Featured Fables
- Fox and Sour Grapes
- The Toad and the Ox
- The Dog and the Bone
- The Tortoise and the Hare
- The Boy Who Cried 'Wolf' (and our spin, The Boy Who Cried 'Walf')
- Androcles and the Lion
- The Crow and the Pitcher
- The Dove and the Ant
- The Lion and the Mouse
Aesop's Fables Deluxe is a great complement to your curriculum resources
in elementary school language arts. Like all of our plays, this show can be used to improve reading, vocabulary, reading comprehension, performance and music skills, class camaraderie and teamwork, and numerous social skills (read about it!) -- all while enabling students to be part of a truly fun and creative experience they will never forget!
Publication Information
Author: Ron Fink (Composer) and John Heath (Book and Lyrics)
ISBN: 978-1-886588-15-8
© 1999 Bad Wolf Press, LLC
Song Samples
Full Song List
1. "We Can’t Top Aesop’s Fables"
2. "Sour Grapes"
3. "Oh No, Mr. Toad"
4. "I Once was a Dog"
5. "Hippity Hoppity"
6. "The Boy Who Cried Walf"
7. "Thorns in my Paws"
8. "Thorns in my Paws: Reprise"
9. "1, 2, 3, 4"
10. "A E I O U"
11. "Some Day I Will Help You"
12. "Some Day I Will Help You: Reprise"
13. "We Can’t Top Aesop’s Fables"
Casting
Flexible casting from 8-40 students.
You can have all your class sing every song;
or you can have several students take the part
of an animal; or you can have individual students
take solo parts. Note that all roles can be played by either boys or girls.
Script
This is the first one-third of the script:
CHARACTERS:
Storytellers
Fox
Toad
Dog
Hare, Tortoise
Boy, Wolf
Androcles, Lion
Crow
Dove, Ant
Lion, Mouse
(We recommend that all the songs be sung by the entire class.
Individual animals can act out the actions of the song.)
(STUDENTS act out the various activities mentioned in their song as
individual students sing the first lines of each verse.)
Song 1
STUDENT A: We mop
STUDENT B: We chop
STUDENT C: We drop
STUDENT C: We hop
CLASS:
But we can’t top Aesop’s fables
Can’t top Aesop’s fables
Can’t top Aesop’s fables now.
STUDENT E: We pop
STUDENT F: We bop
STUDENT G: We flop
STUDENT H: We stop
CLASS:
But we can’t top Aesop’s fables
Can’t top Aesop’s fables
Can’t top Aesop’s fables now.
Lots of famous stories
Now we’ve made them choral
Lots of famous stories
Even with a moral or two
Lots of famous stories for you.
We mop
We chop
We drop
We hop
But we can’t top Aesop’s fables
Can’t top Aesop’s fables
Can’t top Aesop’s fables now.
STORYTELLER (as FOX acts out the attempt to get grapes): Our first
fable is the story of the fox and the grapes. A fox tried to steal some
ripe,
juicy grapes off a vine. But the grapes were too high for him to reach.
Song 2 -
Listen now!
CLASS:
Big red grapes up on the vine
Big red grapes wish they were mine
Big red grapes too high for me
Big red grapes not ripe I see
I’m sure that they must be
Sour sour grapes
I’m sure that they must be sour grapes.
Purple grapes a lovely bunch
Purple grapes I’d love to munch
Purple grapes too high for me
Purple grapes not ripe I see
I’m sure that they must be
Sour sour grapes
I’m sure that they must be sour grapes.
Woh oh oh
No matter what you say
Woh oh oh
Didn’t want them anyway.
Chartreuse grapes best I have seen
Chartreuse grapes nice shade of green
Chartreuse grapes too high for me
Chartreuse grapes not ripe I see
I’m sure that they must be
Sour sour grapes
I’m sure that they must be sour grapes.
I’m sure that they must be sour grapes.
STORYTELLER: This is the story of the toad and the ox. One day a
Toad saw an ox and wanted to be as big as he was. He took a very big
breath and puffed himself out as big as he could.
TOAD: “Am I as big as that ox now?”
CLASS: NO!
STORYTELLER: So the Toad kept puffing himself out, bigger and bigger.
Song 3 -
Listen now!
CLASS:
A crack in his back
A pop when he hopped
A rip in the tip of his nose
A creak and a squeak
A shriek from his cheek
Oh no Mister Toad don’t explode!
Yi dee di di di dee di
Yi dee di di di
Yi dee di di di di
Yi di di.
TOAD: Look, am I as big as an ox yet?
CLASS:
A whine in his spine
A peep when he leaps
A bit of a split in his toes
A snap and a clap
A gap in his lap
Oh no Mister Toad don’t explode!
Yi dee di di di dee di
Yi dee di di di
Yi dee di di di di
Yi di di.
TOAD: Look look, now am I as big as an ox?
CLASS:
A crack in his back
A pop when he hopped
A rip in the tip of his nose
A creak and a squeak
A shriek from his cheek
Oh no Mister Toad explodes!
