Farmer Duck by Martin Waddell

Tadhg: eh think its a good one Sarah: Now this is Farmer Duck, by Martin Waddell. There was once a duck who has the bad luck to live with a lazy old farmer. The duck did the work, and the farmer stayed in bed all day. Now how do you think the duck was feeling having to do all this work? Tadhg: Bad. Sarah: Bad? Yeah.. How would you feel? Well how do you t hink he looks? Tadhg: Bad.. Tired! Sarah: He looks very tired. He looks wrecked! Could you imagine if your mammy made you do ALL the work?! Tadhg: Yep Sarah: Youd be so tired and cranky Tadhg: I know Sarah: Now.. The duck fetched the cow from the field. What do you think the cow might be called? Tadhg: Bull! Sarah: Bull?! Will we call her Bull? Okay.. How goes the work? called the farmer. The duck answered.. Tadhg: Good Sarah: What did the duck say? Tadhg: Bad? Sarah: Quack! So what does the duck say? Tadhg: Quack! Sarah: Quack quack, quack quack! Look at him there, and what do you think the weather is like in that one? Tadhg: Rainy Sarah: Rainy and cold and windy. The poor poor duck. Oh look at the farmer, what do you think hes thinking? Tadhg: Hes happy Sarah: He is happy, because where is he? Tadhg: In bed! Sarah: In bed, all snuggled up and warm! And the poor poor duck. The duck brought the sheep.. Look at him! He has the sheep on his back! The duck brought the sheep in from the

hill. How goes the work? called the farmer. The duck answered Tadhg: Good.. Quack! Sarah: Quack quack! Then the duck put the hens in their house. And what did the farmer call? How goes the. Tadhg: Work! Quack quack Sarah: ..Called the farmer. And the duck answered Tadhg: Quack quack Sarah: Well done! Look at him, pushing all the hens into the house. Will we try and count all the hens? Tadhg: Yeah Sarah: Okay, one.. Tadhg: One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten, eleven, twelve, thirteen, fourteen, fifteen. Sarah: Sssss.. And what about these two? Tadhg: Sixteen, seventeen Sarah: Seventeen? Oh my god theres so many ducks! Oh I mean theres so many hens! But the duck is managing isnt he? He looks a bit stressed, doesnt he? Now, look at this farmer.. The farmer got fat through staying in bed and the poor duck got fed up with working all day. What type of sweets do you think the farmer is eating? Tadhg: Chocolate Sarah: Ooooohh.. And does that look like a it of.. Whats that on the top of that one? A bit of Tadhg: Milk? Sarah: Cream maybe? Tadhg: Yeah! Sarah: Yum yum yum. What do you thin the farmer is reading in bed? Tadhg: Mmmmm.. The newspaper Sarah: The newspaper? He might be getting the news. Hmmm hes a very very lazy farmer. How goes the work? And what did the duck say? Tadhg: Quack quack Sarah: Quack quack. How goes the work? Tadhg: Quack quack Sarah: Quack quack. Look at him here digging up Whats he digging up in this one? Tadhg: Mmmmm, plants Sarah: And..

Tadhg: What? Rocks? Sarah: What are they? And spuds! What do you think the duck might use the spuds for? Tadhg: Mmmmmm.. Dinner! Sarah: Dinner, the yummiest dinner ever for the farmer. How goes the work? Tadhg: Quack quack Sarah: Quack quack. And what is he doing.. What is the duck doing here? Tadhg: Ironing Sarah: Ironing all lazy farmers shirts! How goes the work? Tadhg: Quack quack Sarah: Quack quack, quack quack. How would you feel if your mammy said: Tadhg, I want you to iron all daddys shirts! Tadhg: Bad! Sarah: Why would you feel bad? Tadhg: Cause.. I dont know Sarah: You dont know? Why, would you like to do it? Do you think itd be fun? Tadhg: No Sarah: Itd be no fun? Do you think itd be.. boring? Tadhg: (nods) Sarah: Very boring yeah.. How goes the work? Tadhg: Quack quack Sarah: Quack quack, and how goes the work? Tadhg: Quack quack Sarah: Look at him there! Sure hes barely able to carry all that heavy heavy load. Whats in the basket? Tadhg: Eggs Sarah: And what do you think might the eggs be used for? Tadhg: Mmmmmm, lunch Sarah: Lunch? What recipe would you use eggs in? Does your mammy ever make eggs? Tadhg: Scones Sarah: Scones! The yummiest scones anyone ever saw. Now the poor duck was sleepy and weepy and tired. Now look at him here, doesnt he just look exhausted Tadhg: Yeah

