University of Southern California Dissertations and Theses

A descriptive study of dramatic dialogue in six plays for children by the application of formulas for readability

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A descriptive study of dramatic dialogue in six plays for children by the application of formulas for readability

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Content A DESCRIPTIVE STUDY OF DRAMATIC DIALOGUE
IN SIX PLAYS FOR CHILDREN BY THE APPLICATION
OF FORMULAS FOR READABILITY
by
Richard Greenleaf Adams
A Dissertation Presented to the
FACULTY OF THE GRADUATE SCHOOL
UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
In Partial Fulfillment of the
Requirements for the Degree
DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY
(Communication)
June 1962
UNIVERSITY O F SO U T H E R N CALIFORNIA
GRADUATE SCHOOL
UNIVERSITY PARK
LOS ANGELES 7. CALIFORNIA
This dissertation, written by
.. . .............RiciLard.Greexde.ai_ A d a m s...................
under the direction of hi&....Dissertation C om
mittee, and approved by all its members, has
been presented to and accepted by the Dean of
the Graduate School, in partial fulfillment of
requirements for the degree of
D O C T O R O F P H I L O S O P H Y
Date June. . 1. 9. 6 . 2....
A
DISSERTATION COMMI^'T
- xJdc
TABLE OF CONTENTS
LIST OF TABLES . . .
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS
Chapter
I. THE PROBLEM AND DEFINITIONS OF TERMS USED . . .
The Problem
Definitions of Terms Used
Limitations of the Study
Organization of the Remainder of the Study
II. REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE .....................
III. METHOD AND PROCEDURE ..........................
Selection of Material Used
The Six Plays Selected
The Readability Formulas
The Samples
The Panel of Experts
IV. PRESENTATION OF THE DATA .....................
The Flesch Reading Ease Score of the Six
Selected Plays
The Dale-Chall Formula Raw Score of the Six
Selected Plays
Results of the Questionnaire
Comparison of the Formula Scores with
Results of the Questionnaire
Interpretation of the Data
V. SUMMARY, CONCLUSIONS, AND RECOMMENDATIONS . . .
Conclusions
Recommendations for Further Study
BIBLIOGRAPHY
iii
Page
APPENDIXES
APPENDIX A: Dialogue Samples from the Plays .... 82
APPENDIX B: Work Sheets for Tabulating Data .... 175
APPENDIX C: The Panel of Experts........... ... 209
APPENDIX D: The Questionnaire........................214
LIST OF TABLES
Table Page
1. The Flesch Reading Ease Scores of the Samples
Taken from the Six Selected P l a y s ...... 35
2. Corrected Grade-Levels of Reading Ease Scores
Based on Flesch Grade Estimates ....... 39
3. The Dale-Chall Formula Raw Scores of the
Samples Taken from the Six Plays........ 42
4. Corrected Grade-Levels of Predicted Readability
Based on Dale-Chall Formula Raw Scores .... 43
5. Summary Count of Checks in Reply to Items One
and Four of the Questionnaire.......... 51
6. Summary Count of Checks in Reply to Items Two
and Three of the Questionnaire.......... 52
7.. Summary Count of Checks in Reply to Item Five
of the Questionnaire..................... 53
iv
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS
Figure Page
1. The Relationship of the Reading Ease Score of
Each Play to the Flesch Reading Ease Scale
Indicated on the Left Side................... 36
2. The Relationship of the Six Plays to a Scale
of DalQ-Chall Formula Raw Scores ....... 45
3. The Relationship of Plays to Unit Value Computed
from Items 1 and 4 of the Questionnaire . . . 55
4. The Relationship of Plays to Unit Value Computed
from Items 2 and 3 of the Questionnaire . . . 56
5. The Relationship of Plays to Unit Value Computed
from Item 5 of the Questionnaire............. 57
6. Comparison of Predicted Reading Comprehensi
bility of Six Plays— Flesch, Dale-Chall, and
Questionnaire Methods ........................ 59
7. Comparison of Predicted Age-Levels of the Six
Plays in Terms of Readability, Listenability,
and Popularity . ............................ 62
v
CHAPTER I
THE PROBLEM AND DEFINITIONS
OF TERMS USED
The Problem
Statement of the problem.— The general purpose of
this study was to explore the possible uses of the Flesch
and the Dale-Chall readability formulas in estimating the
comprehensibility of dialogue in plays for children. The
problem was subdivided into four constituent questions:
1. To what extent can existing formulas designed
to predict the comprehensibility of written ma
terial be used to measure the readability and
listenability of dramatic dialogue in plays for
children?
2. How well can these formulas predict the success
an audience of elementary school children will
have in understanding the audible elements of a
play production?
3. What is the relationship between the formula
scores and the opinions of experts in determin
ing the optimum age level of children attending
the performance of a selected play?
1
4. To what degree would the accurate determination
of dialogue readability encourage children to
silently read playscripts as part of their writ
ten literature?
Importance of the study.— There is already a large
body of dramatic literature written for children. Major
dramatic publishing houses in the United States, such as
Samuel French, Inc., list hundreds of plays available for
child audiences. Two publishers, Children's Theater Press
and Coach House Press, devote their entire efforts to pre
senting scripts for children's theater productions.
It is generally supposed that any child attending
school is capable of comprehending the spoken word of actors
performing in a play for children. Sometimes arbitrary age-
levels are assigned to playscripts in an attempt to desig
nate the appeal the play would have for an audience of chil
dren. The basis for such designations is usually the con
tent of the story rather than the form in which it is writ
ten. The dialogue is of utmost importance in communicating
the story. This study was an attempt to describe possible
means for estimating the age-level of children to which the
dialogue would be most comprehensible, thus taking the
guesswork out of estimating the age-level of children to
which the play would appeal most.
The success of plays in performance are largely mea
sured by the number and ages of the children who attend.
The box office "take" is generally the major criterion used
to measure the success of a play. There are, however, other
methods which can be employed to measure the attention and
apparent comprehension of a child audience to a play in per
formance and after the curtain falls on the last act.'*' Some
of these methods of soliciting audience reaction are:
(1) infrared photography of the audience to catch physical
reactions, (2) the monitoring and recording of the restless
ness of children at certain key moments of the performance,
(3) panel discussions by the children after seeing the play,
(4) personal interviews, questioning and solicited or unso
licited statements from the children in the audience. How
ever, these audience reactions have been often given in re
sponse to the total visual and aural stimulations evoked by
the performance--not the auditory flow of words alone.
In recent years, research has been carried out in an
attempt to determine the comprehensibility of. various writ
ten and aural materials. The major activities in this re
search area are reported in Chapter II of this report.
This study was an attempt to apply the tools for
determining comprehensibility to the written materials used
specifically for Children's Theater.
This study also was an attempt to provide data on
the listening and reading comprehensibility of dialogue as a
■*"Richard Tuber, "A Survey of Audience Research, "
(unpublished graduate paper, University of Southern Cali
fornia, Los Angeles, January, 1959).
possible guide to (1) producing organizations in the selec
tion of scripts for Children's Theater, (2) playwrights in
determining dialogue for children's plays, (3) stage direc
tors in anticipating comprehension difficulties of an audi
ence of children.
This study was also considered as a preliminary in
vestigation of (1) the relationship of the spoken word to
the visual elements of a stage production, (2) wider explor
ations into the listening needs and habits of child audi
ences in all theatrical media, and (3) further uses of play
scripts for children as possible reading material.
Definitions of Terms Used
Readability.— In this report, the word "readability"
was used to designate a piece of written material as being
understandable because the word symbols are familiar.
Rudolf Flesch considers the sum total of readability
as the result of two factors: "reading ease" and "human
interest." This study considered only the "reading ease"
factor since "human interest" takes into account all "per
sonal sentences" which are "spoken sentences, marked by quo-
2
tation or otherwise. ..." Obviously, all dialogue is
composed of sentences intended to be spoken.- Furthermore,
this study was concerned more with the actual comprehension
of material than its interest to the reader or the listener.
^Rudolf Flesch, How to Test Readability (New York:
Harper and Brothers, 1951), p. 7.
Jeanne S. Chall considers readability as "the sum
total (including the interactions) of all those elements
within a given piece of printed material that affect the
3
success a group of readers have with it."
The elements used to test readability vary with each
investigation of the problem. Several elements were con
sidered in this study in an attempt to discover the levels
of comprehensibility of dramatic material.
Listenability.— In this study, the word "listenabil-
ity" was used to designate a piece of written material as
being easy to understand because the words spoken are famil
iar.
Kenneth A. Harwood used the word "listenability" in
his attempt to "investigate relationships between written
and spoken language of various levels of predicted silent
4
reading." It is in this context that listenability was
used in this study.
The elements used to predict listenability were the
same as those used in this study to predict readability. An
Jeanne S. Chall and Harold E. Dial, "Predicting
Listener Understanding and Interest in Newscasts," The Edu
cational Research Bulletin, XXVII (September, 1948), 141-153.
^Kenneth A. Harwood, "An Experimental Comparison of
Listening Comprehensibility with Reading Comprehensibility"
(unpublished Ph.D. dissertation, Department of Speech, Uni
versity of Southern California, Los Angeles, 1950), p. 8.
attempt was made to relate readability predictions with lis
tenability to discover the levels of comprehensibility of
dramatic material.
Dramatic dialogue.— Dramatic dialogue consists of
those words, usually indicated by Roman type, after the per
sonal name of a character. These words indicate that they
should be spoken by an actor, and consequently should be
heard and understood by the audience.
Plays for children.--Plays for children consist of a
body of literature written to be produced by actors, on a
stage, for a child audience.
Plays for children are in a relatively new field of
creative endeavor for playwrights. Established and aspiring
playwrights are being constantly urged to contribute their
talents to the area of Children’s Theater. The plays con
sidered in this study were taken from the works of play
wrights who have had considerable popular success with chil
dren.
Limitations of the Study
This study was limited to a quantitative analysis of
the dialogue designated by the playwright to be spoken by an
actor. No evaluation was made of the author's notes, de
scriptions, or stage directions printed in the script.
The subjective opinions of the panel of experts were
solicited from the experts' familiarity with the selected
play both in performance and as written material. The ex
perts' likes and dislikes of the selected material were to
have no direct influence on the data.
This study did not attempt to evaluate the subject
matter of the plays. Nor did it take-into account the pos
sible social, psychological, or entertainment values of the
plays.
No attempt was made to control or modify the phe
nomena— the six plays, the formulas, or the questionnaire.
However, every.effort was made to control the empirical
method of the study and present the data gained from the ob
servations of the phenomena in a clear manner.
Organization of the Remainder
of the Study
In Chapter II a review of previous investigations of
readability and listenability as precedent for the method of
research used in the study is given.
Six plays for children were selected for investiga
tion. The criteria by which the selections were made are
described in detail in Chapter III. In addition, descrip
tions and interpretations of two readability formulas are
given. The questionnaire presented to a panel of experts is
also discussed in this chapter.
The data revealed as a result of applying the six
plays for children to the two readability formulas and the
questionnaire are presented in Chapter IV.
In Chapter V, an attempt is made, from the data o
the study, to answer the questions posed by the problem.
Conclusions and suggestions for further study end this in
vestigation.
CHAPTER II
REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE
Comparisons between the listening and reading com
prehensibility of written material has been the subject of
many experimental investigations within the past fifty
years. Elliott reviewed the work done by Ebinghaus before
the turn of the twentieth century."1 " However, it was not un
til the second decade of this century that serious work was
commenced on the verbal comprehensibility of written mate
rial. A good capsule review of the primary investigations
on the problem up to 1948 is given by Harwood.
Investigations since 1917 have been made on verbal
material ranging from classroom lectures,"^ advertising copy,^-
^Frank R. Elliott, "Memory for Visual, Auditory, and
Visual-Auditory Material," Archives of Psychology, XXIX
(May, 1936), 5-54.
^Kenneth A. Harwood, "An Experimental Comparison of
Listening Comprehensibility with Reading Comprehensibility"
(unpublished Ph.D. dissertation, Department of Speech, Uni
versity of Southern California, Los Angeles, 1950), pp. 8-17.
3
Stephen M. Corey, "Learning from Lectures vs.
Learning from Readings," Journal of Educational Psychology,
XXVI (September, 1934), 459-470.
4
Henry N. DeWick, "The Relative Recall Effectiveness
of Visual and Auditory Presentation of Advertising Material,"
Journal of Applied Psychology, XIX (1935) , 245-264.
9
10
5 • . 6
phonographic recordings, motion picture narration, and
radio newscasts. Only Rulon made any attempt to investi
gate and report on the comparison of reading and listening
8
comprehension of written dialogue among students.
Of those experiments conducted prior to 1948, only
one investigator attempted to devise a mathematical formula
for predicting the comprehensibility of written material.
He was Irving Lorge who, in 1939, introduced a formula based
on the vocabulary count of words in the material which were
known to be difficult to understand for most of the children
9
in the fourth grade. The "word-list" Lorge used was one
formulated by Dale and included only 769 words deemed famil
iar by most fourth grade students. Although in need of more
reliability, the "Lorge Formula," nevertheless, set a
Robert P. Larsen and D. D. Feder, "Common and Dif
ferential Factors in Reading and Hearing Comprehension,"
Journal of Educational Psychology, XXXI (April, 1940), 241-
252.
^William H. Allen, "An Experimental Study of the
Effectiveness of Commentary Variation in Educational Motion
Pictures" (unpublished Ed.D. dissertation, University of
Southern California, Los Angeles, 1950).
7
Jeanne S. Chall and Harold E. Dial, "Predicting
Listener Understanding and Interest in Newscasts," Educa
tional Research Bulletin, XXVII (September, 1948), 141-153.
^Philip J. Rulon et al., "A Comparison of Phono
graphic Recordings with Printed Material in Terms of Knowl
edge Gained Through Their Use Alone," Harvard Educational
Review, XIII (January, 1943), 63-76.
Q
Irving Lorge, "Predicting Reading Difficulty of
Selections for Children," Elementary English Review, XVI
(October, 1939), 229-233.
11
precedent for future work in scientific predictions of read
ing comprehensibility.
In 1943, Rudolf Flesch published his formula for
predicting the degree of difficulty of printed materials in
terms of specific age groups.10 This formula has subse
quently been tested against a variety of verbal materials
and has been found to be reasonably reliable and valid.
In 1948 Edgar Dale and Jeanne S. Chall devised a
formula for predicting the readability of verbal material.11
This formula ■ .s based on Dale's list of 3000 words familiar
to an estimated 80 per cent of the fourth grade students.
Lorge, in 1944, summed up the purpose behind reada
bility formulas by stating, "The research in readability be
came a search for the relationship between statistical ele
ments of the text and some measure of success with that text
12
by large groups of readers."
More recently, the formulas have been subjected to
study in order to determine their validity in predicting
listenability as well as readability. This has been done in
spite of the question put by Chall and Dial whether it is
10Rudolf Flesch, Marks of Readable Style (New York:
Teachers College, Columbia University, Bureau of Publica
tions, 1943), pp. 57-64.
11Edgar Dale and Jeanne S. Chall, "A Formula for
Predicting Readability," Educational Research Bulletin.
XXVII (January, 1948), 11-20.
1 2
Irving Lorge, "Predicting Readability," Teachers
College Record, XL (March, 1944), 401.
12
justifiable to use "a readability formula to measure the
13
difficulty of spoken materials."
Allen carried through an experiment to determine if
"the effectiveness of a film might be directly influenced by
14
the reading difficulty of the commentary or 'sound track1."
In determining the reading difficulty by applying the vari
ously devised "commentary" to the formulas, he was able to
test his audience's comprehension of the aural materials.
Allen's conclusions were in part:
1. Commentary written one grade level below the
present grade level of the pupils resulted in sig
nificantly greater learning of the material than did
commentary written one grade level above.
2. All three of the Readability Formulas in most
general use— Flesch, Dale-Chall, and Lorge— are about
equal in predicting the comparative readability of
film commentaries when several were measured.-*-*
In another experiment, Harwood set out "to investi
gate relationships between written and spoken language of
16
various levels of predicted silent reading." Harwood's
testing of a series of seven language samples, devised in
accordance with Flesch's scales of Reading Ease and Human
Interest and presented to two matched groups of subjects in
oral and written forms, showed, in general, that "taken as a
whole, the series of language samples was only insignifi-
■^Chall and Dial, op. cit., p. 141.
14Allen, op. cit., p. 3. 15Ibid., p. 94.
1 6
Harwood, op. cit., p. 2.
13
cantly more comprehensible when presented for reading than
17
when presented for listening."
Cartier, in a study made at the same time and using
the same material as Harwood, came to the conclusion that
the Human Interest factor of Flesch's formula probably
doesn't have any bearing on how interesting or readable a
18
given material might be.
Chall and Dial asked the question, "Can the same
difficulty levels that are used for printed materials be
19
used for spoken materials?" By testing students' interest
in newscasts, the two investigators came to the conclusion
that:
Our data, although meager, seem to indicate that,
beginning with fairly difficult material (9th grade
and above), the listening difficulty is probably a
grade or two above the reading difficulty.2®
The conclusion that Rulon made in 1943, from his ex-
periment with an aural and visual presentation of a playlet,
substantiated an hypothesis that aural presentation makes a
more lasting impression on the receiver, although immediate
gains in both factual and relational knowledge were highest
21
after presentation of the written material.
^Ibid. , p. 94.
1 f t
Francis A. Cartier, "An Experimental Study of the
Effect of 'Human Interest' Factors on Listenability" (unpub
lished Ph.D. dissertation, Department of Speech, University
of Southern California, Los Angeles, 1951).
1 9
Chall and Dial, op. cit., p. 141.
20Ibid.
O 1
^•■^Rulon, op. cit. , p. 75.
14
A Yale University project reported by May asked the
question: "Is the effectiveness of a film influenced by the
2 2
level of the commentary? May's study was done on the as
sumption, later verified, that the three formulas (Flesch,
Dale-Chall, and Lorge) could be applied to the comprehension
of oral presentations.
2 3
However, an investigation by Larsen and Feder
showed that orally presented material was more difficult to
comprehend than written material. The subjects favored
reading difficult and mediocre material while they preferred
to listen to easy material.
Hall, in an exploratory study of listening in 1954,
pointed to the theory that "radio, television, the telephone
and records have all conspired to break the age-long pattern
24
of listening as a face-to-face, primary group activity."
Hall did not mention the fact that the legitimate theater
has for many thousands of years disregarded the "face-to-
face" pattern of listening. Although the communication
"feed-back" from the television viewer or from the theater
audience may be different, the sender, in either case, is
22
Mark A. May, "Research in Audio-Visual Education
Supported by Teaching Film Custodians and the Motion Picture
Association" (New Haven: Yale University, 1950), p. 2.
(Mimeographed.)
23
Larsen and Feder, op. cit., p. 241.
24
Robert Oscar Hall, "An Exploratory Study of Lis
tening of Fifth Grade Pupils" (unpublished Ed.D. disserta
tion, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, 1954),
p. 1.
15
not concerned with listening as a "face-to-face" listening
activity. Witty and Sizemore summed up the pattern of lis
tening as a non-"face-to-face" group activity hy saying:
Through listening the student may experience
satisfaction in hearing beautiful phrases and artis
tic expressions; he may enhance his appreciation of
poetry, drama, and various forms of literature; he
may grow increasingly discriminating in evaluating
the language he hears and thereby extend or improve
his own u s a g e . 5
This is, of course, one of the primary purposes behind chil
dren being exposed at an early age to the theater.
To date there has been a noticeable lack of basic
research into the listening comprehensibility of material
presented to an audience of children and into the listening
habits of this audience. In fact, a search of the reported
graduate research projects revealed no work has been at-
O C
tempted at all in this area.
Although previous investigations have yielded infor
mation on the comprehensibility of various written and aural
materials, no attempt has been made to apply dramatic dia
logue to the tests. Because previous investigations have
revealed, in general, a direct correlation of measurements
for reading comprehensibility with listening comprehensi-
2 5
Paul A. Witty and R. A. Sizemore, "Studies in
Listening: A Postscript," Elementary English, XXXVI (May,
1959), 298.
^Richard G. Adams, "A Bibliography of Written Mate
rial Pertaining to Children's Theater and Creative Dramatics
Pound in the Libraries of the Los Angeles Area" (unpublished
graduate project, Department of Drama, University of South
ern California, 1958).
16
bility, it is possible to investigate and report on the pre
dicted comprehensibility of written dialogue devised for an
audience, of children.
CHAPTER III
METHOD AND PROCEDURE
Selection of Material Used
The primary material for investigation in this study
was the dramatic dialogue of six plays for children.
For the purpose of this study, the selection of the
six plays for children was based on certain specific cri
teria. The criteria were devised so that the final list of
plays for consideration would be representative of the
existing dramatic literature for children.
In 1955, the Children's Theater Conference of the
American Educational Theater Association made available a
mimeographed list of ninety-seven "Published Plays for Chil
dren in America."1' These plays were selected from among the
works of seven publishing companies. It would be conserva
tive to say that there are over 500 published plays for
children in America available today. Nevertheless, the
ninety-seven plays listed by the Children's Theater Confer
ence served as a basis for the selection of the six plays
^"Published Plays for Children in America," Chil
dren's Theater Conference, American Educational Theater As
sociation, 1955, p. 7. (Mimeographed.)
17
18
for children used in this study. No attempt, however, was
made to adhere strictly to this list. This obviously obso
lete listing served only as a guide to the selection of the
primary material. No comparable list has been compiled.
Criteria for selecting material used.— The specific
criteria used for selecting the plays were put in question .
form:
1. Has the play been produced on the stage enough
times to be considered "popular"?
2. Has the play been published and is it readily
available from the publisher?
3. Did the author originally write the play in the
English language?-
4. Was the play first performed within the twenti
eth century?
5. Is the performance time of the play estimated
at a minimum of fifty minutes?
Each play for children investigated, in order to
qualify, had to be able to affirmatively answer all five
questions.
The over-all selection.— It was felt that to make
the final selection of plays as representative as possible,
the following items should be considered:
1. The plays should include at least three types of
characters: humans, animals, and fantastic.
19
2. The dialogue should be written in both prose and
verse.
3. The final selection of plays should include both
those adapted from othe.r media and original
stories.
The Six Plays Selected
Six plays were found which qualified as (1) popular,
(2) available, (3) written originally in English, (4) first
produced in the twentieth century, and (5) meeting the mini
mum running time of fifty minutes. They were:
Alice in Wonderland by Eva Le Gallienne and Florida
Friebus.
1. Professionally produced in New York City in 1932
and 1947 for a total of more than 100 perform
ances.
2. Available in printed form from Samuel French,
Inc.
3. Originally written in the English language.
4. Originally performed in 1932.
5. The 1947 revival of the play in New York ran
more than two hours each performance.
Treasure Island by Jules E. Goodman.
1. Professionally produced in New York City in 1915
and listed as a "hit" of that season. Revived
at the Goodman Memorial Theater, Chicago, and at
2 0
the University of California at Los Angeles.
Estimated performances number over 2 00.
2. Available in printed form from Samuel French,
Inc.
3. Originally written in the English language.
4. The play was first performed in 1915.
5. The University of California at Los Angeles pro
duction in 1956 ran more than one hour and fifty
minutes each performance.
The Emperor's New Clothes by Charlotte Chorpenning.
1. Originally produced by the Children's Theater of
Evanston, Illinois. Subsequently performed by
