Star Apple

To tell this story, you need a green apple with a bit of stem, a knife and a board on which to cut the apple. You could keep your props under cover until the appropriate moment. Or intrigue the children by putting the apple on display. (Best keep the knife out of sight.) Once there was a girl who said, 'I'm bored.'

Put on a child's bored voice.

The little girl's mother said, 'You could go and watch television.'

Now put on a mother's encouraging tones.

'That's boring,' said the little girl.

Lengthen the word 'boring' in typical child fashion.

'Then you could tidy up your room,' said her mother.

'That's boring,' said the little girl.

Now repeat this exchange, the mother making various suggestions, the girl always replying in the same way. Invite your audience to contribute their own ideas.

At last the girl's mother said, 'Well, here's another idea. You could go and look for a little green house with a chimney on top and a star inside.' 'Huh?' said the girl. 'You can't have a star inside a house.' But her mother suggested that she go and look. So she did. She looked in her toy cupboard and under the stairs.

Pretend to rummage around.

She went out onto the street - because she was old enough to go outside as long as her big sister was outside, too.

Explain to your audience that this girl was older than they are.

The girl went up and down the street and looked at all the houses but she couldn't see a little green house.

Look hard and look puzzled.

So she went to see her granny, who lived next door to her house.

Pretend to knock on the door and call out, 'Granny!' 'Granny,' said the little girl. 'Mum's gone mad. She told me to find a little green house with a chimney on top and a star inside. And that's silly!' Again imitate the child's tone of voice.

But her Granny said, 'Why don't you go out in the garden and look underneath my tree?' So she did.

Describe her looking around.

When she went back in, she said, 'Granny, there's no little green house with a chimney on top.'

Her Granny went out in the garden too. On the grass under the tree was a green apple that had fallen off the tree. Granny picked it up and showed her.

'See!' said Granny. 'A little green house with a chimney on top!' Pick up your apple and turn it around, showing the little stem.

'Uh!' said the girl. 'But there's no star inside.'

'Let's have a look,' said Granny.

Then they went in the kitchen and she cut open the apple and inside was a beautiful star.

Cut open the apple across the middle, not down the core in the usual way. You will see a star shape on either side (there may be pips which you can remove) and when everyone has admired it, you can cut pieces of apple for your audience.