 | An easy, flexible, 15-minute musical play for grades 1-4. Comes with the script, audio recording (with both a vocal and instrumental version of each song), and a teacher's guide. No music or drama experience needed! |
 | ✓ Funny script ✓ Catchy tunes ✓ Flexible casting ✓ Dumb jokes
This tale from the Crow Nation tells how Coyote brings summer to the world and wins his famous gift of trickery as a reward. Learn more! |
MusicalGr. 1-415 Min.
Musical Play: “Coyote Steals the Summer”
Complete Script & Audio: $45 (other items also available)
We sell wonderful, short, funny plays and musicals for use in your classroom, after-school program, drama club, music class, summer school program, homeschool, and any other place where kids can thrive by participating in theater! If you are not familiar with us or how to use theater to teach, check out our Q&As.
Synopsis
Once it was winter all the time... Summer was trapped in a bag inside a tipi at the snow's edge (a very, very long long way from here). This Native American tale tells how Coyote brings summer to the world and earns his famous gift of trickery as a reward. This delightful story from the Crow Nation is a wonderful way to introduce students to Native American cultures and folk tales from around the world.
Preview the script and songs!Key Concepts
Coyote Steals the Summer is a great complement to your resources in elementary language arts, multicultural studies, and folk tale/trickster curriculum. And, like all of our plays, this show can be used to improve reading, vocabulary, reading comprehension, performance and music skills, class camaraderie and teamwork, and numerous social skills (read about it!) -- all while enabling students to be part of a truly fun and creative experience they will never forget!
Aligned with national standards! View the standards and vocabulary.Publication Info
Author: Ron Fink (Composer) and John Heath (Book and Lyrics)
ISBN:
978-1-886588-09-7
© 1997
Bad Wolf Press, LLC
4 reviews for Musical Play: “Coyote Steals the Summer”
You must be logged in to post a review.
The Show
We want you to know what you're getting, so the cast list and first third of the script are available here! Bad Wolf shows are written for flexibility and can be edited however you like to meet the needs of your actors, school, curriculum, parents, astrological chart, latest whim, etc. If you have questions about the portions of the script not shown, please contact us.
Casting
Flexible casting from 11-40 students. Use as many Sky Spirits, Oak Trees, etc. as desired. Actors can easily play several roles, or a single role can be divided between multiple actors. All parts can be played by any gender.
CHARACTERS:
Storytellers
Sky Spirits
Coyote
Oak Trees
Rabbits
Foxes
Eagles
Tipi Folk
Chorus (composed of all students who are not playing their role
on stage at that moment)
Script
This is the first one-third of the script.
STORYTELLER 1: Once it was winter all the time. Most of the earth was covered with snow, and the animals were cold and hungry.
STORYTELLER 2: The Sky Spirits knew that summer was kept locked up in a bag at the edge of the snow.
STORYTELLER 3: They needed someone to bring summer to the world, and so they turned to Coyote for help.
(We see the COYOTE enter, shivering, walking slowly. After a few moments, from the side of the stage we hear the SKY SPIRITS:)
SKY SPIRITS: Coyote, oh Coyote!
COYOTE: Who's there?
SKY SPIRITS: We are the sky spirits. This eternal winter must end. Will you help us?
COYOTE: What can I do?
SKY SPIRITS: You must steal summer.
COYOTE: Steal summer? I'm tired of being cold, but that sounds hard!
SKY SPIRITS (entering): Yes, but think what great honor you will earn.
Song 1
Listen to
a sample!
SKY SPIRITS:
If you steal summer
Think how famous you will be
You'll be known as clever and smart
You'll turn sneakiness into an art.
COYOTE: I don't know if I can...
SKY SPIRITS:
If you steal summer
Think how honored you will be
You'll be respected for tricks that you play
We guarantee fame is coming your way!
You will be the stuff of legend
You're gonna have such fame
Everyone'll want your autograph
Everyone'll know your name.
CHORUS:
Coyote! Coyote!
SKY SPIRITS: Everyone will sing
Coyote! Coyote!
It's got that certain ring.
Coyote! Coyote!
Everyone will sing
Coyote! Coyote!
It's got that certain ring.
COYOTE: Well, I guess maybe I could...
SKY SPIRITS:
If you steal summer
Think how famous you will be
You'll be known as clever and smart
You'll turn sneakiness into an art.
SKY SPIRITS and CHORUS:
You will be the stuff of legend
You're gonna have such fame
Everyone'll want your autograph
Everyone'll know your name.
Coyote! Coyote!
