John & Julia's Family Days

John's Enormous Little Show

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Papou opens his puppet box while John and Julia plan a mouse and a giant.
Papou opened his puppet box. Out came Karagiozis, the cheeky fellow from his Greek shadow plays. John loved those plays. Tonight, he wanted to make one of his own. “It needs a mouse,” he said. “And a GIANT.”
Julia draws the mouse house while Papou helps cut the large cardboard giant.
Julia drew a little house for the mouse. Papou helped cut the puppets from cardboard. John's mouse was small. John's giant was enormous. “Will he fit?” asked Julia. “He's a giant,” said John. “He needs to be enormous.”
Papou clips a white sheet to the little wooden stage.
Papou fastened a white sheet across the little stage. He put a light behind it. Then he sat down in front to watch.
Papou sees one huge knee in the stage opening.
Behind the sheet, John lifted his giant. The audience saw— one enormous knee.
The lowered giant brings its belt across the white sheet.
John lowered the giant a little. Now Papou saw a belt.
Papou politely greets the giant nose filling the stage.
Lower still. A nose filled the stage. “Good evening, Nose,” said Papou. “There's a whole giant attached,” said John. “I look forward to meeting him.”
Separate stacked views show John’s spread hand in the light beam and the huge hand shadow on the audience side.
John lowered the giant and sat on the floor. “My play won't fit.” He reached back for the mouse beside the light. Across the sheet crept an enormous hand. “John,” whispered Julia. “Look!”
John holds the mouse near the light; the separate audience view shows its large shadow.
John looked at his hand. He looked at its huge shadow. Then he picked up the mouse. Near the light— BIG mouse.
John moves the same mouse near the sheet; the separate audience view shows its smaller shadow.
Near the sheet— little mouse. John did it again. Julia squeaked both sizes.
Papou helps cut a smaller version of the same friendly giant.
“Papou! Could we make a little giant?” Papou helped cut one from a scrap of card.
The small cardboard giant casts a large whole shadow.
John held it near the light. A giant rose across the sheet. “There you are!” said Papou. The show could begin.
The mouse waits at its open house; the giant has a boot wider than the whole house.
Julia's little mouse opened the door of its little house. “Would you like to come in?” John gave the giant his deepest voice. “VERY MUCH.” The giant looked at the door. One foot was bigger than the whole house.
The same giant shadow shrinks beside the unchanged mouse house.
“Perhaps just my nose?” boomed the giant. “You brought that last time,” said Papou. John nearly dropped his puppet laughing. Then he remembered the mouse. He moved his little giant towards the sheet. The enormous shadow began to shrink.
The little giant fits beneath the roof and within the open doorway.
Smaller. Smaller. The giant's foot fitted by the doorstep. His shoulders fitted beneath the roof. “MIND YOUR HEAD,” John boomed. Then, in a tiny voice— “Oh. I don't have to.”
Separate close views show Papou clapping and the giant and mouse at the house window.
The mouse welcomed him inside. Two small shadows waved from the window. Papou clapped. “Again!”
John bows while keeping the small giant upright on its slender support.
John bowed carefully, keeping his puppet upright. “A little show,” John said proudly. “An enormous little show,” said Papou.
Julia grins and holds the little mouse beside the light.
Behind the sheet, Julia grinned. She brought the mouse towards the light.
Two enormous mouse ears rise above the unchanged house roof.
Two great round ears rose above the roof. From the little house came an enormous— “SQUEAK!”

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