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India - The Hare that Ran Away Teller's Notes   Print Story 

The Hare That Ran Away - Teller's Notes

Story Adapted by Mike Lockett, The Normal Storyteller

 

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Notes created by Dr. Lockett to assist novice storytellers in sharing this audience participation tale.  The notes are meant to accompany the original script of the story and are not complete on their own. 

Once upon a time there was a very timid and nervous hare.  Teller should wiggle nose and move head looking back and forth

One day as Miss Hare was nibbling on some grass, a large piece of fruit fell from a branch in a tree nearby.  Clap open hands together to make loud noise

The little hare was already nervous and looked up at the sky.  "Oh no," she said when she heard the sound.  "The sky is falling."  Teller should look frightened.

She ran away as fast as she could go snap fingers rapidly in alternating pattern to make a running sound and ran into old brother hare.  stop snapping "Where are you running to?" he asked Miss Hare.

The smaller hare said, "I can't stop and talk.  The sky is falling, and I am running away.  Begin snapping again

Off he ran telling every hare he came to.  That was a lot of hares!  The woods were filled with them. "The sky is falling," he told them all.  One by one, they began running around and all started saying, "The sky is falling!" begin tapping one finger against palm of opposite hand to represent one hare running - 8 beats per measure, add a second tapping finger, third, fourth, then begin clapping all four fingers in your open palm

Soon, there were thousands of hares, and all of them were running around saying, "The sky is falling."  Begin patting hands on thighs to represent many hares running.

All of the larger animals could not help but notice how thousands of hares were running around shouting, "The sky is falling.  Soon the larger animals began to repeat what they had heard and also started to run around.  Continue patting hands on thighs and begin to stamp feet while still sitting to resemble running sound. 

First it was the deer, then the sheep, then the wild boar, then the camel, then the tiger, then the elephant.  Sound should be loudest when elephant runs

The crowds of animals all ran past wise old Lion.  "STOP!" Move hands with palms to floor to make "SAFE" motion like in game of baseball, and stop all noises

"Repeat after me," the Lion said.  "The sky is NOT falling."

Encourage listeners to repeat the lines "The sky is NOT falling," throughout the rest of the story by pausing and using hand gestures to encourage the listeners to join in. 

Teller can encourage listeners to repeat the last phrase of the story a second time.  "The sky is not falling.  The sky is not falling.  The sky is not falling in.  It's time to go home!"