Puppet Show on Curiosity

Puppet Show

October 3, 2012

Topic Curiosity

Father Phil:  Hi, Mary, how are you doing?

Mary:  I’m doing fine.  And look at all of these boys and girls here.  What are they doing here?

Father Phil:  I think they came here to see you.

Mary: Me, why would they come to see me?

Father Phil:  Well, I think they like you.  Boys and girls don’t you like Mary?  Give Mary a big hand.

Mary:  Father Phil, I need to ask you some questions.

Father Phil:  Okay, ask me some questions.

Mary:  How many stars are in the sky?

Father Phil:  I don’t know.  Millions or billions.  There are too many to count.

Mary: Why don’t you know how many stars there are?

Father Phil:  Well, I can’t fly into the sky and count them all.  There are too many of them.

Mary: So, how many leaves are on the trees in Morgan Hill.

Father Phil:  I don’t know.  There are too many to count.

Mary:  So how many hairs are on your head?

Father Phil:  Well, in the front of my head that easy.  No hairs on the front of my head.  But on the sides and the back there are too many for me to count.

Mary:  How many little tiny ants live in Morgan Hill?

Father Phil:  Again, I don’t know.  And they are hidden under the ground so I can’t count them all.

Mary:  Why are some clouds round?

Father Phil:  I don’t really know.

Mary: How many walnuts do a squirrel eat each day?

Father Phil:  Well, I don’t know.  I’ve never lived with a squirrel.

Mary: Why do leaves fall off the tree in the fall?

Father Phil: Because the season changes and it is part of the way that a tree grows.

Mary: Why do seasons change?

Father Phil:  Because the earth spins and tilts away from the sun.

Mary: Why does the earth tilt away from the sun.

Father Phil:  Well, I’m not sure.

Mary:  Father Phil, you have not given me many answers.

Father Phil:  You are right.  This world is so big and there is so much to know.  Can I ask you a question?

Mary: Okay.

Father Phil:  Mary why do you ask so many questions?

Mary:  Well, I don’t know.  Maybe I just want to know things.  Maybe that is the way that I am made.

Father Phil: Well, that is the way you are made.  You are made to be curious.

Mary: Curious.  What does that mean?

Father Phil:  It means that you are always asking “why?”  I think that God made us that way.

Mary:  God made me curious?  Is that good?

Father Phil:  Yes, it is very good to be curious because that means you always want to learn new things.

Mary:  Like learning science from Miss Christie?  Or letters in Miss Sue’s class or numbers in Miss Virginia’s class.

Father Phil:  Yes, Mary you are made to be curious about everything.  But we also have to have parents and teachers to help our curiosity.

Mary: Why do we need help with our curiosity?

Father Phil: A young baby might be curious about seeing a fire.  But should we let a baby or anyone touch fire?

Mary:  No, they would get burned.

Father Phil:  So we always need help from people who know more than we do so we can be safe.  Do you want to be safe?

Mary:  Yes, I want to be safe.

Father Phil:  I want to be curious but I also want to be safe.  That is a good lesson for today.

Mary:  Are you going to teach these boys and girls to be curious and safe?

Father Phil:  Mary, will you help me teach these boys and girls?

Mary:  Okay.

Father Phil:  Okay boys and girls, let’s all say:  “I thank God that I am curious!”

All:  “I thank God that I am curious.”

Father Phil:  I also want to be safe.

All: I also want to be safe.

Mary: Curious but safe, that is a good lesson.

Father Phil:  Mary, thank you for helping us learn our lesson today.  Curious but safe.  Can everyone give Mary a big hand?