By Lucy Hawkins
Tom cannot forgive Mike for losing his old football, even though Mike forgave him for the same mistake. A puppet play for kids up to about 10.
Matthew 18
Man - Narrator
Boy 1- Mike
Boy 2 - Tom
Girl - Jane
NARRATOR - ( looks around, then sees audience ) Oh! Hello! Didn’t see you there! .... I was just remembering a story I heard a few days ago. I don’t suppose you’d like to hear it? It’s quite interesting - it’s got excitement, mystery, a great ending ... Yes, I’ll think I’ll tell you, it’s a story worth remembering. It happened in a park not far from here. Three young people were playing football, with their brand new ball...
( Boy 1 & 2 & girl come up, running back and forth a bit )
BOY 1: Pass us the ball, Tom! You’ve had it for ages!!!
JANE : Yeah Tom! You’re always hogging the ball!
BOY 2: Wait a minute, Jane! I’m not ready, I’m gonna score, ready.... 1, 2, ...3!!! (Ball flies over the wall into audience! All stare out into audience after their ball, dumbstruck)
JANE: Oh dear!
BOY 1: (angry) Look what you’ve done! You idiot! It’s gone right out of the park!!! That was my brand new, Tottenham Hotspur, signed by all the team, football! I only got it yesterday!
BOY 2: I’m sorry, Mike, I really am... but I didn’t mean to ... it was an accident! I just kicked it a bit too high, that’s all!
BOY 1: That’s all! That’s all! What am I going to do now! It’s ages ‘till my Birthday! I won’t be able to practise and now I’ll never ever be the next Michael Owen!
BOY 2: Well it wasn’t really likely-
JANE: Watch it!
BOY 2: Sorry! But look, about the ball I know you’re upset but I’m really sorry! Please forgive me!
JANE: Yeah, forgive him Mike, he didn’t mean to lose it.
NARRATOR: Well, Mike thought a bit. It was his best ever ball, and now it was lost! But he also knew that his friend was really sorry, so he decided to forgive him, after all it wasn’t worth losing the friendship over, right?
BOY 1: Yeah, OK, I suppose I forgive you.
BOY 2: Really?
BOY 1: Yeah, it doesn’t matter any more.
JANE: Good! Now, what about some tennis instead...(exuent Boys 1 & 2 & Jane)
NARRATOR: ...And so they all went home to get their rackets, and everything had turned out just fine. Or had it? A week later, they were at the park again, playing football with Tom’s football. It was a really awful football. The sides were cracking, it was nearly flat and was covered in dirt and grime. It had been festering away at the bottom of his Dad’s compost heap, when he had dug it out, and you could tell from the horrible smell. Tom didn’t like it at all, but it was better than nothing. They had been trying to play with it for a while when...
(enter Boys 1 & 2 & Jane)
BOY 2: Give me the ball, Mike! It’s time to get going! Isn’t your Mum doing us pizza for tea, Jane!
JANE: Yeah, with extra cheese! C’mon! I can’t wait!
BOY 1: OK! I’ll just get it - it went down that ditch over there ( goes down to find it - comes up with a flat, mangled ball)
BOY 1: Umm... Tom.... I think a dog must have got to it before I did... it’s got a bit of a hole and teethmarks!
BOY 2: What!
BOY 1: A bit of a hole and teethmarks! Don’t worry! It was only an old ball and you never liked it in the first place, right?
BOY 2: That doesn’t matter! It’s my ball and you let it get ruined!
BOY 1: I didn’t mean to - it’s not my fault!
BOY 2: Yes it is!
JANE: Calm down, Tom - was a horrible ball anyway!
BOY 2: That doesn’t matter!
BOY 1: Well, I’m sorry then, OK? Will you forgive me?
BOY 2: I don’t see why I should, you’ve ruined my ball! I’m going home! (leaves in a huff)
BOY 1: But I forgave him when it was my ball...
NARRATOR: Well, from that day on, Tom wouldn’t be friends with Mike. He wouldn’t sit with him in class, he wouldn’t even talk to him. But it was Tom who lost out. He tried to persuade himself that he hated Mike and didn’t want to play with him, but when he saw Mike & Jane playing football in the park, he found himself wishing that he could be there too.
(Tom comes up alone)
One day as Tom was sitting alone on the playground, he looked up to see Mike coming towards him. (Mike enters and goes towards Tom) He got up to leave (Tom moves in opposite direction) but Mike stopped him.
BOY 1: Wait! I’m fed up of only playing football with Jane. It’s not as good as when there’s 3 of us. Can’t we forget our arguement and just go back to being friends?
NARRATOR: Tom thought for a while and then smiled.
TOM: C’mon. Do you fancy a game then?
(EXUENT Tom and Mike)
NARRATOR: Tom had learnt a lot from Mike. He realised that Mike had forgiven him twice: once for losing his favourite ball, and once for being silly, not forgiving him for losing his old ball. Tom realised that he had been selfish, and was glad that he had a forgiving friend like Mike.
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© Copyright Lucy Hawkins, all rights reserved. This script may be performed free of charge, provided no charge is made for admission. In return, the author would appreciate being notified of any performance. She may be contacted at 2178hl@townleygrammar.org.uk