I-2. OUTFOXING THE SNAKE -
Grades 4-5
Can you really outfox a snake? Ted Truefoot helps a snake who is caught between some rocks, then finds out that the snake plans to reward him with DEATH. Thank goodness the right fox comes along and settles the matter fairly and squarely (well, squarely anyway) and everyone except the snake is happy. (6 Readers)

I-3. THREE WISHES -
Grades 4-5
We make wishes all the time, but did you ever stop to think what would happen if they all came true? Lotta Goodhope and her husband Andy certainly never gave it much thought. If they had, Lotta wouldn't have found a sausage stuck to the end of her nose! Lotta's dilemma is finally resolved and an important lesson is learned in this adaptation of a favorite folktale motif. (6 Readers)

I-4. THE HEN AND THE NEIGHBOUR'S ROOSTER -
Grades 4-5
Set in Canada. An extremely intelligent hen goes off in search of riches. She flies to Canada's capital city, Ottawa, and perches upon the Minister of Finance's rosewood desk. The hen ends up a prisoner in the nation's mint, but escapes from the Penny Place, the Nickle Nook, the Quarter Quarters, and the Loon Room because she is an "extremely intelligent hen." A surprise ending and a very unhappy rooster complete the tale. (6 Readers)

I-14. THE FAST SKIPPING POT -
Grades 4-5
Back in the days when "pigs could whistle and pots could talk," a poor hungry husband and wife trade their skinny pig for an old cooking pot and are finally blessed with good fortune. The magical pot skips off to find adventure, tricks a troll, an ogre, and a witch into parting with their most prized possessions, and skips everyone off to the hinterlands in a vat of hamburger soup! (6 Readers)

I-16. UNCLE RUSSELL AND THE POPLAR TREES -
Grades 4-5
Mother Nature calls in Uncle Russell when she realizes she does not have time to paint white fluffy clouds into summer's clear blue sky. But Russell doesn't want the job. He's not used to big canvases, he doesn't have the right paint colours, and besides, his brushes are much too small. A long row of poplar trees solve Russell's problems and end up sporting silver-backed leaves for eternity. (5 Readers)

I-21. THE DINOSAURS' DINNER -
(Intermediate Version) - Grades 4-5
A young girl meets a Brontosaurus who wants to come to breakfast, an Anatosaurus who wants to come to lunch, a Stegasaurus who wants to come to tea, and a Brachiosaurus who wants to come to dinner. She's delighted, but can't find a menu to please any of them. They turn down bacon, hot dogs, and cold cuts, then fall asleep all over her yard. She is finally able to awaken and serve them a proper dinner when she finds out that some dinosaurs are VEGETARIANS! (5 Readers)

I-22. THE QUEEN'S STAIRWAY -
Grades 4-5
"No, no, with due respect. I won't do it. It can't be done," says the Lady-in-Waiting when she is ordered to pluck a star from the sky for her queen's jewelry collection. "Anything's possible, if you put your head to it," replies the queen. The Lady-in-Waiting, Page, Palace Chef, and Jester do put their heads to the task and end up building a stairway to the stars out of - the queen's jewelry boxes. The queen decides to pluck her own star and finds the stairway is just a little too short. Soon jewelry covers the kingdom. They're still looking for the queen! (6 Readers)

I-23. THE MAGICIAN'S MUFFINS -
(Intermediate Version) - Grades 4-5
A perfect tale for intermediate readers to rehearse and then perform for primary children. Two magical roly poly peanut butter and jelly muffins outrun and outsmart a cow, a duck, a sheep, a pig, and a mighty magician. A clever boy who acts first and talks later eats the muffins and breaks their magic spells so that everyone can finally go home. A classic predictable story. Lots of repetition, animal sounds, and rhyming words to keep young listeners involved to the very last bite! (8 Readers)

I-24. THE GOBLINS OF HOKKAIDO -
(Intermediate Version) - Grades 4-5
Here's a well-known Japanese folktale for intermediate readers. A blue goblin and a red goblin live in the northern mountains of Japan on the island of Hokkaido. Both are the proud possessors of magic noses. When properly wiggled, these noses can be made to grow so long that they pass through the Japanese islands of Hokkaido, Honshu, Shikoku, and Kyushu! The goblins get into trouble with a prince and a princess who finally teach them to keep their noses out of other people's business! (5 Readers)

I-25. THE GREAT RACE -
Grades 4-5
Set in Canada. "Once, when animals ran the government, a female groundhog from British Columbia won an election in her riding and became an Honorable Member of Parliament." The groundhog moves her look-alike family to Ottawa, Ontario, and one day, finds herself in a footrace with an unpleasant rabbit MP from the back benches. To win the race, the groundhog comes up with a plan which is worthy of the "most organized and inventive public servant." She wins, and the event goes down in Ottawa history as "The Great Race!" (8 Readers)

I-26. THE GREAT APPLE SLICE ESCAPE -
(Intermediate Version) - Grades 4-5
A sweet little old grandmother decides to make an apple pie and prepares the filling from five of our most well-known varieties: a Northern Spy, a Spartan, a McIntosh, a Red Delicious, and an Idared. Once inside the crusts, the apple slices hatch a daring escape plan. The use of repetitive phrases and an ever building internal poem make this an especially good script to rehearse and then perform for younger listeners. (8 Readers)

I-27. THE TEDDY BEARS' PICNIC -
(Intermediate Version) - Grades 4-5
Freddy Teddy Bear checks his calendar to find that it is once again time for the Teddy Bears' Picnic. He plans the menu, then calls Betty Teddy Bear to tell her what to bring to the picnic. Freddy says, "You bring the hot dogs and the buns. I'll bring the mustard, tons and tons!" Betty passes the word along to Teddy Teddy, Letty Teddy, and Neddy Teddy, but because she recites Freddy Teddy's little poem each time, everyone ends up bringing hot dogs and buns to the picnic. Thank goodness Neddy Teddy also brings a surprise which makes the Teddy Bears' Picnic complete! (6 Readers)

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