read-aloud Play/historical Fiction N1: People all over the An Unforgettable world dream of traveling in Disaster this fast and fancy airship: The explosion of the the Hindenburg. Hindenburg was the first major disaster captured on film: Scene 1 Photographs and N2: Werner Franz and his film footage of the brother, Günter, live in tragedy shocked Germany. people around the world. These N1: Werner needs a job. The incredible powerful images werner Franz: Günter, are helped ensure that any hotels hiring? true story of the largest the event would Günter Franz: Not that I never be forgotten. airship ever built—and know of. a terrifying disaster that werner: Hmm. Maybe I can get a job at a restaurant. will never be forgotten Günter: Look up in the sky! Here comes the Hindenburg! werner: It’s amazing! The Günter: I wonder if you can get a job on that airship. werner: That would make me the luckiest boy in the whole world. Scene 2 UP Text features As you read this play, N2: Seven months later, Werner’s dream Hindenburg CLOSE look closely at the dramatic photos and comes true. detailed captions. How do they help you N1: He becomes the new cabin boy on the understand this historic disaster? Hindenburg. By Kate Marks LOOK FOR WORD NERD’s 7 TERMS IN BOLD N2: Chief Kubis gives Werner a tour of the Disaster ship. heinrich kubis: Here are the sleeping rooms. Prologue It is your job to make the beds. Characters N1: A giant silver aircraft soars through the sky. werner: There won’t be a single wrinkle in the Circle the character you will play. (Note: All characters are based on real people.) N2: It looks like a flying cruise ship. sheets! N1: Inside, celebrities and millionaires relax kubis: I like your attitude. [HINE-rik his wife *Narrator 1 (N1) *heinrich kubis *mrs. Doehner: in large, comfortable rooms as they float N1: Kubis leads Werner up a flight of stairs. KOO-bis] chief steward on *Narrator 2 (N2) : irene: their daughter, 16 through the clouds. kubis: This is the dining room, where the Hindenburg N2: This might seem like a scene from the passengers enjoy fine food and fantastic *werner Franz [VEHR-ner walter: their son, 10 INDENBURG) [PROOSS] H future, but it is a scene from the past. views. frahnts]: a 14-year-old boy max Pruss : GES ( herbert morrison: a reporter A M captain of the Hindenburg I N1: It is 1936. For the past 30 years, airships, werner: It feels just like being in a hotel. Günter [GOON-ter]: ETTY G also called zeppelins, have ruled the skies. kubis: It’s better! Our hotel can float through mr. Doehner [DAY-ner]: a OTO/ Werner’s older brother F N2: Germany has just built the largest one ever the clouds. passenger *Indicates large speaking role OPPER P made. It is nearly three football fields long. werner: Incredible! 4 STORYWORKS storyworks.scholastic.com • FEBrUARY/march 2015 5 kubis: Just make sure none of the passengers kubis: Our cabin boy will help you with your N1: Unlike airplanes, zeppelins float up gently kubis: Oh, no! have matches or lighters. luggage. into the air. N2: Kubis grabs the toy. N) A N2: The Hindenburg is filled with hydrogen, N1: Werner carries away the family’s expensive TT walter: Mama, he took my truck! Make him A NH which makes it float. But this gas burns easily. bags. MA Scene 4 give it back! VER kubis: A single spark could turn our entire mrs. Doehner: Look at the velvet curtains! O N2: For the next two days, the passengers enjoy kubis: I am very sorry, but I can’t do that. A GES ( A M airship into a ball of flames. irene: I wonder if any movie stars are on I a smooth voyage. tiny spark could cause a terrible fire on our : Captain Pruss walks by. board! P : But thunderstorms delay the airship’s airship. N1 INDENBURG) N1 H max Pruss: Don’t scare the boy, Kubis. It’s his mrs. Doehner: This airship looks beautiful, but landing in New Jersey. NSIDE I INDENBURG); A first day! it feels dangerous. H N2: Captain Pruss orders the crew to circle New Scene 5 ORBIS ( kubis: Madame, zeppelins are the safest way to C York City while he waits for the weather to N1: After several hours, the Hindenburg floats UILDING THE OOM); B Scene 3 travel. R improve. toward Lakehurst, New Jersey. GES ( INING A D M N2: Werner loves his job. mr. Doehner: When are we going to take off? I N1: The passengers enjoy the amazing views. Pruss: The weather isn’t perfect, but we can’t GES ( ETTY A G M N1: He enjoys several voyages