Theatre Makers

The Boy Who Cried Wolf by Jack Healy and George Hanover (after Aesop)

Being an extract from Aesop’s Fabulous Foibles and Fables (A play for children based on Aesop’s Fables)

This piece is about ten minutes long and might be suitable for performance by an older group of children for their younger cohorts.

It is performed by three sheep for The Hare who is taking a break in his race with the Tortoise.

SONG. WE ARE THREE SHEEP.

SHEEP A. We are three sheep.
Therefore we must warn you.
Not to count us, you might fall asleep.

ALL. No do not count us
You’ll fall asleep.

SHEEP B. Aesop, now he wrote stories
Tales with funny animals
Tales with Morals, in ancient Greece.

ALL. Oh tales with morals.
Many with sheep.

SHEEP C. Tortoise hare fox and crow.
The Mouse and best friend lion
There all great stories,
Even without sheep.

ALL. They would be better,
If they had sheep.

SHEEP A. Also, There’s a woo….
We do not like to name him.
Because he eats us. Boy
He likes his sheep.

ALL. Can’t get enough
Of us tasty sheep. (Repeat to fade)

Other sheep are inclined to sneak off.

Hey, where’s every body gone.

Enter Hare Yawning…..The sheep run in panic when they hear the Hare’s yawns.

HARE. (To Audience)Ah there ye are. Anything happen while I was snoozing? No, Good. Tortoise is probably still miles off any way.

Enter sheep again….. tentatively.

SHEEP. Baah!

HARE. “Baaah” they say, all innocence, as if butter wouldn’t melt in their mouths. Come here boys and girls, it must be a laugh being a sheep though, I mean especially if you are an outdoor type, except of course until someone starts thinking about dinner, like a human or a wolf.

SHEEP. Booh hooh hooh. He said wolf.

HARE. Ha? Wolf!

SHEEP. Booh hooh hooh. He said wolf again.

HARE. Wolf.

SHEEP. Booh hooh hooh.

HARE. Wolf.

SHEEP. Booh hooh hooh.

HARE. Rabbit.!  Hmm!? Why do ye cry when someone mentions……

The sheep look at him in anticipation and are about to cry…

HARE…. the ‘you know what’?

The sheep look at him in a bemused manner.

HARE. You know….

Hare does wolf imitation

SHEEP A. It’s all because of the boy who cried…..

SHEEP B. You say it

SHEEP C. No you say it.

SHEEP A. I said it the last time. Still haven’t gotten over it….

HARE. The boy who….. the boy who what?  What are they talking about boys and girls… the boy who cried what?

AUDIENCE. Wolf!

SHEEP. Boooh hooh hooh.

HARE. What are ye like… maybe ye are thick after all. Ye can’t be going “booh hooh hooh” every time someone says…… you know what. Other wise ye won’t be able to tell us ye’re story.  So let’s give it a try.  I’ll say, you know what and ye try not to cry. Give us a hand here boys and girls.

HARE. One, two three…..

HARE WITH AUDIENCE.  Wolf!!

The sheep stoically try to hold out, but then…..

SHEEP.  Booh hooh hooh.

HARE. Not bad… one more go now…alright boys and girls; One two three…..

HARE WITH AUDIENCE. Wolf!!

Two of the sheep hold out, but then the third one cracks… and all three go….

HARE. Now this time we are going to get it….One two three….wolf….

They hold….. and hold….  they start to laugh..

SHEEP A.  (Joking now) Wolf….

The other two pretend to cry and so on. Now they make a game of it.

HARE. Now that we have that out of the way, what’s this story about the boy who cried wolf?

SHEEP. Boooh hooh hooh….

HARE. Oh for God’s sake.

SHEEP. Just kidding.

SHEEP A. Well there was this boy minding us once.

OTHER TWO SHEEP.  Bags being the boy! Bags being the boy!

SHEEP B. You were boy the last time.

SHEEP C. No fair, the boy’s the best part. I’m tired a being the villager. (To A) Why don’t you be the villager.

SHEEP A. Well someone’s gota be sheep, besides, I am the narrator. (To C ) Now go on, get over there and pretend to be asleep.

SHEEP C. (Going reluctantly) Oh alright…..

HARE. Can ye please get on with it?

SHEEP A. This boy was sent to mind us. There used to be ten of us then. I don’t think the boy was cut out for the job.

SHEEP B. So any way, I’ll be the boy and ye be the sheep.

SHEEP A. I am a sheep.

