Additions To Mudcat Storytellers' Page

Subject: RE: Additions To Mudcat Storytellers' Page
From: Charley Noble
Date: 14 Nov 01 - 01:28 PM

Aine - Glad you're pleased with GRENDEL'S story, which I've been reminded is probably the correct spelling. Wear it out in good health!;-)

Subject: RE: Additions To Mudcat Storytellers' Page
From: katlaughing
Date: 14 Nov 01 - 10:49 PM

Aine, that is a wonderfully, very finely crafted story. What a pair! You had me guessing til the end. 'Bout time you shared some more with us, darlin'!! Brava!!

Subject: RE: Additions To Mudcat Storytellers' Page
From: Áine
Date: 15 Nov 01 - 11:50 AM

Thanks, kat ;-)

I've added two more excellent stories by Matthew Edwards to the Book today: The Banning of Brendan Behan and Margaret Barry and a Bicycle

You'll have a great read with these two, I promise.

Thank you, Matthew, and keep 'em coming!

-- Áine

Subject: RE: Additions To Mudcat Storytellers' Page
From: Uncle_DaveO
Date: 15 Nov 01 - 03:37 PM

Because my father died when I was three, my mother, brother, and I lived through my childhood in the upstairs of my grandparents' house. I almost said "my grandmother's house". Here's why:

Grandpa, a one-time cowboy and stagecoach driver, a meatcutter of many years, had put up the down payment all those many years ago, but grandma had essentially paid for the house by taking in roomers, raising and selling canaries and parakeets, sewing, and other projects. She was house-proud, and my steady-workman, man-of-few-words grandpa never gave a sign that the house was anyone's but hers.

Now, grandpa had an eye for the pretty women. "An eye", I say. I don't for a moment want you to think he was unfaithful or a womanizer; I strongly doubt it. But he did love to see and admire and talk to pretty, vivacious women. Grandma never, I think, accused him of any philandering. Whatever thoughts she might have had on the subject were kept private.

I was in the army in Germany in the middle 50s, and grandma would then have been about 82, and grandpa 86. Grandma was, and had been for many years, in rather poor health.

My mother wrote to me regularly, and in one of her letters she told me: "Mother (grandma) told me yesterday that she's terribly afraid that she'll die before Dad does. She's afraid he'll sell her house and spend the money on wild women!"

I represent to you, friends, that at 82 and 86 years of age, THAT'S CONFIDENCE IN YOUR HUSBAND!

Dave Oesterreich

Subject: RE: Additions To Mudcat Storytellers' Page
From: Uncle_DaveO
Date: 15 Nov 01 - 03:51 PM

I neglected to give a title to my true story. I'd call it Grandma's House"

Dave Oesterreich

Subject: RE: Additions To Mudcat Storytellers' Page
From: Áine
Date: 15 Nov 01 - 08:31 PM

My dearest, darlin' DaveO -- Wunnerful, wunnerful, wunnerful story! Got any more of those up yer sleeve, sailor? ;-)

Grandma's House is now a proud member of the gang on the Mudcat Storytellers Page. Thanks, Dave!!

-- Áine

Subject: RE: Additions To Mudcat Storytellers' Page
From: Amergin
Date: 17 Nov 01 - 02:43 PM

Old Aine....I have one here based on my favourite childhood Christmas memories...when everone...my aunts and uncles and my grandparents and my mother and me would all go out to the hills and search for the perfect Christmas tree....

The Perfect Tree

Slogging up and down, burrowing through the waist deep snow, seven of them on this sacred journey, searching for the perfect tree.

They surround the party, soldiers of the forest, guards reaching their green arms high in praise to the snow flecked clouds, pine cones hanging from each hand.

Suddenly, like a star from the east, the winter sun stretches down his limbs of frozen light to bejewel the crown of a young tree. Voices call out amongst the seven, saying this is the one!

The eldest pulls the cord, and a chainsaw sings its joy across the North Idaho countryside as the pine smashes into the snow burdened ground.

They pick their prize from the floor and carry it amongst themselves, triumphant in their success in obtaining the perfect tree.

nt

line breaks added by mudelf ;-)

Subject: RE: Additions To Mudcat Storytellers' Page
From: Rich(bodhránai gan ciall)
Date: 17 Nov 01 - 09:37 PM

Áine,

An awful long time ago, you posted a story about spiders in a Christmas tree and the Baby Jesus turning their webs into silver, hence the invention of tinsel.Could you please add that story? (Unless it's one that you wouldn't want others to tell, of course.)

Thank you,
Rich

Subject: RE: Additions To Mudcat Storytellers' Page
From: Áine
Date: 18 Nov 01 - 06:46 AM

A Rich, a stór,

It was our dear kat that posted that story here on the Fav. Xmas Stories-Golden Cobwebs, which I have refreshed for the 2001 season.

