JUDGE JENNY: Hello. I didn't see you there. Come on in. My name is Judge Jenny.
Welcome to Judge Jenny's Folktale Court. This court is a special place where folk people can sort out their arguments.
Today in the Folktale Court, Mr. Giant says that Jack climbed up a beanstalk and stole his special hen.
Now we're going to listen to each person's point of view and decide what is fair.
Sometimes people can see the same thing that happened in a very different way.
Before we start, I want you all to remember that here in the Folk Courtroom, we always tell the tru-hoo-th. Does everyone understand?
GIANT: Yes.
JUDGE JENNY: Right. So who is going to start?
BOTH TALK AT ONCE
JUDGE JENNY: Stop! Stop! We aren't going to get very far if you all talk at once! Why don't you take it in turns to tell me your side of the story, and perhaps you would like to start, Mr. Giant.
GIANT: Well, I was in my castle, minding my own business.
JUDGE JENNY: Sorry to stop you, Mr. Giant, but could you speak a little more quietly? Your voice is rather loud for us small folk.
GIANT: Oh, sorry.
JUDGE JENNY: Quite all right. Carry on.
GIANT: Well, as I say, I was in my castle when suddenly I knew someone was near. I smelt him. A human was on my land. It was him.
JUDGE JENNY: Is that true, Jack? That you were on Mr. Giant's land?
JACK: Well, I might have been. A beanstalk had grown outside my window, you see. And I'd heard stories about people climbing them and making their fortune. So, I thought, why not? And I started to climb. I got to the top and I think I was in the giant's land. But I didn't know.
JUDGE JENNY: But surely, Jack, you could see that you were on someone's land. Wasn't there a wall or a fence?
JACK: No, there wasn't anything.
JURY MUTTERS
JUDGE JENNY: Is that true, Mr. Giant, that your land doesn't have a fence around it?
GIANT: I don't need a fence. Only I live here. It's all my land and it all belongs to me.
JUDGE JENNY: I see. Carry on, please, Mr. Giant.
GIANT: I came out of my castle and I saw a boy in my garden holding my hen.
JUDGE JENNY: And what hen is this, Mr. Giant?
GIANT: It's a very special hen. It's the hen that lays the golden eggs.
JUDGE JENNY: A very special hen indeed.
JACK STAMMERS
JACK: Excuse me, miss.
JUDGE JENNY: Yes, Jack.
JACK: But I didn't know it was special. I just thought it was an ordinary hen.
GIANT: So why were you picking it up?
JACK: I was just looking at it.
GIANT: I don't believe you. Everyone knows I've got a hen that lays golden eggs!
JUDGE JENNY: Please, Mr. Giant, there's no need to shout. And remember, here in folk court, we always tell the tru-hoo-hooth.
GIANT: But then the boy started to run. Run away with my hen!
JUDGE JENNY: Are you saying that Jack took the hen without asking?
GIANT: Yes. He stole it.
JURY GASPS
JACK: I didn't steal it. I'd forgotten I was holding it, that was all!
JUDGE JENNY: And why was that, Jack?
JACK: I was just holding the hen when I heard the most terrible sound. The most terrible, scary poem ever!
JUDGE JENNY: A poem?
JACK: Well, a kind of poem. It was all about grinding people up and eating them!
JUDGE JENNY: Oh my goodness!
JACK: It made me freeze in terror and then I just ran.
JUDGE JENNY: Is this true, Mr. Giant? That you were threatening to eat young Jack here?
GIANT: Well, it's just a poem I say. I have to say something to get rid of people on my land.
JUDGE JENNY: Perhaps you could say this poem for us, Mr. Giant. Then we can judge how scary it is for ourselves.
GIANT: Of course. I'd be happy to.
'Fee fi fo fum,
I smell the blood of an Englishman.
Be he alive or be he dead,
I'll grind his bones to make my bread.'
JUDGE JENNY: My goodness me. I can see why you were scared, Jack.
So who is right?
Was Jack right to climb the beanstalk?
Was the giant right to protect his land or could he have been a bit friendlier?
Do you think Jack was just looking at the hen?
Or was the giant right to say his terrifying poem to frighten him away?
What do you-hoo think?
Watch the signed version of the clip.
JUDGE JENNY: Hello. I didn't see you there. Come on in. My name is Judge Jenny.
Welcome to Judge Jenny's Folktale Court. This court is a special place where folk people can sort out their arguments.
Today in the Folktale Court, Mr. Giant says that Jack climbed up a beanstalk and stole his special hen.
Now we're going to listen to each person's point of view and decide what is fair.
Sometimes people can see the same thing that happened in a very different way.
Before we start, I want you all to remember that here in the Folk Courtroom, we always tell the tru-hoo-th. Does everyone understand?
