Bad for Business

Inside story

Do you belong here?

And where’s the donkey?

The Dry Land Swimming School

At Ease

Seeds

Soft Soap

The picnic

And where did you say...?

Goliath

Joseph looks back

More sketches

Sketch Home Page

This sketch, based on the Mr. Man characters of Richard Hargreaves, was used at a junior school assembly at harvest time to point up the idea of sharing and as an introduction to the gospel story of the boy who gave his lunch away (John 6:5-13).

CAST: Storyteller, Mr. Greedy, Mr. Mean, Mr. Happy, Mr. Forgetful, Mr. Clever, Mr. Worry,

Each Mr. Man has a lunch box . Mr Greedy's is enormous and Mr. Mean's is tiny.

Storyteller: The Mr. Men were getting ready for a picnic. Each had brought his own picnic box. As you may imagine Mr. Greedy had brought an enormous container which was half empty before he arrived.

Mr. Greedy: I was feeling a little peckish. After all it is almost half an hour since my breakfast.

Storyteller: Mr. Mean didn't appear to have brought anything with him and Mr Worry was quite anxious about this.

Mr. Worry: Are you going to be all right Mr. Mean? You don't have a lunchbox.

Mr. Mean: I have to be very careful as there are a lot of thieves about. So I've hidden it.

Storyteller: With that he took his lunch box out of his pocket. It was the size of a matchbox.

Mr. Mean: I nearly brought something rather smaller but after all it is a celebration!

Storyteller: Mr Clever had an idea.

Mr. Clever: As it's a celebration why not share our food around so we all can have something different?

Storyteller: Mr. Happy grinned and laughed and jumped up and down.

Mr. Happy: What a splendid idea, that'll be fun.

Storyteller: But Mr. Clever's suggestion was not welcomed by everybody. Mr. Greedy looked very upset.

Mr Greedy: But I've hardly enough for a pre-lunch snack Let me see - five bags of crisps, four Mars bars, three Big Macs, two litres of Coke and a bunch of bananas. No I'm down to emergency rations. But of course if someone else has too much....

Mr. Mean: Hands off, Greedy, I'm not sharing my peanut with you.

Mr. Worry: If we touch some else's food we might get a stomach ache or even food poisoning.

Storyteller: Mr. Forgetful didn't say anything so Mr. Clever asked him kindly.

Mr. Clever: What do you think Mr. Forgetful?

Storyteller: But Mr. Forgetful had forgotten his own name and so Mr. Happy had to nudge him and repeat the question.

Mr. Happy: Mr. Forgetful do you think it would be a good idea to share our food?

Mr. Forgetful: Well it 'd be a good idea - only I have no food to share.

Storyteller: Mr. Greedy and Mr Mean both looked most alarmed and Mr Worry very anxious asked him:-

Mr. Worry: Why haven't you brought any food? We 're supposed to be having a picnic.

Mr. Forgetful: I forgot.

Mr. Clever: Forgot! I cannot understand how you can forget to bring a picnic when you remembered to bring a picnic box.

Mr. Forgetful: Well I did manage to remember one thing which is quite an achievement for me.

Mr. Happy: Well, cheer up Mr. Forgetful, I've brought plenty so we can all share something with you.

Mr. Mean: All Share? Count me out!

Mr. Greedy: And me too - I'll starve if I have any less!

Storyteller: And they both walked off grumbling. Mr Worry looked both at them and Mr. Forgetful hopping from one foot to another and then he said:-

Mr. Worry: I'd like to help - honestly I would. But I'm really worried about what would happen in the world, if this got to be a habit. I'd never have enough food for myself.

Storyteller: So saying Mr Worry went off worrying about all the world's problems. However, Mr Happy just laughed and offered Mr. Forgetful his bag of crisps and Mr. Clever gave him an apple and remarked:

Mr. Clever: Well, the basic problem isn't lack of food but of generosity.