innumerable educational, professional and com
munity theater organizations. Estimated number
of performances would be over 500.
2. Available in printed form from Samuel French,
Inc.
3. Originally written in the English language for
the Evanston theater.
4. First performed in Evanston, Illinois, in 1931.
5. The University of Texas production in 1960 ran
more than one hour each performance.
Winnie-the-Pooh by Kristin Sergei.
1. Since 1957, the investigator knows of at least
four organizations which have produced this play
for a total of over 100 performances.
2. Available in printed form from The Dramatic
Publishing Company.
3. Originally written in the English language.
4. The first performance was given in Seattle,
Washington, in 1957.
5. The running time of each performance at the
Valley Playhouse, Woodland Hills, California,
was slightly in excess of fifty minutes.
Peter Pan by James Matthew Barrie.
1. Probably the best known play for children, it is
estimated that it has played more than 2000 per
formances.
2. Available in printed form from Charles
Scribner's Sons.
3. Originally written in the English language.
4. The play was produced with Maude Adams in the
title role in 1905, and the same production re
vived in 1915 in New York City.
5. The 1950 Broadway production with Jean Arthur
ran almost two hours each performance.
Once Upon a Clothesline by Aurand Harris.
1. Although, by the author's own admission, not the
best play by Harris, this play has nevertheless
been continually performed since 1943, reaching
a total of about 2 00 performances.
22
2. Available in printed form from Row, Peterson
and Company.
3. Originally written in the English language.
4. First produced on December 10, 1943, at William
Woods College.
5. The playing time is approximately eighty minutes.
The six plays selected were to include elements of
dramatic style, form, and character types commonly found in
plays for children. Here are the four criteria followed by
examples from each of the six plays.
Three types of characters: human, animal, and fan
tastic:
Alice in Wonderland
Samples 1-12: Alice, Lory, Duck, Caterpillar, Mad
Hatter, March Hare, Dormouse, Gryphon,
Mock Turtle, White Rabbit, King of
Hearts, Queen of Hearts, Tweedledee,
Tweedledum, White Queen, Humpty
Dumpty, Red Queen.
Treasure Island
Samples 1-9: Captain, Pirates, Mrs. Hawkins, Jim,
Black Dog, Pew, Hands, Merry, Silver,
Arrow, Anderson, Parrot/Smollett,
Dr. Livesey, Squire, Dirk. Morgan,
Gray, O'Brien, Gunn, Hunter, Red,
Joyce.
23
The Emperor 1s New Clothes
Samples 1-9: Zar, Zan, Gong Boy, Many, Tsein, Fah,
Mong, Han, Ling, Emperor, Old Woman,
Child, Citizen.
Winnie-the-Pooh
Samples 1-6: Christopher Rohin, Voice, Piglet,
Rabbit, Eeyore, Owl, Pooh, Kanga,
Roo, Animals 1, 2, and 3.
Peter Pan
Samples 1-9: Michael, Wendy, John, Mr. Darling,
Liza, Peter, Tootles, Slightly, Curly,
Tiger Lily, Panther, Twins, Nibs,
Smee, Starkey, Hook, Mullins, Noodler,
Mrs. Darling.
Once Upon a Clothesline
Samples 1-6: First Bird, Second Bird, Pinnette,
Black Spider, Mrs. Ant, Junior,
Dr. Beetle, Mr. Grasshopper,
Mr. Cricket, Pinno, First, Second,
and Third Grasshopper.
Total: Humans - 43
Animals - 28
Fantastics - 24
24
Plays in prose or verse.— All six plays were written
in prose with only occasional verse appearing in the dia
logue. The verse portions which fell into the sampling
process were:
Alice in Wonderland. Sample 3
The Emperor1s New Clothes, Sample 1
Once Upon a Clothesline, Sample 3
Plays from adapted or original story line.—
1. Adapted from children's literature:
a. Alice in Wonderland. Adapted from Alice in
Wonderland and Through the Looking-Glass by
Lewis Carroll (ne Charles Ludwidge Dodson).
b. Treasure Island. Adapted from Treasure
Island by Robert Louis Stevenson.
c. The Emperor's New Clothes. Adapted from the
short story The Emperor1s New Clothes by
Hans Christian Andersen.
d. Winnie-the-Pooh. Adapted from Winnie-the-
Pooh and The House at Pooh Corner by A. A.
Milne.
2. Plays from original story lines:
a. Peter Pan. Totally original play by J. M.
Barrie.
b. Once Upon a Clothesline. Totally original
play by Aurand Harris.
The Readability Formulas
The Flesch Reading Ease Formula.— This formula is
described in full by Rudolf Flesch. The Flesch Readability
Score is based on two parts of the formula: (1) the Reading
Ease and (2) the Human Interest. The Reading Ease portion
of the formula gives a score in age-level readings of chil
dren who find the material comprehensible or easy to read.
The Human Interest part is concerned with determining the
interest appeal the material has for the reader.
This study was concerned only with the comprehensi
bility of the dramatic dialogue. The Human Interest score
indicates the amount of personal interest connected with the
material. This portion of the formula asks for a count of
"Personal Words" and "Personal Sentences." It was ascer
tained that all sentences and many of the words in dramatic
dialogue are "personal." Therefore, it was decided that the
t
Human Interest score was. not a necessary factor in this in
vestigation and was therefore discounted. The Reading Ease
was applied to the dramatic dialogue of each play.
Interpretation of the Flesch Formula.— The principal
counts needed for applying the Flesch Formula are: (1) the
number of sentences in the sample, (2) the number of words
2Rudolf Flesch, How to Test Readability (New York:
Harper and Brothers, 1951).
V
26
in the sample, and (3) the number of syllables per 100 words.
These were determined for the six plays in this manner:
jt
1. The number of sentences in the sample was made
by counting every set of words which ended in
either an exclamation mark (I), period (.),
colon (:), or long dash (----) as one sentence.
If the "2 00 word" mark appeared in the middle of
a sentence, that sentence was counted providing
the mark appeared more than halfway through the
sentence.
2. The number of words in every sample is over 2 00.
However, all counts were made on the basis of
exactly 2 00 words. All counts based on 100
words for the formula were determined by divid
ing that count by two. A word was thought to be
all letters with a space at the beginning and at
the end of the group. Examples: "wax-work,"
"isn't," "m," "oooh."
3. The number of syllables per 100 words was deter
mined by counting all groups of letters forming
one spoken sound in the 200 word sample and di
viding by two. Examples: "aren't" is one syl
lable; "isn't" is two syllables.
All counts, which when divided by two, totaled a fig
ure plus half a point (.5), were rounded to the next highest
number. The count of sentences and syllables were then
27
processed (see Appendix B) and a Reading Ease score was ex
tracted. The Reading Ease score was then corrected for
grade and age level (see Chapter IV).
The Dale-Chall Formula for Predicting Readability.—
The Dale-Chall Formula is described in full by Edgar Dale
3
and Jeanne S. Chall. The formula was developed for pre
dicting the grade-level difficulty of written material and
is based on counts of this material which, when applied to
the formula, reveal the predicted comprehensibility of the
material. In this study, the material was the dialogue of
six selected plays for children, and the three counts were:
• ' i
(1) the number of sentences in the sample, (2) the number of
words in the sample, and (3) the number of unfamiliar words
which are outside the Dale list of 3000 words.
.1. The number of sentences in the sample was made
by counting every set of words which ended in
either an exclamation mark (I), period (.),
colon (:), or long dash ( ) as one sentence.
If the "200 word" mark appeared in the middle, of;
a sentence, that sentence was counted providing
the mark appeared more than halfway through the
sentence.
3
Edgar Dale and Jeanne S. Chall, "A Formula for Pre
dicting Readability: Instructions, 1 1 Educational Research
Bulletin. XXVII (February, 1948), 11-29.
28
2. The number of words in every sample is over 2 00.
However, all counts were made on the basis of
exactly 200 words. All counts based on 100
words were determined by dividing that count by
two. A word was thought to be all letters with
a space at the beginning and at the end of the
group. Examples: "wax-works," "isn't," "m,"
"oooh."
3. The number of unfamiliar words which were out-
4
side the Dale list of 3000 words was carefully
checked against this list and marked on the sam
ple with capital type. In addition to the list
of 3000 unfamiliar words, the following types of
5
words were also considered as unfamiliar.
a. Irregular plurals whether on the list or not.
b. Nouns formed by adding "er" or "r" to
another noun or a verb appearing on the word
list, unless it was so indicated on the list.
c. Abbreviations, unless the full word appeared
on the list.
d. Hyphenated words which included at least one
word that did not appear on the list.
e. Words formed by adding "en" to a word on the
list, unless the "en" was listed parentheti-
4Ibid.. pp. 19-28. ^Ibid., pp. 12-15.
29
cally or the word itself appeared on the
list.
f. Words on the list to which "-tion,"
"-ation," "-ment," and other suffixes were
*
added, unless the word with the ending was
included on the list.
All other words not mentioned above were considered
as familiar. All words were considered to be familiar or
unfamiliar each time they appeared in the sample. All
counts which, when divided by two totaled a number plus half
a point (.5), were rounded to the next highest number. The
count of sentences and unfamiliar words was then processed
(see Appendix B) and a raw score was extracted. The Dale-
Chall "predicted readability," in terms of a raw score, was
then corrected for grade and age level (see Chapter IV).
The Samples
The samples of dialogue from the six selected plays
for children used in this investigation were determined in a
purely objective and mathematical manner. Every ten pages
of dialogue were examined. Two hundred words of pure dia
logue were counted. The name of the character speaking and
the stage directions were not considered in this count.
The total number of samples for each play was taken
in groups of three. If the total number of pages of dia
logue when divided by ten exceeded a multiple of three, then
the lower multiple was taken. For example, if the dialogue
30
began on page 3, and there was a total of 130 pages in the
script, there were then 127 pages of dialogue. One hundred
and twenty-seven divided by ten yields 12.7 samples. If one
is added for the first page, the result is 13.7 samples for
the play. Taking the next lowest multiple of three, the
actual number of samples used in this case would be 12.
Thus, some plays had 6, 9, 12, or 15 samples.
6 7
Flesch and Dale and Chall agree that samples
should be taken at random. These samples should be in mul
tiples of 100 words. Flesch wants an exact count of 100
words. Dale and Chall want 100 words plus the remainder of
words in the sentence in which the hundredth word appears.
However, it seemed advisable to make each sample of equal
length; therefore, the count was an exact 100, but each sam
ple had two such counts. In reality, there were twice as
many samples necessary and as there appear to be in Appen
dix B. If the sample was interrupted by the change to
another scene or act, this was noted'by the use of a row of
asterisks (*************). The count in each
sample began with the first full speech of the character at
the top of the page.
CL
'Flesch, op. cit. , p. 1.
^Dale and Chall, op. cit., p. 11.
The Panel of Experts
It was decided that a survey of opinions by experts
in the field of Children's Theater was necessary to serve as
a check against the data received from the readability for
mulas .
The selection of experts.— The members of the "Panel
of Experts" were selected from the 1960 Directory of Members
of the American Educational Theater Association. All of the
experts selected currently belong to the Children1s Theater
Conference, a division of the .American Educational Theater
Association. It was thought that the response to a ques
tionnaire should come from authorities rather than from a
broadside distribution to all known workers in the field of
Children’s Theater.
The criteria for an expert in Children's Theater
were thought to be (1) one who has gained national recogni
tion and stature in his field, (2) one who has contributed
knowledge to the field, and (3) one who has had at least ten
years in the field of Children's Theater. Further consider
ations were that the total list of experts should represent
the various geographical sections of the United States and a
variety of occupations in the theater.
The data for the selection of the experts' were taken
from the American Educational Theater Association Directory
and from personal knowledge of the contributions of each ex
pert by the author of this study.
32
The list of the Panel of Experts can be found in
Appendix C of this- report.
The questionnaire.— This questionnaire was devised
so that it could he answered simply and directly. The ques
tions were devised to seek answers to subjective opinions on
what age levels would (1) enjoy and understand the plays as
an audience, (2) enjoy and understand the plays as actors,
(3) read and understand the plays, and (4) enjoy having the
story of the plays read to them. In addition, a question
was asked of the Panel of Experts as to which of the six
plays they would rate as the most popular for each age level.
The age level for the questionnaire was based on four groups
of ages from kindergarten through the first year in junior
high school-. A space was allotted for the expert to name
one unlisted play as one of the six plays selected, if so
desired.
The data received from the questionnaire were corre
lated with the data received from the formulas and are pre
sented in Chapter IV. A copy of the questionnaire may be
found in Appendix D.
CHAPTER IV
PRESENTATION OF THE DATA
The data of this investigation were compiled from
three sources:
1. The application of portions of the six selected
plays to the formula predicting the "Reading
Ease" by Rudolf Flesch.
2. The application of portions of the six selected
plays to "A Formula for Predicting Readability"
by Edgar Dale and Jeanne S. Chall.
3. The resultant answers received from the Panel
of Experts to the "Questionnaire."
The Flesch Reading Ease Score
of the Six Selected Plays
The Reading Ease Formula.— The count needed from the
samples was (1) the number of sentences in the sample,
(2) the number of words in the sample, and (3) the number of
syllables per 100 words. The interpretation of these counts
as they relate specifically to the samples of the six se
lected plays was described in detail on pages 26 and 27 of
this study.
33
34
The counts were tabulated on a "work sheet" (Appen
dix B) for each of the six selected plays. By carefully
following the seven steps outlined on the work sheet for the
Flesch Reading Ease Formula, the Reading Ease score could be
accurately determined in the last step.
The Reading Ease score.— The final figure reached
through the application of the Flesch Reading Ease Formula
was the Reading Ease score. This score indicates "an esti
mate of the ease with which a reader is going to read and
understand what"'*' has been written. The Flesch Reading Ease
score is interpreted by a scale reading from 119 to 0, indi
cating the material sampled is "very easy" to "very diffi- .
cult" to read or understand.
The data gathered from each sample of the six se
lected plays are presented in Table 1. The Reading Ease
score for each sample is presented together with the average
Reading Ease score for all samples of the play.
Figure 1 shows the placement of the Reading Ease
score of each play in relationship to the others within the
Flesch scale for Reading Ease. There was an obviously nar
row range between the highest Reading Ease score and the
lowest Reading Ease score of the six selected plays.
^Rudolf Flesch, How to Test Readability (New York:
Harper and Brothers, 1951), p. 1.
1
TABLE 1
THE FLESCH READING EASE SCORES OF THE SAMPLES
TAKEN FROM THE SIX SELECTED PLAYS
Samples
Alice in
Wonderland
Treasure
Island
The
Emperor's
New Clothes
Winnie-the-Pooh Peter Pan
*
Once Upon a
Clothesline
1 90.1 97.7 96.7 85.5 100.1 96.5
2 81.9 106.8 100.8 92.8 97.4 101.4
3 89.4 101.3 88.9 90.8 95.7 100.9
4 96.2 98.7 107.0 100.2 102 .6 96.0
5 96.5 93.5 95.1 92.5 101.-9 93.6
6 96.5 103.6 84.5 90.3 95.7 101.9
7 87.9 100.6 99.9 92 .1
8 88.2 98.9 107.0 98.4
9 95.0 101.9 94.3 95.8
10 89.6
11 87.9
12 92.6
Average 91.1 100.3 97.0 92.0 ; 97.7 98.4
Note:
These figures have been rounded to the first decimal place from the figures shown
in step 7 of the work sheets presented in Appendix B of this report.
00
o n
36
Very easy
(comics)
Easy
(pulp fiction)
Fairly easy
(slick fiction)
Standard
(mass nonfiction)
Fairly difficult
("Harpers")
Difficult
(scholarly)
Very difficult
(scientific)
119
116
113
110
107
104
101-
98-
95-
92-
89
86
83
80
77
74
71
6 . 8
65
62
59
56
53
50
47
44
41
38
35
32
29
26
23
20
17
14
11
8
5
2
0
Treasure Island
Once Upon a Clothesline
PeterPan
-N».The Emperor1 s New Clothes
\\winnie-the-Pooh
(Alice in Wonderland
Fig. 1.— The relationship of the Reading Ease
score of each play to the Flesch Reading Ease scale indi
cated on the left side.
37
All the scores of the six selected plays fell within
the "very easy" range of the Flesch Reading Ease scale. In
fact, there was only a 9.2 differential between the highest
and lowest score. The remainder of the plays fell within
the range of 91.1 and 100.3, which is approximately only
7% per cent of the total scale of 119 to 0.
It must be noted that Rudolf Flesch does not run his
scale for Reading Ease beyond 100. The top scale of 100 was
found inadequate for this investigation. The top scale of
119 was determined by taking the lowest probable average
sentence length of monosyllabic words. Thus, when three
monosyllabic words were taken as the average length, the re
sultant Flesch Reading Ease score was 119.160. Therefore,
Fig. 1 shows the top score to be 119.
The six selected plays, ranked in order of reading
ease, are as follows:
1. Treasure Island (100.3)
2. Once Upon a Clothesline (98.4)
3. Peter Pan (97.7)
4. The Emperor's New Clothes (97.0)
5. Winnie-the-Pooh (92.0)
6. Alice in Wonderland (91.1)
Although Alice in Wonderland is estimated to be the
most difficult to read and understand, the score of this
play still falls within the "very easy" range of the Flesch
Reading Ease scale. This play is also the most consistent
38
in terms of individual samples tested. The differential be
tween the lowest and highest score of the samples taken from
Alice in Wonderland is 14.6. The lowest score in this play
is from Sample 2 (81.9). The highest scores from the same
play are from Samples 5 and . 6 (96.5). The median differen
tial of highest and lowest sample scores of all six of the
selected plays is 13.9. The plays falling below the median
differential of highest and lowest sample scores are:
Treasure Island (13.3), Peter Pan (10.5), and Once Upon a
Clothesline (8.3).
Treasure Island is, according to the results of the
Flesch Formula for Reading Ease, the easiest of the selected
plays to read. It also falls below the median differential
of highest and lowest sample scores and can therefore be
considered reasonably consistent in its estimated readabil
ity.
Table 1 gives a summary of the scores of the total
samples taken from the work sheets found in Appendix B of
this report.
Score correction for g-rade-level.— Both Flesch and
Dale-Chall make grade estimates of the score values of their
formulas. The grade estimates for the Flesch Reading Ease
score are found in Table 2. This table is based on Flesch's
own study which cautions that the grade estimates must be
used only as "general guides."
^Ibid., pp. 43-44.
TABLE 2
CORRECTED GRADE-LEVELS OF READING EASE SCORES
BASED ON FLESCH GRADE ESTIMATES
Reading Corrected Aae-Levels
Ease Score Grade-Levels g
12 5 - 116 kindergarten - first 5 - 6
115 - 106 second - third 7 - 8
105 - 91 fourth - fifth 9 - 10
90 - 71 sixth - seventh 11 - 12
40
All six selected plays fall within the fourth and
fifth grade estimate. However, a further breakdown reveals
that only Treasure Island falls into the fourth grade esti
mate, and all the rest of the six selected plays are pre
dicted as most readable for children in the fifth grade. Of
these five, only Alice in Wonderland is a borderline case.
The score of this play falls in between the fifth and sixth
grade estimate, but it is counted as having a fifth grade
predicted readability.
Score correction for age-level.— The translation of
grade estimate into age-level estimate is an easy if not
arbitrary matter.
The Flesch corrections for age-level are incorpor
ated in Table 2. These, as well as those corrections made
for both the Dale-Chall and questionnaire scores, are based j
on the generally accepted assumption that most children in
the first grade are six years old. The progression is one
age-level for each grade-level.
Standardization in all grade and age-level estimates;
are made in this report. Scores fall within any one of four
groups: (1) kindergarten and first grades equal ages five
And six, (2) second and third grades equal ages seven and
eight, (3) fourth and fifth grades equal ages nine and ten,
and (4) sixth and seventh grades equal ages eleven and
twelve.
41
All six of the selected plays in this investigation
seem to have the greatest Reading Ease for children nine and
ten years of age, according to the Flesch Formula for read
ability.
The Dale-Chall Formula Raw Score
of the Six Selected Plays
The Dale-Chall Formula.— The count needed from the
samples was (1) the number of sentences in the sample,
(2) the number of words in the sample, and (3) the number of
words not on the Dale list of 3000. The interpretation of
these counts, as they relate specifically to the samples
tested, is described in detail on pages 27 to 29 of this
study.
The counts listed in the preceding paragraph were
tabulated on a work sheet (Appendix B) for each of the six
selected plays. By carefully following the nine steps out
lined on the Work Sheet for Predicting Readability by the
Dale-Chall Formula, the formula raw score could be deter
mined in the last step. A summary of the raw scores may be
found in Table 3.
The formula raw score.— The final figure reached
through the application of the Dale-Chall Formula for Pre
dicting Readability was the formula raw score. This score
is a figure by which "corrected grade-level" estimates
(Table 4) may be obtained to indicate the grade at which a
TABLE 3
THE DALE-CHALL FORMULA RAW SCORES OF THE SAMPLES
TAKEN FROM THE SIX PLAYS
Samples
Alice in
Wonderland
Treasure
Island
The
Emperor1s
New Clothes
Winnie-the-Pooh Peter Pan
Once Upon a
Clothesline
1 5.238 4.358 4.724 4.300 4.566 3.993
2 5.612 5.039 4.615 5.098 4.300 4.665
3 5.594 5.098 5.337 4.092 4.773 4.408
4 4.665 5.720 4.2 00 4.832 5.355 4.832
5 4.773 6.571 6.145 4.882 5.148 4.309
6 4.142 4.674 5.702 4.782 4.931 . 4.922
7 5.612 5.139 5.089 ' 5.139
8 5.355 5.454 4.358 5.197
9 5.355 4.990 5.148 3.934
10 4.665
11 4.507
12 4.448
Average 4.997 5.227 5.035 4.664 4.816 4.522
Note:
These figures have been rounded to the third decimal place from the figures shown
in step 7 of the work sheets presented in Appendix A of this report.
NJ
43
TABLE 4
CORRECTED GRADE-LEVELS OF PREDICTED READABILITY
BASED ON DALE-CHALL FORMULA RAW SCORES
Formula Corrected , _ T . ,
Raw Score Grade-Levels g - e s
3.8 - 4.0 kindergarten - first 5 - 6
4.1 - 4.4 second - third 7 - 8
4.5 - 5.4 fourth — fifth 9-10
5.5 - 6.4 sixth - seventh 11 - 12
44
piece of written material "can be read with understanding."
The formula raw score is interpreted by a scale
reading from 3.8430, the easiest to read and understand, to
as high as 10.3750, the most difficult to read and under
stand. This last figure is an arbitrary "highest" score and
would predict the sample tested as having a grade-level of
about sixteen, or college graduate.
The data taken from each sample of the six selected
plays are presented in Table 3. The formula raw score for
each sample is presented together with the average formula
raw score of all samples of the given play.
Figure 2 represents the placement of the formula raw
scores from each play in relation to each other within the
Dale-Chall scale for predicted readability. There was obvi
ously a very narrow range between the highest predicted
reading ease and the lowest reading ease for the six plays.
All scores of the six selected plays fell within a
.705 differential between the highest and the lowest score.
Since these scores are simply a basis for determining the
grade-level of the material tested, Dale and Chall do not
predict the scale in terms of general categories or equiva
lent material as Flesch does. However, we may assume that
the material with the lowest score is the easiest to read
and understand. On that premise, the six selected plays may
-^Edgar Dale and Jeanne S. Chall, "A Formula for Pre
dicting Readability," Educational Research Bulletin, XXVII
(January, 1948), 15.
45
3.5
4.0
4.5"
5.0
6.5
7.0
7.5
8.0
8.5
9.0
9.5
Once Upon a Clothesline
Winnie-the-Pooh
Peter Pan
Alice in Wonderland
The Emperor's New Clothes
Treasure Island
Fig. 2.— The relationship of
the six plays to a scale of Dale-Chall
Formula raw scores.
be ranked in order of predicted ease in reading and compre
hension as follows:
1. Once Upon a Clothesline (4.522)
2. Winnie-the-Pooh (4.664)
3. Peter Pan (4.816)
4. Alice in Wonderland (4.997)
5. The Emperor1s New Clothes (5.035)
6. Treasure Island (5.227)
The median differential of highest and lowest sample
scores is 1.471. Once Upon a Clothesline is only .542 away
from the median and Treasure Island is only .752 away from
the median. Winnie-the-Pooh, with a .798 differential be
tween its highest and lowest score in the samples taken,
seems to be the most consistently readable of the six se
lected plays. This play is also ranked second in readabil
ity of all the plays tested.
Table 3 gives a summary of the scores of the total
samples taken from the work sheets found in Appendix B of
this report. '
Score correction for grade-level.— Since the ulti
mate result of the Dale-Chall Formula is a score predicting
the readability of the material in terms of grade-level,
this part of the computation is of utmost importance. The
corrected grade-level computations for the Dale-Chall For
mula raw score are given in Table 4.
47
All six plays fall within the fourth and fifth grade
f
estimate. However, a further breakdown reveals that only
Treasure Island falls into the fifth grade estimate while
all the rest of the plays are considered readable for the
fourth grade.
Score correction for acre-level.— The translation of
grade estimate into age-level estimates is an easy if not
arbitrary matter.
The Dale-Chall corrections for age-level are shown
in Table 4. These, as well as those corrections made for
the Flesch and questionnaire scores, are based on the gener
ally accepted assumption that most children in the first
grade are six years old. The progression is one age-level
for each grade-level thereafter.
Standardization of all grade and age-level correc
tions have been made in this investigation. Scores fall
within any one of four groups: (1) kindergarten and first
grades equal ages five and six, (2) second and third grades
equal ages seven and eight, (3) fourth and fifth grades
equal ages nine and ten, and (4) sixth and seventh grades
