Evening play “THE SNOW QUEEN”
Characters: Story-teller, Kay, Gerda, the Snow Queen, Granny, the King’s Counsellor, Gentleman-Crow, Lady-Crow, Prince Kay, Princess, the Old Robber Woman, the Little Robber Girl, Reindeer, robber, the servants of the King.
Scene I
The Story-teller appears in front of the curtain.
Story-teller. If it were not for me, a story-taller, you would never learn what happened to a boy called Kay. But silence. Let’s begin. (Disappears behind the curtain.)
Setting. A poor but tidy room with a fire-place and a large, frost- covered window and the other by the fire-place, there is a rose bush in front of the stage. (Kay and Gerda are in the room.)
Gerda. Hallo. Boys and girls! This is my brother. His name so Kay. We live here, in this little house with our Granny. My name is Gerda.
The children go to the fire-place, sit down on the carpet near the fire-place and begin to look at pictures in a book. The sound of creaking stairs.
Gerda. What is it?
Kay. The stairs are creaking.
Gerda. Oh, yes, they are really creaking .
Kay. Here is our Granny. (There is a knock at the door.) Why is she knocking? Keep quiet! Let’s frighten her and hide somewhere.
Gerda. All right!
Gerda hides herself behind the arm-chair near the fire-place and Kay behind the arm-chair near the window. The door opens and a tall thin man enters the room. He is dressed in black.
Kay. Bow-wow-wow! (Rushes from behind the arm-chair on fours.)
Gerda. Miaow, miaow!
Man. What is going on in this house? Why are you shouting, you silly children?
Gerda. We are very sorry. We thought you were our Granny.
Man. What nonsense! As you can see I am not your Granny! (He looks around.) Where are the roses?
Gerda. Here they are.
Man. I see. They are rather beautiful. They are in blossom.
The door opens and a clean, white-haired old woman enters the room.
Kay. Granny!
Gerda. Our Granny!
Granny. My dear children! (Suddenly she sees the man and stops smiling.)
Man. Good evening, ma’am.
Granny. Good evening, sir! What can I do for you? And who are you?
Man. I am the King’s Counsellor. I’ve heard about your roses, and I want to buy them.
Gerda. Do you like flowers so much?
King’s Counsellor. Not at all. I hate them.
Granny. Then why do you want to buy our roses?
King’s Counsellor. I buy rarities. In winter flowers are rare. That’s why I want to buy your roses. I can see that you are very poor. Here are ten pounds for your roses.
Granny. I am not going to sell the roses. We like them so much.
Gerda. Yes, we enjoy them greatly.
King’s Counsellor. Twenty pounds.
Granny. No.
King’s Counsellor. Thirty…fifty…one hundred.
Granny. No!
King’s Counsellor. Oh, I see you are very sly. Two hundred pounds for your roses!
Granny. No!
King’s Counsellor. I don’t think you understand who I am, ma’am. I’ll say it again! I am the King’s Counsellor. I am very, very rich. I sell ice. I know the Snow Queen herself. She helps me. I can buy anything. I’ll ask a second time: how much are these roses?
Granny. These roses are not for sale.
King’s Counsellor. Then… Then you are a crazy old woman.
Kay. Don’t shout at our Granny! Everybody respects her. She is so kind.
Gerda. Yes, yes, don’t shout at her. We love her so much.
King’s Counsellor. Well, I am leaving. But I’ll take revenge on you. And it will be very soon. I’ll tell about you to the Snow Queen. (Goes out of the room.)
Kay. What an angry old man!
Gerda. He wanted to take our roses. And he said that he would tell about us to the Snow Queen. Granny, who is she?
Granny. The Snow Queen lives in the North in her ice palace. She is very beautiful, but very cruel.
Kay. Granny, have you ever seen her?
Granny. No, I haven’t. But I’ve heard a lot about her. Be calm, children!
Suddenly a beautiful woman appears in the room. She is dressed in white.
Kay. Oh, who are you?
Snow Queen. I am the Snow Queen. Good evening, you all.
Granny. Good evening, Your Majesty. Sit down, please. Would you like some tea?
Snow Queen. No, no! It’s too hot for me. I want to have a talk with you, ma’am. I was told about you. You are a very nice woman, but you are very poor. And you have two children. I suppose it must be difficult for you to bring them both up. And I am quite alone, but very rich. So, I will take this boy from you.
Kay. What?
Snow Queen. He will live with me, and he will be a son to me.
Kay. Granny, I don’t want to go with her!
Gerda. Granny, don’t give Kay to this woman.
Granny. Don’t worry, children. I would never let him go.
