Sponsored by National Publishing Fund
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Selected and Editted by Children’s Literature Committee of China Writers’ Association ◎ Consultant Bo Jin ◎ Chief Editor Hongbo Gao
Chinese Original Classic Picture Books
◎
Colorful Chicks Written by Yi Sun Illustrated by Mr. & Mrs. Xiangma
Best National Children’s Literature Award
Best Book Award for the Project of “Five One”
Colorful Chicks
Chinese Government Prize for Publishing
Soong Ching Ling Children’s Literature Award Bing Xin Children’s Literature Award Chen Bochui Children’s Literature Award
Awards n well selected from honorable wri ole collectio ters. The wh
Comments Wenxuan Cao Vice Director of Children’s Literature Committee of China Writers’Association Professor of Peking University
嘟嘟图书英文精装图画书封面-14本.indd 8
CCPPG
Chinese Original Classic Picture Books will knit a colorful tie for all the children. It will help them to build up an imaginary castle and make a beautiful wish.
2013.2.4 5:36:24 PM
Chinese Original Classic Picture Books Written by Yi Sun
Illustrated by Mr. & Mrs. Xiangma
Colorful Chicks Edited by Children’s Literature Committee of China Writers’ Association Consultant Bo Jin Chief Editor Hongbo Gao
Cast of Characters: Hen, Chicks (Baby Red, Baby Yellow, Baby Blue, Baby White, Baby Black), Chinchilla, Brown Rat, Hawk Curtain Rises: Spring season; grassland is fresh, with birds singing happily. Cuckoo flies afar with “Cuckoo, cuckoo …” (Hen cackles around and hurries to the grassland with an armful of hay. She looks over the space selected, and finally decides to use it. Hen scrabbles about on the ground first, and then makes a nest with hay. After looking at the nest from all sides, she flaps her wings with satisfaction and scurries off.)
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(After a while, Hen brings a pink egg and lays it in the nest. She then brings a light yellow egg, light blue egg and milk white egg to the nest one after another to form a line. Soon afterwards, Hen holds a piece of charcoal in her mouth and paints a “1” on the red egg. Then there comes a tone of the first note “Doh” from the red egg; she then paints a “2” on the yellow egg and hears a tone of the second note “Re”. Hen continues with a “3” and a “4” on the blue egg and white egg respectively. The tone of the third note “Mi” comes out, followed by “Fa”, the fourth note’s.)
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(When she steps out of her nest, Hen keeps cackling excitedly to the bigger Color Egg she just gave birth to.)
(Hen lays the four eggs together in a shape of square and jumps into the nest hatching eggs on them.)
(She looks left and right, then beaks inward the one exposed outside. She closes her eyes with satisfaction when she is sure that all the eggs are under her.)
(Suddenly, Hen starts cackling aloud.)
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(Hen paints a “5” on Color Egg with a charcoal in her beak, murmuring “Sol, sol”. She then lays it in the middle of the other four.)
( Hen steps into the nest again and continues hatching, with eyes closed for rest.)
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Chinchilla thrusts out his head like a thief. Hen opens her eyes and Chinchilla runs away immediately. On the other side, Brown Rat sticks out his head too. Hen stirs with unease. Hen was about to sit down when she leaps out of her nest and cackles with a shock. A burst of “Sol� comes out and two legs stretches out of the Color Egg, kicking upward.
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(Suddenly, Color Egg turns over with head up and feet down. The moment his feet touch the ground, Color Egg runs away, capped with his shell. Hen tries to catch him, but he dodges between the other four eggs, playing hide and seek with Hen. Finally, he manages to escape fast and out of sight. Hen is so worried that she chases him with cackles. But she stops after a few steps. She takes a rope with her beak and binds the four eggs together. Then, she continues to chase her son with a relief. In a few moments, Hen returns to the edge of the stage.
Hen: (To the audience) Kids, please help me look after my Baby Red, Baby Yellow, Baby Blue and Baby White. Wouldn’t you? Audience: Yes, we will. Hen: Please call Mother Hen if anyone tries to steal my eggs. Thank you! See you soon. (Hen scurries off.) 10
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After a while, Chinchilla creeps to the nest. He smells at the eggs and pushes them. Eggs binding together, Chinchilla can’t move them.
Audience: Mother Hen…… (Chinchilla runs away hearing the audience calling. After a while, Chinchilla returns with Brown Rat.)
