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$KATE\'S BIOG$

$BOB\'S BIOGRAPHY$

DRAMATISATIONS

When I was young we often had ‘reading round the class’ which was, if you could read well, quite enjoyable. I suppose it encouraged some kids to pick up a book, but most of us learned to read through comics. Comics in the Forties and Fifties contained stories with usually just one picture. The stories were exciting and we needed little encouragement to read them, as we were eager to find out what happened to Wilson the Wonder Athlete, or Strang the Terrible, their previous adventures having ended on cliff hangers which left us speculating on the outcomes for a week.

I don’t remember the ‘reading round the class’ ever being developed into a dramatisation, but I’m sure some adventurous teachers took what seems the inevitable step. Taking part in a dramatisation, paying attention to emphasis, pitch, tone, tempo, characterisation and all the other aspects of speaking and listening, can be invaluable. I encourage children to add things to the dramatisations, such as extra pieces of dialogue or description, and even additional scenes or extra characters.

The text and dramatic versions here will soon be joined by audio tellings. It’s important for the children to realise that each of these three versions tell the same story. After they have read, heard and acted the story, they are beginning to appreciate that stories can change yet remain the same, that there is no ‘right’ nor ‘wrong’ way to tell a story. Experiencing the same tale in three different ways may also help their creativity and inventiveness.

The first story, "Fish in the Forest", is an old folktale with which many Russain children will be familiar. The illustrations are by Jed Pascoe.

FISH IN THE FOREST

Natasha and Ivan were very poor.

They lived in a simple hut in Russia, where Ivan worked for the Baron, a cruel man who paid his workers very little and would beat them whenever he felt like it.

One day Natasha was walking in the forest looking for firewood when she banged her toe on something. Looking down, she found it was the top of a pot buried in the ground. When she scraped away the dirt in the top of the pot she found that it was full of gold coins!

She dug out the pot and took it home. Knowing that the baron would take her pot if he knew about it she dug a hole in the floor and buried it. After putting back the earth she walked over it until no-one could know that it was there.

By the time Ivan came in from work Natasha was so excited, thinking of all the things they could do with the gold, that she couldn’t wait to tell him.

At first he didn’t believe her, but eventually she convinced him that she really had found a pot of gold.

“Where is it?” he asked.

“I buried it under the floor. It’s right where you are sitting!”

He jumped up and moved his chair, peering at the floor.

“I’ll dig it up” he said excitedly.

“No you won’t, it can stay there. Nothing will happen to it if no-one else knows”

After his meal, Ivan said “I’ll just go round to see Boris, maybe have a game of chess”

“You won’t mention our treasure, will you?”

“No, of course not. That’s our secret”

But when he had gone, Natasha began to worry. She knew that Ivan wouldn’t be able to keep the secret. He would try to do so, but when he’d had a couple of drinks it would all come out.

So she dug up the pot, and took it round to the back of the hut where they had some chickens. Digging another hole, she buried the pot, covered it with earth, and threw corn over it. The chickens scrabbled around picking up the corn, and no-one would know there was anything buried there.

When Ivan came home, a little drunk, Natasha said “You didn’t tell Boris about the gold, did you?”

“No, of course not. Thas … Thas our gold. Didn’t say nothin’”

A few minutes later the door burst open and the baron strode into the hut.

“Where’s the gold?” he barked.

Natasha looked at Ivan, and said “Pardon Sir? I’m not sure what you mean”

“You know very well what I mean. You found some gold in the forest today, and buried it under this floor. Where is it?”

“I’m sorry your honour” said Natasha. “I don’t know what you’re talking about”

“Get outside, you two” shouted the baron. He called in his men and told them to dig up the floor.

After they had dug and dug for an hour, there was a great hole where the floor had been, but no gold.

“I’ll come back in the morning” snarled the baron. “If the gold isn’t here waiting for me, I’ll hae you both flogged”.

When he’d gone Ivan turned on Natasha and said “Now look at the trouble we’re in! All because of that silly story about finding a pot of gold. I was stupid for believing you”

“You were stupid for telling Boris. If you’d kept the secret we wouldn’t be in this mess. Anyway, we’ve got to get the earth back into the hut, so we can have somewhere to live. You take that shovel and I’ll use this one”

It was the middle of the night before all the soil was back in the hut.

