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Art by James Madsen
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The Girl and the Chenoo
When a people-eating monster shows up, Tala fights back with a secret power.
By the Editors of Storyworks 3 (retold) | Adapted from the Passamaquoddy Folktale | Art by James Madsen
From the February 2023 Issue
Learning Objective: Students will identify how a character changes throughout the course of the play.
Complexity Factors
Guided Reading Level: N
DRA Level: 28-30
Featured Skill:
How a Character Changes,
Other Key Skills: text features, vocabulary, plot, text structure, compare and contrast, character traits, inference, cause and effect, interpreting text, theme, moral, connecting to the text, narrative writing
Standards
Narrators 1, 2 (N1, N2)
Little Sister
Big Sister
Auntie
Brother 1
Brother 2
Tala
Chenoo
Scene 1
A campfire in Maine, present day
N1: Two sisters sit around a campfire with their auntie.
Little Sister: Tell us a story, Auntie! One from long ago . . .
Big Sister: . . . about a girl from our tribe, the Passamaquoddy [pass-uh-muh-KWAH-dee]!
Auntie: Well, our people have lived here for thousands of years.
Little Sister: Before this land was even called America!
Auntie: That’s right. Do you know the story of Tala? She had a secret power that saved her from the Chenoo.
Big Sister: What was her secret power?
Little Sister: And what’s the Chenoo?
Auntie: Listen, and you’ll find out!
Scene 2
Deep in a snowy forest, long ago
N2: A girl named Tala lives with her two brothers.
N1: Every winter, they leave their village and set up a camp in the woods to hunt.
N2: They live in a dome-shaped home called a wigwam.
N1: Tala takes care of the camp while her brothers hunt for food.
Brother 1: I’m off to find dinner. I’ll be back soon with a dozen rabbits.
Brother 2: I’m coming back with a bear!
Tala (laughing): I’ll believe that when I see it!
N2: Tala waves goodbye to her brothers. Then she goes to gather firewood.
N1: Not far from their camp, she sees giant footprints.
Tala (whispering): Oh no! It’s the Chenoo!
N2: The Chenoo is a large, hairy monster that eats people.
N1: Tala quickly runs back to camp.
N2: That night, her brothers tell stories about their day.
Brother 1: I saw some strange footprints on my way home.
Brother 2: I did too! They were HUGE.
Brother 1 (fearfully): Do you think they could belong to the . . .
Brother 2 (quickly): Don’t say the creature’s name! He might hear us and think we’re inviting him to our camp.
Brother 1: We should be ready to fight the monster if we see him.
N1: Tala doesn’t mention the footprints she saw.
N2: Instead, she thinks about what her brothers said and comes up with a plan.
Scene 3
Inside the wigwam, the next day
N1: Tala’s brothers go out to hunt.
N2: Tala makes a thick stew using all the food they have.
N1: Suddenly, she hears something crashing through the woods.
N2: An ugly head pokes through the wigwam door.
Chenoo: ROAR!
N1: Tala takes a deep breath and smiles at the Chenoo.
Tala: Hello, Grandfather. Welcome!
N2: Tala calls the creature Grandfather to show him respect and kindness.
Tala: I’m so glad you have come to visit. Would you like some stew?
N1: The Chenoo is confused by her kindness.
Chenoo: I’m here to eat you. Why are you inviting me inside?
Tala (gently): I see you are tired and hungry, Grandfather.
N2: The Chenoo squeezes into the wigwam.
N1: Tala smiles at him.
Tala: Sit and eat with me.
N2: The Chenoo sits down and eats the stew in one gulp.
Chenoo: No one’s ever invited me into their home before.
Tala: I hope you’ll come back again tonight for supper.
N1: Still confused, the Chenoo leaves.
Scene 4
Outside the wigwam, that night
N2: Tala’s brothers return from hunting, carrying two geese and a rabbit.
N1: Tala runs outside to meet them.
Tala (whispering): Brothers, I have news. The Chenoo is nearby.
