Second Session

BumbleBee

Second Session

This time I took BumbleBee in with me. She is trained to lie at my feet while I am telling stories and she loves children.

She behaved perfectly - greeting each child and then retreating to her quilted pad at my side and went fast asleep.

I had warned the staff that this session might be more difficult than the first. In the theatre the second performance is usually a bit of a disappointment after the adrenaline-fuelled First Night.

I was right - the children were very distracted. Lots of toys had been left lying around and they wanted to play. The staff said they had been like this all day. But when the most distracted boy was taken out of the room, he was desperate to return to hear more stories.

The girl who, last week, had insisted that my mouse puppet would help me turn the pages, this time informed the whole group that I didn't use books, but just 'told' the stories.

Sleeping Beauty was the first story, followed by The Empty Pot - a story about the Emperor of China choosing the right boy to adopt as his heir. Then one boy asked to have Mighty Mouse told again. He turned his back on me while I was telling - but I think he was still listening.

I was exhausted and stressed by the end, but knew that from here the only way was up. I was learning - just feeling my way - and the staff understood that. I had lots to think about in planning the next session.