The Umbrella

Reader's Theater Play

 

Papa: Hey, little Carlos, where are you going with that umbrella?


Carlos: Into the cloud forest, Papa, to see what I can see. I will look for a jaguar, a monkey, a toucan, a kinkajou, and a tapir.


Papa: Good luck, Carlos.


Narrator 1: Carlos walks into the cloud forest. It is silent.


Narrator 2: Drip, drip, drip.


Carlos: I’ll have to climb up for a better look.


Narrator 1: Carlos drops his umbrella.


Narrator 2: He climbs up the fig tree.


Narrator 1: Drip, drip, drip. A little puddle grows in the umbrella.


Narrator 2: A tiny tree frog leaps down and slips into the water.


Froggy: Hello. I have this puddle all to myself.


Narrator 1: He slips into the water.


Narrator 2: Only his eyes show.


Narrator 1: Plop! A ripe fig falls into the umbrella.


Narrator 2: Froggy sees Toucan’s sharp beak.


Froggy: Go away!


Narrator 1: Toucan does not move.


Narrator 2: He waits for another fig to fall.


Narrator 1: Scratch…scratch…scratch! Something slides down the tree.


Narrator 2: It gets louder and louder until THUMP! Kinkajou falls in.


Froggy: You’re too big!


Toucan: You can’t stay here!


Narrator 1: Kinkajou gets comfortable.


Narrator 2: After looking all night for food, he has a place to rest.


Narrator 1: Thump! Crash! Thump!


Narrator 2: Baby Tapir blunders into the green umbrella.


Baby Tapir: Mama!


Froggy, Toucan and Kinkajou: She’s not here!


Narrator 1: The umbrella’s shiny green leaves shiver and shake.


Narrator 2: Baby Tapir is staying here until his mother comes for him.


Narrator 1: Swish! Swish! A pretty bird sails down on the umbrella handle.


Narrator 2: Quetzal looks down at Froggy, Toucan, Kinkajou, and Baby Tapir rocking back and forth.


Froggy, Toucan,  Kinkajou and Baby Tapir
: Fly away.


Narrator 1
: But Quetzal is too busy to listen to them.


Narrator 2: Suddenly, Monkey jumps down.


Narrator 1: He grabs the umbrella, flings it into the water and jumps in.


Froggy: What is going on?


Narrator 2: Water starts to pour into the umbrella.


Toucan, Kinkajou, Baby Tapir, and Quetzal: We will sink! That monkey doesn’t think before he acts.


Froggy: Who’s sitting on me?


Kinkajou: Stop poking your beak into me.


Baby Tapir: Blaaht!


Quetzal
: You’re getting my feathers all wet.


Narrator 1: Jaguar is cleaning his silky black spots.


Narrator 2: He hears everyone and looks up.


Narrator 1
: The umbrella floats by, he jumps in and makes it sink even deeper into the water.


Narrator 2: The animals move out of his way.


Froggy: No problem.


Froggy, Toucan, Kinkajou, Baby Tapir, and Quetzal: Be our guest!


Narrator 1: Just don’t eat us up! is what they think.


Narrator 2
: Hummingbird flies by. He sees the big green umbrella handle sticking up. He wants to stop for a little rest.


Narrator 1: As he is about to land, they all start shouting.


Jaguar: No room!


Monkey: Move on!


Quetzal: Find another place!


Kinkajou: We got here first!


Toucan: Stay away!


Baby Tapir: Blaaaht!


Froggy: Good – bye!


Narrator 2
: But Hummingbird lands anyway.


Narrator 1 and 2
: KER-SPLASH!


Narrator 1
: The umbrella tumbles over and everyone falls out.


Narrator 2: The animals crawl up the bank as the umbrella pops to the top of the water and floats back to the shore.


Narrator 1
: Up in the giant fig tree, Carlos looks out at the sea.


Carlos
: No animals today. I wonder where they all are.


Narrator 2: He climbs down, picks up his umbrella and walks home.


Narrator 1: The sun shines on the umbrella and Carlos sees the shape of the tree frog.


Carlos
: Hey, little froggy, come with me tomorrow and I’ll show you some animals. I’m going to find them for sure.


Narrator 2: Carlos props the umbrella outside the door.


Narrator 1
: Drip, drip, drip. Water falls from the roof.


Narrator 2: Froggy slides down the handle and slips into the water.


Froggy: Hello! I have this puddle all to myself.

 

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