equal ages eleven and twelve.
All six plays tested in this investigation seem to
have the greatest predicted readability for children nine
and ten years of age, according to the Dale-Chall Formula
for Predicting Readability. Caution must be made, however,
48
since this is a generalization and all children differ from
each other in individual reading aptitudes.
Results of the Questionnaire
The questionnaire.— A questionnaire was sent by mail
to a Panel of Experts rather than to a large number of people
working in Children's Theater. A description of how and why
the Panel of Experts was chosen is found on pages 31 and 32.
The questionnaire was mailed to fifteen,"experts"
(listed in Appendix C), together with a personal letter.
Thirteen "experts" replied, thus giving the questionnaire
an 87 per cent return, which was a higher percentage than
expected.
The questions asked were:
1. Which age group would enjoy and understand each
of the six selected plays the most as part of
the audience?
2. Which age group would enjoy and understand each
of the six selected plays the most as actors?
3. Which age group could read and fully understand
each of the six selected playscripts all by
themselves?
4. Which age group would enjoy having the story of
each of the six selected plays read or told to
them in small groups?
49
5. With which age group is each of the six selected
plays most popular when it i-s presented on the
stage?
The respondents to the questionnaire were ashed to
make a simple check after the appropriate play and age group
heading. They were to answer each to the best of their
knowledge based on training and experience. A sample of the
questionnaire may be found in Appendix D.
The respondents were also invited to name the title
of a play they considered should appear on the list, and
also to make any remarks they considered appropriate to the
questionnaire.
Computation of the questionnaire results.— The score
which was sought in reply to the questionnaires was the
estimated age-level at which the material being tested would
be comprehensible to the majority of the children, both as
readers and listeners.
It was thought that questionnaire items 2 and 3
would yield data on the age-level at which the plays being
tested would be most comprehensible as reading material.
Items 1 and 4, it was thought, would yield data on the age-
level at which the plays being tested would be comprehen
sible as listening material. Item 5 was to solicit an opin
ion as to which age-level the plays might appeal the most.
Each questionnaire returned was examined and every
check mark on the completed form was transferred to a master
tally sheet (Appendix C). Since the "expert" was free to
place a check mark at any point, or at none at all, the
total count of the check marks in any given block on the
questionnaire did not necessarily coincide with the number
of respondents. The summation of these counts is made in
Tables 5, 6, and 7.
In order that a clear presentation of the results
may be made, it was decided that a "unit value" be given to
each age-level as follows:
Ages 5 - 6 = 4 units
Ages 7 - 8 = 3 units
Ages 9 - 10 = 2 units
Ages 11 - 12 = 1 unit
■
> ■ * l 'i t * 1 ,
As an example, the total unit value of ' Ajicfe"Itv. h?#-
Wonderland taken from the total checks yielded as answers to
items 2 and 3 would equal 30. That is, 20x1+5x2 =30.
See Table 6 and Figure 4.
A scale on which to record the unit value assigned
to each play was then devised by taking the smallest total
number of check marks found in the table and assigning this
number as the bottom of the scale. The top figure of the
scale represents the largest total of check marks multiplied
by four, the highest unit value. As an example, in Table 6,
the smallest total number of check marks is 26 (Once Upon a
Clothesline). As there cannot possibly be any lower unit
value in Table 6 than 26 x 1, the figure 26 represents the
bottom of the scale. The largest total number of check
marks in Table 6 is 34 (The Emperor's Hew Clothes). Since
51
TABLE 5
SUMMARY COUNT OF CHECKS IN REPLY TO ITEMS
ONE AND FOUR OF THE QUESTIONNAIRE
Play Item
Age
5-6
Age
7-8
Age
9-10
Age
11-12
Alice in Wonderland
1
4
0
3
3
10
7
9
10
5
Total 3 13 16 15
Treasure Island
1
4
0
0
1
6
9
11
11
5
Total 0 7 20 16
The Emperor's New Clothes
1
4
2
5
7
12
11
11
5
8
Total 7 19 22 13
Winnie-the-Pooh
1
4
6
_9
11
11
6
_7
1
3
Total 15 22 13 4
Peter Pan
1
4
3
6
9
9
10
10
9
5 ;
Total 9 18 20 14
Once Upon a Clothesline
1
4
3
6
6
7
4
6
3
2
Total 9 13 10 5
52
TABLE 6
SUMMARY COUNT OF CHECKS IN REPLY TO ITEMS
TWO AND THREE OF THE QUESTIONNAIRE
Play Item
Age
5-6
Age
7-8
Age
9-10
Age
11-12
Alice in Wonderland
2
3
0
0
0
_0
2
3
11
9
Total 0 0 5 20
Treasure Island
Total
2
3
0
_0
0
0
0
0
3
4
7
12
10
22
The Emperor's New Clothes
2
3
0
0
0
_3
5
7
10
9
Total 0 3 12 19 ;
Winnie-the-Pooh
2
3
0
_o
2
_4
5
6
8
7
Total 0 6 11 15
Peter Pan
Total
2
3
0
0
0
1
1
2
3
3
6
11
10
21
Once Upon a Clothesline
2
3
0
_0
0
_2
4
5
8
7
Total 0 2 9 15
53
TABLE 7
SUMMARY COUNT OF CHECKS IN REPLY TO ITEM
FIVE OF THE QUESTIONNAIRE
Play Item
Age
5-6
Age
7-8
Age
9-10
Age
11-12
Alice in Wonderland 5 0 5 9 8
Treasure Island 5 0 0 10 11
The Emperor 1s New Clothes 5 ' 0 9 12 4
Winnie-the-Pooh 5 8 7 5 2
Peter Pan 5 5 8 11 9
Once Upon a Clothesline 5 2 7 3 2
54
there cannot be any higher unit value in Table 6 than 34 x 4,
the figure 136 represents the top figure of the scale. The
correction from unit value to age-level was made by dividing
the scale units into four sections. The results of these
computations are graphically presented in Figures 3, 4, and
5.
Table 7 contains a summary of check marks made in
response to item 5 of the questionnaire. The degree of
popularity between the six selected plays investigated is
shown in Figure 6 . The result is, of the six plays, the ex
perts felt that only Peter Pan was most popular with the
children seven years old and older. Winnie-the-Pooh. The
Emperor1s New Clothes. and Alice in Wonderland were most
popular with the children nine years old and up. Once Upon
a Clothesline and Treasure Island were most popular with the
eleven—year-old children, but no younger.
The scores derived from item 5 of the questionnaire
are considerably higher in terms of age-level than those of
items 1, 2, 3, or 4. This relationship is shown in more
complete detail in the following section of this chapter.
In addition to the six selected plays, the Panel of
Experts was invited to answer the same questions opposite a
write-in play of their own choice. The following plays ap
peared as write-ins:
Junket by Aurand Harris
Simple Simon by Aurand Harris
'55
Ages
Ages
Ages
Ages
244
239
234
229
224
5-6 219
214
209
204
199
194
189
184
179
174
169
7-8 164
159________Winnie-the-Pooh (156)
154
149 Peter Pan (144)
144'-------------------
139 The Emperor's New Clothes (142)
134
129
124
9-10 119
114
109 > Once Upon a Clothesline (100)
104 ^
74
69
11-12 64
59
54
49
44
39
99________Alice in Wonderland (98)
94
89
84
79________Treasure Island (77)
Fig. 3.— Relationship of plays to unit value
computed from items 1 and 4 of the questionnaire.
56
Ages
Ages
Ages
Ages
136
131
c 126
5'6 121
116
111
106
101
7-8 96
91
86
81
76
71 Winnie-the-Pooh (55)
9-10 66 /
61 / The Emperor's New Clothes (52)
56 / /
51 Once Upon a Clothesline (49)
46
11-12 41___________Peter Pan (39)
36 — v
31_____ \Treasure Island (36)
26
.Alice in Wonderland (30)
Fig. 4.— Relationship of plays to unit value
computed from items 2 and 3 of the questionnaire.
57
Ages
Ages
Ages
Ages
132
5-6 127
122
117
112
107
102
97
92
7-8 87
82
77________Peter Pan (75)
72
67________Winnie-the-Pooh (65)
62
9-10 57________The Emperor's New Clothes (55)
52
47________Alice in Wonderland (45)
^ ________Once Upon a Clothesline (37)
11-12 27
22
17
32________ Treasure Island (31)
Pig. 5.— Relationship of plays to unit value
computed from item 5 of the questionnaire.
58
Land of the Dragon by Madge Miller
Elves and the Shoemaker by Nora Tully and
Charlotte Chorpenning
Each of the above plays appeared once in the thir
teen returned questionnaires. It was thought that because
none of the plays met the criteria for play selection for
this investigation and because no write-in play was listed
more than once, the four above plays would not be considered
for final tabulation.
Comparison of the Formula Scores with
Results of the Questionnaire
The six plays selected for investigation must be
judged by the degree of difference or similarity of esti
mated age-level by using various methods of comparison.
Figure 6 shows the degree of comparison between the j
use of the Flesch, Dale-Chall, and questionnaire methods of
predicting reading and estimated comprehensibility of the
material investigated. This graphic representation indi
cates the predicted reading comprehensibility of the six se
lected plays by the three methods indicated.
Only one of the six selected plays investigated by
all three methods of prediction falls within the same age-
level range. All methods used in this study (Flesch, Dale-
Chall, and the questionnaire) predict that children of nine,
ten, and over will be able to read and comprehend Winnie-the-
Pooh.
Flesch
125
120
115
110
105
100
90
80
75
Dale- Question-
Chall naire
3.8
3.9
4.0
4.1
4.5
5.0
5.5
6.0
6.5
136
123
109
95
82
68
55
40
26
The
Alice in Treasure Emperor's
Wonderland Island New
Clothes
Winnie-
the-Pooh
Peter Pan
l L
F DC Q
Once Upon
a
Clothes
line
F DC Q F DC Q F DC Q F DC Q F DC Q
Fig. 6 .— Comparison of predicted reading comprehensibility of six plays— Flesch,
Dale-Chall, and Questionnaire methods.
U1
60
All six of the selected plays fall within the nine-
and ten—year age-level range as predicted by both the Flesch
and Dale-Chall Formulas. However, the results of the ques
tionnaire (items 2 and 3) place five of the six plays out
side the otherwise rather consistent age-level range. The
data gathered from items 2 and 3 of the questionnaire place
each of the.six plays except Winnie-the-Pooh within the
eleven, twelve, and older age-level range of predicted read
ability.
In comparing the relationships of each play to each
other, both Once Upon a Clothesline and Peter Pan remain in
the first half of the total plays investigated in terms of
reading ease and comprehensibility. Peter Pan ranks third
in all methods of prediction. Only Alice in Wonderland
shows up, under all methods of prediction, in the bottom
half of the scale after all three methods have been applied.
The remainder of the six selected plays fluctuate within the
scales, such as Treasure Island, which is predicted as being
the most readable by one method (Fig. 1) and the least read
able in another (Fig. 2).
The Panel of Experts predicted the reading ease and
comprehensibility-of the six plays as one age-level higher
than predicted by the two formulas. From the data received
for this investigation, it appears that the plays the ex
perts predicted would be most suitable in terms of reada
bility for the eleven- and twelve-year-old children are,
61
according to the two readability formulas, suitable for
nine- and ten-year-old children. The experts consistently
predicted the age-level of the children's audience for the
six selected plays as one age-level above those predicted by
the Flesch and Dale-Chall Formulas.
In comparing the answers on predicted listenability
(interest and comprehensibility of spoken dialogue— items 1
and 3 of the questionnaire) with the mean age-level pre
dicted for readability, it seems that the experts predict
children of one age lower than that predicted for readabil
ity will be interested and understand the dialogue. This
interpretation seems to coincide with the findings of
4
Harwood. The only play of the six selected for this study
which does not bear out this interpretation is Treasure
Island (Fig. 7) in which readability, listenability, and
popularity all fall into the same predicted age-level.
The mean age-level of readability predicted by the
formulas and the questionnaire was compared to the results
obtained from the experts' opinions as to the optimum age-
level of listenability and popularity. This comparison is
presented in Figure 7.
The mean age-level of predicted readability by all
methods seems to coincide most closely with popularity on
^Kenneth A. Harwood, "An Experimental Comparison of
Listening Comprehensibility with Reading Comprehensibility"
(unpublished Ph.D. dissertation, Department of Speech, Uni
versity of Southern California, Los Angeles, 1950), p. 8 .
Years Grade
5 K
6 1
7 2
8 3
9 4
10 5
11 6
12 7
Alice in Treasure
Wonderland Island
u
R L P
The
Emoeror's Winnie- Peter Pan Once Upon a
New Clothes the-Pooh Peter Pan Clothesline
In U U
R L P R L P R L P R L P R L P
R = Reading— mean of Flesch, Dale-Chall, and items 2 and 3 of questionnaire.
L = Listening— items 1 and 4 of questionnaire.
P = Popularity— item 5 of questionnaire.
Fig. 7.— Comparison of predicted age-levels of the six plays in terms of reada
bility/ listenability, and popularity.
c n
M
63
only two plays: Alice in Wonderland and The Emperor1s New
Clothes. In all other plays investigated, there is at least
a range of one year between predicted readability and popu
larity.
In all but one instance, as predicted by items 1 and
4 of the questionnaire, listenability was at least one age-
level below both predicted readability and predicted popu
larity. Predicted listenability of all plays was at least
one age-level below the predicted readability alone.
Interpretation of the Data
Both the Flesch and the Dale-Chall Formulas seem to
predict the material for readability within the same age-
level range. In this investigation, all six plays were pre
dicted as being readable for children between the ages of
nine and ten.
Popularity of the six selected plays predicted by
the Panel of Experts seemed to be inconsistent with either
readability or listenability. Half of the selected plays
seemed to indicate that popularity of the dialogue for one
age-level was, however, consistent with the predicted age-
level for listenability. The other half of the plays seemed
to have an age-level higher than either the predicted read
ability or listenability.
In every comparison, it must be noted that the dif
ferences were not large and that dissimilarities were a
64
matter of small degrees. Nevertheless, there was a signifi
cant difference, if not a large one.
CHAPTER V
SUMMARY, CONCLUSIONS, AND RECOMMENDATIONS
This study was made for the purpose of examining the
possibilities of making a quantitative analysis of the writ
ten dialogue in plays written for a child audience. Realiz
ing that the appeal to the ear is not the only criterion on
which to base the success of a play, nevertheless, this
study undertook to evaluate existing dialogue for the pur
pose of determining its predicted comprehensibility for spe
cific age-levels in terms of both readability and listen
ability. ‘
More specifically, this study attempted to describe
relationships among (1) readability formula scores and
(2) subjective predictions and opinions of Children's Thea
ter experts to dialogue in six selected plays for children.
The data received from the application of two for
mulas for predicting readability and from answers by "ex
perts" to.items in a questionnaire were thought to be suffi
cient to attempt an answer to each of the questions posed by
the problem of this study:
1. To what extent can existing formulas designed to
predict the comprehensibility of written material
65
66
be used to measure the readability and listen
ability of dramatic dialogue in plays for chil
dren?
2. To what degree can these formulas predict the
success an audience of elementary school chil
dren will have in understanding the audible ele
ments of a play production?
3. What is the relationship between the formula
scores and the opinions of experts in determin
ing the optimum age-level of children attending
the performance of a selected play?
4. To what degree would the accurate determination
of dialogue readability encourage children to
silently read playscripts as part of their writ
ten literature?
The plays from which the dialogue was chosen for in
vestigation were selected by certain criteria: number of
performances, availability, English language, first perform
ance in the twentieth century, and minimum running length of
fifty minutes. In addition, it was thought that there should
be enough variety of style within the total number of plays
selected to give the widest sampling among the plays for
Children's Theaters.
The two formulas for predicting readability used in
this study were (1) the formula devised by Rudolf Flesch for
obtaining a Reading Ease score, (2) the formula devised by
67
Edgar Dale and Jeanne S. Chall for Predicting Readability.
From a review of the literature pertaining to readability,
these two instruments were found to have the highest reli
ability in predicting the ease and comprehensibility of
written material. Also, in a study of past research, mate
rial tested for readability correlated closely with that
tested for listenability.
The Panel of Experts was chosen from a directory of
members of the American Educational Theater Association and
from those people who were known to have devoted their pro
fessional life to Children's Theater. An attempt was made
to solicit opinions from a highly select and capable group
of people representing various geographic areas of the coun
try and various levels of stage production.
The questionnaire mailed to each member of the Panel
of Experts was devised to elicit response to what each re
spondent thought the age-level would be to the six plays as
readers and listeners. Questions were designed to solicit
opinions of age-levels in terms of listening to and under
standing the dialogue of each selected play. Other items
were designed to receive opinions of age-levels in terms of
reading and understanding the dialogue of each selected play.
One item solicited the opinions of the respondents as to the
popularity of each selected play. The data from the formu- -
las and the questionnaire were gathered and presented (see
Chapter V).
68
The Flesch and Dale-Chall Formulas for predicting
readability were applied to a minimum of six random samples
from each of six selected plays for children. Both formulas
placed all the selected plays within the nine- to ten-year-
old level of predicted reading ease.
The Flesch Formula predicted Treasure Island as the
easiest of the six selected plays to read. The Dale-Chall
Formula ranked Treasure Island as the most difficult and
placed Once Upon a Clothesline as the most readable of the
six plays under investigation. The Flesch Formula predicted
this play, Once Upon a Clothesline, as the second most read
able play of the selected six. The Flesch Formula placed
Alice in Wonderland on the bottom of the list of the six se
lected plays in terms of reading ease. With all the vari
ations in predicted readability, the differences in scores
among the six selected plays were small.
The questionnaire answered by a Panel of Experts re
vealed that Winnie-the-Pooh was the easiest to read and lis
ten to while Treasure Island and Alice in Wonderland com
peted with each other as the most difficult of the six se
lected plays in terms of readability and listenability.
Again, differences between scores were small.
These small differences are revealed in the table
below which lists the predicted minimum age at which a child
would have an easy time reading and comprehending the play-
script.
69
Flesch chall Experts
Alice in Wonderland 10 9 10
The Emperor's New Clothes 10 . 10 9
Once Upon a Clothesline 9 9 9
Peter Pan 10 9 10
Treasure Island 9 10 10
Winnie-the-Pooh 10 " 9 9
The apparent result of the data is that the six se
lected plays can be read with ease and comprehension by
children nine or ten years old and older. However, in re
sponse to two questions asking which minimum age-level would
have the easiest time listening to the same samples deliv
ered by actors on the stage or off, data received from the
Panel of Experts revealed the following data:
Alice in Wonderland 10 year olds
The Emperor's New Clothes 9 year olds
Once Upon a Clothesline 10 year olds
Peter Pan 9 year olds
Treasure Island ' 11 year olds
Winnie-the-Pooh 8 year olds
An interpretation of these data is that, with the
exception of Treasure Island and Winnie-the-Pooh, the pre
dicted age-level of readability coincides with the age-level
for listenability. This is, however, a premature judgment
which can only be verified by further experimental research.
Conclusions
The conclusions of this study may best be stated as
answers to the questions posed by the problem given at the
beginning of this report.
1. When existing readability formulas are applied
to dramatic dialogue in plays for children,
reading comprehension scores seem to correspond
favorably with measurements obtained, in previ
ous studies, from other forms of written mate
rial.
2. The formulas predict an age-level at which the
dramatic dialogue will be easy to comprehend
when it is read aloud to children.
3. There is a general agreement between the opin
ions of the experts and formula scores in pre
dicting an age-level of readability. Whether .
this age-level is the optimum age of the audi
ence for the play cannot be determined by the
data of this study.
4. The dramatic dialogue investigated in this study
is estimated to be comprehensible to children
over nine years of age who will silently read
the playscript.
The general conclusion of this study is that reada
bility formulas cannot, alone, predict the success an audi
ence of children will have in understanding the performance
71
of a play. Nevertheless, the data obtained by this study
reveal that existing formulas for readability provide a con
venient method for estimating the age-level of the audience
for the play. Visual elements of production, as well as the
degree of dialogue delivery by the actors, will, of course,
account for the further success of a Children's Theater per
formance .
Recommendations for Further Study
The obvious follow-up to this investigation is to
gather and interpret data revealed as a result of an experi
mental performance of selected scenes from the six plays.
These data would perhaps show whether the formulas or the
experts, or both, are correct in estimating the age-level at
which the play would be most comprehensible.
The following questions might be answered by future
research in the area of Children's Theater:
1. How much explanation must a playwright provide
in order to make the silent reading of a play
more comprehensible to children?
2. What are the effects of physical environment on
a child's comprehension of a play?
3. Must a child have experienced "seeing" a play in
order to enjoy "reading" a playscript and under
standing it?
72
4. Can a formula for predicting the success of a
children's play, in terms of its dialogue, be
devised?
The field of Children's Theater is also open to sig
nificant studies of the structure, content, and purpose of
plays for an audience of children.
B I B L I OG R A P H Y
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Plays
Barrie, James Matthew. Peter Pan. New York: Charles
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Goodman, Jules Eckert. Treasure Island. New York: Samuel
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Harris, Aurand. Once Upon a Clothesline. Evanston: Row-
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LeGallienne, Eva, and Friebus, Florida. Alice in Wonderland.
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75
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76
Barbe, W. B. "Measuring Reading Comprehension," Clearing
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Safler, D. "Notes on Readability," Educational School Jour
nal, LIX (May, 1959), 429-430.
Spache, G. D. "Construction and Validation of a Work-Type
Auditory Reading Test," Educational and Psychological
Measurements, X (Summer, 1950), 249-253.
Staiger, R. C. "Certain Language Factors in the Readability
of Primary Reading Textbooks," Journal of Educational
Research, XLVIII (April, 1955), 589-596.
Stpne, C. R. "Measuring Difficulty of Primary Reading Mate-;
rial: A Constructive Criticism of Spache's Measure,"
Elementary School Journal, LVII (October, 1956), 36-41.
Swanson, C. E., and Fox, H. E. "Validity of Readability
Formulas," Journal of Applied Psychology, XXXVII (April,
1953), 114-118.
Wehr, 0. C. "Why Johnny Doesn't Listen," Montana Education,
XXXIV (November, 1957), 7.
Witty, Paul A, and Sizemore, R. A. "Studies in Listening,"
Elementary English. XXXV (February, 1959), 538-552;
XXXVI (December, 1959), 59-70; 130-140.
. "Studies in Listening: A Postscript," Elementary
English. XXXVI (May, 1959), 297-301.
Wright, R. L. "Measuring Reading Comprehension: An Explora
tion by an Amateur," Educational Forum, XXI (May, 1957),
461-466.
79
Young, William E. "The Relation of Reading Comprehension
and Retention to Hearing Comprehension and Retention,"
Journal of Experimental Education. V (September, 1936),
30-39.
Unpublished Material
Adams, Richard G. "A Bibliography of Written Material Per
taining to Children's Theater and Creative Dramatics
Found in the Libraries of the Los Angeles Area." Unpub
lished graduate project, Department of Drama, University
of Southern California, Los Angeles, 1958.
Allen, William H. "An Experimental Study of the Effective
ness of Commentary Variation in Educational Motion Pic
tures." Unpublished Ed.D. dissertation, University of
Southern California, Los Angeles, 1950.
Brown, James I. "Construction of a Diagnostic Test of Lis
tening Comprehension." Unpublished dissertation, Uni
versity of Colorado, Boulder, 1949.
Cartier, Francis A. "An Experimental Study of the Effect of
'Human Interest' Factors on Listenability." Unpublished
Ph.D. dissertation, Department of Speech, University of
Southern California, Los Angeles, 1951.
Graham, Kenneth L. "An Introductory Study of Evaluations of
Plays for Children's Theater in the United States." Un
published dissertation, University of Utah, Salt Lake
City, 1947.
Hall, Robert Oscar. "An Exploratory Study of Listening of
Fifth Grade Pupils." Unpublished Ed.D. dissertation,
University of Southern California, Los Angeles, 1954.
Harwood, Kenneth A. "An Experimental Comparison of Listen
ing Comprehensibility with Reading Comprehensibility."
Unpublished Ph.D. dissertation, Department of Speech,
University of Southern California, Los Angeles, 1950.
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Inserted Questions in the Body of Instructional Films."
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by Teaching Film Custodians and the Motion Picture As
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graphed.)
80
"Published Plays for Children in America." Children's Thea
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Tuber, Richard. "A Survey of Audience Research." Unpub
lished graduate paper, University of Southern California,
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tation, Division of Communication, University of South
ern California, Los Angeles, 1957.
APPENDIXES
APPENDIX A
DIALOGUE SAMPLES FROM THE PLAYS
APPENDIX A
DIALOGUE SAMPLES FROM THE PLAYS
Explanation of form:
Each page of sample contains 200 or more words of
dialogue.
Each page of dialogue sample has a Heading, the character
speaking, and the dialogue.
The Heading. This is the top line of each page of
dialogue sample and consists of four parts:
1. The designation "Sample:"
2. The title of the play.
