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Free Scripts |
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Puppetorium gives our
customers permission to simply copy and paste
the following scripts onto the word
processor on your computer. No purchase
necessary.
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Available Scripts:
The Apple Seed-
Themes: Faith,
Responsibility, Talents, and Good Health
Fancifone -
Themes: Prayer, and Following instructions.
The
Girl Who Called 911
- A young girl learns how to
use 9-1-1 properly.
Good Food is the Best
Medicine - A
young boy learns that good food can help him
feel better.
Harry B. Blue
- A big blue monster that lives under a bed
makes friends with a boy when he is told to
clean his room.
The Hike - Two
young girls learn of the necessity of
preparation!
Joey's Imagination -
A young boy learns to use his imagination to
make work fun.
The Lion Who Lost His Roar-
A lion learns that he is still special even
without his roar.
The Monsters and
The Witches Brew-
Theme: Good Nutrition
Murky Lake-
Themes: Obedience, Trust, and Rules
Smiles -
Themes: Self Esteem, Looking for the good in
others, Befriending others.
Too Much of a Good Thing
- Themes: Appreciation, Moderation |
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THE APPLE SEED
Written by Carolyn Frank
THEME: Faith
(A boy
and a girl are on stage with an apple.)
SUSIE:
Hey Johnny, look at my big red apple.
Doesn’t it look pretty?
JOHNNY: It sure
does. But what it really is, is yummy.
SUSIE: Do you want
a bit?
JOHNNY: Sure!
(Both kids take a bite of the apple. Johnny
bites into a seed.) Ouch!!
SUSIE: What
happened?
JOHNNY: Dumb
seeds! I just bit into one. What are those
silly things doing in the apple any way? You
can’t eat them.
SUSIE: Seed are
very important. That’s how you grow new
apple trees. Hey, that gives me an idea!
Let’s plant these apples seeds so we can
grow lots and lots of pretty apples just
like this one.
JOHNNY: Sounds
great!
SUSIE: You plant
yours over there, and I’ll plant mine right
here.
(Each
kid acts like he’s planting a seed.)
JOHNNY: Okay,
mine’s all planted. I’m going to go play
now.
SUSIE: Wait a
minute! Aren’t you going to do anything else
to it, like water it, or give it plant food?
JOHNNY: Why should I? It will grow by
its self. Look at all these weeds, (He
motions to his surroundings) nobody took
care of them and they grew fine by
themselves. I’m going to go play. (He
leaves).
SUSIE: If you want
a weed that’s fine, but I want a big strong
healthy apple tree. So I’m going to work
hard to make sure I get it. I know I’ll have
to water it, pull the weeds, feed it, and
give it lots of tender loving care. (She
fusses over the seed a little longer then
leaves.)
(There
is a slight pause, then Susie’s tree begins
to grow first. Make some big healthy growing
sounds as it slowly emerges on stage, as if
it were growing. Then Johnny’s tree begins
to grow, making squeaky, unhealthy growing
sounds.)
BIG
TREE: (Susie’s
tree) Wow, I feel great! This is fun being a
big strong, healthy apple tree.
SMALL
TREEE: (Johnny’s
tree) Oh, I feel terrible!
BIG
TREE: What in the
world are you?
SMALL
TREE: I’m an apple
tree.
BIG
TREE: You’re
kidding me! What happened to you?
SMALL
TREE: The person
who planted me didn’t take care of me. He
didn’t water me, feed me, or pull the weeds.
I had a hard time growing. Wait till I get
my limbs on him. I’d like to tell him a
thing or two, if only I had the strength.
BIG
TREE: It looks
like you’ll get the chance now, here he
comes.
(Johnny
and Susie enter).
SUSIE: Johnny,
come and see my apple tree.
JOHNNY: Wow, it
looks great. Hey, let’s go and see mine. It
should look about the same because we
planted them at the same time.
(They
both go over to where his tree is planted
and look around as if they can’t find it.)
SUSIE: I can’t see
your tree anywhere. All that I see is this
scrawny twig.
JOHNNY: Hey twig,
what are you doing here, where my apple tree
is supposed to be?
LITTLE TREE: I am
your apple tree! (Kids open their mouths in
amazement.)
JOHNNY: You’re
kidding me! What happened to you! You don’t
look anything like Susie’s tree. We both got
our seeds from the same apple.
LITTLE TREE: You
didn’t take care of me. You didn’t water me,
you didn’t feed me, and you never pulled any
of these weeds around me. They are about
ready to choke me out. I feel awful. (The
little tree shivers as he says this. Then he
makes a choking sound and falls over the
edge of the stage towards the audience.)
JOHNNY: I feel
just terrible. I didn’t mean to do this to
my apple tree. I just kind of forgot about
him and thought more about playing instead.
SUSIE: At least
you can learn a lesson from this; A lesson
that doesn’t even have to do with apples.
JOHNNY: Oh really!
What’s that?
SUSIE:
Anything that you invest your time and work
hard in will grow strong and healthy, and
will turn around and bless your life. One
example is faith. If you compare the seed
you planted to faith you can see how it
works. The seed of faith starts out small,
but if you feed and nourish it, it can grow
much bigger and stronger. You don’t feed
faith plant food, of course, but you do need
to nourish it by reading the scriptures,
going to church, and doing what is right. If
you don’t nourish your faith in these ways,
it will shrivel and soon die like your
little tree. On the other hand, if you
nourish the seed of faith by doing those
things, your faith will continue to grow and
even bear a different kind of fruit—the
fruit of happiness.
THE END
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VARIATIONS:
Responsibility:
Replace Susie’s lesson on faith at the end
with this one; A lesson on responsibility;
Say for example, your mom asks you to tend
your little brother. She is, in a sense,
asking you to be responsible for him. Now if
you go out and play, and figure your little
brother will be okay alone by himself,
something terrible might happen to him. He’s
too little to be on his own, just like your
tree wasn’t able to grow on its own. That’s
not being responsible. If you want to be
responsible, then you take care of him, like
I took care of my tree. You may need to feed
him, change his diaper, or maybe just play
with him. But in the long run you will be
happier if you take responsibility.
Talents: Replace
Susie’s lesson on faith at the end with this
one;
Well,
those seeds we planted are like our talents.
Everyone has some kind of talent, but what
we do with them is what counts Say for
example, we both have a talent for playing
the piano. If you don’t practice everyday,
just like you didn’t take care of your seed
every day, soon your talent dwindles away,
and you won’t be able to play at all. If I
practiced everyday and really cared about my
talent, just like I cared for my seed, my
talent would grow, and soon I would be very
good at playing the piano. I would have a
worthwhile talent just like I have a
worthwhile tree. There are lots of other
talents beside musical ones. (You may wish
to replace the talent of playing the piano
with any of numerous others.)
Good
Health:
Option 1:
SUSIE: The seeds
we planted are like our bodies. We can’t
just ignore them. We must take care of them
if we want them to grow up to be strong and
healthy. Just as the tree needs plant food
and lots of water, we need to eat good food.
With my tree I pulled out the bad things
like weeds, so the good things like sunshine
could reach my tree. We should keep bad
things out of our bodies too.
JOHNNY: Like what?
SUSIE: Like drugs,
alcohol, and tobacco.
JOHNNY: They’re
not that bad for you. They make you feel
good. Besides, everybody uses them.
SUSIE:
That doesn’t make it right. Besides, they
all contain things that are poison for your
body.
JOHNNY: Poison?!
SUSIE: Yes,
poison! As bad of a gardener as you are,
even you would never have given poison to
your little tree. Why should you be any
different with your body?
Option 2:
SUSIE: The seeds
we planted are like our bodies. We can’t
just ignore them. We must take care of them
if we want them to grow up to be strong and
healthy. Just as the tree needs plant food
and lots of water, we need to eat good food,
and stay away from junk food that gets in
our system and chokes our bodies, keeping
them from receiving the nutrients our bodies
need to be strong.
THE END
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FANCIFONE
Written by
Carolyn Frank
THEME: Prayer
NARRATOR:
In a land far away and long ago, there lived
a very wise king and his two sons.
