Narrator 1: Once upon a time, there was a boy called Donal
Narrator 2: He wanted to be a Barber when he grew up.
Donal: Mother, When I grow up I want to be a barber.
Mother: Don’t be silly. You can’t be a barber. Everyone knows what happens to Barbers in this land.
Donal: What happens?
Mother: Every year a barber gets summons to the King’s palace and they are never seen again.
Donal: That won’t happen to me.
Narrator 3: Years later Donal grew up and became a very successful; Barber.
At the palace:
King: I need a haircut. Summon Donal the barber to the Palace at once. I hear he gives a very good haircut.
Servant: Your majesty Soon there won’t be any barbers in the land. Maybe you could stop executing them.
King: Nonsense. Get him for me now. How dare you question my actions. All the barbers that cut my hair are to be executed. That is the rule.
(servant exits.)
(Messenger arrives at Donal’s house.)
Messenger: You are summoned to the palace to cut the King’s hair.
Mother: Noooooooooooooooooo. You are not to go Donal.
Donal: I must.
Mother: Stay here. I will go to the palace and talk to the King.
(Mother goes to the palace; she wails and wails.)
Narrator 1: everyone at the palace but their fingers in their ears.
Narrator 2: However, the king couldn’t because he had donkey’s ears.
(King takes off his crown and shows the audience his donkey’s ear. He puts the crown back on when he hears someone coming.)
King: Make that noise stop at once. It is driving me in insane.
Chief Minister: I can’t. She is Donal the barber’s mother. She said if you execute her son she will wait forever.
King: I can’t listen to that awful noise. Tell her if she stops immediately I will let her husband live.
(Mother stops wailing and leaves with a smile on her face.)
(Donal enters. He looks nervous.)
King: I will let you live but you must promise not to tell anyone about these…
(The king takes off his crown and shows off his donkey’s ears.)
(Donal looks very shocked.)
Donal: I promise I will never breathe a word of this to a living soul.
(Donal cuts the King hair. The king is happy and gives him some money and he puts back on his crown. Donal exits the palace.)
At Donal’s house. (Donal is sleeping.)
Narrator 2: Donal tried very hard to keep the king’s secret. However, he started to have nightmares about the king’s ears.
(Donal starts screaming in his sleep. His mother comes running in and she wakes him.
Mother: Donal, whatever is the matter? Ever since you came back from the king’s palace you have been having dreadful nightmares.
Donal: The king has a secret. I am the only person who knows. It is driving me mad that I can’t tell anyone.
Mother: Tell me.
Donal: I can’t. I promised him if he let me live I wouldn’t tell another living soul.
Mother: Well tell a tree then. It isn’t a living soul. There is a big tree down by the lake. You could whisper the secret to it.
Donal: What a good idea.
Narrator 2: The next day Donal went for a stroll down by the lake and saw the willow tree. He whispered the king’s secret to the tree.
Donal: The king has donkey’s ears, the king has donkey’s ears, the king has donkey’s ears. I feel some much better now that I have got that off my chest.
Narrator 3: One day a harpist passed by the willow tree.
Harpist: What a lovely bark. I will cut it down and make a new harp that I will play for the king.
Narrator 1: He made the harp from the tree and when it was ready he took it to the palace to play for the king.
Narrator 2: As soon as the harpist touched the strings the harp began to sing by itself.
Harp: The king has donkey’s ears.
The king has donkey’s ears.
The king has donkey’s ears.
Everyone stared at the king.
King: How dare you. Stop that harp at once. (His crown falls off and his ears are visible to everyone.
Courtier 1: Having donkey’s ears is not a big deal. Everyone has something they don’t like about themselves.
Courtier 2: This is Ireland. It is impossible to keep a secret in this country.
Courtier 3: Now we all know your secret you don’t have to hide from us anymore. Everyone is different.
Courtier 4: Now that everyone knows no more barbers must put to the death.
Narrator 3: Donal was made the royal barber and his mother was very happy.
Donal: I’m glad I’ve made you proud.
(Donal and his mother hug.)
For more Irish Legends plays click below
View Irish Legends on Stage — paperback on Amazon
View Irish Legends on Stage — paperback on Amazon
Related: movement through Irish legends.
Further reading: Dúchas Irish folklore collection.
Looking for more legends and short plays? Explore Julie Meighan’s Drama Start books for myths, legends, fables and ready-to-stage scripts.
Comments (2)