Mr. Peabody’s Apples by Madonna
Written for a cast of:
Narrator
Mr. Peabody
Tommy
Mr. Funkadeli
Baseball group (2-4)
Town group (2-4)
Billy
Suggested props:
Baseball caps, balls, bats, mitts, basket of apples, skateboard, helmet, pillow,
bag of colorful feathers (cut pillow, insert feathers and seal with Velcro strips)
Narrator
Mr. Peabody is the beloved elementary school teacher and baseball coach,
who one day finds himself ostracized when rumors spread through his small
town. Mr. Peabody silences the gossip with a lesson about how we must choose
our words carefully to avoid causing harm to others.
On stage: Mr. Peabody, Billy, Baseball group
Narrator
In the town of Happville, which wasn’t a very big town, Mr. Peabody was
congratulating his baseball team on a great game. They hadn’t won, but nobody
really cared, because they had all had such a good time playing! Mr. Peabody
was the history teacher at the local elementary school, and in the summer, he
dedicated every Saturday to organizing baseball games with other schools.
Billy Little, who wasn’t a very big boy, was one of Mr. Peabody’s students. Billy
loved baseball more than anything and he thought that Mr. Peabody was the
greatest!
Mr. Peabody and Billy wave goodbye to the baseball group as they exit stage.
Narrator
After each game, Billy would always stay to help pick up all the bats and
balls. And when they were finished, Mr. Peabody would smile and say
Mr. Peabody
Thanks, Billy! Good job. See you next Saturday.
Billy waves goodbye and exits stage.
Enter Tommy, Mr. Funkadeli and the Town group.
Narrator
Then, Mr. Peabody would start his walk home along the main street of
Happville, which wasn’t a very big street. Mr. Peabody waved hello to everyone
he knew and everyone would wave hello back! Along the way, Mr. Peabody
always passed Mr. Funkadeli’s fruit market. Here, Mr. Peabody would stop and
admire Mr. Funkadeli’s fresh apples. He would pick out the shiniest apple, drop it
in his bag, and continue on his way.
Mr. Peabody exits stage
Narrator
Across the street, Tommy watched with curiosity as Mr. Peabody walked away
with the apple.
Tommy (says to himself)
That’s strange. Mr. Peabody didn’t pay anybody for the apple.
Narrator
Tommy hopped on his skateboard and rushed to tell all his friends.
Mr Funkadeli exits. Tommy rushes around the stage spreading the rumor to the
town group, as Tommy spreads the rumor; each town person leaves the stage.
Tommy exits, too.
Mr. Peabody, Billy and baseball group enters.
Narrator
The following Saturday, Mr. Peabody’s team played another game, and they lost
as usual but, nobody cared because they had had such a good time playing.
Baseball group exits.
Narrator
Billy picked up the bats and balls, and Mr. Peabody set off on his walk home.
Exit Billy. Enter town group and Mr. Funkadeli.
Narrator
As Mr. Peabody walked home along the main street of Happville, he waved to
everyone he knew, and they waved back.
Enter baseball group and Tommy.
Narrator
Once again, Mr. Peabody stopped outside Mr. Funkadeli’s fruit market, picked up
the shiniest apple, dropped it in his bag and continued on his way. Across the
street, Tommy and his friends watched Mr. Peabody. They were amazed at what
they saw. Mr. Peabody had not paid for his apple. They couldn’t wait to tell all of
their friends, who told their parents, who told their neighbors, who told their
friends, in the town of Happville, which wasn’t a very big town.
All exit stage. Mr. Peabody enters, looking all around.
Narrator
The Saturday after that, Mr. Peabody was standing all alone on the baseball
field, wondering where everybody was. Then, he saw Billy walking toward
him with a sad look on his face.
Enter Billy
Mr. Peabody
Hello, Billy. I am glad you are here, but where is the rest of the team?
Billy stays silent and looks uncomfortable.