KING:
Sons, gather ‘round and listen to what I
have to say. You have learned all that you
can by living in this kingdom. The time has
come for you to move on to other places… and
learn from your experiences.
SON I:
Must we?
SON II:
But we like it here. Besides, we will miss
you.
KING:
I will miss you also. But you must go, for
that is how I gained all of my wisdom.
SON I:
Who will be there to help us? What if we
can’t make it on our own?
KING:
I won’t expect you to.
SON II:
What if we should have problems?
KING:
I will still help you.
SON I:
But how father? You will be so far away!
KING:
By using this Fancifone. (play phone, or cup
with string, is placed on stage.)
SON II:
How does it work?
KING:
Listen carefully, because if you don’t use
it properly it won’t work, you’ll get
discouraged then you’ll quit trying. That
would be sad because you’ll have no way of
getting in touch with me, and I won’t be
able to get in touch with you.
SONS:
(together) Tell us! We are ready!
KING:
Well, you talk into this funny shaped
handle. The first thing you say is my name…
Father. Next… It would be nice if you would
tell me thank you for the other things I
will give you for your journey. After that,
you can ask me for whatever you need. Last
thing… say goodbye.
SON I:
That sounds easy enough.
KING:
That is the easy part. The hard part is
listening for an answer. You see, you won’t
always be able to hear me. Don’t let this
stop you. I will always be able to hear you.
Keep trying, because eventually I will get
through. One other thing… don’t ask for any
thing foolish or something you can do for
yourself, because for your own good I won’t
answer you. But you might think the
Fancifone doesn’t work Be off with you now,
and good luck. Most important, do not forget
I love you. (Both sons exit together.)
NARRATOR:
(King exits as narrator begins.) As these
two sons embark on their journey they are
faced with numerous new experiences. The
first son remembered well the words of his
father concerning the Fancifone. He used it
daily, and thus found it easy to talk to his
father and receive answers, and other help
along his journey. But the second son forgot
the words of his father. He rarely used the
Fancifone. Soon he came to believe it didn’t
even work.
SON I:
( Enters
alone.) This is hard being away from home.
It was so nice back home. Father was always
there when we needed help. Like right
now—I’m starved, and I don’t have a cent. I
blew my last dollar at the video arcade
across the street. If only Father were here.
Maybe he could give me an advance on my
allowance. Maybe I should use the Fancifone
Father gave me. I haven’t used it for so
long, I forget how it works. If I remember
correctly I don’t think it ever worked. Oh
well, I’ll give it a try, I’m desperate.
(He picks up the phone and speaks into it.)
How about sending me my allowance early this
week Dad!) Better yet, just send me a pizza.
(Pause)
SON I:
Just like I thought. It doesn’t work.
SON II:
(Enters) What’s the matter brother?
SON I:
I’m broke and I’m hungry.
SON II:
Have you asked Father to help you?
SON I:
Yes, but I don’t think these Fancifones
work. I don’t think they ever did.
SON II:
That’s not true. I use mine all the time. I
really enjoy talking to Father on it.
SON I:
That’s not fair! Father gave me a broken
one.
SON II:
It’s not broken. You just don’t know how to
use it right. Do you remember the
instructions Father gave us?
SON I:
No, I didn’t listen very well. I didn’t
think it mattered.
SON II:
Let me tell them to you again. The Fancifone
is so important to us, I want you to be able
to us it like I do.
NARRATOR:
And so the one son learned from his brother
how to use the Fancifone according to the
rules their Father had set up. He also
learned how to hear his Father’s answers,
and how to use it for the important things,
and his journey became much easier.
(At this
point either the narrator, or teacher, in a
teaching moment afterwards, makes the
correlation of the Fancifone to prayer.)
THE END
VARIATIONS:
Following
instructions:
You may wish
to make instructions from the father on how
to use the fancifone somewhat different. Put
less emphasis on things that would pertain
to prayer, and put more emphasis on the set
of instructions. Emphasize how the second
son was much better off than the first,
because he listened and followed the
instructions.
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THE GIRL WHO CRIED 9-1-1
by Carolyn
Frank
GIRL:
There’s nothing to do. None of my friends
are home… I’m so bored! (Pause, she looks
around and acts bored, then she spots the
phone.)
(excited) I
know! I can talk on the phone.
(depressed)
but I’ll have to wait for it to ring.
(excited) Or
I could call them!
(depressed)
But who do I call? I don’t know any phone
numbers, and I don’t read very well, so I
can’t use the phone book.
(excited)
There is one number I do know—9-1-1.
(depressed)
But that’s only for emergencies. This is an
emergency! I’m bored out of my gourd!
(She starts
to pick up the phone) This sounds fun! I’ve
always wondered what happens when you call
9-1-1.
(She starts
to dial) Hello.
(Pause, then
she responds in a stumbling manner, as if to
a person on the other end of the line) My
address? Yes … of course, it’s 123 Sycamore
Street.
(Pause, then
as if repeating what had been said) What’s
the emergency?
(Off to the
side, not into the receiver. Almost as if
she is thinking out loud) I can’t tell them
my emergency is boredom. Think! Think!
What’s a good emergency?
(Then into
the receiver) Fire! Yes, there is a fire in
my house. (She hangs up and soon a fireman
appears on stage.)
FIREMAN:
(running in frantically) Fire! Fire! Where’s
the fire?
I’ve got my
hose, I’ve got the nose, to sniff out the
smoke, and put the fire out before you
choke.
GIRL:
(laughing) You look so funny running in here
like you were worried there was really a
fire. Oh, this is lots of fun! I’m not bored
any more. I should have called 9-1-1 the
last time I was bored!
FIREMAN:
(angry) You mean there is no fire?
GIRL:
(shakes her head) No.
FIREMAN:
Did I understand you right when you said you
called 9-1-1 because you were bored?
GIRL:
(shakes her head) Yes.
FIREMAN:
Young lady, I don’t think you fully
understand the serious nature of what you’ve
done.
GIRL:
What do you mean? I was just playing on the
phone.
FIREMAN:
9-1-1 is a special phone number. It should
be used only in case of an emergency—not
boredom. You should never play around with,
or call 9-1-1 unless you have a REAL
emergency.
GIRL:
What’s a real emergency?
FIREMAN:
When someone is hurt or in danger, and needs
help quick.
GIRL:
Why don’t you guys have a normal phone
number? That way I couldn’t remember it so
easy. Like “Ten”- I wouldn’t have called
that!
FIREMAN:
That’s exactly why we have that number. When
someone is hurt or in danger, they don’t
have time to look up our phone number in a
book. They need our number quick. And the
nice thing about the phone number 9-1-1, is
that it is the same anywhere you go. If you
need help anywhere in the USA, you just call
9-1-1… But not if you’re bored. (Fireman
exits).
Sometime
later… ( a sign stating this appears on
stage.)
GIRL:
There’s nothing to do! My friends are not
home. I’m so bored! Hey! Wait a minute; I
don’t need to be bored. I can call 911 like
I did last time. That turned out to be
anything but boring. That fireman was so
funny. (She begins to laugh) Ha, ha, ha. He
looked so funny when he came running in
because he thought there was a fire. I‘m
going to do it again. (She picks up the
phone and dials.) Hello. (pause) Emergency?
(like she’s repeating them.) Yes I’ve got
one. uh… uh….our house is on fire.(pause)
123 Sycamore Street. (She hangs up).
FIREMAN:
(running in) Fire! Fire! Where’s the fire?
GIRL:
(laughing even harder than before) There is
no fire. I just wanted to see if you would
be as funny as last time. (pause) You’re
even funnier!
FIREMAN:
Young lady, fire is not funny and I am not
funny. Fire fighting and fire prevention is
very serious business.
GIRL:
Huh? Fire prevention, what’s so important
about that. It can’t be that tough—just stay
away from fires.
FIREMAN:
It’s not always that simple. Accidents do
happen. Fires can start in the safest of
homes.
GIRL:
Really?
FIREMAN:
Yes! And if they do, there are some simple
rules to follow to help protect you.
GIRL:
Tell me what they are.
