Read-Aloud Play

Characters
Circle the character you will play.
*Indicates large speaking role
Narrators 1 and 2
*Rishi [REE-shee]: a tutor
*Prince: a 9-year-old boy
*Rishika [ree-SHEE-kah]: a tutor
*Kambu [kam-BOO]: a turtle
Sister: Kambu’s sister
Brother: Kambu’s brother
Mother: Kambu’s mother
Father: Kambu’s father
*Sankat [sahn-KAHT]: a crane
*Vikat [vee-KAHT]: a crane
Mongoose
Aroun [ah-ROON]: a boy
Anya [AHN-yah]: a girl

UP
CLOSE Comparing Characters As you
read this play, look for ways in which the
characters Prince and Kambu are similar.

LOOK FOR WORD NERD’S 8 TERMS IN BOLD

Scene 1
Narrator 1: In faraway India, a royal prince
strolls along the shore of beautiful Dal Lake.
Narrator 2: His tutors, Rishi and Rishika, walk
alongside him.
Narrator 1: They try, with difficulty, to hold the
prince’s attention.

Turtle
Narrator 2: It’s not easy, since their student
likes to do all the talking.

Too
By Sari Bodi Rishi: Please, Prince, once again, how many

The Tale of the and Karen Trott sides does a triangle have?
Prince (not hearing): Just think, Rishi, someday

Talkative
this kingdom shall be all mine.
Rishika: Indeed, Your Highness. But what about
our triangle?
Prince: This exquisite lake shall be mine too.

20 S T O R Y W O R K S S T O RY W O R K S . S C H O L A S T I C . C O M • S E P T E M B E R 2 0 1 6 21
Narrator 1: Rishi and Rishika each take a deep
breath to help them remain patient.
Rishi: Perhaps, wise Rishika, instead of a math
lesson, we should tell the prince a Pan-cha-
tan-tra.
Prince: A Pancha—what? It sounds like
something to eat. Let’s talk about lunch!
Rishika: A Pan-cha-tan-tra, Your Grace, is an
ancient fable from our land.
Rishi: It’s a story within a story, in which animals
help teach a lesson.
Narrator 2: The Prince doesn’t hear them. He
sees something on the ground.
Prince (picking it up): Look, it’s a turtle! I hear
they have very good balance.
Rishika: Oh yes, Prince. Sometimes they sleep or
travel in a tall stack, one atop the other.
Rishi: It happens we know a story about just such
a turtle.
Rishika (nodding): And it’s a very special story,
just for you.
Prince (interested): Go on then.
Scene 2
Rishi: One day, on this very shore, a little turtle
named Kambu lies napping at the very top of a
stack.
Rishika: He sleeps on the back of his sister, and
beneath her sleeps their brother, and then
their mother.
Rishi: And at the very bottom of the stack lies
their father, on a hollow log.
Rishika: The turtles snuffle quietly, all except for
Kambu.
Kambu (giggling): The sun is tickling my back.
Brother and Sister: Shhhhh!
Kambu (still giggling): What can I do? It tickles.
What makes the sun so warm, Mother?
Mother: Not this again.
Kambu: Father, can you tell me? What makes the
sun so—
Father (interrupting): Kambu! Just go to sleep.
Kambu: Please, answer me this one thing and I
promise I won’t say another word.
22 S T O R Y W O R K S
 ishi: No one answers Kambu.
R Rishika: Just then, two white cranes land
Kambu: Not another word for the whole entire from out of the sky.
day, or the day after. What do you call that? Rishi: They are brother and sister birds,
How about next-terday? named Sankat and Vikat.
Brother: Kambu! Enough! Sankat: Kambu, little friend! We just saw
UNITED INDIA
Kambu: Guess what, Sister. I just made up a fishing boats approaching. STATES
word! Next-terday. How about that? Vikat: Flee to the next cove, before you
Sister (mumbles): Why can’t you just say get caught in their nets. EQUATOR
tomorrow? Father (alarmed): That’s a long way for
Kambu: What do you think, Brother? our young turtles.
Brother: Stop chattering, Kambu. Mother: They can’t swim that far.
Sister: Let us sleep. Rishika: The cranes have an idea.
Kambu: I can’t. There’s so much to talk about. Sankat: There’s a boat heading to the
India, in South Asia,
Rishika: Kambu stretches his neck far out of his cove now. is home to many wonderful stories and fables.
shell to look down at them. Vikat: It’s a shikara [SHIK-uh-ruh]. Just hang
Kambu: You don’t get any sun, do you? I’m on on to the back, you’ll get carried along.
top, so I get it all. Sankat: Quick, here it comes. Swim out now.
Brother: Kambu, don’t lean or we’ll fall. Vikat: It’s about to pass by.
Kambu: Look, I can see my neck’s shadow on Rishi: As the family of turtles swims to the
the log! shikara, Mongoose approaches.
Sister: Kambu, no! Mongoose: Hey, Kambu, where are you off to?
Rishi: But Kambu leans out farther, and the Kambu (stopping to talk): The next cove, away
stack of turtles begins to sway, then wobble, from the fishermen. Come on.
JIM MCMAHON/MAPMAN™
then crash! Mongoose: Ha, they don’t want to eat me. I’m
Rishika: They all topple over into the thick not tasty enough.
mud. Kambu (proudly): Well, I’m sure I am. Mother
Rishi: Sister and Mother lie helpless, upside
down.
Brother: Father, help! My shell is stuck in
the mud.
Sister: So is mine. And Mother’s!
Mother: Kambu, my son, will you
ever learn?
Kambu (giggling): Look, now
the sun is tickling all our
tummies. Mother, what
makes the sun so warm?
Scene 3
Rishika: Father tips the
turtles back onto their
feet.
Rishi: Kambu continues to
chatter.
S T O RY W O R K S . S C H O L A S T I C . C O M • S E P T E M B E R 2 0 1 6 23

