HOOWAY FOR WODNEY WAT
By Helen Lester
Parts (17):Narrator 1 Narrator 2 Narrator 3 Narrator 4 Narrator 5
Narrator 6 Wodney Rodent Camilla Miss Fuzzleworth
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Narrator 1: HOOWAY FOR WODNEY WAT
Narrator 2: Poor Wodney. Wodney Wat. His real name was Rodney Rat, but he couldn't pronounce
his r's. To make matters worse, he was a rodent. A wodent.
Rodent: "What's your name, Wodney?"
Narrator 3: asked the other rodents. Wodney whispered
Wodney: "Wodney Wat."
Rodent: "What's another name for bunny?"
Narrator 4: they asked knowingly. He mumbled
Wodney: "Wabbit."
Rodent: "And how does a train travel?"
Narrator 5: they winked at each other. Wodney replied miserably,
Wodney: "A twain twavels on twain twacks."
Narrator 6: All of this teasing day in and day out made Wodney the shyest rodent in his
elementary school.
Narrator 1: His squeak could barely be heard in class. He gnawed lunch alone.
Narrator 2: And while the other rodents scurried and scooted about at recess, Wodney hid
inside his jacket.
Narrator 3: Then one day as the rodents were taking turns doing wheelies, a new rodent‹a very
large rodent‹barged into the classroom and announced,
Camilla: "My name is Camilla Capybara. I'm bigger than any of you. I'm meaner than any of
you. And I'm smarter than any of you."
Narrator 4: Then she added,
Camilla: "So there."
Narrator 4: With that she accidentally-on-purpose elbowed an ear, bumped two noses, stepped on
three tails, and lay down on a desk.
Narrator 5: Fur prickled in fear through the classroom. She sure was bigger than any of them.
Narrator 6: She sure looked meaner than any of them. Was she smarter than any of them?
Miss Fuzzleworth: "What's 2 + 2?"
Narrator 1: asked Miss Fuzzleworth.
Camilla: "FOUR!"
Narrator 1: shouted Camilla Capybara without even bothering to raise her paw.
Camilla: "And furthermore, 4 + 4 is 8, 8 + 8 is 16, and 243 + 125 is 368."
Narrator 2: Later, when Miss Fuzzleworth asked,
Miss Fuzzleworth: "What's the capital of‹"
Narrator 2: Camilla interrupted,
Camilla: "New York. Albany. Population 295,594."
Narrator 3: And during science, in answer to the question,
Miss Fuzzleworth: "What part of a plant is below the ground?"
Narrator 3: Camilla Capybara danced on her desk and sang,
Camilla: "Root! Root! Rooty-toot-toot!"
Rodent: "Yup, she's smarter than we are, too,"
Narrator 4: thought the other rodents. They felt very, very uncomfortable.
Narrator 5: Every afternoon, just before the final recess, Miss Fuzzleworth drew a name from
her hat to see who would be the leader for their favorite game, Simon Says.
Narrator 6: She scrunched her eyes closed and jiggled the hat. Would it be Hairy Hamster?
Narrator 1: Minifeet Mouse? Grizzlefriz Guinea Pig? Could it be mean, smart Camilla Capybara?
Narrator 2: Miss Fuzzleworth's paw reached in and pulled out the name of...Wodney Wat!
Narrator 3: The bell rang, there was a wild scurry for the door, and Camilla Capybara was the
first on the playground, having trampled the others in her path.
Narrator 4: To Wodney she looked especially scary. What would she do when she heard him speak?
Breathe capybara breath in his face?
Narrator 5: Or tie him up in his own tail? Or even POUNCE on him?
Narrator 6: The tiny, trembling leader of the game stood before the eager players, his head
well inside his jacket, and squeaked,
Wodney: "Wodney says weed the sign."
Narrator 1: While the other rodents read the sign, "P.S. 142 ELEMENTARY SCHOOL FOR RODENTS,"
Camilla began pulling up weeds around the sign and wildly flinging them hither and
yon till she was clear up to her teeth in dirt.
Narrator 2: The other rodents began to smile.
Wodney: "Wodney says wap your paws awound your head."
Narrator 3: He peeked a little peek out of his jacket and saw WHAP! WHAP! WHAPPITY SLAPPITY
WHAP!
Narrator 4: Camilla was whapping her paws around her head so hard she became dizzy, gave herself
a headache, and had to sit down. The other rodents couldn't help giggling.
Wodney: "Wodney says play Wing Awound the Wosey."
Narrator 5: Camilla put out her arms like wings and made an airplane noise.
Camilla: "Nnnnrrrr."
Narrator 6: But where was a wosey? WHAT was a wosey?
Narrator 1: By now Wodney's voice was stronger and his head was entirely out of his jacket.
Wodney: "Wake the leaves!"
Narrator 2: Nobody moved.
Wodney: "Wodney says wake the leaves!"
Narrator 2: While Hairy, Minifeet, and Grizzlefriz and the other busied themselves raking
Camilla Capybara grabbed one leaf.
Camilla: "Wake up!"
Narrator 3: she yelled. She snatched another. And another.
Camilla: "Come on you. Up, up, up! Rise and shine! BOO!"
Narrator 3: By now all the other rodents were squealing with laughter. All but Camilla, who
frowned.
Camilla: "Stupid leaves. They won't wake up!"
Narrator 4: And why was everyone laughing at her? Such bullies!
Narrator 5: In a voice so strong he had to hold his own ears, Wodney called,
Wodney: "Wodney says go west!"
Narrator 6: The rodents collapsed in a happy heap for a rest. Go west.
Narrator 1: Camilla Capybara, feeling very smart that she could tell directions by the sun,
said,
Camilla: "All right. I shall go west. So there."
Narrator 2: West she stomped. Forever. She was gone.
Narrator 3: And from that day on the pupils of P.S. 142 Elementary School for Rodents never
teased Wodney again. He was their hero.
Rodent: "Hooway for Wodney Wat!"
Narrator 4: they cried.
Rodent: "Woot! Woot! Wooty-toot-toot!"