FIREMAN:
First of all, children should never play
with or use matches. If matches need to be
used, let a grown up do it. You should never
have candles or anything burning when your
parents are not home.
GIRL:
But I like the smell of pretty candles. My
mom lights them to make our house smell
good.
FIREMAN:
That doesn’t matter. They should not be
burning when there is not a grown up there.
GIRL:
What else?
FIREMAN:
You should make an escape plan.
GIRL:
What do you mean?
FIREMAN:
That is a plan you prepare ahead of time,
with your family, in case you ever do have a
fire. You decide where to meet to make sure
everyone is accounted for. You have
alternate ways to exit your house in case
the fire is blocking the door.
GIRL:
What if it’s so smoky that you have a hard
time following your plan?
FIREMAN:
Good question! If there is a lot of smoke,
you should get down on the floor and crawl
out.
GIRL:
Why?!
FIREMAN:
Because smoke rises. The air on the floor
will be the best for breathing until you get
out of there.
GIRL:
What if I my house isn’t on fire, but I have
a little fire… uh.. like if the waste basket
catches on fire, or my dress?
FIREMAN:
If you see even a small fire start, unless
you have a fire extinguisher handy and know
how to use it, you should run and get help.
Don’t try to put it out yourself.
GIRL:
But if my dress is on fire, running for help
would just make it worse.
FIREMAN:
Good point! You’re right. If any part of you
or your clothes catch on fire, you should
stop, drop, and roll.
GIRL:
Stop, drop, and roll? What’s that?
FIREMAN:
You stop immediately, drop to the ground,
and roll over and over until the fire is
out. Rolling on the ground helps to smother
the fire.
GIRL:
This stuff sounds scary.
FIREMAN:
Fires are scary and should be taken
seriously. Can you see now why it is so
important not to joke around about it?
GIRL:
Yes, I do.
(they both
Exit)
Sometime
later…(hold up sign on stage)
SETTING:
(Dispatch headquarters/fire house)
DISPATCHER:
(on phone) This is 9-1-1. (pause) You say
the field next door is on fire? Okay, we
will send a truck out immediately. (to the
fireman who just came on stage ) Hey Joe,
we’ve got a fire down at the Johnson’s farm.
FIREMAN:
We’ll get right on it!
(phone rings)
DISPATCHER:
9-1-1 (pause) Stay calm. You say your house
is on fire. What is your address? (pause)
123 Sycamore Lane, Okay we’ll get right on
it. (To the fireman who is still on stage)
Sounds like we have a more serious fire
here. Do you want me to call another fire
station and see if they can take one of
these fires?
FIREMAN:
You said 123 Sycamore Lane didn’t you? Was
it a little girl calling?
DISPATCHER:
Yes.
FIREMAN:
Don’t bother the other station. That’s the
address of the little girl who likes to call
9-1-1 and report a fire when she is bored.
She’s probably bored again. (pause) It won’t
take long to put out the fire on the
Johnson’s farm. Then I’ll run over to that
little girl’s house and give her another
lecture.
(Fireman runs
off stage and dispatcher leaves. The little
girl appears on staged smudged with soot.
Black or gray pieces of fabric can be backed
with Velcro and place on puppet for added
effect.)
GIRL:
(coughing and crying) Oh no! What have I
done?
FIREMAN:
(comes on stage) Oh my! You weren’t bored
this time.
GIRL:
(shakes her head no)
GIRL:
I wanted my room to smell pretty, so I lit a
scented candle.
FIREMAN:
Where is your mother?
GIRL:
She went to the grocery store.
FIREMAN:
There are two fire prevention rules you’ve
broken. Any thing else you want to add to
that?
GIRL:
Well… after that I accidentally knocked the
candle on the floor. It caught some clothes
that were on the floor on fire. Instead of
getting out, I tried to put the fire out
myself. Then my pants caught on fire.
FIREMAN:
(shakes his head in disbelief)
GIRL:
But after that I remembered what you told
me. I stopped, dropped and rolled. By then
smoke was all over the room. So I crawled on
the floor, got out of my room and shut the
door. I hurried and found my little brother
and got out of the house. He was waiting at
our assigned meeting place. We made our fire
escape plan after you talked to me last
time.
FIREMAN:
Is your brother okay?
GIRL:
Yes, I took him over to the neighbors until
my mom gets home.
FIREMAN:
You’re a very lucky young lady.
GIRL:
How can you say that? My house and
everything in it is gone.
FIREMAN:
But you and your brother made it out safely.
You’re alive—a little dirty—but alive!
GIRL:
None of this would have happened if I had
listened to you about fire safety and
calling 9-1-1.
FIREMAN:
You must have listened a little. (pause)
Remember, accidents happen. It’s not
important who’s fault it is or isn’t. You
must stay calm, think straight, remember the
rules, and you can prevent matters from
getting any worse. And that’s just what you
did.
(They walk
off stage together.)
The End
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GOOD FOOD IS THE BEST
MEDICINE
by Carolyn
Frank
(Setting:
Doctor’s office – A mom has just brought her
child in to see the doctor.)
MOM:
I hope you can find out what my little boy
has. He just hasn’t felt good for such a
long time. I know it’s not the measles or
the chicken pox, because he doesn’t have any
spots. Could it be one of those other
childhood diseases that aren’t so easy to
spot?
DOCTOR:
Well, let’s have a look at this young ma n
and see if I can find out what is wrong with
him. (Doctor motions to the boy, and the boy
moves over to him.) Come on over here son.
Let’s have a look at you. (Doctor examines
boy.) Tell me your symptoms.
BOY:
Well… I keep getting cold sores in the
corners of my mouth. I always have a runny
nose. Sometimes I get dizzy, sometimes I get
headaches, and when I get a scratch it takes
longer to heal than when my friend Scott
gets one.
DOCTOR:
Hmmmm….I don’t see any cold sores right now.
BOY:
I don’t really know doctor; my symptoms
aren’t always the same. But I do know one
thing—I’m always tired.
MOM:
He is always tired. He should be out
climbing trees and riding bikes like most
little boys his age.
BOY:
All I feel like doing is sitting around and
watching TV, or playing video games.
MOM:
Oh doctor, please find out what’s wrong with
him. What kind of medicine does he need? Can
you give him a shot so he can start to get
better?
DOCTOR:
Hmmm…. I don’t think a shot is what he
needs.
BOY:
Great—Pills are good! I’d rather take those
any day!
DOCTOR:
Pills aren’t the answer either.
MOM:
(In a worried voice) What kind of medicine
does he need then?
DOCTOR:
No medicine.
BOY:
(In a worried voice) What kind of disease do
I have, Doctor?
DOCTOR:
You are suffering from malnutrition.
BOY:
Isn’t that what poor people in other
countries get, because there isn’t enough
food to eat?
DOCTOR:
Yes it is.
MOM:
But Joey gets plenty to eat—we’re not poor,
we have lots of food.
BOY:
Yeah! I eat all the time—candy bars, chips,
soda, yum—my favorites. I’m usually even too
full to eat my dinner most of the time. So I
don’t. In fact, I’ve got a few extra inches
around my belly to prove it.
DOCTOR:
Just because your stomach isn’t hungry,
doesn’t mean other parts of your body aren’t
hungry.
MOM:
What do you mean?
BOY:
(Chuckling) Yeah, how can my feet be
hungry—or my eyes be hungry?
DOCTOR:
If you eat lots of candy bars, chips and
soda, but skip dinner, you are filling your
stomach with empty calories. Your stomach
does feel full, but those kinds of foods
lack the nutrients to run the other parts of
your body.
BOY:
Huh?
DOCTOR:
Let me explain it another way. Joey, do you
like cars?
BOY:
Yes I do!
DOCTOR:
What do you have to put in them to make them
run?
BOY:
Fuel.
DOCTOR:
Just any fuel?
BOY:
Oh no! My dad’s sports car uses premium
gasoline.
DOCTOR:
Why doesn’t your dad use the cheap stuff?
BOY:
He says it won’t run as good.
DOCTOR:
Oh, Now Joey, Why doesn’t your dad use water
instead of gas?
BOY:
That would be stupid! His car wouldn’t run
very far that way.
