The Promises of the Three Sisters

Cultural origins: This is a traditional middle eastern folktale with a few stories within stories.  While it begins with a King who wants to know if his people love him it ends up really being about deception versus truth in women. 

Intended audience: All Ages (8 and up)

Why this audience?: This is probably not the best storytime story. It's definitely for those examining folktales and perhaps Middle Eastern culture. I developed telling this story for a storytelling unit in Middle Eastern Studies, where we examine various themes that repeat in all folktales from that region: wise women, slanderous, jealous women, truth telling birds, the jin, honor in family, and quests that develop into stories within the original story.

Characters: The 3 sisters (Older, Middle, Youngest - Fair, Fairer, Fairest)

                     The King

                     Fisherman and his wife   

                     Sitt el-Hussn (el-hoosn)

                     Clever Muhammed

                     The Wise Woman on the Road

                     The Talking Lark                     

Scenes/Settings: The hut of the 3 sisters on the edge of town

                              The fisherman's hut at the edge of the river

                              The King's Palace

                              Sitt el-Hussn & Clever Muhammed's Palace

                              The road away from town

                              The Ogre's Garden

Synopsis: Trying to see if his people love him the king decries all people should not use light for one night. He discovers 3 sisters with the light on weaving on the edge of the village. Oldest sister: If the King were to marry me I would bake him a cake big enough to feed him and his entire army. Middle Sister: If the King were to marry me I would weave him a carpet big enough to seat him and his entire army. Youngest Sister: If the King were to marry me I would give him two children: Sitt el-Hussn, mistress of beauty, and Clever Muhammed. He marries each sister in turn and asks for what they promised. The first two sisters do not deliver: "Night talk is like butter, it melts when the sun rises." God is kind to the third sister and she gives birth to two beautiful children. The midwife is convinced by the jealous aunts to switch the twins for a cat and a dog. The twins are sent down the river in a box. A fisherman and his wife discover the children and raise them. When the children are older the couple dies, each leaving a magical gift for the children: two horse hairs when rubbed together will give you anything you want, and a purse that is never empty.

The brother and sister move into town when their parents die and build a castle with their wealth. The Kind visits them and so do the aunts who know who they are. To get rid of them they send Clever Muhammed through the sister on a quest for three hard to find items: the dancing bamboo, the singing bamboo and the talking lark. They are sure this quest will be the death of Muhammed. They convince Sitt el-Hussn that she needs these things for her palace to be perfect. Muhammed packs his things and sets forth "from God's country to God's people." and meets a woman in the road. She directs him to the garden of the ogre for the first two items. The first journey will take 3 years, the second 7 years. The third will take 1,000 years and she won't tell him. So Muhammed rubs the horse hairs together and a Jin on a horse takes him to the garden of the Ogre, but warns him not to speak to any animal in the garden. All the animals try to trick him into speaking, including the talking lark and he is turned to stone. His sister must rescue him from the garden. She closes the door on the cage of the talking lark and her brother is returned to his original state along with all the others.

The talking lark insists on a party. They invite everyone. The talking lark reveals the secret of the evil aunts and they burn them.

Story Climaxes/High Points: The climax for this tale comes toward the end when the deceit of the two aunts, the king's ex-wives, is revealed to all who attend the party for the talking lark. The talking lark tells the king that the midwife switched the twins Sitt el-Hussn and Clever Muhammed for a cat and a dog at birth. The King then decries, "He who love the prophet should set fire to the midwife and the aunts." 

Special Chants/Phrases:

Sisters: "Night talk is covered with butter; it melts when the sun rises.”
Narrator: Clever Muhammed set forth from God's countries to God's people.

Bibliographic Information:

Yolen, J. (2003). The Promises of the Three Sisters. In Favorite Folktales from Around the World (pp. 268-276).              New York: Pantheon. 

http://prizedwriting.ucdavis.edu/past/1990-1991/male-female-relationships-in-201cthe-promises-of-the-three-sisters201d

The Edge of the World

Cultural origins: This is a folktale from the British Isles. It is a simple, hilarious and wise tale meant to remind audiences of the fact that man is never happy. While the folktale originates from Britain it is tale for all countries and can be adapted for any culture with a little tweaking of small details (the wolf, the tree, the woman).

Intended audience: All Ages (11 and up)

Why this audience?: This is an audience appreciated by everyone. Children will appreciate the stupidity of the young man who passes by the opportunity to marry a beautiful woman and dig up a treasure chest. Adults will chuckle at God's cavalier brashness. That being said, this is a story that deals with the idea of God in a very direct way, giving him a character and strong opinions. This will probably offend some people without a decent sense of humor.

