  Can we rest up……… couple of hours?” came the thin voice.

Joshua turned to Annie.

“It’s David and John, Annie!”

He put the phone back to his ear and shouted.

“You come right in. Annie and I’ll have something hot waiting for you!”

Looking at the watch on his wrist he made out the luminous figures.

“Lord, Annie! It’s five o’clock. I thought I’d only slept a few minutes!”

As Annie filled the kettle and started looking out bread, butter and homemade marmalade, Joshua struggled to put his coats and wellies on.

Suddenly there was a bump from the yard.

“I asked you if you had secured the barn door.” Annie said grumpily.

“But I did!” retorted Josh.

Hand in hand, Josh and Annie made their way slowly through the drifts towards the stable. The door had been blown slightly ajar.

The wind had dropped a bit, but it was still snowing and bitterly cold.

“You wait here love. I want to make sure its safe.” whispered Josh.

Slowly he pulled the door opened and stepped into the stable. The light from the half opened door lit up the shadows.

“Is there any one there?” shouted the farmer.

A shadow detached itself from the gloom and stepped forwards, stopping in the reflected light. A young man, clad in warm, but well used clothes.

“Who are you?” asked Josh warily.

“We were on the road.” the stranger said.” The storm was too strong for us. We had to take shelter.”
“Who else is with you?” demanded Josh.

Out of the darkness a second figure rose and came into the light. She looked starved and exhausted. A frail figure wearing a coat two sizes too big for her.

“I’m Mint and my boyfriend’s name is Daniel. Please let us rest here for a little while.”

Suddenly one of the cows lowed and a frightened crying began from a pile of hay at the back of the stable.

“You have a baby?” said Annie moving quickly towards the squealing bundle. Quickly she picked the infant up and wrapped it in her coat.

“The baby was born early this morning. That was why we had to get somewhere warm! the boy said angrily. “Mint wouldn’t have survived if she had been outside.”

The girl stepped forward to Annie and gently took the little baby from her.

“We will go.” she said wearily. “We won’t cause any more trouble.”

“You are going nowhere until you have all eaten some food and your baby has been fed.” said Annie. “And then you will go up to our spare bedroom and get some proper rest!”

Then Daniel stepped up to his partner and child.

“We will accept your hospitality.” he said. “But we are of the road, so will remain here. Thank you”

Daniel and Mint sat down in the hay and looked down at their child. Annie had got Josh’s coat off him and used it to keep the mite warmer. Then she had gone off to the kitchen to prepare some food for the young couple and child. Annie was sure the baby would take milk if she heated it.

Joshua stood watching the baby gurgle and struggle. He was so engrossed that he got quite a fright when a voice sounded out.

“Hello Josh. Can we bring these sheep into the stable?”

In the doorway stood two tall, well built men hanging onto two bedraggled sheep.

“Of course you can.” said Josh as he swung open the gate to an empty stall.” Put them in here. Annie will be back soon with something hot for you both.”

As the three men stood looking first at the weary sheep and then at the little family, Josh told the shepherds about how Mint, Daniel and the baby had arrived there. Both David and John agreed that they would never have survived in the open.

As Joshua took in the scene he realised that something magical had happened and was still happening. The stable, the animals, the little family, the shepherds and especially the baby, born on this extra special day.

The stable door creaked open and Annie and the two boys came in. Patrick carried a pile of toast spread with butter and golden marmalade, John carried a tray which bore cups and a flask of sweet smelling coffee and Annie carried a sterilised rubber glove full of warm milk for the baby. The three kings bearing gifts.

Patrick leant over the baby and smiled at the tot.

“What is the baby’s name?”

Mint looked at Daniel and smiled.

“We decided to call her Eve as she was born on Christmas Eve and also Eve was the name of the first woman created in the Bible”

I think it is a perfectly lovely name.” said Annie watching as the baby sucked the milk.

A lovely name for a beautiful baby born on a wonderful day, thought Joshua. I wonder if it can get anymore awesome.

As if by magic the sound of music and voices singing ‘Hark the Herald Angels Sang’

resounded in the farmyard. It got louder and louder until Pam suddenly burst into the stable.

“ Look Mum and Dad, Santa brought me a radio!”