Papa Joe ~ Telling Tales

Wiggle & Waggle: A workshop activity

Teach a story. My current best story for this is a tale I've heard in too many places to credit them all, but Leslie Slape shares her version at: http://www.tiac.net/users/papajoe/slape24.htm

Hiroko Fujita's Mr. Brown & Mr. Black (talk to Fran Stallings for more details on Hiroko-san's wonderful book) is another version and has the movements illustrated, as well as ideas for embellishments. There are 25 other very easily done stories in the book.

I teach this tale to almost every one I meet. I use it in just about every workshop, in every infant/toddler program, and I always teach it to parents & grandparents. I always pass it off as a tale for ages 0 through 6, but I've told it everywhere, but prisons. LOL And that's just 'cause it hasn't come up.

Explain that each of the participants will be leading this tale in a group of four. Therefore, each person will be telling the tale five times. Once with you, once with each of the three others in their group, and once leading the others in their group.

It is a finger story and very easily done. Please tell along. The story's words are in quotes. Allow the participants time to echo the words until they learn them. Don't worry, they'll know them well enough before the story is told once. At the end of the exercise, they'll never forget it. Additional comments follow the story.

--==<( Mr. Wiggles & Mr. Waggles )>==--

Hold an open hand up with the thumb pointing skyward and the fingers pointing out.
"Mr. Wiggles" Wiggle thumb. Drop the thumb into the palm of hand with a sound effect. I use "Ssswwit!" Mostly air between the upper teeth and tongue. Close fingers over the thumb with a sound effect. I use "Ssswwat!"
"And"
Drop closed hand bring up the other hand, again with the thumb pointing skyward and the fingers pointing out.
"Mr. Waggles" Wiggle thumb. Drop the thumb into the palm of hand with a sound effect. "Ssswwit!" Close fingers over the thumb with a sound effect. "Ssswwat!" Drop 2nd hand. Do not keep either hand up unless the action is at that hand or your arms will be complaining before the end of the story.

Bring up 1st hand in the closed fist. (You did keep that fist closed, didn't you?)
"Mr. Wiggles," Emphasize by moving wrist.
"lived on a hill."
Drop 1st hand, raise 2nd hand. (Still a closed fist.)
"Mr. Waggles," Emphasize by moving wrist.
"lived on a different hill."
Drop 2nd hand.

"Every morning," Raise 1st hand.
"Mr. Wiggles'" Emphasize by moving wrist.
"Opened his door'" Open fingers as if they were a door with sound effect. "Ssswwit!"
"Came out of his house," Point thumb up with sound effect. "Ssswwat!"
"And closed the door." Close fingers as if they were a door with sound effect. I use "Click" Clicking tongue on the roof of the mouth.
"He called across the hills to Mr. Waggles, 'Good morning, Mr. Waggles!'" I give each of the characters their own rather silly voice and emphasize their speech with wrist movement.

Drop 1st hand -- raise 2nd hand, still in closed fist.
"Mr. Waggles'" Emphasize by moving wrist.
"Opened his door'" Open fingers. "Ssswwit!"
"Came out of his house," Point thumb up. "Ssswwat!"
"And closed the door." Close fingers. "Click".
"He called across the hills to Mr. Wiggles, 'Good morning, Mr. Wiggles!'"

Drop 2nd hand --raise 1st hand, closed fingers, thumb up.
"Then Mr. Wiggles," Emphasize by moving wrist.
"Opened his door'" Open fingers. "Ssswwit!"
"Went into his house," Tuck thumb down. "Ssswwat!"
"And closed the door." Close fingers. "Click".

Drop 1st hand --raise 2nd hand, closed fingers, thumb up.
"Then Mr. Waggles," Emphasize by moving wrist.
"Opened his door'" Open fingers. "Ssswwit!"
"Went into his house," Tuck thumb down. "Ssswwat!"
"And closed the door." Close fingers. "Click".
Drop 2nd hand.

"One day," raise 1st hand -- closed fist.
"Mr. Wiggles'" Emphasize by moving wrist.
"wanted to visit" Quickly drop 1st hand & raise 2nd hand -- closed fist.
"Mr. Waggles." Emphasize by moving wrist. Switch hands.
"So Mr. Wiggles," Emphasize by moving wrist.
"Opened his door'" Open fingers. "Ssswwit!"
"Came out of his house," Point thumb up. "Ssswwat!"
"And closed the door." Close fingers. "Click".

