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Love Storytelling?
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Subject: Love Storytelling? From: wysiwyg Date: 06 Apr 02 - 03:15 PM Came across this today while looking for something else: Swapping Stories: Folktales from Louisiana - Online Resources Included are links to: From the Swapping Stories Web Site Swapping Stories: Folktales from Louisiana (on LPB server) About the Video Program Why are Folktales Important? Storytelling Glossary A Storyteller's Perspective by Bertney Langley, Koasati Storyteller
Excerpts from the Book Louisiana's Traditional Cultures: An Overview, by Maida Owens Louisiana's Traditional Cultures (printer-friendly), by Maida Owens Louisiana's Folktale Traditions, by Carl Lindahl Louisiana's Folktale Traditions (Outline) Swapping Stories Index of Motifs About the Transcriptions Bel Abbey Introduction from Swapping Stories Swapping Stories Isleño Notes
The Stories The Alligator Peach Tree, Pierre Daigle Another Big Fish Story, by Lonnie Gray The Arcadia Dating Game, by Harold Talbert Bel's Encounter with a Wise Owl, by Bel Abbey Ben Lilly, Strong Man of Morehouse Parish, by James B. Rider Bouki and Lapin in the Garden, by Max Greig Bouki, Lapin et Rat de Bois (Bouki, Lapin and Possum) by Enola Matthews From the LPB site From The Educator's Guide on this website Brer Rabbit and the Tarbaby, by Dolores Henderson Bull Talk, by Governor Jimmie H. Davis A Chitimacha Flood Story, by Nicholas L. Stouff Does He Drive, Too?, by A.J. Smith From the LPB site (video) From The Educator's Guide on this website Elvis Comes to Angie, by Mary Etta Scarborough Moody An Extra Passenger on the Bus, by Harold Talbert The First Meeting of the Indians and the Europeans (version 1), by Bel Abbey First Meeting of the Indians and Europeans (version 2), by Bel Abbey God Works in Mysterious Ways, by Harry Methvin How the Bat Got Its Wings, by Bertney Langley How the Koasati Got Their Name, by Bertney Langley The Husband's Return, by Irvan Perez I'm Going to Leave You, Chère, by Harry Lee Leger (video) It Was So Cold, by Lonnie Gray It Was So Hot, Lonnie Gray Jean Sot, la vache, les chiens et sa petite soeur (Jean Sot, the Cow, the Dogs, and Little Sister), by Enola Matthews Learning from the Bear, by Bel Abbey Leaving Mississippi, by Robert Albritton (video) The Legend of the Brooch, by Wendell Lindsay The Life of a Crab Fisherman, by Irvan Perez Life Saving Sirens, by Loulan Pitre The Little Tar Man, by Wilson "Ben Guiné" Mitchell Loup Garou as Shadow Companion, by Glen Pitre (video) Mosquitoes Save a Life, by Harry Methvin From The Educator's Guide on this website From the LPB site On Top of Old Smoky, by Harry Methvin An Oyster-culling Loup Garou, by Loulan Pitre (video) Paying the Price for a Free Train Ride, by Harold Talbert The Politician Gets His (two versions), by Hubert L. "Anatoo" Clement, Sr. The Reverend Gets the Possum, by Sarah Albritton (audio) Setecientos setentaisiete (Seventeen Seventy-Seven), by Irvan Perez The Shadow Companion, by Loulan Pitre (video) She Has the Key, by Sarah Albritton (audio) Shine and the Titanic, by Arthur "Arthuro" Pfister Swapping Stories, by Dave Petitjean and A. J. Smith (video) A Tale About a Catfish, by Sarah Kent Les trois couillon (The Three Fools), by Enola Matthews Les trois Jobs (The Three Jobs), by Enola Matthews The Turtle and the Rabbit Run a Race, by Bel Abbey Walking on Water, by Governor Jimmie H. Davis The Widow's Buried Gold, by Pierre Daigle Wrestling Mania, by Harold Talbert Why the Frog Croaks, by Tang Thi Thanh Van You Think I'm Working, But I'm Not, by Robert Albritton (video) ================================================= Those are transcribed stories, not sound files, but WOW! ~Susan |
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Subject: RE: Love Storytelling? From: CapriUni Date: 06 Apr 02 - 03:28 PM Thanks, Susan! I do love storytelling, and I will definitely bookmark that site! |
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Subject: RE: Love Storytelling? From: kendall Date: 06 Apr 02 - 04:09 PM As a storyteller I must admit that I do enjoy doing it. I have programs for adults, (never a 4 letter word) and I have a children's program. They love it; and I doubt that a tv show could hold their interest like a live storyteller can. |
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Subject: RE: Love Storytelling? From: E.T. Date: 06 Apr 02 - 04:12 PM Susan - if you go to google and type in tall tales - fish stories (or the other way round if that doesn't get it) on the third one on page 2 (with "belles lettres" in the title - you will get Charles larkin's wonderful collection of tales. Also this next weekend in Kalamazoo MI is a storytelling festival all weekend!. Will get more info if you want. Elaine |
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Subject: RE: Love Storytelling? From: Amergin Date: 06 Apr 02 - 04:23 PM i like making up the stories....especially if they make folks laugh.... |
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Subject: RE: Love Storytelling? From: mack/misophist Date: 06 Apr 02 - 06:13 PM Back before TV corrupted us all, storey telling was a social skill. Sometimes I'm glad I'm old. |
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Subject: RE: Love Storytelling? From: CapriUni Date: 07 Apr 02 - 02:05 PM I have a personal theory that it isn't language, per se, that is unique to humans (after all, I've seen other animals comunicate with each other and with us using a decodable system of sounds and posture), but what we do with it: tell stories. Humans are the only creatures I've come in contact with that perform what I call the "storytelling ritual", where a large number of individuals in a group focus their entire attention on one other member of their group for an extended period of time, with their attention so focussed that their immediate environment shifts almost entirely to the periphery of their consciousness -- almost like when we dream, and are no longer conscious of the bed we sleep in, or the sound around us -- only during storytelling, everyone is sharing the same "dream". Only humans do this... and I can't think of any human culture that does not have storytelling. It is so unique to humans, and so pervasive, that I can't help but think that this ability evolved to help us survive, somehow, and that our languages became more complex than other animals to support the ability to tell stories, rather than storytelling coming about as a way to do something with our language. Even with the decline of one-on-one oral storytelling, this dynamic still continues when millions of people go to see a movie made by a couple of hundred people, or when we watch the same tv show in the evening. I think the main reason why a tv show, movie, or book can't hold the attention of an audience the way a live storyteller can, is that a live storyteller is present with the audience, and can modulate the energy of her or his telling in response to the listeners' energy -- it's a collaboration. But a book, movie or tv show are all produced away from the audience -- separated by both space and time. I think it may be the same reason why a live concert is more exciting than listening to a recording -- for many people, at least. |
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Subject: RE: Love Storytelling? From: little john cameron Date: 07 Apr 02 - 03:14 PM There are a few daft Scottish stories in here written by twa heidcases.Haha.ljc Scribblers |
