Add a Little Dramatic Play to Learning
Short Fables
Play Scripts in Two Versions
present tense for ESL and advanced vocabulary
THE OAK AND THE REEDS
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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 |
Hear the Story as you read
NARRATOR
One autumn day, a storm blows through the forest
and over the stream.
OAK
I am the king of the forest. I can stand up against the wind!
REEDS
We are weak. We bend in the wind!
NARRATOR
Then the storm becomes a hurricane!
OAK
I am strong. I can still resist the wind!
The Oak falls to the ground.
NARRATOR
The large Oak falls into the stream between the Reeds.
REEDS
Oh no, look! The king of the forest is blown over by the wind.
OAK
You are still standing. I am on the ground. Why?
REEDS
(One at a time)
You are too proud, Mister Oak.
You fight against the strong and terrible winds. You are ruined.
We bend before the slightest breeze. Then we stay standing.
NARRATOR
The moral if the story : It is better to bend than to break.
NARRATOR
One autumn day, angry storm clouds rumbled overhead threatening the forest
and gentle stream with its wild winds.
OAK
(Boldly in a loud belligerent voice)
I am the king of the forest, tallest and strongest of all the inhabitants.
I can stand up against any wild wind this little storm throws at me!
REEDS
(Quietly but confidently)
We are slim and pliable. We don't need to fight the wild winds.
We can bend and sway!
NARRATOR
As the storm raged on, the terrible winds became more and more powerful, building to hurricane force!
OAK
(Leaning into the wind, shouting over the roar)
I'm strong and mighty. I won't bend!
I can resist the the force of these terrible winds!
Oak falls to the ground.
NARRATOR
Suddenly, with an ear-splitting crack,the haughty oak splashed into the stream between the waving reeds.
REEDS
Oh no, look! The king of the forest has been snapped like a twig!
He's been toppled by the power of those awful winds.
OAK
(Weakly from his prone position)
You are still standing. Here I lie broken and disgraced.
(Wailing) Why, oh why, should this happen to me?
REEDS
(One at a time)
You are too proud, Mister Oak. You fight too much against the mightier winds. Now you lie ruined at our feet. We know that it is not possible to withstand such forces so we sway and bend before the slightest breeze.
This way we remain standing.
NARRATOR
The moral if the story : It is better to bend than to break.