Brother 1: We must fight him!
Tala: No! We must show the Chenoo kindness.
Brother 2: Maybe we should just run away.
Tala: Trust me. Treat the Chenoo like a member of our family and call him Grandfather.
N2: Suddenly, the Chenoo appears.
Chenoo: ROAR!
N1: He grabs the geese and the rabbit and gobbles them up.
Chenoo: More food!
N2: The Chenoo stares at Tala’s brothers hungrily.
N1: Tala steps forward.
Tala (softly): Grandfather, my brothers are here to greet you.
Brother 1 (nervously): Welcome, Grandfather.
Brother 2: We’re glad you’ve come to visit us.
N2: The Chenoo is surprised by their kind words.
Chenoo: Why don’t you scream and run away like the others?
Brother 1: Because you are our guest, Grandfather.
Brother 2: Won’t you join us inside our home?
N1: Suddenly, the look on the Chenoo’s face changes.
N2: He runs off and returns moments later with a moose under each arm.
N1: He drops them at Tala’s feet.
Tala: Thank you, Grandfather. I’ll cook these for our dinner.
Brother 1: We’re going to have a feast tonight!
Scene 5
At the camp, a few months later
N2: The Chenoo stays with Tala and her brothers all winter.
N1: He helps them hunt and becomes like a member of their family.
N2: One day, Tala sees that the snow is melting.
Tala: Grandfather, spring is coming. It’s time for us to return to our village.
Chenoo: I will come with you. But first, I must change.
Tala: Why? You’ve already changed so much since we met!
Chenoo: Your kindness has changed my heart. Now I am ready to change on the outside too.
Brother 2: How can we help?
Chenoo: Build a big fire.
N1: Tala and her brothers do as the Chenoo asks.
N2: The Chenoo stays by the fire and gets hotter and hotter.
N1: Finally, he coughs up a piece of ice.
Chenoo: It is my ice heart. Here, Tala, toss it into the flames.
N2: Tala hesitates. Then she throws the ice heart into the fire.
N1: Tala and her brothers watch as the ice crackles and melts.
N2: When they look up, they’re shocked to see that the Chenoo is no longer a monster.
N1: Instead, they see an old man with white hair and kind eyes.
Chenoo (smiling): My heart of ice has melted. I am ready to meet your people!
Scene 6
Around the campfire, present day
Little Sister: Wow! Tala was so brave.
Big Sister: Was that her secret power?
Auntie: She was brave, but that isn’t what saved Tala and her brothers.
Little Sister: Was it . . . kindness?
Auntie: That’s right! The power of kindness can melt even the coldest heart.
Think and Write
Imagine you are the Chenoo. Write a thank-you note to Tala. Describe how her kindness has affected you.
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Can't Miss Teaching Extras
Step-by-Step Lesson Plan
Table of Contents
4. Differentiate and Customize
Striving Readers, Multilingual Learners, Advanced Readers
1. Preparing to Read
Set a Purpose for Reading/Preview Text Features
- Point out the About This Play bubble on page 25. Read it aloud to the class to explain what a folktale is.
- Instruct students to study the title, subtitle, and illustration on pages 24-25. Ask them to describe the illustration and predict what the play will be about.
- Call on volunteers to read aloud the Think and Read box on page 25 and the Think and Write box on page 29.
Introduce Vocabulary
- The play does not include definitions of vocabulary words with the text, but a Vocabulary Skill Builder online previews four challenging words (feast, hesitates, respect, and wigwam). You may also play our Vocabulary Slideshow.
2. Close Reading
- Storyworks 3 plays provide a perfect opportunity for students to build fluency.
- Remind students that the stage directions tell a reader or actor how to say a line or perform an action in the play. Point out the word waving in column 2 on page 26. Read the dialogue aloud with appropriate expressions or actions.
- Project or assign the Close-Reading and Critical-Thinking Questions. (Alternatively, assign all or part of the Learning Journey Slide Deck.)
