FR. JOSEPH
So? What do you think of my idea?
FRANZ
What? Mice? At mass? It IS a pretty funny thought, all the parishioners —
FR. JOSEPH
NO! I mean a Christmas hymn on the guitar.
FRANZ
Oh, that. Well… I suppose I could give it a try.
FR. JOSEPH
Wunderbar!
FRANZ
What do you have for me to work with?
FR. JOSEPH (searching his coat pockets)
I have it right…here…here it is. Have a look and tell me what you think.
FRANZ (reading)
“You’d better watch out, you’d better not cry, you’d better not pout —

Father Joseph snatches the page back from him.

FR. JOSEPH
You’d better not read, um, that. Sorry, no, that’s not it! (produces another page)
Here. The only thing I have that’s really appropriate is this…this…little thing. It’s
something I wrote a couple years ago, and I’ve just not been able to toss it out. Poor little poem. (modestly) It’s just a sentimental little bauble, dear to my own heart perhaps, um, but, if you don’t like it, that’s okay. You won’t hurt my feelings.
Father Joseph hands him the two sheets of paper, exposing his sensitive ego.

Franz reads silently. Pause.

FR. JOSEPH
Okay, so maybe it’s not as good as I thought. Let me show you something a little more —
FRANZ
Not so fast. What do you call this, Father?
FR. JOSEPH
Call it? Hmph. Well…I haven’t given it all that much thought, to be honest… I call it,
simply, er, “Silent Night.”
FRANZ (truly impressed)
This is really quite nice, Father.
FR. JOSEPH (brightening)
You think so?
FRANZ
Oh yes. Very nice indeed.
FR. JOSEPH
Really?
FRANZ
This is very good, Father. Don’t be modest.
FR. JOSEPH
Well, I offer up all credit to the heavenly creator, of course.
FRANZ
Yet, still, this bit here is a…
FR. JOSEPH (quickly hedging)
But, yes, yes, oh yes, that part is just me, of course — butting in, to —
FRANZ
I was going to say, this line… “dawn of redeeming grace,” sounds an awful lot like you