The teacher will need a lot of energy and variety of approach, as small children get very easily bored.
Units:
Warm up
Time
Pronunciations and Possessive Pronouns
Drama Game
The Cast
The Drama Script
Homework and other plays to work on
(Repeat six times)
Asking the time What time is it? Excuse me can you tell me what time it is? What’s the time now? Do you have the time? | Responses It’s half past It’s quarter past It’s ten to It’s quarter to It’s____ O’clock |
Write the correct time for:
The first clock in row 1 ……………………………………………………..
The second clock in row 1 ………………………………………………….
The third clock in row 1 …………………………………………………….
The first clock in row 2 ……………………………………………………..
The second clock in row 2…………………………………………………..
The third clock in row 2……………………………………………………..
The first clock in row 3 …………………………………………………….
The second clock in row 3 …………………………………………………
The third clock in row 3 ……………………………………………………..
Subject | Possessive Adjective | Possessive Pronoun |
I | My | Mine |
You | Your | Yours |
He | His | His |
She | Her | Hers |
It | Its | Its |
We | Our | Ours |
You | Your | Yours |
They | Their | Theirs |
There are ten speaking parts in the play.
And 3 horses who can make neighing noises, ducklings to make peeping sounds.
And onlookers with the emperor who can laugh and clap.
Thus depending on the size of the class two or three groups or more might perform the play.
They might compete for the best part or overall production.
It would be good if all the students could learn their parts, as this helps not look down at scripts and to be prepared for their cues. The speeches just before theirs.
It is also important that they think ahead and pass the microphone in time to the to the next speaker
The Narrators are important parts for learning to speak good English.
Who want to be the narrators?
Who wants to be the stallion, the foal, the mare, Edward, Ivan, the old lady, the emperor, the woman, the wise little girl and who want to be onlookers?
Who would like to find and make the costumes?
Who would like to create horse masks?
Who would like to find and prepare the props?
Who would like to prepare the backdrop??
Drama has rehearsal and performance and is a good way for the children to cooperate, become confident have fun and learn English.
Teacher carefully works out where and when each student should move into position and leave room for other students as they arrive.
| ACTORS | NON SPEAKING |
COSTUMES See pics below |
PROPS SCENERY |
MUSIC SOUND EFFECTS |
| Narrator 1 | Mare | Russian costumes are very colourful see pics of characters below for inspiration | Russian village backdrop – see pictures below | Neighing like a horse (vocalisation) |
| Narrator 2 | Stallion | mare & stallion will have ropes attached to a harness or any other ideas to convey horses | ropes and posts for tethering horses | There is lots of excellent Russian folk music to be found online |
| Narrator 3 | Foal | Edward should have smarter clothes than Ivan | straw on the ground for sleeping on | |
| Narrator 4 | Onlookers courtroom | A Fishing net | ||
| Edward | a partridge doll | |||
| Ivan | A bag of gold | |||
| Old Lady | ||||
| Woman | ||||
| Little Girl | ||||
| Emperor |
The Wise Little Girl a Russian Folk Tale
Dramatised by Shaun MacLouglin
Encourage the children to learn their parts but also to improvise and modify. This should give them confidence and spontaneity.
They can practise and try out characters by themselves or with their family. Later you can audition them. They may find it helpful to listen to the reading.
