Dia de los Muertos (6) Mom Dad Grandma Janie Bobby Joey El Conejito Verde (13) Narrator 1 Narrator 2 King Green Rabbit White Rabbit Pinto Rabbit Marisol Mamá Papá Rosita Moon Sun Wind MEXICO: MUELLER Actor Savannah Haught Skylar Harris Emilia Boes Cassie Fore Hayden Hunt Oliver Graham Actor Holden Heasley Connor McAdams Luke Daughtry Payton Woodle Ellie Verhaeghe Nathan Aardal Daphne Wagner Tyler Raitano Markus D Anna Ariel Locklear Cole Stembridge Daniel Rucker Andrew Bray
DIA DE LOS MUERTOS Mexico: Ms. Mueller s Class 6 Characters: Mom, Dad, Grandma, Janie, Bobby, Joey Everyone: Dia de Los Muertos, a Mexican Holiday. Mom: Kids! Come downstairs for dinner! Kids: Be right there, Mom! Grandma: Don t keep your mother waiting! (to Dad) Brrrr! It s getting chilly outside. That October air is brisk! Dad: (sitting down with Mom and Grandma) Have the kids told you what they want to be for Halloween? Mom: Bobby was talking about being a vampire. Joey wants to be a minion. Grandma: I think Janie was deciding between Elsa and a dancing skeleton! (kids enter and sit down) Joey: I m hungry! Bobby: What s for dinner, Mom? Janie: (rolling her eyes) I hope it s not meatloaf. Dad: Your mother has made lasagna. Mom: It ll be out of the oven in a minute. I wanted to talk to you guys about your Halloween costumes. October 31 st is right around the corner. Janie: I ve decided I want to go with the dancing skeleton. Grandma: (shuddering) That sounds too scary, Janie!
Janie: Actually, we ve been learning about skeletons at school. They re not scary at all! Dad: You ve been learning about dancing skeletons?! Bobby: Daaaad, she s talking about Day of the Dead. Joey: Oh yeah, we ve been learning about that in second grade, too! Mom: What in the world is Day of the Dead? Janie: Millions of people from Mexico and parts of Central and South America observe one of Latin America s most popular holidays called el Dia de los Muertos, or the Day of the Dead. Bobby: It is a special time for remembering loved ones who are no longer living and is celebrated every year from October 31 st until November 2 nd. Grandma: But what does that have to do with skeletons? Joey: You can find one inside bread! Dad: Huh? Bobby: Joey s talking about Pan de muertos, or bread of the dead. It s a sweet bread baked only for this special holiday. It has a tiny skeleton doll baked inside. The person lucky enough to get the little skeleton in his or her piece of bread can make a wish that will come true. Janie: Yeah, people prepare for the holiday by baking or buying special foods. They also make sugar skulls, or Calaveras de azucar, that are decorated in bright colors. Joey: They can be eaten at the end of the celebration!
Bobby: People also gather the favorite foods of their loved ones who have passed on. Tamales are a popular treat at the celebrations. They are cornmeal cakes filled with meat, wrapped in a cornhusk, and steamed before eating. Mom: Oh, I see. These foods are a holiday tradition, kind of like how we always eat Grandma s famous sweet potato casserole at Thanksgiving. Grandma: (nodding) It s my favorite! Janie: Yep, but food isn t the only part of Dia de los Muertos. Bobby: That s right. Altars for the departed, decorated with cempazuchitl (sempa-su-cheel), or marigolds, and candles, are displayed in homes and schools. Joey: And, sweet-smelling incense is burned to attract the spirits of the departed. Janie: On the night of November 2 nd, families go to the cemetery. They spread the petals of marigold flowers, burn incense, and light candles to welcome the spirits to the celebration. Bobby: Then they dance, sing, have a picnic, and share memories of their loved ones. Joey: It s basically a big party, or fiesta. Janie: Families leave the flowers on the graves at the end of the celebration as they begin their journey home. Dad: I had no idea that a holiday about the dead could be so much fun! Mom: It sure sounds like a special way to honor your loved ones. Grandma: Maybe we can try making some of those sugar skulls after dinner. Kids: YEAH!! Dad: Is that the oven timer beeping?
Mom: Oh, the lasagna is ready! Everyone: El Fin. The End.
EL CONEJITO VERDE Mexico: Ms. Mueller s Class 13 Characters: 2 Narrators, King, Green Rabbit, White Rabbit, Pinto Rabbit, Marisol, Mamá, Papá, Rosita, Moon, Sun, Wind Everyone: El Conejito Verde (The Green Rabbit) Narrator 1: Long ago there was a very rich king who had three sons - three very handsome sons whom he loved very much. Narrator 2: The king, however, desired to have his orders obeyed no matter what. One day the three princes went visiting without their father's permission. King: What are you doing away from home? You must be punished. Oldest son, you will be changed into a pinto rabbit. Second son, you will be turned into a white rabbit. Youngest son, you will be a little green rabbit. 3 Sons: Papá, no! Narrator 1: Furthermore, the king told them King: For an entire year you will not leave the palace and will only be able to turn into humans at night. Narrator 2: Time passed. One day when the three rabbits were nibbling grass in the palace garden, the green rabbit said Green Rabbit: Hermanos, I can't bear this life any longer. Let us crawl through the water pipe and see what surrounds this prison. Pinto Rabbit: No, brother, we mustn t. The king will punish us if he finds out! Narrator 1: However, the green rabbit insisted so much that finally the brothers agreed. All that afternoon the rabbits ran over the hill and dale. Narrator 2: As they were leaving for home, they heard the beautiful voice of someone singing a happy song.