SHEEP B. Yeah except now in the game ye’re sheep pretending to be sheep.

HARE. I’m not a sheep.

SHEEP A. Yeah, what are you.

HARE. I’m a hare.

SHEEP A. Well then you’re a hare pretending to be a sheep.

HARE. Excellent this is best fun. Its almost as much fun as racing. So what happened any way?

SHEEP A. Any way, this boy was minding us and he wasn’t really up to the job.

SHEEP B. Oh Boys and Girls, the boring snore of it. Cant take much more of it.. Much prefer to be at home playing with my Nintendo wii. Or having a cup of tea. Watching the TV.

But sheep! Who invented them? Whose idea were they. Even if I was minding dogs or fish or hippopotamuses or something, well that ud be some fun, But sheep!

I could make a computer game about sheep. It would be called Baah. It would be the most boring computer game ever….

Unless of course …. Now there’s an idea….. unless of course there was a wolf in it. Wolf…. Wolf! (He begins to shout.)

SHEEP B. Wolf Wolf!

SHEEP A AND HARE.  Ba Ba

SHEEP B. Woolf Wolf

SHEEP A AND HARE. Ba ba.

SHEEP B. Woolf

A AND HARE. Ba

SHEEP B. Wolf Wolf

A AND HARE. Ba Ba.

SHEEP C. What where, what what, Where where,

A AND HARE. Ba ba.

SHEEP B. He was here, he was there, He was every where. He really was, I swear

A AND HARE. Ba ba.

SHEEP B. Big as a tree,
Wild as the sea.
Made me say a prayer.

A AND HARE. Ba Ba

SHEEP C. I see no wolf no where

A AND HARE. Ba Ba

SHEEP B. But he was.

A AND HARE. Ba Ba.

SHEEP B. He was there

A AND HARE. Ba Ba.

SHEEP B. Just there.

A AND HARE. Ba Ba.

SHEEP B. I swear

A AND HARE. Ba Ba.

SHEEP C. Just now, Just there, He was you say.

SHEEP B. He really was, I swear

A AND HARE. Ba Ba.

SHEEP B. Made me kneel and pray

A AND HARE. Ba Ba.

SHEEP C. Made you kneel and pray you say.

SHEEP B. Realy was a scare…..

A AND HARE.Baaaaaaaahhhhhh!

SHEEP B. Oh man, that was the best fun ever. ‘Wolf’ say’s I ‘Where where’ says the villager, ‘Baah’ Says the sheep. ‘I see no wolf’ says the villager. ‘But he was here, there, prayer scare me hair’ says I. ‘Goodbye’ says the villager. ‘Baah’ says the sheep. Excellent. There must be at least two hours gone. (Looks at his watch) oh no, only ten minutes. Ten minutes.

Back to boring old snoresville. (Remembering) Here, there, prayer, scare me hair….(he laughs)….What time… only ten seconds gone…. Hey sheep. Let’s play a game. ….. We could play I spy. I spy with my little eye, something beginning with W.

SHEEP. Baah.

SHEEP B. No. Not Baah. Baah begins with a b, not w and besides there is no such thing as a baah. . So, something beginning with w.

SHEEP. Looking at him…..

SHEEP B. Give up…. Ok, its Wool Wool?. Wolf ! Wolf.

SHEEP B. Wolf  Wolf

A AND HARE. Ba Ba

SHEEP B. Woolf Wolf

A AND HARE. Ba ba.

SHEEP B. Woolf

A AND HARE. Ba

SHEEP B. Wolf Wolf

A AND HARE. Ba Ba.

SHEEP C. Again with the wolf , Where where,

A AND HARE. Ba ba.

SHEEP B. I swear he was here,  he was there.

A AND HARE. Ba ba.

SHEEP C. Where exactly where.

SHEEP B. As big as the Night
An ocean of right
I knelt and said a prayer.

A AND HARE. Ba Ba

SHEEP C. I see no wolf no where

A AND HARE. Ba Ba

SHEEP B. But he was.

A AND HARE. Ba Ba.

SHEEP B. He was there

A AND HARE. Ba Ba.

SHEEP B. Just there.

A AND HARE. Ba Ba.

SHEEP B. I swear

A AND HARE. Ba Ba.

SHEEP C. He really was just there you say.

SHEEP B. He really was, I swear

A AND HARE. Ba Ba.

SHEEP B. Made me kneel and pray

A AND HARE. Ba Ba.

