JAIN PLAYS

RAVI LEARNS ABOUT TATTLING

Ravi has a shirt with S.T. on it.

RAVI: Hi, Ram! Don't you like my new shirt? It is really neat, isn't it? My grandmother made it for me.

RAM: Oh, it looks neat Ravi, but what does the S.T. mean? Does it stand for Skunks Tail.

RAVI: Of course it doesn't. This is a very important shirt.

RAM: Oh, I didn't mean to say that. Does it stand for Stick Tick? That really sounds funny.

RAVI: You are starting to make me really mad, Ram.

RAM: I'm sorry about that...let's try Skinny Toad--that has to be it Skinny Toad!

RAVI: All right, that really does it. I am going to tattle on you. I am going to tell your mother that you called me a skunk's tail, a stick tick, and a skinny toad. I hope you get into trouble with your mother.

RAM: But I was just kidding.

RAVI: I will add that to my tattling list, too. I will even tell your daddy that you are playing tricks on everybody. You will probably get grounded for a week.

RAM: Ravi, don't tell please.

RAVI: I have to tell. The letters on my shirt stand for Super Tattler and I am going to be just that. I am going to make up plenty of lists of all kinds of things I can tattle about. I have a whole list about you. Now, how does that make you feel?

RAM: A whole list! Ravi, you are terrible.

RAVI: I will write that down on the next line on my tattling list. I will also tell my teacher that you are simply awful. I am also going to tell her that all you do in class is daydream.

RAM: I was not daydreaming!

RAVI: Oh yes you were, and I saw you talking to Rita during our reading class.

RAM: I only asked her if I could borrow a pencil.

RAVI: I don't care. I am still going to tattle! I will be "Super Tattler" I will tattle on everyone. You just wait and see.

RAM: What else are you going to do?

RAVI: I am going to tattle, that I saw you eating crayons.

RAM: I was not, I was trying to get the paper off.

RAVI: I saw you daydreaming out the window, you rocked back in your chair, and looked again out the window. I am a Super Tattler, and I am on duty now. You don't have a chance.

RAM: What would you do if I tattled on you? How would you like that. How would you feel?

RAVI: Super Tattler is just a perfect name. I can't think of anything you could tattle about.

RAM: Oh, is that right? How about that red rose you cut off your best friend's rose bush, and to top that off you took it to your teacher. You made paper airplanes and threw them in the class room. I saw you stick your tongue out at Rita. You couldn't wait your turn to bat when we played baseball. You just got mad and threw a big fit. You got mad when you couldn't be the leader in our P.E. class. You had a rolling fit on the floor.

RAVI: All right! All right! Are you really going to tattle on me?

RAM: I don't know yet.

RAVI: Please be a friend. You don't have to tell on people all of the time.

RAM: Oh, is that right? That's what your shirt says, Super Tattler.

RAVI: Oh, it sort of used to, but it doesn't anymore.

RAM: Skunks Tail?

RAVI: Oh, yea! Skunks Tail........that's really funny.

RAM: I think it's a lot funnier than Super Tattler. You really shouldn't tattle. Kids don't like a tattle-tale and neither do grown-ups.

RAVI: No matter what happens, I won't tattle ever again.

RAM: Actually it's good to tattle sometimes.

RAVI: It is? Are you being honest about this?

RAM: You need to tell a grown-up whenever someone is doing something to hurt themselves.

RAVI: What on earth are you talking about?

RAM: Remember the day you played with matches, and tried to drink all kinds of soda?

RAVI: Oh?

RAM: Sometimes you have to tattle on grown-ups.

RAVI: Like what?

RAM: My mother told me to always tell her whenever someone hurts my feelings.

RAVI: I have learned a lot. I am going to change this shirt, that's right. Let me take it off, I don't want to be Super Tattler anymore.

RAM: What about Skunks Tail, Stick Tick, or Skinny Toad?

RAVI: Do I really have a great surprise for you. I have something that you always wanted.

RAM: What is it?

RAVI: I have a genuine shirt that says Skunks Tail, Stick Tick, and Skinny Toad.

Would you like to have one?

RAM: No, not today. I think we need to go to your grandmother's house and have her make us both new shirts.

RAVI: What will the shirts say?

RAM: They will say...."We are Good Ole Boys." Let's get going.