It is a beautiful, magical story, and I can't thank you enough for reminding myself and all the Mudcatters of it. Wow, you've got quite a memory there, since kat posted that story in 1999 - comhghairdeas! ;-)

I do have some bad news, however. My computer went tits up last night, and I'm trying to get everything off of it before it I have to put the pennies on its eyes. So, I won't be able to upload anything to the Songbook/Challenge! Songs/Storytellers pages until I get this worked out. The good news is that I can use Dear Hubby's computer for the Mudcat and email.

Please hold a good thought for my config files, OK?

-- Áine

Subject: RE: Additions To Mudcat Storytellers' Page
From: Amergin
Date: 18 Nov 01 - 09:40 PM

What is it with you and computers, Aine? I think they are beginning to quail in fear when they see you walk by....oh no they say, not her! She will be the death of us!

Subject: RE: Additions To Mudcat Storytellers' Page
From: Áine
Date: 27 Nov 01 - 02:20 PM

I've posted some more great Christmas stories to the Mudcat Storytellers' Page. Enjoy these contributions from fellow Mudcatters:

Rambling Sam told by Matthew Edwards

The Nest told by bert

The Fourth Magi told by Rich(bodhránaí gan ciall)

The Box of Gold told by Áine

The Golden Cobwebs told by katlaughing

The Clock on the Mantle told by Lucy's Mom

The Perfect Tree told by Amergin


Thanks to all of you for your contributions to the Book!

-- Áine

Subject: RE: Additions To Mudcat Storytellers' Page
From: Áine
Date: 27 Nov 01 - 10:49 PM

I just posted to the Storytellers' Page a very interesting 'performance' story entitled Child of the Spirits by CapriUni, who sent it to me back in August. My apologies for the delay in getting it into the Book, Ann. It's a great read, and I'm sure it was even better hearing it read.

Thank you for sharing it with us, Áine

Subject: RE: Additions To Mudcat Storytellers' Page
From: CapriUni
Date: 03 Dec 01 - 11:58 AM

Glad you liked "Child", Aine. While not exactly about singing or music, I thought the general feeling would be shared by all of us who feel the inner drive to get our voices heard.

I love the story "The Golden Cobwebs"; The version I heard (or read, probably, back when I was in school) comes from the Ukraine, and is set on the 'other side of the tracks' so to speak, about a very poor family with a different attitude to their own house spider.

I just found a very beautiful version of this story here

A few years ago, I sent a version of this story out with my Christmas/Yule cards, along with a spider web ornament I made. I formed the web itself out of white floral wire, and stiffened it with clear sparkle fabric glue -- turned out really pretty, and was really easy to make... :::Sigh::: I don't have one for my own tree, this year. I think I ought to make a new one...

Subject: RE: Additions To Mudcat Storytellers' Page
From: Amergin
Date: 04 Jan 02 - 08:50 PM

Dreams Of Marriage

Well...there was this young couple lying next to each other after a fabulous love making session, one night. They snuggled and kissed and traded I love yous and so on.

The young man, John, turned to his lady, Deirdre, and asked:

"Do you ever think about the future? The future of us?"

She turned to him and said, "Yes, I do, everyday."

"Me, too, sweetie. I was just thinking about us. About how you will bear me thirteen children and work three jobs, your main job at the newspaper, and two part time jobs, MacDonald's and the local Blockbuster. How you will come back home on your breaks to take care of the children, change their diapers, clean up their various messes, and fix us our meals. you will come back to the bedroom to the computer where I will be playing games and surfing on our cable connection, that you pay for, and feed me by your own hand, with each spoonful of food that you lift to my loving lips. It will be great for you to support me in a manner to which I could easily become accustomed to. I love you."

Deirdre looked at him as he went on his spiel, her eyes getting wider and darker with each word dripping from his mouth. She got up out of bed, telling him, "I need to go to the bathroom."

"Ok" he lay back down on the bed, hands behind his head, eyes gazing up at the ceiling, as he beheld visions of his misguided dreams.

She came back into the dimly lit room, her arms behind her back. She looked down at him as he sat up and reached for her soft body. "THWACK!" an iron disk-like object flew from behind his love and smacked him in the head.

"AAAARRRGGGGHHHH!" he bawled holding his hands to his throbbing skull. He looked up at Deirdre and found her there holding a small frying pan, eyes sparking in the candle light. "What the he-"

"THWACK!" the pan came smashing into his head once more.

"Listen up, John! This is my idea of our splendid future! You will be spending your days inside a closet, living only to serve me! To please me! To make sure each and every need of mine is filled! If you do as you are told, you may, just may get some food. If not then you can forget it! Now get up out of that bed! Get into that closet and shut the door behind you! I want to sleep now! Understand?"

