Two Fussy Frogs-Play Script

Two Fussy Frogs is a short play for two children. Nikki and Freddie are two very hungry frogs. When they can’t find anything interesting to eat in the pond, Freddie talks Nikki into stealing food from park picnickers. They decide to hide out in the cattails and wait for a some people with a picnic basket. They must sneak past dogs, women, men, and babies to finally get some food – but will it be worth it in the end?

This play is also included in Plays For You And A Friend Or Two, a compilation of twelve short plays, each with 2 or 3 characters, and simple staging. The plays are written for elementary school children and include: THREE STICKS; LOST AND FOUND; THE BEST BIRTHDAY EVER; THE MAGIC HAT; PIRATE TREASURE; CALYPSO, THE ROYAL DRAGON; TWO FUSSY FROGS; IN THE CAVE; GLOOMY, RAINY DAY; NEVER EMPTY STEW POT; HICCUPS; and FOR YOU OR FOR ME?. These fun plays are full of friendship, humor, fantasy, and magic and children will love to perform them in class or on stage!

Phyllis J. Perry lives in Boulder, Colorado. She is a graduate of the University of California, Berkeley, holds a Masters Degree from San Francisco State, and a doctorate from the University of Colorado, Boulder. She has been active in three community theaters. Phyllis is a retired teacher who writes for children and adults. She writes fiction and nonfiction books, poetry and plays. A list of her 92 books can be found on her web site, www.phyllisjperry.com.

Excerpt from the play:

CAST OF CHARACTERS

THE PLAYERS:
Two frogs, Nikki and Freddie.

THE SETTING:
The frogs live in a park where there is a lake, playground, and a picnic area.

PROPS:
A pickle, piece of apple, half a peanut butter & jelly sandwich, and a chip.

AT RISE: It is late morning and the two frogs are sitting at the edge of the lake in the park talking with one another.

NIKKI
I wonder where all the flies are today? And the gnats and dragonflies. I need to catch something to eat soon. I’m starving. Croak-croak.

FREDDIE
Ribbit. I’m hungry, too, but I’m awfully tired of flies and worms and crawly insects. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner–that’s all we ever get. Ribbit.

NIKKI
Remember that last week we found a school of tiny fish. They were very tasty. Croak-croak.

FREDDIE
I remember. Ribbit-ribbit. But we’re not often that lucky. And the kids I see playing in the park, and the people who come for what they call ‘picnics’ seem to have all sorts of exciting things to eat. Why not us?

NIKKI
(Wistfully) Yeah. Some of the things I see them eating do look awfully interesting. But that’s people food, I guess, and we’re frogs. Croak-croak.

FREDDIE
Say, I have an idea. Ribbit-ribbit. Instead of swimming out to the lily pads to the middle of the lake when people come today, why don’t we hide in these cattails close to shore. Maybe we can find a way to get some of those good looking things to eat.

NIKKI
Sounds dangerous to me. Croak-croak. What if the people have one of those awful dogs with them? One came running after me last night. It even followed me clear out into the lake!

FREDDIE
He couldn’t catch you though, could he? Ribbit-ribbit.

NIKKI
Of course not. But he scared me. Croak-croak.

FREDDIE
People aren’t supposed to let their dogs run loose here in the park, but I know sometimes they do. Ribbit-ribbit. We won’t go near anyone with a dog. Promise.

NIKKI
Okay. Hey! I think I see some people coming now. Croak-croak. Look over there in the parking lot. The boy is carrying a big jug, and the man is putting together one of those strange seats with wheels on it where their babies sit.

FREDDIE
Yeah, and now the woman is putting the baby into the seat, and the girl is pushing it this way. Ribbit-ribbit.