3- Inclusive pages from the play.
U. Number of the sample. Each play starts with
number "1".
The character speaking. This is a free-standing name
punctuated by a colon.
The dialogue. This has been copied directly from the
playscript.
The mark "/" indicates the exact count of 100 words.
The capitalized words indicate words not on the Dale
list of 3000 words.
83
. 84
Sample: ALICE IN WONDERLAND, pp. 15-16________________ . #1
Alice: Oh, you wicked, wicked little thing! Really, Dinah
ought to have taught you better MANNERS! Now, don't
INTERRUPT me! I'm going to tell you all your faults.
Number one: you squeaked twice while Dinah was washing
your face this morning. Now you can't DENY it, Kitty;
I heard you. Number two: you pulled Snowdrop away by
the tail just as I had put down the SAUCER of milk
before her. Now for number three: you UNWOUND every
bit of WORSTED while I wasn't looking! That's three
faults, Kitty, and you've not been punished for any of
them yet. You know/i'm saving up all your PUNISHMENTS
for Wednesday week. Suppose they had saved up all my
PUNISHMENTS! What would they do at the end of a year?
I should be sent to prison, I suppose, when the day
came. Kitty, can you play CHESS? Now don't smile, my
dear, I'm asking it SERIOUSLY. Because, when we were
playing just now, you watched just as if you understood
it; and when I said "Check!" you PURRED! Well, it was
a nice check, Kitty, and really I might have won, if
it hadn't been for that nasty KNIGHT that came
WRIGGLING down/among my pieces.
Sample: ALICE IN WONDERLAND, pp. 25-26____________; __________ #2
Mouse: Let us get to shore and then I'll tell you my history,
and you'll understand why it is I hate cats and dogs.
Mouse: Now sit down, all of you, and listen to me! I'll soon
make you dry enough. AHEM! Are you all ready? This is
the DRIEST thing I know. Silence all round, if you
please! William the CONQUEROR, whose cause was favored
by the POPE, was soon SUBMITTED to by the English who
wanted leaders, and had been of late much ACCUSTOMED
to USURPATION and CONQUEST. Edwin and Morcar, the EARLS
of Mercia and Northumbria ---
Lory: UGH!
Mouse: I beg/your pardon. Did you speak?
Lory: Not I.
Mouse: I thought you did. I PROCEED. Edwin and Morcar, the
EARLS of Mercia and Northumbria, DECLARED for him, and
even Stigand, the PATRIOTIC ARCHBISHOP of Canterbury,
found it ADVISABLE---
Duck: Found what?
Mouse: Found it. Of course you know what "it" means.
Duck: I know what "it" means well enough. When I find a thing,
it's generally a frog or a worm. The question is, what
did the ARCHBISHOP find?
Mouse:--found it ADVISABLE to go with Edgar Atheling to meet
William and offer him the crown. William's CONDUCT
Sample; ALICE IN WONDERLAND, pp. 25-26 #2a
(Mouse:) at first vas MODERATE. But the INSOLENCE of/his
Normans ---
87
Sample: ALICE IN WONDERLAND, pp. 35-36______________________#3
Caterpillar: Can’t remember what things?
Alice: Well, I've tried to say, "How DOTH the little
busy bee," but it all came different.
Caterpillar: Repeat "You are old, Father William."
Alice: "You are old, Father William," the young man said,
"And your hair has become very white;
And yet you INCESSANTLY stand on your head—
Do you think, at your age, it is right?"
"In my youth," Father William REPLIED to his son,
"I feared it would INJURE the brain;
But now that I'm PERFECTLY sure I have none,
Why, I do it again and again."
"You are old," said the youth, "and your jaws
are/too weak
For anything TOUGHER than SUET;
Yet you finished the goose, with the bones and
the BEAK,
Pray, how did you MANAGE to do it?"
"In my youth," said his father, "I took to the
law,
And ARGUED each case with my wife;
And the MUSCULAR STRENGTH which it gave to my jaw
Has lasted the rest of my life."
88
Sample: ALICE IN WONDERLAND, pp. 35-36_____________________ #3a
Caterpillar: That is not said right.
Alice: Not quite right, I'm afraid. Some of the words have
GOT ALTERED.
Caterpillar: It is wrong from beginning to end. What size
do you want to be?
Alice: Oh, I'm not PARTICULAR as to size. Only/one
doesn't like changing so often, you know.
Sample: ALICE IN WONDERLAND, pp. k5-^l_______________________
Alice: It must be very UNCOMFORTABLE for the Dormouse, only
as it's asleep, I suppose it doesn't mind.
March Hare & Mad Hatter: No room no room I
Alice: There's plenty of room!
March Hare: Have some wine.
Alice: I don't see any wine.
March Hare: There isn't any.
Alice: Then it wasn't very CIVIL of you to offer it.
March Hare: It wasn't very CIVIL of you to sit down without
being invited.
Alice: I didn't know it was your table. It's laid for a
great many more than three.
Mad Hatter: Your hair wants cutting.
Alice: You should learn not to make PERSONAL REMARKS. It's
very RUDE.
Mad Hatter: Why is a RAVEN like a writing desk?
Alice: Come, we shall/have some fun now. I'm glad they've
begun asking riddles. I believe I can guess that!
Mad Hatter: Do you mean you think you could find out the
answer to it?
Alice: Exactly so.
March Hare: Then why don't you say what you mean?
Alice: I do. At least at least I mean what I say. That's
the same thing, you know.
Mad Hatter: Not the same thing a bit. Why, you might just as
Sample; ALICE IN WONDERLAND, pp. k5-^l_______________________#Ua
(Mad Hatter:) well say that "I see what you eat" is the same
thing as "I eat what I see."
March Hare: You might just as well say that "I like what I get"
is the same thing/as "I get what I like."
91
Sample: ALICE IN WONDERLAND, pp. 55-51_____________________#5
Alice: But they were in the well.
Dormouse: Of course they were well ini They were learning to
draw and they drew all MANNER of things; everything
that begins with an m?
Alice: Why with an m?
March Hare: Why not?
Dormouse: That begins with an m, such as mouse-traps, and the
moon, and MEMORY and MUCHNESS--you know you say
things are much of a MUCHNESS--did you ever see
such a thing as a drawing of a MUCHNESS?
Alice: Really, now you ask me I don’t think--
Mad Hatter: Then you shouldn't talk.
Alice: I'll never go there againI It's the STUPIDEST tea party
I ever was at/in all my life I
Two of Spades: Look out now, Five. Don't go splashing paint
over me like that.
Five of Spades: I couldn't help it. Seven JOGGED my elbow.
Seven of Spades: That's right, Five. Always lay the blame on
others.
Five of Spades: You'd better not talk. I heard the Queen say
only yesterday you deserved to be BEHEADED.
Two of Spades: What for?
Seven of Spades: That's none of your business.
Five of Spades: Yes, it is his business, and I’ll tell him.
92
Sample: ALICE IN WONDERLAND, pp 55-51_________________ #5a
(Five of Spades:) It was for bringing the cook tulip roots
instead of onions.
Seven of Spades: Well, of all the UNJUST things!
Alice: Would you tell me, please, why you are painting those
roses?
~ Two of Spades: Why, the fact is, you see, Miss,/this here ought
to have been a red rose tree and we put in a
white one by mistake, and if the Queen was to
find it out, we'd all have our heads cut off,
you know.
Sample; ALICE IN WONDERLAND, pp. 65-67 #6
Alice; What is his sorrow?
Gryphon; It's all his fancy, that; he hasn't got no sorrow, you
know. Come on! This here young lady, she wants for to
know your history, she do.
Mock Turtle; I'll tell it her. Sit down, both of you, and don't
speak a word till I've finished. Once I was a
real turtle. When we were little, we went to school
in the sea. The master was an old turtle we
used to call him Tortoise.
Alice; Why did you call him Tortoise if he wasn't one?
Mock Turtle: We called him Tortoise because he taught us.
Really you are very dull!/
Gryphon: You ought to be ASHAMED of yourself for asking such a
simple question. Drive on, old fellow! Don't be all
day about it.
Mock Turtle: Yes, we went to school in the sea, though you
mayn't believe it---
Alice: I never said I didn't.
Mock Turtle: You did!
Gryphon: Hold your tongue.
Mock Turtle: We had the best of EDUCATIONS. In fact, we went
to school every day.
Alice: I've been to day school, too. You needn't be so proud
of all that.
Mock Turtle: With extras?
Sample: ALICE IN WONDERLAND, pp. 65-67 _____________________#6a
Alice: Yes, French and Music.
Mock Turtle: And Washing?
Alice: Certainly not!
Mock Turtle: AH! Then yours wasn’ t a really good school. Now
at ours they had at the end/of the hill--
French, Music and Washing, extra.
Sample: ALICE IN WONDERLAND, pp. 73-76 #7
Alice: OOOHi What lovely TARTS. I wish they'd get the TRIAL
done and hand round the REFRESHMENTS.
Everybody: SHUSH!
Alice: That's the Judge because of his great WIG. And that's
the JURY-BOX. And I suppose those CREATURES are the
JURORS. What are they doing? They can't have anything
to put down yet before the TRIAL'S begun.
Gryphon: They're putting down their names for fear they should
forget them before the end of the TRIAL.
Alice: STUPID things 1
White Rabbit: Silence in the court i
King:. Young lady, just look along the road and tell me whom you
see.
Alice: I see nobody on the road.
King: I only wish I had/such eyes I To ~be able to see nobody,
and at that DISTANCE, tool Why, it's as much as I can do
to see real people by this light I
Alice: I see somebody now. But he comes very slowly, and what
CURIOUS ATTITUDES he goes into!
King: Not at all. He's an ANGLO-SAXON MESSENGER, and those are
ANGLO-SAXON ATTITUDES. He only does them when he's happy.
His name is Haigha.
Alice: I love my love with an h, because he is happy. I hate
hate him with an h because he is HIDEOUS. I feed him
Ham-sandwiches, and Hay. His name is Haigha and/he lives
............. 96
1
Sample: ALICE IN WONDERLAND, pp. 85-88______________________#8
Queen: Never!
King: Then the words don't fit you! It's a PUN!
Alice: It's a lie!
King: What do you know about this business?
Alice: Nothing.
King: Nothing WHATEVER?
Alice: Nothing WHATEVER.
King: That's very important.
White Rabbit: UNIMPORTANT, Your MAJESTY, means of course.
King: UNIMPORTANT, of course, I meant. Important, UNIMPORTANT,
important, UNIMPORTANT, IMP, UMP. UNIMPORTANT! Yes,
yes, to be sure. CONSIDER your VERDICT!
Queen: No, no! Sentence first; VERDICT afterwards.
Alice: Stuff and NONSENSE! The idea of having the sentence first.
Queen: Hold your tongue!
Alice: I won't!
Queen: Off with her head!
All: Off with her head!
Alice: Who cares for you! You're nothing but a pack of cards!
Red Queen: Where do you come from and/where are you going?
Look up, speak NICELY, and don't TWIDDLE your fingers.
Alice: You see I've lost my way.
Red Queen: I don't know what you mean by your way, all the ways
about here belong to me but why did you come out
97
Sample: ALICE IN WONDERLAND, pp. 85-88_____________________#8a
(Red Queen:) here at all? CURTSEY while you're thinking what to
say. It saves time.
Alice: I'll try it when I go home, the next time I'm a little late
for dinner.
Red Queen: It's time for you to answer now. Open your mouth a
little WIDER when you speak and always say "Your
MAJESTY."
Alice: I only wanted to see what the garden/was like, Your
MAJESTY.
Sample: ALICE IN WONDERLAND, pp. 95-97 #2
Alice: I suppose they've each got Tweedle round at the back of
the collar.
Tweedledum: If you think we're WAX-WORKS, you ought to pay, you
know. WAX-WORKS aren't made to be looked at for
nothing--NOHOW I
Tweedledee: CONTRARIWISE. If you think we're alive, you ought to
speak.
Alice: I'm sure I'm very sorry.
Tweedledum: I know what you're thinking about, but it isn't so,
NOHOW.
Tweedledee: CONTRARIWISE. If it was so, it might be; and if it
were so, it would be, but as it isn't, it AIN'T.
That's LOGIC.
Alice: I was thinking which is the best way out of this wood.
It's getting dark. Would/you tell me, please? They
look so EXACTLY like a couple of school-boys! First boy!
Tweedledum: NOHOW.
Alice: Next boy!
Tweedledee: CONTRARIWISE.
Alice: Would you tell me, please ...
Tweedledee: You like POETRY?
Alice: YE-ES, pretty well . . .some POETRY . . .
Tweedledee: What shall we repeat to her?
Tweedledum: "The WALRUS and the Carpenter." That's LONGEST.
Alice: If it's very long, would you tell me, please, which road .
Sample; ALICE IN WONDERLAND, pp. 95-97___________________ #9a
Tweedledum; The sun was shining on the sea.
Tweedledee: Shining with all his might:
Tweedledum: He did his very best to make
Tweedledee: The. BILLOWS smooth and bright .
Tweedledum: And this was odd,
Tweedledee: Because it was
Tweedledum & Tweedledee: The middle of the night.
Tweedledee: The WALRUS and the Carpenter
Were walking close at/hand;
They WEPT like anything to see
Such QUANTITIES of sand:
100
Sample: ALICE IN WONDERLAND, pp. 105-106 __________________#10
White Queen: But there is one great ADVANTAGE in it, that one's
MEMORY works "both ways.
Alice: I'm sure mine only works one way. I can't remember things
before they happen.
White Queen: It's a poor sort of MEMORY that only works backwards.
Alice: What sort of things do you remember best.
White Queen: Oh, things that happened the week after next. For
instance now there's the King's Messenger. He's in
prison, being punished: and the TRIAL doesn't even
begin till next Wednesday: and of course the CRIME
comes last of all.
Alice: Suppose he never COMMITS the CRIME?
White Queen: That would be all the better, wouldn't it?
Alice: Of/course it would be all the better, but it wouldn't be
all the better his being punished.
White Queen: You're wrong there, at any rate I Were you ever
punished.
Alice: Only for faults.
White Queen: And you were all the better for it, I know!
Alice: Yes, but then I had done the things I was punished for;
that makes all the difference.
White Queen: But if you hadn't done them, that would have been
better still; better and better and better!
Alice: There's a mistake somewhere---
White Queen: Oh, oh, oh! My finger's bleeding. Oh, oh, oh, oh!
101
Sample: ALICE IN WONDERLAND> pp. 105-106_________________ #10a
Alice: What is the matter? Have you pricked your finger?
White Queen: I haven't/pricked it yet, hut I soon shall.
Sample: ALICE IN WONDERLAND, pp. 115-116
102
#11
Alice: Three hundred and sixty-five.
Humpty Dumpty: And how many "birthdays have you?
Alice: One.
Humpty Dumpty: And if you take one from three hundred and sixty-
five, what remains?
Alice: Three hundred and sixty-four, of course.
Humpty Dumpty: I'd rather see that done on paper.
That seems to he done right---
Alice: You're holding it upside downI
Humpty Dumpty: To be sure I was! I thought it looked a little
queer. As I was saying, that seems to be done
right— though I haven't time to look it over
THOROUGHLY just now—— and that shows that there
are three hundred and sixty-four days when you -
might get UN-BIRTHDAY presents. And only one
for birthday presents, you know. There's
glory /for you!
Alice: I don't know what you mean by "glory".
Humpty Dumpty: Of course you don't— till I tell you. I meant
"there's a nice knock-down ARGUMENT for you!"
Alice: But "glory" doesn't mean "a nice knock-down ARGUMENT."
Humpty Dumpty: When I use a word, it means just what I choose it
to mean— neither more nor less.
Alice: The question is, WHETHER you can make words mean so many
different things.
Sample: ALICE IN WONDERLAND, pp. 115-116
103
#Ila
Humpty Dumpty: The question is -which is to be master, that's all.
IMPENETRABILITI: That's what I say!
Alice: You seem very clever at explaining words, sir. Would you
kindly tell me the meaning of a poem called/"Jabberwocky"?
104
Sample: ALICE IK WONDERLAND, pp. 125-126_________________ #12
Alice: I hope it ENCOURAGED him. And now for the Eighth Square
and to he a Queen!
Alice: What is this on my head? And how can I have got there
without my knowing it? Well, this is grand. I never
expected I should he a Queen so soon. . . and if I really
am a Queen, I shall, he able to MANAGE it quite well in
time. Would you tell me, please . . .
Red Queen: Speak when you're spoken to!
Alice: — But if everybody obeyed that rule, and if you only
spoke when you were spoken to, and the other person always
waited for you to/begin, you see nobody would ever say
anything, so that----
Red Queen: RIDICULOUS! Why, don't you see, child What do you
mean by "If you really are a Queen"? What right have
you to call yourself so? You can't be a Queen till
you've passed the proper EXAMINATION. And the sooner
we begin it, the better.
Alice: I only said "if"---
Red Queen: She says she only said "if"---
White Queen: But she said a great deal more than that! Oh, ever
so much more than that!
Red Queen: So you did, you know. Always speak the truth think
before you speak and write it down afterwards.
Alice: I'm sure/i didn't mean %
105
Sample: TREASURE ISLAND, pp. 5-6________________________ #1
Captain: Fifteen dead men on a dead man's chest
Yo-ho-ho, and a bottle of RUM.
Wait I Wait I say— We'll sing that over and louder—
everyone of you sing— Sing now—
Fifteen dead men on a dead man's chest
Yo-ho-ho, and a bottle of RUM--
Drink and the devil had done for the rest—
Yo-ho-ho, and a bottle of RUM--
That's enough— Silence I sayI Where you going?
Man: I am going home, sir--
Captain: Sit down! Sit down!---by thunder you'll do as I say—
Not one of you leaveb, do you hear?
The Men: Yes— Yes /
Captain: It's a foggy evening and I'll have company— company—
Mrs. Hawkins I— Mrs. Hawkins I say--
Mrs. Hawkins: Yes— yes, Captain--
Captain: Why don't you come when you hear me— More drinks,
Mrs. Hawkins--
Mrs. Hawkins: Oh, please— please, sir—
Captain: What! Did you hear what I said! Did you!
Mrs. Hawkins: Very well, sir, I'll get it!
Captain: You two, there what were you whispering about—
I saw you— I'11 have no whisperings, you hear—
Well— Why don't you speak?
A man: If you please, sir--
........................ ~ T0' 6
Sample; TREASURE ISLAND, pp. 5-6_______________________ #la j
Captain: Who told you to speak— Mrs. Hawkinsi Mrs. Hawkins! I
I
Mrs. Hawkins! I'll have the RUM! RUM! RUM you
j
hear? j
A Man: Let me go get it for you sir./
107
Sample: TREASURE ISLAND, pp. 13-16______________________ #2
Jim: I'll go upstairs and let him know—
Black Dog: No, you won't. Stop, I say, or— Stop!
Jim: But, sir, I must tell the Captain.
Black Dog: There— there- lad— I'm meaning you no harm. Why,
I have a son of my own as like you as two blocks and
he's all the PRIDE of my 'ART. But the great thing
for boys is DISCIPLINE, SONNY. But you see I planned
this as a great surprise to Bill— bless his 'ART—
and I couldn't have you spoil it.
Jim: Oh, sir— I hope there's not going to be any trouble--
Captain: Jim! Jim! Where's my RUM!
Black Dog: SH-SH!/Bill and me's old friends— he'll be glad to
see me— Bill will. Bless his 'ART--
Captain: Jim— Jim--
Black Dog: SH-SH— not a word— or I'll wring your neck.
Jim: What are you doing, sir?
Black Dog: Giving Bill a surprise— a little surprise.
Captain: Jim! Where has he gone— Jim, I say— Jim!
Black Dog: Hello, Bill!
Captain: You you--
Black Dog: Come, Bill. You know your old SHIPMATE--
Captain: Black Dog! What do you want?
Black Dog: Just come to see my old SHIPMATE, Billy, and talk
over old times.
Captain: Old times, HUH?
108
Sample: TREASURE ISLAND, pp. 15-l6____________________ #2a
Black Dog: A sight of times we've seen Bill, us two, since
I lost them TALONS.
Captain: Now, look here, you've/RUNNED me down here I am.
I
109
Sample; TREASURE ISLAND, pp. 25-26________________________#3
Pew: Down with the door if they won’t open it— beat it downl
Will you open— or must we break it down— Down with the
door, then, men--
Men: AYE! AYE!
Pew: Down with her! AYE that’s it! That's it'. Now in!
In with you! Now, SCATTER— search everywhere— quick—
Quick, I say— Well, what's the matter— why do you stop?
What is it? What is it?
Merry: Bill's dead!
Pew: Well! Well!
Hands: He's dead— done for— don't you understand, Pew?
Pew: Search him, you SHIRKING LUBBERS-— The chart's here,
somewhere, and we are going to get it— find that chest—
look for it.
Black Dog: It's here,/ Pew.
Pew: Open it quick.
Black Dog: It's locked!
Pew: Break it down. SMASH it open! Is it there? The chart?
Merry: They've been here before us.
Black Dog: Someone's turned the chest ALOW and ALOFT!
Hands: There's some money--
Pew: Hang the money— it's Flint's fist I want, Flint's fist--
Black Dog: We don’t see it nowhere.
Merry.: And Bill's been OVERHAULED already— NOTHIN' left--
Pew: It's that boy— I wish I'd put his eyes out. That chart
110
Sampler TREASURE ISLAND, pp. 25-26 #3a
(Pew:) must be here somewhere. SCATTER and look for it." Look
everywhere— under the tables behind the curtains--
turn everything upside down. What's that!
Black Dog: It's Dirk's warning. We'll have to BUDGE, MATES.
Pew: BUDGE, you SKULK / we don't stir until we find that chart.
Ill
Sample: TREASURE ISLAND, pp. 35-37________________ #
Black Dog: Was I right?
Silver: It's Flint's treasure he's after, alright.
I'm to ENGAGE his CREW Easy there you are to be
that CREW you're to go to him now— You, Arrow, are
to be MATE---
Arrow: AYE, CAP'N.
Silver: Anderson, COXSWAIN.
Anderson: COXSWAIN is it!
Silver: Merry, you BOATSWAIN.
Merry: My old job.
Silver: The rest of you as he pleases— he's WAITIN' in his
cabin for you. Go now— quick. Act NATURAL— nothing
SUSPICIOUS. Look INNOCENT and— FIERCE I On with you!
Wait!
Black Dog: Well?
Silver: He might RECOGNIZE you.
Black Dog: I told you I saw only the boy.
Silver: We'll take no chances You'll stay hidden in there
till we/sail. We've got him BAITED— and we'll get
him— hook and all.
Parrot: Pieces of eight! Pieces of eight!
XX-X-X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X -E X -X K X H X X X K X-X X X XX
Hands: That all?
Anderson: AYE, AYE, sir.
Morgan: That's all of it.
Sample: TREASURE ISLAND, pp. 35-37_____________________#j±a
Hands: Captain Smollett---
Smollett: Well, Mr. Hands.
Hands: Everything right, sir?
Smollett: Sure you've missed nothing?
Hands: Sure, sir.
Smollett: All ready to CAST off?
Hands: All sir— all ready— Shall I give the word, sir?
Smollett: Squire Trelawney is not here yet— Have all the men
stand hy.
Hands: AYE— AYE, sir.
Smollett: Mr. Hands?
Hands: Yes, sir.
Smollett: Who gave you the orders for the STOWING of those
stores?
Hands: I thought you did, sir!
Smollett: Very well.
Hands: AYE, AYE, sir.
Smollett: Well, my man? Who/are you?
113
Sample; TREASURE ISLAND, pp. _____________________#£
Squire: Very well, then I am OVERRULED. But let me tell
you I think the worse of you, Captain Smollett, hut do
as you wish.
Smollett; Thank you, sir. As soon as we are under way I'll give
orders for the REMOVAL of the arms from the FOREHOLD.
I
Squire: I should have sent him packing.
Dr. Livesey: Squire, I think you have two honest men aboard.
Captain Smollett and John Silver.
Smollett: BOATSWAIN, AHOY! Pipe all hands.
Merry: AYE, AYE, sir.
Squire: Doesn't it set you all ATINGLE, Livesey?
Smollett: TOP-MAN ALOFT.
Morgan and O'Brien: AYE, AYE, sir.
Squire: Off at last, Livesey.
Smollett: Loose you TOP-GALLANT—
Joyce and Red: AYE, AYE, sir.
Squire: SEAWARD HO— hang the/treasure--
Dr. Livesey: Squire— Squire--
Squire: It's the glory of the sea that's turned my head.
Smollett: CAST off your GANG-PLANK.
Hunter and Gray: AYE, AYE, sir.
Smollett: Haul on your MAIN sheet--
Hands: AYE, AYE, sir.
Dr. Livesey: Jim— Jim— Is Jim aboard?
Jim: Here, Doctor.
Sample: TREASURE ISLAND, pp. #5a
Smollett: CAST off your HAWSER forward--
Jim: We're starting, sir— we're starting—
Squire: LiveseyI
Jim: That was the song the Captain used to sing— The Pirates
song—
X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X-X X E-X-X t t t t
Smollett: All fast there, FORRARD?
Dirk: All fast, sir---
Smollett: ANCHORAGE good?
Dirk: AYE, AYE, sir.
Smollett: The CURRENT'S pretty strong here— How she's
holding---
Dirk: FIRM in over seven FATHOM, sir— SHE'SN'T dragged an
inch!
Smollett: Good! My lads, that Island there is the place we've
been sailing/to.
Sample: TREASURE ISLAND, pp. 55-56 - #6
Silver: Wait. I'll send a man with you.
Squire: No need. Jim!
Jim: Yes, sir?
Squire: You know where that chart is, Jim?
Jim: Yes, sir.
Squire: Bring it here.
Jim: In a JIFFY, sir.
Silver: Now then, ready with the boats, men— quick— get them
ready— I'll stand guard and watch— for I tell you I
can't trust you, Captain Smollett.
Smollett: Well, I can't say as I trust you either, Silver.
Wait! Remember your promise?
Silver: AYE--
Smollett: Then let them have it, Jim.
Arrow: Now then, pals, settle with them.
Smollett: Back! Back! Your promise— by heavens gentlemen,
if you come a---step farther-
Silver: Stop! Stop! I say! You fools/BLOCKHEADS--
Arrow: Well* haven't we got the chart-
Silver: That was Flint's CREW— I've seen Flint's ship AMUCK
with blood and fit to sink with gold AYE— gold
that's BURIED there— gold that's ours by rights—
belongs to us— who have sailed with Flint. — Flint
was CAP'N— You may as well know. I was QUARTER
MASTER. They're a rough lot— there— it's all I
Sample: TREASURE ISIAND, pp. 55-56_____________________#6a
(Silver:) can do to hold 'EM. You'd better go below— quick
gol
Smollett: I warn you!
Silver: Go.
Merry: Now then, men, after them— we'll finish this up.
Silver: Wait!
Merry: Haven't we got the chart— Haven't we---
Silver: Yea— and we got it too easy./
3.17
Sample; TREASURE ISLAND, p. 65________________________ #L
Jim: He killed them all?
Gunn: AYE— Billy Bones was MATE; Long John, he was QUARTER
MASTER; and they asked him where the treasure was— "AH,
says he "You can go ASHORE if you like and stay. But as
for the ship, she'll beat up for more, by thunder."
That's what he said.
Jim: But then— how— how did you come here?
Gunns I was in another ship three years back and we sighted this
island; "Boys" said I, "here's Flint's treasure; let's
land and find it." The CAP'N was DISPLEASED at that but
my MESSMATES were all of one mind. Twelve days they
looked/for it and every day they had a worse word for me
until one fine morning all hands went aboard. "As for
you, Benjamin Gunn," says they, "here's a MUSKET," they
says, "and a spade and PICKAXE. You stay here and find
Flint's money for yourself," they says.
Jim: MAROONED you!
Gunn: Well, Jim, three years I've been here and not a bite of
CHRISTIAN DIET from that day to this. But now, look here—
look at me---
Jim: Well?
Gunn: Do I look like a man before the mast? Do I?
Jim: No.
Gunn: No, says you— Nor I weren't neither, says I.
Jim: But then /
Sample: TREASURE ISLAND, pp. 75-76 #8
Dr. Livesey: Hawkins safe? Thank God!
Smollett: Now bundle out of this, double quick. I'll put a
bullet In your back when next we meet.
Silver: That's your last word?
Smollett: It is.
Silver: Alright, my men are waiting for me to give the word.
You'll hear from me in the next five minutes— I'll
STAVE your old BLOCKHOUSE in like a RUM PUNCHEON—
Laugh, by thunder, laugh— before a quarter of an hour's
out, you'll laugh on the other side. And them that
DIE'LL be the lucky ones.
Smollett: Now lads, I've given Silver a BROADSIDE pitched
it in red hot on PURPOSE and before many/minutes are
out, as he said, we'll be BOARDED. We're OUTNUMBERED
but we fight in SHELTER and I believe we can DRUB 'EM—
That's why I put it on so thick— to make 'EM fight
We can stand anything but what he THREATENED a
SIEGE or being MAROONED— so let them come, lads— let
them come. Doctor, you take the rear there.
Dr. Livesey: AYE, AYE, sir---
Smollett: Joyce, the south side. Mr. Trelawney. You and Gray'
will take the North. What what was that?
Joyce: Thought I saw something---
Smollett: Hit him?
Joyce: Don't know, sir.
Sample; TREASURE ISLAND, pp. 75-76______________________#8a
Smollett: Wait— easy now--
Joyce; There in the trees to the/right--
Sample: TREASURE ISLAND, pp. 85-87_____________________#2.
