How the Grinch Stole Christmas!

Narrator 2
by Dr. Seuss For, tomorrow, he knew,
all the Who girls and boys,
Adapted for Reader’s Theater
would wake bright and early.
by Danielle Speca They’d rush for their toys!
And then! Oh, the noise!
Characters: Oh, the Noise! Noise! Noise! Noise!
Narrator 1 - The Grinch That’s the one thing he hated!
Narrator 2-Cindy-Lou Who The Noise! Noise! Noise! Noise!
Narrator 1
Narrator1 The the Whos, young and old,
would sit down to a feast.
Every who down in Who-ville AND THEY’D FEAST!
liked Christmas a lot. And they’d FEAST!
But the Grinch, And they’d FEAST!
who lived just North of Who-ville, did NOT! FEAST! FEAST! FEAST!
Narrator 2 Narrator 1
The Grinch hated Christmas! They would feast on Who-pudding,
The whole Christmas season! and rare Who-roast-beast.
Now please don’t ask why. Which was something the Grinch
No one quite knows the reason. couldn’t stand in the least!
It could be his head, Narrator 2
wasn’t screwed on just right. And THEN they’d do something,
It could be, perhaps, he liked least of all!
that his shoes were too tight. Every Who down in Who-ville,
But I think that, the tall and the small,
the most likely reason of all would stand close together,
May have been that his heart, with Christmas bells ringing.
Was two sizes too small. They’d stand hand-in-hand.
Narrator 1 And the Whos would start singing!
But, whatever the reason, Narrator 1
his heart or his shoes, They’d sing! And they’d sing!
he stood there on Christmas Eve, And they’d SING! SING! SING! SING!
And the more the Grinch thought,
hating the Who’s.
of this Who-Christmas-Sing,
Staring down from his cave, the more the Grinch thought,
with a sour, Grinchy frown, Grinch
at the warm lighted windows below, I must stop this whole thing!
in their town. Grinch
For he knew every Who Why for fifty-three years,
Down in Who-ville beneath, I’ve put up with it now!
was busy now, I MUST stop the Christmas from coming!
hanging a mistletoe wreath. But...HOW?
Grinch Narrator 2
And they’re hanging their stockings! Then he got an idea!
Narrator 2 An awful idea!
THE GRINCH GOT A WONDERFUL,
He snarled with a sneer.
AWFUL, IDEA!
Grinch
Grinch
Tomorrow is Christmas!
I know just what to do!
It’s practically here!
Narrator 1
Narrator 1
The Grinch laughed in his throat.
Then he growled,
And he made a quick,
with his Grinch fingers,
Santy Claus hat and a coat.
nervously drumming.
And he chuckled, and chucked,
Grinch
Grinch
I MUST find some way,
What a great Grinchy trick!
to stop Christmas from coming With this coat and this hat,
I look just like Saint Nick!
All I need is a reindeer...
Narrator 2
The Grinch looked around.
But, since reindeer are scarce, Then he slithered and slunk,
there was none to be found. with a smile most unpleasant,
Did that stop the old Grinch? around the whole room,
Grinch and he took every present!
NO! Pop guns and bicycles
Narrator 1 roller skates, drums,
The Grinch simply said, checkerboards tricycles,
Grinch popcorn and plums!
If I can’t find a reindeer, And he stuffed them in bags.
I’ll make one instead! Then the Grinch, very nimbly,
Narrator 2 stuffed all the bags,
one by one,up the chimbly!
So he called his dog Max.
Then he took some red thread, Narrator 2
And he tied a big horn, Then he slunk to the icebox.
on the top of his head. He took the Who’s feast!
Narrator 1 He took the Who-pudding!
He took the roast beast!
THEN he loaded some bags,
He cleaned out that icebox,
and some old empty sacks,
as quick as a flash.
on a ramshackle sleigh,
Why that Grinch even took,
and he hitched up old Max.
their last can of Who-hash!
Narrator 2
Narrator 1
Then the Grinch said,
Then he stuffed all the food,
Grinch
up the chimney with glee.
Giddyap!
Grinch
Narrator 2 And NOW!
And the sleigh started down,
Narrator 1
toward the homes,
Grinned the Grinch.
where the Whos lay a-snooze,
Grinch
in their town.
I will stuff up the tree!
Narrator 1
Narrator 2
All their windows were dark.