Sarah: What do you think his little friend the hen might be saying to the duck? Tadhg: Mmmmmm, I dont know Sarah: Well if you were exhausted, what do you think Diarmuid or Paddy or one of your brothers might say to you? Tadhg: Mmmmmm, are you okay? Sarah: Are you okay? Yeah they might be worried about him. They might say there there. What else might they say? Tadhg: Are you alright? Sarah: Are you alright. I think you are very good at this, well done! The hens and the cow and the sheep got very upset. They loved the duck, so they held a meeting under the moon, and they made a plan for the morning. Now who do we see in this picture? Tadhg: Mmmmm.. The cow Sarah: And Tadhg: The sheep Sarah: All of the sheep, there are how many of them? Tadhg: Theres one, two, three, four Sarah: Theres four sheep! And will we count all the hens? Tadhg: One, two three, four, five Sarah: Five?! Well done! So theres one cow Tadhg: Yeah Sarah: Four sheep Tadhg: Yeah Sarah: And five hens! Mooooooo said the cow. And what did the sheep say? Tadhg: Baaahhhh Sarah: Baaaah. And what do you think the hen said? Tadhg: Cluuuuck Sarah: Cluuuck cluck cluck cluck. And that was the Tadhg: Plan! Sarah: Plan! Well done! It was just before dawn and the farmyard was still. Through the back door, and into the house, crept the cow, the sheep, and the hen. And where do you think the farmer might be? Tadhg: In bed Sarah: In bed? Do you think he could be fast asleep?

Tadhg: Yep Sarah: I wonder will he hear them. They stole down the hall and they creaked up the stairs. Look, what do you think happened next. And they squeezed under the bed of the farmer, and wriggled about. The bed started to rock, and the farmer woke up. And he called.. What did he say? Tadhg: Help me! Sarah: How goes the.. Tadhg: WORK! Sarah: And, what do you think happened next..What did the cow say? Tadhg: Moooooo Sarah: And what did the sheep say? Tadhg: Baaaah baaah Sarah: Baaaahh. And the hen said. Tadhg: Cluuuuck cluck cluck cluck Sarah: They lifted his bed and he started to shout. What do you think he was thinking there? Tadhg: Mmmmmmm Sarah: How was he feeling? Tadhg: Bad Sarah: Why? Because Tadhg: Because He fell Sarah: He fell did he? Out of the bed? Tadhg: Yeah Sarah: He was probably like Oh my god, am I going to get hurt?! What is going on? Tadhg: Then he might fall through the roof! Sarah: He might fall through the roof! Why do you think? Because? Tadhg: He is fat Sarah: Oh he is a very fat farmer, isnt he? And why do you think he got so fat? Tadhg: Because hes eating too much sweets Sarah: Too much sweets? And he wasnt doing too much exercise, sure he wasnt? He was in bed all day. And they banged and they bounced the old farmer about and about and about, right out of.. Tadhg: The bed Sarah: Bed! Well done. And he fled, with the cow and the sheep and the hens mooing and baaing and clucking around him. Look at his face! He is just so surprised. What do you think