Mr. Peabody
What is it, Billy?
Billy (hesitates)
Everybody thinks you are a thief.
Mr. Peabody (looks confused)
Who says I am a thief, Billy? And what did I steal?
Billy
Tommy and his friends said they saw you take an apple from Mr. Funkadeli’s
market, twice. And they say that you did not pay for them.
Mr. Peabody
Ahhhh. Let’s go talk to Mr. Funkadeli about it, shall we?
Enter Mr. Funkadeli and the town group.
Narrator
They walked down the main street, which wasn’t a very big street, and Mr.
Peabody waved to all of the people that he knew. But now, some of them didn’t
wave back, and some pretended that they didn’t even see him.
Mr. Funkadeli (friendly)
Hi, Mr. Peabody! What are you doing here? Why aren’t you at the game?
Mr. Peabody
There wasn’t a game today. I was wondering if I could take my apple earlier than
usual.
Mr. Funkadeli
Sure! Why not? You pay for them in advance every Saturday morning when you
pick up your milk. You can take them when you like. You want a big, shiny one,
Mr. Peabody?
Mr. Peabody
Thank you. (offers the apple to Billy)
Billy
I would like to have that apple, Mr. Peabody, but I have to go find Tommy and
explain everything!
Mr. Peabody
When you find him, ask him to come to my house. I would like to speak to him.
Billy
OK, Mr. Peabody.
All exit stage.
Narrator
A little while later, Billy found Tommy and told him what happened with the
apples. He told Tommy that Mr. Peabody wanted to speak to him right away. So,
off Tommy ran and when he arrived, he rang the doorbell.
Enter Tommy. From opposite side of stage, enter Mr. Peabody. Tommy rings
doorbell and Mr. Peabody opens the door.
Tommy
Oh dear, Mr. Peabody. I didn’t understand. I should not have said what I said.
But, it looked like you didn’t pay for the apples.
Mr. Peabody
It doesn’t matter what it looked like. What matters is the truth.
Tommy
I am so sorry. What can I do to make things better, now?
Mr. Peabody
I’ll tell you, Tommy. Meet me at the baseball field in one hour, and bring a pillow
stuffed with feathers.
Tommy
OK.
Tommy runs off stage. Mr. Peabody slowly moves to the other side of the stage.
Tommy re-enters stage.
Narrator
An hour later, Tommy met Mr. Peabody at the baseball field.
Mr. Peabody
Hello, Tommy. Follow me, and bring your pillow.
Narrator
Tommy followed Mr. Peabody to the top of the bleachers, wondering what this
was all about.
Mr. Peabody
It is a windy day today, isn’t it, Tommy?
Tommy
Yes, Mr. Peabody.
Mr. Peabody
Here is a pair of scissors. Please cut the pillow in half and shake all of the
feathers out.
Narrator
Tommy looked confused, but he did it, anyway. He thought it was a small price to
pay to gain Mr. Peabody’s forgiveness.
Wait for Tommy to shake the feathers from the pillow
Narrator
The wind carried the thousands and thousands of tiny feathers far and wide
across the town of Happville.
Tommy
Is that all I have to do to make things better?
Mr. Peabody
There is one more thing. Now, you must go and pick up all of the feathers.
Tommy (frowning)
I don’t think it is possible to pick up all of the feathers!
Mr. Peabody
It would be just as impossible to undo the damage that you have done by
spreading the rumor that I am a thief. Each feather represents a person in
Happville.
Narrator
There was a long pause as Tommy began to understand what Mr. Peabody
was saying. Finally, Tommy said
Tommy
I guess that I have a lot of work ahead of me.
Mr. Peabody (smiling)
Indeed you do. Next time, don’t be so quick to judge a person. Remember the
power of your words.
Mr. Peabody hands Tommy an apple and exits stage. Tommy picks up feathers.
Narrator
This was a story about the power of words and how we must choose them
carefully to avoid causing harm to others.