Close-Reading Questions
- Read Scene 1. What will Big Sister and Little Sister find out as they listen to Auntie’s story? (plot, text structure) Big Sister and Little Sister will find out about the Chenoo, Tala’s secret power, and how that power saved her from the Chenoo.
- Read Scene 2. Compare how Tala reacts to seeing the Chenoo’s footprints with how her brothers react. (compare and contrast) When Tala and her brothers first see the Chenoo’s footprints, they are afraid. Tala whispers, “Oh no!” Brother 2 warns them not to say the Chenoo’s name because the monster will think they’re inviting him to their camp. Brother 1 thinks they should be ready to fight the monster. Tala doesn’t tell her brothers that she saw the Chenoo’s footprints too. Instead, she comes up with a plan.
- Read Scene 3. What do you learn about Tala from the way she treats the Chenoo? (character traits, inference) You learn that Tala is kind and gentle. She calls the Chenoo “Grandfather” as a sign of respect. She understands she should treat the monster with kindness, not fear.
- Why is the Chenoo confused by the way Tala treats him? (cause and effect) The Chenoo is confused because he expects Tala to be scared of him. Instead, she is the first person ever to invite him into her home.
- Read Scene 4. How does the Chenoo change in this scene? (how a character changes, plot) At first, the Chenoo roars and eats the dead animals the brothers killed. Then he stares at them hungrily. After the brothers welcome him kindly, the look on the Chenoo’s face suddenly changes. He runs off then returns to their wigwam with food for their dinner.
- Read Scene 5. In this scene, the Chenoo tells Tala that “your kindness has changed my heart.” What does he mean? (interpreting text, theme) The Chenoo feels that the winter he spent with Tala and her brothers has changed the way he feels about himself and the way he treats others. He is no longer an angry monster. Instead, he wants to live peacefully with people again.
- In Scene 6, Auntie says, “The power of kindness can melt even the coldest heart.” What does she mean? (theme, interpreting text) Auntie’s words mean that even people who are cold and heartless, like the Chenoo was, can change when they are treated kindly by others.
Critical-Thinking Questions
- How does the Chenoo change from the beginning of the play to the end? (how a character changes) At the beginning of the story, the Chenoo is a large, hairy monster who eats people. When Tala and her brothers treat him with respect and kindness, he starts to change. The Chenoo doesn’t eat Tala or her brothers. Instead, he brings them food for a meal they all enjoy together. By the end of the story, the Chenoo is like a member of Tala’s family. He has changed on the inside. After his ice heart melts in the fire, his appearance changes too. He is a kind old man who is ready to meet the people in Tala’s village.
- What lesson do you think the authors want you to learn from this play? (moral, connecting to the text) I think the authors want you to learn that it is important to treat others with kindness and respect, even when they seem very different from you.
Class Discussion: Beyond Appearances
- In the play, Tala does something unexpected: She treats the Chenoo with kindness and respect, even though he looks frightening. Have a discussion with your students about how appearances can be misleading. Ask them to think of a time when they expected something (or someone) to be a certain way because of how it looked. Was their first impression accurate? Invite them to think about why it can be important to look beyond appearances.
3. Skill Building and Writing
Featured Skill: How a Character Changes
- Distribute or digitally assign the How a Character Changes Skill Builder.
- Ask students to write a response to the Think and Write prompt on page 29.
Differentiate and Customize
For Striving Readers
Before reading the play, preview the Close-Reading and Critical-Thinking questions so students know what to focus on. Then read the play together, pausing to answer each of the questions.
For Multilingual Learners
Some of your multilingual learners might know stories, myths, or folktales that have been passed down in other cultures. Ask them to share a story they have been told, and explain that this play is a Native American folktale from the Passamaquoddy tribe. Afterward, listen to the audio read-aloud of the play while following along in the magazine.
For Advanced Readers
Invite students to look up another Native American folktale. Have them read the story and then write a short paragraph that describes how the tale is similar to and different from the play. Invite students to share their paragraphs with the class or in small groups.
Text-to-Speech