(accompanied by students making exploding sounds)
Yi dee di di di dee di
Yi dee di di di
Yi dee di di di di
Yi di di.
Yi dee di di di dee di
Yi dee di di di
Yi dee di di di di
Yi di di.
(There is a board of some kind in front of the stage with three very
large,
movable block letters that spell out D O G. As STORYTELLERS tell the
opening story, we see a DOG act out the tale on stage.)
STORYTELLER: Our next tale is about the dog and the bone. Once
there was a very hungry dog who found three bones that spelled out
D-O-G. He picked up the D in his mouth and started home. As he crossed
a bridge, he looked down and saw his reflection in the water. He thought
he saw another dog with another bone. Being very greedy, he opened his
mouth to snap at the D in the reflection. But when he opened his mouth,
his bone fell out, dropped into the water, and disappeared.
Song 4 -
Listen now!
CLASS:
I once was a dog
But then I lost my D
That letter I love
Floated out to the sea.
I once was a dog
Won’t you help little me?
I can’t be a dog
If I don’t start with D.
(As CLASS sings its lines, either they hold big cards with letters,
or
maybe just one student holds up a big letter on the board that had the
D O G and now just has O G):
CLASS: How ’bout an F?
DOG: I’d be lost in a fog
CLASS: Here’s a nice J
DOG: Should I go for a jog?
CLASS: What about L?
DOG: Do I look like a log?
CLASS: Try on this H
DOG: Now you’ve made me a hog!
CLASS:
I once was a dog
But then I lost my D
So who am I now?
What am I going to be?
I once was a dog
Now there’s just O and G
I can’t be a dog
If I don’t start with D.
CLASS: How ’bout an F?
DOG: I’d be lost in a fog
CLASS: Here’s a nice J
DOG: Should I go for a jog?
CLASS: What about L?
DOG: Do I look like a log?
CLASS: Try on this H
DOG: Now you’ve made me a hog!
I once was a dog
I once was a dog
I once was a dog.
(This concludes the first one-third of the script.)
"I just wanted to let you know that Aesop's Fables Deluxe was very successful!
You are absolutely correct that this is great for word building, phonological
awareness and language. I have 12 English
Language learners (levels 2 and 3) in my class of second graders.
They were ALL highly successful. I appreciate your creativity and
talent and your ability to make it accessible for the general classroom
teacher."
---Monique Poldberg, Teacher (2nd grade), Butterfield Elementary, Lake Elsinore,
CA
"What an absolute delight! It brought out the musical side of my
students and they had a lot of fun. I could hear the musical gifts of
many of the students as well as see how the play connected with many
of our district's standards. It was a way of differentiating instruction
which was fantastic. I will use your wonderful plays throughout the new
school year! Thanks for creating this treasure."
---Sonia Lockert, Teacher (2nd grade), Dollahan Elementary, Rialto, CA
"We used some of the songs which the children loved. They will
remember doing
this play for years---each child had an opportunity to shine in his or
her own way."
---Barbara Pohlman, Teacher (1st grade), Incarnation Elementary, Collierville,
TN
"There are parts for lots of children, catchy tunes, and it was
easily adaptable to fit
our needs...There are so many children who have the chance to shine in
a way that
isn't always obvious in the classroom. I have had students 'discover'
that they have
so much talent in the singing/acting curriculum."
---Karen Beisee, Teacher (1st-2nd grades), Evergreen School, Eugene,
OR
"I liked that it was so adaptable to our needs. The music was fabulous.
I would tell
a teacher who has never done a play to invest in one of yours. It is
well worth it.
Ya'll did a great job!"
---Barbara Chauvin, Teacher (2nd grade), Chateau Estates School, Kenner,
LA
"Thank you again for providing the materials that work beautifully
with my students.
If you eliminated any one of the ingredients (humor, song, CDs, accessible
language,
illustrations, staging suggestions, familiar themes, age-appropriate
language, et al.),
we could never have enjoyed such success. The children and I are grateful."
---Maggie O'Hara, Teacher, Del Rey School, King City, CA
"This play was a true success when performed by my second grade
class and their
6th grade 'Discovery Buddies.' The students worked together
to perform the play
for the entire school and enjoyed every minute of it. We combined this
play with a
unit study of fables in second grade and were able to add some fables
of our own to
the play. The songs and the messages behind the fables were understood
and enjoyed
by both grade levels."
---Kirstina Frazier, Teacher (2nd grade), Andover Elementary, Andover,
CT
"Kids love to be creative and this allows for that. There is not a lot of time to do the fun things that we as teachers enjoy doing but these plays are easy to adapt. It can be short or long, simple or elaborate. I love to use it to wrap up the end of the school year. It is something the kids look forward to and remember forever. Not to mention it is standards based and allows for all academic levels and ESL learners to participate."
---Crystal Albrecht, Teacher (1st-2nd grade), Patterson Elementary, Fremont, CA
"I love that the songs are funny, educational, easy to sing, and easy to learn for younger children."