| (THE NARRATORS MOVE DOWNSTAGE RIGHT AS TWO BROTHERS APPEAR FROM STAGE LEFT, LEADING TWO ACTORS DRESSED AS A STALLION AND AS A YOUNG MARE) | |
| EDWARD: | I am Edward. I am rich and I ride a stallion. |
| IVAN: | I am Ivan. I am poor and I ride a young mare. |
| (THEY TETHER THEIR HORSES WITH A ROPE TO A POST) | |
| NARRATOR 1: | At dusk they stopped beside an empty hut and tethered their horses outside, |
| (THEY LIE DOWN AS DESCRIBED.) | |
| NARRATOR 1: | Before going to sleep on two heaps of straw. |
| (THE BROTHERS SOON BEGIN TO SNORE. MEANWHILE IF YOU HAVE LIGHTING THE LIGHT DIMS. A SMALL ACTOR PLAYING THE FOAL LIES DOWN BESIDE THE YOUNG MARE. THE LIGHTS COME UP. THE FOAL STRUGGLES TO ITS FEET, DRINKS ITS MOTHER’S MILK, THEN TAKES ITS FIRST FALTERING STEPS ACROSS THE STAGE TO WHERE THE STALLION IS TETHERED. | |
| THE STALLION WHINNIES WITH DELIGHT. THE BROTHERS WAKE, STRETCH. AND CLAMBER TO THEIR FEET. THEY ARE VERY SURPRISED TO SEE THE FOAL.) | |
| NARRATOR 2: | Great was their surprise when the next morning they saw three horses outside. |
| NARRATOR 1: | Well to be exact the newcomer was not really a horse. |
| NARRATOR 2: | It was a foal, to which the mare had given birth during the night. |
| NARRATOR 1: | Soon it had the strength to struggle to its feet and after a drink of it mother’s milk. |
| NARRATOR 2: | Then the foal struggled its first few steps. |
| NARRATOR 1 | The stallion greeted it, and when the two brothers set eyes on it for the first time the foal was standing beside the stallion. |
| EDWARD: | It belongs to me. It’s my stallion’s foal. |
| IVAN: | (LAUGHS) Whoever heard of a stallion giving birth to a foal? It was born to my mare! |
| EDWARD: | No, that’s not true! It was standing close to the stallion, so it’s the stallion’s foal. And therefore it’s mine. |
| (THE BROTHERS WALK AROUND THE STAGE, GESTICULATING AND MIMING QUARRELLING.) | |
| NARRATOR 1: | The brothers continued quarrelling. |
| NARRATOR 2: | Then they decided to go to town and bring the matter before the judge. |
| (THEY MEET A LAME, BENT OLD LADY, LEANING ON A STICK. THEY GESTICULATE AND MIME TO HER, EACH PRETENDING TO SHUT UP THE OTHER.) | |
| NARRATOR 1: | On the way they met an old lady and told her what was going on |
| LADY: | If it is a foal, it must be the stallions. |
| EDWARD: | Sensible old lady. |
| LADY: | Thank you kind Sir. |
| IVAN: | That’s not a good reason. I don’t believe you. A stallion had a foal!!? Come on! |
| LADY: | Why did you ask my opinion then? You’re too poor to see sense. |
| SHE WALKS ANGRILY AWAY | |
| (THE BROTHERS CONTINUE TO WALK AROUND THE STAGE, STILL GESTICULATING AND MIMING QUARRELLING.) | |
| NARRATOR 1: | Still arguing, the two brothers headed for the big square where the courtroom stood. |
| NARRATOR 2: | But they didn’t know it was a special day, the day when, once a year, the Emperor himself administered the law. |
| (SERVANTS BRING THE EMPEROR’S THRONE WITH EMPEROR SEATED ON IT ONTO THE STAGE – OR A BACKDROP CAN BE REMOVED TO REVEAL HIM. THE BROTHERS GASP AND THROW THEMSELVES ONTO THEIR KNEES AND TOUCH THE GROUND WITH THEIR FOREHEADS BEFORE THE EMPEROR.) | |
| NARRATOR 1: | The brothers bowed to him and told him all about the dispute. |
| (THEY MIME TO THE EMPEROR, AS THEY DID TO THE OLD LADY, BUT WITH GREATER REVERENCE. | |
| NARRATOR 2: | The Emperor listened to both sides of the story. |
| EMPEROR | Hmm. It’s difficult to say who exactly the foal’s rightful owner is. |
| I can’t judge, so it will be awarded to whichever of you solves the following four riddles: | |
| One, what is the fastest thing in the world? | |
| Two, what is the fattest? | |
| Three, what’s the softest? | |
