Dandelion Defenders
Characters: Dandy Dandelion, Nellie, Willie Woodchuck, Harriet Honeybee.
Props: Trowel, lawn mower, dandelion seed head (or, if available, real dandelion seed head).
Dandy Dandelion I know I’m not wanted here in this garden, but it sure is nice. Rich soil, no shade. I’ve got it made, unless…uh oh, here comes trouble.
Nellie Hello there, Dandy Dandelion. I love your cheerful flowers! Too bad I have to pull you up, but you don’t belong in the garden.
Dandelion I won’t be very cheerful if you pull me up, and besides, I have important work to do.
Nellie You’re just a weed. What work could you be doing? I have to weed the garden. Now that’s work!
Dandelion Well, I have to make seeds. That’s a flower’s work, you know. And we dandelions make thousands of them.
Nellie Oh, you mean those parachute seeds! I love blowing them off your puffy seed heads.
Dandelion I’m glad you do – it helps them travel. My seeds can grow just about anywhere – lawns, driveways, gardens…
Nellie But we don’t want dandelions in our garden, so out you come. (tugs) Ugh! You’re hard to pull up!
Dandelion That’s right, I am. I’ve got a long sturdy root with strong little root hairs that hold onto the soil.
Nellie Well, I wish they’d let go (pulling) so I could get you up. I guess I’ll have to use a trowel. (digs at base of plant with trowel)
Dandelion Um, did I mention that any piece of root you leave behind will grow into a new plant?
Nellie Well, phooey. You’re making this weeding job extra hard for me.
Dandelion Maybe you shouldn’t pull me out. Maybe I’m important, and you should leave me right here.
Nellie Well, that would sure save me a lot of work. But who wants a dandelion?
Dandelion Here comes Willy Woodchuck. Try asking him. (exits)
Nellie A woodchuck?
Willie Woodchuck Dandy lions, oh so tasty, how I love them in the spring.
Nellie Willie Woodchuck, you better look for dandelions somewhere else. I’m weeding this garden, and the dandelions have got to go.
Woodchuck No, no! Don’t pull up my dandy lions!
Nellie Give me one good reason why not.
Woodchuck Because we love to eat ’em! So do rabbits and deer. They’re dandy-licious! Besides, we haven’t eaten anything green in months.
Nellie Can’t you find something else that’s green?
Woodchuck Sure! I’ll have some of these young lettuces and peas…
Nellie No you don’t! Shoo, shoo! No eating our vegetables!
Woodchuck Geez! I just wanted a few nibbles. (exits)
Nellie This is not a salad bar!
Dandelion There now. See – I’m important food for woodchucks, deer, and rabbits, so you can leave me here and skip the weeding!
Nellie Oh no, I can’t! We don’t want woodchucks, deer, and rabbits in our gardens. Dandelion, you’ve got to go! And since you’re near the lawn, I’ve got an idea. (returns with lawn mower) Brrrm brrrrm. (mows over dandelion; dandelion lies down, then pops back up; repeat) Hey, you’re hard to mow!
Dandelion Did you think I’d take this lying down? My flexible flower stems can lie down and stand back up again. And if you do cut off my flowers, I’ll just grow new ones on shorter stems.
Nellie Dandelion, you’re hard to beat! But I’m not giving up yet.
Dandelion Me neither. I’m just trying to do my job and make seeds. (buzzing noise) And part of it is attracting insects. You’d better bee on the lookout. (exits)
Nellie Uh oh, a bee!
Harriet Honeybee Are you pulling up a dandelion? Stop this right now or I’ll be mad as a hornet! We need them, you know.
Nellie Oops – sorry! I didn’t know. Why do you need them?
Honeybee So we can feed our family. Dandelions give us nectar and pollen, and we use it to make honey. It’s our beez-ness.
Nellie You make honey from dandelions?
Honeybee And other flowers – but there’s not much else blooming this early, and we’re hungry after a long winter. You leave this flower here or we’ll be buzzing mad! (exits)
Nellie Gee, I don’t want this to turn into a sting operation! I guess honeybees do need dandelions.
Dandelion Oh yes, and they’ll visit your vegetables too, when they’re blooming. They’re good at carrying pollen from one flower to another, and that’s good for your vegetables.
Nellie Bees are good for our garden, and I love honey… Maybe I should leave you here – just for the bees.
Dandelion Of course! And you know, birds like my seeds too. You could be a Dandelion Defender.
Nellie A Dandelion Defender? What would I have to do?
Dandelion All you have to do is leave me here to make my seeds, and you can give them a lift too. Here! (gives Nellie a dandelion seed head)
Nellie Gee, thanks! I think I will be a Dandelion Defender. It’s a lot easier than weeding, and much more fun! (if available, blow dandelion seeds at audience)
The End
Nearby Nature 