SHEEP C. Made you kneel and pray you say.

SHEEP B. Realy was a scare…..

A AND HARE.Baaaaaaaahhhhhh!

SHEEP B. Oh ho ho Brilliant. Brilliant. Wolf says I. Wolf Says I. pie in the sky says himself, me eye. Here he was, there he was, scare in the air he was. Saying a prayer I was.

Except you know what. It came out by accident that time. Didn’t mean it. Stupid I spy and stupid W. Of all the letter to pick, I don’t know what I was thinking. The one that starts Wolf? Yikes… I nearly did it again.

SHEEP. Baah.

SHEEP B. Oh don’t ye be going saying baah when it’s too late.

WOOLF. ( Off)  Howl.

SHEEP B. What was that.

WOOLF. Howl Howl…

SHEEP B. Oh no….

WOOLF. Howl.

SHEEP B. Holy Joe.

WOOLF. Howl Howl

SHEEP. Tis well ye might say Baah.

WOOLF. Howl.

SHEEP B. Wolf! (Quietly)

WOOLF. Howl.

SHEEP. Bah Bah.

SHEEP B. Wolf!

WOOLF. Howl.

SHEEP. Bah Bah Bah.

Song. “Third Time Unlucky”, sung by two sheep and hare. All except Sheep C.

Third time unlucky
The Villager is sleeping.
Heard it all before.
Third time unlucky
Your time has come for weeping.
He’ll help you no more.

SHEEP B. Fool, Fool. I feel like such a fool.
Fool Fool, I feel like such a fool.

Third time unlucky
You’ve wasted all your chances, now you have no friends.
Third Time unlucky
The hungry wolf advances,
Some sheep’s life will end.

SHEEP B. Fool, Fool, I feel like such a fool.
ALL THREE. Fool Fool. You really are a fool.

.Lives immersed in story:

The Cultural World of the Pupils as a Resource.

This is the first in a series of lessons in story making designed by playwright Jack Healy based on his general experience of developing scripts and especially on his experience of working in the classroom.

Central to this first lesson is a bid to get the pupils and the teacher to identify, quantify and acknowledge what the pupils already know and to empower the pupil through a recognition and acknowledgement of this expertise.

The objectives of this lesson are:

To get the pupils to identify the extent to which ‘story’ plays a part in daily life.
To detail the different ways in which they ‘get’ story every day.
In connection with this to identify and list favourite stories and story sources.
For the teacher: to familiarise him/herself with the cultural world of the child.
The pupil as expert: To empower the pupil by pointing out the extent to which he/she is an expert with respect to his/her own cultural world.

Discussion: Every body needs a little bit of ‘story’ every day!!!

QUESTION: Who do we think of as needing a story every day?
ANSWER; Small children

QUESTION: Where do small children get their stories from?
ANSWER: Big people, (parents or brothers and sister etc) will tell them, or read them,  stories.

Promote the idea that everyone, from the smallest child, to the oldest person needs a bit of story every day.

DISCUSSION: Where do you get your daily supply of story from?

ASK THE QUESTION: On a day to day basis where do you get your daily supply of “story” from?  You get your food from the field, or the canteen or the supermarket, or the fridge or from your mum or dad or other adults in your life, so where do you get your “story” from?

“From your mind” or “from your experience” are also common answers. It may be necessary to clarify the question. When we ask; where do you get your stories from, what we mean is; through what medium do you get your ‘story’. A story is not a story until it is mediated in some way. What are the different ‘media’?
You can have an experience, it doesn’t become a story unless you mediate or ‘tell’  it in some way.
“From Books” is an obvious answer. Films and TV etc may not readily come to mind.

If the pupils are still somewhat vague as to where they get their daily supply of ‘story’ from, the following questions are useful for clarification.

“Hands up who watches the Simpsons? Malcolm in the Middle? Etc. Ask the pupils what other programmes they watch on TV. Make a list.
“Hands up who has seen Shrek, Shrek 2, Shrek the Third. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. Pirates of the Caribbean. Toy Story. Toy Story 2. Monsters Inc. Home Alone etc.
Check favourite films and films that they have seen recently and again make a list.

Discussion: Do the adults that you know need story, and if so, where do they get their ‘story’ from?

QUESTION: Where do the older people that you know, (mothers, fathers, grandparents, aunts, uncles, brothers sisters etc ) get their ‘story’ from every day?
ANSWER: The news, news papers, gossip, talk. Also books Films TV etc. Sport.