Jim: I still have another pistol, Hr. Hands. It is not like
the other This one is PRIMED. Another step and I'll
blow your brain out--
Hands: Eh?
Jim: Drop that knife, Mr. Hands— drop that knife— drop it
I say.
Hands: Drop it— very well lad— There, take it.
Jim: Oh I The STOCKADE! Now for the STOCKADE!
X X X X X X X X X X X X MX X XX XX X XX X XX X X X X X
Jim: Squire— Squire— Silver!
Merry: No, you don't— No, you don't---
Jim: Let me be; let me be---
Merry: Silver! Silver!
Silver: 'What is it?
Merry: Look here. Here's a nice little catch--
Silver: Well, SHIVER my TIMBERS, if it AIN'T Jim Hawkins.
Merry: AYE, and looking as BRASH as ever.
Morgan: I'd like to---
Silver: Come,/lad, speak up— Just dropped in for an early
morning call? Now, I take that friendly well, lad,-
speak up-- speak up.
Jim: Dr. Livesey and Squire Trelawny---
Silver: This here gets me— it do— but lad, I'm going to know
what you been up to.
Jim: I'll not say a word till you tell me where my friends are.
121
Sample: TREASURE ISLAND, pp. 85-87___________ #9a
Morgan: What!
Merry: The little rat!
Silver: Who's CAP'N here? I want you to RECOGNIZE your
POSITION here you are with us, who, you'll ADMIT
AIN'T got no cause to he too friendly.
Dirk: AYE, that's right.
Silver: So the truth, lad— the truth---
Jim: I have a right/to know first---
122
Sample: THE EMPEROR'S MEW CLOTHES, pp. 9-H #1
Zar: Everything is so quiet.
Zan: This is the EMPEROR'S own city. It ought to be a good
place for things to happen.
Zar: The Street of the Royal Weavers.
Zan: This ought to be a good street for adventures. The Royal
Weavers have gold, and JEWELS to work with.
Zar: And bright threads! Green, like JADE. And SCARLET. And
the color of the sky.
Zan: And they think up strange things to weave!
Zar: Trees that nobody ever saw! And white birds, like the ones
you see in the clouds!
Zan: And DRAGONS!
Zar: Oh, strange things could happen here!
Zan: We have come to a fine place!
Zar: But/why is it so quiet?
Zan:.They can't be asleep. It's the middle of the morning.
Zar: I feel as if something exciting were happening in there.
Zan: Listen, and find out. What do you suppose that means?
Zar: It makes me SHIVER.
Zan: I don't like that man.
Zar: I don't like his face.
Zan: I don't like the way he walks.
Zar: He wants people to be afraid of him.
Gong Boy: Weavers of CUNNING silks!
Bring out your WARES!
Sample: THE EMPEROR'S NEW CLOTHES, pp. 9-11 #la
(Gong Boy:) Han passes by!
Great Han passes by!
He buys stuff for the EMPEROR'S new clothes!
One hundred and one robes the EMPEROR needs
Before the April moon is/old!
124
Sample; THE EMPEROR’S HEW CLOTHES, pp. 19-21_____________ #2
Many; Yes.
Tsein: We were praying to our ANCESTORS for COURAGE to carry
it out.
Zan: Tell us your plan.
Tsein: He is coming! Listen, and you will hear our plan. Who
will speak for us?
Fah: I will speak!
Mong: No! You will be too angry. Han will have us all killed
for what you say.
Tsein; Let Ling speak. His tongue runs smooth.
Han; What is this? Did you not hear the boy, who told you I
was coming?
Fah: We heard!!
Ling: We heard, great Han.
Han: Then why is not your cloth spread out for me to see?
Ling: You are very great, 0 Han. But it is/in our minds to
return to the way of our fathers.
Han: Your fathers were weavers like yourselves.
Ling: That is true, great Han. But our fathers, and their
fathers before them, showed the stuff they wove to the
EMPEROR himself. From the EMPEROR'S hand they received
the price of their work.
Han: This is INSOLENCE! Bring out your cloth!
Ling: When the EMPEROR comes, 0 great and mighty Han.
Han: The EMPEROR has no time to be picking and choosing from
Sample: THE EMPEROR'S NEW CLOTHES, pp. 19-21_________ #2a
(Han:) many pieces of cloth! He must he dressed in SPLENDOR,
and every hour in a nev robe. Bring out your goods that
i/may choose for him before he comes!
Sample: THE EMPEROR'S MEW CLOTHES, pp. 29-30_______ #3
Han: From this day you are no longer the royal weavers. I will
find others to live in these houses and weave the PATTERNS
that have been used in this street from early times.
Tsein: Great EMPBROR, our fathers have taught us. There are in
the whole land no others who know the secret ways to
weave for the EMPEROR.
Han: If there are none in this land I will FETCH them from other
lands.
Zar: It has comei Great EMPEROR, we are weavers from a FAR
AWAY land. We can weave you a stuff that is like no other
stuff in the world. We can/weave a power into it, that no
one else under the sun or moon can weave into cloth.
Emperor: What power is that?
Zar: Our stuff has this wonderful QUALITY. It cannot be seen by
any one who is STUPID, or UNFIT for the POSITION he holds.
Emperor: That is capital stuff I If I had a robe of that, I
could tell what people about me are not fit to hold
the POSITIONS they havel
Zar: That is true, great EMPEROR I If you had a MINISTER of your
robes, who was DISHONEST, or not fit to be your MINISTER,
he would be afraid/to have you order the stuff, even.
127
Sample: THE EMPEROR'S MEW CLOTHES, pp. 39-^2_____________ # j£ .
Zan: Put them behind the others so Han can't see them if he
opens his doors.
Zar: You push that door.
Zan: You push that.
Zar: We must think about this!
Zan: I can't think with Han out there, on his way to come in!
i
Zar: You must think! Stop running around!
Zan: I have thought something!
Zar: What?
Zan: It is the RUBY! We must put it back!
Zar: It was on a secret spring!
Zan: Let me!
Zar: Let me!
Zan: Let me!! It is in! It stays!
Zar: I've thought something, without even trying!
Zan: What?! What?!
Zar: We must put it in before we shut the doors!
Zan: Hurry! Han is near!
Zar: We are/acting like sheep when a wolf is near. We must act
like men! Stand still! What is the first thing to do?
Zan: You stand still, too.
Zar: I am. What next?
Zan: Hold the RUBY FIRMLY so it won't drop.
Zar: What next?
Zan: Look at the hole to see how it fits.
Sample: THE EMPERORS MEW CLOTHES, pp. 39-^2_____________ #Ua
Zar: I see. What next?
Zan: Put it where it fits.
Zar: It is in!
Zan: Now shut the doors.
Zar: When Han comes, I'll feel afraid.
Zan: Han will not know there is nothing on the LOOM. He'll,
think it is because he has told lies to the EMPEROR
and robbed the weavers that he sees/nothing on the LOOM.
129
Sample; THE EMPEROR'S NEW CLOTHES, pp. 49-50______________#5
Zan; We are ready to fit the GARMENTS on him.
Han; Are the GARMENTS made of the same cloth?
Both: All the same.
Han; They all have green and CORAL and purple and gold?
Both: All.
Zan: But every one has a different PATTERN in the middle of the
back.
Han: Oh. A different PATTERN. UH What is the PATTERN
in the middle of the great train? .
Zar: That is like the shadow of many leaves. And below, stars in
a pool. And the BORDER is purple, like FAR-AWAY hills at
TWILIGHT time.
Han: HM-^M. Shadow of many leaves. Stars in a pool. That
sounds a little dull/.
Zan: With a JEWEL in each star.
Han: AH. A JEWEL in each star. That ought to please the
EMPEROR. Yes. And the BORDER, like RIPENING rice fields,
did they say?
General: Oh, no, no, no, no. The BORDER is like FAR-AWAY
hills at TWILIGHT time.
Han: Yes. Yes, of course. Purple. I am glad of that. I should
not have liked gold in the BORDER. And what shall you make
of the piece on the LOOM?
Zar: That is for the UNDERMOST GARMENT of all.
Han: Oh. The UNDERMOST GARMENT of all.
" 130
Sample: THE EMPEROR'S NEW CLOTHES, pp. U9-50_____________#5a
Zar: The great train is woven and sewed, and the SPLENDID OUTER
GARMENT, and/the long TUNIC under that, and the short
TUNIC under that, and the beautiful long TROUSERS, and the
GLITTERING shoes.
Sample; THE EMPEROR'S NEW CLOTHES, pp. 59-60
131
#6
Zan: The EMPRESS' tears are the highest praise our stuff could
have.
Zar: The green, and the TURQUOISE, and the gold like the sun
SLANTING over the RIPENING field of rice, and the purple
like far hills at TWILIGHT time, make even the EMPRESS
weep with joy.
Zan: Ah, yes. When I look long at it, I weep too.
V
Zar: And the PATTERN, like the shadow of many leaves, is like
sad MEMORIES of beautiful things that are gone.
Zan: It is not strange that her eyes BRIM over.
Zar: She would not be fit to be EMPRESS if our stuff did not
hurt her heart/ with its beauty.
Empress: It would be terrible not to be EMPRESS.
Zar: I am glad the EMPRESS came to look in secret. She might
have wept before all the people tomorrow, when she saw the
EMPEROR in his wonderful new clothes.
Zan: The people might not understand.
Zar: Han would never understand.
Zan: Even the EMPEROR might not understand that the EMPRESS wept
because the beauty of our stuff moved her to tears.
Zar: When she talks to the EMPEROR about the wonderful colors,
he will see that she is not STUPID.
Empress: The green, and the TURQUOISE, and the gold, and the
purple---
Zan: Like FAR-AWAY/hills at TWILIGHT time.
132
Sample; THE EMPEROR'S NEW CLOTHES, pp. 69-71_______________#7
Empress: The green, and the CORAL, and the TURQUOISE, and the
gold. It is like sunlight, dancing on a RIPENING
field of riee.
Zar: It makes her spirit dance too.
Zan: She would not be fit to be .EMPRESS if she was too STUPID to
feel the beauty of our stuff!
Emperior: Ah-h-h!! Han! You are wrong! The EMPRESS is not
STUPID!
Pah: Great Han!
Han: This is the most INSOLENT of the weavers! Take him away!
Fah: I am not INSOLENT now, great Han. See! I kneel! I knock
my head against the floor! All the weavers pray by my
voice! Hear me!
Han: Why are you/not outside the gates by now?
Fah: Do not drive us from the city! We cannot leave the SHRINES
of our ANCESTORS! Our fathers WORSHIPPED there before us,
and their fathers before them! Our hearts will WITHER and
die where they are not.
Han: In an hour the EMPEROR will pass through the streets in his
new clothes. When he comes to yours, let the houses be
empty and the doors shut!
Fah: We will serve you! We will give you gold! Only let us
stay where our fathers have been!
Han: If any of you is still in your street when the/EMPEROR
comes, he shall die!
133
Sample: THE EMPEROR'S MEW CLOTHES, pp. 79-82______________ #8
Zan: No I Do you?
Zar: No I
Zan: We must ask the first man we meet. Oh-hi
Zar: What?
Zan: Do you know the name of the street?
Zar: No. Do you?
Zan. No.
Zar: Then how can we ask the first man we meet the way?
Zan: We must run through all the streets till we find it.
Zar: There are many streets!
Zan: Then we must run fast!
Zar: Yes! Or the weavers will he gone!
Zan: And the EMPEROR will send for us to put on his clothes!
Zar: And if we are not there, off with our heads!
Both: Oh-h!
Child: Mother, I am hungry.
Tsein: You must he PATIENT, child of a weaver/.
Child: I want a howl of rice.
Tsein: There is no more rice.
Child: But mother, I am hungry.
Tsein: I have nothing to give you, little JADE-DROP.
Child: Let us go in and pray to our ANCESTOR-GODS for food.
Tsein: I have prayed long.
Child: Do not the gods near, mother?
Tsein: SH-H-H---
Sample: THE EMPEROR'S NEW CLOTHES, pp. 79-82______________ #8a
Old Woman: Fah Is coming.
Child: Where has Fah been, mother?
Tsein: He has been to Han.
Child: Why did Fah go to Han, mother?
Tsein: To beg him to let us stay in the homes of our fathers.
Child: Fah doesn't beg for what he wants. He speaks loud.
Tsein: Fah has begged Han for mercy.
Old Woman: Fah walks WEARILY.
Child: Why does Fah /walk WEARILY, mother?
135
Sample: THE EMPEROR'S MEW CLOTHES, pp. 69-92_______________#9
Mong: There is no one here.
Tsein: Is it safe to come out?
Fah: We must set off at once.
Old Woman: Kneel. We must take leave of our ANCESTORS.
All: We must take leave of our ANCESTORS.
Fah: SHRINES where our fathers have knelt---
Another: And their fathers before them---
Others: And their fathers before them---
More: And their fathers before them---
Fah: And their fathers' fathers till the stars vere young---
One: FAREWELL---
Others: FAREWELL— —
All: FOREVER, FAREWELL FAREWELL. FOREVER. FOREVER. FOREVER.
Mong: The EMPEROR'S music! Come---
Fah: It is too late. We shall all die.
Old Woman: Go inside. Shut the doors.
Ling: Han may think we are gone.
Fah: Let no one look out!
Old Woman: Let/no one answer, if any calls!
First Citizen: Have you seen the wonderful new clothes?
Others: No. No.
Another: My neighbor says that his wife says that her friend
says that they are brighter than a rainbow.
Another: And shot with colors, and gold like the sun on a
RIPENING field of rice!
Sample: THE EMBBROR'S HEW CLOTHES, pp. 89-92______________#9a
Another: They say they are set with JEWELS, like stars in a pool
First: Every one is talking about it!
Second: People are quite carried away with the beauty of them!
Another: They say the EMPEROR walks like a God!
Several: He is coming!
Emporor: Rise.
Zar: If the EMPEROR will walk in a circle/, the people can see
how the FOLDS SHIMMER, as they fall in a CRESCENT, like
the little new moon.
137
Sample; WINNIE-THE-POOH, pp. 9-10____________ #1
Christopher Robin: What would you like to do. this evening?
Play a game of some sort? Winnie-the-Pooh
doesn't feel like playing a game. He wants
to sit QUIETLY and What about a story?
Voice: What about a story?
Christopher Robin: Couldn't you very kindly tell him one?
Please?
Voice: What sort of a story does he like?
Christopher Robin: About himself. He's that sort of a bear.
Voice: I suppose he goes in for a good bit of adventure?
Christopher Robin: The only thing he likes better than adventure
is eating honey. And MARMALADE.
Voice: Very well, then--I'll tell you a story about adventure
and eating honey. A story about a frightening/animal
came to the forest and about the terrible things that
happened afterwards.
Christopher Robin: Is it a SCARY story? Will I be able to sleep
tonight?
Voice: That depends. Let's get to the story. Once upon a time,
a very long time ago---
Christopher Robin: How long?
Voice: About last Friday---
Christopher Robin: Oh.
Voice: Winnie-the-Pooh lived in the forest under the name of
Sanders.
Sample: WINNIE-THE-POOH, pp. 9-10_____________________#la
Christopher Robin: What does "under the name" mean?
Voice: It means he had the name over the door in gold letters,
and he lived under it.
Christopher Robin: He wasn't quite sure.
Voice: One day he was out walking in the forest, when he came
to an open place/.
139
Sample; WINNIE-THE-POOH, pp. 19-21_______________________#2
Piglet: What shall we do?
Rahbit: Do? We must ORGANIZE. Deal with the matter---
Eeyore; The worst is yet to come.
Rabbit: Take ACTION we must---
Owl: Stop! Listen to me. We shall follow the CUSTOMARY
PROCEDURE. In other words we'11 Have a Meeting.
Rabbit: A Meeting?
Owl: One can't take ACTION without first having a Meeting.
Rabbit: I still think---
Owl: As you 1 know. We'll begin now. The Meeting will come
to order.
Pooh: How?
Piglet: I think we sit down.
Pooh: Oh.
Owl: Now, then.. .Let me see.. .AHEM.. .WHEREAS.. .HUM---
I DARESAY we should start with the first order of business,
which is... And, as I was saying---
Rabbit: What/were you saying?
Eeyore: That's what I'd like to know.
Rabbit: If you ask me---
Owl: If we ask you what will happen? EXCITEMENT. A good deal
of hopping up and down. COMMOTION. The important thing
is to remain CAIM to keep our heads.
Piglet: What was that?
Rabbit: I heard something! ,
Sample: WINNIE-THE-POOH, pp. 19-21
140
#2a
Owl: Above all, to follow CUSTOMARY PROCEDURE---
Pooh: Oh, help!
Rabbit: Help?
Piglet: Help! She's coming— Kanga's coming!
Owl: She can't come now. We haven't finished the meeting.
Rabbit: I SUGGEST we finish it somewhere else!
Owl: A very good SUGGESTION.
Eeyore: Aren't you coming, Piglet?
Piglet: I can't— c-can't move---
Pooh: Bother!
Piglet: Is that you?
Pooh: Yes. At least, most of me seems/to be here.
141
Sample: WINNIE-THE-POOH, pp. 29-30 #3
Christopher Robin: Silly, old bear!
Pooh: Are you still feeling jumpy, Piglet?
Piglet: I hate to be cowardly, but I couldn't help noticing---
as we were coaming this way, everybody else was going
that way...
Pooh: I noticed, myself.
Christopher Robin: They were, were they?
Pooh: It's all this talk about Kanga.
Christopher Robin: Where did you hear about Kanga?
Pooh: You know how it is— stories get about in the forest—
you can't believe everything you hear---
Piglet: Christopher Robin---
Christopher Robin: Yes?
Piglet: Is there a Kanga coming to the forest?
Christopher Robin: You'll have to find out for yourself, Piglet.
Piglet: You mean---
Pooh: If Christopher Robin knows a secret, you don't expect him
to tell, do/you?
Piglet: Let's get out of here. Let's go that way!
Pooh: As soon as I reach that honey. After all, if we're going
on a journey I've got to have a little something to SUSTAIN
me.
Piglet: If I weren't such a coward, I'd go alone!
Pooh: Stop worrying, Piglet. You're safe as long as you're with
me. Don't I always keep you out of trouble?
Sample: WINNIE-THE-POOH, pp. 29-30____________________ #3a
Piglet: What about that time we---
Pooh: Don't I USUALLY keep you out of trouble?
Piglet: Well---
Pooh: You can depend on me.
Piglet: You're sure?
Pooh: Quite sure. Now let me see---
Christopher Robin: Do you really think it will work?
Pooh: I think— when/you go after honey, it's very important not
to let the bees know you're coming.
143
Sample: WINNIE-THE-POOH, pp. 39-40______________________
Kanga: WHATEVER Is he talking about I
Pooh: Piglet.
Piglet: Poo-oo-oh!
Pooh: You are Piglet?
Piglet: Of course I ami
Pooh: I just wanted to be sure. You don't look like Piglet.
Kanga: Now- now— mustn't let go of my hand.
Pooh: But you ought to let him go. He isn't your Piglet. He's
our Piglet.
Kanga: Weill No wonder he was in such a state. Your Piglet I
Pooh: So if you'd kindly give him back---
Kanga: I'll do no such thing I What an idea. The poor little
thing is having proper care for the first time in its
life. Now move aside I
Pooh: GR-R-R.
Kanga: What was that?/
Pooh: GR-R-R-Rlll
Kanga: Oh, dear oh, dear I
Pooh: GR-RR-RR-R UG UGH I
Kanga: Now keep away from us I Don't come near usI
Roo: 00-0-OHI
Pooh: Frightening, isn't it?
Kanga: DREADFUL. SIMPLY DREADFULI
Pooh: GR-R-ROW-W-W-----
Kanga: I've never heard anything like it.
144
Sample: WINNIE -THE -POOH, pp. 39-^0______________________#^a
Pooh: And I'll keep it up until you let Piglet go.
Kanga: You'll keep it up until you do something about it.
That's the worst cold I've ever seen---
Pooh: Cold?
Kanga: Down in your chest too. Take my ADVICE— go straight
to bed!
Pooh: I do not have a cold.
Kanga: And I suppose you make DREADFUL noises like that Just for
fun? Or to frighten us? Ha, ha! If you've any sense/at
all, which you PROBABLY haven't— you'll take some of this
cough medicine.
145
Sample: WINNIE-THE-POOH, pp. k9-50____________________ #5
Pooh: But not— not bothI
Kanga: You're just doing this to be STUBBORN!
Pooh: No— no---
Kanga: My Roo in that DREADFUL place and you won't let him
out nasty, STUBBORN thing! Take that and that--
and that!
• • •
Voice: And there they we^e— Rabbit and Roo trapped inside
Rabbit's house, Pooh stuck in the DOORWAY, Kanga too
upset to REALIZE it was no use WHACKING him over the
head with a WASHRAG My word.
Christopher Robin: Go on---
Voice: I didn't REALIZE— it's past your bedtime.
Christopher Robin: Oh, please---
Voice: Shall we finish another time?
Christopher Robin: But we can't POSSIBLY sleep— not unless you
finish the story---
Voice: Suppose it has a/bad ending?
Christopher Robin: It couldn't— everything always come out all
right---
Voice: I wonder what Eeyore would say to that.
Christopher Robin: Doesn't it? I mean, somehow Pooh got out
of Rabbit's DOORWAY— he'd get thinner,
and thinner, and then---
Voice: Who is telling this story?
146
Sample: WINNIE-THE POOH, pp. U9-5Q______________________#5a
Christopher Robin: Oh! I'm truly sorry.
Voice: As a matter of fact, he did get thinner. But it took
time.
Christopher Robin: And Kanga? Excuse me---
Voice: She CALMED down a good bit when Rabbit promised to take
very good care of Roo. He had a box of oatmeal and
that made Kanga feel much better. Of course, Rabbit
forgot to MENTION that the/box was empty.
Sample: WINNIE -TEE -POOH, pp. 59~60_______________________#6
Animal. 1: Now she's saying something to Pooh— —
Piglet: Telling him it's all his IMAGINATION.
Animal 1: Oh, oh— he's getting in----
Owl: Of course, Pooh has no one but himself to blame.
Eeyore: That's some CONSOLATION.
Rabbit: When one has bad habits— like overeating---
Owl: And very little brain *
Eeyore: Hardly any at all.
Animal 1: She's scrubbing him— wltha great big brush I
Rabbit: Of course, he did have ideas.
Owl: Interesting ideas.
Eeyore: Rather good company, too....
Piglet: He was my best friend -
Rabbit. There, there, Piglet.
Owl: Baths don't last FOREVER.
Piglet: But afterward comes— comes the STRENGTHENING Medicine--
Rabbit: Does it taste bad?
Piglet: A big SPOONFUL— HORRIBLE— ugh!
Animal 1: Oh— look out!
Eeyore: What's the matter?
Animal. 2: She's/coming---
Animal 3: Run!
Pooh: Oh, no— not that---
Kanga: Come here Pooh! You haven't tasted it yet. How do
you know you won't like it?
Sample: WINNIE-THE-POOH, pp. $9-60
148
#6a
Pooh: Just— one SPOONFUL?
Kanga: One.
Pooh: All right. A strange thing it tastes like— honey.
Kanga: NATURALLY! Honey is one of the INGREDIENTS.
Pooh: It is?
Kanga: You see, honey is very STRENGTHENING.
Pooh: I’ ve always thought so! Could I please have another---
Kanga: It's good for you!
Pooh: An UNUSUAL sort of honey— but just the same---
Kanga: What are you doing? You needn't drink it all. Think
of Baby Roo— he needs to be STRENGTHENED, too. Give me
that bottle!
Pooh: Ah-h-h.
Kanga: Empty!
Pooh: I don't suppose/you have any— more?
Sample: PETER PAW, pp. 7-10 #1
Michael: I won't go to bed, I won't, I won't. Nana, it isn't
six o'clock yet. Two minutes more, please, one minute
more? Nana, I won’t be bathed, I tell you I will not
be bathed.
Mrs. Darling: Who are you? No one there. And yet I feel sure
I saw a face. My children!
John: We are doing an act; we are playing at being you and
father. A little less noise there.
Wendy: Now let us PRETEND we have a baby.
John: I am happy to INFORM you, Mrs. Darling, that you are now
a mother. You have missed the chief thing; you haven't/
asked, 'boy or girl?'
Wendy: I am so glad to have one at all, I don't care which it is.
John: That is Just the difference between gentlemen and ladies.
Now you tell me.
Wendy: I am happy to ACQUAINT you, Mr. Darling, you are now a
father.
John: Boy or girl?
Wendy: Girl.
John: TUTS.
Wendy: You HORRID.
John: Go on.
Wendy: I am happy to ACQUAINT you, Mr. Darling, you are again a
father.
John: Boy or girl?
150
Sample: PETER PAN, pp. 7-10__________________ #la
Wendy: Boy. MUMMY, it's HATEFUL of him.
Michael: Now, John, have me.
John: We don't want any more.
Michael: Am I not to he born at all?
John: Two is enough.
Michael: Come, John; boy, John./
151
f
Sample: PETER PAN, pp. 20-22____________________________#2
Mr. Darling: You have been wonderfully quick, PRECIOUS quick.
Wendy: Michael, now you will see how father takes it.
Mr. Darling: Michael first.
Michael: Father first.
Mr. Darling: It will make me sick, you know.
John: Come on, father.
Mr. Darling: Hold your tongue, sir.
Wendy: I thought you took it quite easily, father, saying
'Thank you, kind parents, for '
Mr. Darling: That is not the point; the point is that there is
more in my glass than in Michael's spoon. It isn't
fair, I swear though it were with my last breath,
it is not fair.
Michael: Father, I'm waiting.
Mr. Darling: It's all very well to say you are waiting; so am
I waiting.
Michael: Father 's/a CCWAHDY custard.
Mr. Darling: So are you a COWARD! custard.
Michael: I am not frightened.
Mr. Darling: Neither am I frightened.
Michael: Well, then, take it.
Mr. Darling: Well, then, you take it.
Wendy: Why not take it at the same time?
Mr. Darling: Certainly. Are you ready, Michael?
Wendy: One— two— three.
Sample: PETER PAN, pp. 20-22
#2a
John: Father hasn't taken his I
Wendy: Oh, father I
Mr. Darling: What do you mean by 'oh father'? Stop that row,
Michael. I meant to take mine but I— missed it.
Wendy: Poor darling Nanai
Mr. Darling: You silly/little things; to your beds every one of
you; I am ASHAMED of you.
Sample: PETER PAN, pp. UO-51_____________ . ______________$1
Liza: There, you SUSPICIOUS brute, they are PERFECTLY safe,
aren't they? Every one of the little angles sound asleep
in bed.- Listen to their gentle breathing. No more of it,
Nana. I warn you if you bark again I shall go straight
for master and MISSUS and- bring them home from the party,
and then won't master whip you just! Come along, you
naughty dog.
John: I say, can you really fly?
Peter: Look!
Wendy: Oh, how sweet!
Peter: I'm sweet, oh, I am sweet!
John: How do you do it?
Peter: You just think lovely wonderful thoughts and they lift
you up in the air.
John: You are so/NIPPY at it; couldn't you do it very very
slowly once? I've got it now, Wendy.
Peter: I must blow the fairy dust on you first. Now, try;
try from the bed. Just WRIGGLE your shoulders this way,
and then let go.
Michael: I FLEWED!
Wendy: Oh, lovely!
John: How RIPPING!
Michael: I do like it!
The Three: Look at me, look at me, look at me!
John: I say, why shouldn't we go out?
154
Sample: PETER PAN, pp. 1*0-51__________________________ #3a
Peter: There are PIRATES.
John: PIRATES! Let us go at once!
Peter: Now come!
* * * * *
Tootles: Has Peter come back yet, Slightly?
Slightly: No, Tootles, no.
Curly: I do wish he would come back.
Tootles: I, am always afraid of the PIRATES/when Peter is not
here to protect us.
Sample: PETER PAN, pp. 60-63
Tiger Lily: PIRATES! Have DM SCALPS? What you say?
Panther: SCALP UM, OHO, VELLY quick.
The Braves: UGH, UGH, WAH.
Tootles:. They are gone.
Slightly: I do vish Peter vas here.
First Twin: H'sh*. What is that? It is WOLVES, and they are
chasing Nibs!
Nibs: Save me, save me!
Tootles: What should we do?
Second Twin: What would Peter do?
Slightly: Peter would look at them through his legs; let us do
what Peter would do.
First Twin: We have saved you, Nibs. Did you see the PIRATES?
Nibs: No, but I saw a WONDERFULLER thing, Twin. High over
the LAGOON I saw the LOVELIEST great white bird. It
is flying this way.
Tootles: What kind of a/bird, do you think?
Nibs: I don't know; but it looked so weary, and as it flies it
MOANS 'Poor Wendy.'
Slightly: I remember now there are birds called Wendies.
First Twin: See, it comes, the Wendy! How white it is!
Tootles: That is Tinker Bell. Tink is trying to hurt the
Wendy. HULLO, Tink! She says Peter wants us to
shoot the Wendy.
Nibs: Let us do what Peter wishes.
Sample: PETER PAN, pp. 60-63________ ' #Ua
Slightly: AY, shoot it; quick, bows and arrows.
Tootles: Out of the way, Tink; I'll shoot it. I have shot
the Wendy; Peter will be so pleased. Why do you say
that?
Slightly: This is no bird; I think it must be/a lady.
157
Sample: PETER FAN, pp. 81-84______________________________#§_
Smee: LUFF, you SPALPEEN, LUFF! What we have got to do is to
HOIST the REDSKIN on to the rock and leave her there to
drown.
Starkey: No MEWLING. This is your reward for PROWLING round
the ship with a knife in your mouth.
Tiger Lily: Enough said.
Smee: So that's it! On to the rock with her, MATE.
Starkey: Not so rough, Smee; ROUGHISH, but not so rough.
Smee: It is the captain's orders.
Wendy: Poor Tiger Lily!
Starkey: What was that?
Peter: AHOY there, you LUBBERS!
Starkey: It is the captain; he must be swimming out to us.
Smee: We have the REDSKIN on the rock, Captain.
Peter: Set her/free.
Smee: But, Captain---
Peter: Cut her BONDS, or I'll PLUNGE my hook in you.
Smee: This is queer!
Starkey: Let us follow the captain's orders.