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Subject: RE: Love Storytelling? From: wysiwyg Date: 07 Apr 02 - 04:12 PM Great post, CU. I like your theory. ~S~ |
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Subject: RE: Love Storytelling? From: GUEST,Dagenham Doc Date: 07 Apr 02 - 04:25 PM When I was a boy my old Dad would tell me a story every night without fail. I loved the stories, even the same ones he told me over and over again. When my girls were young I told them the same stories and added a few of my own on. Now .. I am about to become a grandfather for the first time. Have I got a few stories to tell. Doc. |
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Subject: RE: Love Storytelling? From: CapriUni Date: 07 Apr 02 - 04:34 PM Thanks, Susan! I like my theory pretty well myself. It is a pet theory, but I haven't come up with a name for her yet. But she is housebroken... hhhmmm... Maybe I'll name her Rambles. ;-) I came to the conclusion that language itself is not exclusively human one day while I was waiting for a ride to show up. I heard a crow cawing somewhere overhead, and tried to spot the particular bird, just as an excerise. When I pinpointed the location, however, I discovered it was not a crow, but a pair of mocking birds, who were in the process of dive-bombing a crow perched nearby (who was silent). They were using the crow's own call to tell the crow to get the $#%^~*#%! out of their territory. They were using a specific signal for a specific audience. If that doesn't qualify as at least some sort of proto-languange, I don't know what does! I never really bought that language is exclusively human, anyway. But witnessing that clinched it. ...And ever since then, I've thought of "mocking" birds as "translator" birds *BG* |
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Subject: RE: Love Storytelling? From: CapriUni Date: 07 Apr 02 - 04:38 PM Congratulations, Doc! And congratulations, grandbaby! I think the two of you have some wonderful nights ahead... |
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Subject: RE: Love Storytelling? From: Jacob B Date: 08 Apr 02 - 04:13 PM That's wonderful, CapriUni. I hope that I find an opportunity to quote your theory someday. It deserves wider distribution. By the way, I read about a scientist who studies crow languages. He has proved that crows have not just one language, but different languages in different geographic areas. The word for "Danger!" is the same in all crow languages, but not many other words. Jacob |
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Subject: RE: Love Storytelling? From: GUEST,celticblues5 Date: 08 Apr 02 - 04:58 PM I posted earlier, asking if anyone was going to the Northlands conference. Guess no one is, since none replied. Thought I'd briefly tout it to everyone - it's a really nice, informal conference. Last year, Dan Keding did a great, all-day workshop on ballads and storytelling. There are always lots of good workshops - this year, everything from designing a website (for self-promotion) to combining music & stories to working to Old Testament material to enhancing ghost stories to working with elders on life stories. Not too late to sign up! Northlands is nominally the regional storytelling association for Iowa, Illinois, Michigan, Minnesota, & Wisconsin, but we have a lot of "out-landers" & all are welcome.
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Subject: RE: Love Storytelling? From: GUEST Date: 08 Apr 02 - 07:23 PM |
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Subject: RE: Love Storytelling? From: CapriUni Date: 08 Apr 02 - 10:28 PM thanks for the link, Celticblues! The festival is too far away for me to go there, but it sounds wonderful, and the NSN looks like a wonderful group... If you're going, could you please report back and tell us how it went? |
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Subject: RE: Love Storytelling? From: 53 Date: 08 Apr 02 - 10:48 PM Glenda writes great poetry, I know that she'll be interested in that site. Bob |
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Subject: RE: Love Storytelling? From: GUEST,winterbright Date: 09 Apr 02 - 06:47 PM Portland Maine storyteller open mike at 10 Mayo St. A Company of Girls building. Every 2nd Wednesday at 6:30 (I think) or 7:00 if I'm wrong. Open mike followed by a local featured teller; suggested donation $3. (Not just for girls! Everybody's welcome.) Some folks gather at Silly's on Washington Ave. just around the corner for dinner first at 5:30. Call 373-1526 FMI or directions. Featured this month: Antonio Rocha...April 10. |
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Subject: RE: Love Storytelling? From: CapriUni Date: 15 Jul 02 - 03:54 PM Refresh, with this heads-up for those who are interested: The other day, I was searching Google for articles on the web and in newsgroups about the effects of storytelling on the development of the brain and imagination (and vice-versa). I didn't find exactly what I was looking for (the answer to the question: When to babies first begin to respond to stories in particular rather than just the sound of their caregiver's voice?). But I did discover that there was newsgroup dedicated to storytelling: Alt.arts.storytelling Unfortunately, when I checked it out, I discovered that it was a virtual ghost town -- filled with one thread posts, which are mostly sleaze spam ads for porn sites and get-rich-quick schemes. So I'm organizing a full-scale invasion, and inviting all my storytelling-loving friends to come on over and start on-topic discussions on all the varied facets of storytelling. If we can increase the signal-to-noise ratio over there, the more often it will come up on searches of Google groups, so that even more people will come and join in. This can only help strengthen the connections between storytellers, and weaken the grip that sleaze spammers have on the Internet... And that's a good thing, right? ;-) |
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Subject: RE: Love Storytelling? From: MAG Date: 15 Jul 02 - 04:52 PM I'd also recommend the storytell list out of TWU, which, in fact, first steered me HERE. -- MA |
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Subject: RE: Love Storytelling? From: Joe Offer Date: 26 Feb 05 - 11:17 PM Here's a sermon from the First Unitarian Church of Nashville that warrants retelling. -Joe Offer- The Power of StoryRev. William Metzger November 28, 2004 “In the place where the storyteller was, the coming of night was marked as it was not in towns nor in modern houses. It was so marked that it created in the mind a different rhythm. There had been a rhythm of the day and now there was a rhythm of the night.” So it was that the Irish writer Padraic Colum described the mood and spirit of the time and place of the storyteller’s arrival on the scene. There was a time when the art of the storyteller was fitted to the daily tasks of life. Indeed, the Grimm fairytales and other stories popularized by storytellers were called household stories. In western Ireland the presence of a spinning wheel was a sign that a traditional storyteller could be found within. The girls of the neighborhood would gather at such a cottage to do the spinning, and the storyteller was fetched to entertain them. Perhaps one of the few places where this practice still exists