And the Grinch grabbed the tree,
Quiet snow filled the air.
and he started to shove,
All the Whos were all dreaming,
when he heard a small sound,
sweet dreams without care,
like the coo of a dove.
when he came to the first,
He turned around fast,
little house on the square.
and he saw a small Who!
Grinch
Little Cindy-Lou Who,
This is stop number one!
who was not more than two.
Narrator 1
Narrator 1
The old Grinchy Claus hissed,
The Grinch had been caught,
and he climbed to the roof,
by this tiny Who daughter,
empty bags in his fist.
who’d got out of bed,
Narrator 2 for a cup of cold water.
Then he slid down the chimney. She stared at the Grinch and said,
A rather tight pinch. Cindy-Lou
But, if Santa could do it, Santy Claus, why,
then so could the Grinch. Who
Narrator 2 Why are you taking our Christmas tree?
He got stuck only once, Why?
for a moment or two. Narrator 2
Then he stuck his head, But you know that old Grinch,
out of the fireplace flue, was so smart and so slick,
where the little Who stockings, he thought up a lie,
all hung in a row. and he thought it up quick!
Grinch Grinch
These stockings, Why, my sweet little tot.
Narrator 2 Narrator 2
He grinned, The fake Santy Claus lied.
Grinch Grinch
Are the first things to go! There’s a light on this tree,
Narrator 1 that won’t light on one side.
So I’m taking it home, Narrator 2
to my workshop, my dear. So he paused. And the Grinch,
I’ll fix it up there. put his hand to his ear.
Then I’ll bring it back here. And he did hear a sound,
Narrator 2 rising over the snow.
And his fib fooled the child. It started in low.
Then he patted her head, Then it started to grow.
and he got her a drink, Narrator 1
and he sent her to bed. But the sound wasn’t sad!
And when Cindy-Lou Who, Why, this sound sounded merry!
went to bed with her cup, It couldn’t be so!
HE went to the chimney, Bit it WAS merry! VERY!
and stuffed the tree up. He stared down at Who-ville,
Narrator 1 the Grinch popped his eyes!
Then the last thing he took, Then he shook! What he saw,
was the log on the fire! was a shocking surprise!
Then he went up the chimney, Narrator 2
himself, the old liar. Every Who down in Who-ville,
On their walls he left nothing, the tall and the small,
but hooks and some wire. was singing!
Narrator 2 Without presents at all!
And the one speck of food, Narrator 2
that he left in the house, He HADN’T stopped Christmas,
was a crumb that was even, from coming! IT CAME!
too small for a mouse. Somehow or other,
Narrator 1 it came just the same!
Then he did the same thing, And the Grinch,
to the other Who’s houses. with his grinch-feet,
Leaving crumbs much too small, ice-cold in the snow,
for the other Who’s mouses! stood puzzling and puzzling:
Narrator 2 Grinch
It was a quarter past dawn, How could it be so!
all the Who’s still a-bed, It came without ribbons!
all the Who’s still a-snooze, It came without tags!
when he packed up his sled. It came without packages,
Packed it up with their presents, boxes or bags!
the ribbons, the wrappings, Narrator 1
the tags, and the tinsel, And he puzzled three hours,
the trimmings, the trappings. till his puzzler was sore!
Narrator 1 Grinch
Three thousand feet up! Maybe Christmas,
Up the side of Mt. Crumpit, Narrator 1
he rode with his load, He thought,
to the tiptop to dump it! Grinch
Grinch Doesn’t come from a store.
Pooh-Pooh to the Who’s! Grinch
Narrator 1 Maybe Christmas...perhaps...
He was grinch-ish-ly humming. means a little bit more!
Grinch Narrator 2
They’re finding out now, And what happened then? Well,
that no Christmas is coming! in Who-ville they say,
They’re just waking up! that the Grinch’s small heart,
I know just what they’ll do! grew three sizes that day!
Their mouths will hang open, And the minute his head,
a minute or two, didn’t feel quite so tight,
then the Who’s down in Who-ville, he whizzed with his load,
will all cry, “BOO-HOO! through the bright morning light.
Narrator 2 And he brought back the toys!
That’s a noise, grinned the Grinch, And the food for the feast!
Grinch And he...HE HIMSELF...
That I simply must hear! the Grinch carved the roast beast!