Don't know why, but I am assuming you are a UK Northerner.
Try and get hold of some recordings of traditional storytellers. The best and most readily available of these are Scots, The Stewarts of Blair probably the best known. The School of Scottish Studies isssued a superb double CD entitled 'Scottish Traditional Tales' on Greentrax and Mike Yates assembled 2 CDs called 'Travellers Tales' from hs own collection which he issued on his Kylo label. Also a couple of cassettes from Scots Traveller Duncan Williamson, possibly available from the Elphistone Institute. The School of Scottish Studies one comes with a booklet containing notes and full transcriptions, which can be useful for print-outs, especially when dealing with unfamiliar dialects and accents.
Some years ago we edited a cassette of storytellers (we're rather proud of) from all over the British Isles, through The Vaughan Williams Memorial Library called '.....and That's My Story'. I think it is now unavailable - contact Malcolm Taylor; if it is, p.m. me and I might be able to help.
If I am wrong in my assumption and you are a Yankee Northener, there were two excellent albums of Appalachian tales by Ray Hicks and Richard Chase issued on Sandy Paton's Folk Legacy label.
Personally I'd avoid like the plague, the 'twee tendency' that used to proliferate in the storytelling revival of a few years ago, but that, of course, is your choice.
Jim Carroll