in some fashion is in Cuban cigar factories, where workers are entertained as they roll cigars by readers. Of course it was not only the disappearance of such daily tasks that marked the near disappearance of the storytelling art. The development of lights for nighttime also played a part, because before the evening was lighted up, storytellers held forth as darkness came. Books and newspapers, and a decline in the household arts also contributed to the end of traditional storytelling in English cottages. In 1984 I spent six weeks at the UU church in Huntsville, Alabama, as minister-on-loan. I took along a collection of The Jack Tales, intending to use one of them during my time there. These tales were assembled and retold by Richard Chase during World War II; they were first published in 1943. The stories, which Chase had gathered in the Appalachians, had roots in England and Ireland. Imagine my surprise when, on my first day in the Huntsville church, I found a newspaper clipping on the bulletin board about the noted storyteller Richard Chase. He was a member of that congregation! Mr. Chase, a master storyteller and one of the foremost authorities on English and Anglo-American folklore, had collected several books of folk songs and singing games as well as folk tales. Another of his books is called The Grandfather Tales. These books were all originally published in the thirties and forties. When I met him in 1984, he was 90 years old and nearly blind; a young man helped him with his correspondence and brought him to church every Sunday, where he sat in the front row. While I was in Huntsville, he turned 90, and someone baked a cake. We sang “Happy Birthday” to him and I told a Jack tale in the service. Afterwards, this charming and gracious man commented how he learned something new in my telling of the story of Soldier Jack. And he inscribed my copy of The Jack Tales: “for Sarah & Bill Metzger & David & Chris. Have fun! Uncle Dick.” Richard Chase told how a great English folklorist, Cecil Sharp, had visited Mrs. Jane Gentry in Hot Springs, North Carolina during the First World War, and had recorded sixty English folksongs from her. What Cecil Sharp had not known at the time, and that Chase found out later, was that Mrs. Gentry also liked to tell what she called “the old Jack and Will and Tom Tales.” Chase discovered the Jack tales himself in North Carolina, which seems to be the source of many folk story traditions—not only English and Irish-American, but black American stories as well, such as the Br’er Rabbit stories. Even today, some of the best storytellers come from North Carolina. Marshall Ward told Chase about old stories his folks knew that had been handed down from generation to generation. Mostly these were about a boy named Jack and his two brothers, Will and Tom. This was the same Jack who climbed the beanstalk. As told in that region, it was called “Jack and the Bean Tree.” Jack came up against other giants besides the one up the bean tree; one time he hired out to the King to clear a patch of the Giants Newground. Jack is a thoroughly European hero, like Br’er Rabbit a trickster, who overcome through quick wit or cunning rather than physical force. In Germany the character is called Hans, not Jack, and you can find him as well in Spanish-American stories. Marshall Ward referred Chase to his Uncle Mon-roe, who had learned the Jack stories from his great-grandfather, Council Harmon, or “Old Counce” as he was called. Uncle Mon-roe-that is, R. M. Ward, was a Southern mountain farmer, descended from the earliest settlers in the southern Appalachians. Mon-roe told how his grandfather “Old Counce was a sight to dance. He was just as good a church member as any of ‘em, but he just couldn’t [resist] music. Time anybody anybody would start in picking on the banjo, he ‘uld hit the floor; hit didn’t differ even if he was in church. Seventy years old, he could clog and buck-dance just as good as a boy sixteen. He knowed how to run reels, too . . . . But ever’ time he took part in such goings-on somebody would tell it on him and the next Sunday the preacher’d get after him again.” The old storytellers could often stretch these stories out to about two hours in the telling. These of course were also the times when sermons could go on for two hours—and nobody complained. The Jack tales were told on many occasions—sitting on front porches in the evening, perched on clods of dirt in tobacco patches, leaning on a rail fence after weeding the turnips, lounging on hay in the barn, and on cold winter nights in front of blazing fireplaces. A practical use for stories was described by Mon-roe’s wife as “keeping kids on the job.” While stringing beans, stories kept the kids on task. Mrs. Ward told Chase, “We would all get down around a sheet full of dry beans and start in to shelling ‘em. Mon-roe would tell the kids one of them tales and they’d work for life!” When I was a kid, growing up in South Dakota, when visiting my grandparents’ farm we had tasks, too. My Uncle Nick had stories to tell, and we would often sit on the porch and he would spin out his tales. They were almost always in rhyme. One of his shortest ones was this: “Old Bill Green was a good old soul, as good as any man could be. He only swore when he got made, to show that he had piety. He only ate when he was hungry, he only slept when he had to yawn. But he stole four horses because he wanted to steal, so they hung him in the dawn. They hung him twice, and shot him full of lead, but the doggone fool was nowhere’s dead. So they filled gun full of dynamite and threw him over the bluff; he got mad and left the place, because he’d had enough.” He had a much longer one, stringing together lines from many sources. It began with a bunch of the boys whooping it up in the Malamutes one day, while Little Muss Muffett sat on her tuffet, eating her curds and whey. The Assyrian came down like a wolf in the fold, into the din and glare, and Little Bo Peep had lost her sheep and was hunting them here and there. Over the hills of Haversham and down through the Valley of Hall, he chased his brother over the lea, and shouted aloud, “Play ball.” Casey Jones appeared, and eventually struck out. Steamboat Bill was there; even Frank Roosevelt making fireside chat, and Lochinvar threw down his cup. The story continued, on and on, increasingly convoluted, with gambling and a young woman crying “I’ve won, I’ve won,” whistling thrice, an old man declaring “You’ve won like hell, you’re rolling loaded dice.” Finally, many verses later, it ended thus: “The boy stood on the burning deck and watched the vessel sink. I then woke up and swore that I’d touch not another drink.” This was all pretty frivolous, but folk tales—and storytelling generally—have much to teach. They entertain and occupy time spent in practical activities. But they also offer lessons for living. The Grimm fairytales, for example, are a rich source of lessons. There is the wonderful story of the Frog King, for example. Perhaps you remember it. The King’s youngest daughter was “so beautiful that the sun itself, which had seen so much, was astonished whenever it shone in her face.” One day she went into the forest to sit near a cool fountain. She was throwing her favorite plaything, a golden ball, into the air and catching it. But once the ball didn’t fall into her hand, but on the ground, and rolled straight into the water, vanishing as it sank to the bottom. She