Sadako

from A Thousand Cranes

from A Thousand Cranes

by Kathryn Schultz Miller

(SADAKO runs in out of breath and laughing.)

1 KENJI: Beat you by four seconds!

2 SADAKO: Four? You’re lying!

3 KENJI: (Laughing.) It was actually four and a half, but I let you have that.

4 SADAKO: Oh! You . . . ! (Slumping.) You always win! You should let somebody else win sometime.

5 KENJI: Why, Sadako. You can’t mean that I should cheat so that you can win.

6 SADAKO: Oh, it wouldn’t be cheating so much as . . . polite.

7 KENJI: (Laughing.) And I suppose when you run in the girl’s contest next month, you’ll want the judges to be polite and let somebody else win.

8 SADAKO: Well, no.

9 KENJI: I thought so.

10 SADAKO: Oh, Kenji, do you think I have a chance to win?

11 KENJI: (Mocking.) You? You win a race against the fastest girls in Hiroshima? You can’t win.

12 SADAKO: Why not?

13 KENJI: Because you’re a turtle that’s why. A great, big, lumbering turtle. (Mimes slow turtle, laughing at his jest.)

14 SADAKO: I am not a turtle!

15 KENJI: Yes, you are.

16 SADAKO: Am not.

17 KENJI: Are, too.

18 SADAKO: Well, if I’m a turtle, then you’re a frog!

19 KENJI: A frog?

20 SADAKO: Yes. A great big green one with warts all over it.

IAR Practice

Today you will read a passage from the drama A Thousand Cranes and a passage from “Fiddle Fanatic.” As you read these passages, you will gather information about the characters, the settings, and the events. Then you will answer questions so you can write a response.

from A Thousand Cranes

21 KENJI: Sadako, you can’t possibly mean . . . croak . . . (Putting her on.) Well, where on earth could that have come from? Croak!

22 SADAKO: Oh, you.

23 KENJI: Look, Sadako, my hand is turning green . . . croak . . . and it has warts all over it! (He crouches to a frog position and sticks out his tongue, leaping around, croaking. Uses bill of his cap to indicate the mouth of the croaking frog.) Croak! Croak!

24 SADAKO: (Laughing in spite of herself.) Now, you stop that. (She is laughing almost uncontrollably, soon KENJI stops and laughs with her. They stop, leaning on each other, gaining composure.) Kenji, tell me the truth. Do you think I have any chance of winning the races next month?

25 KENJI: Sadako, I will tell you the truth. I believe you will win.

26 SADAKO: (Thrilled.) You really think so? You really, really do?

27 KENJI: Yes. I really, really do.

28 SADAKO: Oh, Kenji! (She hugs him.) Wait until I tell my father. He will be so proud of me! (She starts to go.)

29 KENJI: Now, don’t quit practicing!

30 SADAKO: Oh, I won’t.

31 KENJI: See you tomorrow?

32 SADAKO: Tomorrow! (She moves upstage as if to exit.)

(KENJI, now ACTOR 1, moves to instrument station and makes music for scene change. SADAKO moves upstage as ACTOR 2, now MOTHER, moves into the scene. She is counting out candles and putting them on the table. She wears a kimono. ACTOR 1 counts and then fades as MOTHER joins in and finally ends the counting.)

33 ACTOR 1: One hundred and eighteen, one hundred and nineteen, one hundred and twenty, one hundred and twenty-one, one hundred and twenty-two . . . one hundred and twenty-three . . . (Again, they speak the primary numbers together.)

from A Thousand Cranes

from A Thousand Cranes

by Kathryn Schultz Miller

34 MOTHER: (Counting candles.) One . . . two . . . three . . . four . . .

(SADAKO comes running in, very excited.)

35 SADAKO: Mother, Mother! Wait till you hear! I have wonderful news!

36 MOTHER: (Not looking up, continues working.) Your shoes, Sadako.

37 SADAKO: Oh. (She calms down to remove her shoes, puts them by the door, then rushes back to MOTHER.) Wait till I tell you!

38 MOTHER: Sadako, show your respect to your elders.

39 SADAKO: Oh. (She bows, puts hands together as in prayer and bows her head toward MOTHER.) Mother, Kenji just told me . . . !

40 MOTHER: Sadako, show your respect to our beloved ancestors. (Disheartened, SADAKO kneels before an imaginary shrine, hands in prayer and bowing her head. Returns to MOTHER, somewhat subdued.)

41 SADAKO: Mother, I . . .

42 MOTHER: You must wait for your father to tell this earth-shattering news. Now, it is time to prepare for dinner.

43 SADAKO: But, Mother . . .

from A Thousand Cranes

from A Thousand Cranes

by Kathryn Schultz Miller

44 MOTHER: Sushi has been prepared, the rice plates have been set. Sadako, you may warm the saki for your father.

45 SADAKO: Yes, Mother. (MOTHER straightens candles on the table.)

(FATHER enters, takes off his shoes.)