Hook: Boat AHOY!
Smee: It is the captain.
Starkey: Captain, is all well?
Smee: He sighs.
Starkey: He sighs again.
Smee: And yet a third time he sighs. What's up, Captain?
158
Sample: PETER PAR, pp. 8l-8h_____________________________#£a
Hook: The game Is up. Those boys have found a mother!
Starkey: Oh evil day!
Smee: What Is a mother?
Wendy: He doesn't know!
Hook: What was that?
Starkey: One of them MERMAIDS.
Hook: DOST not know, Smee? A mother is There is a lesson
in mothers for you! The nest must have fallen into the
water, but would the/bird desert her eggs?
159
Sample; PETER PAN, pp. 100-103___________________________#6
Wendy; Si-lencel Is your mug empty, Slightly?
Slightly: Not quite empty, thank you.
Nibs: MUMMJf, he has not even begun to drink his PQE-FOE.
Slightly: I COMPLAIN of Nibs.
Wendy: Well, John?
John: May I sit in Peter's chair as he is not here?
Wendy: In your father's chair? Certainly not.
John: He is not really our father. He did not even know how
to be a father till I showed him.
Second Twin: I COMPLAIN of John!
Tootles: I don't suppose Michael would let me be baby?
Michael: No, I won't.
Tootles: May I be DUNCE?
First Twin: No. It's awfully DIFFICULT to be DUNCE.
Tootles: As I can't be anything important would any of/you
like to see me do a trick?
Omnes: No.
Tootles: I hadn't really any hope.
Nibs: Slightly is coughing on the table.
Curly: The twins began with TAPPA rolls.
Slightly: I COMPLAIN of Nibsl
Nibs: I COMPLAIN of Slightly!
Wendy: Oh dear, I am sure I sometimes think that SPINSTERS
are to be ENVIED.
Michael: Wendy, I am too big for a cradle.
160
Sample; PETER PAW, pp. 100-103__________________________ #6a
Wendy: You are the littlest, and a cradle la such a nice homely
thing to have about a house. You others can clear away
now. Every heel with a hole in it I
Peter; The Great White Father is glad to see the Piccaninny
braves protecting hls/wiGWAM from the PIRATES.
161
Sample: PETER PAN, pp. 120-12?_________________ ■ . _______H
Peter: Who is that? The REDSKINS vere defeated? Wendy and the
hoys CAPTURED hy the PIRATESI I'll RESCUE her, I'll
RESCUE her! Oh, that is Just my medicine* Poisoned?
Who could have poisoned it? I promised Wendy to take it;
and I will as soon as I have SHARPENED my DAGGER. Why,
Tink, you have drunk my medicine! It was poisoned and
you drank it to save my life! Tink, dear Tink, are you
dying? Her light is growing faint, and if it goes out,
that means she is dead! Her voice is so low I can
SCARCELY tell what she/is saying. She says— she says
she thinks she could get well if children believed in
fairies! Do you believe in fairies? Say quick that
you believe! If you believe, clap your hands! Oh,
thank you, thank you, thank you! And now to RESCUE
Wendy!
Hook: How still the night is; nothing sounds alive. Now is the
hour when children in their homes are A-BED; their lips
BRIGHT-BROWNED with the good-night chocolate, and their
tongues DROWSILY searching for BELATED crumbs housed
INSECURELY on their shining cheeks. Compare with them
the children on this boat about to walk the PLANK.
Split/my INFINITIVES, but 'TIS my hour of TRIUMPH.
Sample; PETER PAM, pp. ll»0-l46 #8
Peter; There is one.
Mullins; Who is that?
Peter; Peter Pan, the AVENGER!
Hook: CLEAVE him to the BRISKET.
Noodler: The ship's ACCURST!
Peter: Down, boys, and at them!
Wendy: Oh, Michael, stay with me, protect me!
Michael: Wendy, I've killed a PIRATE!
Wendy: It's awful, awful.
Michael: No, it isn't, I like it, I like it.
Hook: Back, back, you mice. It's Hook; do you like him?
Peter: Put up your swords, boys. This man is mine.
Hook: So, Pan, this is all your doing!
Peter: AY, Jas Hook, it is all my doing.
Hook: Proud and INSOLENT youth, prepare to meet thy DOOM.
Peter: Dark and SINISTER man, have at thee.
Boys: Now, Peter, now!/
Hook: 'Tis some FIEND fighting me! Fan, who and what art THOU.
Peter: I'm youth, I'm joy, I'm a little bird that has broken
out of the egg.
Hook: To 'T again! I'll fire the powder magazine.
Children: Peter, save us!
Hook: In two minutes the ship will be blown to pieces.
Children: MERCY, MERCY!
Hook: Back, you FEWLING SPAWN. I'll show you now the road to
Sample: PETER PAN, pp. l40-lU6 #8a
(Hook:) duaty death. A HOLOCAUST of children, there Is something
grand In the Idea!
* * * * * * * * *
Mrs. Darling: Wendy, John, Michael! I see you have put their
night things out again, Nana! It touches my
heart to watch you do that night after night.
But/they will never come back.
164
Sample: PETER PAN, pp. 158-l6l__________________________ #9
Peter: I throw things at them.
Wendy: You will he rather lonely in the evenings, Peter,
Peter: I shall have Tink.
Wendy: Mother, may I go?
Mrs. Darling: Certainly not. I have got you home again, and I
mean to keep you.
Wendy: But he does so need a mother.
Mrs. Darling: So do you, my love.
Peter: Oh, all right.
Mrs. Darling: But, Peter, I shall let her go to you once a year
for a week to do your spring cleaning. Say good
night, Wendy.
Wendy: I couldn't go down just for a minute?
Mrs. Darling: No.
Wendy: Good-night, Peter!
Peter: Good-night, Wendy!
Wendy: Peter, you won't forget me, will you, before spring-
cleaning time comes? Well, good-bye,/ Peter; and
remember not to bite your nails.
Peter: Good-bye, Wendy.
Wendy: I'll tell mother all about the spring cleaning and the
house.
Peter: You do like the house?
Wendy: Of course it is small. But most people of our size
wouldn't have a house at all. When you come for me next
165
Sample: PETER PAN, pp. 158-l6l_________________________ #9a
(Wendy:) year, Peter you will come, won't you?
Peter: Yes. To hear stories about me!
Wendy: It Is so queer that the stories you like best should be
about yourself. -
Peter: Well, then?
Wendy: Fancy your forgetting the lost boys, and even Captain
Hook!
Peter: Well, then?
Wendy: I haven't seen Tink this time.
Peter: Who?
Wendy: Oh dear!/ I suppose it is because you have so many
adventures.
166
Sample; ONCE UPON A CLOTHESLINE, pp. 5-6__________________ #1
First Bird: Did you see that? Wasn't it pretty-pretty-pretty--
pretty-pretty? I think it was a cloud.
Second Bird; No. It wasn't a cloud. I'm sur-r-r-r-re.
First Bird: Well, it was in the air, and Mamma said said that
clouds are in the air. It was so pretty-pretty-
pretty -pretty . I*de like to have one. Maybe if I
leaned way out, I could catch one.
Second Bird: Mamma says not to lean over. She says to r-r-r-rest
here. You might fall out.
First Bird: Oh, no. I wouldn't want to fall out. We're up so
high. When I look down, it makes me DIZZY. I don't
think/l'll ever learn to fly. Oo-oo-oo-ooi
Second Bird: Mamma says we'll fly. That's what that was a--
butter-r-r-r-fly.
First Bird: A butterfly? Is that like the butter that the bee was
telling us about that you eat on bread and honey? Oh,
what a pretty-pretty-pretty-pretty piece of butter.
Second Bird: Have you noticed what's hanging below us?
First Bird: Yes. Mamma says it's a washing.
Second Bird: We don't look like that when we are washed.
First Bird: But we're birds. You remember when Mamma told us to
hide this morning, when there was a lady under the
tree? Well, I peeked. And this lady was shaking
out things, and she reached way up and hung them
in the air.
Sample: ONCE UPON A CLOTHESLINE, p. 15 #2
Black Spider: Who was that?
Pinnette: No one.
First Bird: No. No one at all.
Black Spider: Someone is MOCKING me! But they had Better
BEWARE^ or I will weave a spell around them, as
I weave my webs.
Pinnette: Oh! So you weave magic spells?
Black Spider: Do not be afraid, my pretty one. How could a
poor WIDOW spider hurt you? You do not look at
me. Am I so ugly?
Pinnette: No. I—
Black Spider: Then look into my eyes. Look into my eyes. There
you will see REFLECTED your beautiful golden hair.
Look into my eyes, my pretty one. Look into my
eyes. What do you see there? What/do you see?
Oh! You are in my web now, my pretty one, my web
of magic. Three STRANDS of your golden hair is all
I want. In my little black book it says, "Three
golden STRANDS of hair, dried by the west wind,
wrapped three times around my head to the right,
three times around my head to the left, and tied
in the back." — And then all the webs I weave
will be gold. So all I want is three STRANDS of
your hair, which you will never miss; and I will
spin golden webs. I'll just SNIP/one STRAND here.
Sample: ONCE UPOW A CLOTHESLINE, pp. 25-26
#3
Mrs. Ant: Mr. Grasshopper has such ENERGY such HOPPING ENERGT.
And those nice little children. Junior, where are you
going?
Junior: Nowhere. I'm just step-step-HOPFXNG.
Mrs. Ant: You're not a grasshopper, but an ant, young man a
little black ant. Now, we'll gather the wood. You
pick up the sticks over there. I'll pick them up
over here.
Junior: One stick, two sticks, three sticks— I pick;
Four sticks, five sticks— I pick, I pick;
Five sticks I pick, FLICKITY, quick--
Five sticks is all that I have picked.
One stick, two sticks, three sticks— I pick;
Four sticks----
Oh, Mamma! Here are two/big sticks, just alike.
You'll have to help me, Mamma. They're big.
Mrs. Ant: Now, no more of your FOOLISHNESS, Junior. I won't be
tricked again.
Junior: But, Mamma, there are two sticks here. Two strange
sticks, like legs.
Mrs. Ant: Strange sticks? Where?
Junior: Here. Look, Mamma, look!
Mrs. Ant: Well, so there are. They do look like legs. Come,
help me pick the sticks up. My! they are heavy.
Perhaps... Oh, my! 0— h, my! It isn't two sticks.
169
Sample; ONCE UPON A CLOTHESLINE, pp. 25-26________________#3a
(Mrs. Ant;) It's a body I Who are you? Can you talk? Stand
back, Junior. I say, who— who are you? Are you
alive? Shi Yes, it's breathing. It's alive./
Sample: ONCE UPON A CLOTHESLINE, pp. 36-38_____________________
Mrs. Ant: Yes, Doctor?
Dr. Beetle: He is alive!
Mrs. Ant: Oh, yes, Doctor we know that. But can you brink
him to?
Dr. Beetle: Of course, Mrs. Ant. First we shall move him.
He must be stood UPRIGHT. If I may have some help?
Mr. Grasshopper: Certainly. Come, Mr. Cricket, give us a hand.
Mr. Cricket: Which hand?
Mr. Grasshopper: Help us lift the CLOTHESPIN up.
Mrs. Ant: Now you men pull, and I'll get behind and push.
Dr. Beetle: Are we ready? One, two, three, pull!
Mr. Cricket: 0-o-o-o-oh! That tickles!
Mrs. Ant: Quick! Quick! Take hold of him!
Dr. Beetle: CONTROL yourself. TICKLING is only a state of mind.
Ready! One, two, three, pull!
Mrs. Ant: Watch him! He's going over backwards! Come/on;
I'll get him up myself!
Dr. Beetle: AHEM! Now, all that is NECESSARY is the feather,
and a few magic words. Feather to the left,
feather to the right, feather TICKLING the tip of
a nose. WHOEVER is dreaming, WHOEVER is asleep,
make him sneeze loudly and wake up with a leap!
Feather to the left, feather to the right, feather
going as the wind blows. Wake up the SLEEPER,
INHALING your breeze. Wake up the DREAMER, and
171
Sample: ONCE UPON A CLOTHESLINE, pp. 36-38________________#4a
(Dr. Beetle:) and make him sneeze!
Pinno: Where’s the Spider? Where is she?/
172
Sample: ONCE UPON A CLOTHESLINE, pp. ^5-48___________ #5
Dr. Beetle: Present.
Pinno: Mr. Grasshopper.
Mr. Grasshopper: Present.
Pinno: The Three Little Grasshoppers.
First Grasshopper: Present.
Second Grasshopper: Present.
Third Grasshopper: Me, too.
Pinno: Mr. Cricket. Oh, yes. Mr. Cricket was to meet us here
after he got his shovel. But where is he?
Mr. Grasshopper: Mr. Cricket is USUALLY a little slow.
Pinno: But we can't wait. Every minute counts. We have to
RESCUE Pinnette.
Dr. Beetle: He'll be along. And while we're waiting, if I may
suggest, we might practice, for we need DRILLING
before we attack.
Pinno: Of course. At-ten-tion! Left facet Forward--
march! Left, right, left, right. Column left. Left,
right, left, right. Column left. Left, right, left
right. Column left. Left, right, left,/right.
Company--halt! You are all brave soldiers, I know.
Afraid of nothing. Brave Brave men who will RISK
their lives Who would face . . . death.
First Grasshopper: Daddy, what is it?
Second Grasshopper: I'm afraid.
Third Grasshopper: Me, too.
Sample; ONCE UPON A CLOTHESLINE, pp. k5~kQ
173
#5a
Pinno; We mustn't be afraid. Come, follow me. At-ten-tion!
At-ten-tioni It---it seems to be on the other side of
the toadstool. Perhaps we'd better SURROUND it and have
a surprise attack. I'll take this end, and you take that.
Ready? ADVANCE I Ready aim! Fire! I've got it!
Mr. Grasshopper; No, I've got it!
Dr. Beetle; I have a hold of it!
Third Grasshopper; Me, too.
Pinno: Why— why, it's Mr. Cricket!
Mr. Grasshopper: Mr. Cricket?
Dr. Beetle: Why/so it is.
174
Sample: ONCE UPON A CLOTHESLINE, pp. 55-56_________________#6
Black Spider: Sleep, sleep, sleep my little one; sleep, sleep,
sleep, my pretty one. The black of night shall
blot your sight. Silent tears shall fill your
ears. Your tongue has ties to stop your cries.
In my CLUTCH you'll feel no touch. You see not,
you hear not, you speak not, you feel not. You
are in my magic BOWER, you are in my power I "Three
golden STRANDS of hair, dried by the west wind,
wrapped three times around my head to the right,
three times around to the left, and tied in the
back." Ah I And then all the webs/l weave will
be gold I "Take the first hair, and hold it high;
then to the west window and let it dry." Did you
hear, my little pet? All will be gold all! Now
back into your box until I've COMPLETED the charm.
The black of night has dimmed your sight;
Silent tears have filled your ears;
Your tongue has ties that stop your cries:
In my CLUTCH you feel no touch.
One golden STRAND of hair I'll clip--
It, with my SCISSORS, I will SNIP!
Ah, one golden hair...and see! Already it grows
BRIGHTER. Sleep QUIETLY, my dear,/while I go and
let the west wind blow on this STRAND of
beautiful golden hair.
APPENDIX B
WORK SHEETS FOR TABULATING DATA
APPENDIX B
WORK SHEETS FOR TABULATING DATA
Work Sheet for Predicting Readability by the Dale-Chall Formula
This work sheet was taken from A_Formula for Predicting
Readability; Instructions, by Edgar Dale and Jeanne S. Chall,
Educational Research Bulletin, Vol. XXVII, no. 2, p. 17.
Modifications. At the bottom of each sheet the follow
ing items were eliminated:
1. "Analyzed by"
2. "Checked by"
3* "Dates"
Work Sheet for Flesch Reading Ease Formula
This work sheet was devised by the author of this
study and is based on the "Reading Ease" formula in How to
Test Readability by Rudolph Flesch (New York: Harper &
Brothers), 1951* PP 1~^»
176
WORK SHEET FOR PREDICTING READABILITY BY THE DALE-CHALL FORMULA
Play title: Alice in Wonderland Page No. 15-16 Page No. 25-26 Page No. 35-36
Author: LeGallienne-Friebus From: Oh,... From: Let us... From: Can't...
Publisher: Samuel French, Inc. To: ...down... To: ...of... To: Only...
1. Number of words in the sample 200 200 200
2. Number of sentences in the sample 20
25
14
3. Number of words not on Dale List 13
20
15
4. Ave. sentence length (divide 1 by 2) 10 8 14
5- Dale score (div. 3 by 1, mult, by 100)
7
10 8
6. Mult. ave. sent, length (4) by .0496 .4960 .3968 .6944 '
7. Multiply Dale score (5) by .1579 1.1053 1.5790
V
1.2632
8. Constant 3.6365
3.6365 3.6365
9. Formula raw score (add 6, J, and 8) 5.2378 5.6123 5.5941
Average raw score of samples this page 5.4 8 1 1 4 -
Average corrected grade level 6th-7th
Average corrected age level 11-12
177
WORK SHEET FOR PREDICTING READABILITY BY THE DALE-CHALL FORMULA
Play title: Alice in Wonderland Page No. 45-47 Page No. 55-57 Page No. 65-67
Author: LeGalllenne-Friehus From: It... From: But... From: What...
Publisher: Samuel French, Inc. To: ...Thing... To: ...Miss,... To: ...end...
1. Number of words in the sample 200 200 200
2. Number of sentences in the sample 24 27 30
3. Number of words not on Dale List
7 9
2
4. Ave. sentence length (divide 1 by 2)
9 7 7
5. Dale score (div. 3 by 1, mult, by 100) 4
5
1
6. Mult. ave. sent, length (4) by .0496 .3968 .3472 .3472
7. Multiply Dale score (5) by .1579 .6316
.7895 .1579
8. Constant
3.6365 3.6365 3.6365
9* Formula raw score (add 6, and 8) 4.6649 4.7732 4.l4l6
Average raw score of samples this page 4.5299
Average corrected grade level 4th-5th
Average corrected age level 11-12
178
WORK SHEET FOR PREDICTING READABILITY BY THE DALE-CHALL FORMULA
Play title: Alice in Wonderland Page No. 75-76 Page No. 85-88 Page No. 95-97
Author: LeGallienne-Friebus From: OOQBi From: Never! From: I...
Publisher: Samuel French, Inc. To: ...and... To: ...garden... To: ...at...
1. Number of words in the sample 200 200 200
2. Number of sentences in the sample 26
3^ 32 .
3. Number of words not on Dale List
19
18
!7
k. Ave. sentence length (divide 1 by 2) 8 6 6
5. Dale score (div. 3 by 1, mult, by 100) 10
9 9
6. Mult. ave. sent, length (h) by . 0U96 .3968 .2976 .2976
7. Multiply Dale score (5) by .1579 1.5790 1.1*211 1.1*211
8. Constant 3.6365 3.6365 3.6365
9* Formula raw score (add 6, 7, and 8) 5-6123 5.3552 5.3552
Average raw score of samples this page 5.hbl2
Average corrected grade level. l*th-5th
Average corrected age level 9-10
179
WORK SHEET FOR PREDICTING READABILITY BY THE DALE-CHALL FORMULA
Play title: Alice in Wonderland Page No. 105-107 Page No. 115-116 Page No. 125-126
Author: LeGallienne-Friebus From: But... From: Three... From: I...
Publisher: Samuel French, Inc. To: ...haven’ t... To: ...called... To: ' . . .sure...
1. Number of words in the sample 200 200 200
2. Number of sentences in the sample 26 24 20
3. Number of words not on Dale List
7
6 4
4. Ave. sentence length (divide 1 by 2) 8 8 10
5. Dale score (div. 3 by 1, mult, by 100) 4
3
2
6. Mult. ave. sent, length (4) by .0496 ■ 3968 • 3968 .4960
7* Multiply Dale score (5) by .1579 .6316
.4737 .3158
8. Constant 3.6365 3.6365 3.6365
9* Formula raw score (add 6, 7 > and 8) 4.6649 4.5070 4.4483
Average raw score of samples this page 4.5401 Average raw score of total samples 4.9974
Average corrected grade level 4th-5th Average corrected grade level 4th-5th
Average corrected age level 9“10 Average corrected age level 9-10
180
WORK SHEET FOR PREDICTING READABILITY BY THE DALE-CHALL FORMULA
Play title: Treasure Island Page No. 5-6 Page No. 15-16 Page No. 25-26
Author: J. E. Goodman From: Fifteen... From: I'll... From: Down...
Publisher: Samuel French, Inc. To: ..., sir. To: ..., you're... To: SKULK--
1. Number of words in the sample 200 200 200
2. Number of sentences in the sample
43 34 53
3- Number of words not on Dale List 6
13
16
4. Ave. sentence length (divide 1 by 2)
5 .
6 4
5. Dale score (div. 3 by 1, mult. by 100)
3 7
8
6. Mult. ave. sent, length (4) by .0496 .2480 .2976 .1984
7- Multiply Dale score (5) by .1579
.4737 1.1053
1.2632
8. Constant 3.6365 3.6365 3.6365
9. Formula raw score (add 6, 7; and 8) 4.3582 5.0394 5.0981
Average raw score of samples this page 4.8319
Average corrected grade level 4th-5th
Average corrected age level 9-10
181
WORK SHEET FOR PREDICTING READABILITY BY THE DALE-CHALL FORMULA
Play title: Treasure Island Page No. 35-37 Page No. 45-47 Page No. 55-56
Author: J. E. Goodman From: Was... From: Very... From Wait.
Publisher: Samuel French, Inc. To: Who... To: sailing... To: easy.
1. Number of words in the sample 200 200 200
2. Number of sentences in the sample 49
41 42
3. Number of words not on Dale List 2k 34 10
4. Ave. sentence length (divide 1 by 2) k
5 5
5. Dale score (div. 3 by 1, mult, by 100) 12
17 5
6. Mult. ave. sent, length (4) by .0496 .1984 .2480 .2480
7* Multiply Dale score (5) by .1579 1.8948 2.6843 • 7895
8. Constant 3.6365 3.6365 3.6365
9. Formula raw score (add 6, 7> and 8)
5.719T
6.5708 4.6740
Average raw score of samples this page 5.6548
Average corrected grade level 6th-7th
Average corrected age level 11-12
WORK SHEET FOR PREDICTING READABILITY BY THE DALE-CHALL FORMULA
Play title: Treasure Island -Page No. 65 Page No. 75-76 Page No. 85-87
Author: J. E. Goodman From: He... From: Hawkins... From: I...
Publisher: Samuel French, Inc. To: Then--- To: ...the... To: ...right...
1. Number of words in the sample 200 200 200
2. Number of sentences in the sample 26 26 40
3. Number of words not on Dale List 13 17 13
1 + . Ave. sentence length (divide 1 by 2) 8 8
5
5* Dale score (div. 3 by 1, mult, by 100)
7 9 7
6. Mult. ave. sent, length (1+) by .01+96 .3968 .3968 .2480
7* Multiply Dale score (5) by .1579 1*1053 1.1+211
1.1053
8. Constant
3.6365 3.6365 3.6365
9* Formula raw score (add 6, J, and 8) 5.1386 5.45I + I + I +.9898
Average raw score of samples this page 5.181+3 Average raw score of total samples 5*2270
Average corrected grade level Uth-5th Average corrected grade -level l+th~5th
Average corrected age level 9-10 Average corrected grade level 9-10
183
WORK SHEET FOR PREDICTING READABILITY BY THE DALE-CHALL FORMULA
Play title: The Emperor's New Clothes Page No. 9-11 Page No. 19-21 Page No. 29-30
Author: C. Chorpenning From: Everything... From: Yes. From: From...
Publisher: Samuel French, Inc. To: ...is... To: ...I... To: ...afraid...
1. Number of words in the sample 200 200 200
2. Number of sentences in the sample 33 29
16
3* Number of words not on Dale List 10 8 Ik
4. Ave. sentence length (divide 1 by 2) 6
7
12
5. Dale score (div. 3 by 1, mult, by 100)
5
b
7
6. Mult. ave. sent, length (b) by .0^96 .2976 • 3^72 >•5952
7. Multiply Dale score (5) by .1579 .7895
.6316
1.1053
8. Constant 3.6365 3.6365 3.6365
9* Formula raw score (add 6, 7> and 8) 1^.7236 ^.6153 5.3370
Average raw score of samples .this page *+.8919
Average corrected grade level Lth~5th
Average corrected age level 9-10
184
WORK SHEET FOR PREDICTING READABILITY BY THE DALE-CHALL FORMULA
Play title: The Emperor's New Clothes Page No. 39-42 Page No. 49-50 Page No. 59“60
Author: C. Chorpenning From: Put... From: We... From: The...
Publisher: Samuel French, Inc. To: •••S66S••• To: ...,and... To: ...FAR-AWAY.,
1. Number of words in the sample 200 200 200
2. Number of sentences in the sample 4o 32
15
3. Number of words not on Dale List 4 28 18
I k Ave. sentence length (divide 1 hy 2)
5
6
13
5. Dale score (div. 3 "by 1, mult, hy 100) 2 14
9
6. Mult. ave. sent, length (if) by .0496 .2480 .2976 .6944
7* Multiply Dale score (5) by .1579 .3158
2.2106 1.4211
8. Constant 3.6365 3.6365 3.6365
9. Formula raw score (add 6, 7, and 8) 4.2003 6.1447 5.7020
Average raw score of samples this page 5.34-90
Average corrected grade level 4th-5th
Average corrected age level 9-10
WORK SHEET FOR PREDICTING READABILITY BY THE DALE-CHALL FORMULA
Play title: The Emperor's New Clothes Page No. 69-71 Page No. 79-82 Page No. 89-92
Author: C. Chorpeiming From: The... From: Noi From: There...
Publisher: Samuel French, Inc. To: .. .the... To: ...Fah... To: ...circle,...
1. Number of words in the sample 200 200 200
2. Number of sentences in the sample 28 38
37
3. Number of words not on Dale List
13
6 16
4. Ave. sentence length (divide 1 by 2)
7 5 5
5. Dale score (div. 3 by 1, mult, by 100)
7 3
8
6. Mult. ave. sent, length (4) by .0496 .3476 .2480 .2480
7. Multiply Dale score (5) by .1579
1.1053 .4737 1.2632
8. Constant
3.6365 3.6365 3.6365
9. Formula raw score (add 6, 7> and 8) 5.0894 4.3582
5.1477
Average raw score of samples this page 4.8647 Average raw score of total samples 5*0354
i
Average corrected grade level 4th-5th Average corrected grade level 4th-5th
Average corrected age level 9“10 Average corrected age level 9-10
186
WORK SHEET FOR PREDICTING READABILITY BY THE DALE-CHALL FORMULA
Play title: Winnie-the-Pooh Page No. 9-10 Page No. 19-21 Page No. 29-30
Author: K. Sergei From: What... From: What... From: silly,...
Publisher: Dramatic Publishing Company To: •..place. To: ... seems... To: — when...
1. Number of words in the sample 200 200 200
2. Number of sentences in the sample 30 51 33
3. Number of words not on Dale List 3
16
2
I f . Ave. sentence length (divide 1 by 2)
7
I f 6
5* Dale score (div. 3 by 1, mult, by 100) 2 8 l
6. Mult. ave. sent, length (If) by .01+96 .3^72 .1981+ .2976
7. Multiply Dale score (5) by .1579 .3158 1.2632
•1579
8. Constant 3.6365 3.6365 3.6365
9. Formula raw score (add 6, 7, and 8)
^.2995
5.0981 lf.0920
Average raw score of samples this page I f . 1+968
Average corrected grade level 2nd-3rd
Average corrected age level 7-8
187
WORK SHEET FOR PREDICTING READABILITY BY THE DALE-CHALL FORMULA
Play title: Winnie-the-Pooh Page No. 39-^0 Page No. 49-50 Page No. 59-60
Author: K. Sei*gel From: WHATEVER... From: But... From: Now...
Publisher: Dramatic Publishing Company To: • ••sens© • • • To: ...the... To: ... suppose...
1. Number of words in the sample 200 200 200
2. Number of sentences in the sample
43 33 47
3. Number of words not on Dale List 11 12 12
4. Ave. sentence length (divide 1 by 2)
5
6 4
5- Dale score (div. 3 by 1, mult, by 100) 6 6 6
6. Mult. ave. sent, length (4) by .0496 .2480 .2976 .1984
7. Multiply Dale score (5) by .1579 .9474
.9474 .9474
8. Constant 3.6365 3.6365 3.6365
9- Formula raw score (add 6, 7 > and 8)
4.8319
4.8815 4.7823
Average raw score of samples this page 4.8319 Average raw score of total samples 4.6642
Average corrected grade level 4th-5th Average corrected grade level 4th-5th
Average corrected age level 9-10 Average corrected age level 9-10
188
WORK SHEET FOR PREDICTING READABILITY BY THE DALE-CHALL FORMULA
Play title: Peter Pan Page No. 7-10 Page No. 20-22 Page No. 40-51
Author: J. M. Barrie From: I won't... From: You have... From: There,...
Publisher: Charles Scribners, Inc. To: , John. To: ... silly... To: ...PIRATES...
1. Number of words in the sample 200 200 200
2. Number of sentences in the sample
31 27 29
3. Number of words not on Dale list 8
3 10
4. Ave. sentence length (divide 1 by 2) 6
7 7
5. Dale score (div. 3 "by 1, mult, by 100) 2
5 '
6. Mult. ave. sent, length (4) by .0496 .2976 • 3^72 .3472
7. Multiply Dale score (5) "by .1579 .6316 .3158 .7895
8. Constant 3.6365 3.6365 3.6365
9. Formula raw score (add 6, 7> and 8)
4.5657 4.2995
4.7732
Average raw score of samples this page 4.5461
Average corrected grade level ^th-5th
Average corrected age level 9-10
189
WORK SHEET FOR PREDICTING READABILITY BY THE DALE-CHALL FORMULA
Play title: Peter Pan Page No. 60-63 Page No. 81-84 Page No. 100-103
Author: S. M. Barrie From: PIRATES! From: LUFF,... From: Si-lence!
Publisher: Charles Scribners, Inc. To: ...must be... To: ...would the... To: .. .his...
1. Number of words in the sample 200 200 200
2. Number of sentences in the sample 34
37
30
3. Number of words not on Dale list 18 16 12
4. Ave. sentence length (divide 1 by 2) 6
5 7
5. Dale score (div. 3 by 1, mult, by 100)
9
8 6
6. Mult. ave. sent, length (4) by .0496 .2976 .2480 .3472
7. Multiply Dale score (5) by .1579 1.4211 1.2632 .9474
8. Constant 3.6365 3.6365 3.6365
9* Formula raw score (add 6, 7, and 8) 5.3552 5.1477 4.9311
Average rav score of samples this page 5-1440
Average corrected grade level 4th-5th
Average corrected age level 9-10
WORK SHEET FOR PREDICTING READABILITY BY THE DALE-CHALL FORMULA
Play title: Peter Pan
I
Author: S. M. Barrie
Publisher: Charles Scribners, Inc.
1. Number of words in the sample
2. Number of sentences in the sample
3. Number of words not on Dale List
4. Ave. sentence length (divide 1 by 2)
5. Dale score (div. 3 by 1, mult, by 100)
6. Mult. ave. sent, length (U-) by .0^96
7. Multiply Dale score (5) by .1579
8. Constant
9* Formula raw score (add 6, J, and 8)
Page No. 120-127 Page No. lUO-1 1 4 - 6 Page No. I58-I61
From: Who is... From: There is... From: I throw...
To: Split... To: But... To: Oh, dear!
200
23
Ik
8
7
.3968
1.1053
3.6365
5.1386
200
33
6
8
.2976
1.2632
3.6365
5.1973
200
32
0
6
0
.2976
.0000
3.6365
■3.93fcL'
Average raw score of samples this page
Average corrected grade level
Average corrected age level
U.7567 Average raw score of total samples U.8158
