One day a group of children go to town. While they are there, they stop at a hat vender and each of them decides to buy a new hat.
On their way home, they get tired and sit down under a large tree to rest. Soon they are fast asleep.
While they are sleeping, some monkeys who where up in the tree, quietly climb down and steal the children’s new hats.
When the children wake up, they notice that their hats are gone. They start looking around for them and soon spy them up in the tree on the head of the monkeys.
The children try everything to get the monkeys to come down.
They wave their arms but the monkeys just wave their arms, too.
They shake their fists but the monkeys just shake their fists back.
They jump up and down but the monkeys just jump up and down, too.
They stamp their feet, but the monkeys just stamp their feet, in reply.
They clap their hand but the monkeys just clap back. |
Finally, they sit down on the ground and put their heads in their hands to think. The monkeys also sit down and put their heads in their hands.
The children finally realized that the monkeys repeated everything they did. At last, they made a plan. They stood up and took their scarves and wrapped them around their heads for hats. Then they all undid their scarves and threw them up in the air.
The monkeys saw what they were doing and before long, they stood and threw their caps up in the air.
The caps floated down to the ground along with the scarves. The children quickly picked up their scarves and hats and proceeded on their way home.
As they left the tree, they each raised an arm and waved to the monkeys. The monkeys waved back at them.
DRAMATIZATION
- Divide your children into two groups the “monkeys” and the “children”.
- Set out a table for the cap vender (you).
- Set out chairs, turned backwards, for each of the monkeys.
- For hats, you can use baseball caps or any other hats you have.
GRAND FINALE - Everyone comes back and sings the following song.
MONKEY SEE, MONKEY DO
Tune: “If You’re Happy And You Know It”
If you ever see a monkey, clap your hands.
If you ever see a monkey, clap your hands.
For whatever thing you do, the monkey will do it, too.
If you ever see a monkey, clap your hands.
If you ever see a monkey, stamp your feet.
If you ever see a monkey, stamp your feet.
For whatever thing you do, the monkey will do it, too.
If you ever see a monkey, stamp your feet.
Jean Warren
Continue with additional action verses, if desired. |
