Rain....A+Cooperation+Story

Once there was a great lake that was filled with water. It was so pure you could see to the bottom and trace the outlines of the fish swimming there. Around the lake were many bushes and in those bushes lived many locusts, and beneath those bushes lived many frogs.

One day it stopped raining it did not rain for days, //(using my hands I indicate size moving my hands further apart for weeks and further for months and then for YEARS with a little prompting the audience will supply the words – usually after you go from days to weeks --- they will get months and years…..)// it did not rain for weeks, it did not rain for months, it didn’t rain for years. It was a terrible drought.

One day frog woke up and stretched (mimic frogs actions and his voice is deep and gravely Use your best frog voice.) and said, “You know if it does not rain soon, surely I will die. You know I remember a song my father used to sing that made the rain god bring rain. Let’s see, how did that go…..?” (Pause while Frog remembers --- )“Oh yeah//….(he sings – RRRaaaain,RRRRaaaaain, RRRRaaaiinn, RRRRainnnnn. Make this rhythmic – I use my hand to sort of direct the rthym since you will do this with the audience – it gets them used to being directed)// But the sound of one frog singing is not very loud, and the rain god who is high above the mountains, high above the clouds //( once I do this set about high above the mountains, high above the clouds – I pause to let the audience tell me those words too the next time they come up)// could not hear the sound of one frog singing! But you know who did? Locust. She had been asleep in the bush nearby and when frog began to sing.

“Frog! Why are you singing?” “Well Locust, if it doesn’t rain soon --- not only will I die, but so will you.” Locust thought for a moment and realized the Frog was right…she **hated it** when frog was right! “Well, frog if I were the rain god and I heard YOU sing, I would not bring rain either. You really can’t sing, but I on the other hand have a beautiful voice. Let me sing the song… “O.K.” said frog…..(I usually shrug my shoulders as if frog doesn’t get that he is being made fun of) So Locast began to sing. RAAAIN RAIIIIIN RAIIIN RAAAIIIN – (call me to learn these voices.) But the sound of one locust singing is not very loud and the rain god did not hear her, but while she was singing – Frog had an idea.

“Hey, Locust, what if you and I sang together then the rain god would hear us and bring rain.” Locust thought for a moment…”you are right frog --- oh **I hate it when** frog is right! Listen I’ll start and you follow, O.K?”

“O.K” (//Frog shrugs again – apparently oblivious to the fact that locust thinks he can’t sing …then locust plugs her ears and starts her song….ra ay ay ayn, ra ay ay ayn, ra ay ay ayn! it starts out low and then goes up high – just like cicadas do --and Frog joins in singing (RRRAAAIN, RRRAAIN RRRAAIN…. This is equally rhythmic since they have to match a beat as frog and locust sing together later--)// But the sound of one frog and one locust singing is still not//(pause and indicate you want the audience to supply the words)// very loud //(the kids will pick up on this and if you start the sentence they will finish it)// But the sound of one locust and one frog is still(pause for the kids)……not very loud and the rain god did not hear them, but do you know who did//? (wait and a kid will supply the answer – all the frogs and locusts)// You say, That’s right and they too realized if it did not rain soon surely they would all die….so they joined the chorus. (I interrupt the story to divide up the audience into half frogs and half locust enlisting a leader for each group. Then I start the frogs and tell them to ignore us locusts when we start singing – but that they need to follow their leader and my overall direction just like (pick your favorite orchestra leader) and then I add the locusts --- Once they are singing well --- I say AND IT GOT LOUDER, AND LOUDER AND LOUDER UNTIL… and wait until it is really loud! THE kids love this part as it gets louder and many will cover their ears as they grin as they literally shout the song! Then I give the sign to stop the song.

The rain God heard…..//(I cock my head and say,//) ”What is that AWFUL cacophony? Oh, it’s my frogs and my locusts and they are calling for rain. Well, why didn’t they ask sooner! So the rain god reached out with his arms and gathered the fluffy white cloud pulling them to himself until they were black and full of rain. They began to slide down the mountain //(show motion for this)// Then the wind began to blow //(show them how to make the wind blow with your hands and soft sound of you sort of whistling like the wind….)// Then the leaves began to rustle (//rub your palms together – everyone will follow ….makes a gentle sound)// Then the lightning flashed //(bring your hands together in a load clap……)//and the thunder rolled //(this you do by slapping your hands against your legs)// and the rain began to fall from the sky //(snap fingers making the rain come down faster and faster!)// until that lake was filled up with water once again…and frog and locust lived --- //(they all respond)// happily Ever- after!

I learned this story from Joe Hayes in New Mexico --- I always add this --- I do not remember the word in Navajo – but I know the word for what happened that day in English --- It is Cooperation…The using my hands with index finger up --- I bring my fingers together saying --- Whenever we work together – we accomplish much.