!fth-5th Average corrected grade level Uth-5th
9-10 Average corrected age level 9-10
T6I
WORK SHEET FOR PREDICTING READABILITY BY THE DALE-CHALL FORMULA
t
Play title: Once Upon A Clothesline Page No. 5-6 Page No. 15 Page No. 25-26
Author: A. Harris From: Did... From: Who... From: Mr. ...
Publisher: Row, Peterson and Company To: ...out... To: ...SNIP... To: ...alive.
1. Number of words in the sample 200 200 200
2. Number of sentences in the sample 30
25 3*4
3. Number of words not on Dale List 1
7
6
Ave. sentence length (divide 1 by 2)
7
8 6
5. Dale score (div. 3 by 1, mult, by 100) 1 k ' 3
6. Mult. ave. sent, length (4) by . 0 1 4 - 9 6 .19814- .3968 .2976
7. Multiply Dale score (5) by .1579
.1579
.6316
A737
8. Constant
. 3.6365 3.6365 3.6365
9* Formula raw score (add 6, 7> and 8) 3.9928 1 4 -.6614-9 ^ .14078
Average raw score of samples this page
k.3552
Average corrected grade level 2nd-3rd
Average corrected age level 7-8
1
1
192
WORK SHEET FOR PREDICTING READABILITY BY THE DALE-CHALL FORMULA
Play title: Once Upon A Clothesline Page No. 36-38 Page No. 45-48 Page No. 55-56
Author: A. Harris From: Ye s,... From: Present. From: Sleep,...
Publisher: Row, Peterson and Company To: .. .she? To: Why,... To: ...dear,,*..
1. Number of words in the sample 200 200 200
2. Number of sentences in the sample 38 52
19
3* Number of words not on Dale List 12 6 10
4. Ave. sentence length (divide 1 by 2)
5
4 10
5. Dale score (div. 3 by 1, mult, by 100) 6
3 5
6. Mult. ave. sent, length (4) by .0496 .2480 .1984 .4960
7. Multiply Dale score (5) by .1579
.9474
.4737 .7895
8. Constant 3.6365 3.6365 3.6365
9. Formula raw score (add 6, 7, and 8)
4.8319
4.3086 4.9220
Average raw score of samples this page 4.6875 Average raw score of total samples 4.5215
Average corrected grade level 4th-5th Average corrected grade level 2nd-3rd
Average corrected age level 9-10 Average corrected age level 7-8
193
WORK SHEET FOR FLESCH READING EASE FORMULA
Play title: Alice in Wonderland Page No. 15-16 Page No. 25-26 Page No. 35-36
Author: LeGallienne-Friebus From: Oh,... From: Let us... From: Can't...
Publisher: Samuel French, Inc. To: ...down... To: ...of... To: Only...
1. Average sentence length 10 8 ll*
2. Number of syllables per 100 words 126 138 122
3. Mult. Ave. sent, length (l) by 1.015 10.150 8.120 lU.210
I f . Mult. no. syl. per 100 wds. (2) by .81*6 106.596 116.7 1 * 8
103.212
5. Constant
206.835 206.835 206.835
6. Add (3) and (k) 116.7 1 * 6 121*.868 117.1 * 2 2
7. Subtract (6) from (5) 90.089 81.967 89.1*13
Average Reading East score (7) samples this page 85.V7 I
Average corrected grade level 6th-7th
Average corrected age level 11-12
194
WORK SHEET FOR FLESCH READING EASE FORMULA
Play title: Alice in Wonderland Page No. 1+5-1+7 Page No. 55-57 Page No. 65-67
Author: LeGallienne-Friebus From: It... From: But... From: What...
Publisher: Samuel French, Inc. To: ...Thing... To: ...Miss,... To: ...end...
1. Average sentence length
9 7 7
2. Number of syllables per 100 words 120 122 122
3. Mult. ave. sent, length (l) by 1.015
9.135 7.105 7.105
1 + . Mult. no. syl. per 100 wds (2) by .81+6 101.520 103.212 103.212
5. Constant
206.835 206.835 206,835
6. Add (3) and (1+)
110.655 110.317 110.317
7- Subtract (6) from (5) 96.180 96.518 96.518
Average Reading Ease score (7) samples this page 96.1+05
Average corrected grade level l+th-5th
Average corrected age level 9-10
195
WORK SHEET FOR FLESCH READING EASE FORMULA
Play title: Alice in Wonderland Page No. 75-76 Page No. 85-88 Page No. 95-97
Author: LeGallienne-Friebus From: 000H! From: NeverI From: I...
Publisher: Samuel French, Inc. To: ...and... To: ...garden... To: ...at...
1. Average sentence length 8 6 6
2. Number of syllables per 100 words 131 133 125
3. Mult. ave. sent, length (l) by 1.015 8.120 6.090 6.090
1 * . Mult. no. syl. per 100 wds. (2) by .81*6 110.826 112.518 105.750
5. Constant
206.835 206.835 206.835
6. Add (3) and (1*) 118.9 1 + 6 118.608 111.81*0
7. Subtract (6) from (5) 87.889 88.227
9^.995
Average Reading Ease score (7) samples this page 90.370
Average corrected grade level 6th-7th
Average corrected age level 11-12
WORK SHEET FOR FLESCH READING EASE FORMULA
Play title: Alice in Wonderland
Author: LeGallienne-Friebus
Publisher: Samuel French, Inc.
1. Average sentence length
2. Number of syllables per 100 words
3. Mult. ave. sent, length (l) by 1.015
4. Mult. no. syo. per 100 wds. (2) by .846
5. Constant
6. Add (3) and (4)
7. Subtract (6) from (5)
Page No. 105-107
From: But...
8
129
8.120
109.134
206.835
117.254
89.581
Page No. 115-116
From: There...
To: ...haven’ t... To: ...called...
8
131
8.120
110.826
206.835
118.946
87.889
Page No. 125-126
From: I...
To: ...sure..»
10
123
10.150
104.058
206.835
114.208
92.627
Average Reading Ease score (7) samples this page 90.032 Average Reading Ease score all samples 90.569
Average corrected grade level 6th-7th Average corrected grade level 4th-5th
Average corrected age level 11-12 Average corrected age level 9-10
197
WORK SHEET FOR FLESCH READING EASE FORMULA
Play title: Treasure Island Page No. 5-6 Page No. 15-16 Page No. 25-26
Author: J. E. Goodman From: Fifteen... From: 11 11... From: Down...
Publisher: Samuel French, Inc. To: ...,sir. To: ...,you’ ve To: SKULK--
1. Average sentence length
5
6 4
2. Number of syllables per 100 words 123 111 120
3. Mult. ave. sent, length (l) by 1.015
5.075
6.O9O 4.060
4. Mult. no. syl. per 100 vds. (2) by .846 104.058 93.906 101.520
5. Constant
206.835 206.835 206.835
6. Add (3) and (4) 109.133 99.996 105.580
7. Subtract (6) from (5) 97.702
106.839 101.255
Average Reading Ease score (7) samples this page 101.932
Average corrected grade level 4th-5th
Average corrected age level 9-10
198
WORK SHEET FOR FLESCH READING EASE FORMULA
Play title: Treasure Island Page No. 35-37 Page No. 45-47 Page No. 55-56
Author: J. E. Goodman From: Was... From: Very... From: Wait.
Publisher: Samuel French, Inc. To: Who... To: sailing... To: easy.
1. Average sentence length 4
5 5
2. Number of syllables per 100 vords 123 128 116
3. Mult. ave. sent, length (l) by 1.015 4.060
5.075 5.075
4. Mult. no. syl. per 100 wds (2) by .846 1C4.058 108.288 98.136
5• Constant
206.835 206.835 206.835
6. Add (3) and (4) 108.118
113.363
103.211
7. Subtract (6) from (5)
98.717
93.472 103.624
Average Reading Ease score (7) samples this page 98.604
Average corrected grade level 4th-5th
Average corrected age level 9-10
199
WORK SHEET FOR FLESCH READING EASE FORMULA
Play title: Treasure Island Page No. 65 Page No. 75-76 Page No. 85-87
Author: J. E. Goodman From: He... From: Hawkins... From: I...
Publisher: Samuel French, Inc. To: then--- To: ...the... To: ...right...
1. Average sentence length 8 8
5
2. Number of syllables per 100 words 116 118 118
3. Mult. ave. sent, length (l) by 1.015 8.120 8.120
5.075
4. Mult. no. syl. per 100 wds. (2) by .846 98.136 99.828 99.828
5. Constant 206.835 206.835 206.835
6. Add (3) and (4) 106.256 107.948 104.903
7. Subtract (6) from (5) 100.589 98.887 101.932
Average Reading Ease Score (7) samples this page 100.469 Average Reading Ease score all samples 100.432
Average corrected grade level 4th-5th Average corrected grade level 4th-5th
Average corrected age level 9-10 Average corrected age level 9”10
OQZ
WORK SHEET FOR FLESCH READING EASE FORMULA
Play title: The Emperor's New Clothes Page No. 9_11 Page No. 19-21 Page No. 29-30
Author: C. Chorpenning From: Everything... From: Yes. From: From...
Publisher: Samuel French, Inc. To: ...is... To: ...I... To: ...afraid...
1. Average sentence length 6
7
12
2. Number of syllables per 100 words 123 117 125
3. Mult. ave. sent, length (l) by 1.015 6.090
7.105
12.180 ■
4. Mult. no. syl. per 100 wds (2) by .846 104.058 98.982 105.750
5. Constant
206.835 206.835 206.835
6. Add (3) and (4) 120.148 IO6.O87 117.930
7. Subtract (6) from (5) 96.687 100.748 88.905
Average Reading Ease score (7) samples this page 92.113
Average corrected grade level 4th-5th
Average corrected age level 9-10
201
WORK SHEET FOR FLESCH READING EASE FORMULA
Play title: The Emperor's New Clothes Page No. 39-42 Page No. 49-50 Page No. 59-60
Author: C. Chorpenning From: Put... From: We... From: The...
Publisher: Samuel French, Inc. To: •••S66S••* To: ...,and... To: ...FAR-AWAY...
1. Average sentence length
5
6 1
13
2. Number of syllables per 100 words 112
125 129
3. Mult. ave. sent, length (l) by 1.015
5*075
6.090
13.195
4. Mult. no. syl. per 100 wds (2) by .846 9^*752 105.750 109.13^
5. Constant
206.835 206.835 206.835
6. Add (3) and (4) 99.827 111.840
122.329
7. Subtract (6) from (5) 107.008
95.095
84.506
Average Reading Ease score (7) samples this page 95*509
Average corrected grade level 4th-5th
Average corrected age level 9-10
WORK SHEET FOR FLESCH READING EASE FORMULA
Play title: The Emperor's New Clothes Page No. 69-71 Page No. 79f-82 Page No. 89-92
Author: C. Chorpenning From: The... From: No! From: There...
Publisher: Samuel French, Inc. To: ...the... To: ...Fflh... To: ...circle...
1. Average sentence length
7 5
i
5
2. Number of syllables per 100 words 118 112
127
3. Mult. ave. sent, length (l) by 1.015
7*075 , 5.075 5.075
1 * . Mult. no. syl. per 100 wds. (2) by .846 99.828 94.752 107.442
5* Constant
206.835 206.835 206.835
6. Add (3) and (4) 106.903 99.827 112.517,
7* Subtract (6) from (5) 99.932 107.008 94.318
Average Reading Ease score (7) samples this page 97*085 Average Reading Ease score all samples 94.919
Average corrected grade level 4th-5th Average corrected grade level 4th-5th
Average corrected age level 9-10 Average corrected age .level 9-10
203
WORK SHEET FOR FLESCH READING EASE FORMULA
Play title: Winnie-the-Pooh Page No. 9-10 Page No. 19-21 Page No. 29-30
Author: K. Sergei From: What... From: What... From: Silly,...
Publisher: Dramatic Publishing Company To: ...place. To: ...seems... To: — when...
1. Average sentence length
7
4 6
2. Number of syllables per 100 words
135 . 130 130
3. Mult. ave. sent, length (l) by 1.015
7.105
4.060 6.090
4. Mult. no. syl. per 100 wds. (2) by .846 114.210 109.980 109.980
5. Constant 206.835 206.835 206.835
6. Add (3) and (4)
121.315
114.040 116.070
7. Subtract (6) from (5) . 85.520
92.795 90.765
Average Reading Ease score (7) samples this page 89.694
Average corrected grade level 6th-7th
Average corrected age level 11-12
204
I
WORK SHEET FOR FLESCH READING EASE FORMULA
Play title: Winnie-the-Pooh Page No. 39-40 Page No. 49-50 Page No. 59-60
Author: K. Sergei From: WHATEVER... From: But... Prom: Now...
Publisher: Dramatic Publishing Company To: ...since... To: ...the... To: ...suppose...
1. Average sentence length
5 5
4
2. Number of syllables per 100 words 120 128
133
3. Mult. ave. sent. length (l) by 1.015
5.075
6.090 4.060
4. Mult. no. syl. per 100 wds. (2) by .846 101.520 108.288 112.518
5. Constant
206.835 206.835 6 206.835
6. Add (3) and (4)
106.595
114.378 , 116.578
7. Subtract (6) from (5) 100.240
92.457 90.257
Average Reading Ease score (7) samples this page 94.318 Average Reading Ease score all samples 92.005
Average corrected grade level 4th-5th Average corrected grade level 4th-5th
Average corrected age level 9-10 Average corrected age level 9-10
205
WORK SHEET FOR FLESCH READING EASE FORMULA
Play title: Peter P e r n . Page No. 7-10 Page No. 20-22 Page No. 40-51
Author: J. M. Barrie From: I won't... From: You have... From: There,...
Publisher: Charles Scribners, Inc. To: ...,John. To: ...silly... To: PIRATES...
1. Average sentence length 6
7 7
2. Number of syllables per 100 words
119
123.
123
3. Mult. ave. sent, length (l) by 1.015 6.090
7*105 7*105
Mult. no. syl. per 100 wds. (2) by .846 100.674 102.366 104.058
5. Constant 206.835 206.835 206.835
6. Add (3) and (4) 106.764 109.471 111.163
7. Subtract (6) from (5)
100.071
97*364 95.672
Average Reading Ease score (7) samples this page 97*702
Average corrected grade level 4th-5th
Average corrected age level 9-10
206
WORK SHEET FOR FLESCH READING EASE FORMULA
Play title: Peter Pan Page No. 60-63 Page No. 8l-8i f Page No. 100-103
Author: J. M. Barrie From: PIRATES! From: LUFF,111 From: Si-lence!
Publisher: Charles Scribners, Inc. To: ...must be... To: ...would the... To: ...his...
1. Average sentence length 6
5 7
2. Number of syllables per 100 words 116 118
123
3. Mult. ave. sent, length (l) by 1.015 6.090 5.075 7.105
i f . Mult. no. syl. per 100 wds. (2) by .8i f 6 98.136 99.828 lOlf.058
5. Constant 206.835 206.835 206.835
6. Add (3) and (if) 10if.226
10if.903 111.163
7. Subtract (6) from (5) 102.609 101.932 95.672
Average Reading Ease score (7) samples this page 100.071
Average corrected grade level ifth~5th
Average corrected age level 9-10
207
WORK SHEET FOR FLESCH READING EASE FORMULA
Play title: Peter Pan Page No. 120-127 Page No. 140-146 Page No. 158-161
Author: J. M. Barrie From: Who is... From: There is... From: I throw...
Publisher: Charles Scribners, Inc. To: Split... To: But... To: Oh, dear!
1. Average sentence length 8 6 6
2. Number of syllables per 100 words 126 121 124
3. Mult. ave. sent, length (l) by 1.015 8.120 6.090 6.090
4. Mult. no. syl. per 100 wds (2) by .846 106.596 102.366 104.904
5. Constant
206.835 206.835 206.835
6. Add (3) and (4) 114.716 IO8A 56 110.994
7. Subtract (6) from (5) 92.119 98.379
95*841
Average Reading Ease score (j) samples this page 95*^6 Average Reading Ease score all samples 97*739
Average corrected grade level 4th-5th Average corrected grade level 4th-5th
Average corrected age level 9-10 Average corrected age level 9“10
208
WORK SHEET FOR FLESCH READING EASE FORMULA
a .
Play title: Once Upon A Clothesline Page No: 5-6 Page No. 15 Page No. 25-26
Author: A. Harris From: Did... From: Who... From: Mr. ...
Publisher: Row, Peterson and Company To: ...out... To: ...SNIP... To: ...alive.
1. Average sentence length
7
8 6
2. Number of syllables per loo words 122 115 118
3. Mult. ave. sent, length (l) by 1.015
7.105
8.120 6.090
4. Mult. no. syl. per 100 wds. (2) by .8 1 4 - 6 103.212 97.290 99.828
5. Constant
206.835 206.835 206.835
6. Add (3) and ( 1 4 - )
110.317
105.14-10 105.918
7. Subtract (6) from (5) 96.518 101.14-25 . 100.917
Average Reading Ease score (7) samples this page 99*620
Average corrected grade level 4th~5th
Average corrected age level 9-10
2 09
WORK SHEET FOR FLESCH READING EASE FORMULA
Play title: Once Upon A Clothesline Page No. 36-38 Page No. 45-48 Page No. 55-56
Author: A. Harris From: Yes, ... From: Present. From: Sleep,...
Publisher: Row, Peterson and Company To: ...the? To: Why,-... To: ...dear,...
1. Average sentence length
5
4 10
2. Number of syllables per 100 words 125 129 112
3. Mult. ave. sent, length (l) by 1.015
5*075
4.060 10.150
4. Mult. no. syl. per 100 wds. (2) by .846 105.750 109.134 94.752
5. Constant
206.835 206.835 206.835
6. Add (3) and (4) 110.825 113.194 104.902
7. Subtract (6) from (5) 96.010 93*641
101.933
Average Reading Ease score (7) samples this page 97*528 Average Reading Ease score all samples 98*391
Average corrected grade level 4th-5th Average corrected grade level 4th-5 th
Average corrected age level 9-10 Average corrected age level 9-10
APPENDIX C
THE PANEL OF EXPERTS
APPENDIX C
THE PANEL OF EXPERTS
Bell, Campton. Chairman, School of Communication Arts,
University of Denver.
Brush, Martha. Director, Nashville Children's Theatre,
Nashville, Tennessee.
Clifford, Dorothy. Former Director, Palo Alto Children's Theatre,
Palo Alto, California.
Davis, Jed. Director, Children's Theatre, University of Kansas,
Lawrence, Kansas.
Fitzgerald, Burdette. Associate Professor, Department of Theatre
Arts, University of California,
Los Angeles, California.
Graham, Kenneth. Associate Professor, Department of Drama,
University of Minnesota, Minneapolis,
Minnesota.
Harris, Aurand. Playwright, New York City, New York.
Kozelka, Paul. Professor, Department of Drama Education,
Teachers College, Columbia University,
New York City, New York.
Law, Mouzon. Director, Children's Theater, Department of Drama,
University of Texas, Austin, Texas.
Popovich, James. Associate Professor, Department of Speech and
Drama, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia.
Schwartz, Dorothy. Director, Children's Theater Conference.
Spencer, Sara. Publisher, Children's Theater Press,
Anchorage, Kentucky.
Ward, Winifred. Professor Emeritus, Department of Speech,
Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois
212
213
QUESTIONNAIRE RESPONSES*
1. Which age group(s) would enjoy and understand each of these
plays the most as an audience?
5-6
7-8
9-10 11-12
Alice In Wonderland (LeGallienne) (3) (7)
(10)
Treasure Island (Goodman)
(1)
(9) (11)
Emperor's New Clothes (Chorpenning) (2)
(7)
(n>
(5)
Winnie-the-Pooh (Sergei)
(6)
(n)
(6) (1) . _
Peter Pan (Barrie)
(3) (9) (10) (9).
ice Upon A Clothesline (Harris)
(3) (6)
(*)
(3)
Junket
(1) (1) (1)
Simple Simon
(1)
(1)
Land of The Dragon_______________________________ (lji
2. Which age group(s) would enjoy and understand each of these
plays the most as actors?
5-6 7-« 9-10 11-12
Alice In Wonderland (LeGallienne)
(2) (11)
Treasure Island (Goodman)
(3)
(12)
Emperor's New Clothes (Chorpenning)
(5)
(10)
Winnie-the-Pooh (Sergei) (2)
(5)
(8)
Peter Pan (Barrie)
(1) (3)
(11)
Once Upon A Clothesline (Harris)
(M
(8)
Junket
(1)
Simple Simon
(1)
(1)
Land of The Dragon
. . (1) ,
*Numibers in parentheses under each age-level heading indicate
total check marks.
214
Questionnaire Responses
3. Which age group(s) could read and fully understand each
playscript all by themselves?
5-6 7-8 9-10 11-12
Alice in Wonderland (LeGalliene)
(3) (9)
Treasure Island (Goodman)
(M
(10)
Emperor's New Clothes (Chorpenning)
(3) (7) _ ..19)
Winnie-the-Pooh (Sergei)
(b)
(6)
(7)
Peter Pan (Barrie)
(1)
(3)
(10)
Once Upon A Clothesline (Harris)
(2) (5) (7)
Junket
(1)
(I)
Simple Simon
(1)
(X)
(1)
Land of the Dragon
(1) (1) (1)
b. Which age group(s) would enjoy having the story of the play
read or told to them in small groups?
5-6" 7-8 9-10 11-12
Alice In Wonderland (LeGallienne)
(3) .(10)
(Q) (fO
Treasure Island (Goodman)
(6) (li)
(Q)
Emperor's New Clothes (Chorpenning)
(f5)
(12)
(11) (8)
Winnie-the-Pooh (Sergei)
(9) (11)
(7)
(1)
Peter Pan (Barrie)
(6)
(9)
(10)
(?)
Once Upon A Clothesline (Harris)
. (6) (7) (6)
(2)
Junket
(1)
(1)
Simple Simon
(1) (1) (1)
Land of the Dragon
. . . Al) . . . ( 1) (1)
215
Questionnaire Responses_________________________’ 3
5- With which age group(s) do you feel each plah has been
most popular as presented on the stage?
5-6 7-8 9-10 11-12
Alice In Wonderland (LeGallienne)
(5) (9)
(8)
Treasure Island (Goodman) (10) (11)
Emperor's New Clothes (Chorpenning)
(9)
(12) (M
Winnie-the-Pooh (Sergei) (8)
(8) (5)
(2)
Peter Pan (Barrie)
(5)
(8)
(11) (9)
Once Upon A Clothesline (Harris) (2)
(7) (3)
(2)
Junket
(1)
(l) (1)
Simple Simon
(1) (1)
(1)
Land of The Dragon
(1) (1)
signed ____ .
(optionalj
Please use the other side of this sheet for any remarks.
Thank you.
APPENDIX D
THE QUESTIONNAIRE
APPENDIX D
THE QUESTIONNAIRE
The questionnaire was mailed on August 3, I960, to the
Panel of Experts listed in Appendix C.
The questionnaire consists of three parts:
1. The cover letter.
2. Instructions for answering the questionnaire.
3. The Questionnaire (3 pages).
217
Richard G. Adams
My dissertation for the PhD degree at the University of
Southern California will investigate the application of existing
Readability Formulas to popular children's plays. The purpose
is many faceted but in substance it is to attempt to discover
why children listen to actors; what children hear in comparison
to what they see and how it affects them according to age level.
I would very much appreciate your opinions as to how you
would classify certain plays in terms of the age level of the
audience. I am enclosing a very short questionnaire, the
answers to which you merely have to check.
I hope that I may have the opportunity to discuss this
subject further with you sometime soon— perhaps at the i960
Children's Theater Conference meeting in Denver. I would
appreciate it, however, if you would simply check the appro
priate blocks on the three sheets and return them to me in the
enclosed stamped envelope at your earliest convenience.
Thank you.
Very sincerely,
Richard G. Adams
219
INSTRUCTIONS FOR ANSWERING THE QUESTIONNAIRE
There are five (5) questions.
Each question is to he answered hy making a check mark
opposite each of the six plays listed and in the column headed hy
the appropriate age group.
A hlank space is available to you in order that you might in
clude the title of a play you think should he included for consid
eration. However, you do not need to use this space.
Please assume, where appropriate, that the play is being
given an excellent production.
You will probably need to check more than one block after
each title. At any rate, please check at least one block for each
Play.
EXAMPLE:
1. Which age group could read and fully understand each
playscript?
5-6 7-8 9-10 11-12
Alice in Wonderland (LeGallienne)
Treasure Island (Goodman)
Emperor's New Clothes (Chorpenning)
Winnie-the Pooh (Sergei
Peter Pan (Barrie)
Once Upon A Clothesline (Harris)
The checks in the above sample indicate that only the 11-12
year-olds can read and fully understand Alice, in Wonderland but
that the 7-12 year-olds can do the same with Sleeping Beauty—
a "write-in" title.
QUESTIONNAIRE
1. Which age group(s) would enjoy and understand each of these
plays the most as an audience?
_______ 5-6 7-6 9-10 11-12
Alice In Wonderland (LeGallienne)_____________
Treasure Island (Goodman)_________________________________ ___
Emperor * s. New Clothes (Chorpenning) ' ____
Winnie-the-Pooh (Sergei)______________________________________
Peter Pan (Barrie)____________________________________ ______
Once Upon A Clothesline (Harris)_______________________________
2. Which age group(s) would enjoy and understand each of these
plays the most as actors?
______________________________________5-6 7-ti 9-10 11-12
Alice In Wonderland (LeGallienne)______________________________
Treasure Island (Goodman)_____________________________________
Emperor's New Clothes (Chorpenning)____________________________
Winnie-the-Pooh (Sergei)_______________________________ ______
Peter Pan (Barrie)________________________________ __________
Once Upon A Clothesline (Harris)
Questionnaire 2
3. Which age group(s) could read and fully understand each
playscript all by themselves?
__________________ ' _________________ 5-6 7-8 9-10. 11-12
Alice in Wonderland (LeGallienne)_________________ _____________
Treasure Island (Goodman)_____________________________________
Emperor’s New Clothes (Chorpenning)_____________________
Winnie-the-Pooh (Sergei)______________________________________
Peter Pan (Barrie)___________________________________________
Once Upon A Clothesline (Harris)_______________________________
Which age group(s) would enjoy having the story of the play
read or told to them in small groups? j
______________________ . _____________ 5-6 7-ti 9-10 11^12 j
Alice in Wonderland (LeGallienne)____________________________ :
Treasure Island (Goodman)________ |
Emperor’s New Clothes (Chorpenning)_______ . _______________________ i
Winnie-the-Pooh (Sergei)_____________ j
Peter Pan (Barrie)______________________________________________I
Once Upon A Clothesline (Harris)
1
Questionnaire 3
5. With which age group(s) do you feel each play has been.
most popular as presented on the stage?
____________________ 5-6 7-tf 9-10 11=12
Alice in Wonderland (LeGallienne)____________________________
Treasure Island (Goodman)___________________________________
Emperor's New Clothes (Chorpenning)___________________ _______
Winnie-the Pooh (Sergei)___________________________ ________
Peter Pan (Barrie)__________ ______________________________
Once Upon A Clothesline (Harris)_____________________________
signed______________
(optional)
Please use the other side of this sheet for any remarks.
Thank you.
223
EXCERPTS FROM THE COMMENTS IN ANSWER TO THE QUESTIONNAIRE
BY THE PANEL OF EXPERTS
. . .1 am utterly blind to age-levels, and since none of the
plays listed are our publications, we have no production records on
them from which to draw specific observations.
. . .We conceive it to be our primary obligation to address
our plays to the taste and standards of discriminating theatrical
producers. Further, we fondly trust that their, productions will be
good enough to command the attendance of adults as well as children.
. . .So our plays make no effort to reach the various age-
levels of children. On the contrary, they try to make children of
all ages reach for adult standards of taste.
. . .1 dislike this play (Once Upon A Clothesline) too
much to judge.
The replies on the enclosed questionnaire represent the
consensus of three individuals: the Children's Librarian of the
Public Library, widely recognized in her field; the Director of
Child Drama. . . and myself. We filled out individual question
naires and then compared to find great unanimity in our responses.
We discussed, made decisions, and the remarks (following)
represents composite thinking of the three of us:
1. The spectacle in Alice In Wonderland would provide
enjoyment to quite young age groups and each member
of the audience would abstract understanding in
relation to his capacity.
2. Our Children's Librarian says that very few children
READ plays for enjoyment. From my own experience
with Creative Dramatics in elementary school teaching
I have long felt that a play which is adapted to a
child's reading level provides strong motivation for
improving reading skills and should be more exploited
in the public schools.
. . .Do we need this kind of study!
I never produce a play for a paying audience with an all
child cast. I use children only in the role of children...1, as
a director do not think (Once Upon A_Clothes Line is a good play
and I'm not very keen about Winnie-the-Pooh.
Thank you for including Once Upon A Clothesline in
such a distinguished group. I even added my Simple Simon which
is my most popular. I feel that most 5 and 6 year old children
are not ready as an audience for a full length childrens
theatre play. Give them a puppet show, a magician, or a vaude
ville act. However, as literature the plays can be told to them
22 4
and perhaps played creatively.
The children cannot understand it (the play in performance)
in theatrical terms.
Alice In Wonderland has never been particularly successful
as a children's play to my way of thinking. I've seen it many
times and directed it myself. Though I loved it as a child, and
the players in my own production thoroughly enjoyed it, the aud
ience missed so much that it was disappointing. It is only the
exceptional child that really appreciates the play.
. . .1 am convinced that children 5-6 cannot read
and understand anything; children 7-8 understand only a smidgeon
of what they read and only in the 9-10 age groups do they really
begin to get the message. In the case of Alice In Wonderland
and Winnie-the Pooh only adults can really read and understand
fully the many nuances of both of these plays. As you well know
both have been required reading in Freshman English Classes at
the college level— or at least they are at Sewanee.
I feel the concepts in Peter Pan and in some measure in
Alice In Wonderland are adult. Adults are sorry they had to grow
up— children want to grow up.
T his d issertation has been 62— 6031
m icrofilm ed exactly as received
ADAMS, Richard G reenleaf, 1923-
A DESCRIPTIVE STUDY OF DRAMATIC DIALOGUE
IN SIX PLAYS FOR CHILDREN BY THE APPLICA
TION OF FORMULAS FOR READABILITY.
U niversity of Southern California, P h.D ., 1962
Speech — theater
University Microfilms, Inc., Ann Arbor, Michigan

