The Second Shepherds' Play

The Second Shepherd's Play is one of many mystery plays produced by various guilds in medieval England. Mystery plays tell Biblical stories in a way the common people can understand, and in the Second Shepherd's Play, a bumbling thief steals a sheep from the shepherds outside Bethlehem at the Nativity.

Mak, the thief, lulls the shepherds (Coll, Gib, and Daw) to sleep and, after stealing and hiding the sheep (a hanging offense), returns to the shepherds and pretends to have been asleep the whole time.

"COLL: Now God turn all to good,
       If it be his will.

[They wake up MAK who pretends to have been asleep]

GIB: Rise, Mak, for shame!
       Thou lies right lang.
MAK: Now Christ's holy name
       Be us amang!
       What is this? For Saint Jame,
       I may not well gang.
       I trow I be the same
       Ah, my neck has lain wrang.
[One of them twists his neck.]
       Enough!"