began to cry, louder and louder, until she heard a voice: “What ails you, King’s daughter?” She saw a frog’s big ugly head stretching out of the water. “Ah, old water-splasher, is it you? I am weeping for my golden ball, which has fallen into the well.” The frog offered to retrieve the ball, if she would agree in return to take him home to be her companion and play-fellow, and if he could sit by her at the table and eat offer her plate and drink from her cup and sleep in her bed. She agreed, but not in good faith. After the frog retrieved her ball, she ran home and forgot all about him. But the next day, as she sat at the table with her father the King, something came creeping splish-splash, splish-splash, up the marble staircase, and when it had got to the top, it knocked at the door and cried: “Princess, youngest princess, open the door to me.” She ran to the door, but when she saw it was the frog, she slammed the door and returned, frightened, to the table. The King wanted to know why she was so upset, and she told him what had happened. “Well,” said the King, “that which you have promised must you perform. Go and let him in.” And so it developed that the frog ate from her plate and drank from her cup, but when he wanted to sleep in her bed she angrily threw him against the wall. But when he fell to the floor he was no frog, but a king’s son, and he had kind and beautiful eyes. He explained that he had been bewitched by a wicked witch and that only she, the princess, could have delivered him from the well. By her father’s will, he became her dear companion and husband. The next morning they left for the young man’s kingdom in a carriage pulled by eight white horses, which had golden harnesses and white ostrich feathers on their heads. As they rode away, the King’s son heard a cracking noise behind him as if something had broken. His servant, Faithful Henry, had been so unhappy when his master was changed into a frog that he had caused three iron bands to be laid around his heart, lest it should burst with grief. Now the bands were breaking—and as each band broke the King’s son thought the carriage was breaking, but it was only the bands springing from the heart of faithful Henry. In these stories, Padraic Colum has written, “human behavior is always in accordance with a fine ideal. A real faith in human powers is present. Happiness is possible, and compensation is due those who have been wronged. Envy and unfaithfulness are condemned and punished.” |
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Subject: RE: Love Storytelling? From: Amos Date: 27 Feb 05 - 12:34 AM Sweet stuff, Joe, and thanks much! A |
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Subject: RE: Love Storytelling? From: CapriUni Date: 13 Mar 05 - 01:32 PM Yesterday, on NPR's Weekend Edition there was a wonderful interview with the author Frank Delaney about his new novel, and the power and tradition of oral storytelling. You can hear the piece here. Enjoy! |
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Subject: RE: Love Storytelling? From: wysiwyg Date: 13 Mar 05 - 01:59 PM Lots of storytelling at the Digital Library of Appalachia: CLICK HERE to search the online audio archive. ~Susan |
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Subject: RE: Love Storytelling? From: CapriUni Date: 30 Jul 05 - 02:39 PM Earlier this month, my aide took me to visit one of her clients. A young man with severe cerebral palsy (I have moderate CP), who cannot speak independently, and has been virtually homebound since childhood; his mother has been homschooling him -- he can get outside, but his small family is just a bit overprotective (Hence, my aide's desire that they meet me, a woman with CP who is living on her own). Anyway, the conversation got around to fairytales, and how most of the ones we think we know are actually prettified Victorian versions. "For example," said I, "in the Grimms' version of 'The Frog Prince,' the princess doesn't kiss the frog, she picks him and throws him against the wall -- hard. Because what was really needed to break the spell was for the prince to get into the princess's bed." (This kinda shook the mother up a wee bit, but anyway...) So, naturally, I had to back that up, and tell the story of how that happened. I hadn't actually read it in years; I knew which book it was in, and where on the shelf it was. But, of course, I wasn't home. So I was going to have to tell the whole thing from memory. I started out strong -- a confident "Once upon a time," and all that. But after the frog got the gold ball back, I had to stop and think for a minute about what happened next. That's when my inner critic kicked in: "You're hemming! You're hawwing! You're not being polished and eloguent!" Lucky for me, the sane part of my brain shot back: "So what?! I'm not doing a concert recital, here! I'm having a conversation at someone's kitchen table, with a plate of pizza in front of me..." So I forgot all about clever wording or trying to use "poetic" language. I just made simple, declaritive sentances about What Happened Next. And lo, and behold! I got to the end of the story, and had my audience laughing in places, too. Yesterday, I got to thinking about the stories that most British and American adults know well enough to tell from memory. And I came up with a list of an even dozen that I'd be surprised if someone didn't know well enough to tell in a conversational manner at someone's kitchen table (hemming and hawwing, shortened, and "Disney" versions all fair game). They are (in no particular order): 1. The Three Little Pigs 2. Little Red Riding Hood 3. The Tortoise and the Hare 4. The Three Billy Goats Gruff 5. Cinderella 6. Jack and the Beanstalk 7. Goldilocks and the Three Bears 8. The Ants and the Grasshopper 9. Sleeping Beauty 10. The Boy who Cried "Wolf!" 11. The Little Red Hen (though you may have to remind the person that that's the one where the chicken bakes bread.) 12. Chicken Little ("The Sky is Falling!") Can you think of any more? |
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Subject: RE: Love Storytelling? From: Raedwulf Date: 30 Jul 05 - 04:46 PM This kinda shook the mother up a wee bit, but anyway... had me ROFLMAO, Capri, thank you! I don't know 11 & 12 in your list. Perhaps they're more American than European? I'd add the Fox & (sour) Grapes, though - Aesop's a bugger, 'e gets evryware! |
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Subject: RE: Love Storytelling? From: Le Scaramouche Date: 30 Jul 05 - 05:11 PM Chicken Licken (or Little) is European, IIRC. Used to be able to tell you the little red hen but can't remember enough anymore. |