Characters:  A young man
                        A wise woman
                        A mangy wolf
                        A small tree
                        A beautiful woman
                       God

Scenes/Settings: A redwood house on top of a mountain
                                 A clearing in the woods
                                 Underneath a small tree
                                 A beautiful house with a garden and a white picket fence
                                 The edge of the world

Synopsis: A young man sitting on top of mountain looks around at all that he has and decides he is unlucky. A wise woman tells him that in order to find out why he is unlucky he must find God. When the young man asks her where to find God she directs him to the edge of the world. On his way he runs into a mangy wolf, a ragged tree and a lonely woman who all ask him to ask God why they are also unlucky in their different ways. The young man promises to ask for them and eventually finds the edge of the world. He asks God why he is unlucky. God tells him he is in fact lucky, and that luck is all around him everywhere he goes he just has to look for it. Then he whispers the answers to the questions of the wolf, the tree and the woman in his ear. The young man returns to the beautiful woman who is so lonely. He tells her that God said to marry someone who is kind to her. She asks him to marry her but he tells her he must go and find his lucky and report back to the tree and the wolf. He tells the tree that the reason he can't grow tall is because he was planted on top of a treasure chest. When the tree asks him to dig him up and plant him somewhere else the young man says he has to find his luck and tell the wolf what God said. Finally, he finds the wolf and tells him that God said that he is not strong because he doesn't have enough protein and to eat a creature much more stupid than he ASAP. The wolf heeds God's word and swallows the young man in two seconds flat.

Story Climaxes/High Points: The young man finds God and asks him why he has no luck and God responds that luck is all around him and he has plenty of it. 

Special Chants/Phrases:
Young man:  "I am going to the edge of the world to see God and ask him why I don't have any luck."

Narrator: "He walked a day, a week, a month, a year, and year-and-a-day until he came to..."

Bibliographic Information:

Walker, Richard. (2000). The Edge of the World. In More Ready-To-Tell Tales from Around the World (pp. 134-139). Little Rock, AK: August House.

The Man Who Bought a Dream

Cultural origins: This is a Japanese folktale. It has details that place the story in Japan but it is easy enough to remove those elements if you wish to make it a tale without a country to color it. However universal I think this tale is, I like the details of the road to Osaka and the description Kiibe-san's backyard, an image of a zen garden if ever there was one.

Intended audience: Late elementary School (8-11)

Why this audience?: This story is based on a thrilling idea. The idea that dreams are real seldom entertain reality, except perhaps by a Disney World commercial. This tale begs the question of destiny. Students will be certain of the gold appearing in the jar for the dreamer, but not for Kiibe-san. This generates follow-up questions for an audience of this age? Does the man deserve the gold because he bought the dream? How do you buy a dream?

Characters:  Young Man
                         His Wife
                         Kiibe-san

Scenes/Settings: The hut of the poor man
                                 The road to Osaka
                                 The Mansion and yard of Kiibe-san

Synopsis: A young man is captivated by the idea that a dream will lead him to a great fortune. He follows the clues to the giant mansion of the richest man in Osaka, Kibee-san. He tells Kiibe-san what he has seen in this dream he has bought for himself, that there is a jar of gold buried under the pine tree in the backyard of Kiibe-san's house. Kiibe-san digs up the jar that night and finds a jar full of nothing. The next day when the young man returns Kiibe-san allows him to dig the jar up again, knowing that the jar will be empty. When the young man opens the jar it is not empty. A small bee zips out and races away. Disappointed and undone the young man returns home thinking that dreams do not come true. When he arrives home though his wife tells him of their very good fortune. She went to the attic and found a bee zip out and when she reached the attic the place was brimming with gold coins.

Story Climaxes/High Points: As the man begins opens the jar the day after Kiibe-san has secretly opened the jar the day before there is a moment of tension. Will the jar be full of gold because the man's dream told him it would be?

Special Chants/Phrases: 

Beginning: There was once a man, and he bought a dream. His friend, the one who had dreamed the dream, tried to talk him out of buying it. After all, it was only a dream.

Bibliographic Information:

Abbell, Timmy. (2000). The Man Who Bought a Dream. In More Ready-To-Tell Tales from Around the World (pp. 202-205). Little Rock, AK: August House.

More Than Salt

Cultural origins: This is an Italian version of a very old European folktale. The English version is known as "Cap-o-Rushes" and was most certainly an inspiration for Shakespeare's King Lear (310). Whatever its origin it is clear that it is a folktale that has survived for centuries.

