The Red Balloon

Arranged by Ruby Cremaschi

  
Parts (6):	Narrator 1		Narrator 2		Narrator 3
		Boy			Conductor		Gang
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Narrator 1:	Once upon a time a little boy was having no fun and having no joy.

Narrator 2:	He was lonely.

Narrator 3:	He tried to have a dog;  he tried to have a cat, 
                But his mother wouldn't hear of that.

Narrator 2:	They bring dirt into the house, she said.

Narrator 1:	So the little boy at school and at home, 
                always, always played alone.
		Until one day looking up to the sky 
                he saw something flying high.

Boy:		A red balloon!

Narrator 1:	The streets of Paris brightened that day.

Narrator 2:	And the little boy could laugh and play.

Narrator 3:	He'd found a friend.

Boy:		Guess I'll take my little red balloon to school.

Narrator 1:	But school was so very far he had to take it on the street car.

Narrator 2:	And the conductor said:

Conductor:	"No dogs, no large packages and no balloons."

Narrator 2:	He was mean.

Boy:		Guess I'll walk and take my time, 
                this balloon is a friend of mine.
                But I mustn't be late or they'll lock the gate 
                And then I'll be in trouble with my teacher.

Narrator 1:	The little boy marched on down the street
                And the balloon soon took up the beat.

Narrator 2:	Following right behind the boy.

Narrator 1:	A gang of boys saw the balloon following the boy 
                and he wasn't even holding it on a string.

Narrator 2:	It was a strange sight all right!

Gang:		We could take that balloon and teach it tricks!
                Oh, no!  Let's break it with rocks or sticks!

Boy:		(Speaking to the balloon) Come here!

Narrator 1:	The boy said.

Narrator 2:	And he grabbed and held on tight to the string.

Narrator 3:	And suddenly the gang came from all directions 
                and the boy ran to give his friend the balloon some protection.

Narrator 2:	But the gang kept coming and the rock thrown first 
                was the one that made the red balloon burst.

Boy:		(To balloon) Don't die!  Don't leave!  Don't go anywhere!
		I'll try to get you some more air.

Gang:		We got him!

Narrator 1:	And do you know what happened?

Narrator 2:	All the balloons in Paris that day
		Loosened their strings and flew away.

Narrator 3:	And they formed a line way up in the sky
		And the little boy cried and asked:

Boy:		"Why?  That red balloon was my friend."

Narrator 1:	But the ending is happy,
		The ending is bright.

Narrator 2:	All the balloons in the sky
		Came to the boy's house that night

Narrator 3:	To greet him in the morning.