Synopsis

The story is about a young Thai girl called Dawan who wins a scholarship to study in
a city school. She faces the disapproval of her father who thinks that studying is not
for girls and she should give the scholarship to her brother as he is second in the
test. Dawan tries many ways to convince her father to let her pursue her studies.
Dawan tries to convince her father that he should give her a chance to study. When
she approaches anyone for help, she keeps on failing but she never gives up and
continues to do so and succeed in her mission. Even though she failed many times,
she manages to convince her father in the end. When the bus arrives, she almost
changes her mind because she is going to miss singing to the dawn. After her
grandmother convinces her, she decides to go.
The story ends with Dawan sitting on the bus going to the city. When she passes the
bridge, she sees her brother, Kwai singing the song that they sing every dawn.
Then, she sings together with Kwai until she cannot see Kwai anymore. Next, she
looks at the lotus flower her grandmother gives her to convince her to go. As she
sees it unfold, she becomes more convinced her grandmother is right, she should
go to the city, like the lotus unfolding.

The countryside

Dawan was surrounded by a crowd of curious and chattering classmates after the
teacher announced that she won the scholarship. Her brother was standing alone in
the doorway.

Dawan found the strength to inform her father about the scholarship. Haltingly she
said,"I won the the prize. I can go to the City and study some more now."

Mr Phaspras offered to help Ghan and his wife Noi by lending them one thousand
with a forty percent interest. They accept his terms as there was no choice for them.

" You're only a girl. You won't be able to fight, or to argue loudly, or to lead people
in time of crisis. All you are good at is studying - that's how you got the scholarship
in the first palace," said Kwai rudely to Dawan.

Dinner was tense and a silent meal until her father said Kwai is a boy and more
schooling would be useful and Kwai would be useful to him too. He told Dawan
angrily to wait for his permission to continue his study in the city.

Bao, Vichai's sister shocked to learn that Dawan is schooling and asks Dawan what
schooling is all about. She sells lotus buds and caged sparrows every morning in
the marketplace and she tells Dawan that she will be selling lotus buds and caged
sparrows for the rest of her life.

"All you youngsters are alike, talking of flying away and being free", the monk said.

Dawan argues with him as the monk live inside a peaceful monastery, with food and
clothes provided and nobody bullies him. He never experiences the pain living in
world outside the temple.

Vichai hits Bao in public because she gives Dawan a sparrow for free.

Under the shelter of the orange umbrella, Kwai watches her sister limping home .
He had hurt Dawan badaly but Dawan leaves her umbrella for him to sit under the
rain. She limps home, wet and cold and tired. Kwai suddenly makes his decision.

Kwai reaches out impulsively and gently brushed a wisp of damp hair away fro
Dawan cheek and tells her that he is sure that he wants Dawan to continue her
studies in the City.

"Hold on to this lotus and watch it unfold during your long bus ride to the City. It is
like yourself, this lotus bud, all shut up tight, small and afraid of the outside. But
with good water and strong sunlight, it'll unfold, petal by petal by petal. And you will
too, Dawan, you will unfold too"

Dawan stuck her head way out of the window to catch a glimpse of the bridge on
which she had so often greeted the sun.

Chapter One:

Dawan and Kwai sat on the rickety old bridge above the river.
Dawan asked Kwai what would he do if he got the scholarship
Dawan felt that she would not get the scholarship because she is a girl,
instead Kwai might get the scholarship
Talked about how unfair it is that the sacks of rice stacked up beneath the
house is for the tax collector
Their parents thought that it was foolish and wasteful to send girls to school

Chapter Two:

Teacher asked students what they saw beneath their house in the morning
Had a long discussion with the students about the landlord taking away sacks
of rice beneath their houses
A student spotted the headmaster heading to their class and the student
shouted "he's coming"
Teacher and student immediately pretended that they are having Geography
lessons until the headmaster went away
Teacher and student discussed what they should do if they won the
scholarship
Teacher announced that Dawan won the scholarship

Chapter Three:

Classmates surrounded Dawan as soon as they heard that she won the
scholarship
Kwai was unhappy and sad that Dawan won the scholarship instead of him
Dawan told her family that she got the scholarship and that made her parents
angry. Her father was especially angry and said that she took her own
brother's chance away from him.
Dawan's grandmother however supported her
Dawan and her grandmother headed to Noi's house and halfway, Dawan's
mother decided to go with Dawan instead of her grandmother

Chapter Four:

Noi said that going to the city was useless

Army officer made deal with Noi's family in order not to bring Ghan to the
army

Chapter Five:

Kwai realised that Noi and Ghan do not support Dawan in going to the city
Kwai came in second in the examination
If Dawan does not go to the city, Kwai gets to go instead of her

Chapter Six:

Dawan's father didn't want her to go to the city

Kwai asked his father if he had won the scholarship, would he allow him to go
to the city
Kwai's dad thought that boys going to the city to futher his studies would be
better than girls

Chapter Seven:

Dawan went to the marketplace alone and met a girl that sells lotus bud and
caged sparrows
Dawan realised that the girl, Bao, was the sister of her classmate

Chapter Eight:

Dawan went to see the old monk

Dawan's teacher and the old monk are good friends
Old monk does not really see why Dawan should go to the city school

Chapter Nine:

Bao allowed Dawan to free a bird for free

Bao's brother, Vichai, came to the market stall and hit her because she freed
a bird for free
Kwai stopped Vichai from hitting Bao
After realising that Bao knew about what happened between Dawan and
Kwai, Kwai wanted to slap Bao
Kwai pushed Dawan away when she tried to stop Kwai, unfortunately she
landed on top of a pile of broken bird cages, injuring herself

Cousin Noi helped Dawan with her wound

Chapter Ten:

Dawan and Kwai were at the river

Kwai was thinking about Dawan's words, about him being a bully
Dawan passed Kwai her umbrella caringly as it was raining
Kwai made a decision

Chapter Eleven:

Kwai's father heard from his teacher that he got second in the test and was
angry at Kwai for not telling him so
Father spoke to both Kwai and Dawan together
Father was very reluctant and unconvinced that Dawan should go to the city
school
After much persuasion from Dawan and Kwai, father finally allowed Dawan to
go to the city school

Chapter Twelve:

Kwai will miss Dawan once she goes to the city school, no one will be there
to watch the sunrise with him

Chapter Thirteen:

At first Dawan was unsure if she wanted to leave as she will miss everything
in her village
After her grandmother talked to Dawan, she decided to go
When she was boarding the bus to go to the city, Kwai was nowhere to be
seen
Although many people in the village sent her off, she was not happy as
Kwai was not there
During the bus journey, she saw Kwai on the bridge that they usually went
to, he was waving at her. Bidding goodbye

SETTING
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.

Dawan's house
The river, the bridge and the narrow path leading to the river
The village school
Noi's house
Bao's flower stall in the market palce
The temple
The bus
The City School

CHARACTERS
1. Dawan
2. Kwai
3.Dawan's father
4. Dawan,s mother
5. Grandmother
6. Cousin Noi anad Ghan
7. Bao
8. The teacher
9. The head monk
10. Vicahai
11. Mr Phaspras
12. The landlord
13. The villagers
14. The village students
15. Takchit
16. The headmaster of the village school
THEMES
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.

Family love
Poverty
Gender discrimination
Responsibility
Sibling rivalry
Being fair and just
Standing up for what is right

MORAL VALUES
1. Do not be jealous of our siblings' success
2. Love our family members
3. Be responsible
4. Be helpful
MODEL QUESTION

5. Be fair and just

6. Be rational
7. Be hardworking and
courageous

Based on the drama that you have chosen, write about a character you
likeadmireyour fa!ourite character. Give reason for your choice
Based on the drama that you have chosen, write about the behavior of a character
that you do not likehatedislike. Give reason for your choice
Based on the drama that you have chosen, write about a character you think suffers
a lot. Give reason for your choice
Based on the drama that you have chosen, write about a character that you think is
helpful. Give reason for your choice