Intended audience: Late Elementary School (7-10)

Why this audience?: This is a tricksterish tale. While the youngest princess, banished from her father's sight in the tallest tower does not trick the cook, it's fun for young students to figure out how she rescues herself through logic. This story does not have chants or hand motions and therefore requires a little more attention. However, this King should be larger than life to captivate the children's attention quickly.

Characters:  The King
                        The Eldest Princess
                        The Middle Princess
                        The Youngest Princess
                        The Cook
                        

Scenes/Settings: The castle of the king

Synopsis: The King of the land knows that soon he depart this world and so he must decide which one of his three daughters will succeed him. To do this he decides to ask a question: How much do you love me? The first daughter professes to love him more than bread, the second more than wine and the third and youngest daughter gets cheeky and says she loves him more than salt. Saying that this is something that even the poorest people have he banished his youngest daughter from his sight and locks her in the tallest tower of the castle. Every day the princess sings in her tower and all in the kingdom ignore her until one day the King's chef, while peeling potatoes is so taken with her song he begins to sing along. They sing together everyday and form a friendship. The Princess asks the chef a favor: cook dinner for the king without salt. The chef does so and the King spits out his food. When the chef replies that only the most poor have salt and it is not regal to use what poor people use in cooking. The understands his mistake and releases his youngest daughter from her prison. She helps him rule the land until his dying day.

Story Climaxes/High Points: The King spits out his food and demands to see the cook. When the King asks why his food tastes so terrible, the cook simply replies that he didn't use any salt and since even the poorest people have salt, as the King said, the cook decided that his food should not have salt for it was not fit for a king.

Special Chants/Phrases: 
Beginning: Long ago, a certain King was thought to be the wisest, cleverest man in the world. Even so, he once asked a stupid question.

End: And that was good, and it wasn't bad!

Bibliographic Information:

Ryan, Patrick. (2010). More Than Salt. In Storytelling; Art and Technique (pp. 310 - 313). Santa Barbara, CA: Libraries Unlimited.

The Magic Pomegranate

Cultural origins: This is a Jewish story. It can be told in tandem with the Turkish tale The Silent Princess as that tale includes a story very similar to this one, but with a different ending.

Intended audience: Late Elementary School (8-11)

Why this audience?: This is a longer story and requires the attention of older children. However, there are princesses and magic carpets involved so you cannot go wrong telling this story to elementary aged children. It's fun to stop and ask what brother the audience thinks should win the hand of the princess. 

Characters:  Oldest Brother, with the magic glass
                        Middle Brother, with the magic carpet
                        Youngest Brother, with the magic pomegranate
                        Magician
                        Carpet seller
                        The King of the sick Princess
                        The sick Princess

Scenes/Settings: A certain country in the East at a magic show
                                 A certain country in the West at a grand bazaar
                                 A certain country in the south deep in a forrest
                                 The palace of the sick Princess

Synopsis: There are three brothers who seek adventure and fortune. They leave for different parts of the world and agree to return in a year's time with an unusual object. The oldest brother travels west and buys a magic spy glass. The middle brother travels east and buys a magic carpet. The youngest brother travels south and encounters a magical pomegranate tree, there one moment popping fruit into his hand, gone the next. When they reconvene they spy a sick princess in the eldest brother's spy glass. They race off to her castle on the middle brother's flying carpet. The King offers her hand in marriage to anyone who can make the princess well, who is knocking on death's door. The youngest brother slowly feeds the magic pomegranate's berries to the sick princess who is soon well. However, the three brothers argue about who should be the one to marry her as they all had a hand in making her well. The princess solves this by asking a simple question: How much did you sacrifice from your magical object to make me well? The youngest brother sacrificed the most of his object as most of it was gone. He married the now well princess and they lived happily ever after.

Story Climaxes/High Points: The Princess ends the brother's quarrel on who should be allowed to marry her by asking the who sacrificed the most of their magical object to save her life. 

Special Chants/Phrases: None

Bibliographic Information:

Schram, Peninnah. (1994). The Magic Pomegranate. In Ready-To-Tell Tales (pp. 179-183). Little Rock, AK: August House.

The Silent Princess

Cultural origins: This is a Turkish tale. It can be told in tandem with the Jewish story The Magic Pomegranate, which is the exact story this Prince tells to the silent princess one night in this story.

Intended audience: Early Middle School (11-13)

Why this audience?: This story asks complex questions fit for a middle school audience. It is about the nature of ownership when it comes to women. Of course, this is archaic, but it is still a question that should continue to be asked: should anyone be owned by another person? Is marriage like that? These are serious questions and the Silent Princess has a great message of strength: She belongs to no one but herself.