GIANT: Yes.
JUDGE JENNY: Right. So who is going to start?
BOTH TALK AT ONCE
JUDGE JENNY: Stop! Stop! We aren't going to get very far if you all talk at once! Why don't you take it in turns to tell me your side of the story, and perhaps you would like to start, Mr. Giant.
GIANT: Well, I was in my castle, minding my own business.
JUDGE JENNY: Sorry to stop you, Mr. Giant, but could you speak a little more quietly? Your voice is rather loud for us small folk.
GIANT: Oh, sorry.
JUDGE JENNY: Quite all right. Carry on.
GIANT: Well, as I say, I was in my castle when suddenly I knew someone was near. I smelt him. A human was on my land. It was him.
JUDGE JENNY: Is that true, Jack? That you were on Mr. Giant's land?
JACK: Well, I might have been. A beanstalk had grown outside my window, you see. And I'd heard stories about people climbing them and making their fortune. So, I thought, why not? And I started to climb. I got to the top and I think I was in the giant's land. But I didn't know.
JUDGE JENNY: But surely, Jack, you could see that you were on someone's land. Wasn't there a wall or a fence?
JACK: No, there wasn't anything.
JURY MUTTERS
JUDGE JENNY: Is that true, Mr. Giant, that your land doesn't have a fence around it?
GIANT: I don't need a fence. Only I live here. It's all my land and it all belongs to me.
JUDGE JENNY: I see. Carry on, please, Mr. Giant.
GIANT: I came out of my castle and I saw a boy in my garden holding my hen.
JUDGE JENNY: And what hen is this, Mr. Giant?
GIANT: It's a very special hen. It's the hen that lays the golden eggs.
JUDGE JENNY: A very special hen indeed.
JACK STAMMERS
JACK: Excuse me, miss.
JUDGE JENNY: Yes, Jack.
JACK: But I didn't know it was special. I just thought it was an ordinary hen.
GIANT: So why were you picking it up?
JACK: I was just looking at it.
GIANT: I don't believe you. Everyone knows I've got a hen that lays golden eggs!
JUDGE JENNY: Please, Mr. Giant, there's no need to shout. And remember, here in folk court, we always tell the tru-hoo-hooth.
GIANT: But then the boy started to run. Run away with my hen!
JUDGE JENNY: Are you saying that Jack took the hen without asking?
GIANT: Yes. He stole it.
JURY GASPS
JACK: I didn't steal it. I'd forgotten I was holding it, that was all!
JUDGE JENNY: And why was that, Jack?
JACK: I was just holding the hen when I heard the most terrible sound. The most terrible, scary poem ever!
JUDGE JENNY: A poem?
JACK: Well, a kind of poem. It was all about grinding people up and eating them!
JUDGE JENNY: Oh my goodness!
JACK: It made me freeze in terror and then I just ran.
JUDGE JENNY: Is this true, Mr. Giant? That you were threatening to eat young Jack here?
GIANT: Well, it's just a poem I say. I have to say something to get rid of people on my land.
JUDGE JENNY: Perhaps you could say this poem for us, Mr. Giant. Then we can judge how scary it is for ourselves.
GIANT: Of course. I'd be happy to.
'Fee fi fo fum,
I smell the blood of an Englishman.
Be he alive or be he dead,
I'll grind his bones to make my bread.'
JUDGE JENNY: My goodness me. I can see why you were scared, Jack.
So who is right?
Was Jack right to climb the beanstalk?
Was the giant right to protect his land or could he have been a bit friendlier?
Do you think Jack was just looking at the hen?
Or was the giant right to say his terrifying poem to frighten him away?
What do you-hoo think?
A fairytale mock trial takes place in Judge Jenny's courtroom. The Giant puts across his point of view with evidence to try to persuade the judge that Jack is in the wrong.
Jack defends his actions with counterarguments and Judge Jenny sums up so that the audience can discuss and decide.
This clip comes from the BBC series, Ways of Talking: Persuading, Explaining, Instructing.
Teacher Notes
- This clip could be used to ask pupils to decide who is right and who is wrong based on looking at the two characters in the stands and hearing them briefly speak.
- The clip can then be paused at various points to check if pupils have changed their minds.
- It can then be used for an activity based around showing how people who look one way might act another.
- For example, pupils could draw a picture of a scary creature but give it a kind and opposite personality. Another way to achieve this is by giving pupils two opposite characters and asking them to mix up their personalities in a short story.
Curriculum Notes
This clip is relevant for teaching English at KS1 in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, and at first level in Scotland.
More video clips on debating:
Judge Jenny - Goldilocks and the three bears. video
Goldilocks and the three bears try to persuade Judge Jenny to see the story from their point of view.
Uniform vs non-uniform. video
A debate about school uniform with cartoon characters.
