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Author
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Comment
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PK1995
Registered User
(9/25/02 6:42:50 am)
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Help finding a story...
Hi,
I'm involved in running a Christian alternative worship service in Liverpool, and one of the things we want to try is storytelling - I've been given the task of running that side of it because I have a few books and know a bit about it - unfortunately I'm having trouble finding an actual story based on this month's theme.
We're talking about uncertainty, rites of passage, moving away from home, making a choice that will change your life - that kind of thing.
I wondered if any one had any ideas for a short story or folk tale that we could use with that topic in mind. I'd like to do a 10-15 minute slot (max) and would also like to use a story that is not so well known (so everyone doesn't guess the twist/moral in the tale).
Can you help?
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fherman1
Unregistered User
(9/25/02 7:19:03 am)
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O. Henry?
First thing that comes to mind is O. Henry's "The Gift of the Magi," but everybody probably knows that one.
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janeyolen
Unregistered User
(9/25/02 9:41:35 am)
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some tales
Try my fairy tale: "The Girl Who Loved the Wind"
or the Grimm's "The Boy Who Learned to Shiver"
or even "Three Little Pigs"
Jane
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PK1995
Registered User
(9/26/02 7:15:39 am)
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Some ideas...
I couldn't find 'The Boy who Learned to Shiver' but I found a few nice tales - one about two frogs who meet each other mid-way on a journey, and another about two men travelling to another town, and they each stop to ask the farmer what the people in the next town are like.
Any more ideas?
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Yellow
McMaggie
Registered User
(9/26/02 7:22:50 am)
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The Story of a Boy Who Went Forth to Learn Fear
The story of a Boy who learned to Shiever, is known under many titles. Depends on who translates it and how.
The most common translation of the title is something along the lines of "The Story of a Boy Who Went Forth to Learn Fear" if that would help you find it.
It is Grimm's tale #4 and here is a link to a site that has it:
www.pitt.edu/~dash/grimm004.html
I highly recommend this tale too!!
But another tale that is quite nice that also deals with the rites of passage and moving out into the world is Iron Hans, Grimms' tale #136. Most people might not have heard it, so it might also work for you
www.pitt.edu/~dash/grimm136.html
Cheers,
Katie
Edited by: Yellow McMaggie at: 9/26/02 7:28:18 am
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Nalo
Registered User
(9/26/02 6:22:39 pm)
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Re: The Story of a Boy Who Went Forth to Learn Fear
Haven't been taking my lecithin and my memory's spotty. What's the name of the (English?) folk tale where a young man--I think his name is Tom something--leaves the country to come to the city? For some reason, I've got it conflated with Puss in Boots in my mind, but they may not be the same tale.
And I remember reading somewhere that Little Red Riding Hood may have been part of an initiation ritual for young women, where the old women in a community would tell the younger ones this scary wolf tale, and at the point where Little Red Riding Hood decides which route to take to grandma's house, the young women are asked which route they would take; the path of the needles or the path of the pins. The path of the needles is the right answer, and indicates that the young woman is ready to do work that is methodical and will hold. The path of the pins indicates someone who will do hurried, easily-undone work (i.e. patch stuff together with pins). And another aspect of the story is that the Wolf has Red Riding Hood tied in her grandmother's bed. RRH says "I'm hungry," and the Wolf says, "you'll eat in bed." She says, "I'm thirsty," and he says, "drink in the bed." She says, "I need to pee," and he says, "do it in the bed." That's when she realises that he means to kill her in the bed. So, keeping her wits about her, she tricks him into letting her go outside to pee. She points out that she'll still have the rope around her ankle, so she can't get away. He lets her go. Once she's outside, she unties the rope, ties it to a tree, and high-tails it out of there, leaving the stupid wolf to figure out that she's gone. The moral being NOT that a smart girl should act nice to keep herself out of trouble, but that a smart girl keeps her wits about her for ways to outsmart trouble when it comes her way. In this version, RRH has to make a number of decisions that are markers of her passing from childhood into womanhood. Don't remember where I read all that, though.
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Janeyolen
Unregistered User
(9/27/02 2:50:46 am)
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LRR
Nalo--you may be conflating some of Zipes and some of my stuff. Actually, LRR says, "I need to make "cobbles" (meaning poop, though it may be koebles or some other spelling) and so the wolf lets her go outside. That's from the older French peasant version. I first read about that in an article by Auden! Tracked it down.
Zipes is the one who has made a lot of the needles/pins references, and how the story was passed down through sewing circles in France, and had to do with initiations.
Others think the red riding cloak is a reference to menstruation.
Some believe it is a leftover sun/moon etiological tale.
Me, I think it's a warning about noy going to bed with wolves, not listening to your mother, and getting glasses so you can see that a wolf is not your grandma.You know, sometimes a cigar is just a cigar. But then I am the simple sort.
Jane
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Yellow
McMaggie
Registered User
(9/27/02 5:56:29 am)
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The Story of Grandmother (aka LLR)
I just thought that I would put my 2 cents in again.
Jane, your right, the wolf does ask LLR, "Are you making cables out there?" I remember reading this version of LLR in Maria Tatar's "The Classic Fairy Tales: A Nortin Critical Edition"
For what its worth, it is simply known as "The story of Grandmother" as told by Louis and Francois Briffault in Nievre in 1885, and it was originally publiished in 1951 by Paul Delarue in _Bulletin folklorique de l'Ilrde-France_
Cheers,
Katie
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swood
Unregistered User
(9/27/02 12:41:59 pm)
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Storytelling in Church
I mentioned Walter Wangerin in another post. He is a minister who also writes short stories. His _Ragman and Other Cries of Faith_ might have something in it for you. There is a strong tradition of storytelling in church (including stories outside the Biblical canon) and I imagine there are many resources for people looking to integrate storytelling and/or drama into worship services.
Sarah
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Nalo
Registered User
(9/27/02 5:23:28 pm)
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Re: Storytelling in Church
"Making cobbles;" I love it! Jane, you're right; I may well be conflating your work and Zipes'.
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