on the Hindenburg. irene (laughing): Father, we took off 10 minutes I irene: Look, there’s the Empire State Building! wait any longer. Tell everyone we will be ETTY G / EYSTONE/ N2: On May 3, 1937, the Doehner family arrives ago! P mrs. Doehner: Walter, come see the big landing shortly. K - A FF/AF O at the airship for a trip across the Atlantic mr. Doehner: What?! MM buildings! kubis: Yes, sir. GA Ocean, from Germany to the United States. N2: Mr. Doehner looks out the window. He is NCE/ N2: Her son is busy playing with his toy truck. N2: Back in the lounge, the passengers look out A ITCHEN); Pruss: Welcome aboard. surprised to see that the ground is far below K N1: He pushes it along the carpet and it makes the windows. GES ( A M I EYSTONE-FR P : Thank you, Captain! them. K a spark. : Aren’t you glad we took the Hindenburg, mr. Doehner A irene Mother? mrs. Doehner: I’ll be glad when we are on the Floating Luxury ground. The Hindenburg N1: Outside, people wave at the passengers. traveled at twice the speed of the fastest irene: Look at the reporters! steamship in the N2: Walter makes faces at the 1930s. Passengers crowd. slept in cozy walter: Ha ha! You can’t ride in the bunkbeds, ate hearty meals, and gathered zeppelin! to sing around a mrs. Doehner: Walter, stop that lightweight piano. right now. The airship was mr. Doehner: My camera is out of ingeniously designed to be strong but film. I’ll be right back. light. Thousands of N1: Mr. Doehner rushes to his steel beams (shown cabin to grab more film. below) were covered irene: Hurry! You don’t want to miss the by a fabric skin. landing. Scene 6 N2: Meanwhile, Werner cleans up the kitchen. N1: BOOM! Suddenly, the airship shakes. N2: Werner falls to the floor in a pile of broken dishes. werner: What was that? N1: WHOOSH! A ball of fire rushes toward him. 6 STORYWORKS storyworks.scholastic.com • FEBrUARY/march 2015 7 werner: Fire! Chief N2: Fire roars toward them. Epilogue Kubis! There is a fire N1: Mrs. Doehner and Kubis jump out the N1: What caused the fire that destroyed the in the kitchen! window just in time. Hindenburg on May 6, 1937? N2: The ship tilts N2: Was it sabotage? sideways. Then it Scene 8 N1: Maybe a spark made leaking hydrogen begins to sink to the N2: On the ground, Werner cries in fear. catch on fire. ground. N1: Kubis runs by, carrying an injured N2: Recently, a Lucky Survivor N1: Werner slides toward passenger. scientist came One day after the crash, the flames. kubis: Werner! Pull yourself together. Go and up with another Werner returned to the werner: Help! see if you can help anyone. theory. The wreckage to search for his beloved pocket N2: Suddenly, a water N2: Werner runs toward the airship. Hindenburg’s watch—and found it. tank explodes and puts N1: But the zeppelin is burning fast. silver paint could Franz died out the fire around N2: In just 30 seconds, the Hindenburg is gone. have caught in 2014 at him. N1: A news reporter, Herbert Morrison, talks on fire because the age of 92. N1: Soaking wet, Werner The Last Airship One minute after the explosion, the dazzling Hindenburg into his microphone. of the static snaps to his senses. was little more than a flaming pile of metal. Experts agree that the deadly herbert morrison: Oh, the humanity! This is electricity in the air. N2: He looks around for disaster ended the age of the zeppelins and opened up a new chapter in the the worst thing I’ve ever witnessed! N1: The true cause remains a a way to escape. history of travel. Just two years after the Hindenburg crash, the first passenger : The sky fills with smoke. mystery. airplane crossed the Atlantic Ocean. N2 werner: The supply N1: Thirty-five people are dead, including N2: One thing is certain: hatch! to be very brave. Irene and her father. News coverage of the N1: He runs to a large door in the floor. walter: OK, Mama. disaster shook the world. Normally, it is used to load the kitchen with N1: She picks up Walter and dangles him out of Scene 9 N1: Nobody could forget food. the window. N2: The next day, the entire world hears the pictures of the N2: But today, it is Werner’s only hope. He N2: She spots Captain Pruss on the ground. Morrison’s radio broadcast about the disaster. Hindenburg bursting kicks open the hatch. mrs. Doehner: Captain Pruss, can you catch morrison: It has burst into flames, and it’s into flames. N1: Outside, the ground rushes toward him.