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Subject: RE: Love Storytelling? From: CapriUni Date: 30 Jul 05 - 07:30 PM Once upon a time, a little red hen found a grain of wheat. "Who will help me plant this wheat?" asked the little red hen. "Not I," said the cat. "Not I," said the dog. "Not I," said the goose. "Not I," said the rat. "Then I will do it myself!" said the little red hen. And she did. In time, the wheat grew tall and ripened. "Who will help me harvest this wheat?" asked the little red hen. "Not I," said the cat. "Not I," said the dog. "Not I," said the goose. "Not I," said the rat. "Then I will do it myself!" said the little red hen. She cut the wheat with her beak, and thrashed it with her wings. "Who will help me take this wheat to the mill?" asked the little red hen. "Not I," said the cat. "Not I," said the dog. "Not I," said the goose. "Not I," said the rat. "Then I will do it myself!" said the little red hen. And she did. When she got back from the mill, she asked: "Who will help me bake this flour into bread?" "Not I," said the cat. "Not I," said the dog. "Not I," said the goose. "Not I," said the rat. "Then I will do it myself!" said the little red hen. She kneaded the dough, and stoked the oven, and took the bread out when it was done. "Who will help me eat this bread?" the little red hen asked. "I will!" said the cat. "I will!" said the dog. "I will!" said the goose. "I will!" said the rat. "No you won't!" said the little red hen. "I planted it by myself. I reaped it by myself. I took it to the mill by myself. I baked it by myself. And now, I will eat it by myself!" And so she did. Once upon a time, Chicken Little was scratching for bugs under an oak tree when an acorn fell down, and hit him on the head. "Oh, help! Oh help!" Chicken Little cried. "The sky is falling! I must go and tell the king!" and he ran down the road as fast as he could. Before long, he came upon Henny Penny. "Where are you going in such a hurry, Chicken Little?" Henny Penny asked. "The sky is falling!" Chicken Little answered. "I saw it with my own eyes; I heard it with my own ears; I felt it land on the top of my own head! And so I am running to warn the king!" "I'd better come with you!" Henny Penny answered. And they both ran down the road as fast as they could. Before long, they met Ducky Lucky. "Where are you going in such a hurry, Henny Penny and Chicken Little?" "The sky is falling!" Chicken Little answered. "I saw it with my own eyes; I heard it with my own ears; I felt it land on the top of my own head! And so we are running to warn the king!" "Then I'd better come, too!" Ducky Lucky answered, and they all ran down the road as fast as they could. Before long, they met Goosey Loosey. "Where are you going in such a hurry, Ducky Lucky, Henny Penny, and Chicken Little? Goosey Loosey asked. "The sky is falling!" Chicken Little answered. "I saw it with my own eyes; I heard it with my own ears; I felt it land on the top of my own head! And so we are running to warn the king!" "Oh, My!" Goosey Loosey said. "I must come with you! And they all ran down the road as fast as they could. Before long, they met Foxy Loxy. "Where are you going, Goosey Loosey, Ducky Lucky, Henny Penny and Chicken Little?" Foxy Loxy asked. "The sky is falling!" Chicken Little answered. "I saw it with my own eyes; I heard it with my own ears; I felt it land on the top of my own head! And so we are running to warn the king!" Now, Foxy Loxy knew that the sky could not fall. But he was too clever to say so. Instead he said: "Oh, my! That is serious. Follow me, and I will lead you to the king's castle by a shortcut." And so Goosey Loosey, Ducky Lucky, Henny Penny and Chicken Little followed Foxy Loxy. But instead of leading them to the king's castle, he led them to his own den, where he killed them all, and put them in his stew pot, and had himself a fine supper. Moral: Don't let your fear overwhelm your common sense, or there will be trouble. And, believe it or not, Disney is making an animated movie based on Chicken Little, due to be released around Novemember, I believe. |
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Subject: RE: Love Storytelling? From: Raedwulf Date: 30 Jul 05 - 08:11 PM I am none the wiser. 11 & 12 were certainly no part of my UK childhood psyche. And, frankly, they're both crap stories & not on a par with Aesop, never mind more complex followers! |
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Subject: RE: Love Storytelling? From: CapriUni Date: 30 Jul 05 - 09:57 PM Well, I never said that every story on the list was a good one. ;-) I only said these were stories I'd expect the average "person on the street" to know fairly well (I remember my kindergarten class acting out "Chicken Little"). I actually came up with the list as a response to this: The Man Who Had No Story (about a man who claimed he knew no stories or songs of any kind). Modern audiences/readers probably meet that claim without batting an eye, being as accustommed as we are to having our stories spoonfed to us through radio, television and the movies. But even we know stories like "The Three Little Pigs," and "Little Red Riding Hood." For a culture as strongly steeped in oralature as pre-industrial Ireland, where the wandering storyteller was a professison and social class unto itself, that line in the story must have stood out like a great flashing red light... FWIW, I think "Chicken Little" is a horrid story, personally (The moral to me seems to be: "Don't trust your senses, and don't rock the boat!"), unless, of course, it's used as the basis for a satirical, twisted retelling. |
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Subject: RE: Love Storytelling? From: Amos Date: 31 Jul 05 - 12:39 AM I always thought Chicken Little was an excellent parable because it reveals the folly of mass hysteria and teaches you to examine the facts for yourself. I love the tale of the Man Who Had No Story. It has a fine balance to it! A |
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Subject: RE: Love Storytelling? From: CapriUni Date: 31 Jul 05 - 01:25 AM I do, too, Amos. There's actually another, longer version with its own Mudcat thread, here: The Man Who Knew No Stories. And a little over a week ago, I stumbled onto a third version with a Christmas theme that was very funny (I'm pretty certain, based on the style, that's its a 20th century retelling). But even though I've Googled for it using specific details from that version, my searches have come up empty. In that mysterious missing version, the author makes it clear that sharing a story was once part of the basic social contract of travelers (in the days before radio or television, and when many people couldn't read, travelers were a main source of information and entertainment), and that even small children knew some story or song to share. ... And even if you were penniless, you could give something of value in return for a filling meal and a warm bed. One thing I love about that story is that it reminds us that our own experiences make wonderful stories... I talked to my Dad on the phone recently, and he said he didn't think he had any stories to tell. I asked him: "What about your time in the Coast Guard, rescuing people in the artic?" And he answered with: "Well, there was that one time, when I was working at Eastern. Nearly crashed the plane. Scared my copilot to death. The next week, he asked for a transfer to Atlanta..." (!!!) That's a story he hasn't told me yet... I will make him tell me, when he comes down for a visit... |
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Subject: RE: Love Storytelling? From: freda underhill Date: 31 Jul 05 - 09:18 AM I have a huge, dusty copy of fairy stories by the Brothers Grimm on my shelf - I will check it out! Women Who Run With the Wolves is a fascinating book which examines some of the old stories, and the lessons they teach. When i was growing up, stories by CS Lewis, George MacDonald and Oscar Wilde (the Little prince, etc) had a huge effect on me. (I wish I'd read some accountancy manuals at the same time!). In the late 70s early 80s i used to put on pantomimes for children, acted with children, versions of the old stories. The kids loved them and some grew up to pursue their own theatrical careers. A couple of nights ago i went to the theatre and saw a play on the theme of suicide. I went reluctantly, with some friends, including a man whose son had committed suicide. this play was very thoughtful, not histrionic, and played out a person's story over the years. It told a story, not often told, bravely, and with the purpose of unravelling threads, for those family members left behind. My friend whose son had suicided found it was very similar to his sons and his family's story. |