"He went" Emphasize by moving wrist.
"down the hills" Lower hand -- thumb up.
"and up the hills," Raise hand.
"down the hills" Lower hand.
"and up the hills," Raise hand.
"down the hills" Lower hand.
"and up the hills." Raise hand.
"Until he came to" Raise 2nd hand -- closed fist.
"Mr. Waggles house." Emphasize 2nd hand by moving wrist.

"He knocked at the door," Thumb of 1st hand taps on 2nd hand -- still closed fist, with sound effect. I use "Click, Click, Click!" Tongue on the roof of mouth.
"But nobody answered." Head shaking no sign.
"So he knocked louder." Thumb of 1st hand taps on 2nd hand -- still closed fist, more dramatically with sound effect. I use "Bonk! Bonk! Bonk!" spoken at a level under a shout.
"But nobody answered." Head shaking no sign.
"So Mr. Wiggles," Emphasize 1st hand by moving wrist.
"called Mr. Waggles," Emphasize 2nd hand by moving wrist.
"MR. WAGGLES!" Emphasize 1st hand by dramatically moving wrist. Spoken at a loud level.
"But nobody answered." Head shaking no sign. Drop 2nd hand.
"So Mr. Wiggles," Emphasize by moving wrist.
"went home."

"He went" Emphasize by moving wrist.
"down the hills" Lower hand -- thumb up.
"and up the hills," Raise hand.
"down the hills" Lower hand.
"and up the hills," Raise hand.
"down the hills" Lower hand.
"and up the hills." Raise hand.
"He opened his door'" Open fingers. "Ssswwit!"
"Went into his house," Tuck thumb down. "Ssswwat!"
"And closed the door." Close fingers. "Click". Drop 1st hand.

"The next day," raise 2nd hand -- closed fist.
"Mr. Waggles'" Emphasize by moving wrist.
"wanted to visit" Quickly drop 2nd hand & raise 1st hand -- closed fist.
"Mr. Wiggles." Emphasize by moving wrist. Switch hands.
"So Mr. Waggles," Emphasize by moving wrist.
"Opened his door'" Open fingers. "Ssswwit!"
"Came out of his house," Point thumb up. "Ssswwat!"
"And closed the door." Close fingers. "Click".

"He went" Emphasize by moving wrist.
"down the hills" Lower hand -- thumb up.
"and up the hills," Raise hand.
"down the hills" Lower hand.
"and up the hills," Raise hand.
"down the hills" Lower hand.
"and up the hills." Raise hand.
"Until he came to" Raise 1st hand -- closed fist.
"Mr. Wiggles house." Emphasize 1st hand by moving wrist.

"He knocked at the door," Thumb of 2nd hand taps on 1st hand -- still closed fist, with sound effect. "Click, Click, Click!"
"But nobody answered." Head shaking no sign.
"So he knocked louder." Thumb of 2nd hand taps on 1st hand -- still closed fist, more dramatically with sound effect. "Bonk! Bonk! Bonk!"
"But nobody answered." Head shaking no sign.
"So Mr. Waggles," Emphasize 2nd hand by moving wrist.
"called Mr. Wiggles," Emphasize 1st hand by moving wrist.
"MR. WIGGLES!" Emphasize 2nd hand by dramatically moving wrist. Spoken at a loud level.
"But nobody answered." Head shaking no sign. Drop 1st hand.
"So Mr. Waggles," Emphasize by moving wrist.
"went home."

"He went" Emphasize by moving wrist.
"down the hills" Lower hand -- thumb up.
"and up the hills," Raise hand.
"down the hills" Lower hand.
"and up the hills," Raise hand.
"down the hills" Lower hand.
"and up the hills." Raise hand.
"He opened his door'" Open fingers. "Ssswwit!"
"Went into his house," Tuck thumb down. "Ssswwat!"
"And closed the door." Close fingers. "Click". Drop 2nd hand.