Green Rabbit: Let us go and see who is singing. White Rabbit: Please, no, brother. Go if you must, but we will stay here. Narrator 1: And so the green rabbit went alone. He went in the direction the singing came from and found a beautiful palace. Hoping to find a way to get in, he hopped around the garden walls and finally found a crack. Narrator 2: Silently he crept into the garden. There he saw that the singer was a beautiful princess with sun-gold hair and sea-blue eyes. Her name was Marisol. The little rabbit fell in love with her at first sight. Marisol: What an unusual rabbit! (she catches him and calls offstage) Mamá, Papá, look what I found! Green Rabbit: Beautiful princess, I am not a rabbit. I am a prince enchanted as punishment for disobeying my father. If you do not let me go, my father the king will kill me tonight. Release me and I promise that as soon as my punishment is over, I will return and marry you. In token of my word, take this ring. Narrator 1: The princess was astonished to hear the rabbit's words, but because she was kind and because she had fallen in love with the rabbit, she took him to the garden and let him go. Narrator 2: Months passed and the rabbit didn't come back to see Marisol! Marisol: I can t believe that little green rabbit won t come to see me. How will I go on? Mamá: Marisol, we are worried about you. You can t stay this upset forever. Papá: How about we throw a fiesta in your honor? Would that cheer you up? Mamá: Let s bring musicians and artists from all over.
Narrator 2: One musician was a little girl named Rosita from a nearby village who could play the guitar and sing beautiful songs. On her way to the village, she crossed paths with the three rabbits. Rosita: Aw, what adorable conejitos! Narrator 1: As soon as Rosita had passed, the three rabbits magically and suddenly changed back into princes! Green Rabbit: (crying) Pinto Rabbit: Please forget the Princess Marisol. White Rabbit: Our father will never let you marry her. Narrator 2: Meanwhile, Rosita had made it to the palace, but her singing and dancing made no impression on Marisol. Rosita: Look Princess, I am going to tell you a tale. Narrator 1: And she told a strange tale of seeing the three rabbits. Marisol: Mamá, Papá, I must find the green rabbit! Rosita: I will take you, Princess. Narrator 2: And off the two niñas went. (they meet the three princes, and Marisol runs to hug the youngest prince as the King enters) King: (angrily) Son, what are you doing?! Green Rabbit: My King, my father, this maiden and I are to be married! King: So you want to get married, eh. Before I agree to this, you must do as I say. Youngest Son, you will be a rabbit for seven more years. And Young Lady, you will
not be able to marry the prince until you fill seven barrels with your tears and wear out seven pairs of iron shoes. Narrator 1: After walking and crying a long, long time, Marisol finally arrived at the house where the moon lived. Marisol had already filled the barrels with her tears and worn out the seven pairs of iron shoes. Narrator 2: Marisol knocked on the door of the moon's house and the moon came out. Moon: Niña, what are you doing here? Marisol: I must return to the green rabbit. Moon: Look, I cannot travel through that particular part of the world right now. I am not due on that side of the earth for many more days. But do you see that hill? My compadre, the Sun, lives over there. Go to him, he probably will be able to help you. Narrator 1: Marisol walked and walked and finally arrived at the sun's house. She knocked on the door and the sun came out. Sun: What are you doing around here, niña? Marisol: I am the green rabbit's fiancée. I am wondering if you could aid me in getting back to his palace. Sun: Do you say you are the green rabbit's fiancée? That is impossible. The green rabbit is going to be married within three days. His fiancée was picked out by the king himself. Marisol: Señor Sol, please take me to the palace. Sun: Look, niña, I cannot take you because if I held you in my arms I would burn you. But listen! On the other side of that hill lives my compadre, the Wind. Tell her to take you where you are going.
Narrator 2: Marisol walked and walked until finally reaching the hill, and went to the house where the wind lived. Wind: Come in, hijita. What are you doing around here? Narrator 1: Marisol told Señora Aire all that had happened. Señora Aire laughed so hard that she shook all over. Marisol: Why are you laughing? Wind: Do not worry! I have already destroyed the preparations for green rabbit s wedding. I have heard the green rabbit asking for your return. Take hold of my hand and quicker than you can wink your eye we will be at the palace. Narrator 2: And off they went. (they arrive at the palace) Green Rabbit: Marisol! You re here at last! Narrator 1: Marisol then produced the seven barrels filled with her tears and a handkerchief where the remains of the seven pairs of iron shoes were tied. She gave them to the king. Narrator 2: And since the king had given his word, Marisol and the prince were married and lived happily ever after. Everyone: AWW! El Fin. The End.