Sing To The Dawn

Chapter One:
Dawan and Kwai sat on the rickety old bridge above the river
Dawan asked Kwai what would he do if he got the scholarship
Dawan felt that she would not get the scholarship because she is a girl, instead
Kwai might get the scholarship
Talked about how unfair it is that the sacks of rice stacked up beneath the house
is for the tax collector
Their parents thought that it was foolish and wasteful to send girls to school
Chapter Two:
Teacher asked students what they saw beneath their house in the morning
Had a long discussion with the students about the landlord taking away sacks of
rice beneath their houses
A student spotted the headmaster heading to their class and the student
shouted "he's coming"
Teacher and student immediately pretended that they are having Geography
lessons until the headmaster went away
Teacher and student discussed what they should do if they won the scholarship
Teacher announced that Dawan won the scholarship
Chapter Three:
Classmates surrounded Dawan as soon as they heard that she won the
scholarship
Kwai was unhappy and sad that Dawan won the scholarship instead of him
Dawan told her family that she got the scholarship and that made her parents
angry. Her father was especially angry and said that she took her own brother's
chance away from him.
Dawan's grandmother however supported her
Dawan and her grandmother headed to Noi's house and halfway, Dawan's
mother decided to go with Dawan instead of her grandmother
Chapter Four:
Noi said that going to the city was useless
Army officer made deal with Noi's family in order not to bring Ghan to the army

Chapter Five:
Kwai realised that Noi and Ghan do not support Dawan in going to the city
Kwai came in second in the examination
If Dawan does not go to the city, Kwai gets to go instead of her
Chapter Six:
Dawan's father didn't want her to go to the city
Kwai asked his father if he had won the scholarship, would he allow him to go to
the city
Kwai's dad thought that boys going to the city to futher his studies would be
better than girls
Chapter Seven:
Dawan went to the marketplace alone and met a girl that sells lotus bud and
caged sparrows
Dawan realised that the girl, Bao, was the sister of her classmate
Chapter Eight:
Dawan went to see the old monk
Dawan's teacher and the old monk are good friends
Old monk does not really see why Dawan should go to the city school
Chapter Nine:
Bao allowed Dawan to free a bird for free
Bao's brother, Vichai, came to the market stall and hit her because she freed a
bird for free
Kwai stopped Vichai from hitting Bao
After realising that Bao knew about what happened between Dawan and Kwai,
Kwai wanted to slap Bao
Kwai pushed Dawan away when she tried to stop Kwai, unfortunately she landed
on top of a pile of broken bird cages, injuring herself
Cousin Noi helped Dawan with her wound
Chapter Ten:
Dawan and Kwai were at the river

Kwai was thinking about Dawan's words, about him being a bully
Dawan passed Kwai her umbrella caringly as it was raining
Kwai made a decision
Chapter Eleven:
Kwai's father heard from his teacher that he got second in the test and was
angry at Kwai for not telling him so
Father spoke to both Kwai and Dawan together
Father was very reluctant and unconvinced that Dawan should go to the city
school
After much persuasion from Dawan and Kwai, father finally allowed Dawan to go
to the city school
Chapter Twelve:
Kwai will miss Dawan once she goes to the city school, no one will be there to
watch the sunrise with him
Chapter Thirteen:
At first Dawan was unsure if she wanted to leave as she will miss everything in
her village
After her grandmother talked to Dawan, she decided to go
When she was boarding the bus to go to the city, Kwai was nowhere to be seen
Although many people in the village sent her off, she was not happy as Kwai was
not there
During the bus journey, she saw Kwai on the bridge that they usually went to, he
was waving at her. Bidding goodbye
Synopsis
The story is about a young Thai girl called Dawan who wins a scholarship to
study in a city school. She faces the disapproval of her father who thinks that
studying is not for girls and she should give the scholarship to her brother as he
is second in the test. Dawan tries many ways to convince her father to let her
pursue her studies.
Dawan tries to convince her father that he should give her a chance to study.
When she approaches anyone for help, she keeps on failing but she never gives
up and continues to do so and succeed in her mission. Even though she failed
many times, she manages to convince her father in the end. When the bus
arrives, she almost changes her mind because she is going to miss singing to the
dawn. After her grandmother convinces her, she decides to go.

The story ends with Dawan sitting on the bus going to the city. When she passes
the bridge, she sees her brother, Kwai singing the song that they sing every
dawn. Then, she sings together with Kwai until she cannot see Kwai anymore.
Next, she looks at the lotus flower her grandmother gives her to convince her to
go. As she sees it unfold, she becomes more convinced her grandmother is right,
she should go to the city, like the lotus unfolding.

SETTING

12. The landlord

1. Dawan's house

13. The villagers

2. The river, the bridge and the

narrow path leading to the river

14. The village students

3. The village school

4. Noi's house
5. Bao's flower stall in the market
palce
6. The temple
7. The bus
8. The City School

15. Takchit
16. The headmaster of the village
school

THEMES
1. Family love
2. Poverty
3. Gender discrimination
4. Responsibility

CHARACTERS
1. Dawan
2. Kwai

5. Sibling rivalry
6. Being fair and just
7. Standing up for what is right

3.Dawan's father
4. Dawan,s mother
5. Grandmother

MORAL VALUES

6. Cousin Noi anad Ghan

1. Do not be jealous of our siblings'

success

7. Bao

2. Love our family members

8. The teacher

3. Be responsible

9. The head monk

4. Be helpful

10. Vicahai

5. Be fair and just

11. Mr Phaspras

6. Be rational

7. Be hardworking and courageous