his injury. Cathy asks Charles to go back to the house to get some cloth to clean The Man's wound. The other children, after shyly saying hello, ask him to tell a story. He is handed a magazine and a bible, but chooses to read from the magazine. Whilst he is doing so, the children sing of how they will protect Jesus from danger this time (HYMN). Suddenly there is a noise outside - it is Mr. Bostock with Charles. The children hide The Man in the hay as Dad and Charles enter. Dad wants to know what the children are doing there, but on seeing the bible thinks that Cathy has been reading to them. He asks Cathy if she has been talking to any strangers and warns her to be careful. When Dad goes The Man emerges from the hay and Cathy asks the children to go because he is tired. The Man thanks Cathy for not giving him away and she helps to clean his wounded side. He asks her why the children are helping him. She replies that it is because they love Him. As she turns to go, she gives him a picture of Jesus that she took from the Sunday School, and says that it is a picture of Him. Act Two December 23rd. The villagers are still alarmed about the convict and Dad lectures Cathy once more about not speaking to strangers (OPENING SEQUENCE). In the school play-ground, Raymond, the village bully, on being told by the children that they have seen Jesus, captures and bullies Jackie Greenwood into saying three times that he has not seen Him. In the barn Cathy gives The Man more food. He asks for cigarettes, somewhat to Cathy's surprise, and says that he must be going soon. Charles enters - he has come to see Spider, his kitten. On finding it dead he runs outside, distraught, followed by Cathy. He tells her that The Man cannot be Jesus as He would never have let the kitten die; Cathy comforts Charles and tells him that it is Jesus - she just knows (SPIDER). At the Sunday School that evening the children enact out THE NATIVITY to their bored parents, who seem more interested in criticising each other than watching the play. After polite applause everyone attends to the tea that has been laid out. Cathy, thinking of Charles' kitten, asks the Vicar why it is that Jesus lets some things die before their time. The Vicar gives a very evasive reply and Charles and Cathy realise that he does not know. The other children ask Cathy if they can go and see The Man and, using the distraction caused by DAD'S PARTY PIECE (Ione On A Moor), they quietly slip out. At the Barn the twelve children sit around The Man and eat their party cakes. The Man is moved by the love and faith that the children have for him. At that moment there is a loud banging on the door - it is Raymond. He has heard them talking to The Man, and, when they refuse to let him in, tells them that "they will be sorry" and dashes off. The Man, realising that Raymond has gone to tell the adults about him, says that he will be going later that evening. The children are upset, and as they silently eat their cakes The Man and Elizabeth, one of the children, put their feelings into words (ANGELS). However, when the children start to exit, The Man says that he might not go tonight and they leave happier. The Man, realising that he has not got time to escape, locks the door from the inside and gives vent to his emotions (I DON'T KNOWWHAT THEY'RE WAITING TO HEAR). At the farmhouse Cathy, Nan and Charles burst in on Dad and Raymond. Raymond leaves, having told Dad that he heard a strange man talking to the children in the barn. The children tell Dad that they will only tell himThe Man's identity if he promises to keep it secret. After some wavering he makes the promise, but when they tell him it becomes obvious that he does not believe them (THE SECRET). The phone rings - it is the Police Inspector, whom Raymond has also told - and Cathy, on impulse, darts out of the door to warn The Man of his imminent arrest. Standing outside an opening at the back of the barn Cathy pleads with The Man to leave before it is too late, but he refuses (PLEASE, JESUS ... ). She throws some cigarettes and matches through the hole and says that she will stay with him. Police cars, their sirens blaring, can be heard approaching. Nan appears at Cathy's side and tells her to go to the front of the barn where there is frenetic activity. Policemen and the children's fathers are all rushing about in the darkness trying to find some light. When they find a torch the light shows up a
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