The Red Ball and the Kind Guitar
2 chapters for 4 characters · about 5 minutes · told 1 time. The highlighted parts are filled in with your own characters when you make this story yours.
Chapter 1: The Ball Rolls Away
Afternoon sun on the park grass. ⟨Character 4⟩ the beagle trots past the fountain with his red ball held high in his mouth.
⟨Character 2⟩: Watch this one, ⟨Character 4⟩. Big swing coming. I’m going to send this stick all the way to the fountain and back.
⟨Character 1⟩: That stick is not a bat, Rohan. And your elbow is pointing the wrong way. I’m drawing a rocket. It has a curly smoke trail, see?
⟨Character 2⟩: Elbows are fine. ⟨Character 4⟩, catch. Catch, boy. Shake it good and proper.
⟨Character 4⟩ shakes his head hard. The red ball squirts out of his mouth and rolls fast over the grass, straight for the tall hedge.
⟨Character 2⟩: Whoa, whoa. It went in the hedge. Right in. ⟨Character 4⟩, come back, you’ll get your nose full of leaves.
⟨Character 1⟩: Rohan. Rohan, it rolled in deep. I saw it go. ⟨Character 4⟩ is pushing into the leaves and his tail is going wobbly.
⟨Character 2⟩: Then I’ll find it in one go. Watch and learn. One big search, nothing to it.
⟨Character 3⟩: And what is all this rustling about? Shopping bag down, both of you stay close. The sun is dropping already. ⟨Character 4⟩, leave those leaves be.
⟨Character 1⟩: ⟨Character 4⟩ lost his ball, Amma. It’s lost in the hedge. He kept shaking it and it flew right out of his mouth.
⟨Character 2⟩: Nothing. Leaves and twigs and one very old sweet wrapper. My knees are dusty and the ball is not here.
⟨Character 3⟩: Now where did I put my glasses. I had them at the shop, I had them at the gate. My pocket is empty, that’s for sure.
⟨Character 4⟩: Whine. Whine.
Deepak: A small red thing gone missing, is it? I’m Deepak. I play my guitar on this bench most days, so I know just where round things like to roll.
Chapter 2: A Soft Song and a Red Circle
Deepak: So tell me, what does this lost ball look like? Round and red, I’m guessing. I play here every day, so I know where round things roll.
⟨Character 1⟩: Like this. I drew a red circle. See, it’s round and it’s red. ⟨Character 4⟩ lost it in the bush and he is very sad about it.
Deepak: Then here is a little song to help us look. Plink, plink, plonk. Red ball, red ball, where did you go?
⟨Character 2⟩: That’s a good song. Play it again. ⟨Character 4⟩’s ears are going up and down like little flags.
⟨Character 3⟩: We must be quick, children. The light is going and my glasses are still hiding somewhere. Deepak, is the fountain far?
Deepak: Just there, past the bench. The children can look while you rest your feet. And you, small one, what do you see?
⟨Character 1⟩: I see the bush. The ball rolled in by that big branch, not this one. It went in right there, I watched it.
⟨Character 2⟩: On it. Fountain first. I’ll find it before the sun goes down.
Rohan kneels at the fountain bench and finds only a crumpled leaf. He sighs. ⟨Character 4⟩’s collar jingles as he catches up.
Deepak: Anything there? Have another look, small one. Take your time and tell me what you see under the bench.
Aanya looks hard at the shadows under the bench. Then she sees it, a red curve in the dark.
⟨Character 1⟩: There. Under the bench. A red curve. Rohan, reach in, it’s right there.
⟨Character 2⟩: Got it. It’s dusty and a bit damp. Thank you, Aanya. You saw it first, I should have listened.
⟨Character 3⟩: My glasses. They were in my shopping bag all along. Silly old me. Come here, both of you, sit down a minute.
The story is finished, and everyone is safe and warm. Goodnight, ⟨Character 1⟩. Goodnight, ⟨Character 2⟩. Goodnight, ⟨Character 3⟩. Goodnight, ⟨Character 4⟩. Goodnight, Deepak.
A question for tonight
Do you remember a time when something got lost and someone kind helped you find it, Aanya and Rohan?