46 SADAKO: Father! (She runs to him, grabs him in embrace and almost twirls him around.) Wait till I tell you!

47 FATHER: Well, what is this?

48 MOTHER: (Not angry.) This daughter of yours will not learn discipline.

49 FATHER: Your mother is right, Sadako. You must learn moderation in all things.

50 SADAKO: But, Father, I have such wonderful news!

51 FATHER: (Warm.) It seems that everything in your world is wonderful, Sadako. (Kisses the top of her head.) You may tell us your news.

52 SADAKO: (Looks anxiously at them BOTH.) Now?

53 FATHER: (Laughing.) Now, Sadako.

54 SADAKO: Kenji says I’m fast enough to win the race next month! Isn’t that wonderful? He thinks I can win!

55 FATHER: (Genuinely impressed.) You have been practicing very hard.

56 SADAKO: Oh, yes, Father. Kenji and I run every day.

57 FATHER: Kenji is a fast runner, an excellent athlete.

58 SADAKO: Yes, he is, Father. And a good teacher, too.

59 MOTHER: Even so, you must use discipline to practice very hard if you really want to win.

60 SADAKO: Oh, I want to win, Mother. I want to win more than anything on earth!

61 FATHER: We are very proud of you, Sadako. (BOTH parents hug her. MOTHER begins to light candles.)

From THEATRE FOR YOUNG AUDIENCES: 20 GREAT PLAYS FOR CHILDREN © 1998 by Coleman A. Jennings. Reprinted by permission of St. Martin’s Press. All Rights Reserved.

from "Fiddle Fanatic"

Read the passage from “Fiddle Fanatic” about Melanie (Mel) and her sister Abigail (Abbie). Then answer the questions.

from “Fiddle Fanatic”

by Elisabeth Deffner

1 Mendoza, Abigail. Concertmistress. Her little sister—leader of the whole orchestra?

2 Abbie squealed. “I can’t believe it!”

3 Mel kept reading. Mendoza, Melanie. Second violins. What? She wasn’t even in the first violin section?

4 “I can’t wait to tell Mom and Dad!” Abbie hurtled down the street toward their parents’ restaurant.

5 Mel followed Abbie slowly. There had to be some mistake. Mr. Benson had probably mixed up their names. She’d straighten everything out tomorrow.

6 But tomorrow was a long way off. When Mel reached the restaurant, Abbie was playing her audition piece right in the middle of the dining room.

7 Music poured from Abbie’s bow like water from a teapot—pure and perfect. And the trill sounded like a bird warbling. Customers applauded as Abbie lowered her violin. Mel fought the urge to clap. Abbie was good—really good—but that wasn’t the point.

8 Blushing, Abbie turned to Mel.

9 “Why are you playing in here?” Mel snapped.

10 Abbie frowned. “I like playing in the restaurant.”

11 “I guess you would be happy to play anywhere, even if you’re sitting with the seconds.”

12 “What?”

13 “Mr. Benson mixed us up. I should be in the first violins this summer, not you.”

14 Abbie stiffened. “He didn’t make a mistake, Melanie. He made me first chair because I’m good. Because I actually practice!”

15 “I practice!”

from "Fiddle Fanatic"

Read the passage from “Fiddle Fanatic” about Melanie (Mel) and her sister Abigail (Abbie). Then answer the questions.

from “Fiddle Fanatic”

by Elisabeth Deffner

16 “Not the way I do. You’d rather spend time with your friends.”

17 “Because I actually care about having a social life.”

18 Her ponytail absolutely still, Abbie turned and walked toward the back of the restaurant. Mel’s stomach ached. She didn’t like it when Abbie was upset with her. But what would her friends say if her little sister had a better seat than she did?

19 The next morning, on the way to school, Mel watched her sister marching ahead of her again. Mel was a little mad and a little sad. But also a little glad. She didn’t want Abbie to see her slipping into the music room.

20 Inhaling stale air and rosin dust, Mel squared her shoulders. “Mr. Benson, I want to talk to you about the orchestra seats.”

21 “Yes—you must be proud of your sister.” Mr. Benson smiled. “Abigail is a rare student. If she continues to work hard and grow as a musician, she could become a professional. Then we’ll look back on our little orchestra and think about how lucky we were.”

22 Mel froze. So there wasn’t any mix-up. She was the one who’d made a mistake. Her little sister had earned the top spot—and she hadn’t even congratulated her.

From “Fiddle Fanatic” by Elisabeth Deffner from HIGHLIGHTS FOR CHILDREN, INC. Copyright © 2015.

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Both Sadako in the passage from A Thousand Cranes and Mel in the passage from “Fiddle Fanatic” have different feelings. 

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Sadako is excited because​ ​

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Both Sadako in the passage from A Thousand Cranes and Mel in the passage from “Fiddle Fanatic” have different feelings. 

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She is also frustrated because​

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Both Sadako in the passage from A Thousand Cranes and Mel in the passage from “Fiddle Fanatic” have different feelings. 

Use the drop-down menus to correctly complete the sentences.



Mel is upset because​

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Both Sadako in the passage from A Thousand Cranes and Mel in the passage from “Fiddle Fanatic” have different feelings. 

Use the drop-down menus to correctly complete the sentences.



She is also ashamed because she​

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