Presents
Helen Keller and the Big Storm
Actors: Narrator 1 & 2, Helen, Mamma, Annie
Narrator 1:
Little Helen Keller loved smelling roses and
honeysuckle. They grew all around her Alabama home.
Narrator 2: But most of all, Helen loved playing pranks. When she
was six she had done her best prank yet!
Helen: Mamma had walked into the kitchen pantry.
Narrator 1: Quickly, Helen felt for the key.
All: Click!
Narrator 2: Helen locked Mamma inside.
Mamma: Helen didn’t always have the chance to take charge like
that.
Helen: Mamma and Papa tried hard to understand me. But many
times no one knew what I wanted.
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Narrator 1: Helen could get so angry, she would kick and hit and fall
into a heap.
Narrator 2: Afterward, she ran outside.
Mamma: She threw herself onto the cool, comforting grass. The
flowers, trees, grass, warm sun, and gentle wind always made Helen
feel better.
Narrator 1: Helen was never punished for her pranks.
Narrator 2: Mr. and Mrs. Keller thought Helen had been punished
enough.
Mamma: Our daughter could not hear, or see, or talk.
Helen: But that pantry prank forever changed my life.
Narrator 1: The Kellers now knew that Helen needed more than they
could give her. She needed special lessons from a special teacher.
Mamma: Helen’s teacher was Annie Sullivan.
Annie: I came to live with the Kellers. Helen was not ready to trust
me. I was a stranger to her. And she was not ready to give up her
pranks.
Helen: I locked Annie inside her room! And this time I hid the key!
Annie: This prank made me see just how clever Helen was.
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Mamma: No matter what Helen did, Annie did not give up!
Narrator 1: Slowly, day by day, she worked with Helen. Annie
taught Helen by pressing her fingers into Helen’s hand.
Narrator 2: Annie’s fingers spelled out the names for the things
Helen loved. Grass. Flowers. Leaves. Trees. Bugs. Butterflies.
Sun. Wind. Rain.
Helen: In a short time. I loved doing my lessons more than doing my
pranks.
Mamma: Soon, the out-of-doors became Helen’s classroom.
Annie: One summer day, Helen and I took a long walk. On our way
home, the air grew hot and sticky.
Helen: We stopped to rest under a wild cherry tree. The tree blocked
us from the burning hot sun. Its leaves fanned us with a gentle,
cooling breeze.
Narrator 1: Helen felt its strong, low branches. They were just right
for climbing.
Narrator 2: Annie and Helen decided to do just that!
Annie: Sitting high in the tree, we had a resting place to stay cool.
Helen and Annie: It was a perfect spot for a picnic!
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Narrator 1: Annie headed for the house to make the lunch. She
made Helen promise not to move an inch.
Narrator 2: Helen wouldn’t think of moving. She loved sitting high
up in that tree!
Helen: I breathed in the wonderful scent of the cherry tree. I stroked
its rough bark and its smooth green leaves. The cooling breeze made a
blanket over me.
Mamma: But in seconds, Helen’s world turned upside down. The
sun disappeared. Helen’s face was slapped with a cold, sharp wind.
Narrator 1: The scent of flowers was gone. Her nose was filled with
another smell. This one was not sweet.
Narrator 2: It came up from the deep, dark earth. It told Helen that a
storm was near.
Helen: I began to feel the shaking of the leaves. Twigs rained down,
scratching my face, arms, and legs.
Annie: Tree limbs swayed. The wind whipped through the branches.
The wind whipped around Helen.
Helen: The wind tried to rip me right out of that tree! I grabbed onto
the shaking branch. I clung to it with all of my might.
Mamma: Helen sat frozen.
Narrator 1: She was trapped. She could not see.
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Narrator 2: She could not hear if help was on the way.
Helen: I had never felt so alone or so scared.
Mamma: She couldn’t understand how the gentle things she loved
could turn against her.
Helen: Suddenly, out of the cold, whipping wind, I felt a hand. It
was a strong, warm hand.
Narrator 1: It belonged to Annie Sullivan.
Annie: I grabbed hold of Helen. Helen let go of the branch. She
clung to me. Helen let me guide her down and out of that tree.
Mamma: Helen learned a great deal that day. She had felt power of
Nature.
Narrator 2: It could turn from gentle to fierce in seconds.
Annie: Helen also learned about the power of friendship. Helen
Keller learned that I would always be there for her.
Helen: Annie Sullivan and I were friends all of our lives. I went on
to become a talented writer who always worked to help others.
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