Children’s Theatre · Children’s Plays
Adapters: Aesop, Chuck Wilcox, Lola Wilcox
Adaptation © Chuck and Lola Wilcox
Characters
- Sun
- Wind
- Traveler
- Audience — Active participant — Wind appeals to audience to help blow; Sun asks audience to shine
Staging: Small group play suitable for pairs or classroom performance. No set or props required. Wind and Sun can be played by the same group as the fables for small group work.
Production Notes
A short DT:FC play adapted from Aesop’s fable of the Wind and the Sun. Suitable for small group work, pairs, or as part of an Aesop’s Fables collection performance. Playing time approximately 10 minutes.
Stage: No set or props required. Sun, Wind, and Traveler can enter from different parts of a room or classroom space. The audience participates directly — Wind appeals for help blowing, Sun asks the audience to shine along.
Optional Song: The Traveler’s lines can be sung or chanted to a melody invented in rehearsal. The lines repeat with small variations across the three appearances, creating a simple musical through-line.
Script
SUN: I’m very strong.
WIND: I’m much stronger than you.
SUN: I’m not sure why you would say that. People often say “the sun is very strong today.”
WIND: People also often say “the wind is very strong today.”
TRAVELER: I’m on my way on this fine day. (might be singing) It’s not too cold and not too hot. A very fine day, I must say. I’m wearing my coat as I’ve been taught.
SUN: Now there’s a happy traveler. Let’s have a contest to see who is stronger. Let’s see who can get that traveler’s coat off.
WIND: I agree. I’ll win the contest to get the traveler’s coat off.
SUN: You go first.
WIND: I’m blowing and blustering, flowing and flustering. See how the Traveler’s coat is flapping about? I’ll blow harder! (Does so.)
SUN: It’s clear the Traveler’s coat is still on.
WIND: Come on, take your coat off! Help me blow the Traveler’s coat off! (Appealing to audience.)
TRAVELER: What happened to my fine day? (might be singing) The blowing wind’s a battle fought. It’s a much colder day, I must say. I’m wearing my coat as I’ve been taught.
SUN: It’s clear the Traveler’s coat is still on. And I think it is my turn.
WIND: Go right ahead. You won’t get the coat off that Traveler either.
SUN: I’m shining so bright that I’m warming the air. There! The Traveler unbuttoned the coat. My golden rays pour down and all around. Warm and kind! Help me shine! (to audience) There: the Traveler removed the coat.
WIND: But I blustered, bellowed and blew.
SUN: My rays were warm, and being warm, Traveler took off the coat. Warm and kind wins the contest.
TRAVELER: I’m on my way on this fine day. (might be singing) It’s not too cold and not too hot. A very fine day, I must say. I’m not wearing my coat as I was taught.
WIND: I can be a soft, gentle wind.
SUN: And I can be too harsh and hot, and then Traveler would like that breeze.
Facilitator Notes
This short fable works well as a warmup or as part of a longer Aesop’s Fables program. Its simplicity makes it ideal for first-time performers and very young audiences.
Debrief Prompts:
- Wind tried to force the coat off. Sun warmed the Traveler until the coat came off by itself. Which is more powerful — force or warmth? Can you think of a time when being warm and kind worked better than being forceful?
- The audience helped both Wind and Sun. Did the audience’s help make a difference? What happened?
- The Traveler didn’t know about the contest. How do you think the Traveler felt when the weather changed?
- What other Aesop’s fables could become short plays using this same simple format?
Source Materials
Aesop’s Fable of the Wind and the Sun (also known as ‘The North Wind and the Sun’). One of the classic Aesop fables in the tradition of teaching through animal or nature archetypes.
What to Watch
Wind appeals to the audience to help blow the Traveler’s coat off; Sun asks the audience to shine along. The Traveler’s optional song creates a light frame that can be repeated verbatim — the repeated lines change slightly on each verse to reflect the changing weather.