A full list of story sources could include:

Talk, gossip etc.
Books, magazines, newspapers etc.
Film
TV, DVD etc.
Theatre – plays, pantomimes, puppet shows etc.
Computer Games, playstation etc.
Sport as a source of story (See Below)
Dreams (See Below)
Myths/Legends
The Internet, the phone, etc. (Beebo etc)
Comics
Animated films
Tapestries and old cave drawings

DISCUSSION; Use any of these categories as a basis for discussion.

The connection between story and sport.

A huge number of stories, especially films for children have a competitive element in them. Many will actually be about a sport or game of some kind.

QUESTION: Can you name any films that involve a sport or game?
ANSWER: The Mighty Ducks. The Waterboy.  Any Given Sunday. Man About Dog. Babe The Sheep Pig.  Cool Runnings. Rocky (1, 2, 3) Rocky Balboa. Blades of Glory. Bend it like Beckham. Sea Biscuit. Happy Gilmore. Etc.

Even stories that on the face of it are not about a sport often have a competitive element in them. Look at Cuchulainn, Cinderella, Harry Potter. Shrek, High School Musical.

QUESTION: Would you ever watch a romantic film?
ANSWER; This usually meets with a ‘no’.
Mention Shrek as a romantic film that most of the pupils will have seen. Point out that many romantic films have a competitive element in them. The story of the film is often about one person ‘winning’ another persons love, often against an opponent.

Short Harry Potter Quiz. (Pertaining to the first film, Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone)

QUESTION. The first Harry Potter Film has at least three different types of game, competition or sport in it. Can you name any of them.
ANSWER. Quiditch. Wizard Chess (especially Ron’s game at the end.) The House Cup.

QUESTION. Who wins The House Cup?
ANSWER. Gryffindor.

QUESTION. By how much do they win?
ANSWER. Ten Points.

QUESTION. Who gets them the ten points and why?
ANSWER. Neville Longbottom, for standing up to his friends.

ANY GAME IS LIKE A STORY UNFOLDING. YOU WATCH BECAUSE YOU IDENTIFY WITH ONE TEAM OR PLAYER AND YOU WANT TO FIND OUT WHAT HAPPENS IN THE END.

DISCUSS: Recent sporting events. Also, ‘the computer game’ as a kind of story. Talk about stories that are also available as a computer game. Eg. Harry Potter.

The Dream as a Kind of Story:

This is a beginning point for the next lesson but-
Do a quick check as to any of the pupils who can remember a dream of any kind.

DISCUSSION: Is the dream a story?

Some children may be anxious to tell dreams. Perhaps hear one or two, but keep the bulk of them for the next session. (Note 4, on the telling of dreams)

Exercise;

Write a short account of a film, book or other story that you like, giving as much detail as possible.

Note 1: Children as experts!

Check how many times children in your class have seen the first Shrek film or the first Home Alone film.

A useful consequence of this kind of exploration is a realisation that the children are experts in all forms of popular culture that are appropriate to them (and quite a bit that is not!) It can be beneficial to explore and detail this. It can often bring out an enthusiasm in a pupil who may be ambivalent in other areas of classroom pursuit. (For short quizzes on Home Alone and The Simpsons go to www.theatremakers.net/Categories/Education.

Note 2.  Give all media equal validity.

With regard to film and TV etc promote the idea that these also are valid sources of story.
Try to avoid privileging one source of story over another. It is not uncommon for children to believe that a story must by necessity come from a book and that, in this regard, books are better than films etc.

Note 3. Spelling and Punctuation:

When doing story work, it is important not to place too much emphasis on spelling, punctuation etc.  Also, encourage pupils to consider other ways of detailing a story such as drawing or literally ‘telling’.

Note 4. A note about dream sharing:

When someone shares a dream, they are putting a private experience into the public arena. If you are facilitating this process, it is important to let those who are offering dreams know that the choice is entirely theirs. Also, with pupils in a class, they will often have dreams about one another. It is important to be vigilant about the offering of dream content that might be a source of discomfort to another class member. With regard to dreams the pupils have had about one another, encourage them to be sensitive to the other class members in the telling of these dreams.

Useful websites for film and other information.

http://www.filmsite.org/100kidsfilms.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_children’s_films
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/arts/main.jhtml?xml=/arts/2005/10/29/bftop29.xml
http://www.filmaffinity.com/en/listtopmovies.php?list_id=510
http://www.spout.com/films/28608/ViewFilmList.aspx