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I'm About to Lose My Mind

Cast:
1) Daniel    2) Nebuchadnezzar    3) Aide—Melzar    4) Voice    

Overview/Theme: This play is designed to encourage children to say not to pride, is taken from Daniel 4, and can be used as a puppet play or drama skit.  

Melzar:  Attention everyone! Attention! Nebuchadnezzar the king has
          issued the following proclamation: I, Nebuchadnezzar, bless the
          Most High God and give praise and honor to the one who lives
          forever. His dominion is everlasting and his kingdom continues
          through each generation. All the peoples of the earth are as
          nothing in his eyes. He follows his plan and his will both in
          heaven and among the inhabitants of the earth. I praise and
          honor the King of Heaven whose works are truth and his ways
          justice. Anyone who walks in pride, he can humble. (Rolls up scroll.)
          Now, you may be wondering how a proud king, who once thought
          he was god, would send out this proclamation. Let's go back to
          the beginning of the story to find out.

Scene 1: Palace 
King:  Ahhh! Boy it's great to be me! I'm the head of the greatest
          kingdom on this planet and all my enemies have been conquered.
          People around here treat me like a god. These people sure are
          lucky to have me for their king…(The king drifts off to sleep and  
          then wakes with a start.)  Wow! What a dream! That's nothing
          like my last dream about the statue. This one's scary! I don't have
          a clue what it means, but I don't think it's good. I need help.
          (Pause) I know I'll have my advisors tell me what it means. After
          all, that's why I pay them the big bucks. Melzar! Melzar, get in
          here!

Aide:   You called your majesty?

King:  Melzar, I just had a dream that has really troubled me and I need
          your help.

Aide:  I'd be glad to help sir. Just tell me the dream and I'll tell you what
          it means.

King:  While sleeping I saw a huge tree in the middle of the earth. It
          grew and became strong and could be seen from everywhere on
          earth. The birds of the air built nests in it and the land animals
          found comfort and shade under it and it provided food for all the
          animals that came near. Then some kind of being came from
          heaven and cut down the tree, but left the stump and put an
          iron band around it. Then he said to let the stump be wet with
          the dew and let him graze with the beasts. Let his heart be
          changed from that of a man and let him be given the heart of a
          beast for a period of seven times. Melzar! What does it mean!!!

Aide:   Hmmm... A big tree…in the middle of the earth. Umm…Animals
          …birds…provided food. Then there is the being that cut it down…
          Your majesty, sir…that is one strange dream. I can't make any
          sense out of it at all. Especially where it calls the tree and it and
          then changes it to a "him." I'm afraid that this one has me
          stumped, your majesty. Umm…err… sorry! I'll go and get together
          with the other wise men and see if we can figure it out.

King:  Well, if they can't figure it out, what am I going to do? This one
          scares me more than that last one…Wait a minute. That last one.
          Let's see. Yea, it was Daniel who told me what the dream was and
          what it meant. Why didn't I think of that before? Daniel! Daniel,
          could you come here for a minute?.

Daniel:  Yes, your majesty. How can I help you?

King:  Daniel, I just dreamed another one of those dreams that seems
          to mean something, but I can't figure out what. You were the only
          one who could figure out the last one about the statue. All my
          other wise men don't understand this one either. I was hoping
          you could tell me what it means.

Daniel:  I would be glad to, your majesty, but you need to remember
          that the true and living God is the one who will help me to
          interpret the dream for you.

King: Yeah, yeah. Ok, here's the dream. Now tell me, Daniel, What does
          it mean?

Scene 2: Nebuchadnezzar steps back, Daniel comes to the front
          talking to himself.)
Daniel:  It can't be! Not to the king! Would God really do this? It seems
         so terrible. How can I tell this to the king?

King:  Daniel, don't let the dream or its meaning bother you. Tell me
          what it means.

Daniel:  My lord, I wish the dream concerned those who hate you and
          are your enemies and not you. The tree that you saw in the dream
          is you, O king. You have grown strong and your greatness reaches
          the heavens and your kingdom covers the earth. You saw a
          watcher, a heavenly being, come down with orders to chop the
          tree down, but leave the stump. This is the decree of the Most
          High God upon you, O king. They will drive you from men and
          you'll live with the beasts of the field and eat grass like oxen.
          You'll be wet with dew every morning for seven years until you
          know that the Most High God rules in the kingdom of men and
          gives it to whomever he chooses. In the dream they left an iron
          band around the stump and left the roots in place. After you come
          to know that the Most High God rules, he will return the kingdom
          to you. Please, O king, listen to my advice. Turn away from your
          sins, especially your pride and show mercy to the poor. Maybe
          God will lengthen your prosperity.

Scene 3: The Dream Fulfilled
King:  God was gracious to me. I listened to Daniel at first and made
          some changes. Buts as time went by I forgot about the dream
          and went back to my old ways. Then, one day I was out walking
          about the royal palace of Babylon and became filled with pride
          about all that I had done and made a foolish statement. I said,
          "Is not this great Babylon that I have built for a royal dwelling by
          my mighty power and for the honor of my majesty?" While the
          words were still in my mouth, a voice came out of heaven.

Voice:  O, King Nebuchadnezzar, to you it is spoken: the kingdom has
          been taken away from you! They will drive you from men, and
          you will live with the beasts of the field. You will eat grass like
          oxen; and seven years will pass over you until you know that
          the Most High rules in the kingdom of men, and gives it to the
          person of his choice.

King:   (Slowly lifts head.) That very hour, the word was fulfilled
          concerning me. I was driven from men and became insane and
          thought I was an animal. They penned me in near the palace and
          for seven years I lived like an animal until my hair grew like eagle's
          feathers and my nails were like bird claws. At the end of the time,
          I lifted my eyes to heaven and my understanding returned to me.
          I blessed the Most High God and praised and honored him who
          lives forever. Then my insanity left and the kingdom was restored
          to me. My counselors and nobles also returned to me. (Daniel walks
          in and greets him.) I was restored to my kingdom and excellent
          majesty was added to me. I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and honor
          the King of all heaven, whose works are true and his ways justice.
          And those who walk in pride he is able to humble.

          You know what my biggest problem was? Pride? That pride made
          me think only about myself and not about others. The Bible says
          that God hates pride and wants you and I to say no when we see
          it starting in our lives. You may be proud about how well you play
          soccer or how smart you are. You may be proud because you got
          a treat your brother or sister missed out on. Whatever it is,
          remember the Bible says that God resists the proud, or stands
          against them, but gives grace to the humble. I learned the lesson
          the hard way. You don't have to. When you are tempted to be
          proud, will you choose to say no?

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