MICHAEL
Better keep quiet
Till morning.  When the men have slept it off
They’ll stand a better chance of slipping away.

NANKO
O, what a pity, Subka!  I did think
That we should have some music.  Well—­I know! 
Tell us the Christmas piece you learned in school. 
That’s right!  Stand there!  No!  Stand up on the bench. 
Your mother tells me that you won the prize
For learning it so beautifully, Subka. 
That’s right.  These good kind gentlemen shall hear
Your Christmas piece.

SUBKA
It’s about the first Christmas.
[Her hands behind her as if in school, she obeys him.]
She laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn. 
And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping
watch over their flock by night.

And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them:  and they were sore afraid.

And the angel said unto them, “Fear not:  for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.

For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is
Christ the Lord.

And this shall be a sign unto you:  ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.”

And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying,

“Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.”

[There is silence for a moment, then the sound of a pistol shot, a scream, and a roar of drunken laughter without, followed by a furious pounding on the outer door.]

ARRAM
Here, Michael, what the devil are we to do
About this child?
[He calls through the door.]
Clear out of this!  The house
Is full!  We want to sleep.
[There is a louder shout outside, and the pounding is resumed.]
Bundle the child
Into that room, woman, at once!

[RADA snatches the revolver from the Christmas tree and hurries SUBKA into the room on the right, just as the outer door bursts open and a troop of drunken soldiers appear on the threshold, shouting and furious with drink.]

FIRST SOLDIER
Come on! 
They’re in that room.  I saw them!  The only skirts
Left in the village.  Come, it’s Christmas Eve,
Comrades.  You’ve had your fun.

ARRAM
Clear out of this,
We want to sleep.

SECOND SOLDIER
Well, hand the women over.

MICHAEL
There are no women here.

FIRST SOLDIER
You bloody wolf,
I saw them!

NANKO
Come!  Come!  Come!  It’s Christmas Eve.

SECOND SOLDIER
Well—­if there are no women—­where’s the harm
In letting us poor soldiers take a squint
Thro’ yonder door.  My God, we’ll do it, too. 
Come on, my boys!
[They make a rush towards the room.]