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Subject: RE: Love Storytelling? From: CapriUni Date: 31 Jul 05 - 04:44 PM If your copy of Grimms' tales is very dusty, it may be filled with those Victorian prettifications... On the other hand, the Grimms, themselves, compiled and published their Children's and Household Tales with a political motive in mind -- they wanted Germany to move from a system of Fuedal city states to a fraternal republic. They'd started out training in German Law, and that meant having to study ancient German language (At one point, they tried to make the most comprehenisive German dictionary, with every word that existed; if I recall correctly, they got as far as "F" before one of them died). That led to a study of the oral culture, and That led to a study of the folklore. They realized, fairly early on, that the stories were a wonderful way to present their political ideas in a veiled way, illustrating their ideas of social value as "natively German." And over the course of several editions, they edited and refined their stories to clarify those ideals and make them more accessible to their middle-class audience. So I take it fully within my rights to retell the stories myself, in ways that reflect my values... pretty, meek girls who are good because they are pretty and meek don't appear in my versions of the stories! ;-) I haven't read Women Who Run With the Wolvess, but I have Estes' Warming the Stone Child on audio cassette. She has some strong and thoughtful theories, but, when talking about one story, she said that the moon's going dark was symbolic of a person's needs to turn inward. ... It struck me that this was a person who spent too much time studying theories in books, and not enough time actually looking up at the sky, if she'd never noticed that, once a month, the moon actually does go dark for three days. Psychological interpretations of stories (by any school of thought) can be invaluable, some times. But, like anything, it can be taken too far. Some times, you just have to accept the story at face value for its own sake. And yes, the stories we tell can be very healing. That's one reason why we share stories, I believe. |
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Subject: RE: Love Storytelling? From: GUEST,saulgoldie Date: 07 Jun 06 - 12:54 PM I just heard, among others, Bill Mayhew at the Glen Echo festival. I have to say that I think that story telling is about as folky and accoustic as it gets--the same tradition of telling (or singing) to a small gathering withing audio range, and passing along essential wisdom, important history, or just plain entertainment. BTW, Bill Mayhew is great. I can't say he is the greatest, because I don't know them all. But he is sure one of them. Has a vast repertoire, and does great voices and personifications. I know that some of the musical performers weave stories into their shows, and I salute this. I wish telling had a higher place in the folklore world. It certainly is easy enough to carry around your instrument! Look out for telling events, especially for the younguns, but for us oldsters, too. |
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Subject: RE: Love Storytelling? From: Northerner Date: 07 Jun 06 - 06:31 PM Excellent thread! I'm learning to be a storyteller - would like to tell professionally eventually. Tomorrow I'm telling a story at one of the local Sure Start nurseries. I've started with the classic stories - tomorrow it's Little Red Riding Hood. Later in the month I'm telling at a children's event at a local library. And I sing too! |
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Subject: RE: Love Storytelling? From: Amos Date: 07 Jun 06 - 06:53 PM I was blessed of late with an opportunity to hear in person, side by side, no less a pair of Story Giants than Utah Phillips and Kendall Morse. Each and both of them were spell binding and they both had the audience eating out of their figurative hands, sitting on the edge of their seats not to miss a bit of the unfolding tale. It was pretty pow'ful. My special delight was that I had my 21-year-old daughter and her best friend with me, and they were spell bound to see the ancient art performed. A ricjh evening was had by all. Men like Utah and Kendall deserve special thanks for being the carriers of a brand of very important information one cannot find on the Internet or in books. A |
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Subject: RE: Love Storytelling? From: Chief Chaos Date: 08 Jun 06 - 02:06 PM CapriUni - I think your theory holds up to the test but I would suggest that at least some of the reason that we pay more attention to a story teller is that we can't Tivo them or put them on hold. I'd like to suggest that you add whales to this select group of storytellers. Scientists have said that each has a unique "song" that can be quite elaborate. Some experiments have been done with specific sounds, like the crow danger signal, that elicited expected results. Some think that they're just animals and there is no real proof. For some of us its enough to believe. -- I Want To Live -- John Denver 2nd Verse: "Have you gazed out on the ocean seen the breaching of a whale? Have you watched the dolphins frolic in the foam? Have you heard the song the humpback hears five hundred miles away Telling tales of ancient history of passages and home" By the way, a real Coast Guard story always begins with "This is a no sh*tter" -- I Want To Live -- |
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Subject: RE: Love Storytelling? From: wysiwyg Date: 08 Jun 06 - 07:05 PM Pssst! "The Story Giant" sounds, to me, like the title of a whole new story...... ~S~ |
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Subject: RE: Love Storytelling? From: EBarnacle Date: 08 Jun 06 - 07:46 PM Have you read the book Legends of the Outer Banks? I found that a song I was singing as a fiction was actually part of a longer story from the Prohibition Era. I got the song from Ed Trickett when he was doing a set at South Street Seaport. That was the night that they were shooting Superman Flying down the East River and, immediately after the shoot, the entire Northeast lost power. It was raining, so, when the lights went out, we adjourned to under the FDR drive. |
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Subject: RE: Love Storytelling? From: GUEST,Pete Castle Date: 20 Jun 06 - 09:58 AM Good to see so many people interested in storytelling. It's a powerful medium which many people love but which scares others! I work professionally as both a storyteller and a folk singer, often both at once and once you can get people to experience it they love it. You've got to get past that 'storytelling is for children' bit first though. There's been a lot of research going on recently into the affects of the human voice too. Despite all these hi-tech gadgets you can't beat it! If you want to know more about storytelling can I point you to the magazine Facts & Fiction: www.factsandfiction.co.uk |