| And four, what is the most precious? | |
| I command you to return to the palace in a week’s time with your answers. | |
| NARRATOR 1: | Edward started to puzzle over the answers as soon as he left the courtroom. When he reached home, he realized he had no-one to help him. |
| EDWARD: | Well. I’ll just have to seek help. If I can’t solve these problems, I’ll lose the foal. |
| NARRATOR 2: | Then he remembered a woman, one of his neighbours, to whom he had once lent a gold coin. |
| (HE GOES TO A DOOR AND KNOCKS ON IT. WITH HIS BACK TO THE AUDIENCE, HE MIMES, TELLING HER THE EMPEROR’S RIDDLES) | |
| NARRATOR 1: | He told her about the Emperor’s riddles. |
| (SHE MOVES DOWNSTAGE WITH HIM) | |
| WOMAN: | The fastest thing in the world is my husband’s bay horse. |
| Nothing can beat it! | |
| The fattest is our pig! | |
| Such a huge beast has never been seen! | |
| The softest is the quilt I made for the bed, using my own goose’s feathers. | |
| It’s the envy of all my friends. | |
| The most precious thing in the world is my three-month old nephew. | |
| There isn’t a more handsome child. | |
| I wouldn’t exchange him for all the gold on earth, and that makes him the most precious thing on earth! | |
| (SHE SHOUTS THE LAST WORDS BACK TO HIM, AS SHE LEAVES THE STAGE) | |
| NARRATOR 2: | Edward was rather doubtful about the woman’s answers being correct. |
| NARRATOR 1: | On the other hand, he had to take some kind of solution back to the Emperor. |
| NARRATOR 2: | And he guessed, quite rightly, that if he didn’t, he would be punished. |
| (HE LEAVES THE STAGE AND IVAN APPEARS FROM THE OPPOSITE SIDE AND MEETS THE LITTLE GIRL) | |
| NARRATOR 1: | In the meantime, Ivan, who was a widower, had gone back to his hut, where he lived with his small daughter. |
| NARRATOR 2: | Only seven years old, the little girl was often left alone. |
| NARRATOR 1: | But she was thoughtful and very clever for her age. Ivan asked her advice. |
| LITTLE GIRL: | Tell the Emperor that the fastest thing in the world is the cold north wind in winter. |
| The fattest is the soil in our fields, whose crops give life to men and animals alike. | |
| The softest is a child’s caress and the most precious is honesty. | |
| (THE LITTLE GIRL DEPARTS. THE EMPEROR IS CARRIED ONTO THE STAGE AS BEFORE AND IVAN AND EDWARD CROSS TO HIM, AND GO DOWN ON THEIR KNEES. WHILE THIS IS HAPPENING NARRATOR 1 HANDS OVER TO NARRATOR 3 AND NARRATOR 2 HANDS OVER TO NARRATOR 4.) | |
| NARRATOR 3: | The day came when the two brothers were to return before the Emperor. |
| NARRATOR 4 | They were led into his presence. |
| NARRATOR 3: | The Emperor was curious to hear what they had to say |
| EDWARD: | (STUTTERING) The fastest thing is.. The fastest thing in the world is my friend’s horse. Nothing can beat it! |
| The fattest is a friend’s pig! Such a huge beast I never seen! | |
| The softest is the quilt my friend made for the bed, using her goose’s feathers. | |
| The most precious thing in the world is my neighbours’ three-month old nephew. There isn’t a more handsome child. | |
| EMPEROR: | (ROARS WITH LAUGHTER) |
| NARRATOR 3: | The Emperor roared with laughter at Edward’s foolish answers. |
| NARRATOR 4 | However when Ivan spoke a frown spread over his face. |
| IVAN | The fastest thing in the world is the cold north wind in winter. |
| The fattest is the soil in our fields, whose crops give life to men and animals alike. | |
| The softest is a child’s caress | |
| And the most precious is honesty. | |
| NARRATOR 3: | The poor brother’s wise replies made him squirm, especially the last one, about honesty, the most precious thing of all. |
