The lazy people of Chilhurst
-drama reading

Henk van Oort

FOCUS: Listening, speaking.

AGE: 10 - 12 yrs

DURATION: Introduction 30 minutes. Performance: 5 minutes.

MATERIALS: None, though some dressing-up may heighten the effect.

PREPARATION: Make copies of the text below for each child.

RATIONALE: In this mini-play individual pupils get a chance to speak the target language.

PROCEDURE:
Give each pupil a copy of the text.
Read the whole text aloud.
Explain new vocabulary
Give twelve pupils the twelve separate roles.
Either you or a pupil reads the connecting lines.

THE LAZY PEOPLE OF CHILHURST

The lazy people of Chilhurst didn't know how to work anymore. They simply forgot. They idled away their days. One day they decided to have a peaceful party. Not on the ground but a party in the air. So they all went into a plane. None of them had ever flown before. They had a wonderful flight over their village. Everybody was in the plane: the butcher, the carpenter, the grocer, the greengrocer, the doctor, the nurse, the gardener, the baker, the florist, the milkman, the plumber.

It was beautiful weather. Lazily they looked out of the windows. Yawning sometimes. Everything could be seen: the houses, the fields, the streets, the river, the church, everything. Then, suddenly, it happened. Because of the beautiful sight up there, they saw everything anew and they got, each in turn, fresh ideas:

The butcher looked down and said: 'I see fat pigs in the field. I'll make some good sausages from them'.
The carpenter looked down and said: 'I see strong beautiful trees. I'll make some chairs from them'.
The grocer looked down and said: 'I see a good shed down there. I will turn it into a new shop'.
The greengrocer looked down and said: 'I see a field of potatoes. I'll sell them next week'.
The doctor looked down and said: 'I see a sick man lying in his back garden. I'll visit him tonight.
The nurse looked down and said: 'I'll come with you doctor and lend you a hand if you like'.
The gardener looked down and said: 'I see an untidy garden. I'll start working there tomorrow'.
The baker looked down and said: 'I see fields of good wheat. I'll turn it into loaves of tasty bread'.
The florist looked down and said: 'I see many yellow flowers. I'll cut them and sell them in my shop'.
The milkman looked down and said: 'I see three cows. I'll sell their milk to my clients.
The plumber looked down and said: 'I see a leaking tap. I'll go and repair it straightaway'.

All passengers were up their feet by now and shouting to one another about their plans. Even the plane shook like mad.

The newspaper boy looked up and said: 'I see a strange plane up in the sky. I'll report this immediately!

After the flight they had their feet firmly on the ground again and they all went back to work.