No children appear in the play.

The speakers are adults, the parents and if you

like other relations of the children. The lines can be shared out in any way you
like among those characters. The characters are different in each small scene as
the time and child are different.

CHARACTERS:

Mother
Aunt
Grandmother
Sister/Aunt

Tell her it's a game PLACATE

Tell her it's serious TRUTH

But dont frighten her PROTECT

Dont tell her they'll kill her PLACATE

Tell her it's important to be quiet PROTECT

Tell her she'll have cake if she's good PLACATE

Tell her to curl up as if she's in bed PRIDE

But not to sing. PROTECT

Tell her not to come out TRUTH

Tell her not to come out even if she hears shouting PRIDE

Dont frighten her PROTECT

Tell her not to come out even if she hears nothing for a long time PLACATE

Tell her we'll come and find her PROTECT

Tell her we'll be here all the time. PLACATE

Tell her something about the men TRUTH

Tell her they're bad in the game PRIDE

Tell her it's a story PLACATE

Tell her they'll go away PROTECT

Tell her she can make them go away if she keeps still PLACATE

By magic PLACATE

But not to sing. PROTECT

Tell her this is a photograph of her grandmother, her uncles and me TRUTH

Tell her her uncles died PRIDE

Dont tell her they were killed PROTECT

Tell her they were killed PRIDE

Dont frighten her. PROTECT

Tell her her grandmother was clever PLACATE

Dont tell her what they did PROTECT

Tell her she was brave TRUTH

Tell her she taught me how to make cakes PLACATE

Dont tell her what they did PROTECT

Tell her something TRUTH

Tell her more when she's older. PROTECT

Tell her there were people who hated jews PRIDE

Dont tell her PROTECT

Tell her it's over now PLACATE

Tell her there are still people who hate jews PRIDE

Tell her there are people who love jews PLACATE

Dont tell her to think jews or not jews PROTECT

Tell her more when she's older PLACATE

Tell her how many when she's older PRIDE

Tell her it was before she was born and she's not in danger PROTECT

Dont tell her there's any question of danger. PLACATE

Tell her we love her TRUTH

Tell her dead or alive her family all love her TRUTH

Tell her her grandmother would be proud of her. TRUTH (grandmother line)

Dont tell her we're going forever PROTECT

Tell her she can write to her friends, tell her her friends can maybe come and
visit HOPE

Tell her it's sunny there PLACATE

Tell her we're going home HOPE

Tell her it's the land God gave us HATE

Dont tell her religion PROTECT

Tell her her great great great great lots of greats grandad lived there TRUTH

Dont tell her he was driven out PROTECT

Tell her, of course tell her, tell her everyone was driven out and the country is
waiting
for us to come home HATE

Dont tell her she doesnt belong here PROTECT

Tell her of course she likes it here but she'll like it there even more. HOPE

Tell her it's an adventure PLACATE

Tell her no one will tease her PROTECT

Tell her she'll have new friends HOPE

Tell her she can take her toys PLACATE

Dont tell her she can take all her toys TRUTH

Tell her she's a special girl PLACATE

Tell her about Jerusalem. HOPE

4

Dont tell her who they are PROTECT

Tell her something TRUTH

Tell her they're bedouin, they travel about HATE

Tell her about camels in the desert and dates PLACATE

Tell her they live in tents TRUTH

Tell her this wasnt their home HATE

Dont tell her home, not home, tell her they're going away PROTECT

Dont tell her they dont like her PLACATE

Tell her to be careful. PROTECT

Dont tell her who used to live in this house PROTECT

No but dont tell her her great great grandfather used to live in this house
PLACATE

No but dont tell her Arabs used to sleep in her bedroom. PROTECT

Tell her not to be rude to them TRUTH

Tell her not to be frightened PROTECT

Dont tell her she cant play with the children HOPE

Dont tell her she can have them in the house. HATE

Tell her they have plenty of friends and family PLACATE

Tell her for miles and miles all round they have lands of their own HOPE

Tell her again this is our promised land. PRIDE

Dont tell her they said it was a land without people TRUTH
Dont tell her I wouldnt have come if I'd known. TRUTH

