COUNT ON ME - Kids reading workshop

COUNT ON ME
TACO is sitting down on the floor of the barn
floor with sheets of colored paper, cans of glue
and pencils. He is making a kite, while
consulting an instruction manual.
TACO
Ta ta ta - ta ta ta-a-a-a!
This little kite making book
is absolutely great.
Ta ta ta-a-a!
( to himself )
Colored tissue paper ... glue ... string ...
Four colored paper triangles.
1
@2014 Reading Playhouse Workshop Corporation
Four? How many is four?
Should be more than one
and less than ten ...
The TURKEY enters the picture.
TURKEY
What? You mean,
you don't know how to count?!
TACO
(confused)
Sort of, well not exactly.
So what!?
TURKEY
So, what are you doing?
TACO
Nosy turkey, huh?
2
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The SHEEP appears from a corner of the barn.
SHEEP
Baa baa!
I want to know, too.
TACO
Everyone nosy, today.
Nothing.
I'm doing a big fat nothing.
TURKEY
No way!
You need four colored
paper triangles.
Right?
TACO
Exactly.
That's what I said.
3
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(picks up triangles)
One, two, five, seven ...
TURKEY
(laughing)
Ah - ha! Wrong, no way!
That's not how you count.
SHEEP
He's right.
TACO
It is too, Turkey.
I'll show you.
Just listen to me.
One, two, five, seven ...
4
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TURKEY
(teasing)
You can't count…
you can't count…
He makes TURKEY SOUNDS to really rub it in.
SHEEP(motherly)
Baa, it's true, Taco.
You made a mistake.
You can learn by counting sheep.
TACO
(stunned)
Oh, okay, I admit it.
(pause)
5
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I'm not very good
with numbers.
SHEEP
(encouraging)
Well … I'll teach you to count.
SHEEP sings "LEARN TO COUNT".
SHEEP
(singing)
One sheep
Two sheep
Three sheep
Four sheep
Five sheep
Six, seven, eight, nine and ten!
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One cow
Two cows
Three cows
Four cows
Five cows
Six, seven, eight, nine and ten!
One turkey
Two turkeys
Three turkeys
Four turkeys
Five turkeys
Six, seven, eight, nine and ten!
One sheep
Two sheep ...
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Three sheep
Four sheep
Five sheep
Six, seven, eight, nine and ten!
One cow
Two cows ...
Three cows
Four cows
Five cows
Six, seven, eight, nine and ten!
TACO
But I have to count triangles,
not sheep, cows or turkeys.
What can I do?
Oh, I'll ask Paco.
8
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PACO'S BEDROOM - DAY
PACO is fast asleep.
The red telephone on PACO'S cabinet rings.
PACO
Hello?
Is that you, Taco?
TACO'S VOICE
Paco! I can't count!
He is so excited, his voice comes across
as a mish - mash of sounds.
PACO
Calm down. It 's so simple.
TACO
Simple!
9
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What do you mean, simple?
PACO slides into FRAME.
PACO
Did I say simple? It's double simple.
So simple that's unbelievable.
The great thing about numbers
is that you can count anything.
You can count apples,
slices of pizza,
ice-cream cones,
cookies,
carrots,
eggs ...
The numbers are always the same.
TACO
10
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That sounds good!
Numbers are always the same
.... even when you count different things!
SHEEP and TURKEY
(together)
So, tell us what you were doing. Taco.
TACO
I didn't tell you?
Oh. I'm making a kite.
TURKEY and SHEEP
(together)
You making a kite!
TACO
11
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A kite. See?
Glue, sticks, string ...
and four colored paper triangles.
One triangle, two triangles, three triangles,
four triangles.
The kite is assembled in decoupage while TACO
counts OFF CAMERA.
SHEEP
I want a kite, too.
TURKEY
Same for me. I've always wanted a kite.
TACO
Paco, we only have one kite.
And we need ... one, two, three, four!
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PACO
No problem.
My magic pencil will take care of it.
The MAGIC PENCIL draws three kites which,
together with the one made by TACO, soar into
the sky. Each kite is flown by a different
character: the TURKEY, the SHEEP, TACO and
PACO.
CRASH - little stars.
Staring up at their flying kites, TACO and PACO
crash into a flock of sheep and bounce off
"softly". The SHEEP and the TURKEY, who were
running alongside them, stop in time.
TACO
Ouch.
13
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What a ... soft bump.
SHEEP
Baa ...
PACO
Very soft…
TACO
Where are we? Paco.
PACO
In a field, Taco!
There must be at least
one hundred sheep.
TACO
Excuse me, Mrs. Sheep!
What, what are you doing here?
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Huh?
SECOND SHEEP
We sheep like to stick together,
you know baa ...
THIRD SHEEP
Yeah, you know,
the more we are
the safer we are!
FIRST SHEEP
Together as a flock
we feel more protected .
TACO
From whom? Wolves?
Panic sweeps through the flock.
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FLOCK OF SHEEP
Wolves! He said wolves!
Wolves! Oh no!
Help! Help! Baa baa!
PACO
Calm down.
There're no wolves around here.
The SHEEP FLOCK calms down.
TACO
Paco, you know sheep do a lot.
They give us wool
and help babies go to sleep.
SHEEP
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Baa ... baa...
PACO
One sheep, two sheep, three sheep,
four sheep, five sheep, six sheep,
seven sheep, eight, nine, ten ...
While PACO counts, we hear SNORING.
TACO taps PACO on the shoulder and points at
the TURKEY, who has fallen asleep on his feet.
TACO
Paco, you put the turkey to sleep!
PACO
Yes.
Counting sheep
can help you go to sleep.
(LAUGHS)
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They all LAUGH.
The TURKEY continues to SNORE.
TACO and PACO laugh and laugh, while the
TURKEY shows no signs of waking up.
THE END
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