“Miss Kimmie The Rabbit”
(This play grew out of a story that was written in the classroom by a first grade student.)
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Characters: (Kimmie, Pammie, Bob the Cat, John the Bear)
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Setting: A rabbit named Kimmie lives behind a pile of bricks in the city. Her job is making colored eggs for good boys and girls then delivering them on Sunday. Her cousin Pammie lives next door in a gold cardboard box.
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Scene I (A stage hand dressed in black comes to center stage and holds a sign which reads: “It is summertime.” Kimmie is on stage dying her last two eggs. She places them in a basket of eggs on her table.)
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Kimmie: Phew! (Wipes her forehead.) I’m so glad to be finished with my eggs. My, my they sure are pretty. (Kimmie walks over to her rocker, sits down, places her glasses on her nose and proceeds to read the paper. After a few moments, she begins to fan herself.) I’ve been working all morning on those lovely eggs for all the good boys and girls. It sure is hot. I think I’ll go outside for a breath of fresh air. Maybe I’ll go window shopping. No, I think I’ll go for a stroll in the park.
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(Kimmie walks outside humming a tune as John the Mean Bear walks down the street. John is wearing blue shorts, an orange hat and huge brown glasses pushed down on his nose. He is taking big, quiet steps as he sneaks up to Kimmie and grabs her.)
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Kimmie: Help, help, save me. (Kimmie continues to yell until John puts his hand over her mouth. By this time, they are at the park.)
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John: Be quiet, Kimmie. Give me all of the colored eggs that you have. (Kimmie pulls two eggs out of her pockets. John grabs them and gives Kimmie a slight shove.) That’s all you’ve got?
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Kimmie: (Sobs.) Yes, that’s all I have in my pockets. The others are at home on my table.
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John: Oh dear—I can’t take a chance and go back for them. This will have to do. (As he walks off stage, he grumbles about not having much for breakfast.)
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Scene II (Kimmie sits on an old log in the park crying. Meanwhile, Cousin Pammie heard a lot of noise and ran out to see what was happening. She saw that a bear had grabbed Kimmie and was taking her down the street. Cousin Pammie runs inside her house and dials 911.)
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Pammie: I must call the police at once. Let’s see, I have to dial 9-1-1. Oh, good, it is ringing. Please answer, please answer. We must save Kimmie.
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Bob: Hello, this is Bob the Police Cat. How can I help you?
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Pammie: Oh, Bob, please, please save my cousin Kimmie. I saw a bear wearing blue shorts, an orange hat and big brown glasses take my cousin Kimmie away. Please, please do something quick.
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Bob: Oh, now quiet down, dear Pammie. After I’m finished eating my lunch, I will go and look for your cousin Kimmie.
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Pammie: But, what can I do until you finish your lunch?
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Bob: Oh well...you can eat a carrot. That ought to help.
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Scene III (Stage hand comes to center stage with a sign that says 5:00. Pammie is in her house munching on a carrot. As Bob the Cat comes onto the stage, she freezes her actions. Bob walks back and forth with hands over eyes looking for Kimmie. finally he spies her in the park and walks over to her, putting his arm onto her shoulder.)
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Bob: Now, now dear Kimmie. You will be all right. I will take you home. Then I will look for that bear. I know it has to be John the Mean Bear. (Bob escorts Kimmie home. Kimmie sniffles all the way. When she arrives home, Kimmie and Pammie greet each other with a hug and thank Bob. Kimmie and Pammie freeze actions while Bob walks around on stage as he looks for John the Mean Bear. Finally he spies him chopping some wood.) Hi John. What’s up?
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John: Not much, Bob, just chopping some wood for my fireplace.
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Bob: I see. Well, John I don’t want you to bother Kimmie or anyone else ever again. Do you hear? Next time, we have to put you in the slammer. Do you hear?
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John: Okay, okay, I promise.
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Scene IV (It is Sunday and time for Kimmie to deliver her eggs to all the good boys and girls.)