| NARRATOR 4 | The Emperor knew perfectly well that he had been dishonest in his dealings with the poor brother, for he had denied him justice, but he could not bear to admit it in front of his counsellors. |
| EMPEROR: | Who gave you these answers? |
| IVAN: | My small daughter. |
| EMPEROR: | You shall be rewarded for having such a wise and clever daughter. You shall be awarded the foal and a hundred gold coins. But… but. |
| NARRATOR 3: | He winked at his counsellors. |
| EMPEROR: | You will come before me in seven days’ time, bringing your daughter. And since she’s so clever, she must appear before me neither naked nor dressed, |
| neither on foot nor on horseback, | |
| Neither bearing gifts nor empty handed. | |
| And if she does this, you will have your reward. | |
| If not, you’ll have your head chopped off for your impudence! | |
| (THE ONLOOKERS LAUGH) | |
| NARRATOR 4: | The onlookers laughed, knowing Ivan would never be able to fulfil the Emperor’s conditions. |
| (THE EMPEROR IS CARRIED OFF. IVAN LEAVES AND CROSSES TO HIS DAUGHTER. HE MIMES TELLING HER THE EMPEROR’S CONDITIONS.) | |
| LITTLE GIRL: | Tomorrow go and catch a hare and a partridge. Both must be alive. You’ll have the foal and the hundred gold coins! Leave it to me! |
| (IVAN AND HIS DAUGHTER LEAVE THE STAGE) | |
| NARRATOR 3: | Ivan did as his daughter said. He had no idea what the two creatures were for, but he trusted his daughter’s wisdom. |
| (THE EMPEROR IS CARRIED ON AGAIN, THIS TIME WITH A LARGE CROWD OF ONLOOKERS. IVAN AND HIS DAUGHTER (AS DESCRIBED BELOW) APPEAR, APPROACH AND GO DOWN ON THEIR KNEES, FOREHEADS TO THE GROUND, AS IS THE CUSTOM) | |
| NARRATOR 4: | On the day of the audience with the Emperor, |
| NARRATOR 3 | The palace was thronged with bystanders, waiting for Ivan and his small daughter to arrive. |
| NARRATOR 4: | At last, the little girl appeared, draped in a fishing net, |
| NARRATOR 3: | riding the hare |
| NARRATOR 4: | And holding the partridge in her hand. |
| NARRATOR 3: | She was neither naked nor dressed, |
| NARRATOR 4: | Neither on foot nor on horseback. |
| NARRATOR 3: | The Emperor scowled. |
| EMPEROR: | I said neither bearing gifts nor empty-handed. |
| NARRATOR 4: | At these words the little girl held out the hand with the partridge. |
| (AN INVISIBLE THREAD FROM OFFSTAGE JERKS THE PARTRIDGE AWAY) | |
| NARRATOR 3: | The Emperor stretched out his hand to grasp it, but the bird flew into the air. |
| NARRATOR 4: | The third condition had been fulfilled. |
| NARRATOR 3: | In spite of himself the Emperor could not help admiring the little girl, who had so cleverly passed such a test. |
| EMPEROR: | (IN A GENTLER VOICE) Is your father terribly poor, and does he desperately need the foal? |
| LITTLE GIRL: | Oh, yes! We live on the hares he catches in the rivers and the fishes he picks from the trees. |
| EMPEROR: | (TRIUMPHANTLY) Aha! So you’re not as clever as you seem to be! Whoever heard of hares in the river and fishes in the trees! |
| LITTLE GIRL | (REPLYING IMMEDIATELY) |
| And whoever heard of a stallion having a foal? | |
| EVERYBODY LAUGHS | |
| NARRATOR 4: | Both the Emperor and the court burst into laughter. |
| NARRATOR 3: | Ivan was immediately given the foal and a hundred gold coins. |
| (WE SEE THIS HAPPEN. THEN THE EMPEROR RISES, TAKES THE LITTLE GIRL BY THE HAND AND LEADS HER TO THE FRONT OF THE STAGE.) | |
| EMPEROR: | You are so clever, little girl. |
| Only in my kingdom could such a wise little girl be born! | |
| END OF PLAY. THE ACTORS BOW TO THE AUDIENCE. |
We have advice on the use of music in plays and particularly the music of the great classical composers and of film music. Have a listen !
