THE ODD MAN AND THE DOG TRUE
Characters: Odd Man, True, Big Brown Dog
Odd Man. (To the dog.) Who are you, and why do you come into my cave?
TRUE: I am a poor dog, sir, who has lost his way. Will you be so kind as to tell me how I may get out?
ODD MAN: No, I will not. But I will tell you what you may do if you like. You may stay here in my cave and work for me.
TRUE: I will do that if you will not let me out. But what work do you wish me to do?
ODD MAN:Well, well, you see I have here a great bag full of gold. I have to sit on it all the time.
TRUE: Why must you sit on it?
ODD MAN: I will tell you. Near my cave lives an ogre. This ogre wants to attack me so that he can get my gold.
TRUE: (Gasps) Dear me!
ODD MAN: If I go to sleep or move away he will try to get at me. I am just worn out for want of rest.
TRUE: Dear me! How can I help you?
ODD MAN: Well, if you would stay by me and watch for the ogre, I might take a short nap.
TRUE: I will do that! And you, sir, go to sleep. (Odd Man goes to sleep. Big Brown Dog enters.)
BIG BROWN DOG: Good day, little dog. How do you do?
TRUE: I am very well, I thank you; but who are you?
BIG BROWN DOG: My name is Nip, and I have come to show you the way out of this cave. Let us run now!
TRUE: No; I said I would take care of this cave for the Odd Man, and I will do it.
BIG BROWN DOG: But the Odd Man is asleep. He will not see you. Come, now, come along with me!
TRUE: No, I will not go.
BIG BROWN DOG: Then give me a bone, will you?
TRUE: I cannot, for they are not mine; the Odd Man may give you one, by and by. (Big Brown Dog goes to get a bone.)
TRUE:(Barking loudly) Bow-wow-wow!
ODD MAN: (Opening his eyes.) What was that? You woke me out of my nap.
TRUE: Oh, sir, it was a Big Brown Dog. It came into the cave and was stealing a bone.
ODD MAN: Oh! That was the ogre in the dress of a brown dog. Here, you may have a bone. You were a good dog to bark and wake me up. What more can I do to show you how glad I am?
TRUE: Oh, sir, may I go out of the cave now? I want to see a nice, nice cat that is waiting outside.
ODD MAN: Very well, good dog. The ogre will not come back again, and I can take a good nap. Here is a door in the side of the cave. I will open it, and you can go. Goodbye!
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Adapted from The Odd Man and the Dog True, by Ada Maria Skinner and Lillian Nixon Lawrence, ©️ by Capstone. Reprinted with permission.
“True: No, I will not go.
Big Brown Dog: Then give me a bone, will you?”
Which element of drama is this an example of?
Sentences organzied into many paragraphs
Lines of dialogue for specific characters
Lines of dialogue with a rhyme scheme
Stanzas of lines organized into rhymes