The Whipping Boy

Use this activity to engage all types of learners, while requiring that they refer to and incorporate details from the text over the course of the activity.

“The Mock Trial of a Whipping Boy”

In this activity, students will stage a mock trial for Jemmy to assess if he is guilty of colluding with Prince Horace to run away, and if he should be held responsible for the prince’s behavior.

When Jemmy and Prince Horace return to the castle in Chapter 20, the king quickly forgives Jemmy and thanks him for helping the prince.

• Imagine that the king was not so forgiving, and decided to put Jemmy on trial for his crime instead.
• What arguments could be made that Jemmy colluded with the prince’s plan to run away?
• Did Jemmy’s actions endanger the prince?
• What arguments could be made that Jemmy doesn’t deserve to be held responsible or punished?
• Consider possible answers to these questions, then determine if you feel that Jemmy is guilty or innocent. Prepare an argument in favor of prosecuting Jemmy or defending him.
• Present your position alone or with a group.

Take a vote on Jemmy’s innocence. Reflect on the outcome of the vote and write a journal-style entry in your notes to record the results.

Teaching Suggestion: Students can select or be assigned to either the prosecution (aiming to find Jemmy guilty) or the defense (aiming to justify Jemmy and avoid punishment for him). They can prepare their argument in written form or share with the class as an oral presentation. If appropriate for your age group, this activity could be used to introduce legal terminology or the structure of a trial. A group of students could be selected to act as a jury, and determine (either by vote or consensus) whether or not to find Jemmy guilty. Students can also be asked to propose an appropriate punishment in the event that Jemmy is found guilty. Throughout the activity, it may be helpful to remind students that the case doesn’t just rest on potential risks to the prince as an individual, but also the prince’s status as the future head of state.

Differentiation Suggestion: For more visual or tactile learners, consider incorporating “evidence” into the trial, and asking students to create objects that could be presented during the trial. These could include drawing pictures, making clay models, or creating collages to depict objects that played key roles in the adventure (potentially including the prince’s crown, a saddle with the king’s crown, images of Petunia the bear, the rats from the sewer, etc.).