"Yes, dear."

nt

Subject: RE: Additions To Mudcat Storytellers' Page
From: katlaughing
Date: 04 Jan 02 - 11:01 PM

CapriUni, that is a beautiful story about the silvery cobwebs! Thank you. My grandma used to read The Golden Cobwebs to us out of a book she used as a school "marm." Sara Cone Bryant, author of the book, "How to tell stories to children" said she got it from someone who'd heard it in the "mother tongue" form someone from Germany. This is the first time I've ever heard a different version of it.

When I was a co-leader of Girl Scouts in Connecticut, I read it to them one year. One of them was thrilled to find it, in poem form, in a book at her parochial school. She brought me a copy of it, but I cannot find it, right now. It was well done.

Amergin, are you alright?:-)

kat

Subject: RE: Additions To Mudcat Storytellers' Page
From: CapriUni
Date: 04 Jan 02 - 11:51 PM

Kat --

I think I remember glancing through that book How to Tell Stories to Children. I remember it had some good tales, but I was frustrated at how so many of the stories were "softened" for the audience... if we are, in fact, talking about the same book... Maybe I'm thinking of Bag O' Tales.

I love collecting different versions of stories... one of my hobbies.

Was it your voice I heard on the WFDU Traditions Christmas show, reading that story? If so, I enjoyed your reading...

And, Amergin, I have the same question as Kat: Are you all right?

Subject: RE: Additions To Mudcat Storytellers' Page
From: katlaughing
Date: 05 Jan 02 - 12:09 AM

CapriUni, yes, it was me you heard. Thanks!

I don't remember the stories being softened in my grandma's book, which, btw, she gave me when I was 8 yrs old. I bought old 1905 copies of it for my neices and sister this year, for Christmas. Billy Beg and His Bull, The Cat and the Parrot, both of those I remember being rather deliciously horrifying. Bryant listed the stories by age group, but not in any formal way, really. My favourite and that of my children was Raggylug. Then, there were Why the Sea is Salt, Why Morning Glories Climb, The Story of Wylie, Why the Evergreens Keep their Leaves in Winter; wonderful stories all.

Thanks,

kat

Subject: RE: Additions To Mudcat Storytellers' Page
From: CapriUni
Date: 05 Jan 02 - 12:55 PM

Must be Bag O' Tales I'm remembering, then...

Subject: RE: Additions To Mudcat Storytellers' Page
From: Amergin
Date: 05 Jan 02 - 06:02 PM

Oh i am alright...she let me out of the closet so I could get back to Oregon.....

Subject: RE: Additions To Mudcat Storytellers' Page
From: Amergin
Date: 07 May 02 - 01:28 PM

BooBoo-The Bird Hunter

He sits in the green spring lawn, watching the birds fly in out and of the white birdhouse, made to look exactly like the garage-white walls with wooden siding and dark roofing. A hungry look seeps into his siamese face-black fur floating on a sea of white. He looks around and sees the perfect path....a ladder leaning against the garage...sun weathered to the colour of grey. He lays his fore paws on the bottom rung and commences to carefully climb the steep wooden steps. He gingerly and carefully treads the dark roof of the garage making his way to the birdhouse, where two robins sweetly sing their love to each other chirping away in the nest of commitments...He climbs onto the birdhouse and patiently waits for his supper. He sits there as one of the birds pokes his head out of the door and gazes up into the big black face of BooBoo Kitty. The scarlet coloured bird continues to look into the cat's eyes as a huge hungry sneer spreads across the dark mouth, pointed teeth glistening in the sunlight, blood red tongue sliding across black lips, tasting the anticipation. the bird pops back inside and chirps loudly to his mate, musical notes tinged with panic echo across the lawn. The bird jumps out and flies a few feet away from the bird house screaming at the siamese, screaming that This is my home go away, you do not belong here, leave us alone! The cat stands there heedless of the terrified please for mercy. the bird swoops down at the cat and dances lightly away in the air when the claws come swiping across it's vision. Then he dives at BooBoo again and once more dancing away from the danger of his claws. BooBoo stands there looking at the bird flapping it's wings a few feet away, listening to it's screams and jumps after it. Four legs scramble in the air, clutching at nothing but emptiness as the bird jumps up looking down. Then SLAM! a black and white mass of fur it's the grass and dirt with a soft thud. BooBoo get's up shaking the stars from his vision and looks up at the birdhouse to see two heads poking out chirping their laughter at him. He gets up and gives the birds one last look and walks away...to nurse his beaten pride alone.

