IN THE CREATURE’S HUT, SITTING BY THE FIRE
Creature Hello, I’m… Viktor Frankenstein’s Creature. Here we are, in my hut on the mountains. I’m happy to tell you and Viktor Frankenstein my story. How I learnt about the day, the night, the hunger, thirst, cold… And I learnt how to live with all this the hard way. Imagine that I tried to touch fire?! How silly of me. Of course I was burnt. But I saw good things too. These little creatures which made pleasant sounds. Yes, the birds. I tried to sound like them but nothing came out of my mouth! And I saw people. I’ve never learnt how to behave with you humans. I was surprised when people who saw me ran away. In the villages, some men wanted to hurt me.
IN THE PAST - IN THE VILLAGE
Vigilante 1 So do you all have things you can use as weapons with you?
Crowd Yes!
Boy I have a few stones that I can throw at the monster. I’m a good shot!
Vigilante 1 Go home, boy. The monster could be dangerous. It was seen trying to get into the house near the central square.
Vigilante 2 Shall we go and look for it? This time we might get lucky, catch it and kill it!
Crowd Kill it! Kill the monster!
Vigilante 1 Let’s go then. We can start near the vegetable garden where he was seen last time… Let’s go!
IN THE CREATURE’S HUT, BY THE FIRE
Creature All these people seemed angry with me… Why?I escaped to the open country and hid in a hut. That was where I was when I watched a family in a nearby house. I heard they were called the De Laceys. I was careful not to allow them to see me. The boy, the girl and an old man looked poor but happy…
IN THE PAST - IN THE DE LACEYS’ HOME
Girl That’s what we have for dinner today. Some carrots, potatoes, cheese, bread… just one egg. You like eggs, dad. This one is for you.
Father You’re very generous, dear daughter. But you should have this egg.
Girl Maybe we should give it to my brother then. He’s been working hard and he needs more food.
Boy Thank you, sister. I’ll try to work harder so that we can have more eggs to eat.
Father I’m very grateful, son. A blind man’s life isn’t easy… The light in my life is the love of my children.
IN THE CREATURE’S HUT, BY THE FIRE
Creature They were so kind to one another… I wanted to be part of their family. I learned to speak by listening to them in hiding. I discovered books lost in the forest and learned how to read. And at that time I finally found out why people ran away from me. I saw my own face in a pond and… I’m really ugly! I didn’t want to frighten this family. I had to find a way to talk to them. I thought about the father. He was blind and so he wouldn’t see me. One day, using all my courage, I knocked at the door…
IN THE PAST - IN THE DELACEYS’ HOME
Father Who’s there? Come in.
Creature Please excuse me, Sir. I’ve been travelling and I was wondering if I could rest here for a while.
Father Sure. I can’t see and my children, who take care of me, are not here at the moment, or I’d offer you some food.
Creature Do not worry yourself, kind man. I’m looking for some friends and I fear these good people won’t accept me.
Father That’s sad. But if these friends are good people, can’t you persuade them to accept you?
Creature I plan to start doing it now. But they believe that I want to harm them…
Father You sound honest. I can try and help you. Who are your friends?
Creature Oh, Sir. You are the first person who has been kind to me!
BROTHER AND SISTER COME INTO THEIR HOME
Father Just a minute… I can hear my children coming.
Creature Oh, no! They’ll see me! Please, take care of me good man! You and your family are the friends I want!
Father Are we? Who are you?
IN THE CREATURE’S HUT, BY THE FIRE
Creature The door opened and there they were - the old man’s two children. Did they kiss me? Did they run away? That’s what I’m going to tell you next time.
Vocabulary
generous someone who is kinder than expected and offers others help
grateful thankful
courage the feeling of not being stopped by fear