Kay. Did you hear my Granny?
Snow Queen. You must think, Kay. You will be my only son. You will live in the palace with me and I’ll give you everything you wish.
Kay. No, I don’t want to leave Gerda and Granny!
Snow Queen. All right, Kay. Stay here. Good-bye to you all! See you soon, my boy.
Kay. Ha-ha-ha! Oh, how funny and fat you are, Granny! And you, Gerda, you are so ugly!
Gerda. Granny, Granny, what’s the matter with him?
Granny. Kay, I don’t recognize you.
Kay. Oh, I am thick and tired of you both. I hate everything here. I don’t want to live in this poor house. I am leaving. Good-bye!
Gerda. Kay! Kay!
Scene II
Gerda. Oh, how tired I am! I’ve been looking for Kay for so long but nobody seems to know anything about him. Now I know what it is to be lonely. I am very sad and tired, but I must go on and find my brother.
Gentleman-Crow. Caw, Caw! Good morning, young lady.
Gerda. Good morning to you.
Gentleman-Crow. Where are you going, young lady?
Gerda. I am looking for my brother Kay.
Gentleman-Crow and Lady-Crow. Caw! Caw! Caw!
Gentleman-Crow. Oh, we happen to know this name. It’s the name of our prince. We, my wife and I, live in the palace and if you want to see him, we’ll take you there. And you’ll see your brother.
Gerda. Thank you very much!
Gentleman-Crow. Let’s go.
Setting. A hall in the King’s Palace. The Prince and the Princess are playing horses.
Prince. Stop playing this game, Elza. I am tired of being a horse. Let’s play another game.
Princess. Then let’s play hide-and-seek, Kay.
Prince. All right! You hide now and I’ll count up to twenty! I’ll begin now: one, two, three…
Princess. Oh, who’s there?
Prince. Is it a rat?
Princess. No, it’s not a rat. It’s a little girl and two Crows.
Prince. What are you doing here, young lady? How did you get here? And why are you crying?
Gerda. My name is Gerda. I am crying because you are not my brother Kay. He was carried away by the Snow Queen. The Crows told me that my brother had become a prince and that he lived in the palace. That’s why I am here! But I see now that the Crows were mistaken!
Prince: Don’t cry, Gerda. We’ll help you. Where will you go from here?
Gerda: I’ll go farther, to the North. I must find the Snow Queen.
Princess: But that’s a long way.
Gerda: Never mind, I am not afraid.
Prince: I think I know what to do. We’ll give her a carriage and four black horses.
Princess: What a brilliant idea! A gold carriage!
Prince: And you, Elza, give her a coat, a hat, fur boots and a muff!
Princess: With great pleasure. I have lots of them. Bring my clothes for Gerda!
Gerda: Thank you very much!
Scene III
Story-teller: Everything is going excellently! Gerda is going in the carriage. The poor boy will be saved. What’s there? Robbers! And the carriage is not guarded!
Setting: A camp of robbers in the forest.
1st Robber: Look what we’ve got!
2st Robber: Here is a gold carriage!
3st Robber: And this is the girl from the carriage!
Old Woman Robber: Oh, how nice and far she is! I think she will be very tasty.
Gerda: Don’t kill me, please! Wait a little. Take my muff, my hat, coat, and my fur boots. Only let me go.
1st Robber: What a silly girl!
2st Robber: You’ll be killed.
Gerda: Dear robbers, listen to me, please. Don’t laugh at me go. Kay will die without me and he is a very, very good boy. Please, I beg you. Let me go.
Old Woman Robber: No, I’m going to eat you up! Don’t touch her! Oh, what a nice girl! She will play with me. She will be mine. All of you, go away or I’ll kill you. Oh, how pretty you are! You’ll be my friend. Give me your muff, your coat and your hat. What is your name, girl?
Gerda: Gerda. You can take my clothes, but I am afraid I’ll be very cold when I get to the Snow Queen’s Kingdom.
Little Girl Robber: No! You won’t go there. You will live with me. Look, what I’ve got. Come, Come here quickly! Gerda, look, how funny he is.
Gerda: Oh, please, don’t do it!
Little Girl Robber: But why? I like the way he trembles all over.
Gerda: May I ask him a question?
Little Girl Robber: Yes, you may.
Gerda: Tell me, Reindeer, did you live in the North?
Reindeer: Oh, yes.
Gerda: And have you ever seen the Snow Queen?
Reindeer: Yes, I have.
Gerda: He has seen her.
Reindeer: Yes, I have seen her. Once she passed me. She had a little boy by her side. He was white with cold, but he was smiling. The Snow Queen called him Kay.