Subject: RE: Additions To Mudcat Storytellers' Page
From: GUEST
Date: 07 May 02 - 01:53 PM

The Christmas Fiddle

Subject: RE: Additions To Mudcat Storytellers' Page
From: EBarnacle1
Date: 07 May 02 - 02:00 PM

When I was running the 'Liar's Bench' in "Messing About in Boats" I found that there are very few new stories. In fact, the only new "folktales" I was able to come up with were ones that actually happened to me. Otherwise, sooner or later I would run across a citation or the ur-story in another source. It go to be downright embarassing after a while and led me to give up on the column for a while.

Subject: RE: Additions To Mudcat Storytellers' Page
From: Amergin
Date: 08 May 02 - 02:42 AM

Nathan and the Magic Tuna

Some years ago, I was sailing on the Oil Spill Response Vessel, Clean Pacifc Columbia down the coast of Oregon from Astoria to Coos Bay. We were supposed to follow the stern of the New Carissa out to sea when they towed it off the beach.

Well that first morning after crossing the Columbia River Bar, I was standing on the bow smoking a fag watching the fog roll back from the shoreline, feeling the waves rock us in gentle greeting. Suddenly, a fifty pound tuna jumps from the swelling sea, over the bulwarks...and onto the steel deck. I stood there jaw hanging down to my belly as the fag slowly slipped from my fingers, rolling through the scupper and sizzling out into the saltwater below...

I got down and caught the fish and held it still as best I could hoping that it would give up soon...thinking of the fine supper we would have that night....Then I heard a voice in my ear plead, "Please don't eat me!" I jumped nearly losing grip of the tuna in my shock and I heard it again, "Please do not eat me I will give you anything you want."

I looked down and saw two eyes looking intently at me from a face of scales. I saw the mouth open and close with each syllable emanating from it's depths, "If you let me go you can have anything in the world you desire."

"What could you possibly give to me?" I asked.

"I can give you riches beyond your wildest imagination. It would make the wealth of Ancient Egypt pale by comparison. The most beautiful women in all the world would flock to you and do whatever your heart desired."

"Hmmm....Yeah but if I had so much money I would need an army of accountants just to keep track of it all, a division of lawyers to keep it in my hands, and a security system so powerful it will lock me inside, safe from the greedy hands of the world...whereas I llike being in contact with people, I like going to work and talk with them and laugh with them, I like going to the pub and having a few pints with my mates....as for the women well...I would rather they be with me because of who I am...rather than what I can buy for them. So no...that will not do."

The fish quieted for a moment and spoke once more, "I can give you power beyond your imagination. Presidents and kings would do your bidding peace can reign over the world, you would have the power of life and death over every single person in the world."

"What is the good of that?" I asked, "I do not need or want such power. All I need is the power to rule myself and the collective power of my comrades so that we can get what we deserve, nothing more."

Again the fish was silent, thought creeping into its deep dark eyes then it spoke once more, "I can give you knowledge and wisdom,. The secrets of life would be unlocked for you. God himself would ask for your advice...you would make the wisdom of Solomon seem like a child's fancy."

"Now why would I want that? I responded, "Seems to me life would be rather boring if I knew everything...and the reasons for everything...there would be no need to live...for I would already know everything...instead of learn by experience, which although may be harder....but it is alot more worthwhile."

Exasperated the fish asked, "Is there anything you want at all?"

"Yes, food." And I must admit that was the best damn tuna I ever had the pleasure of eating.

nt

Subject: RE: Additions To Mudcat Storytellers' Page
From: Amergin
Date: 08 May 02 - 09:51 PM

should tell you...the last two stories are true...

Subject: RE: Additions To Mudcat Storytellers' Page
From: Amergin
Date: 13 Aug 02 - 11:06 PM

bumping this up for old aine

Subject: RE: Additions To Mudcat Storytellers' Page
From: Charley Noble
Date: 08 Jan 04 - 07:30 PM

Thanks to Max and Mudcat, "Grendel & the Cream Separator" has been published in NOSTALGIA MAGAZINE, January, 2004, p. 15, and I am $10 wealthier. Of course, I originally mispelled "Grendel."

They have great graphics of De Laval cream separators, operated by scantily clad milk maids.

Cheerily,
Charley Noble

Subject: RE: Additions To Mudcat Storytellers' Page
From: CapriUni
Date: 15 Jan 04 - 07:24 PM

Seeing this thread recently refreshed reminds me -- how is our Gaelic Goddess lately? I miss her pressence around here...

Subject: RE: Additions To Mudcat Storytellers' Page
From: Amos
Date: 15 Jan 04 - 08:03 PM

She's just fine as of last I heard, a few days ago; she has had computer transfer problems and has been up to her ears discovering new music and learning the Mandolin! She keeps promising to return to her old stompin' grounds, and she did start a thread the other day over here.

A

Subject: RE: Additions To Mudcat Storytellers' Page
From: Walking Eagle
Date: 16 Jan 04 - 03:19 PM

Refresh