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Audience: Mother Hen…… (Chinchilla stands upright immediately and bites off the binding rope around the eggs. The four eggs roll scattered as the rope is broken. Chinchilla rushes at Red Egg, holds it, lies down on his back with the egg in his four legs but his tail in Brown Rat’s hand so as to be pulled to flee.)
Audience: (Calling more worriedly) Mother Hen …
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(Hen is running back with Color Egg, Color Egg’s legs still kicking. Hearing kids’ call, Hen is both scared and worried.)
Hen: (To kids audience) What’s wrong with my babies? Audience: Rats are stealing the eggs…
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(Hen sees that two rats are pulling her babies desperately, then she puts down Color Egg in a hurry and chases the rats. But when looking back, she finds Color Egg runs away again. Hen wants to catch Color Egg, but stops and then decides to chase the rats instead. The two rats are pecked by Hen so badly that they have to run off, leaving the eggs behind.)
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Hen: Oh, thank you! Thank you! (Hen runs after him) (Color Egg runs to the stage from the other side, with Chinchilla and Brown Rat chasing behind.)
(Hen puts Red Egg back into the nest. As she counts the four eggs, she sings the tones of the first few notes: Doh, Re, Mi, Fa ...
Hen: (To the audience) Why, where is my fifth baby? I can’t remember! Audience: (Pointing the direction Color Egg runs to) That way ……
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(Color Egg runs to the other four eggs and tries to hide himself. Chinchilla turns back to flank him with Brown Rat, so Color Egg is facing a battle with Chinchilla and Brown Rat attacking him from two sides. Suddenly, Red Egg and Yellow Egg are separated, allowing Color Egg to squeeze in to form a five egg alliance, leaving no space in between.)
Audience: (Calling continuously) Mother Hen …… Hen: What’s the matter? Audience: Rats …… come again!
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(The two rats have slid away before Hen runs to peck them.) Hen: (Cries sadly) I can’t find my fifth baby ……
Audience: He is back … He is back … Hen: Ha! Ha! (She sees Color Egg back) Stop. Don’t run away again or else the rats will swallow you.
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(Hen returns to the nest and continues hatching.) (Accompanied by the tone of “Doh”, Red Egg rolls out from under Hen. The egg shell breaks into two pieces and out jumps a little red chick.)
Hen: Oh, Baby Red, my dear Baby Red. Baby Red: Mom …… (In the music of the “Re” tone, Yellow Egg rolls out from under Hen, and the egg shell breaks at the upper end. A yellow chick pops out his head.)
Hen: My Baby Yellow, my dear Baby Yellow. Yellow: (It jumps out of the egg shell) Mom …
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In the music of the Mi tone Blue Egg rolls out from under Hen. The egg shell breaks at the upper end, and a blue chick thrusts his head out. The egg breaks at the lower end too, allowing it to stretch out its legs. To get it out, Baby Red drags Baby Blue’s head, while Baby Yellow pulls its feet. Neither works.
Hen: Don’t drag, don’t pull! her beak)
Baby Blue: (It gets out of the egg shell) Mom … Hen: My Baby Blue, My dear Baby Blue!
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(Breaking the egg shell with
(In the music of the “Fa” tone, White Egg rolls out from under Hen. The egg shell breaks off with a big hole at the upper end, and Baby White pops his head out. Baby Red rushes to drag Baby White, while Baby Yellow drags Baby Red, the latter being dragged by Baby Blue. They keep dragging until finally Baby White is out of the egg shell like a radish pulled out from the earth. )
Hen: Oh, Baby White, my dear Baby White. Baby White: Mom …
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(All the four chicks--Baby Red, Baby Yellow, Baby Blue and Baby White-- circle around Hen in the nest, singing and dancing.
Hen: Cackling …
(She jumps out of the nest. Turning her head left
and right, she can’t find Color Egg. She keeps calling him. Where is Baby Five? Chicks help tear down the nest, but still Color Egg is nowhere to be found.
Hen: Where is he? Baby chicks: (Chirping) Where is he? (Suddenly, there comes the sound of the tone “Sol” from afar.)
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Hen: (Overlooking) Over there, over there. chicks) Kids, come here! Hurry …
(To the
(Hen scurries off, quickly followed by chicks.) (Color Egg escapes onto the stage, capped with the egg shell supported by the legs. Chinchilla and Brown Rat are chasing behind. They attack Color Egg from both left and right and then catch him.)