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Subject: RE: Love Storytelling? From: Northerner Date: 20 Jun 06 - 01:36 PM Hello Pete! Um, sorry but I mislaid your details for getting a sub to Fact and Fiction. Could you PM me the details again pretty please? Yes, I know the "storytelling is for children" bit just about off by heart I've heard it so many times. It just isn't true. When I was younger I lived in Aberdeen for a year and occasionally Stanley Robertson would tell us a story at the folk club. We were adults and never said, hey that's for children. I tell at my local folk clubs in the Tees Valley area occasionally, along with singing and percussion, and get the "kiddies' tales" comments. At the moment I'm trying to think about my story selection so that I can tell appropriate stories to the correct target audience. Currently I'm amateur. I'm having a go telling a story at a children's event in a local library later this week; it's a bunch of 7-8 year olds. I'm going to tell them "Rumpelstiltskin." Told "The Three Wishes" last night at a local folk club; was not as fluid as I'd like to have wished really. I suppose it takes time. Any tips on that? I'd like to start up a storytelling circle here eventually. In the meantime I go up to Newcastle occasionally. Chris Bostock of A Bit Crack was down here in Middlesbrough on Saturday giving a performance of "Tree of Life" at the Hexagon. Hope I see you perform sometime. Cheers! Diane Taylor |
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Subject: RE: Love Storytelling? From: EBarnacle Date: 21 Jun 06 - 10:50 AM Never forget the "Thousand Nights and a Night," also known as "The Arabian Nights." |
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Subject: RE: Love Storytelling? From: GUEST,Pete Castle Date: 21 Jun 06 - 03:02 PM Hi Diane to subscribe to Facts & Fiction go to the web address on my previous message - all the details are there. Yes, Stanley Robertson is a great teller and you wouldn't want the kiddies to hear some of them! I love the way different age people react to the same story though, all getting something slightly different from it but all appreciating it. Folk clubs are funny about storytelling, I've had some who say yes, we'll book you as long as you promise not to tell any stories! As regards being fluent - it's just practise. The more you tell a particular story the better it becomes. They grow and change. It's interesting to listen to a recording of yourself telling a story say, 5 years ago, and to see how it's changed. Same happens to songs of course but perhaps not as much cos the form means you have less leaway. Yes, hope to bump into you one day, haven't been to Middlesborough for ages altho I get up to N.Yorks fairly often. |
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Subject: RE: Love Storytelling? From: CapriUni Date: 21 Jun 06 - 11:07 PM Sorry I missed the refreshment of this thread until now. So, Northener, how did your storytelling gig on June 8 go? I think the whole "storytelling is for children" bias is basically ethnocentrism: That written culture and written history is automatically more sophicated and 'legitimate' than oral cultures, and that oral modes of communication are only for those who are 'not developed enough' to understand the written the word. Which is a Humbug, if you ask me... |
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Subject: RE: Love Storytelling? From: Northerner Date: 22 Jun 06 - 05:16 AM The "Little Red Riding Hood" telling earlier in the month had its er moments. Like when one little boy (2 year old) wandered up and tried to grab the Little Red Riding Hood puppet off me! He's really too young to understand a story telling I think; he is a very grabby child and causes difficulties with the other children. The pair of sisters though loved the story - they already hear lots of stories that their grandpa reads to them. The younger sister is only 2 but can sit through an entire story and is even starting to interact with it. An excellent example of how an adult family member can really help a child's development. Since then I have also told "The Enormous Turnip" - again with interaction. I'm not sure whether these would classify as gigs. I am an amateur - a volunteer. I would like to work as a professional eventually but am still near the start of the journey. Since starting telling stories in August last year I have had to put up with lots of comments from people who think I am going to be a children's entertainer, read stories to elderly visually impaired adults, go in for creative writing, or do a poetry reading, and all sorts. Very rarely do people actually know what storytelling is. |
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Subject: RE: Love Storytelling? From: Cats Date: 22 Jun 06 - 01:30 PM If anyone's going to Sidmouth this year there IS going to be some quality storytelling there, even though in the brochure it only gets half a sentence on the back page! Look out for the Ghost stories session on the Sunday night and get there early... last year more people were turned away than actually managed to get in. There will also be some workshops and masterclasses as well as storytelling featuring in main stage concerts. |
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Subject: RE: Love Storytelling? From: CapriUni Date: 22 Jun 06 - 03:49 PM I have had to put up with lots of comments from people who think I am going to be a children's entertainer, read stories to elderly visually impaired adults, go in for creative writing, or do a poetry reading, and all sorts. Very rarely do people actually know what storytelling is. :::Sigh::: I know. It's a great frustration. I think we've become addicted to the written word, in many ways, and rely on it, like a crutch -- just look at the prevalence of teleprompters, whenever a newsmaker gives a "speach," these days. It's as if people can't trust their own minds if they don't see their thoughts written down in front of them. And if it's not written down, it's like it's some alien creature with three heads and 18 eyes, and no one knows how to react to it. |
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Subject: RE: Love Storytelling? From: Northerner Date: 23 Jun 06 - 04:14 AM Sad news is my Sure Start voluntary work is ending. Stupid woman thought I would be doing early years skills with the children. She was looking for long-term to build up trust with the children etc. I'm unemployed and living off savings - no way I can afford to do that. I'm a performer, not a child care worker. I was simply going to be taken advantage of. She had absolutely no idea what a storyteller actually does. I'm looking for more voluntary work. Sigh. |
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Subject: RE: Love Storytelling? From: Northerner Date: 23 Jun 06 - 11:49 AM Good news is my telling at Stockton Central Library went brilliantly. It was a party to celebrate the Queen's birthday. The children made paper hats, ate lots of party food, cheered a librarian dressed up as the Queen cutting a birthday cake. Then right at the end I gave a telling of "Rumpelstiltskin" - the miller's daughter who became a Queen. The children loved it! The library is going to invite me back again if there is anything else suitable. Amateur at the moment of course, while I build up skills and repertoire. Good day!!! |
