Mrs. Chartier's Class

When our 1-2 blended class first saw the cover of the book Moe the Dog in Tropical Paradise by Diane Stanley, we thought that we were going to hear a story of summertime. After all, Moe was wearing shorts, a tropical print shirt, and had bare feet...and there were those palm trees in the background!

Well, read the play that Adena, Emily, Jared, and Kacy adapted from the book to find out just how wrong we were!

Moe the Dog in Tropical Paradise
a play adapted from the book
Moe the Dog in Tropical Paradise
By Diane Stanley

developed by Adena, Emily, Jared, and Kacy

CHARACTERS
Moe
Arlene
Narrator 1
Narrator 2

NARRATOR 1: It was wintertime. Moe the dog was cold.

MOE: I can't stand this! A whole week's vacation to sit around and freeze.

ARLENE: I can't stand it either. Let's take in a movie.

NARRATOR 2: Moe and Arlene trudged through the snow to see what was playing at the
Roxy.
Halfway through the movie, the heat broke down. Then Moe and Arlene's popcorn froze solid.

MOE: Can you believe this? The movie were not a good idea.

NARRATOR 1: They left. Outside, a man was selling pretzels and hot cocoa. They bought
hot cocoa. A marshmallow got stuck to Arlene's nose and froze there.

MOE: This day is going from bad to worse.

NARRATOR 2: They stopped in front of a travel office. They saw a poster inside. On it
were palm trees, a beach, and sunshine.

MOE: Now that's what we need! Which would be best: Tahiti, Hawaii, or the Bahamas?

ARLENE: Tahiti, definitely!

NARRATOR 1: They went inside. They talked to the travel agent, and they found out how
much it cost to go someplace warm.

ARLENE: Whoa, that's expensive!

MOE: Maybe some other time.

ARLENE: I'm feeling pretty discouraged. I'm going home.

NARRATOR 2: On the way home, a truck splashed Moe with slush. When he got home, he
took a
bath with warm water. He left out the bubble bath because it reminded him of snow. Then he
had a wonderful idea.

NARRATOR 1: He got dressed. He got some things from the attic. Then he went to Hugo's
Building Supply, Rembrandt's Art Shop, and the grocery story. He worked late into the night.

NARRATOR 2: The next morning, Moe called Arlene.

MOE: Hi, Arlene. It's me, Moe, calling from Tropical Paradise.

ARLENE: Wow! Lucky you! What's it like?

MOE: It's warm. There's a gentle breeze. I just went swimming. Now I'm having a drink
by the pool. I have sand between my toes.

ARLENE (sneezing): Oh, Moe, that's wonderful!

MOE: Yes, it is. Say, Arlene, do me a favor, will you? I left in a hurry, and I think I left
the lights on in my house. Would you go by and check it for me?

ARLENE: Sure, Moe.

MOE: Oh, and Arlene - bring your swimsuit.

ARLENE (hanging up the phone): That's weird!

NARRATOR 1: She went to Moe's house.

MOE: Surprise! Welcome to Tropical Paradise! Care for a swim?

NARRATOR 2: The next day, Arlene brought flowers, calypso music, and shells. They
spent all week in Tropical Paradise.

ARLENE: Where shall we go next year?

MOE: Egypt. I've always wanted to see the pyramids.

ARLENE: Swell! We'll save the sand!