Premiered by the Lubbock, Texas, Children's Theatre. As she did with her much-acclaimed Professor Zuccini's Traveling Tales, Sylvia Ashby dipped into folklore for this one—Mexican and Native American tales. The incorrigible coyote just can't resist playing pranks on his friends. His tricks nearly always backfire, and he takes a "crash landing"...but he never learns that you don't make friends that way.

The Spanish words in the dialog may be minimized or emphasized. This amusing play has ample opportunities for Mexican folk songs. "La Cucaracha," "La Golondrina," "Mexican Hat Dance," and others add to the fun and spectacle. A vocal and guitar score for original music, "Don Coyote's Song," is included in the playbook. Adding dancing and singing to the fast-moving plot produces an enchanting musical. Full production notes included. Most roles may be played by males or females, adults or children. A wonderful opportunity to put an entire classroom or a mixture of classes on stage. One act; simple desert scene.

"A fun script...The dialogue is fast-paced, and the addition of Spanish words adds flavor and interest. The play is portable, requiring little scenery...can be performed for and by children grades K-6"— BYU Children's Book Review. "All characters are animals, each delightful in his own way." —Longview TV Facts. "This is a good play for children, both to perform and to watch...the audience enjoyed it enormously. Its pace is quick, it's got a lot of color and humor, and it's easy for children as young as five to understand."—Chico, Calif., News & Review, reporting on the Peppermint Palace production.

Also by Ashby: Happily Ever After, Once Upon a Broomstick, Once Upon a Santa Claus, Santa Claus is Missing, Shining Princess of the Slender Bamboo

Other folktales: Aesop's Clinic; Folktales, Too; Happily Ever After; In Search of Three Sillies; The Jack Tales; Little Red Riding Wolf; Storyville; Tales from the Brothers Grimm; The Three Old Women's Bet; Through the Storybook

See also: Plays with Animal Characters and Plays with a Foreign Flavor