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Subject: RE: Love Storytelling? From: Mo the caller Date: 23 Jun 06 - 12:00 PM What are early years skills if they don't include Listening. Enjoying stories is the base for literacy. I was a Playgroup supervisor and enjoyed story-time with children. I used books as well as remembered stories, but some of the best of these give rise to a performance rather than just a 'reading' If Sure Start involves parents and children, and encourages them to enjoy stories together this must be good. Shame they've lost out. |
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Subject: RE: Love Storytelling? From: Northerner Date: 23 Jun 06 - 12:07 PM You've pretty much identified the skills Mo. But I'm unemployed and looking for work. That avenue isn't going to find me work that will pay my household bills and put food on the table. A storyteller is not precisely the same as an early years worker; my skills are in performing rather than early years. The Sure Start nursery had made the mistake of not realising that. |
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Subject: RE: Love Storytelling? From: CapriUni Date: 23 Jun 06 - 06:22 PM Norherner -- Bah about the Sure Start gig. Yay for the Stockton Central Library! Have you thought of making up a brochure (or flyer) for yourself, explaining, in your own words, what a storyteller does, and exactly what your own skills are? Even if you don't use it, the exercise might help you clarify in your own mind what it is you really want to do, and some lightbulbs might go off regarding oportunities you haven't thought of yet. Just a thought. |
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Subject: RE: Love Storytelling? From: Northerner Date: 23 Jun 06 - 07:05 PM That's quite a good thought CapriUni. I hadn't thought of doing that precisely. When I wrote to some schools earlier in the year though, I had a letter outlining my skills and experience. Sadly no-one followed up from those letters. I do have some enquiries out at the moment through the RSVP; I'll give those a try first. I will be doing a flyer later anyway to publicise myself for going professional. I am thoroughly pleased with my storytelling today. One of the librarians also told me it was good for clear voice, pace and expression! It was a lovely event to have been part of too. Tonight's song at the Globe went well too - admittedly sang with words as it was a first go, but it went down very well indeed. Sang "The Shearing's no for you." Lots of people singing along with me! |
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Subject: RE: Love Storytelling? From: CapriUni Date: 25 Jun 06 - 03:31 PM One of the librarians also told me it was good for clear voice, pace and expression! It was a lovely event to have been part of too. Oh, yay!! Congratulations! One idea about your pamphlet/flyer is to give examples of the kind of venues and events where you'd like to tell your stories -- to sort of nudge people to "think outside the box," so to speak. I've done one for myself, by the way -- not as a storyteller, but a writer of orginal literary wondertales (however, I've gotten very little response from them, so I'm not sure how good my advice is; take it with a generous pinch of salt!). |
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Subject: RE: Love Storytelling? From: Northerner Date: 26 Jun 06 - 06:27 AM I'll do a pamphlet eventually. At the moment I'm waiting for a new CRB check to go through (it is currently being processed) then will try for more voluntary work again after that. My inexperience means that there are avenues I'm simply not able to explore yet because my repertoire and skills aren't as good as I'd like at the moment. It's a bit of a vicious circle. Once my CRB check comes through the RSVP will try to get me in somewhere. |
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Subject: RE: Love Storytelling? From: GUEST Date: 27 Jun 06 - 06:29 AM Dear northerner - it's not important, but I'm curious... What is RSVP? It sounds like an agency of some sort ... |
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Subject: RE: Love Storytelling? From: Northerner Date: 27 Jun 06 - 12:46 PM Um, off the top of my head it is the Retired and Seniors Voluntary Programme. I'm not retired - I'm unemployed. But I'm over 50 and that apparently qualifies me to be described as a senior. It's a programme that places over-50s in voluntary work. |
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Subject: RE: Love Storytelling? From: CapriUni Date: 27 Jun 06 - 02:25 PM repertoire and skills aren't as good as I'd like at the moment. Well, the good thing about storytelling is that you don't need official venues to get better. While you're waiting for the RSVP, you can ell stories to your friends, around campfires, at the pub, heck, even waiting in line at the bank (remember, most jokes with a punchline are just very short droll stories -- you can use them to practice your timing, and you won't be asking your listeners to sit still for 5-10-15 minutes). I don't know about where you are, but here in America there are storytelling circles, where storytellers can get together, learn new stories, and polish up old ones -- sort of like playing sesssions for musicians. It's worth looking into, at least. |
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Subject: RE: Love Storytelling? From: Northerner Date: 27 Jun 06 - 05:07 PM Thank you CapriUni. I use the folk club for my storytelling. Disadvantage is they are not used to storytelling and I have to get past the kiddies' tales reaction. And some folks aren't keen on spoken word artforms. And as I am also a singer I am competing with myself for performing time. There is no storytelling circle where I am; though it is possible that I will help to create one eventually when I find a few more willing bodies. I have just booked accommodation for a long weekend in the autumn to attend a mini festival on storytelling. Man I spoke to about the festival said there is a possibility that the leading storyteller in our area will be creating some kind of mentoring scheme eventually, and there is a possibilty that it is something that I may be able to put my name down for. There is a mentoring scheme in Scotland that enables keen Scottish learner storytellers to get started; it would be wonderful if there was something similar here. |
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Subject: RE: Love Storytelling? From: GUEST Date: 28 Jun 06 - 03:57 AM Not sure about folk club audiences not being used to storytelling. A lot of the larger festivals include storytellers in the line up who are placed in concerts alongside musicians and singers, so it isn't an unknown phenomeon at all. Some I enjoy very much. Others just seem to have an unfortunate manner of presentation which can make me feel like I'm being talked to as a child, even if the story being told is an 'adult' one. I guess a lot of people prefer to be offered the chance to think by someone telling a tale simply, rather than having the point hammered home by over dramatization or desparate attempts to force participation/reaction from them. The best storytellers I've heard are like the best singers. After a while you realise you are so wrapped up in the story you forget the presenter is there! |
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