Long ago, a mean king ruled the land of Egypt.  He was called Pharaoh.  The Jewish people who lived in Egypt were slaves.  They had to work very hard building cities and palaces for Pharaoh.  While they worked, they sang songs to make their work easier.  Let us pretend we are working and singing with them.

Bang, bang, bang, hold your hammer low.

Bang, bang, bang, give a heavy blow.

For it's work, work, work, every day and every night.

For it's work, work, work, when it's dark and when it's light.

Dig, dig, dig, get your shovel deep.

Dig, dig, dig, there's not time to sleep.For it's work, work, work, every day and every night.

For it's work, work, work, when it's dark and when it's light.

 

Pharaoh was especially mean to Jewish children.  One Jewish mother hid her baby in a basket on the river bank so Pharaoh wouldn't find him.  When Pharaoh's daughter, the princess, came down to the river to swim, she found the baby and decided to take him home to the palace.  SHe named the baby Moses.  In hebrew his name means she "brought him out of the water."

As Moses grew up he saw the Jewish slaves working hard for Pharaoh.  He didn't like a country where people were mean to the Jews, so he left Egypt and became a shephard in a far-away land.

One day when Moses was taking care of his sheep, he saw a burning bush and heard a voice coming from the bush.  It was the voic,e of God.  God told Moses to go back to Egypt to free the Jewish slaves and take them away fromcruel Pharaoh.

Moses returned to Egypt.  He went to see Pharaoh and told him: LE T MY PEOPLE GO! But Pharaoh refused to listen o him.  Let us sing about what happened when Moses went to see Pharaoh:

Oh Listen, Oh Listen, Oh Listen King Pharaoh.

Oh Listen, Oh Listen, please let my people go.

They want to go away. They work too hard all day.

King Pharaoh, King Pharaoh, what do you say?

No, No, No, I will not let them go.

No, No, No, I will not let them go.


haggadah Section: -- Exodus Story
Source: Shir Ami preschool Haggadah