Coyote and the Frost Giant
Narrator: One day, when Coyote was coming back from one of
his
long walks, he decided to take a new way to get home. He soon
came to a
wide river, so wide he could not get across. Then he saw a single
tipi on the other side.
Coyote: [Walking on stage from right side]
Hmm... I
wonder who lives there.
Narrator: So he called out.
Coyote: Hey! Who lives there?
Frost Giant: [coming out of tipi] Who lives
where?
[Coyote sees frost giant, starts hastily walking away]
Frost Giant: Get back here or I'll eat you!
Coyote: [cautiously walks back]
[Frost Giant looks Coyote up and down]
Narrator: So Frost giant went back into his tipi and
pulled the
strings that caused the cold. [Frost Giant pulls strings]
[Coyote starts shivering, then paces back and forth, finally
collapses]
Narrator: Soon the spirit of death came to warn Coyote of
his
future.
Spirit of Death: Boo! I have come to warn you!
In
time I shall come to take you to another world. Boo!
Narrator: Soon Meadowlark came and saw Coyote.
[Meadowlark gently kicks Coyote on back of head]
Coyote: [partly sits up] Hey! I'm not dead
yet!
[collapses][rubbing back of head] But I think I soon will be.
Meadowlark: No duh!
Anybody can see that!
Narrator: So Meadowlark went to tell Coyote's brother
Fox.
Fox was the only one who could bring Coyote back to life. When
Fox came, he dragged Coyote out of the giant's sight. Then he
called upon a powerful spirit to help him. [Fox stamps in circles
with arms raised] Then he stepped over Coyote three times.
[Fox does this too]
Coyote: Aaaaagh! I certainly had a nice nap! I
want
to see Frost Giant!
Fox: I know it won't do any good arguing, but be careful!
Narrator: So Coyote called upon his magical powers
[Coyote
stamps in circles with arms up] almost instantly a pair of warm
moccasins and a fur coat appeared.
Coyote: Now Fox, you see, I'm putting on this coat, so
don't
bother me, if you please.
Fox: [looking up and shaking head] As you wish.
Narrator: So Coyote went to the river and called out.
Coyote: Hey! Get me across!
Frost Giant: [to himself] Sounds like the same one I
killed
yesterday and could not find this morning.
Narrator: So Frost Giant pulled the strings which made the
pieces
of buckskins move. Almost instantly a cold breeze sprang
up. As soon as Coyote felt the cold coming he sat beneath a tree.
Frost Giant: I can't wait till I eat that delicious
looking
coyote!
Coyote: [on other side of stage, sitting up partly]
What's
that?!
Frost Giant: What?
Coyote: What?
Frost Giant: What?
Coyote: What?
Frost Giant: What?
Coyote: What?
Frost Giant: What?
Coyote: Whatever.
Frost Giant: Tell me!
Coyote: No!
Frost Giant: Yes!
Coyote: No!
Frost Giant: Yes!
Coyote: No!
Frost Giant: Tell me!
Coyote: Why should I?
Frost Giant: 'Cause if you don't -
Coyote: [juts out lower jaw and lip, daring Frost
Giant]
What?!?!
Frost Giant: 'Cause if you don't, I'll eat you!
Coyote: Ha! You Think I'm scared of that?!
That's the
same threat you used last time, and you never did it!
Frost Giant: That's 'cause you came back when I told you
to!
Coyote: No!
Frost Giant: Yes!
Narrator: Here we go again!
Coyote: [to Frost Giant] No!
Frost Giant: Yes!
Narrator: Gentlemen!
Coyote: I'm not a man, I'm a coyote, you dope!
Narrator: Same thing!
Coyote: No!
Narrator: Yes!
Coyote: No!
Narrator: Yes!
Coyote and Frost Giant:
[bellowing] No! [Narrator
rolls eyes, sighs and postures like kids do]
Coyote: [Patting Frost Giant on shoulder] Thanks old
pal!
Narrator: [to audience and pointing with thumb]
Acting as
if they've known each other for years.
Frost Giant: [jumping away] Don't touch me!
Coyote: Fine. So where were we?
Narrator: Where were you.
Coyote: Fine, where were we?
Narrator: I said already, Where were you!
Coyote: Right, "you" plural, as in me and Frost Giant.
Frost Giant: Change that to "you" singular.
Coyote: Fine, then. Stop talking about the English
language. Where was I?
Narrator: Hey, we're in the play too!
Frost Giant: Yeah!
Coyote: Fine.
Narrator: So Coyote and Frost Giant had a big argument...
Coyote: Hey, that's not part of the play!
Narrator: Fine. So in the morning, when Coyote saw
Frost
Giant coming across, he stretched himself across under the tree so he
looked like he was dead.
[Coyote does so]When Frost Giant came, Coyote again called upon his
magical powers.
Coyote: [murmurs] Asanga aminubis.
Narrator: Then, another person appeared. ["Fatter
person"
enters]
Frost Giant: Hmm, that person looks fatter, I'll go get
him
first, then I'll have two people instead of one.
Narrator: Seeing Frost Giant going the other way Coyote
sprang up
and got into the canoe, and paddled away.
Frost Giant: [Turns, then seeing Coyote going the other
way runs
to rivers edge] Get back here!
Coyote: Why... [Narrator cuts him off]
Narrator: Don't start another argument.
Coyote: [Cheerfully] Okay. [When Narrator
stops
looking, sticks tongue out at Frost Giant]
Narrator: So Frost Giant...
Frost Giant: [interrupting] What about me?
Narrator: Nothing. So Frost Giant sat on a rock to
think. [Coyote Goes into tipi] Coyote went into the tipi
and saw three things: a bow and arrows, a white pole, and the
strings that the Frost Giant pulls to make cold.
Coyote: [Pulls strings and sits] It doesn't seem to
be any
colder. I'll go out and see if it is snowing yet.
Narrator: When Coyote stuck his head out it was so cold,
he
nearly froze.
Coyote: I'll stay inside now. [smiles guiltily at
audience]
Narrator: The next day, when it was warm again Coyote
paddled to
the other side. [Coyote does so]
[Coyote gets down and tickles Frost Giant. Frost Giant laughs]
Coyote: [Whispers so audience can hear]
Psssssssst! You're supposed to be dead!
Narrator: He got down and looked at the Frost Giant.
[Coyote does so]
Coyote: [stands] That'll teach you never to eat
people
again!
Spirit of death: [comes
onstage] [to audience] So, where
did that Coyote go?
All: [to audience] The
End.
[curtain]
Author:
Ashley Heska
Story Source: A Native
American folk tale
Characters:
- Coyote
- Frost Giant
- Fox
- Meadowlark
- Narrator
- "Fatter person"
- Spirit of death.
Notes:
- All characters may be played by males or females. You may
want to change the "he's" to "she's" in case of a female player.
- "Fatter Person" is a non-speaking character
- A single actor may play both "Fatter Person" and another
character such as Meadowlark.
Props:
- Moccasins
- Fur coat
- Tipi
- Buckskins [white and brown fabric]
- Canoe and paddle
- Stool [optional]
- White pole
- Long strings
- Bow and arrows [optional] [You'll need to alter a line in the
play if you omit the bow and arrows]
- Tree [stick and green paper].
THE END
Author: Ashley Heska
Distributor/Publisher: http://www.freeplays.org
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