Portiajules asked about my plays. This is one I wrote for the seven to ten class last year. They had fun with it. I needed a specific number of parts and a specific running time, that's why I wrote it. Daniel and the Lion’s Den Daniel Daniel’s servant King Darius Three evil advisors Five Lions An Angel Two Narrators Two Guards One Hunter Narrator 1: Once there was a righteous man named Daniel who loved God and prayed to him faithfully every day. He was the chief advisor to King Darius. Evil Advisor 1: What can we do about Daniel? He is the king’s favorite. Evil Advisor 2: Yes! As long as he is chief advisor, we can never be better than second best! Evil Advisor 3: You are advisors; think! There must be some way to trip him up. Evil Advisor 1: No, he is completely good. Evil Advisor2: He even prays three times a day. Evil Advisor 3: That’s It! I have an idea! Narrator 2: Daniel was Jew, and he opened the window and prayed toward Jerusalem out loud . The evil advisors who were jealous of Daniel had King Darius make a law… Evil Advisor 1: Oh king Darius the great, Evil Advisor 2: We think it would be good if Evil Advisor 3: You passed a law that for thirty days Evil Advisors 1,2,&3 Nobody prays to anyone except you! Darius: That would be a strange law…(thinks) Why do you think it would be good? Evil Advisor 1: Well, I think it might give the people… Evil Advisor 2: -Something to have in common! Evil Advisor 3: (cheerfully) The country that prays together stays together! Darius: Very well, make it a law of the Medes and Persians. Narrator 1: This was a special kind of law. Nobody could break it, not even the king. Meanwhile deep in the mountains… Lion1: I’m so hungry! Lion 2: Look for something to eat. Lion 3: I smell something yummy Lion 4: Here it is, but why is a rabbit just lying here in the path? Lion 5: Look out! It’s a trap! All lions: OH NO! (trap springs around them) All lions: Roar, Roar, let us out, let us out! Hunter: No, you will get me a good price back in Babylon. I will sell you to King Darius who will put you in a pit. All lions: No, no! we cannot hunt for our food in a pit! Hunter: You won’t have to hunt for your food, King Darius will feed you.. Narrator 2: King Darius kept a pit filled with hungry lions. He used to throw criminals into the pit. But now, Daniel was a criminal just for praying to God, for after he heard about the law, he just went to his window as he always did, and prayed aloud. ( Daniel prays aloud and evil advisors are listening) Daniel: Oh Jehovah! Blessed be your name. Here we Jews are; still in Babylon. Forgive us, I pray, let us go back to our own country! Evil Advisor 1: Listen to that! Daniel is praying to his God! Evil Advisor2: Even though it is strictly against the law! Evil Advisor 3: (happily) Let’s go tell the king! (come to King Darius) Evil Advisors Oh King Darius the Great, Darius: What? Evil Advisor 1: Do you remember your law about praying? Darius: Yes Evil Advisor 2: It was a law of the Medes and Persians, remember? Darius: Yes, go on. Evil Advisor 3: Well, your chief advisor, Daniel, is still praying to his God and not to YOU! Darius: Oh NO! What have I done?!? Narrator1: King Darius knew he had been trapped. He had to arrest Daniel, because it was a law of the Medes and Persians. He couldn’t break it. Now he knew his satraps had planned this just to get rid of Daniel. Narrator 2: King Darius tried very hard to think of a way not to punish Daniel, but in the end he had to send him to the pit of lions! Darius: Arrest him! (points to Daniel) Guards: Yes Sir. Do you want him in the lion pit? Darius: No, but do it anyway. (to Daniel) I’m sorry I ever made that law! Guards: Well, at least the lions will be happy. Narrator 2: Darius spent a sleepless night worrying about Daniel. Meanwhile… Lion 1: It’s been days since we had any decent food. Lion 2: What has happened to crime in this town? Lion 3: Don’t worry, something will turn up. Lion 4: Look, here it is now! (Guards send Daniel into the pit of lions. All the lions prowl around him, purring and growling.) Guards: In you go! Lion 5: Hello there dinner! Daniel: You shouldn’t eat me. You should be good lions. Lions: We are good lions! We’re in law enforcement! Daniel: Then you shouldn’t eat me, because I am innocent. Lions: They all say that. (advance toward Daniel growling and saying things like YUM!) Angel: (holds out hand), Stop that! Lions: Who are you? Angel: I am an angel sent by God. You should be good lions. Lions: We’re hungry! Angel: Daniel is in here for praying to God, and now just to make sure you don’t eat him, (waves hand) Lions: What is thammmmmm mmMMMmmm! (they can’t open their mouths.) Narrator 2: God remembered Daniel, and sent an angel to the lion pit to shut the lion’s mouths. Early the next day… Darius: Daniel! Was your God, in whom you trust able to deliver you from the lion’s mouths? Daniel: Don’t worry King Darius, I am alright. Darius: But how- Daniel: God sent an angel into the lion’s pit, and the mouths of the lions were sealed shut! Narrator 1: The king was overjoyed to receive Daniel back from the lion’s pit, safe and sound. Now his attention turned to the satraps who had suggested this terrible law in the first place. Evil Advisors: Uh oh. Darius: YOU were so ambitious, you betrayed not only Daniel but me! Evil Advisors: Uh oh. Darius: I think you should get the same punishment as Daniel. Does that seem fair? Narrator 2. It didn’t seem fair to them, but that’s just what happened. Guard: In you go. (pantomimes ushering advisors into the lion pit as they try not to go. Lions roar) Well, at least the lions were happy. | 