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Kimmie: (Kimmie goes to center stage and holds up a big egg.) Before I deliver my eggs, I’m going to give this big one to my cousin Pammie because she helped to save me from John the Mean Bear. (Kimmie calls for Pammie. Pammie comes to center stage and Kimmie gives the egg to her. Then they give each other a hug and say in unison, “We’re the best cousins in the whole wide world.” Both Pammie and Kimmie go into the audience and hand out paper decorated eggs.)
“Po Po”
(A Red Riding Hood Story From China)
(I used the story “Lon Po Po,” from Ed Young’s book as a foundation for a play, and wrote my own version.)
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Characters: (Mother, Wolf, Chang, Tao and Patoze)
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Setting: Once upon a time there was a woman who lived with her three children, Chang, Tao and Patoze. They lived alone in the country. A hungry wolf lived nearby.
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Scene I (Today is Grandma’s birthday. Mother is going to spend the day with her. The three children stay home alone.)
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Mother: Be good while I’m away. I will be home tonight. Remember to keep the door closed at all times.
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(Wolf is hiding in the bushes. He is disguised as an old woman. He sneaks up to the door and knocks twice.)
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Shang: Who is it?
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Wolf: My sweet little dears, this is your grandma, Po Po.
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Shang: Oh Po Po, our mother has gone to visit you.
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Wolf: Oh dear, I did not see her along the way. She must have taken another path.
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Shang: Why is your voice so low, Po Po?
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Wolf: Oh my sweet, your grandma has caught a cold. Hurry up and let your Po Po come in.
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Tao: (Opens the door.) Come in Po Po.
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(Wolf comes in and blows out a candle.)
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Paotze: Po Po, why did you blow out the candle?
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(Wolf yawns and pretends to be sleepy. He climbs into bed. The three children crawl in beside him.)
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Shang: Oh, Po Po, your foot has a bush on it.
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Wolf: Yes, I’ve brought some hemp strings to weave a basket for you.
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Tao: Oh, Po Po, your hand has thorns on it.
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Wolf: Your Po Po has brought a needle to make shoes for you.
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Shang: Oh, Po Po, you must be hungry. Have you eaten gingko nuts?
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Wolf: What are gingko nuts, my dear?
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Shang: They are soft and tender. One taste and you will live forever. They grow on the top of the tree just outside our house. We can pick some for you.
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Wolf: (Licks lips.) Oh good, my bones are too brittle to climb trees.
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(The children go outside and climb the tree. The wolf follows and sits by the tree.)
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Wolf: My good children, pick some nuts for me.
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Paotze: Po Po, gingko nuts are only magic when you pick them from the tree yourself.
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(The wolf paces back and forth, licking his lips, while the children say how good the nuts taste.)
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Shang: Po Po, I have a plan. At the door is a big basket. Tie the rope to the basket and throw the other end to me. I will pull you up.
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(The wolf follows Shang’s instructions. The children begin to pull, but let the basket fall.)
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Shang: I’m so sorry Po Po, but I’m so weak. I can’t hold the rope by myself.
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Tao: This time, I’ll help. Let’s do it again.
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(The children go through the rope pulling procedure two more times. Each time the wolf stumps his feet and displays a lot of anger. The last time the rope is pulled, the wolf falls and does not respond.)
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The children call together: Po Po, Po Po, Po Po. (Then they climb down the tree, take a look at the wolf, go into the house, and go to bed and sleep.)
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Scene II (Mother arrives home from visiting Grandma with two baskets of food. The scene opens with the family sitting at a table eating rolls from Grandma’s basket. The children tell the mother what happened while she was gone.)
“Monkey Business”
(I used the story, “The Monkey’s Whiskers,” a Brazilian folk tale from Anne Rockwell’s book as a foundation for a play, and wrote my own version.)
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Characters: Monkey, Barber, Woman, Man, Mother, Four Daughters)
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Setting: The jungle is a lovely place. It is a place of beautiful flowers and noisy parrots. It is a place where coconut trees grow so tall that you can hardly see their tops. In one of the tallest coconut palm trees, a monkey lived.