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Asset Metadata

Creator Adams, Richard Greenleaf, 1923- (author)

Core Title A descriptive study of dramatic dialogue in six plays for children by the application of formulas for readability

School Graduate School

Degree Doctor of Philosophy

Degree Program Communication

Degree Conferral Date 1962-06

Publisher University of Southern California (original), University of Southern California. Libraries (digital)

Tag OAI-PMH Harvest,theater

Language English

Contributor Digitized by ProQuest (provenance)

Advisor Butler, James H. (committee chair), Dickens, Milton (committee member), Kantor, Bernard R. (committee member)

Permanent Link (DOI) https://doi.org/10.25549/usctheses-c18-258677

Unique identifier UC11358621

Identifier 6206031.pdf (filename),usctheses-c18-258677 (legacy record id)

Legacy Identifier 6206031.pdf

Dmrecord 258677

Document Type Dissertation

Rights Adams, Richard Greenleaf

Type texts

Source University of Southern California (contributing entity), University of Southern California Dissertations and Theses (collection)

Access Conditions The author retains rights to his/her dissertation, thesis or other graduate work according to U.S. copyright law. Electronic access is being provided by the USC Libraries in agreement with the au...

Repository Name University of Southern California Digital Library

Repository Location USC Digital Library, University of Southern California, University Park Campus, Los Angeles, California 90089, USA