"The next day," Raise 1st hand -- closed fist.
"Mr. Wiggles" Emphasize by moving wrist.
Raise 2nd hand -- closed fist.
"and Mr. Waggles," Emphasize by moving wrist.
"wanted to visit each other."
"So they," Emphasize by moving both wrists.
"Opened their doors" Open fingers of both hands. "Ssswwit!"
"Came out of their houses," Point thumbs up. "Ssswwat!"
"And closed their door." Close fingers. "Click".

"They went" Emphasize by moving both wrists.
"down the hills" Lower hands -- thumbs up.
"and up the hills," Raise hands.
"down the hills" Lower hands.
"and up the...," Raise hands. Bring hands together.
"They bumped into each other."

"Mr. Wiggles said, 'Good morning, Mr. Waggles.'" Emphasize by moving 1st wrist.
"Mr. Waggles said, 'Good morning, Mr. Wiggles.'" Emphasize by moving 2nd wrist.
"then they talked" Begin alternating wrist movements.
"and they talked"
"and they talked"
"and they talked"
"and they talked," I speed it up then slow it down. The number of times repeated depends on the listeners.
"Until their tongues were tired." Hang down tongue.

"Then Mr. Wiggles said, 'Good-bye, Mr. Waggles'" Emphasize by moving 1st wrist.
"And Mr. Waggles said, 'Good-bye, Mr. Wiggles'" Emphasize by moving 2nd wrist.

"They went" Emphasize by moving both wrists.
"down the hills" Lower hands -- thumbs up.
"and up the hills," Raise hands.
"down the hills" Lower hands.
"and up the hills," Raise hands.
"down the hills" Lower hands.
"and up the hills," Raise hands.
"Opened their doors" Open fingers of both hands. "Ssswwit!"
"Went into their houses," Tuck thumbs down. "Ssswwat!"
"Closed their door." Close fingers. "Click".
"And took a nap."

"Do you know how I know?"
"I looked in their windows" Half open fingers, press tips together to form the top half of a window, peek through.
"And what did I see?" Spread hands, palms toward listeners, fingers together pointing up, thumbs still tucked -- parallel to the ground.
"Mr. Wiggles" Emphasize by moving 1st wrist.
"And Mr. Waggles" Emphasize by moving 2nd wrist.
"Asleep in their beds." Turning palms up.
"The" Turn 1st hand -- palm down.
"End!" Turn 2nd had -- palm down.

--==<(*)>==--

Break your listeners up into groups of four, each taking a turn leading the others. The activity runs about twenty minutes.

The source of this story is listed as various or unknown. Anyone with knowledge of its history is encouraged to share it. I've yet to find further adventures of Mr. Wiggles & Mr. Waggles, any thoughts are appreciated.

===================================================

----- Original Message -----
From: Susan Rowland <susan@VICSERV.ORG.AU>
To: <STORYTELL@venus.twu.edu>
Sent: Sunday, December 12, 1999 10:31 PM
Subject: Fwd: Mr Wiggle and Mr Waggle

I heard this story told a couple of years ago by a Scottish storyteller, David Campbell. He introduced it with the comment that although he was Scottish, this was an Irish story. When he go to the part where they both came out of their houses, and went up the hill and down the hill, and up the hill and down the hill (the same number of times as the trip to each other's homes) and they met in the middle he said - 'now the more perceptive ones among you will wonder why they didn't meet in the middle, but you have to remember: this is an Irish story!"

I have taught this story in a workshop to grade 5's, giving them the freedom to improvise the conversation the 2 characters have - and they have a ball with it - telling jokes etc. When I tell it I make the conversation relevant to the group - ie about them, or their teacher or whatever. It's a fun story!

Susan Rowland
Abbotsford, Australia.

----- Original Message -----
From: Gary Wittmann <wittmann@FULLNET.COM>
To: <STORYTELL@venus.twu.edu>
Sent: Monday, December 13, 1999 6:50 PM
Subject: Re: Mr Wiggle and Mr Waggle <was: Re: workshop advice>

Papa Joe,
I use a similar shorten story with the characters as colors (teaching colors by wearing a glove that color). I have use it at Christmas time with each character coming to the other house to bring a present. Meeting half way to wish each other a Merry Christmas. Just as I wish everyone on the Storytell.

Papa Joe ~ Telling Tales