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Mermaids Don't Run Track
(book # 26 in the The Adventures of the Bailey School Kids series)
Play Adaptation

(total words: 1013)

 

Characters

Liza Howie
Melody Eddie
Mr. Jenkins Miss Waterford
Narrator One Narrator Two
Narrator Three Narrator Four
Bailey Running Team Sheldon Sharks Running Team

SCENE ONE -- The Bailey School running team arrives at Camp Lone Wolf and climbs off the bus.

Liza, Howie, Melody, and Eddie and the rest of the Bailey School Running Team singing to the tune of Row, Row, Row Your Boat:

Row, row, row your boat
Gently down the stream
Throw your teacher overboard
And listen to her scream!

Narrator One: The Bailey School running team has arrived at Camp Lone Wolf.
Narrator Two:
They are having a track meet against the Sheldon Sharks.
Narrator One: And Mr. Jenkins has a surprise for them.
Narrator Two: A new running coach.
Mr. Jenkins: Welcome to Camp Lone Wolf. I'd like you to meet your new coach, Miss Waterford!
Melody: She looks like a model.
Liza: Or a princess from a fairy tale.
Miss Waterford: I am thrilled to help you win your race. Are you ready to practice! Follow me.
Narrator One:
Miss Waterford led the kids around the track once,
Narrator Two: Twice,
Narrators One and Two: Three times.
Narrator One: And then Liza had to stop to catch her breath.
Narrator Two: So did the other runners!
Liza: I'm tired.
Miss Waterford: I never get tired of running. I love the feel of sneakers hitting the ground. It's like music.
Eddie: How can running in circles be music?
Miss Waterford: Listen, and you will hear it.
(Miss Waterford jogs in place until all their sneakers hit the track at the same time. Then she starts singing.)

Miss Waterford:

Bailey School Kids run all day
Getting faster all the way
Round this track we'll run again,
This way we are sure to win.

(Soon, all the kids are singing the song and running. Lights dim.)

SCENE 2 -- Later that afternoon.

Liza: I think Mr. Jenkins is in big trouble.
Melody (pointing at Mr. Jenkins): No, we're the ones in trouble!
Narrator Three: All the kids thought Mr. Jenkins was a werewolf.
Narrator Four: He was definitely the hairiest person they had ever seen.
Narrator Three: He had hair on his chest,
Narrator Four: Hair on his arms,
Narrator Three: And hair on his legs.
Narrators Three & Four: He even had hair on his knuckles!
Liza: Miss Waterford is helping Mr. Jenkins buy a boat.
Melody, Eddie & Howie: So?
Liza: I saw a picture of the boat and it had a mermaid carving.
Melody, Eddie & Howie: So?
Liza: The mermaid looked just like Miss Waterford.
Melody, Eddie & Howie: So?
Liza: I think that mermaid is our very own Miss Waterford!
Eddie: And I'm Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer!
Melody: After all, Mermaids don't run track!
Liza: This is serious. I think Miss Waterford is a mermaid and she's tricking Mr. Jenkins to go to sea in her place so she can stay on land! We must save Mr. Jenkins.
Melody:
Why should we save him?
Howie:
Without Mr. Jenkins there would be no Camp Lone Wolf.
Melody: And Camp Lone Wolf is a home for wild animals.
Howie: Liza's right! We have to save Mr. Jenkins.
Eddie (pointing): Forget about Mr. Jenkins. Worry about saving ourselves!

(The Sheldon Sharks file onto the stage. They look like professional runners. Mr. Jenkins blows a whistle to start the races. The kids line up for relays.)

Howie: The Sheldon Sharks are going to eat us alive.
Eddie (tugging at Miss Waterford's sleeve):
I thought you were going to help us win!
Miss Waterford: Keep a song in your heart. I am sure you'll win!

(Mr. Jenkins blows the whistle and the teams begin to run around the audience. As they run, they start singing their running song. They sing faster and faster. As they sing, they run faster to go with the music. Soon, they are way ahead of the Sheldon Sharks)

Bailey School Runners:

Bailey School Kids run all day
Getting faster all the way
Round this track we'll run again,
This way we are sure to win.

(Liza reaches the finish line first. The Bailey School Kids cheer.)

Howie (holding trophy): We didn't win this trophy by ourselves. We have Miss Waterford to thank!
Eddie: Let's hear it for Miss Waterford!
Bailey School Runners: Hurrah for Miss Waterford!
Melody: I don't care if she is a mermaid. I think Miss Waterford is wonderful.
Liza (grabbing Melody's arm): But what if she uses her magical singing to chase Mr. Jenkins out to sea!
Eddie: So what if she does? Maybe she's like the Pied Piper. We could use her to get rid of all the teachers at school!
Liza: But if Mr. Jenkins leaves, it will be the end of Camp Lone Wolf!
Melody: Liza's right. We can't let Miss Waterford do that.
Howie: But we don't even know she is a mermaid.
Liza: There's one way to find out. We have to get her wet.
Melody: What will that prove?
Liza: If you get a land-loving mermaid wet her fins grow back and she's forced to go back to the ocean.
Eddie: The only thing wet around here are your brains!
Melody:
It won't hurt to try Liza's idea!
Howie (nodding): Here comes Miss Waterford, now!
Eddie: Leave this to me!

(Eddie grabs a water glass filled with paper confetti to look like water. He hides from Miss Waterford. As Miss Waterford passes near him, Eddie throws the glass of confetti-water on Miss Waterford.)

Miss Waterford (ear-piercing scream): NOOOOOOOOOO!

(Miss Waterford shivers and shakes. Then she runs off the stage. The kids hear a huge splash.)

Liza: It's kind of sad. Miss Waterford loves to run, but she can't have her dream because she's a mermaid.
Howie: Maybe she'll realize she's happy with what she has. After all, a mermaid belongs in the water.
Eddie: I still say you're crazy. Miss Waterford never was and never will be a mermaid.
Melody: Eddie could be right. After all mermaids don't run track!

 

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