Share a Filipino story with the class, such as ‘The Battle of the Crabs’ below. Guide students to explore and act out the story through drama.

FREEZE: Guide students to shape their bodies as each of the characters and then have them freeze in their poses/shapes. What does the character look like? (Freeze). What does the character like to do? (Freeze). What’s something funny that the character likes to do? (Freeze).

ACTION: Guide students to walk about the room as each of the characters. How does the character feel? How fast or slow does the character move? What is this character doing as he/she walks about?

STORY EXPLORATION
Narrate parts of the story, guiding the students to act out the moments as you tell them. Explore different parts of the story more than once each time, encouraging the students to try new ways of showing the action.

STORY PLAY
Ask for or assign volunteers to portray each of the characters. Narrate the entire story, guiding students to play out each moment as you tell it. Repeat the experience, enlisting new volunteers each time until all of the students have a chance to perform.

Battle of the Crabs
Visayan

Once upon a time, the land crabs lived close by the sea and they lived in peace with all their neighbors including the sea waves.
But the sea waves love to sing and will sing all day long. The elderly crabs had tolerated this for years and had never complained.
The younger crabs were not so tolerant and they decided to do something about it.
So, at one of their big parties, one of the younger crabs took the courage to ask, “The waves have been singing non-stop every day. They sing so loud that we cannot sleep at all. Some of us or maybe most of us, cannot stand this anymore. Can we do something about this?”
There was silence in the crowd, nobody dared say anything.
‘Are we afraid of the waves? Someone please says something” asked back the young crab.
Finally, one of the older crabs says ” Maybe we should go and talk to them”.
“We had done that before, yet they still sing. They just ignored our pleas” said the young crab.
“You are right. Maybe we should do something. Not just talk,” answered the oldest of the crabs, “Why don’t we declare war on them?”
The others looked at each other and they finally agreed to this suggestion.
They also decided that tomorrow shall be the day and all male crabs to put on their fighting gears and go to war with the sea waves.
The next day as they marched towards the sea, they met up with a group of shrimps.
“I have never seen all of you in these uniforms before. So, where are you heading to my good friends?” asked the shrimps.
“We are going to war. We are tired of listening to the sea waves singing all day long. We want to end all that. We will fight the waves,” answered the crabs.
“Are you serious? These sea waves are strong and mighty. I don’t t think you can fight them. You better go home to your family now” said the shrimps, “Look at you. You are so small and your legs are weak. It can’t even support your own body. You have to walk with your legs bent and your body is almost touching the ground” laughed the shrimps.
The crabs didn’t like this at all and were angry with the shrimps. They jumped on top of the shrimps and make them promise to help them in their war with the waves otherwise they will be killed.
The shrimps had no choice and had to agree, and together they marched to the shore.
As they neared the shore, the crabs noticed the shrimp’s eyes were different and the heads were facing the wrong way.
They all laughed at the shrimps and asked “You guys looked kind of funny. Why are your faces and eyes facing the wrong way?”
“You can laugh and say it’s funny but that is our weapon. We can see what others may not see” replied the shrimps.
The crabs feel silent and did not give any other nasty comments about the shrimps.
Unknown to the crabs, the waves were listening to all these conversations and took the opportunity to attack. They came crashing down onto the shores.
The shrimps saw the waves coming and quickly ran for cover. The crabs, however, were facing the opposite direction and didn’t see the waves’ attack and got submerged in the huge wave and drowned.
The female crabs who were waiting patiently for their husbands and children to come back from the war were getting worried as there were no signs of them.
They all decided to leave their young at home and go to the shore to check on their husband and children, in case they needed help.
But as soon as they reach the shore, the giant waves came crashing down and drowned them as well.
The shrimps who managed to run for cover saw all these happenings and felt sorry for their crab friends. They decided to visit their homes and meet up with the young crabs.
The shrimps told the young crabs the fate of their parents and how courageous were their fathers, mothers, and brothers.
So, until today, if you go to the beach, you will see the young crabs running back and forth finding the courage to fight the waves. When the waves come towards the shore, the young crabs will try but can never find the courage, so they will run into their hundreds of holes that they have dug along the shore, for cover.

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