Coyote Steals the Summer

This 15 minute musical play can be done as a complete play, skits, read-aloud, or you can just sing songs. Bring multiculturalism into your classroom with this short and engaging activity. No music or drama experience needed. Grades K-3.

Once it was winter all of the time...

Summer was trapped in a bag inside a tipi at the snow's edge (a very, very long long way from here). This Native American tale tells how Coyote brings summer to the world and earns his famous gift of trickery as a reward. Our fifteen minute musical version of this delightful story from the Crow Nation is designed especially for K-third grade.

Coyote Steals the Summer is a great complement to your curriculum resources in elementary language arts.

"I love this show. The music is so singable and the story is fun. When kids leave for middle school they often say one of the things they remember the most was being in a play or performing on stage. The kids love this. It helps them develop confidence and self-worth. And the parents love it."

---Rebecca Anderson, Teacher (K-3), Abia Judd Elementary, Prescott, AZ

"All the students were involved on the stage---everyone had a part. The children enjoyed performing and are still singing the songs on bus trips. They had fun."

---June Dudding, Teacher (1st grade), Margaret Leary Elementary, Butte, MT

"My students loved it -- they wanted to perform over and over. I really appreciate the way your shows reinforce ideas and concepts that we are studying. We do thematic based units at my school, and so many of the topics are done in your play. There is nothing disappointing about about any of your work in my opinion. Just keep doing more!"

---Ann Burk, Teacher, (1st grade), Montana City School, Montana City, MT

Casting

Flexible casting from 11-40 students.
Use as many Sky Spirits, Oak Trees, etc. as desired.
One student can easily play several roles if needed. Note that all roles
can be played by either boys or girls; see our comments on page 31
of the Teacher's Guide.

Script

This is the first one-third of the script:

CHARACTERS:

Storytellers
Sky Spirits
Coyote
Oak Trees
Rabbits
Foxes
Eagles
Tipi Folk
Chorus (comprised of all students who are not playing their role
on stage at that moment)

STORYTELLER 1: Once it was winter all the time. Most of the earth
was covered with snow, and the animals were cold and hungry.

STORYTELLER 2: The Sky Spirits knew that summer was kept locked
up in a bag at the edge of the snow.

STORYTELLER 3: They needed someone to bring summer to the world,
and so they turned to Coyote for help.

(We see the COYOTE enter, shivering, walking slowly. After a few
moments, from the side of the stage we hear the SKY SPIRITS:)

SKY SPIRITS: Coyote, oh Coyote!

COYOTE: Who's there?

SKY SPIRITS: We are the sky spirits. This eternal winter must end.
Will you help us?

COYOTE: What can I do?

SKY SPIRITS: You must steal summer.

COYOTE: Steal summer? I'm tired of being cold, but that sounds hard!

SKY SPIRITS (entering): Yes, but think what great honor you will earn.

Song 1

SKY SPIRITS:
If you steal summer
Think how famous you will be
You'll be known as clever and smart
You'll turn sneakiness into an art.

COYOTE: I don't know if I can...

SKY SPIRITS:
If you steal summer
Think how honored you will be
You'll be respected for tricks that you play
We guarantee fame is coming your way!

You will be the stuff of legend
You're gonna have such fame
Everyone'll want your autograph
Everyone'll know your name.

CHORUS:
Coyote! Coyote!

SKY SPIRITS: Everyone will sing
Coyote! Coyote!
It's got that certain ring.
Coyote! Coyote!
Everyone will sing
Coyote! Coyote!
It's got that certain ring.

COYOTE: Well, I guess maybe I could...

SKY SPIRITS:
If you steal summer
Think how famous you will be
You'll be known as clever and smart
You'll turn sneakiness into an art.

SKY SPIRITS and CHORUS:
You will be the stuff of legend
You're gonna have such fame
Everyone'll want your autograph
Everyone'll know your name.

Coyote! Coyote!
Everyone will sing
Coyote! Coyote!
It's got that certain ring.
Coyote! Coyote!
Everyone will sing
Coyote! Coyote!
It's got that certain ring.
It's got that certain ring.

COYOTE: Yes, I'll do it! I can't wait to be clever!

SKY SPIRITS: Then you must go to the far edge of the forest. There
live the Tipi Folk, the people who keep the summer tied to one of the
poles of their tipi. Good luck. They are very clever, and no one has ever
been able to steal summer from them. (exit)

COYOTE: I can't wait to try my tricks on them.

OAKS (entering): On who?

COYOTE: Who said that?

OAKS: We did, the oak trees. We're so tired of it being winter all the time.
Are you really going to steal summer? Are you that clever? Could it be that
we will feel the warm sunshine on our bark?

Song 2

OAKS:
We are old oaks but we're shaking with glee
You won't discover a happier tree
Please steal the summer as fast as you can
Tell us the details of your clever plan.
Tell us the details of your clever plan.

COYOTE (Spoken-trying hard to think): Um...

OAKS (excited): Yeah?

COYOTE: Um...

OAKS: Yeah?

COYOTE (trying to explain): I'm thinking about it.

OAKS (disappointed): Oh.

OAKS:
We are old oaks and we still have some hope
Let's pray coyote here isn't a dope
You bring the sun and then we'll make the shade
Tell us exactly what plans you have made.
Tell us exactly what plans you have made.

COYOTE (still trying hard to think): Um...

OAKS (excited): Yeah?

COYOTE: Um...

OAKS: Yeah?

COYOTE (desperate): Give me some more time.

OAKS (disappointed): Oh.

OAKS and CHORUS:
We are old oaks and things don't look so good
Go ahead chop us down use us for wood
Build a big campfire for all of the folk
Our dreams of summer have gone up in smoke.
Our dreams of summer have gone up in smoke.

(RABBITS, FOXES, and EAGLES enter, all shivering)

RABBITS, FOXES, EAGLES: Why do you look so glum, Coyote?

COYOTE: Oh, hello animals. I'm supposed to steal summer, but I have
no idea how. Would you help me?

RABBITS, FOXES, EAGLES: We'd love to help. Will you let us? We're
so cold and tired of it being winter all the time. Wouldn't it be great to
have summer!

Song 3

RABBITS :
We are white rabbits
We're dreaming of summer
When snow doesn't cover the ground.

Our ears will be flopping
As we go out hopping
For carrots that grow all year 'round.

FOXES:
We are brown foxes
We're dreaming of summer
We'll lie in the sun all we can
We'll sit by the ocean
And pile on the lotion
We'll sip lemonade and get tan.

FOXES and RABBITS:
We can help
We can help
Tell us what to do.
We can help
We can help
We want summer too.

(This concludes the first one- third of the script.)

Sample Songs

Click on the song name to hear samples. Please note that internet song samples have low fidelity and rest assured that the CDs we sell sound much better! (This player requires Flash. If you have any trouble hearing the samples, just contact us for help.)

Full Song List

1. "If You Steal Summer"
2. "We Are Old Oaks"
3. "We Can Help"
4. "A Long Way to the Tipi Folk"
5. "M-i-s-s-i-s-s-i-p-p-i"
6. "Ending Sequence"

National Education Standards

Fulfills National Arts Standard 3 for Dance, 1 and 8 for music, and 2, 3, and
5 for Theater.
Fulfills National History Standard 4 for K-4.
Fulfills National Social Studies Standard 1.

Vocabulary

eternal
guarantee
tipi
bark
glee
glum
regal
“throwing curves”

Vocabulary From Stage Directions
crucial
astonished