Being always optimistic,
Kind and cheerful, humoristic,
Working hard and common sense-
These are the components of success.
People always should be happy,
People always should be kind.
We are going to tell you the most optimistic story of the 20th century. It’s “Pollyanna” written by an English writer Eleanor Porter. Pollyanna’s mother had died and she was living with her father, a priest [priest] who died soon and the girl had to go and live with her sour-tempered [sotemped] aunt. ( Егор)
However, Pollyanna’s sunny nature good humour proved to have an astonishing effect on all around her, and this wonderful tale of how cheerfulness can conquer adversity has remained one of the world’s most popular children’s books. (Дэн)
( Тигран)
Scene 1.
Pollyanna ( Света), her father ( Даня).
Pol.: Daddy, has the missionary barrel arrived!
F. Yes, it has. Let’s open it, dear.
P.: Have you written them that I want a doll?
F.: Certainly, honey.
P.: Oh, what are these? Crutches?! (cries)
F.: Darling! Let’s play a game.
P.: What game?
F.: It’s just to find something about everything to be glad about – no matter what it is.
P.: Well, Daddy! I can’t see anything to be glad about getting a pair of crutches when you want a doll!
F.: There is! Just be glad because you don’t need them! You see it’s just as easy – when you know how to play!
Scene 2. Pollyanna And 2 ladies from Ladies’ Aid.
Lady 1 : What a pity! The poor little girl is left alone! (Катя)
Lady 2: Pollyanna, dear, you have to go and live with your aunt. (Настя)
P.: Oh, I’ve got an aunt! I’m so glad!
Lady 1 and 2 : Glad?!
P.: Yes! That father’s gone to heaven to be with mother, you know. He said I must be glad. But it’s pretty hard to do it. I couldn’t help feeling that I ought [ot] to have him here. I understand that God and all the angels need him more.
L. 1: Poor little creature! I hope your aunt will be kind to you.
Scene 3. Aunt Polly (Лиза) and Nancy (Маша) , later Pollyanna. (Aunt Polly is reading a book all the time).
P.: Nancy! ( has a letter in her hand)
N.: Yes, ma’am. (в руках щётка)
A. P.: Nancy! When I’m talking to you, I wish you to stop your work and listen to what I’ve to say!
N: Yes, ma’am, I will, ma’am. I was only keeping on my work cause you specially told me this morning to hurry.
P.: That will do, Nancy. I did not ask for explanations, I just asked for your attention.
N. Yes, ma’am.
A. P.: When you’ve finished with your work, Nancy, you may clear the little room in the attic. I suppose I may as well tell you , Nancy, that my niece[nis] , Miss Pollyanna Whittier [witi], is coming to live with me. She is eleven years old.
N.: A little girl- coming here, Miss Harrington! Oh, won’t that be nice!
A. P.: Nice?! Well, that isn’t exactly the word I’d use! However, I intend to make the best of it, of course. I’m a good woman, I hope, and I know my duty.
N.: Of course, ma’am, it was only that I thought a little girl here might brighten things up- for you.
A. P.: Thank you, I can’t say, however, I see immediate need for her. However, as I said before, I hope I know my duty. But Pollyanna! What a ridiculous [ridikuls] name!
N.: Yes, ma’am.
Enters Pollyanna.
P. : How do you do, Pollyanna?
P.: Oh, Aunt Polly, Aunt Polly, I don’t know how to be glad enough that you let me come to live with you! My father said..
A. P.: Well, never mind now what your father said! You have a trunk, I suppose?
P.: Oh, yes, indeed, but I haven’t got many clothes, and there are all father’s books. You see, father…
A. P. ( interrupts) : Pollyanna, there is one thing that might be understood right now at once, I do not care to have you talking about your father to me.
N.: Pollyanna, dear, let’s go upstairs to your room.
They leave the room.
N.: Poor little thing! You may talk to me about your father if she forbids you.
P.: My Aunt Polly is so kind that she thinks it’d be easier for me – if I don’t talk about him. Probably that is why told me not to talk about him.
N. : Oh, my God! Kind!?
P. : You know, Nancy, my father taught me to play a “ just being glad game” and I always play it.
N. : Whatever in the world are you talking about?
P.: Why, it’s a game. Father told me, and it’s lovely. We’ve played it always, ever since I was a little girl I told Ladies’ Aid, and they played it too.
N.: Well, I must say I can’t see any game about that, about that!
P.: Oh, yes, the game is just to find something about everything to be glad about – no matter what it is.
N.: Well, goodness me! I don’t see anything here to be glad about.
P.: I couldn’t see either, Nancy, at first, father told me. Will you, please, play with me? I hope Aunt Polly will play with us too!
N.: Oh, my God! Aunt Polly?! I really doubt!
(Егор) . I suppose you understand why Aunt Polly forbids Pollyanna to talk about her father. The reason is that her younger sister married a poor priest without the permission of the family and A.P. doesn’t want to hear about that hated priest. The girl’s name is a mixture of the names of two elder sisters: Polly and Anna. So, as I’ve already told you Pollyanna’s sunny nature works wonders in that little town.
Scene 4 . The priest and later Pollyanna.
(Дэн).People in that little town have become wicked, greedy and selfish. They don’t want to help each other, don’t give money for charity. Situation in the town is tense. Reverend Paul Ford understood that he , God’s minister, the church had to do something about the chaos in the town at once. But what?
Даня: Scribes( скрайбз) and Pharisees ( фэрисиз), hypocrites ( хайпэкратс)! You shut up the kingdom of heaven against me, you’ve omitted the matters of the laws, judgement ( джаджмент), mercy and faith(фэйт)!These ought(от) to be corrected!
P. ( enters): Oh, Mr. Ford! Has something happened?
Даня: Nothing indeed, my dear! I’m just writing a preaching .
P: Why! My father was a minister too, and he would say that if God took the trouble to tell people eight hundred times to be glad and rejoice, he could make them kinder and happier. And this made him think of the game.
Egor: What game?
P.:” just being glad” game. Finding something in everything to be glad about, you know. What a person needs is encouragement ( инкАриджмент).
Everybody comes on the stage and thanks Pollyanna for bringing light into their life.
Nancy: Dear Pollyanna! You have completely changed your Aunt Polly! It’s a pleasure to work in her house!
P.: My dear niece! I love you very much! You’ve brightened my life!
Даня : Instead of always harping on a man’s faults(фолтc) tell him of his virtues( вёчэз). Try to pull him out of his bad habits. Hold up to him his better self. When you look for the bad, you’ll get it. When you KNOW you will find the good – you WILL get that!
