Acting out the MiniBooks

My Year 6 pupils performed two little sketches for a Latin assembly at the end of term, both taken from a Minimus MiniBook. 

Covers of MiniBooks 15 and 25

 We chose the Hercules stories from Corinthus et Demetrius fabulas narrant (set 2) and Corinthus fabulam opportunam narrat (set 3). The Augean Stables story (the fifth Labour) was performed in Latin, and the Man-eating Horses story (the eighth Labour) in English. We decided to keep it simple, as the audience included everyone from Reception to Year 8...

Everyone loves the Horse

 We took to the Rose Garden for our rehearsals, taking every opportunity to be outside during the mini heatwave. As usual, I had left everything to the last minute, and I could only catch the children for one lesson.

It was a perfect opportunity to reintroduce our beloved horse costume, which is over twenty years old, and the scene-stealing star of many plays and sketches.

Juno, with peacock feathers, and the Narrator

While Juno and the Narrator went over their lines, the Horse practised walking in a straight line...

Horse falling apart

 ...not entirely successfully, it has to be said. The back end fell off into a lavender bed.

Hercules is told his next task by King Eurystheus

 King Eurystheus gave Hercules his instructions, to go and fetch the Mares of Diomedes (except there was only one).

Hercules overcomes Diomedes

Hercules resisted the wicked Diomedes' efforts to push him (her!) into the hungry mare's jaws, picking him up with superhuman strength...

Diomedes is eaten by his own horse

 ...and hurling him to his doom. The horse spent several minutes eating the hapless Diomedes, before allowing him to crawl away and laugh behind a rose bush.

Eurystheus hides in a huge jar

Hercules returned victorious to Eurystheus, after giving the horse a good telling off about its man-eating habits. Eurystheus retreated to the Safety Jar in terror, although it would have been more convincing without the giggles.

Hercules and the horse find everything Very Funny

One more Labour safely completed! Our assembly went off very well, in the end, with everyone speaking their lines clearly, and no small children eaten by the horse.