---Jan Kane, Teacher (pre-K), Lakeside Preschool, Lakeside Park, KY
Common Core and Other National Standards
Language Arts
- Aesop's Fables was specifically written to improve phonological awareness for younger students, fulfilling common core reading standards
- Common Core Reading Standards for Literature: K, 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th
- Common Core Reading Standards: Foundational Skills:
- K and 1st: Phonological Awareness, Phonics and Word Recognition
- 2nd: Phonics and Word Recognition
-
3rd, 4th, 5th: Phonics and Word Recognition, Fluency
- Common Core Speaking and Listening Standards: Comprehension and Collaboration - K, 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th
- Common Core Language Standards: Vocabulary Acquisition and Use - K, 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th
- Common Core Standard 10: Range, Quality & Complexity: Range of Text Types for K-5th
History/Social Studies
National Core Arts Standards
Vocabulary
| fable |
flop |
choral |
moral |
"sour grapes" |
munch |
| chartreuse |
puffed |
shriek |
spine |
peep |
gap |
| trudge |
shepherd |
vowel |
thigh |
calf |
grateful |
| emperor |
arena |
recognized |
plenty |
spare |
vowed |
|
various |
individual |
Q:
Does the audio CD play a an Apple Computer. I want to be able to play this for my students & I do not have a CD player YET.
A:
Hi Barbara! Yes, any computer with a CD drive should be able to play our CDs.
Frequently Asked Questions About Bad Wolf Products and Licensing
How does your pricing and licensing work?
A: In short: each teacher/director using the play should have a copy of it. That's it! Your purchase gives you the right to use the play with as many classes as you wish, to photocopy the script for your actors, and to put on as many performances as you wish. This one-time purchase gives you a lifetime license. See below for more information on site licenses (for 3+ teachers or whole schools).
Q: What comes in the package?
A: Every musical play comes with the script and a 12-page Teacher's Guide that provides lots of tips and advice for using the play from start to finish. It also includes the audio recording for the play, which has all the songs both WITH and WITHOUT vocals. Sheet music is NOT included with the basic package, but it is available for $12. Extra/replacement CDs are also available for $12.
Every non-musical play comes with the script and the 12-page Teacher's Guide.
Q: I'm just one teacher putting on a play. If I use the play with multiple classes, do I have to purchase multiple licenses?
A: No! Your purchase gives you a lifetime license to be used with as many actors and classes as you wish. If other teachers/directors wish to use the play as well, they will need to purchase their own licenses.
Q: Do I need to purchase scripts for students?
A: No! Your purchase includes permission to photocopy the script for your actors.
Q: What is a "site license"? How do I know if I need one?
A site license is the economical choice when a whole school or grade level wants to put on the same play. Instead of each teacher/director having to purchase a script, the school/site can purchase
a site license. This comes with three copies of the play (or one digital download) and permission to make copies for any additional participating teachers, as well as all the actors. You do NOT need to purchase both a site license and individual copies of the play; just buy one or the other.
Q: I understand that I can get two or more scripts for $35 each. Do they have to be the same play?
Nope! The discount applies whether you are purchasing multiple copies of the same show or single copies of multiple shows.
Q: What is the difference between the printed and digital versions? Which one should I get?
There is no difference in terms of content. The printed version of a musical play comes with an audio CD in a plastic sleeve in the back of the book. The digital version comes with two downloadable files: the script (PDF format) and the songs (individual MP3 files compressed in ZIP format). The advantage of the digital version is that you will not pay shipping and you can start using it instantly. Please read the question following this one about the technical requirements for digital files.
Non-musical plays are available in the form of a printed book or a PDF file.
Q: What are the technical requirements for the digital version?
- You will need to have Adobe Reader (free) or another software application that can open PDF files.
- You will need to be able to open ZIP files. The vast majority of computers should be able to do this without difficulty. If you wish to download the music directly to your phone or tablet, you will need to download an app that will open ZIP files. Many free ones are available.
- You will need to have some kind of audio player (such as iTunes or Windows Media Player) that will play MP3 files.
Advanced technical knowledge is not required; but please note that we do not have the ability to offer technical support for issues related to digital files. If you are unsure, it is probably best to stick with the printed version.
Q: What is your return/exchange policy?
A: Bad Wolf proudly offers a 100% guarantee. You can always exchange a product for another or get a full refund. No time limits, no questions.
Q: Is it OK if I edit the script?
A: Yes! Consider the play to be a jumping-off point. You are always welcome to change or omit anything that doesn't work for your class, administration, or parents. You are welcome to rewrite
lyrics, lines, or jokes -- or add your own! (The kids love doing this, by the way.)
Q: How long does shipping take?
A: We say that you should allow for one week within the U.S., but most orders are shipped the same day and arrive 1-3 days later. International orders usually take around two weeks to arrive.
Q: Do I need to pay any performance royalties?
A: As long as your admission price is less than $5 per ticket, you never need to pay performance royalties with a Bad Wolf show. If you decide to charge more than $5 a ticket, or if you are using one of our plays for a PAID workshop, camp, assembly, etc., pay only a low 1-2% royalty on gross revenues. See our royalty page to view the rates and pay.