always says I’m very sweet.
Rishi: Mother calls out from the back of the
shikara.
Mother (worried): Kambu, where are you?
Rishika: But Kambu doesn’t answer; he chatters
away until Mongoose interrupts.
Mongoose: Enough talking, I have to move on.
So do you.
Rishi: Kambu looks out toward the lake.
Kambu: What? Mother! Father! Do you see
them, Mongoose?
Mongoose (shading his eyes): They’re way, way
out. Looks like you missed the shikara!
Rishika: Mongoose slips away as the fishing
boats close in.
Kambu: Oh, why did Mongoose make me stop
and talk? It’s not my fault I’m so interesting.
Now what will I do?
Rishi: Kambu pulls his arms, legs, and head into
his shell and begins to shiver.
24 S T O R Y W O R K S
Scene 4
Rishika: Kambu hears the white cranes
squabbling overhead.
Sankat: Let me get that fish, Vikat.
Vikat: No, me, Sankat!
Sankat: No, me! Look, Kambu’s still here.
Kambu: Hello, Sankat—or Vikat. I’m not picky.
Either of you will do.
Vikat: Do for what, Kambu?
Kambu: To fly me out to the shikara.
Sankat: What? We’re not strong enough to
carry a turtle.
Vikat: Even a small one like you.
Sankat: Besides, we’re after a fish. There it is!
Rishi: The white cranes dive for it at the same
time.
Rishika: Sankat snatches the head of the fish,
and Vikat grabs the tail.
Rishi: As Kambu watches, they carry the fish to
shore. Kambu gets an idea.
Kambu (shouting): I’m a genius! imagine a turtle coming up with such a plan?
Rishika: Anya and Aroun laugh as Kambu
Scene 5 shivers and clamps down even harder on the
Rishika: After the cranes eat their fish, Kambu stick.
finds a stick and sets it before them. Anya (laughing): That turtle? Ridiculous!
Kambu: What if you each take Rishi: Kambu can’t take it another second. He
one end of this stick, just shouts out . . .
like you did with the fish? Kambu: THE STICK WAS MY
I can bite down on the IDEAAAAAAAAAAAA!
middle, and you can both Rishika: . . . and plummets into the water.
fly me to my family. Vikat: Sankat, look, I told you he couldn’t keep
Vikat: That’s a good idea. his mouth closed.
Sankat: No it’s not. Kambu can’t keep his mouth Sankat: No, Vikat, I was the one who said that!
closed long enough. Vikat: No, I said it. I did! I did!
Vikat: It’s true, Kambu. I doubt you could go ten Rishi: The cranes fly off, still squabbling.
seconds without talking. Rishika: Kambu swims toward the shikara.
Sankat: I doubt he could go five. Kambu: Mother! Father!
Kambu: Oh, but I can! I bet I could hold the Father: Oh, Kambu, my son, will you ever learn?
world record for not talking! Kambu (humbly): I think I just did.
Rishi: The cranes laugh but agree to give it a try.
Rishika: They each take one end of the stick in Scene 6
their beaks. Narrator 1: The prince sets down the little
Rishi: Kambu bites the stick in the middle, and turtle and looks up at his tutors.
off they go. Prince: That was a good story. But why did you
Rishika: They catch up to the shikara as it say it was just for me? I don’t talk much. I
reaches the cove. could name hundreds of people who say far
Rishi: Two children, Aroun and Anya, look up more. Besides, I’m a much better listener
from the boat. than Kambu.
Aroun: Anya, look at the cranes carrying that Narrator 2: Rishi and Rishika give each other a
silly turtle. knowing look.
Rishika: Kambu’s neck stiffens at being called Rishi: Prince, do you think little Kambu might
“silly.” say something similar?
Anya (looking about): Where, Aroun? Oh yes, Prince (laughing): Yes, I suppose so.
that turtle’s lucky to have such clever friends. Rishika: So can you guess what Kambu learned?
Rishi: Kambu’s jaw starts to quiver. He tries not Prince (thinks for a bit): Ah, I know. Sometimes
to listen. it is best just to listen, and not say anything
Aroun: Yes, Anya, such smart birds. Can you at all. n
WRITE TO WIN
How is the prince similar to Kambu? Why do you think Rishi and Rishika told
him the story about Kambu? Answer in a well-written essay and send it
to “Turtle Contest” by November 1, 2016. Ten winners will each receive FIND AN
a copy of Millicent Min, Girl Genius by Lisa Yee. See page 2 for details. ACTIVITY
ONLINE!
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