The wolf's story
To provide a simple Christmas presentation for very young children.
by Jan Edmunds
Suitable for Key Stage 1
Aims
To provide a simple Christmas presentation for very young children.
Preparation and materials
- This presentation is teacher led and its success depends upon the encouragement of plenty of movement and mime as the story unfolds. Involve all the class if possible.
- Costuming can be kept very simple. The wolves can have masks, preferably not covering the entire face, brown sweaters and tights with a fastened tail made from the stuffed leg of a pair of brown tights. Involve parents if they are keen.
- Individual teachers can use and develop this play as they wish. Older children could be encouraged to speak or be narrators. The arrival of the three kings could be added.
- The Wolf’s music from Peter and the Wolf by Prokofiev is very appropriate and could be used for dance movement or before the performance starts.
- Read through the story very carefully, select your characters and gather props and sound effects.
- Rehearsals will be necessary and placing is all-important.
Assembly
The Wolf’s Story – The play
This is the story of Mr Wolf and his family and their great adventure.
This is Mr Wolf.
Mr Wolf enters and bows to the audience.
See how he moves. He is very fierce.
Encourage suitable movement to background music.
He sleeps by day and hunts by night. You might just see him hunting by the light of the moon.
Mr Wolf exits.
Here come Mrs Wolf and her cubs.
They enter and bow to the audience.
They all live together on the hillside. They are always hungry.
Mrs Wolf lovingly strokes their heads, while the cubs lick their lips and rub their tummies as if famished.
They are listening and waiting for Mr Wolf to bring home their supper.
Wolf family exits.
Oh look, here come some shepherds.
Enter shepherds.
They are keeping watch over their flock of sheep. They are very cold.
Shepherds rub their hands together and blow on them.
They are gathering wood to make a fire to keep themselves warm and to frighten away the wild animals.
Actions.
What’s that over there? Why, it’s a little lamb! It looks as if it is lost and is very frightened.
Lamb enters, showing fear.
Here comes Mr Wolf. He is out hunting.
Mr Wolf enters, and sees the lamb.
Oh dear, he can see the little lamb. He’s creeping towards it! He’s going to pounce and catch it! Pause. A sudden flash of light and offstage crash of cymbals. The wolf runs away from the lamb to the side of the stage.
Thank goodness! The little lamb is safe, but what’s happening?
Enter angels. They spread their wings. The shepherds, the lamb and the wolf fall to their knees in fear.
Some angels appear.
To some suitable music, the angels dance around the shepherds, who get to their feet as the angels encourage them to get up.
The angels tell the shepherds about a special baby called Jesus, the promised one who has been born in Bethlehem. They say that if the shepherds want to see the baby for themselves they must follow the bright star.
The star enters. The angels point to it. ‘Twinkle, twinkle little star’ can be played or sung.
The shepherds agree to follow.
They nod their heads in agreement.
One stays to look after the sheep.
They wave goodbye to the one who is left.
They decide to take the little lamb as a gift for the baby.
They point to the lamb. Lamb gets up and follows them. The angels exit. The star beckons to the shepherds to follow. They do so, one holding Lamb by the hand.
Mr Wolf is left on stage.
The procession could come down through a gangway in the centre of the audience and proceed to the back of the room. Suitable music could be played here.
Mr Wolf is very excited. He rushes home to tell his family what he has seen.
He runs across the stage. Mrs Wolf and the cubs enter. He mimes telling them and they nod their approval to join him.
They all want to go to Bethlehem. They hurry to catch up with the shepherds and follow them at a safe distance. They all travel a long way. The wolves are nervous.
Actions.
When they get to Bethlehem, the town is full of unfamiliar sounds and smells.
Mime listening and smelling.
The wolves walk around the stage then go to the side and watch.
If you have the luxury of stage curtains the nativity scene can be assembled out of sight. If not, Mary and Joseph can enter and be seated at the centre back of the stage. Mary can carry ‘baby Jesus’.
Extra children dressed as farm animals could be introduced here.
Next come the angels, who form a semi-circle around them.
The star and the shepherds can reappear from the back of the room and make their way onto the stage.
A suitable carol can be used here.
The wolves watch as the shepherds go into the stable. There in the stable they can see Mary and Joseph and the baby Jesus. The shepherds bow down before them and place the little lamb in front of the baby as a gift.
Actions.
The little lamb curls up. It feels safe and warm at last.
Actions.
Mary thanks the shepherds for their gift.
The kings could be announced and enter here.
Mary notices the wolves in the shadows and beckons them to come into the stable.
Actions.
Everyone is afraid. They all start to tremble.
People tremble. The wolves bow in front of Mary.
Mary puts her hand out to Mr Wolf and pats his head. She is not afraid.
The onlookers show surprise.
She tells everyone that her son has been born to bring peace to the world and goodwill to all.
Mr Wolf and his family are so happy. They will never forget what they have seen. Let us be happy with them and celebrate by singing together ‘Away in a manger’. Let us wish you all a very happy Christmas.
The audience can join in singing the carol before the curtain falls or the rehearsed exit of characters from the stage. Music to finish and while the stage is cleared.
Song/music
‘Away in a manger’ and/or ‘Rise up shepherd’ (Come and Praise, 116)