Everyone will sing
Coyote! Coyote!
It's got that certain ring.
Coyote! Coyote!
Everyone will sing
Coyote! Coyote!
It's got that certain ring.
It's got that certain ring.
COYOTE: Yes, I'll do it! I can't wait to be clever!
SKY SPIRITS: Then you must go to the far edge of the forest. There live the Tipi Folk, the people who keep the summer tied to one of the poles of their tipi. Good luck. They are very clever, and no one has ever been able to steal summer from them. (exit)
COYOTE: I can't wait to try my tricks on them.
OAKS (entering): On who?
COYOTE: Who said that?
OAKS: We did, the oak trees. We're so tired of it being winter all the time. Are you really going to steal summer? Are you that clever? Could it be that we will feel the warm sunshine on our bark?
Song 2
Listen to
a sample!
OAKS:
We are old oaks but we're shaking with glee
You won't discover a happier tree
Please steal the summer as fast as you can
Tell us the details of your clever plan.
Tell us the details of your clever plan.
COYOTE (Spoken-trying hard to think): Um...
OAKS (excited): Yeah?
COYOTE: Um...
OAKS: Yeah?
COYOTE (trying to explain): I'm thinking about it.
OAKS (disappointed): Oh.
OAKS:
We are old oaks and we still have some hope
Let's pray coyote here isn't a dope
You bring the sun and then we'll make the shade
Tell us exactly what plans you have made.
Tell us exactly what plans you have made.
COYOTE (still trying hard to think): Um...
OAKS (excited): Yeah?
COYOTE: Um...
OAKS: Yeah?
COYOTE (desperate): Give me some more time.
OAKS (disappointed): Oh.
OAKS and CHORUS:
We are old oaks and things don't look so good
Go ahead chop us down use us for wood
Build a big campfire for all of the folk
Our dreams of summer have gone up in smoke.
Our dreams of summer have gone up in smoke.
(RABBITS, FOXES, and EAGLES enter, all shivering)
RABBITS, FOXES, EAGLES: Why do you look so glum, Coyote?
COYOTE: Oh, hello animals. I'm supposed to steal summer, but I have no idea how. Would you help me?
RABBITS, FOXES, EAGLES: We'd love to help. Will you let us? We're so cold and tired of it being winter all the time. Wouldn't it be great to have summer!
Song 3
Listen to
a sample!
RABBITS :
We are white rabbits
We're dreaming of summer
When snow doesn't cover the ground.
Our ears will be flopping
As we go out hopping
For carrots that grow all year 'round.
FOXES:
We are brown foxes
We're dreaming of summer
We'll lie in the sun all we can
We'll sit by the ocean
And pile on the lotion
We'll sip lemonade and get tan.
FOXES and RABBITS:
We can help
We can help
Tell us what to do.
We can help
We can help
We want summer too.
(This concludes the first one-third of the script.)
The Songs
Click on any song to listen to a snippet. Click the cart icon to purchase any track for $1.
Standards
Common Core and Other National Standards
Language Arts
- Common Core Reading Standards for Literature: K, 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th
- Common Core Reading Standards: Foundational Skills:
- Common Core Speaking and Listening Standards: Comprehension and Collaboration - K, 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th
- Common Core Language Standards: Vocabulary Acquisition and Use - K, 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th
- Common Core Standard 10: Range, Quality & Complexity: Range of Text Types for K-5th
History/Social Studies
National Core Arts Standards
- Music - Anchor Standards 4-6
- Theater - Anchor Standards 3-6
- Dance - Anchor Standards 1-6
Vocabulary
eternal
guarantee
tipi
bark
glee
glum
regal
“throwing curves”
crucial
astonished
Terri Hanna –
Catchy songs that everyone loved! I did this one many years ago with my 3rd graders, and I can still sing the Coyote song to anyone who will listen. Great trickster tale for grades 3 or 4!
Regina Odell (verified owner) –
This was fun and super easy to follow. The students were able to learn the songs quickly. They made up their own actions to the songs.
4th grade teachere (verified owner) –
I have done several Bad Wolf Press musicals with my classes over the years and love them all. This is the 3rd time I am doing Coyote Steals the Summer with my 4th graders and it is the perfect culmination to our study of CA Natives and the legends they tell. My students learn the songs and dialogue so quickly and show such enthusiasm for the music. We love presenting our musicals to other classes and student's families, and everyone who watches just raves about them.
2nd grade teacher (verified owner) –
Coyote—great show, catchy tunes…. great for reader's theater. My students really enjoyed it. The CD is very catchy too!