Gerda: Kay, it was Kay! He is my brother. Oh, dear girl, let me go, please. I must save Kay. He was white with cold. He will died there, in the North.
Reindeer: Do let her go. I’ll take Gerda to the Snow Queen’s Kingdom.
Little Girl Robber: All right! There is nothing to be done. Take your hat. But I won’t give you your muff. I like it myself. Kiss me.
Gerda: Thank you, girl.
Reindeer: Thank you.
Little Girl Robber: Good luck, Gerda!
Gerda: Good-bye! Good-bye!
Scene IV
Story-teller: Oh, how sad I am! Poor Gerda! There is nothing but ice all around! She is riding on the Reindeer through the endless snow desert. Ride quickly, Reindeer! Help her to save Kay!
Gerda: Tell me, Reindeer, is this the Kingdom of the Snow Queen?
Reindeer: Yes, it is. But I can’t go any farther. Aren’t you afraid to go there?
Gerda: Certainly, I am. But I have to go and set my brother free.
Reindeer: There is one thing you must remember. The Snow Queen is very cruel and it is very difficult to get into her palace.
Gerda: Nevertheless I will go there.
Reindeer: Hurry up, then! The Snow Queen is out today.
Gerda: Thank you, my dear friend!
Setting: The hall in the Snow Queen’s palace.
Gerda: Kay! Kay! Are you quite frozen? Answer me! If you don’t answer me, I’ll die with sorrow!
Kay: Hush, Gerda! You bother me!
Gerda: Kay, dear Kay, it’s me!
Kay: Yes, I see.
Gerda: Kay, have you forgotten me?
Kay: No, have I never forgotten anything.
Gerda: How can you speak to me in such a way? You didn’t even say to me “Glad to see you”.
Kay: Glad to see you.
Gerda: You sound so cold and far away. I’ve been looking for you all over the world and now I am even afraid to come up to you. Are you really my brother Kay?
Kay: I am really Kay, but I am very busy now. I must make the word eternity out of the icicles. And the Snow Queen will give me the world as a present and a pair of skates.
Gerda: Kay, my silly boy, let’s go home. I can’t leave you here, all alone. I don’t like it here. You just remember. It’s spring now. The sky is blue. The sun is shining. The birds are singing.
Kay: You… you are disturbing me.
Gerda: Kay, let’s go away! Our Granny is waiting for us. She’s been waiting for you all this time. She goes out to wait for you even when it’s raining and snowing.
Kay: Our Granny! I am cold, Greda. Is it you? What’s the matter with you? Why are you crying? How did you get here? It’s so cold here. I can’t walk.
Gerda: You can. Let’s go. Never mind your legs. You’ll learn to walk. We will get home.
Scene V
Setting: Same as in Scene I.
Granny: I’ve been waiting for them for such a long time. But I feel that tonight my children will come back at last.
Little Girl Robber: Can you hear? The stairs are creaking.
Gentleman-Crow: They are coming!
Prince: Surely it must be Kay and Gerda!
Princess: The stairs are creaking so merrily.
Little Girl Robber: Granny, look, it’s Gerda!
Prince: Granny, look, it’s Kay!
Princess: Granny, look, they are both here!
Gentleman-Crow and Lady Crew: Welcome home!
Granny: My fear children! You have come back at last!
Snow Queen: You must give this boy back to me at once or I’ll turn you into ice!
King’s Counsellor: And after that I’ll crack you all into pieces and sell you.
Snow Queen: Kay, you must go with me!
Gerda: Nobody is afraid of toy here. You can’t turn people with warm hearts into ice.
Snow Queen: Oh, we’ll see!
Little Girl Robber: You can wave your arms, your legs and your tail, but we won’t give you Kay.
Prince: And I am not cold at all.
Princess: Usually I catch a cold easily, and now I haven’t even got a running nose.
Gerda: Go away, you, two! We are not afraid of you. Thank you, dear friends. I would have never been able to save Kay without your help. Now we all know that goodness defeats evil and friendship works miracles.
1. What are the main characters of this play?
2. Please, make up the spidegram to the play.
Please, make up the sentences:
1) horse. I being a am of tired.
2) so It’s can’t walk. I cold, here
3) you How me speak in way can to such a?
4) Let hide somewhere, her and frighten’s
5) thank Oh, much very you!
6) What! As you Granny can, nonsense not I am your see.
1. We? (Some word) not afraid of you.
2. And after that I (shall or would?) crack you all into pieces and sell you.
3. I’ve? (some word) waiting for them for such a long time.

Класи: Початкова школа

Предмети: Англійська мова