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Scene I: (The monkey jumps down from his tree as scene opens.)
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Monkey: I’m going to see the world. I know where I’ll go. I’ll go into town. (Monkey sees a barber shop, stops, waves to the barber and hops onto the chair.) I want my whiskers shaved.
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(Barber looks at the monkey, shrugs his shoulders and shaves the whiskers.)
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Monkey: (Hops down from the chair and looks into a mirror. Then he hops up and down yelling.) Where are my whiskers. I want them back.
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Barber: I can’t. You asked me to shave them off.
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Monkey: Then give me your razor. (Barbara shows sad expression as he hands the razor to the monkey.)
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Scene II: (The monkey walks up and down the street grumbling to himself about loosing his whiskers. A woman is on the river’s edge cleaning fish with a piece of wood. She looks tired.
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Monkey: Here, dear lady. Take my razor and you can do the job quickly. (Monkey runs off stage.)
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Woman: (Women begins to clean the fish. The razor falls out of her hands into the river.) Oh no, the razor is gone. What am I going to do? (She begins to cry.)
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Monkey: (Walks onto stage looking for the woman. He sees her crying.) Give me my razor.
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Woman: Oh, I’m so sorry, but it fell out of my hands into the river.
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Monkey: What! You lost my magnificent razor that I loaned to you. Then I want your fish. (He grabs the fish and goes off stage.)
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Woman: Please, please give back my fish. My children won’t have any supper tonight. (She throws up her hands and walks off stage.)
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Scene III: (It is the next day. A man is sitting under a tree eating bread. Under another tree, a mother and her four daughters sit. Mother is braiding one daughter’s hair.)
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Monkey: (Walks on stage and stops by the man eating bread.) Here good man. That bread looks dry. Take my fish and enjoy lunch.
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Man: Thank you. You are kind.
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Monkey: (Walks to center stage and grumbles about being hungry. Then walks back to the man who has just finished eating the fish.) Give me back my fish.
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Man: But, I just ate the fish.
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Monkey: (Hops up and down.) You ate my fish that I loaned to you. How could you? Then give me your coffee beans. (Grabs plate of beans beside man.)
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Man: Stop, come back. (Man throws up hands and walks off stage.)
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Monkey: (Runs off stage, but stops, turns around and spies the mother with her daughters. Very quietly sneaks up on stage and speaks to the mother.) My, what pretty girls you have, my dear.
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Mother: Oh, thank you.
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Monkey: They all look like such sweet girls. I think they should have some nice brewed coffee for their lunch.
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Mother and Girls: Thank you. Thank you. You are a kind monkey.
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(Scene ends with monkey walking off stage proudly with hands on hips.)
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Scene IV (Girls and mother are sitting under the tree reading books together.)
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Monkey: (Walks onto stage and begins to yell.) Where are my coffee beans?
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Mother: But, you gave them to us. We brewed the beans and drank the coffee.
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Monkey: I didn’t give them to you. I loaned them to you. Now I will take something of yours. I want your most prettiest little girl. (Grabs a girl. Mother and girls sob.)
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Mother: (Kneeling position.) Please, please, do not take my little girl.
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Barber: (Walks onto stage.) My dear wife and girls. Why are you crying?
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Monkey: Oh, it’s you. If you had not taken my whiskers away. I would not take your beautiful daughter away.
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Barber: (Looks at wife and girls for a moment then smiles.) Mr. Monkey, if I give your whiskers back, will you leave my daughter here.
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Monkey: (Turns away, scratches his head and frowns. Then looks at barber.) Yes, I will. But, how will you do that?
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Barber: It will be hard to do. But I will give you a magic coconut to eat and you must stay hidden under our house for eight days.
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Monkey: It’s a deal. (They shake hands.)
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Scene V (Monkey enters stroking whiskers and smiling.) It’s magic. It’s magic. It really worked. Barber, wife, girls, come, come. Let’s celebrate. (Monkey and family dance in a circle. Then monkey waves good-bye, leaves stage and shouts.) Back to the jungle.