DOCTOR:
But his gas tank would be full, wouldn’t it?
BOY:
Yeah, but of worthless stuff.
DOCTOR:
Exactly! The food you like to eat doesn’t
get its nick name “junk food’ for no
reason.
BOY:
Are you saying it’s worthless stuff.
DOCTOR:
I don’t know about worthless, but they are
full of empty calories. Your body can’t run
very far or efficiently on them. If that is
all you eat, they could eventually ruin your
engine—that is your body!
BOY:
What am I supposed to eat then?
DOCTOR:
Wholesome foods, like fruits, vegetables,
legumes and grains.
BOY:
But those foods are so boring.
(Broccoli,
orange, bean, bread, pyramid and milk enter)
BROCCOLI:
Boring are we? That’s a lie!
You’ve just got to give us a
try!
BOY:
Doctor, who are these strange characters?
DOCTOR:
These are the foods you should be eating.
ORANGE:
That’s why we’ve arranged this meeting.
BEAN:
To let
kids like you know, that eating us is the
way to go.
MOM:
I try to
feed you guys to my family once in a while.
BEAN:
Once in a while is not enough.
CHEESE:
You need to eat a lot of this stuff.
BOY:
Like I said, you guys are strangers to me. I
don’t even know what you are, especially you
(pointing to the pyramid). You don’t look
like anything to eat.
PYRAMID:
You’re right! I’m kind of a spokesman for
these edible characters. You see, there’s a
lot of people like you who aren’t very
familiar with healthy food. My job is to
introduce these yummy foods to more people,
and encourage people like you to get to know
them better. (Looking at the food). Hmmm,
who should introduce first?
BROCCOLI:
Let me have the privilege of introducing my
self—I am broccoli.
But I
represent all vegetables you see.
We are full
of fiber and vitamins A, B, and C, and
carbohydrates for energy.
You should
eat 3-5 servings of us per day
We are tasty
and good for your body, what more can I say!
PYRAMID:
Next we have fruit. Tell us about you and
your family, Orange.
ORANGE:
Oh, we’re little sweeties—that we are.
To find us,
you need not look too far.
We’re in
desserts, we’re in drinks, and we’re in
candy too.
But when you
eat us alone, we’re the best for you.
That way
you’ll get all the fiber, flavor and fun—
Energy, and
vitamins A and C all rolled into one.
A better
snack than us, you’ll never find.
We
fruit—we’re one of a kind.
You should
eat 2 to 4 servings of us every day,
to help keep
you healthy when you work or when you
play.
PYRAMID:
Who needs candy when you’ve got these sweet
little things? Don’t these guys just make
you hungry?
BOY:
(Shakes
his head) No.
PYRAMID:
Don’t give up so soon. There’s more to
choose from. Hey, Mr. Bean, you’re on the
scene. Ha, ha, ha (laughing) I’m starting
to sound like these guys (pointing to the
food).
BEAN:
Though I
look like a bean… and a bean is what I am,
I represent a
variety of foods,
from peanut
butter down to spam.
Meats, nuts
and legumes are in my group.
We’re great
as a main course, a snack or in a soup.
BOY:
What is a
legume?
BEAN:
Good question! Glad you asked! Doc, I’ll
give you that task.
DOCTOR:
A legume is a bean…
BEAN:
(Interjecting) Like me!
DOCTOR:
like pinto, kidney and garbanzo.
BOY:
Speak in
English, doctor.
DOCTOR:
Okay. Like the refried beans in your
burritos, or the red beans in your chili.
BOY:
Oh really! Then I’ve eaten beans a few
times. They’re not bad.
BEAN:
Not bad! We’re GREAT!
We’re the
guys that put protein on your plate.
BOY:
Protein, what’s that?
BEAN:
Protein provides the building blocks by
which your body grows.
It’s in your
hair, your skin, your muscles,
even the
nails upon your toes.
You should
have 2 to 3 servings of me, meat, or nuts,
every day.
(pause) If
you have meat—remember to cut the fat away.
PYRAMID:
The next food needs no introduction—milk
products!
CHEESE:
But I do doc! There’s a lot about me, people
don’t usually see.
I’m tasty for
breakfast, lunch, or dinner it’s true.
But there’s
so much good inside your body that I also
do!
I am full of
calcium and minerals, of which your bones
are made.
I’ve kept
them strong and healthy; while you’ve worked
or while you’ve played.
I’m important
for your teeth.
Not just the
ones you’re losing now, but the ones you’ll
one day keep.
I’ll also
help you get a good night’s sleep.
You should
have 3 to 4 servings of me a day.
Or you can
get them in another way;
There’s milk,
yogurt, and pudding just to name a few.
You can add
ice-cream and chocolate milk—does that sound
good to you?
BOY:
(nods head) Yes!
PYRAMID:
Last, but not least, is the bread group.
Hey, bread you’re on!
BREAD:
I represent the group you should eat the
most.
Try me as a
tortilla, tortellini, or toast.
How about
cereal, muffins, or a waffle.
I’m easy to
eat a lot. I’m great, not awful.
I provide
fiber—to help your digestive system run
smoothly.
I’m full of
carbohydrates—to provide the energy that
makes you move.
You should
have 6 to 11 servings of me each day—sounds
like a lot?
Hey, try me
instead of candy—I’ll hit the spot!
BOY:
This is so much to remember. Even if I do
start eating you good guys instead of the
junk I have been eating, I’ll never remember
how many servings of each of you I should
eat. It sounds too hard!
PYRAMID:
No it isn’t. Just remember me and my
“anything-but-girlish” figure. I’m smaller
at the top and larger at the bottom.
Notice how
I’m wearing my food. Milk and meat are near
the top. There’s not as much room for them
here. That’s okay. You don’t need as many
of them each day. Just below them are fruits
and vegetables. You need to eat more of them
each day than milk and meat. Just below them
is bread. You should eat even more of this
group than the fruits or vegetables. That’s
easy to remember ‘cause I’m so big down
here.
BOY:
(contemplative) And eating this way is going
to make me feel better?
FOOD:
(in unison) YES!
BOY:
(determined voice) I want to do this!
MOM:
Thank you doctor! Thank you friends!
(They all
walk off stage chattering support from the
food, and thanks from the boy).
THE END
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Harry B. Blue
By Carolyn Frank 5/4/1997
NARRATOR: Monster
Harry B Blue was a monster no one knew.
Under
kids beds he did reside
You
could never see him, for he could hide
So
cleverly amongst the junk.
Big
beds, small beds, old beds, new.
He
didn’t care, old Harry B. Blue
As long
as he could hide, and not be spied.
That’s
why he never chose the top bunk.
(Monster
innocently plays with toys, junk, and dust
bunnies.)
He
comments this is his favorite bed of all to
hide under because this boy leaves so many
things under his bed to play with, not to
mention the old half eaten peanut butter
sandwiches to nibble on.
Two boys
enter and sit on top of the bed and monster
hides. (bedspread acts as a curtain for
where the monster is, boys are sitting on
top of this.)
BOY
I: Guess what!
There’s a monster under my bed!
BOY
II: No way! It’s
all in your head.
BOY I:
But I swear I’ve heard him under there…
and just
last week I found a blue hair!
(monster
makes sound)
BOY
II: What’s that
noise? It’s in the toys!
BOY I: It’s that monster I’ve been
telling you about!
BOY
II: Lets get out!
( Boy run off stage)
MONSTER: (peeks
out and looks around) Are they gone?
I did
wrong!
My
movements, I can’t let them hear.
In
children it instills great fear.
But it
is men that should be afraid,
Because
if the room is clean and the beds are made
There’s
no place for me to hide,
And I’ll
have to move outside. (Bed is removed from
stage.)
NARRATOR: The next
day at the local school. The whole student
body made a new rule.
And unless some kid was willing to bend,
I’m
afraid it would mean old Blue’s end.
TEACHER: (emerges
on stage) Students, listen carefully to what
I say.
Tomorrow
is keep the earth clean day.
To
celebrate it, our school wants to do
something that has never been done before.
We want
to challenge every student to keep their
rooms clean
not
just for one day, but twenty four.
