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The Woodchopper

Story by TFS Working Group

Illustrated by Katie Sardinha

Featured in the Hampton Fund Storyboard Collection

Version 1.0

This is John and Mary's house.
It's beside the river.
A ways down from their house, there's a waterfall and a lake.
One night, John says, "I'm going to go out and chop some wood."
"I'll make a bigger fire."
But Mary says, "John, don't go chop wood in the dark!"
"You'll drop some."
"Then when I get up to go to the outhouse, I'll trip over it."
"I'll fall into the water."
"I'll drift down the river."
"I'll go over the waterfall."
"I'll fall in the lake."
"And I'll have to walk home soaking wet."
But John says, "Oh no, I'll be careful."
And he goes out and chops wood.
And on his way back in he drops a piece, on the path.
Later that night, Mary gets up to go to the outhouse.
She trips over a piece of wood in the dark.
And she falls in the water.
And she drifts down the river.
And she goes over the waterfall.
And she falls in the lake.
And she has to walk home soaking wet.
She comes in, and she's really mad.
She says, "If you hadn't have chopped that wood, I wouldn't have fallen in the water."
"And I wouldn't have drifted down the river."
"And I wouldn't have gone over the waterfall."
"And I wouldn't have fallen in the lake."
"And I wouldn't be standing here soaking wet!"
John looks at her and says, "Well, I don't see why you're mad..."
"If I hadn't (have) chopped the wood for you, you wouldn't have this nice big fire to warm up by!"

Story Text:

This is John and Mary's house.
It's beside the river.
A ways down from their house, there's a waterfall and a lake.
One night, John says, "I'm going to go out and chop some wood."
"I'll make a bigger fire."
But Mary says, "John, don't go chop wood in the dark!"
"You'll drop some."
"Then when I get up to go to the outhouse, I'll trip over it."
"I'll fall into the water."
"I'll drift down the river."
"I'll go over the waterfall."
"I'll fall in the lake."
"And I'll have to walk home soaking wet."
But John says, "Oh no, I'll be careful."
And he goes out and chops wood.
And on his way back in he drops a piece, on the path.
Later that night, Mary gets up to go to the outhouse.
She trips over a piece of wood in the dark.
And she falls in the water.
And she drifts down the river.
And she goes over the waterfall.
And she falls in the lake.
And she has to walk home soaking wet.
She comes in, and she's really mad.
She says, "If you hadn't have chopped that wood, I wouldn't have fallen in the water."
"And I wouldn't have drifted down the river."
"And I wouldn't have gone over the waterfall."
"And I wouldn't have fallen in the lake."
"And I wouldn't be standing here soaking wet!"
John looks at her and says, "Well, I don't see why you're mad..."
"If I hadn't (have) chopped the wood for you, you wouldn't have this nice big fire to warm up by!"

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Materials:

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Summary:

A story of unintended -- but not unexpected! -- consequences.

Tags:

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Other Versions:

Cite this storyboard as:

TFS Working Group (2011). The Woodchopper. Totem Field Storyboards . Retrieved from http://www.totemfieldstoryboards.org on Mar 15, 2026.

Licensing:

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 2.5 Canada License.

You are free to redistribute this storyboard, and create your own derivative works from it, so long as you attribute the original source. Commercial use is permitted.

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