RICAL
HISTOTION
FIC d on true
Drama
ILLUSTRATION BY GARY HANNA; GRANGER, NYC/THE GRANGER COLLECTION (WRIGHT BROTHERS)
base
st
a story from the pa
s
t
n
e
v
e
The amazing
story of the
Wright brothers,
the first airplane, and
the 13-year-old girl
who saw it all. BY SPENCER KAYDEN

SCOPE.SCHOLASTIC.COM • MAY 2016
15
CHARACTERS
Virginia
Tommy: Bea’s friend
How does meeting the
Wright brothers change
Bea’s life?
AS YOU READ,
THINK ABOUT:
Bill Tate: Bea’s father, the postmaster
Tommy: Pardon me, but I believe
we will witness history today.
Local 3: What makes today special?
Watch our
fascinating
Time Machine
video at Scope
Online!
These fools have been doing
Scene 1
experiments on this beach for years.
Kitty Hawk, North Carolina
December 17, 1903
Tommy: This plane has a motor. If it works, this will be
the first man-powered flight in the world.
N1: Bea and her friend Tommy stand in a small crowd
Local 1 (scoffing): Or another lunatic breaking his neck.
on the blustery sand dunes.
Crowd: Hahahaha!
N2: They shiver as a cold wind blows from the ocean.
Bea (muttering to Tommy): None of them would dare
N1: In the distance, men lug a huge contraption across
try what the Wright brothers are trying.
the sand.
Bea: Look! They’re putting the
Flyer on the launching track.
N2: The Flyer is an airplane. It
has large wings made from
fabric stretched over a wooden
frame.
Local 1: Those Wright brothers
are nice fellas, but if you ask me,
they are screwy in the head.
The Birdmen
People thought the Wright brothers were out of their minds. Orville
and Wilbur probably did look silly gazing at seabirds on the beach.
Sometimes they flapped their arms to mimic the motion of the
birds’ wings.
The Wrights were not silly, though. Everything they did had
a purpose. They experimented, failed (see this crashed
plane), and tried again. How can failure be important?
North Carolina
P
l
am
ico
So
un
CAPE
HATTERAS
O C
E A N
*Orville and Wilbur Wright: inventors and brothers
T I
C
Locals 1, 2, 3
N
*Addie Tate: Bea’s mother
OUTER
BANKS
A
*Beatrice “Bea” Tate: a 13-year-old girl
arle Sound
Albem
Plymouth
d
May: Addie’s friend
0
20
MILES
L
Gladys: Addie’s friend
*Narrators 1 and 2 (N1, N2)
The brothers lived and worked in
the shed (right) and stored their
plane in the hangar (left).
T
*Starred characters have major speaking parts.
Kitty Hawk
JIM MCMAHON/MAPMAN™ (MAP); BETTMANN/GETTY IMAGES (PLANE HANGAR)
Crowd: to be read by a group
LIBRARY OF CONGRESS (WRIGHT BROTHERS); HULTON ARCHIVE/GETTY IMAGES (CRASHED PLANE)
Circle the character you will play.
A
Local 2 (overhearing): Yeah. Cause what they’re tryin’ is
gonna kill ’em.
N1: Orville and Wilbur flip a coin to see who will pilot
the plane. They talk quietly and somberly shake hands.
Tommy: I wonder what they’re saying.
MIDDLE OF NOWHERE
The Wright brothers needed a place with high winds and plenty of
sand for soft landings. They chose Kitty Hawk on the Outer Banks
of North Carolina.
Though it was a difficult 700-mile journey from their home in
Dayton, Ohio, its remoteness provided the privacy they desired as
they conducted experiments.
Local 3: Probably, “Nice knowing ya.”
N2: The roar of a motor reverberates across the beach.
Tommy: Jane who?
N1: Orville climbs onto the plane and lies on his
N2: Before Bea can answer, a group of women emerges
stomach in the middle of the bottom wing. A camera
from the house.
has been set up on a tripod nearby.
Gladys: Heavens, I thought we’d never finish that quilt.
N2: The plane slides down the track.
May: Addie, your hat is simply divine.
Tommy: Here we go!