Tell her maybe we can share. HOPE

Dont tell her that. HATE

Tell her we won HOPE

Tell her her brother's a hero PLACATE

Tell her how big their armies are TRUTH

Tell her we turned them back PRIDE

Tell her we're fighters PRIDE

Tell her we've got new land. HOPE

Dont tell her PROTECT

Dont tell her the trouble about the swimming pool PLACATE

Tell her it's our water, we have the right PRIDE

Tell her it's not the water for their fields PROTECT

Dont tell her anything about water. PLACATE

Dont tell her about the bulldozer PROTECT

Dont tell her not to look at the bulldozer TRUTH

Dont tell her it was knocking the house down PLACATE

Tell her it's a building site PLACATE

Dont tell her anything about bulldozers. PROTECT

Dont tell her about the queues at the checkpoint PROTECT

Tell her we'll be there in no time PLACATE

Dont tell her anything she doesnt ask PROTECT

Dont tell her the boy was shot PROTECT

Dont tell her anything. PRIDE

Tell her we're making new farms in the desert TRUTH

Dont tell her about the olive trees PROTECT

Tell her we're building new towns in the wilderness. PRIDE

Dont tell her they throw stones PLACATE

Tell her they're not much good against tanks PRIDE

Don’t tell her that. PROTECT

Don’t tell her they set off bombs in cafes PLACATE

Tell her, tell her they set off bombs in cafes TRUTH

Tell her to be careful PROTECT

Don’t frighten her. PLACATE

Tell her we need the wall to keep us safe TRUTH

Tell her they want to drive us into the sea PRIDE

Tell her they don’t PROTECT

Tell her they want to drive us into the sea. PRIDE

Tell her we kill far more of them PRIDE

Don’t tell her that PROTECT

Tell her that TRUTH

Tell her we're stronger PRIDE

Tell her we're entitled PRIDE

Tell her they don’t understand anything except violence TRUTH

Tell her we want peace PROTECT

Tell her we're going swimming. PLACATE

Tell her she cant watch the news PROTECT

Tell her she can watch cartoons PLACATE

Tell her she can stay up late and watch Friends. PLACATE

Tell her they're attacking with rockets TRUTH

Dont frighten her PROTECT

Tell her only a few of us have been killed PLACATE

Tell her the army has come to our defence PRIDE

Dont tell her her cousin refused to serve in the army. PROTECT

Dont tell her how many of them have been killed PLACATE

Tell her the Hamas fighters have been killed TRUTH

Tell her they're terrorists PRIDE

Tell her they're filth PRIDE

Dont PROTECT

Dont tell her about the family of dead girls PLACATE

Tell her you cant believe what you see on television PROTECT

Tell her we killed the babies by mistake PROTECT

Dont tell her anything about the army PLACATE

Tell her, tell her about the army, tell her to be proud of the army. Tell her about
the family of dead girls, tell her their names why not, tell her the whole world
knows why shouldnt she know? tell her there's dead babies, did she see babies?
tell her she's got nothing to be ashamed of. Tell her they did it to themselves. Tell
her they want their children killed to make people sorry for them, tell her I'm not
sorry for them, tell her not to be sorry for them, tell her we're the ones to be
sorry for, tell her they cant talk suffering to us. Tell her we're the iron fist now, tell
her it's the fog of war, tell her we wont stop killing them till we're safe, tell her I
laughed when I saw the dead policemen, tell her they're animals living in rubble
now, tell her I wouldnt care if we wiped them out, the world would hate us is the
only thing, tell her I dont care if the world hates us, tell her we're better haters,
tell her we're chosen people, tell her I look at one of their children covered in
blood and what do I feel? tell her all I feel is happy it's not her. PRIDE

Dont tell her that. PLACATE

Tell her we love her. TRUTH

Dont frighten her. PROTECT

Blackout The scene turns

Tell him
Tell him they have killed our neighbors
Tell him
Tell him the old woman and her family, all dead
Tell him the child he played with, the one who had the ball the Israeli soldier gave
him
Tell him the child is dead
Tell him the ball is gone
Don’t tell him
Make something up
Tell him his friend is dead and the ball is gone
Tell him the mother who smelled like orange blossoms is dead
Tell him she won’t sing for him any more
Tell him the child’s father and brother are dead
Don’t you dare
Don’t you dare
Don’t tell him any of this
Tell him I’m tired
Tell him I’m bone tired
Tell him his father and brother are dead
Don’t tell him that
Tell him they went to get jobs
Tell him they are working
Tell him I’m too old. Tell him I don’t care any more. Tell him I’d send a rocket if I
could I don’t want to care anymore. Tell him he is homeless tell him there is nothing
to eat. Tell him his father and brother died hungry. Tell him the baby died. Tell him
what it is for a mother to see her baby die and have nothing to feed him. Tell him the
people who died in the cafes died with their bellies full. Don’t tell him. Tell him the
world hates the jews and has always hated them. Tell him there’s a reason when
people hate, when people hate there’s always a reason. Tell him everything happens
for a reason, tell him his mother believes that everything happens for a reason, tell
him his mother knows this his mother loves him tell him I do it for him he will be
taken care of now

Tell him to come home

Tell him to look under the shroud
Don’t frighten him
Tell him his mother loves him
Tell him to come home

IN UNISON: PRIDE and PRIDE 2

PRIDE 2; Tell him I’m too old. Tell him I don’t care any more. Tell him I’d send a
rocket if I could I don’t want to care anymore. Tell him he is homeless tell him there
is nothing to eat. Tell him his father and brother died hungry. Tell him the baby died.
Tell him what it is for a mother to see her baby die and have nothing to feed him. Tell
him the people who died in the cafes died with their bellies full. Don’t tell him. Tell
him the world hates the jews and has always hated them. Tell him there’s a reason
when people hate, when people hate there’s always a reason. Tell him everything
happens for a reason, tell him his mother believes that everything happens for a
reason, tell him his mother knows this his mother loves him tell him I do it for him he
will be taken care of now

PRIDE: Tell her, tell her about the army, tell her to be proud of the army. Tell her
about the family of dead girls, tell her their names why not, tell her the whole
world knows why shouldnt she know? tell her there's dead babies, did she see
babies? tell her she's got nothing to be ashamed of. Tell her they did it to
themselves. Tell her they want their children killed to make people sorry for
them, tell her I'm not sorry for them, tell her not to be sorry for them, tell her
we're the ones to be sorry for, tell her they cant talk suffering to us. Tell her we're
the iron fist now, tell her it's the fog of war, tell her we wont stop killing them till
we're safe, tell her I laughed when I saw the dead policemen, tell her they're
animals living in rubble now, tell her I wouldnt care if we wiped them out, the
world would hate us is the only thing, tell her I dont care if the world hates us, tell
her we're better haters, tell her we're chosen people, tell her I look at one of their
children covered in blood and what do I feel? tell her all I feel is happy it's not her.
PRIDE