“You’ve got to go to work tomorrow, you’d better get some sleep” said Natasha. Ivan lay down on the bed and was soon snoring. When she was sure he was fully asleep, Natasha went to the cupboard, put all their food into her basket, and went out of the hut.

It was becoming light when she returned, and shook Ivan awake.

“Come along Ivan, we’ve got to go and get some food”

“There’s some in the cupboard” protested Ivan.

“No there isn’t, the cupboard is empty” Ivan went to the cupboard and was surprised to find nothing in there.

“Come along” she snapped. “Hurry up. “we’ll go into the forest to get some fish”

“What do you mean? You get fish from the river!”

“Don’t be silly. The fish grow in the forest”.

“That’s ridiculous. Anybody knows that fish come from the river”

“I don’t know how you would know where anything comes from. You always leave that to me. Fish grow in the forest, on fish bushes”

By now they had reached a clearing surrounded by bushes, on several of which lay a fish.

Ivan stuttered “There are fish … fish … on the … the bushes!”

“Of course there are” said Natasha. “This is where all the women come for fish. Put them in the basket, and then come with me to the cake tree”

Soon Ivan was looking in wonderment at a small tree, with cakes on the branches.

“There are …” he began.

“Yes, of course there are” said Natasha. “There are cakes on the cake tree”

When Ivan had collected the cakes she said “Now come with me to the river, to see if we’ve caught a rabbit”

This time he didn’t protest, and when they reached the river he saw a stick pushed into the river bank, with a string leading down into the water.

Natasha pulled the string and out came a rabbit.

“There’s a rabbit ….”

“Yes. Where else would you expect to catch rabbits? Come on, let’s go back home”

They hadn’t been back many minutes when the baron burst in again.

“Well?” he said to Natasha. “Where is the gold?”

“I really don’t know what you’re talking about, your honour”

The baron turned to Ivan “I’m losing my temper, and when I lose my temper I do terrible things! We know she didn’t hide the gold in here, so where do you think it might be?”

Ivan was shaking with fear, and said.

“Somewhere else”

“Of course it’s somewhere else you idiot. But where?”

“Maybe near the fish bushes” blurted Ivan. “Or perhaps under the cake tree. Or on the river bank, where you fish for rabbits”

What are you talking about?” shouted the baron.

“In the forest, where the fish grow on bushes, or where cakes grow on the tree, or…”

“Are you trying to make a fool out of me?” roared the baron. Turning to Natasha he said “What’s he talking about?”

She shook her head, and put her finger to her temple, to show that she thought Ivan was mad.

The baron backed away, not wanting to be close to someone who was insane. “You’re crazy, do you know that. Mad! I’m not having crazy people working for me. Get out of this place, and get off my land. And don’t ever come back” and he left the hut and strode off with his men.

“Now what will we do?” Ivan wailed. “I’ve lost my job and we’ve lost our home. We’ll starve, or freeze to death, or both”

“No we won’t” said Natasha. “You go and borrow Boris’s cart, and put our furniture on it. I’ll get the chickens onto my cart”

“And then what do we do?”

“We’ll go to stay with my sister over the hill”

“I don’t like your sister!”

“And she doesn’t like you, but that’s where we’re going, so get Boris’s cart and hurry up about it”

When Ivan had gone to see Boris, Natasha put the chickens in their cages on her cart. And when she’d done that, she put something else on the cart. What do you think it was?

Copyright Bob Wilkins 2007

The same story, dramatised for use in the classroom

FISH IN THE FOREST

Natasha is walking along a forest path.

NATASHA Aaaagh, my toe! What’s that. Oh, it’s a pot. If it isn’t broken it could make a good cooking pot. It’s very heavy, whatever can be in it? Gold coins! GOLD! I’d better take it home. I mustn’t let the baron see it, he’ll take it away from me.

Late evening in their hut.

IVAN Is the food ready? I’m almost too tired to eat. The Baron’s been working us like dogs, he’s never satisfied.

NATASHA I found something today, in the forest.

IVAN What

NATASHA A big pot.

IVAN That’s nice.

