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Readers Theater:
A Caterpillars Voice
To Read Aloud in Class or to Perform
Based on a story retold by Elaine L. Lindy Adapted as a play script by Lindsay Parker

Characters: NARRATOR or NARRATORS

HARE CATERPILLAR JACKAL LEOPARD RHINOCEROS ELEPHANT FROG

ACT 1
NARRATOR or NARRATORS: [If one person is the NARRATOR, then that person introduces the play. If more than one person is a NARRATOR, then all of the NARRATORS together introduce the play.]

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NARRATOR or NARRATORS: This play is A Caterpillars Voice. It is a folk tale from Africa.Once upon a time in Africa there was a Hare. The Hare lived in a nice cave. One day when the Hare was away, a Caterpillar went into the Hares cave. HARE: I think it is a nice day for a walk. Maybe I will leave my cave and go visit a friend. [Hare exits.] [CATERPILLAR enters. It is good if CATERPILLAR can crawl.] CATERPILLAR: This seems like a very nice cave. This is nice. Maybe I will stay here. Oh, my! This cave has an echo. It makes my little voice sound big! NARRATOR or NARRATORS: HARE enters and looks around.

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HARE: What is going on here? It looks like someone is in my cave. (calls out) Who is in my cave? NARRATOR or NARRATORS: The caterpillar said in a big loud voice. CATERPILLAR: It is I! I am the biggest and strongest one of them all. HARE: Oh dear! How am I going to get back in my cave? NARRATOR or NARRATORS: The JACKAL arrives HARE: Oh Jackal, please help me. JACKAL: How do you need me to help? HARE: There is some big, strong animal in my cave. Can you try to get it out? JACKAL: Sure, I can try. (calls out) Who is in the cave of my friend, the Hare?

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NARRATOR or NARRATORS: Again the caterpillar said in a big loud voice. CATERPILLAR: It is I! I am the biggest and strongest of them all. JACKAL: Oh, Hare, I do not think I can help you. It sounds like you have a huge animal in your cave. Probably bigger than me. I must go now! Goodbye! NARRATOR or NARRATORS: The JACKAL went away and the LEOPARD arrived. HARE: Leopard, please stop and help me! LEOPARD: Sure. Whats the problem? HARE: There is a big animal in my cave. Can you get it out ? LEOPARD: Definitely. I am big and strong myself. (calls out) Who is in the cave of my friend, the Hare? NARRATOR or NARRATORS: Again the caterpillar said in a big loud voice. CATERPILLAR: It is I! I am the biggest and strongest one of them all.

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LEOPARD: Uh, oh. If that animal is the biggest and strongest, I do not want to think what he could do to me! I am sorry, Hare. I am out of here. NARRATOR or NARRATORS: The LEOPARD went away and the RHINOCEROS arrived. HARE: Oh please, Rhino, you have to help me. You are big and strong. RHINOCEROS: Oh thank you, I am. How can I help? HARE: There is something in my cave. I am scared. Can you help me? RHINOCEROS: Of course I can. I am glad that you came to me for help. Nothing scares me. (calls out) Who is in the cave of my friend, the Hare? NARRATOR or NARRATORS: Again the caterpillar said in a big loud voice. CATERPILLAR: It is I! I am the biggest and strongest of them all.

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HARE: Oh Rhinoceros, can you get it out? RHINOCEROS: Hare, I am your friend. And nothing scares me. Nothing, that is, except a big and loud voice in a cave! You need a bigger and stronger animal than me. Maybe an elephant? NARRATOR or NARRATORS: The ELEPHANT arrived. ELEPHANT: Did I hear you talking about me?

HARE: We were talking about how big and strong you are. ELEPHANT: What do you need? I can do anything. I am the biggest and strongest animal in the forest. HARE: There is something in my cave. Can you help get it out? ELEPHANT: Oh sure. Is that all? (calls out) Hey, who is in the cave of my friend, the Hare?

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NARRATOR or NARRATORS: Again the caterpillar said in a big loud voice. CATERPILLAR: It is I! I am the biggest and strongest of them all. ELEPHANT and RHINOCEROS: (screaming) AH! NARRATOR or NARRATORS: The ELEPHANT and RHINOCEROS run off. HARE: NOW what I am going to do? NARRATOR or NARRATORS: The FROG arrived. FROG: Hare, what is wrong? HARE: Oh, it is just terrible. I am trying to go inside my home, but there is something in my cave. It says it is the biggest and strongest one of them all. I do not know what to do! FROG: Have you tried calling to the thing in your cave? HARE: Oh yes. I tried. So did Jackal, Leopard, Rhinoceros and Elephant.

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FROG: What happened? HARE: All the other animals were scared and ran away. FROG: I know I am not as big as Jackal, Leopard, Rhino, or Elephant. Still, can I try, too? HARE: You can try. Please help me get this animal out of my cave! FROG: (calling out) Whos in the cave of my friend, Hare? I am the one who is the biggest and strongest of ALL the animals. Come outside this cave, right now! CATERPILLAR: Oh dear, what a loud voice! After all, I am just a Caterpillar. I am coming out. Please do not hurt me. NARRATOR or NARRATORS: The CATERPILLAR, crawls over to the animals, and stands up. HARE: What? All that time it was YOU in the cave?

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NARRATOR or NARRATORS: The JACKAL, LEOPARD, RHINOCEROS and ELEPHANT went back. JACKAL: Wow, it was only a caterpillar.

LEOPARD: Boy, he sure fooled us. CATERPILLAR: Oops. HARE: I cannot believe that you were all scared of a little caterpillar. :F ROG: I think you were scared too, Hare. HARE: No, no, not of Caterpillar. It was only that loud voice. RH: INOCEROS: You are right, Hare. How did such a little, tiny Caterpillar have such a loud voice? CATERPILLAR: Well, this cave was so cozy. And when I spoke, there was a wonderful echo! It made me feel BIG!

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NARRATOR or NARRATORS: The JACKAL, LEOPARD, RHINO, and ELEPHANT all frown at CATERPILLAR. They look mad. CATERPILLAR: Um, right now I think I will move on. [CATERPILLAR crawls off stage.] ELEPHANT: Can you believe it? All of us were scared of that small, little caterpillar! [All the animals laugh.] HARE: (pointing to FROG) All of us, that is, except one. NARRATOR or NARRATORS: And that was the story of the caterpillars voice.

THE END