Add a Little Dramatic Play to Learning
Short Fables
Play Scripts in Two Versions
present tense for ESL and advanced vocabulary
THE FROGS WHO WANT A KING
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Download PDF Files |
The Ant and the Grasshopper The Crow and The Fox and The Fox and The Hare and |
The Farmer The Ant and The Frogs Who The Milkmaid The Oak and the Reeds |
The Lark and Her Young Ones The Frog and The Bundle of The North Wind The Bat, the Birds and the Beasts |
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Hear the Story as you read
NARRATOR
The Frogs are at war with each other.
BLUE FROGS
Blue! Blue! We are blue! We are best!
GREEN FROGS
Green! Green! We are green! We are best!
NARRATOR
However, many Frogs wanted peace and order.
They went to Jupiter, the King of the Sky.
SPOTTED FROGS
O grand Jupiter! Give us a king who will tell us what to do.
JUPITER
Silly Frogs! Here is your King!
NARRATOR
He throws a tree trunk down into the marsh.
BLUE and GREEN FROGS
It is only the trunk of a tree. Bah!
BLUE FROGS
Blue! Blue! We are blue! We are best!
GREEN FROGS
Green! Green! We are green! We are best!
NARRATOR
The Spotted Frogs complain to Jupiter.
SPOTTED FROGS
This log king does nothing. We want a real King
who will give us the law!
NARRATOR
Jupiter gets angry because the Frogs are all crazy.
JUPITER
Here is a Stork, a hungry ruler!
NARRATOR
The Stork immediately begins to swallow the Frogs.
STORK
Gulp. Gulp. Mmmm, yummy little Frogs. I will try a blue one.
FROGS
Oh no! Alas! Help us, Jupiter!
JUPITER
No! You must live with your new ruler.
This is what you demand from me!
NARRATOR
The moral of the story: Better no rule than cruel rule.
NARRATOR
The frogs in the pond had been living together for years.
Sometimes they would get huffy with one another and have their disagreements.
BLUE FROGS
(Chanting)
Blue! Blue!
We are blue!
We're the best,
Much better than you!
GREEN FROGS
(Chanting)
Green! Green!
We are green!
We're the meanest
You've ever seen!
NARRATOR
However, many frogs were peace-loving and and were annoyed by the silliness
of the other frogs. They sent a delegation to Jupiter, King of the Sky.
SPOTTED FROGS
O grand Jupiter, give us a king who will keep us all in order and tell us how to live.
JUPITER
(Annoyed)
Foolish frogs! Why are you bothering me with this nonsense? Here is your king!
NARRATOR
In disgust, Jupiter hurled a chunk of dead tree trunk down into the marsh.
BLUE and GREEN FROGS
(Hopping around on the trunk)
Why, it's nothing more than a clunky brainless trunk of a tree.
Bah! Jupiter duped you, Spotted Frogs!
BLUE FROGS (Chanting)
Blue! Blue!
We are blue!
We're the best,
Much better than you!
GREEN FROGS
(Chanting)
Green! Green!
We are green!
We're the meanest
You've ever seen!
NARRATOR
In frustration, Spotted Frogs sent another group to lodge their complaint
with Jupiter.
SPOTTED FROGS
This lunk-head log king made a big splash when he arrived, but he's done
nothing since. We want a real king who will lay down the law!
NARRATOR
Jupiter was irked by the ridiculous demands made by the group.
JUPITER
All right, here is wise Stork. He is hungry to rule over you!
NARRATOR
Stork relishes his new job and immediately begins to swallow his subjects,
diminishing his kingdom daily.
STORK
Gulp. Gulp. Mmmm, a yummy little froggy stew.
(Chanting)
Blue! Blue!
Some are blue!
They're the best,
Much better than you!
Green! Green!
You are green!
You're the toughest
And way too lean!
Spotted! Spotted!
Little polka-dotted!
Was it was for me
You planned and plotted?
FROGS
Oh no! Alas! Help us Jupiter! You must rein in King Stork.
His reign is so cruel that our lives are flashing before our eyes!
JUPITER
No going back! You must live ... and die ... with your new ruler.
Is this not what you demanded from me?
NARRATOR
The moral of the story: Be careful what you ask for.