NATASHA Full of gold.

IVAN Oh yes, I’m sure, with lots of diamonds too. That sort of thing

doesn’t happen to people like us.

NATASHA It happened to me.

IVAN What do you mean, it happened to you?

NATASHA The pot. It was full of gold coins. Right up to the top. Hundreds of them.

IVAN What did you do with it?

NATASHA I brought it home of course.

IVAN Where is it?

NATASHA I buried it, in the floor, just where you’re sitting.

IVAN Under me! Just here? A real pot of gold? You’re not pretending?

NATASHA No, I’m not. It seemed sensible to hide it. You know what will happen if the baron finds out about it. At first I thought it was just a pot that I could use for cooking. Then I realised it was full. Of gold!

IVAN I’ll dig it out, I want to see it!

NATASHA No, no. It’s all right where it is. It won’t get any bigger and it won’t get any less. Let’s just leave it there until we decide what we’re going to do.

IVAN What are we going to do?

NATASHA Well just think, we’re rich. It will make an incredible difference to our lives. We’ll be able to leave here, and you won’t need to work for that terrible man any more.

IVAN Not work for the baron? I thought I’d have to work for him for the rest of my life!

NATASHA So did I, but not now. Have your meal, and then we’ll make some plans.

IVAN What do you think we can do with it? Will there be enough to get a place of our own?

NATASHA I’m sure there will. Maybe we could even buy a little farm.

IVAN We won’t need to have just cabbage any more, will we?

NATASHA We’ll be able to have whatever we like. We’ll even be able to have meat sometimes.

IVAN I think I’ll just go and see Boris for a little while.

NATASHA Why are you going to see Boris?

IVAN Just to have a drink, that’s all.

NATASHA You won’t say anything will you, about the gold. I know what you’re like, you can’t keep a secret. I wish I hadn’t told you now.

IVAN You don’t need to bother about that. We’ve got to keep it a secret. I won’t be long.

NATASHA Please don’t say anything. Don’t tell Boris about the gold.

IVAN I’ve said I won’t say anything. Of course I won’t tell him. Goodbye.

NATASHA He will tell him. I know he will. He won’t mean to, but when he’s had a couple of drinks he’ll get Boris to promise not to say anything, and then he’ll tell him. Keeping a secret is very hard to do, and Ivan hasn’t got much will power. So what shall I do? If the Baron finds out, we’ll lose the gold. I know, I’ll dig it up and bury it in the hen house, out at the back.

Very late in the evening

NATASHA Oh, it’s you Ivan, I can see you’ve had a drink, perhaps several. You didn't say anything to Boris did you? About the gold?

IVAN No, I didn't.

NATASHA Are you sure?

IVAN Of course I'm sure, I didn't say anything to Boris.

Later, as they are lying in bed

NATASHA What’s that noise outside, oh no, it’s the baron! Wake up Ivan, get out

of bed quickly. He’s coming in!

BARON Right, where's the gold? Come on woman, tell me where the gold is.

NATASHA Gold? I’m sorry your Honour, I don't know what you're talking about.

BARON Oh yes, you do. You found a pot of gold this morning and you buried it in here. Tell me exactly where you buried it.

NATASHA I am sorry your Honour, but I really don't know about any gold.

BARON Get out of here, both of you. You men, dig up this whole place, I want that pot of gold. Keep digging until you find it.

After the men have dug a deep hole

CHIEF DIGGER I’m sorry, your excellency, but there’s nothing here.

BARON So, you’ve hidden it somewhere else. I shall come back in the morning. Make sure that gold is ready for me to collect then or you’ll be very sorry.

IVAN Has he gone? Now what are we going to do? I’ll lose my job, because of this silly story about finding some gold. What can we do?

NATASHA The first thing we can do is shovel all the soil back into this hole, so that we have a hut to live in.

IVAN I don’t know why you caused all this trouble.

NATASHA There wouldn’t have been any trouble if you hadn’t told Boris

Very early next morning

NATASHA I mustn’t wake Ivan. What have we got in the food cupboard? I’ll take it with me.

She leaves the hut quietly, returning somewhat later, but still before dawn

NATASHA Ivan, Ivan wake up. I want you to help me collect some food before you go to work.