N1: Addie touches the hat’s delicate lavender flowers,
N1: Bea holds her breath.
fashioned out of ribbons and lace.
N2: Slowly, slowly, the plane begins to
Addie (beaming): My Bea made it.
lift off the ground . . .
May: You should send her away to get some training.
Scene 2
the Tates’ house
four months earlier
N2: Addie smiles kindly.
Addie: We Tates have no delusions of grandeur.
N1: Bea clenches her jaw as the women leave and her
mother goes inside. She pulls a letter from her pocket.
Local 2: Man is not meant to fly.
N1: Bea is digging up potatoes in the
N2: Tommy snatches it.
It’s unnatural.
garden in front of her house. She looks
Bea: Give that back!
up to see Tommy running toward her.
Tommy (reading): “Miss Beatrice Tate, thank you for
Bea: Hi there, Tommy.
sending me your elegant hat designs. I am seeking an
N2: Tommy waves a newspaper.
apprentice for my millinery in Plymouth. Please
Tommy: Look what I got!
contact me if you are interested. Regards, Miss Jane
N1: He sits on the rickety porch steps.
Brinkley.”
Tommy (reading in a snooty accent):
Tommy (astonished): Bea!
“Very smart among the late-summer
Bea: It was silly of me to even write to her.
styles is a hat of woven white felt with
Tommy: But she says she likes your designs.
a large black feather—”
Bea: She was just being nice. Besides, haven’t you
Bea: That sounds like one of Jane
heard? “We Tates have no delusions of
Brinkley’s styles.
grandeur.”
Orville
16
Wilbur
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
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Tommy: What’s that supposed to mean?
Bill: How’s your bicycle business doing?
all the way to London in minutes, where you can have
Bea (gloomily): It means it’s time for me to
Wilbur (swallowing a mouthful of potatoes): Very well,
a conversation on a telephone with someone many
dig up more potatoes.
which is fortunate because we need the money to pay
miles away.
for our airplane experiments.
Addie: I’ve never even seen a telephone, and that’s fine
Tommy: I hear you have a new plane.
by me.
Orville (with twinkling eyes): Yes, and this one
Bill: We have no need for such fancy contraptions here
has a motor.
in Kitty Hawk.
N1: Bea stands at the edge of the
Bea: What is the motor for?
Wilbur (smiling): That is one of the things I love about
dock as two men in dark suits
Orville: The motor will propel the plane forward,
this place. It’s so remote. Just endless sky.
climb out of an old boat.
so we won’t have to rely on the wind like
Addie: Try living here year-round, boys, and
Bea: Welcome back,
with a glider or a hot-air balloon.
it might not seem so grand. The freezing
Addie: Sounds dangerous.
wind and sandy soil make it hard to grow
Wilbur: There is always risk.
anything.
Tommy: Do you ever get scared?
Bill: It’s not an easy life. But as long as we
Orville: Sometimes. Lots of folks are trying
stick together, we manage all right.
Scene 3
Fancy hats like
this were all
the rage. They
were designed
by milliners, or
hatmakers.
Wright!
Orville: Hello, Bea!
Bea: How was your trip?
Orville: The train was fine.
Wilbur (queasily): But that
40-mile boat ride never
gets easier.
N2: Their shoes squish out seawater as
they walk.
Bea: The crates you shipped from Ohio got
here a few days ago.
Orville: Excellent.
Wilbur: We’ll be able to get started
right away.
A Faster, Brighter World
At the start of the 20th century, America was changing rapidly. The new
automobile (inset) made it possible to travel farther and faster. New factories
were churning out popular new fashions. Even darkness was being conquered
as new electric lights brightened America’s cities.
It was exciting, but some felt overwhelmed by a world that seemed increasingly
unrecognizable with each passing day. How are Bea and her family affected by
the changing times?
N1: Bea leads the brothers down a sandy
path to her house. Bea’s parents and Tommy are on
the porch.
Addie: Good afternoon, lads!
Scene 4
the Tates’ house
that evening
Orville: Pleasure to see you, Mrs. Tate.