Audience: Mother Hen ……
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Hen: (Scurries on) I am coming, I am coming! (Hen pecks at Chinchilla’s left eye. Chinchilla squeaks painfully and runs away, his palm covering his left eye) (Almost at the same time, Chicks bite Brown Rat’s tail tight, making him nowhere to escape. Hen rushes on. She cackles on and cuts Brown Rat’s tail by a sudden snap. Brown Rat runs off in a fierce hurry.)
Chicks: (Hold Brown Rat’s tail, cheer successfully) Yay! Yay! … Hen: (She puts her face on Color Egg) My youngest baby… My God! No single feel of warm! how can it get out?
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(Chicks surround Color Egg, warming it with their bodies. Hen warms it, too, holding it in her arms. Suddenly, a chirp tone of “Sol” gives off. Hen releases Color Egg and everybody stares at it. A sound of Ting tong comes out of Color Egg. The upper end of the egg balloons up and shrinks down like a rubber ball being pressed.)
Hen: He wants to come out! (To Color Egg) You have exercised too much! All warm air is gone! See, you can come out! Chicks: Mom, let’s help him out! Hen: Sure, it’s a must.
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(Chicks peck at the shell here and there. They still can’t make it after clattering for a while.)
Chicks: (Begging) Mom … Hen: Well, let me try, let me try. (Hen pecks heavily at the upper end of the egg shell, and the shell is heard to crack with a big hole.) (There comes out Baby Black’s head, which then draws back.)
Hen: (Warmly) Come on out! Don’t be shy! Chicks: Come on out, come on out! Don’t be shy!
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(In the music of the “Sol” tone, Baby Black pops his head out shyly with wings covering his face. Hen and Chicks help break apart the egg shell. He turns out to be a thin and tall black chick.)
Hen: Oh, Baby Black, My naughty Baby Black. Baby Black: Mom … (Covers his face embarrassedly) Hen: Never runs around by yourself again. Now you’ve grown bigger and rats dare not hurt you. See, you have a sharp beak and pointed claws, but if you come across a hawk, you will … (Before Hen finishes her words, there comes a hawk dashes down from the sky.) 36
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Hen: Hawk! Hide behind me. (Baby Red hides behind Hen, followed by Baby White, Baby Blue, Baby Yellow and Baby Black.) (Hen cackles and stretches her wings to protect Chickens, eye to eye with Hawk.) (Hawk suddenly dashes to Hen. Hen is on her wings, retreating while cackling.) (Hawk makes a sudden retreat too. When Hen rushes forward, Hawk whirls around and dives to Baby Black tailing the team. Hen rushes to stop him immediately. Hawk still chases closely, so both Hen and Chicks are forced to run nearly in a circle.
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(Hawk makes a sudden turn to chase Baby Black from the other side.As Hen leads chicks to run almost into a circle, Hawk turns back again to chase Baby Black in an opposite direction. Hen then goes back to block Hawk. Taking the chance that Baby Black does not follow the run, Hawk flashes to him. Baby Black is so frightened that he runs off the group to the audience section, where he hides behind a kid. Hawk has to fly afar.)
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Hen and Chicks: Baby Black …… There suddenly stands out a kid from the audience section with a tommygun in front of his chest.)
Kid: I will ‘Ta-ta-ta’ shoot Hawk if he comes. (Hawk flies whistling back.) Hen: (Warns) Hawk is
here again! (Chicks creep in under Hen’s
wings.) Kid: (Upholds the tommy-gun and aims at Hawk)
Ta-ta-ta …
(Hawk falls down with the sound of shooting. There bursts out a cheer among the chicks and the audience.
Chicks and Hen: Yay! Hawk is dead! Hawk is dead! 42
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Hen: Thank you, boy … (Shouts suddenly) Oh, no! Where is my Baby Black? (Baby Black answers from behind a kid in the audience section. “Mom, I am here!”)
Hen: I thought you ran away again!
(Hen and Chicks
surround Baby Black and caress him gently.)
Baby Black: I will never run away from you! (Curtain drops with a joyful cheer.) (Ending Lyrics)
Red, yellow, blue, black and white, We are five side by side, Consolidate as much as we might, Nothing will make us divide!
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