By clean
we don’t mean just sweep the junk under your
bed.
We want
your rooms clean from top to bottom instead.
Sure, we
could do those same old projects like most
other schools, where we plant a new tree and
clean out the pools.
But we
feel that if we help you learn to clean on
your own,
To do
something you’re not always shown,
To help
form the habit to clean what is yours,
Soon
this habit will extend out of doors.
We feel
if you keep your room clean every day
You will
want to treat the earth the same way.
(Teacher
exits, bed is placed back on stage. Little
boy comes out and starts cleaning under it)
BOY:
(In a disgusted voice) Twenty four days to
keep my room clean.
Boy my
teacher sure is mean! (He looks under the
bed)
Gee,
there are thing under here I never knew I
had.
Like
that old blue rug that smells really bad.
(boy
looks up then looks under bed again.)
Hey wait
a minute! That rug used to be over there!
(Screams!)
BOY:
There is a monster under my bed!
I knew
it wasn’t all in my head.
MONSTER: Oh please
don’t hurt me! I wont hurt you
(hangs
head) Oh dear, now what will I do?
BOY:
Whatever do you mean.
All I’m
doing is trying to clean
MONSTER: I have no
where else to go
I’ve
tried every other bed in the neighborhood I
know.
But it’s
the same story everywhere.
There’s
nothing under any bed to hide my blue hair.
So I
came back here, yours is my favorite bed.
Hoping
yours would be different instead.
But
there’s nothing to play with, there’s
nothing to eat,
There’s
nothing to keep me company or tickle my
feet.
Where on
earth shall I go now?
It’s
could outside, its beginning to snow.
BOY: why
didn’t you say so from the very start.
I’m a
little boy, but I’ve got a big heart.
I’ve
also got a toy box that’s now fuller than
ever
You’re
welcome to live there, It’s always good
weather.
NARRATOR: So the
monster that used to live under the bed
lives in the toy box now instead.
And the
little boy’s room is always clean,
but…
occasionally an old peanut butter sandwich
can be seen… but not for very long…( blue
emerges, eating a sandwich.)
THE END
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The Hike
by Carolyn
Frank
Narrator:
Nestled in a secluded valley of the
Himalayan Mountains, lay a quaint little
town. This town was full of traditions.
Their most valued tradition was—of all
things—a hike.
OLD MAN:
This is not just any hike. This one
signifies the growing up of a child; the
passing from childhood to young manhood or
young womanhood. I did it, my father did it,
as well as his father and his father’s
father.
NARRATOR:
Every child was to begin this hike on their
12th birthday.
OLD MAN:
This is not an easy task for any child. That
is why the parents, teachers, and most
everyone of the town, do all they can to
help the children prepare for this big hike.
(Old man exits).
NARRATOR:
(girls on stage) This story is about two
little girls that lived in this town. These
two girls were the same age. In fact, their
birthdays were on the same day. The past
eight years of their lives they had become
best friends. In many ways they were alike,
but in many ways they were very different.
SUSY:
Gee, now that we are eight we can start
taking classes!
AMY:
What on earth are you talking about?
SUSY:
The HIKE preparation classes, silly.
AMY:
Oh yeah—I forgot. Ahhh—I’ve got so many
other things to do, I wasn’t planning on
taking them. Besides, they sound kind of
boring.
SUSY:
Other things! What other things could
possibly be more important than preparing
yourself for THE HIKE?
AMY:
Well, you know I’m involved in dance,
soccer, and underwater basket-weaving. They
are all costing my parents lots of money. So
of course they are more important than those
free HIKE classes. Anyways, I can learn all
the stuff on my own or at school. I don’t
need any extra help.
SUSY:
Boy, you must be smarter than I am. You’ve
probably already memorized all thirteen
principles of hiking—I’ve only memorized #1
so far.
AMY:
Are you kidding. I haven’t even thought
about them. I’ve got plenty of time to learn
them—I don’t take the HIKE for FOUR MORE
YEARS!
SUSY:
What do you plan on doing? Cram the night
before the HIKE?
AMY:
Sounds like a plan to me.
SUSY:
Well, not to me! I have a better plan.
NARRATOR:
And Susy did. She had a real plan. It was
written down and involved numerous goals
that would help her accomplish her plan.
SUSY:
(Writing in a notebook) There! I’ve passed
off another goal. This sure feels good! To
set a goal, then accomplish it! It’s almost
as exciting as the HIKE itself.
AMY:
(walks onto stage) What’s up?
SUSY:
I’m just working on my goals.
AMY:
Goals? You’re not dressed to play soccer.
And there’s certainly not enough room in
here to play. You’re teasing me. What are
you really doing?
SUSY:
Get your mind off soccer for once Amy. I’m
talking about goals I have set—and I’m
working on—to help me to prepare for THE
HIKE!
AMY:
Oh, the HIKE. I keep forgetting about that.
SUSY:
You mean you haven’t done any preparing
since the last time we talked about it?
AMY:
(shakes her head no)
SUSY:
Have you memorized any of the 13 principles
of hiking yet?
AMY:
(shakes her head no) But I have plenty of
time off that! It’s still several months
away.
SUSY:
Still planning on cramming?
AMY:
(shakes her head yes)
SUSY:
There are some things you can’t cram for
AMY—even if cramming worked—like good strong
muscles, (pause) and endurance.
AMY:
You mean you have to have those to go on the
HIKE?
SUSY:
Where have you been Amy? It certainly hasn’t
been at the HIKE preparation classes.
AMY:
(Shakes her head no) Susy, are you actually
developing good muscles and endurance
through these classes?
SUSY:
(nods her head yes)
AMY:
But how can that be possible Susy? You are
so un-athletic! I can’t believe it.
SUSY:
I set goals.
AMY:
Oh yea, goals—that’s what got us on this
subject.
SUSY:
Remember when we used to go swimming. I
could never make it across the pool. (Amy
nods yes) Well, I knew I might need to swim
across something on the HIKE so I figured I
needed to become better at swimming.
AMY:
Ahhh! You mean we might need to swim on
this hike! Oh dear.
SUSY:I
didn’t worry about swimming across the pool
all at once. I made a goal to swim half-way
across for my first month of the class. Then
I worked every day until I could do that.
Then I made a goal that by the end of the
next month, I would swim all the way across
the pool. I worked every day until I could
do that. I didn’t even take the whole month
to meet my goal that time. That was
exciting!
AMY:
So now you can swim across the whole pool?
SUSY:
Yes, and back and forth 2 more times without
stopping.
AMY:
Wow!
SUSY:
That is because I set a goal, and worked on
it a little every day until I could do it.
The important thing is to take it one day at
a time. Take one step at a time, instead of
looking at the big picture and then getting
scared and giving up. That’s what goals can
do for you.
AMY:
I’d better go now. I think I’d better go
home and start cramming. (Amy exits, then
Susy)
NARRATOR:
Several months passed and the big day came
for these two girls. For Susy, it was a
wonderful adventure and she finished in
great time. For Amy, it was an exhausting
catastrophe. She was very unprepared and
could not even finish. She was very lucky,
however, for she was given an opportunity to
try again, after she had taken time to
prepare herself properly. After learning her
lesson, and hours and weeks of hard work,
she too was able to experience the success
that Susy had experienced.
THE END
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JOEY’S
IMAGINATION
by Carolyn
Frank
Theme:
Imagination
(Mom is on
stage, Joey enters all excited.)
JOEY:
Mom, Mom! I just saw the neatest skateboard
down at Mr. McFadden’s store. Can I have it,
please, please, please?
MOM:
We just had Christmas, and your birthday is
not for six months.
JOEY:
I don’t care; can I have it any way?
MOM:
Well, I think the only fair way for you to
get it at this time is to earn the money and
buy it yourself.
JOEY:
How can I do that? I don’t have a job.
MOM:
I need a lot of help around the house. You
can work for me and I’ll pay you.
JOEY:
Oh Mom! I hate to work around the house.
It’s so boring. Besides, none of my friends
do that.
MOM:
Jennifer across the street is always working
and helping her mother. Her mother has even
told me that Jennifer likes to do work.
JOEY:
Likes to do work?! That’s crazy.
