Staging: The background of houses remains, or might be rearranged. Some people are on stage; others enter as the official begins to yell.

Roman Official (With scroll): All hear this! By decree from Caesar Augustus, through Cyrenius, Governor of Syria: All will be enrolled. Each household will report to the birthplace of its lineage to be enrolled.

(Villagers stand around; they are commenting on the decree.)

Villager 1: That's the government for you!

Villager 2: Sure they want to count us - so they don't miss taxing someone!

Villager 3: Rome! So that's how they will keep track of us from so far away.

Villager 4: The Roman Empire, Cyrenius, Governor of Syria, the great Caesar Augustus.

Villager 5: They all wan…