Pushing Up the Sky

Blythe's class put together a short play called "Pushing Up the Sky" that they performed for the other second grade classes today.  The first I heard about it, Blythe came home yesterday and said, "I need a leopard costume.  We're doing a play and I'm a leopard and I need a costume, like a shirt or a dress."

"Great," I replied.  "When is this play?"

"Tomorrow," she informed me.  "Let's get on the internet and find me something."

Mild panic mode set it.  Did she really need this costume the next day?  Why was this the first I was hearing about it?  Why had Mrs. Fueger not told anyone about it?  Blythe had no response to any of these questions except to say that yes, the play was tomorrow, and let's start looking for leopard print shirts.

I texted Mrs. Fueger for clarification.  Turns out the play was the next day, but Blythe did not need a costume.  Mrs. Fueger had the scarf Blythe would wear, and she has specifically told all the children not to rush home and tell their parents they needed something for the next day, just like Blythe did.

No frantic shopping necessary.

So today was the performance.  It was sort of a reader's theater.  All of the kids had a part, everyone got to say something and wear something, and they all got to bring home a DVD of their performance.  It was a gripping tale about how the sky was much to close to the ground and how the people were able to push the sky upwards.  I don't have a picture from the performance, though we do have the video, but I will include the script (short) with Blythe's parts highlighted.

Pushing Up the Sky

Narrator: Long ago the sky was very close to the earth.  The sky was so close that some people could jump right into it.  Those people who were not good jumpers could climb tall fir trees and step into the sky.  But people were not happy that the sky was so close to the earth.  Tall people kept bumping their heads on the sky.  And there were other problems.

Tall Man: Oh, that hurt! I just hit my head on the sky again.
Girl: I just threw my ball, and it landed in the sky.  I can't get it back.
Mother: Where is my son? Has he climbed a tree and gone up into the sky again?
Boy: Every time I shoot my bow, my arrows get stuck in the sky!
All: THE SKY IT TOO CLOSE!

Narrator: So the people decided something had to be done.  A great meeting was held for all the different nations.  The seven wisest chiefs got together to talk about the problem.

1st chief: My people all think the sky is too close.
2nd chief: A very good job was done of making the world.
3rd chief: That is true, but the sky should have been put up higher.  My tall son keeps hitting his head on the sky.
4th chief: My daughter keeps losing her ball in the sky.
5th chief: People keep going up into the sky when they should be staying on the earth of help each other.
6th chief: When mothers look for their children, they cannot find them because they are up playing in the sky.
7th chief: We are agreed, then.  The sky is too close.  Let us use YAH-HOO as a signal.  Ready?
All: YES!
7th chief: YAH-HOO
All: YAH-HOO
7th chief: YAH-HOO
All: YAH-HOO
Tall Man: We are doing it!
Mother: Now my son won't be able to hid in the sky!
7th chief: YAH-HOO
All: YAH-HOO
Boy: It will be too high for my arrows to stick into it.
7th chief: YAH-HOO
All: YAH-HOO
1st chief: We have done it!

Narrator: So the sky was pushed up.  It was done by everyone working together.  That night, when everyone looked overhead, they saw many stars in the sky.  The stars were shining through the holes poked into the sky by the poles of everyone who pushed it up higher.  No one every bumped his head on the sky again.  And those stars are there to this day.