Submitted by
S. Daly

Age Group
5-11

Aim
To learn about caring for the world and everyone in it
Mutual care

Resources
White sheets to cover the mountains, three blankets, masks for the cats, squirrels and rabbits, a sun and moon to be held up to show day and night in the play

Other Details
The play is based on a book 'The Catalog' by J. Tomkins
The animals can be replaced by ones familiar to the children

Script
1. Good morning. Today's assembly is about caring for the world and everyone in it.

2. Here is a play about three mountains. They look after their animals - and, in return, the animals look after them.

__________

NARRATOR 1: Once upon a time, there were three mountains. They were in a remote part of the world. Not much lived on them. They were bored and lonely. During the day, they stood still under the sun. During the night, they stood still under the moon.

NARRATOR 2: Then, one day, the postman arrived. He gave each mountain a catalogue. The mountains looked through the catalogues excitedly. They were full of wonderful things that the mountains had never seen before.

NARRATOR 3: The first mountain turned to page 10 and saw some cats. He thought they looked great, so he ordered some.

NARRATOR 4: The second mountain turned to page 20 and saw some squirrels. He thought they looked great, so he ordered some.

NARRATOR 5: The third mountain turned to page 30 and saw some rabbits. He thought they looked great, so he ordered some.

NARRATOR 1: Night fell. The mountains dreamed of the animals they had ordered: the graceful cats, the scampering squirrels and the hopping rabbits.

NARRATOR 2: Early the next morning, the first mountain woke up. He looked down and smiled. There at his feet were the cats he had ordered.

NARRATOR 3: The second mountain woke up. He looked down and smiled. There at his feet were the squirrels he had ordered.

NARRATOR 4: The third mountain woke up. He looked down and smiled. There at his feet were the rabbits he had ordered.

NARRATOR 5: All morning, the mountains enjoyed the animals they had ordered and the animals enjoyed their mountains.

NARRATOR 1: Then afternoon came. The animals became hungry, but there was no food for them.
Evening came. The sun set and the animals grew cold, but there was nowhere warm for them to shelter.
The animals lay down on the ground and shivered, cold and hungry.

NARRATOR 2: Eventually the animals fell asleep, exhausted and unhappy. The mountains felt awful. They realised how selfish they had been. They had only thought of how much fun it would be to have the animals. They had not thought of how the animals would feel or of what they would need.

FIRST MOUNTAIN: We must do what we can to stop the animals leaving us.

SECOND MOUNTAIN: No, we must do it because it is our duty to look after them.

THIRD MOUNTAIN: No, we will be good to them because we love them.

NARRATOR 3: So they looked through their catalogues again.
Next morning, there was a big box of food at the foot of each mountain: meat for the cats, nuts for the squirrels and carrots for the rabbits.
The animals ate a hearty breakfast and played happily on the mountains until lunchtime. Then they ate all over again.

NARRATOR 4: In the afternoon, more goodies arrived: cushions for the cats, combs for the squirrels and mirrors for the rabbits.

NARRATOR 5: Eventually, evening came. It was cold again, even colder than the previous night, but the mountains had an idea. They told the animals to snuggle up together. Then the mountains stood over them making a warm shelter.

NARRATOR 1: The animals slept peacefully, except for one of the cats. He got up to go for a stroll. He noticed that now the mountains were shivering with cold. Winter was on the way.

CAT: We should look after our mountain friends.

NARRATOR 2: He opened one of the catalogues. He knew exactly what to order. The next day, three huge blankets arrived.

NARRATOR 3: That night, the animals wrapped the blankets around the mountains. Everyone was warm and comfortable. Everyone slept well. And, when winter came, everyone was still happy.

__________

3. The world is so big and we are so small. The world is like a jigsaw puzzle made up of tiny pieces. Each piece is needed - each plant, animal and person.

4. Let's close our eyes and imagine - a day-old chick in our hands... so light and soft and chirpy...

5. Let's close our eyes and imagine - a baby rabbit in our hands... with furry coat and silky ears...

6. Let's close our eyes and imagine - a rose bud in our hands... so small and round and fragrant...

7. Lord, help us to appreciate the world you created.
Help us to look and feel and smell and taste and listen.
And, especially, help us to be gentle and loving with everything and everyone in your world. Amen.

8. We will now sing Morning has Broken! by E. Farjeon (Celebration Hymnal for Everyone number 490)