MOM:
Why don’t you go talk to her? Maybe she can
tell you her secret.
JOEY:
I guess it’s worth a try. I want that
skateboard really bad.
(Mom exits
one side of the stage and Joey the other.
Jennifer appears on stage, then Joey
reenters kind of sad.)
JENNIFER:
Hi Joey, what’s wrong?
JOEY:
Well, you see, I saw this great skateboard
down at Mc Fadden’s store and I want it
really bad. But my mom just won’t give it to
me. She says I need to work for it.
JENNIFER:
So, what’s wrong with that?
JOEY:
I hate work. It’s no fun.
JENNIFER:
Oh, but it can be fun.
JOEY:
You’re kidding! How?
JENNIFER:
I like to make a game out of it. I imagine
that I’m doing something else and it makes
it fun. For example, when my mom asks me to
sweep the kitchen floor, I pretend I’m
Cinderella and I’ve got to hurry and sweep
the floor so I can go to the ball. It’s fun!
Use your imagination.
JOEY:
I suppose I could give it a try. (pause)
Thanks for the idea. Talk to you later—I’m
going to go and try to earn a skateboard. (
Puppets exit opposite sides of the stage.
Mom appears on stage and Joey reenters.)
JOEY:
Mom. I’ve decided I’d like to try and work
for you to earn my skateboard.
MOM:
Great! You can start by mowing the lawn.
Your dad is busy today and that would really
help him out. (Mom exits.)
JOEY:
(in disgust) Mow the lawn! It isn’t going to
be easy to make this fun. I hate to mow the
lawn. Now what did Jennifer say to do? (He
starts to exit) Use my imagination. Now what
could I imagine is fun about mowing the
lawn? (Joey reenters as a dinosaur) I know!
I could pretend I’m a dinosaur and the lawn
mower is my mouth. Yummm. I just love grass.
NARRATOR:
And so Joey mowed the whole yard; better
than it had ever been done before. (Dinosaur
exits, mom reappears on stage then Joey
reenters.)
MOM:
I thought I asked you to mow the lawn?
JOEY:
I did it already!
MOM:
Are you kidding? You usually take much
longer to mow the lawn.
JOEY:
My imagination helped me do it faster. In
fact it was almost fun. (mom looks puzzled)
What can I do next to earn some more money?
MOM:
Could you pull some carrots from the garden
for dinner?
JOEY:
Sure Mom! (Puppets begin to exit opposite
sides of the stage) How could I make picking
vegetables fun? I know, (Joey reenters as a
bunny.) I can pretend I’m Peter Rabbit, and
I’ve got to pick these carrots before Mr.
McGregor finds me. (Rabbit exits and Mom
and Joey reenters.)
JOEY:
Here are your carrots Mom.
MOM:
Thank you. Would you mind picking some
cherries for me also? I want to make a pie
for dessert.
JOEY:
Not at all Mom. (The puppets begin to exit)
I can’t be Peter Rabbit again. Rabbits can’t
climb trees. (He reenters as George
Washington) I’ll pretend I’m young George
Washington, and instead of chopping the
cherry tree down, I’m going to pick the
cherries.
NARRATOR:
So Joey picked and picked until he had
picked all of the cherries on the tree.
(George Washington exits, Mom and Joey
reenter.)
JOEY:
Mom, I picked all of the cherries and put
them in the fridge.
MOM:
Joey that’s great. I can’t believe how hard
you are working.
JOEY:
What else can I do?
MOM:
Well, that room of yours has been pretty
hard to get into lately. I think it’s time
you give it a good cleaning.
JOEY:
Clean my room! (Mom and Joey start to exit)
I hate to clean my room. How can I make that
fun? I know! (Joey reappears as an elf) I’ll
pretend I’m one of Santa’s elves and my room
is his workshop, and I’ve got to organize
all the toys so Santa can deliver them.
NARRATOR:
So Joey worked hard and cleaned his
room—better than ever before. (Elf exits.
Mom and Joey reenter.)
JOEY:
My room
is all cleaned Mom.
MOM:
Wow Joey!
I’ve never seen you work like you have
today. I’m so proud of you. You must really
want that skateboard.
JOEY:
Oh, I do
mom!
MOM:
Tell you
what, I think you have just about earned
your skateboard. You do me one more favor
and tomorrow I’ll take you down to Mr.
McFadden’s store and you can buy that
skateboard.
JOEY:
Wow,
what’s the favor?
MOM:
I want
you to go to bed early tonight—without
fussing, Okay?
JOEY:
To bed
early?! I hate to go to bed early.
MOM:
I know,
but if you want that skateboard…
JOEY:
Okay, it’s a deal. (mom exits, then Joey
starts to exit) Maybe I can use my
imagination to make going to bed early fun
too. ( Joey reenters as a monster) I know!
I’ll pretend I’m a monster, and my blankets
area dark cave. (Monster starts to yawn then
lays his head down and goes to sleep.)
THE
END
Variations:
Making work
fun:
Use the exact same script; just emphasize
this in a teaching moment after the play.
The value of
work:
Put less emphasis on Joey using his
imagination, and place more emphasis on the
fact that he is working to buy the
skateboard himself rather than his mother
just giving it to him.
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The Lion That
Lost His Roar
by Carolyn
Frank
LION:
(On stage and sad) Clarence the lion isn’t a
lion anymore!
Because
Clarence the Lion can no longer roar.
What once was
a mighty roar at its peak,
Is now just a
humble little squeak (squeak / roar)
Oh dear, What
shall I do?
Oh dear, I am
so Blue!
MONKEY:
(enters) Hey! Clarence, you look down to me
and the guys,
Is there
something wrong with your eyes.
LION:
Yes, there is something wrong, but not with
my eyes.
(squeak/roar)
MONKEY:
Now that’s a surprise!
LION:
My roar…is no more.
What is in
store, for me anymore.
As king of
the jungle, I can’t take the floor.
Maybe I’ll
get a job at a store…
Opening the
door, or mopping the floor. I could be poor!
MONKEY:
Don’t be so sad. It can’t be that bad.
We’ll find
something to make you glad,
And bring
back the roar you once had.
LION:
But how?!... Can you do it now?!!
MONKEY:
Wow! / Sigh…(Perks up with an idea)
Its worth a
try!
LION:
What? Tell me please.
MONKEY:
You’ve got to sneeze.
LION:
Sneeze?
MONKEY:
Yes. Sneeze, if you please,
From your
head to your knees, make a breeze!
It might
loosen that throat, so you won’t sound like
a goat.
LION:
Sneeze, I can’t do ‘cause I don’t need to!
MONKEY:
I can fix that.
I’ll be back
in nothing flat. (exits, and returns with a
feather).
(He tickles
the Lions nose. Lion laughs but it doesn’t
work.)
LION:
Stop!! I plead!
MONKEY:
You’re right. Its pepper you need.
(exits,
enters with pepper, sprinkles it on Lions
nose).
No go? Oh,
oh… I know!! (exits enters with perfume).
cheap
perfume…enough to fill this room. (Sprays
perfume, they all start coughing and
choking)
LION:
just because I can’t roar, doesn’t meant I
don’t want to live anymore.
I can’t
breathe, where’s the door!
(They run off
stage then re-emerge)
LION: I don’t
care if I can’t roar, I don’t want to do
this anymore.
I’m hungry
and tired… You’re fired.
MONKEY:
I was never hired.
LION:
Come on, how about a treat (monkey nods yes)
Where would
you like to go to eat?
MONKEY:
The McDonalds down the street.
(they exit,
then enter licking lips and fingers etc).
MONKEY:
Thanks for lunch… Thanks a bunch.
Wish I could
have helped you more with your roar.
LION:
I don’t care anymore about my roar.
So it’s a
squeak, it doesn’t meant I’m weak.
MONKEY:
You’re right! You’ve still got your fight.
Just because
your roar ain’t right
You can still
protect the jungle at night
With all of
your might.
LION:
You’re right! ROAR!My roar is back! It does
not lack.
MONKEY:
It’s no surprise. You had a burger and
friesEveryone knows… to get your squeak to
cease,You apply a little grease.
