Activity time: 10 minutes
Materials for Activity
- A copy of the story, The Prince and the Rhinoceros
- Optional: "The Prince and the Rhinoceros" coloring sheet, and crayons
Preparation for Activity
- Read the story. If you can, prepare to tell it rather than read it from the page.
- Optional: Print the coloring sheet and copy for all participants. Place coloring sheets and crayons where children can use them when invited but will not be distracted beforehand.
Description of Activity
Invite the children to get comfortable for listening to a story. Read or tell the story.
Engage the group in a discussion of the kind of friendship Great Joy and the Prince had before their disagreement. What qualities made the friendship strong and valuable? If the group understands the term, "intangible gifts," you may use the term in these questions:
- What intangible gifts did Great Joy give the Prince? [love, trust, invitation (to run the race), kindness, loyalty, honesty]
- What intangible gifts did the Prince give Great Joy? [love, trust, covenant (to run the race together), kindness, loyalty, affirmation of his good qualities]
- When the Prince spoke harshly to Great Joy, how did that change their friendship?
- Was the Prince being fair?
Including All Participants
Offer children the opportunity to color the illustration provided for "The Prince and the Rhinoceros” to engage different learning styles and to help children focus on or relate to the story. A coloring activity can be a "preview" of a story. It can work as a quiet activity to help children physically settle. You might use it afterward to help the group recall and respond to the story.