This script is from ‘A Bucketful of Ideas for Church Drama‘, available at your local Amazon. Look out for the second book, coming soon!
Snuffles and the Big Bad Cat
Outline
This drama re-tells the story of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:25-37), but using modern ‘goodies’ and ‘baddies’.
A major problem with telling this parable today is that a ‘Samaritan’ is now a good person. When Jesus told it, a Samaritan was someone that you’d cross the road to avoid. A Jew would not help a Samaritan, and would certainly never expect to be helped by one. The punch of the story is lost today because the ‘baddie’ is a helper, not a hooligan.
So this retelling uses a metaphor of our time – cats and dogs – and the shock-value of Jesus’ story returns. You can adapt this script for whatever animal puppet you have. There are suggestions for other combinations of goodies and baddies below.
You do not have to memorise the exact lines, since there are no cues for other actors, and a story flows better when the story-teller uses their own words.
Characters
- Narrator – person
- Snuffles – a dog puppet (no lines)
- optional: helper to move animal toys or picture cut-outs (no lines)
Costumes & Props
You will need a rolled-up bandage to wrap around Snuffles’ head. It’s a good idea to practise putting this on, as unrolling and tucking a bandage with one hand can be tricky!
All the other items mentioned, such as dog biscuits, can be mimed or can be real. The various animals can be imaginary, or can be soft toys or pictures printed out and laminated.
Staging
I do this story by myself as Narrator, interacting with the puppet that I am holding. However, you could easily separate these parts and have one person act out the story with Snuffles, while a separate Narrator tells it.
Snuffles has no lines, but uses the ‘whispering’ technique, where he whispers to the Narrator when he wants to say something, and the Narrator repeats this to the audience. This is particularly effective if Snuffles appears to interrupt the Narrator occasionally.
The three dogs that pass by can simply be mimed, with Snuffles watching imaginary dogs walk across the stage. Alternatively, you can use soft toys or pictures, and have a helper move them from side to side as indicted in the script.
The Big Bad Cat can also be imagined. The Narrator can indicate with their spare hand how the Big Bad Cat pulled Snuffles’ ears etc and how the other cat looked after him. Alternatively, a helper can use soft toys or pictures. Make sure that both cat characters look the same (rather than a nasty-looking cat and a nice-looking cat) to get the point across.
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Snuffles and the Big Bad Cat
Narr: (throughout)
Hello everybody. I have a friend I’d like you to meet.
His name is Snuffles. Would you like to meet Snuffles?
(yes)
Oh, you don’t sound very sure.
Would you like to meet Snuffles?
(Yes!)
Oh, good. So, after three, let’s all say “Hello Snuffles”, and we’ll see if he will come out to meet you. Ready? One, Two, Three!
(Hello Snuffles!)
[Snuffles enters]
Hello Snuffles!
This is Snuffles. He’s my pet dog and he’s …
[Snuffles whispers]
What’s that Snuffles? You’re feeling a bit shy?
[Snuffles nods, and continues to interact with Narrator throughout]
Snuffles is feeling a bit shy, so he wants me to tell you what he’s saying. Is that alright?
(yes)
[whispering]
You want me to tell the boys and girls? Alright. What about?
[whispering]
Oh I see. You want me to tell the boys and girls a story.
Would you like to hear Snuffles’ story?
(Yes!)
What’s your story about, Snuffles?
[whispering]
Ah. It’s a story that Jesus told. Jesus told a lot of good stories.
[whispering]
And this one is called ‘Snuffles and the Big Bad Cat.’
So is the story about you, Snuffles?
[nods]
That sounds good. So let us begin.
[Narr can pretend to read from a Bible]
Jesus told a story to show us who we should be friends with. He said:
Once upon a time, there was a dog called Snuffles … Hey that’s you! … a dog called Snuffles who was going to the park to play with his favourite ball when – Oh No! he was chased by a Big Bad Cat!
[if using pictures or toys, Big Bad Cat enters and moves to Snuffles, acting out the following, otherwise Narrator acts it out.]
The Big Bad Cat pulled Snuffles’ ears and bit his tail and scratched his face and finally chased poor Snuffles into a large bed of nettles and left him there.
[Big Bad Cat exits]
Poor, poor Snuffles.
(ahhh)
It was worse than that.
(Ahhhh!)
Poor Snuffles was so hurt that he could not get up, he just lay in the bed of nettles feeling very, very sad.
(Ahhhh!)
But just then, a poodle came by, a fluffy, white poodle.
[poodle enters]
“Hooray!” thought Snuffles, “This fluffy, white poodle will help me out of the nettles.”
[Snuffles watches poodle (real or imaginary) cross stage]
But the poodle did not help Snuffles. She turned up her nose and walked straight past.
Oh. That wasn’t very friendly. Poor Snuffles.
(ahhhh)
But just then, a sausage dog came by, a long, sausagey sausage dog.
[sausage dog enters]
“Hooray!” thought Snuffles, “This long, sausagey sausage dog will help me out of the nettles.”
[Snuffles watches sausage dog cross stage]
But the sausage dog did not help Snuffles. He looked the other way and walked straight past.
Oh. That wasn’t very friendly. Poor Snuffles.
(ahhhh)
But just then, a dalmatian came by, a big, spotty dalmatian.
[dalmatian enters]
“Hooray!” thought Snuffles, “This big, spotty dalmatian will help me out of the nettles.”
[Snuffles watches dalmatian cross stage]
But the dalmatian did not help Snuffles. She turned her spotty back and walked straight past.
Oh. That wasn’t very friendly. Poor Snuffles.
(ahhhh)
Snuffles was feeling very sad. Would no-one come to help him?
Just then, someone else came along.
Was it the fluffy white poodle?
(no)
Was it the long sausagey sausage dog?
(no)
Was it the big, spotty dalmatian?
(no)
Oh No! it was another Big Bad Cat!
[Big Bad Cat enters and moves to Snuffles]
“Oh No!” thought Snuffles, “This Big Bad Cat will be mean to me. He will pull my ears
and bite my tail and scratch my face!”
[Snuffles shakes in fear]
But the Big Bad Cat did not do any of these things. Instead, the Big Bad Cat pulled Snuffles out of the nettles!
The Big Bad Cat found a bandage in his pocket, (I didn’t know that cats had pockets, but apparently they do) and he put the bandage around Snuffle’s head.
[bandage head]
Then he rubbed Snuffles’ ears better, put some soothing cream on his tail, and brushed his fur all smooth again.
Finally, the Big Bad Cat gave Snuffles his favourite treat – dog biscuits!
Then Snuffles and the Big Bad Cat (who wasn’t bad after all) went to the park to play ball together.
Alternatives
Farm animals version:
Sheep puppet
going to the field for his morning grass
gets chased into a thorn bush
by a wolf.
A cow, horse and donkey pass him by,
then he is rescued by another wolf
who gives him sweet, juicy daisies.
They played in the meadow all morning
Jungle animals version:
Monkey puppet
going to his favourite banana tree
gets chased into a muddy swamp
by a lion.
An elephant, parrot and a hippo pass him by,
then he is rescued by another lion
who gives him crunchy, yummy monkey nuts.
They had fun climbing trees.
Sea creatures version:
Turtle puppet
going to a bank of seaweed for breakfast
gets chased into a swarm of stinging jellyfish
by a shark.
A dolphin, penguin and seahorse pass him by,
then he is rescued by another shark
who gives him sweet, juicy sea-daisies.
They went to play with the starfish.
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