The Girl Who Swallowed a Cactus Education Resources

The Themes of The Girl Who Swallowed a Cactus

This clever story of a girl and her brave friends has deep messages for audiences. Read below to enhance your theater experience!

Sustainability – The narrator of The Girl Who Swallowed A Cactus uses found objects to tell her story; the kids reuse treasures from the junkyard to create their magical world. This story encourages audiences to repurpose what already exists instead of tossing out and reaching for “brand new.” Why drain resources by starting over when you can reuse what is already here? A sustainable magical world is possible!

Borders Are Bogus – The Coyote refuses to recognize “New Mexico” when Sheila asks where they are standing and says “SandRockSunMoonHillShade” instead. The Coyote is fighting for the natural right to exist regardless of manmade borderlines – they are just lines on paper, afterall. Prince Desert Marigold wants to restore the power of nature which means ignoring rules made by humans who do not seem to care for the well-being of him or the animal kingdom.

Imagination for Innovation – This story celebrates our imaginations and how it can create a fantastical world of dodging headlights and solving real problems like crossing a road full of scorpions. Change is possible even from one voice speaking while many others listen! Just as we are encouraged to repurpose goods, the story wants us to find creative solutions to the environmental crisis as well as disagreements with others.

The Desert is far away from Washington... RIGHT?

Think you need to go far to find the desert? Think again! East of the Cascade Mountains the Washington State’s terrain slowly turns into desert. Temperatures often exceed 100 degrees Fahrenheit in regions such as the Yakima Valley, Eastern Washington Desert and the Columbia River Plateau. Washington farmers use this warm weather to grow fruits like apples, sweet cherries, and Bartlett pears.

A PACIFIC NORTHWEST TRICKSTER: Raven of Tlingit Nation

The Tlingit are an indigenous tribe of people who live in the Pacific Northwest. Their territory historically extended from the Portland Canal along the present border between Alaska and British Columbia. Raven is the central character of Tlingit myths. He is a trickster and a creator. Tlingit stories tend to center families or relationships – particularly between humans and animals. In addition to oral traditions, Raven has been featured in paintings, instruments, and crafts by Tlingit artists. In 2003, the renowned Tlingit-American glass artist Preston Singletary created an entire collection dedicated to a Raven myth. Raven and the Box of Daylight is the Tlingit story of Raven and his transformation of the world—bringing light to people via the stars, moon, and sun.

Fun fact: A large glass octopus created by Preston Singletary can be found outside Climate Pledge Arena

What is the name of Seattle’s NHL team? Answer: The Kraken

TREAT OR TRICKSTER: The Common Coyote

A trickster is a character usually found in folklore who clearly has intelligence, but often uses it to play tricks on others or disrupt socially acceptable behavior. Anansi is a trickster spider found in Ghanan-based folklore, Renart is a fox found in French folklore, and the Coyote is found in Native North American folklore. Isn’t it funny how so many different cultures exists on earth and they all have similar characters in their stories?

Can you name these popular tricksters?

What is the mischievous fairy in A Midsummer’s Night’s Dream who pours a flower potion in the eyes of teens to make them think they are in love? ANSWER: Puck

Created in 1940 by DC Comics, what is the name of the character who has many strange origin stories and is considered the perfect adversary to Batman? Despite his appearance, is never just clowning around. ANSWER: Joker

Who is the Norse mythology character known for his incredible shape-shifting abilities? Hint: They are played by Tom Hiddleston in the Marvel Universe. Answer: Loki

CACTUS SALSA RECIPE

Check out this recipe for Cactus Salsa by Adriana Martin
Once you have the all of the ingredients, you can be snacking on cacti in 15 minutes!

Questions for the Car

Chat with your family and let the story live on!

What would you build to cross a street full of scorpions and what would you need to build it?
Where do you think Sheila is today?
What would your desert name be?