It doesn’t
take a lot, we just forgot.
THE END
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THE MONSTERS AND
THE WITCHES BREW
Written by Susan Webb
THEME: Good
nutrition, eating right.
WITCH LIZA:
Monsters! Oh Monsters!
MONSTER I:
Yes?
MONSTER II:
I’m here!
MONSTER III:
What is it?
WITCH LIZA:
It’s time for the annual witch’s brew
contest.
MONSTERS:
(In unison) Hurray!
WITCH LIZA:
Now I want you guys to follow my recipe
perfectly. I won’t be able to help, because
I’ve got to get my hair done and my nails
sharpened. (The monsters look at the cook
book.) Oh and I must not forget to have my
broom tuned up. It’s all up to you. I know
we will win first prize, but you must follow
the recipe very carefully.
MONSTER I:
This recipe has junk food in it!
WITCH LIZA:
That’s right, isn’t it great! There is the
basic stuff, eye of newt, toenail of toad,
eyelash of dragon. I added the candy bars
plus those taco chips to give it an extra
kick.
MONSTER II:
We don’t want to make this kind of witch’s
brew.
WITCH LIZA:
(Shocked) What?
MONSTER III:
We want a nutritious witch’s brew.
MONSTER II:
With carrots and peas.
MONSTER I:
Potatoes!
MONSTER III:
And Meat!
WITCH LIZA:
Yuck! That’s awful!
MONSTER I:
You have never tried nutritious food. How do
you know you won’t like it?
WITCH LIZA:
I know because it’s good for you, that’s
why.
MONSTER II:
You would be happier if you ate better.
WITCH LIZA:
I am happy and healthy! I don’t need to eat
right.
MONSTERIII:
You’re not healthy! Your skin is a pale
green instead of the glowing green it should
be.
MONSTER I:
Your nails break off easily.
MONSTER II:
You can’t stay out at night like you used
to. You get too tired to go out hunting.
WITCH LIZA:
(angry) You monsters fix that brew the way I
want or I’ll turn you all into little
puppies! (The monsters shiver) I’m going to
get my hair done now. You get that brew made
right! (She leaves)
MONSTER II:
You heard her. We’ve got to make that
witch’s brew right.
MONSTER I:
I’ll bring the potatoes! ( He leaves)
MONSTER III:
I’ll bring the carrots and peas! ( He
leaves)
MONSTER II:
I’ll bring an onion and some other spices,
also some nice lean meat. (He leaves. Put up
a sign that says later. Also put a blue
ribbon on the top. The witch reappears.)
WITCH LIZA:
Monsters! Oh monsters!
MONSTER I:
Yes!
MONSTER II:
I’m here!
MONSTER III:
What is it?
WITCH LIZA:
I want you to know how proud I am of you.
The witch’s brew was perfect, it tasted
wonderful, and we won first prize, I knew
we’d win with the recipe of mine. (The
monsters giggle.) What is going on here?
MONSTER I:
We fooled you!
MONSTER II:
We didn’t follow your recipe!
MONSTER III:
We made a nutritious witch’s brew.
WITCH LIZA:
(Angry) I’m shocked! How could you! I told
you if you did not obey I would turn you
into puppies. (The monsters shake.) However,
I must admit, you were right. The nutritious
witch’s brew was the best.
MONSTERS:
(In unison) Hurray!
WITCH LIZA:
To celebrate I’m going to take you all for a
ride on my broom.
MONSTERS:
(In unison) Hurray!
WITCH LIZA:
(As they leave) Ya know? I ate four bowls of
that witch’s brew. I feel wonderful, full of
energy and happy.
MONSTER I:
REALLY?
MONSTER II:
I ate several bowls my self.
MONSTER III:
I ate six.
WITCH,
MONSTER I & II:
Six!!! (They laugh as they leave.)
THE END
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MURKY LAKE
Written By
Carolyn Frank
THEME:
Obedience
NARRATOR:
(Peter is on stage) Peter is a boy who
thinks that his parents make rules, just to
pick on him and make him miserable. He
doesn’t realize that his parents make rules
because they love him. They want to protect
him and help him to grow up to be
responsible.
PETER:
I’m tired of this, I’ve been sitting here
alone in my room for over an hour. It seems
like I’m always doing this, or something
else just as miserable. My parents LOVE to
punish me! ( Mom enters.)
MOM:
I think
you have been in here long enough to learn
your lesson.
PETER:
What
lesson? You were punishing me.
MOM:
Exactly,
I punish you so you will have time to think
about how you have broken a rule, so next
time you’ll think twice before you do it
again.
PETER:
You make
too many rules, and you punish me just for
fun. Your rules are silly.
MOM:
That’s not true. I love you and want to
protect you, and I want to teach you to be
wise.
PETER:
That’s
silly! For example, why don’t you ever let
me go down to murky Lake. It’s so pretty and
looks so fun. You just want to be mean,
because you can never give me a good reason
why I can’t go.
MOM:
I just don’t feel good about that place.
PETER:
That’s not good enough. You just don’t want
me to have fun. You just want to make rules
for the sake of making rules.
MOM:
I’ll tell you what, tomorrow we’ll make a
“no rule” day. You don’t have to obey any
rules. But I’ll bet by the end of the day
you will realize how important our rules
are. (Puppets exit.)
NEXT DAY
(Peter
enters.)
PETER:
It’s Saturday! What am I going to do today?
Hey, wait a minute! Didn’t Mom say today was
going to be a “no rule” day? Great! I know
exactly what I want to do now. I’m going to
go down to Murky Lake. (Peter exits one side
of the stage and reenters on the other
side) Gee… This is cool. I don’t see why
Mom didn’t want me to come down here. (
Monster sneaks up on Peter and grabs him.)
MONSTER:
Gotcha!
PETER:
(Screams) What are you going to do with me?
MONSTER:
Eat you of course. Little boys are my
favorite treat.
MOTHER
MONSTER:
(From off stage) Junior, dinner is ready.
Hurry home right now!
MONSTER:
You are lucky this time. I don’t have time
to eat you right now. Besides my mommy
doesn’t like me to eat treats before meals
and I always obey my mommy. (Monster hurries
off.)
PETER:
I had better hurry and get out of here. Boy,
I’m lucky that monster obeys his mother.
Maybe I should obey my mother too. She
really does know what is best. (Peter
exits.)
THE END
VARIATIONS:
Trust—Deemphasize
obeying the rules and put more emphasis on
the fact that mom knows best. She has more
experience and Peter should trust her
judgment.
Rules—Emphasize
that rules are made for a purpose. They are
to help Peter, and they should be followed.
We need rules.
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SMILES
Written By
Carolyn Frank
THEME:
Smiling
Setting:
Monster is on stage and is acting quite
grumpy with the audience.
MONSTER:
(to the audience) How are you? (Hopefully
the audience will respond positively.)
Well, I’m terrible and I think everyone else
should feel that way too! (Little girl comes
onto stage.)
GIRL:
Hello.
MONSTER:
(Surprised that someone would take an
interest in talking to him.) What are you
talking to me for?
GIRL:
Because I like you.
MONSTER:
Oh bologna! Nobody likes me.
GIRL:
I do.
MONSTER:
No. You don’t.
GIRL:
Yes I do.
MONSTER:
No you don’t.
GIRL:
Yes I do. (She leans over and kisses the
monster on the cheek and the monster
blushes—as best as a puppet can.)
MONSTER:
What do you want to do a dumb thing like
that for? I’m so ugly. I’ve got a big red
nose, big bushy eyebrows, and a messy blue
fur that even Loving Clairol can’t do
anything with!
GIRL:
I think you’re beautiful on the inside.
MONSTER:
Oh really! You had better check, just in
case. (Monster opens his mouth and girl
looks inside.)
GIRL:
Just as I thought. You are a good person on
the inside.
MONSTER:
I’m so glad! I always thought I was a good
monster on the inside, but everyone else
thought I looked mean and ugly. So I started
to act that way. (He starts to act sad
again.)
GIRL:
What’s the matter now?