N2: Candles cast a golden glow over the dinner table,
N2: Bea’s father gives the men a hearty handshake.
which holds a modest meal of fish and potatoes.
Bill: We are glad you’re back in Kitty Hawk, gentlemen.
N1: Bill puts down his fork and looks at Wilbur.
GRANGER, NYC/THE GRANGER COLLECTION (OTTO LILIENTHAL); WARNER BROS/COURTESY EVERETT COLLECTION (SUPERMAN); SIPA
USA/SIPA/NEWSCOM (HARRY POTTER); WALT DISNEY PICTURES/ENTERTAINMENT PICTURES/ZUMAPRESS.COM (BUZZ LIGHTYEAR)
Mr. Wright and Mr.
C.P. CUSHING/CLASSICSTOCK/CORBIS (FANCY HAT); GRANGER, NYC/THE GRANGER COLLECTION (AUTOMOBILE)
the dock
that afternoon
N2: Bea pokes at the food on her plate.
to figure out how to fly nowadays, and there have
been tragedies.
Wilbur: Like Otto Lilienthal.
Scene 5
Bea: What happened to him?
the Wright Brothers’ camp
October 1903
Wilbur: He died when one of his flying machines
crashed. Actually, his ideas were a big inspiration to us.
N1: Bea and Tommy visit Orville and Wilbur in their
Orville: We spent a long time studying his designs,
shed on the beach.
trying to figure out where he went wrong.
N2: Orville and Wilbur are trussing the wings of their
Bill: Maybe he went wrong in thinking human flight
giant plane with wires to keep them secure.
is possible.
Wilbur: Hi, children! We’re almost done putting the
Wilbur: No. Flight is possible. It’s just a problem that
plane together.
needs to be solved.
Tommy: The wings are enormous.
Orville: And we’re closer than ever to solving it.
Orville: That’s a 40-foot wingspan.
Wilbur: Someday humans will travel through the air
N1: Bea runs her hand delicately along the wings.
as easily as we sail across the ocean.
Bea: May I ask you something?
Bill (laughing): That sounds pretty far-fetched, boys.
Orville: Of course.
Orville: Does it? We live in a world where automobiles
Bea: Everyone says man cannot fly. So why do
are replacing horses, where you can send a message
you try?

N1: Tommy pulls Bea aside.
Tommy: Have you told your parents about Plymouth?
Bea: No.
Tommy: I don’t get it. You love making hats, and you’re
good at it. This is a real opportunity.
Bea: I just don’t . . . I can’t . . .
Addie (calling): Tommy, are you staying for dinner?
Tommy: I’d be pleased to, Mrs. Tate! (whispering to
Bea) Are you chicken? Is that it?
Famous F l i e r s
Some of our oldest myths tell stories of flight. Some are
exhilarating. Others are cautionary, like the myth of
Icarus, who flew too close to the sun, melted his wings,
and fell to his death. Today, many beloved characters in
literature and pop culture have the power to fly.
Why does flying capture the human imagination?
SUPERMAN
HARRY POTTER
BUZZ LIGHTYEAR
Bea (hissing): I’m not chicken. Leave me alone.
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SCHOLASTIC SCOPE • MAY 2016
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Problem Solvers
Scene 7
To achieve flight, the brothers had to solve
three problems. They needed lift—a way to
get the plane into the air. They needed
propulsion—a way to move the plane
forward. And they needed control—a way
to turn, climb, and land the plane.
Kitty Hawk, North Carolina
December 17, 1903
Addie (whispering): It’s a whole new world, Bea, and it
belongs to you.
EPILOGUE
N2: Orville is in the Flyer. The
sound of the motor thunders across
N1: The Wright brothers continued to experiment,
the beach.
building planes that flew longer, higher, and faster.
N1: The Flyer sails down the track.
N2: But it would be years before the wider public
N2: And then . . .
believed the Wrights were the real deal.
N1: . . . it lifts into the air.
N1: Aviation would shape the century.
Crowd: Gasp!
N2: Within 21 years, people would fly around the world.
N2: It rises and dips—
N1: In 66 years, humans would fly to the moon.
Crowd: Gasp!