happened next? Tadhg: Mmmmm, they all chased him! Sarah: They did all chase him. Down the lane.. And what did the cow say? Tadhg: Moooo Sarah: And through the fields.. Baaah baaaa. And over the hills.. What did the hens say? Tadhg: Cluuuuck cluck cluck Sarah: And he never ever came back! Oh my god, what do you think happens now? Tadhg: Mmmmmm.. Theyre allowed in! Sarah: The duck awoke and waddled wearily into the yard, expecting to hear How goes the Tadhg: Work! Sarah: But NOBODY spoke. Oh my god! Tadhg: Mmmmm.. Theyre all gone Sarah: They are all gone! The place is just empty isnt it? Tadhg: Yeah Sarah: The poor duck thinking he has to go to work! Then the cow and the sheep and the hens came back. What did the duck say? Tadhg: Quack quack Sarah: Quack quack asked the duck. And the cow said.. Tadhg: Mooooo Sarah: And what did the sheep say? Tadhg: Baaaa baaahh Sarah: And what did the hen say? Tadhg: Cluck cluck Sarah: Which told the duck the whole story. Now how do you think the duck felt when he heard the story? Tadhg: Good Sarah: Yeah, why did he feel good? Tadhg: Cause they came back Sarah: Because all his friends came back? Tadhg: Yeah Sarah: And who was gone?

Tadhg: The farmer! Sarah: So what did that mean for the duck? Tadhg: He was happy..they were happy Sarah: They were happy? But what did he not have to do anymore? Tadhg: Do the work Sarah: He didnt have to do the work! The poor duck was worn out remember. Now, what do you think is going on here? Tadhg: Theyre messing Sarah: Theyre messing? Are they having a bit of a party? Would you mess like that? Tadhg: Nooo Sarah: No, youre too good are you? Tadhg: No Sarah: Then mooing and baaing and clucking and.. What does the duck do? Tadhg: Quack quack Sarah: They all set to work on their farm! So now that the farmer is gone, who do you think owns the farm and runs it? Tadhg: The duck Sarah: And all his.. Tadhg: Friends Sarah: All his friends! And they all work together, dont they? Tadhg: Yeah Sarah: Not like the old farmer who was lazy. Now! And thats the end. What did you think of that one? Tadhg: Good Sarah: And cmere, answer me this question, which was you favorite bit of the books? This bit? Tadhg: Yeah Sarah: The bit where the farmer falls out of bed? Tadhg: Yeah Sarah: And why do you think that? Was it funny? Tadhg: Yeah Sarah: And why did you like that bit?

Tadhg: Because I thought he was going to fall through the roof Sarah: And, what about.. Why else? Tadhg: His head Sarah: His head? His face? Tadhg: And his arms (pointing at the picture) Sarah: His big fat arms. Yeah, he looks very worried there. You know when you get up in the morning and youre sleepy? Tadhg: Yeah Sarah: And youre like Oh my God, thats probably how hes feeling. Now, and how do you think..what do you think happened afterwards, after they were messing. What do you think they might have done next, at the very end? Tadhg: Messing Sarah: No but after, when they went home to the house that evening after being in the fields all day Tadhg: Good Sarah: With their friends. What do you think they did next? Tadhg: Mmmmmm.. Went into the house Sarah: Into the house, really? And what might they have done? Tadhg: Ehhhhmmm Sarah: In the house.. Tadhg: Broken the bed! Sarah: Broke the bed?! Tadhg: Yeah Sarah: Why? Because there were so many of them? Tadhg: Yeah Sarah: They were all maybe trying to cuddle together? Tadhg: Hahahah yeah Sarah: What might they have done then, do you think? Tadhg: Broke the roof! Sarah: Broke the roof?! But I thought the farmer might have already broken the roof? Maybe they had to fix the roof. Do you think that? Tadhg: But the bull would break it again! Sarah: The who?

Tadhg: The bull Sarah: Oh he was very big wasnt he. Do you think.. Who do you think was bigger, the bull or the farmer? Tadhg: The farmer! Sarah: Yeah I suppose, the farmer was very fat wasnt he Tadhg: And he was very lazy! Sarah: Very lazy, I dont think the bull was that lazy Tadhg: No Sarah: No, look at him there helping with all the work. Well, did you like that one? Tadhg: Yeah!