MONSTER:
Well, you know that I’m good on the inside,
and I know that I’m good on the inside, but
how is everyone else out there going to
know. I can’t walk around all day with my
mouth open. (Monster opens his mouth for
awhile and says “ahh.”) I get bugs in my
teeth. Yuck!
GIRL:
Why don’t you try smiling?
MONSTER:
Smiling? What’s that?
GIRL:
(puzzled) You don’t know what a smile is?
(Monster shakes his head no.) Well, do you
know what a frown is?
MONSTER:
Oh yes! I can do that really well. (Monster
pulls a mean face and growls.)
GIRL:
You’re right, that is a good frown. Now all
that you have to do is turn that frown
upside down, and then you’ll have a smile.
MONSTER:
That sounds easy enough. (Monster frowns,
then he turns his whole head upside down.)
GIRL:
Oh no, no, no! That’s not quite what I
meant. I’ve got an idea! But I’m going to
need your help. (She is referring to the
audience.) Everyone smile really big and
help me sing this song if you know it. (The
girl sings the song “Smiles.”) The monster
starts to frown and smile along with the
words of the song, and is smiling big by the
end of the song. (A smile is made by opening
the mouth of the puppet a little bit larger
than when just speaking.)
MONSTER:
Oh, I like smiling! I feel prettier already.
Now everyone will know that I’m beautiful
both inside and out, (referring to the
audience.) Thank you so much for your
wonderful smiles. I can tell that you are
beautiful on the inside too.
THE END
VARIATIONS:
Looking for
the good in people:
Put less emphasis on getting the monster to
smile, and emphasize more the fact that it
doesn’t matter what a person may look like
on the outside (for example the monster’s
ugly features,) but it’s what a person feels
and thinks inside that we should look at.
Most important; all people have some good,
and we should look for that, and not dwell
on the bad.
Befriending
others:
Put less emphasis on getting the monster to
smile. Dwell on the idea that the new kid in
town (in this case–the monster) sometimes
acts mean or stuck up because he is lonely.
We (in this case—the girl) should make the
first step is saying hello and getting to
know them. If we do this, we’ll discover
they aren’t so mean and stuck up after all.
Perhaps in this story you could leave the
song out.
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Too Much of a Good Thing
Written by
Carolyn Frank
THEME:
Appreciating special days, Moderation
SETTING:
balloons, favors, etc., are scattered around
giving the impression that a birthday party
has just finished. Mom and Susie are on
stage.
SUSIE:
Oh Mom,
that was the best birthday I’ve ever had!
MOM:
I’m glad
you liked it.
SUSIE:
Oh I did!
I loved everything I got, especially my new
puppy you and Dad gave me. I loved having
all of my friends over and playing birthday
games. And I just love birthday cake with
pink frosting and chocolate chip ice cream.
It’s my favorite, I could eat it everyday! I
wish it could be my birthday everyday!
MOM:
If it was
your birthday everyday it would no longer be
a special day. I think you would soon grow
tired of presents and pink cake.
SUSIE: Oh no I wouldn’t . I would
love it! I wish it could happen.
MOM:
You had
better be careful what you wish for. Anyway,
that’s enough nonsense for now. Clean up
this mess before you go to bed.
SUSIE:
Sure Mom.
(Mom exits
and Susie starts to clean up, then she walks
over to a window an gazes for a little
while. Then she gasps and acts excited at
the sight of a falling star.)
AHHH! A
falling star! My best friend, Polly Probert
told me that if you see a falling start and
make a wish, your wish will come true. Do
you think maybe…? Naaa… Ah, what do I
have to lose. I wish, I wish it could be my
birthday everyday. (She finishes cleaning).
Good enough! Time for bed. (Susie exits.)
NEXT MORNING
(Susie comes
in yawning. Mom is already on stage,
cooking.)
SUSIE:
What’s for breakfast Mom?
MOM:
Cheerios.
SUSIE:
What! No bacon and eggs?
MOM:
No time this morning; I’ve got to finish
your birthday cake so I can run down to the
store to buy you a present before your
party. I can’t believe I’m so unprepared for
your birthday. It sneaked up on me so fast.
It seems like just yesterday was your
birthday.
SUSIE:
(To herself) Could this really be happening?
I must have received my wish, it’s my
birthday again! (Susie and Mom exit
separately.)
NARRATOR:
Later that day was Susie’s birthday party.
(Susie is on
stage. Some kids come on stage bringing
presents.)
KID I:
(hands Susie a present) I hope you like it,
it’s not much, but for some reason my piggy
bank was almost empty. It seems like only
yesterday I had to raid it for another
birthday party.
KID II:
Oh boy! Party games, let’s get started!
MOM:
(walks on with a dog) Susie, here’s the
puppy you have always wanted. Dad and I
decided to get it for you for your birthday.
SUSIE:
Another one! (Mom exits, the kids play for a
while then they leave Susie in a mess)
MOM:
(Mom enters.) Susie, make sure you clean
this mess up before you go to bed. (Mom
exits)
SUSIE :
Gee, this was great having another birthday.
This is the neatest wish. Just think! It’s
going to be my birthday again tomorrow! (She
cleans up and leaves yawning, ready for
bed.)
NARRATOR:
After about a week Susie’s thinking began to
change.
SUSIE:
(enters stage yawning) What’s for breakfast
Mom?
MOM:
Cheerios
SUSIE:
Again?
MOM:
I’ve got to make your birthday cake.
SUSIE:
I’m getting tired of birthday cake. Can’t we
have something different like chocolate
pudding?
MOM:
That’s not the kind of thing to have for a
little girl’s birthday. It must be birthday
cake with pink frosting!
SUSIE:
Ohhh (Susie and Mom exits.)
NARRATOR:
Later that day was Susie’s birthday party
again. (Kids enter on stage. They are not
very excited, and are a bit resentful.)
KID I:
(Resentfully hands Susie a present,) I had
to hock my piggy bank to buy this present. I
hope you like it.
KID II:
Do we have to play birthday party games? I’m
sick of them.
MOM:
(Enters with a dog) Susie, here’s the puppy
you always wanted. Dad and I decided to get
it for you for your birthday. I hope you
appreciate it. We had to look all over own
to find it. For some reason there seems to
be a shortage of puppies in town. Someone
must be buying them all up.
SUSIE:
Another puppy! What am I going to do with
him? I’ve already spent all of my allowance
on dog food, and the garage won’t fit any
more puppies.
NARRATOR:
The kids play unenthusiastically for a while
then went home, leaving Susie in a mess.
KIDS:
(In monotone ) Good-by Susie, Happy
birthday. (kids exit)
MOM:
(Enters) Make sure you clean up this mess
before you go to bed. (Mom exits)
SUSIE:
I’m tired of cleaning up after parties.
(pause) I’m tired of birthday cake with pink
frosting. I’m tired of chocolate chip ice
cream. I’m tired of party games. I’m tired
of cheerios for breakfast. I’m tired of Mom
being so busy preparing for birthday parties
and not having time to read me stories or
taking me shopping. And I don’t want any
more dogs! (pause) I’m tired of my birthday.
I wish it wasn’t my birthday any more. I
wish it was just once a year. (Susie looks
out the window and sees another falling
star.)
Another
falling star! Oh, I wish I had never wished
for my birthday to be every day. Mom was
right. My birthday is no longer special. Too
much of a good thing isn’t good. (Susie
exits to go to bed.)
NEXT DAY
SUSIE:
(Enters yawning, Mom is cooking) What are
you cooking Mom? Please don’t say cake with
pink frosting.
MOM:
Of course not! Why would I make that for
breakfast? I’m making bacon and eggs.
SUSIE :
Sounds great!
(Optional)
NARRATOR:
(At this time you may wish to expound on the
lesson learned by Susie.)
THE
END
VARIATIONS:
Christmas or any
other holiday: Just replace birthday terms with similar things pertaining to the
holiday you desire.
Moderation:
Moderation is necessary in all things. Too
much of a good thing is not good. This could
be illustrated in almost any instance you
care to choose or need to illustrate. Some
examples include; eating, playing, studying,
sleeping, working, kidding, etc. Just
replace the birthday terms with similar
things pertaining to the subject you choose.
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