N2: And it all began on a windswept beach in Kitty
N1: Rises and dips—
Hawk, with two brothers and a dream.
Crowd: Gasp!
Local 1: It’s like a bucking horse!
N2: Bea grabs Tommy’s hand.
Bea: It’s flying! He’s flying!
Tommy: Bea!
Wilbur: No, it’s a fair question. What makes
us think we can do what the greatest
Orville Wright
flew this plane
for 12 seconds on
December 17, 1903.
scientific minds in history could not? We’re
sand blow across the dunes as Bea and her
N1: A few seconds later, Orville brings the plane safely
mother walk toward the Wrights’ camp.
down onto the sand.
Addie: It’s nice to see those boys working so
Local 2: Those crazy boys did it! They actually flew!
hard at what they love. They remind me of
Local 3: I always knew they could.
POEM
Darius Green
and His Flying Machine
If ever there lived a Yankee lad,
Wise or otherwise, good or bad,
Who, seeing the birds fly, didn’t jump
you—you and your hats.
N2: Bea feels a hand on her shoulder. She turns and
high school.
Bea: Oh, I’m nothing special.
sees her mother, whose eyes are misty.
Or, spreading the tail
Bea: I meant no disrespect.
Addie: That fancy-hat lady in Plymouth would
N1: Addie tucks something into Bea’s coat pocket.
Orville: We do it because it’s what we’re passionate
not agree.
Bea: What’s that?
Of his coat for a sail,
about.
Bea (sighing): Tommy. He told you?
Addie: A dollar. I thought you might like some fabric for
Bea: What about the people who say you’re chasing a
Addie: I’m glad he did.
a new dress.
fantasy? What if they’re right?
N1: The Wrights struggle to hold the plane down as the
Bea: What for?
N2: Wilbur raises an eyebrow at Bea.
wind violently whips at the wings.
Addie: To wear to Plymouth.
Wilbur: What if they’re not?
N2: Addie puts her arm around her daughter.
Bea: But I’m not—
Addie: I don’t want the wind to carry you off.
Addie: Bea, darling, it’s clear to me now: There are no
Bea: I’m not going anywhere, Ma.
limits to what people can do. There are no limits to
N1: Suddenly another gust lifts up a corner of the plane
what you can do.
and smashes it down into the sand, splintering a wing.
N2: A smile spreads across Bea’s face. The crowd starts
N1: Bea is sewing green flowers onto a fancy yellow
N2: When Bea and her mother get to the camp, the
to disperse, but Bea and her mother stand quietly,
hat. She is surrounded by bright-colored fabrics.
brothers are picking up broken pieces of wood.
taking it all in.
Addie (walking in): That one is going to be a beauty.
Addie: Hello, boys! We’ve brought some food and
Bea: Thanks, Ma. This one is for Mrs. Sullivan. She
blankets for you.
asked me to make her one like yours.
Orville (looking up): You are too kind, Mrs. Tate. We’d
Addie: Come with me down to the beach. I have some
be in a truly sorry state if it weren’t for you.
food and extra blankets for the Wrights. It’s going to
Bea: Sorry about your plane. What will you do now?
be cold tonight.
N1: Wilbur shrugs.
N2: Outside, the skies are silver gray. Great clouds of
Wilbur: Put it back together.
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SCHOLASTIC SCOPE • MAY 2016
With flapping arms from stake or stump,
Take a soaring leap from post or rail,
And wonder why
He couldn’t fly,
And flap and flutter and wish and try—
If ever you knew a country dunce
Who didn’t try that as often as once,
All I can say is, that’s a sign
He never would do for a hero of mine.
—John Townsend Trowbridge
WRITING CONTEST
SHUTTERSTOCK
Bea’s room
November 1903
SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION
just a couple of nobodies, right? We didn’t even finish
Scene 6
•
In a short essay, explain how the title Conquer the Sky relates to both the Wright brothers
and Bea. Support your ideas with evidence from the play. Send your essay to
CONQUER THE SKY CONTEST. Five winners will each get The Wright Brothers: How
They Invented the Airplane by Russell Freedman. See page 2 for details.
GET THIS
ACTIVITY
ONLINE
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