IVAN What, what? Don’t you know I’m exhausted? There's food in the cupboard anyway.

NATASHA No, there isn't

IVAN There was, yesterday. Let me show you. Oh, it’s empty. I don't know where the food's gone.

NATASHA Well, it's gone so come along. We're going to get some more. We'll go to the forest for some fish.

IVAN You don't go to the forest for fish, you go to the river for fish.

NATASHA We go to the forest for fish. You've never done it. You've always left if for me to do, but all the women go to the forest for fish, so follow me.

IVAN This is ridiculous, going into the forest to get fish.

NATASHA Here we are! It’s good that no-one has been here before us. We can

take all the fish that are ready. Then some more will grow on the fish bushes.

IVAN There … there are ….er ….. fish on these bushes!

NATASHA Of course there are fish on the bushes! I told you this is where the women come for fish. Put them in the basket and then we’ll go and have a look at the cake tree.

IVAN The cake tree! What on earth is a cake tree?

NATASHA It’s the tree where the cakes grown. You really are being very silly

about this. Have you never wondered where food comes from?

IVAN There are cakes on that tree!

NATASHA Of course there are cakes on that tree. There are always cakes on a cake tree. Put them in the basket, and then we’ll go to the river and see if we've caught a rabbit.

IVAN We’re going ….

NATASHA Oh shut up, Ivan. You’re beginning to annoy me. Now, here we are.

I think we may have got one. Pull that piece of string out of the water.

IVAN There’s a rabbit on the other end of it!

NATASHA Of course there is. You silly man! Come along.

IVAN I’ll put this food in the cupboard. Oh dear, I can hear the baron.

NATASHA He wants the gold.

BARON Right, come along, where's the gold? This is your last chance.

NATASHA I…. I ….. I don't know what you're talking about your honour. I am so sorry but I don't understand anything about any gold.

BARON Right Ivan. You know she got some gold. Where do you think she may have hidden it?

IVAN It could be …… it could be near the fish bushes.

BARON The fish bushes?

IVAN Yes, the bushes where the fishes grow. They grow on top of the bushes you see. We’ve just collected these.

BARON The fish grow on top of the bushes, do they?

IVAN Yes. Or she may have buried the gold near the cake tree.

BARON And what is a cake tree?

IVAN It's the tree where we got these. Cakes grow on the branches of the

tree.

BARON I see. Cakes grow on the branches of a tree.

IVAN Yes. Or it might be down by the river where she fishes for rabbits. It's probably one of those three places.

BARON Fishes for rabbits did you say. Down by the river?

IVAN Yes. You put your fishing line in the water and if you're lucky you could catch a rabbit. In the river.

BARON What is he talking about?

NATASHA I don’t know, your worship. He’s been saying strange things for a while now.

BARON I see. You're trying to make a fool out of me, aren't you? You think I'm an idiot and that I'll believe all this nonsense about fish bushes and cake trees and fishing for rabbits in the river. Well I'm not a fool. But I am very angry and I am going to tell you what to do. You're going to leave this house. You're going to leave my land. You've lost your job and I never want to see you again. And I am going to give you just one hour to get out of here. So go!

IVAN Now look what you've done! I've lost my job. We've lost our home. Winter’s coming on and we’re going to freeze to death.

NATASHA No we're not. We'll go and stay with my sister.

IVAN I don't like your sister!

NATASHA I don't care whether you like her or not. That's what we’re going to do. You go and borrow your good friend Boris's cart to carry our bits of furniture.

IVAN Boris, lend me your cart, will you?

BORIS Why?

IVAN We’re leaving. The baron’s thrown us out. Because of all that nonsense about the gold. It was all a joke, there wasn’t any gold at all. I need a cart to put our furniture on.

BORIS How will I get it back?

IVAN I’ll bring it back tomorrow. We’re only going over the hill, to stay with Natasha’s sister.

BORIS I thought you didn’t like her sister.

IVAN I don’t, but I don’t feel like arguing just now.

NATASHA Ah good, you've got the cart. When you've put the furniture in it, you can go and get the chickens.

IVAN What are you going to do with that shovel?

NATASHA Just a bit of digging Ivan, just a bit of digging.

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