Characters:  The Pasha
                        The Prince
                        An Old Man
                        The Sultan
                        The Silent Princess
                        The Witness
                        

Scenes/Settings:The Pasha's Palace,home of the Prince, cursed to love the silent Princess
                                The Sultan's Palace, home of the silent Princess

Synopsis: One the son of the Pasha, the young prince, was very young he took to playing in the palace gardens. He threw a ball that shattered the water jug of an elderly woman who cursed him, "May you be punished by falling in love with the silent princess." His thoughts would not stop from dwelling on this mysterious silent princess so he travelled far and wide looking for this princess. Finally he met an old man who told him the fate of every prince who had gone to woo the silent princess. If they failed to get the princess to talk they had their head chopped off. The prince went anyway considering a quick death much better than dying of a broken heart slowly. He was led before the veiled princess and a witness and he told the witness a story, since the princess wouldn't talk to him. At the end of his first story the young prince did not finish the story, the witness pushed him for an answer and the silent princess finished the story as if it was obvious. This evidence of speech was not good enough for the King who insisted the prince get her to talk two more times. The next night he told another story of men fighting over a woman, similar to the story from the night before. When leaving off the ending the princess was cajoled into speech insisting that, "...that woman belongs to no one but herself." The third night the young prince again told a story of men who were all arguing over who had the rights of ownership over a beautiful woman. The silent princess was waiting to finish this story, for she knew it was made for her and the prince. They were wed and she spoke often of how they were the perfect match.

Story Climaxes/High Points: As soon as the Princess is asked what the ending to the Prince's third story she waits in silence and then cries out with laughter the obvious ending: This woman belongs to no one but herself.

Special Chants/Phrases: 
Beginning: Once there was and once there was not a Pasha who had but one son.

"Fools! Isn't it obvious? This woman belongs to no one but herself."
"Thank you Princess, I am sure that you have answered correctly."

Bibliographic Information:

Baltuck, Naomi. (1995). The Silent Princess. In Apples From Heaven (pp. 87-94). North Haven, CT: Linnet Books.

The Vingananee and the Tree Toad

Cultural origins: This is a Liberian tale originally brought to the storytelling scene by the storyteller known as Aunt Clara. The picture book by Verna Aardema and Ellen Weiss is a well outlined retelling of the story. I first heard this story told at a public library by the professional storyteller, Alicia Quintano. 

Intended audience: Early Elementary School (5-7)

Why this audience?: This is a fun story to tell to a younger audience because of the repetition of the Vingananee's song and the distinct characters. It's also great to tell this story without any pictures because the Vingananee could be anything. This story can accompany a discussion or a craft about the Vingananee and see how everyone's giant monster comes out.

Characters:  Mouse
                        Tiger
                        Dog
                        The Vingananee
                        Tree Toad
                        

Scenes/Settings: Mouse's house outside the jungle

Synopsis: A long time ago, when animals could talk to each other Mouse, Dog and Tiger decided that it was better to live together than to live alone. Tiger and Dog spent the day working in the fields and mouse spent the day cleaning and cooking so that when Tiger and Dog came home that smelled they collapsed to the floor and Mouse would serve them stew. 

The three lived quite happily in this way until one day Tiger and Dog returned from work find the house a mess and when they came to the fire and looked in the pot they soon discovered, "NO STEW!" and after a time, "NO MOUSE!" They called for mouse until they heard a low whimpering in the backyard. There was Mouse all tied up and shaking. 

"What happened?!" asked Tiger. 

Mouse explained shaking, "The Vingananee."

"The what?!" 

"The Vingananee! He came walking up the path demanding stew and I wouldn't give it to him. So he tied me up out here and ate all the stew."

Tiger and Dog were impressed that Mouse had stood up to the Vingananee but they would not allow this to happen again so Dog decided to stay home the next day and cook and clean just in case the Vingananee returned. They all slept better knowing Dog would be prepared and the fell asleep listening to tree toad singing in the branches, "KA WA WA WA WAA! KA WA WA WA WAA!"


So the next day Tiger and Mouse set out to the fields wishing Dog good luck. As Dog was preparing a sumptuous stew he heard a pounding and then a deep, deep voice, "I'm the Vingananee and I am hungry. Give me your stew or I will eat you!!" 

Dog cowered in the corner of the kitchen he didn't realize that the Vingananee was going to sound that terrifying. Finally the Vingananee burst through the door and demanded stew. Dog bravely refused and when Tiger and Mouse returned from work they found the house a mess and when they came to the fire and looked in the pot they soon discovered, "NO STEW!" and after a time, "NO DOG!" They called for Dog until they heard a low bark in the backyard. There was Dog all tied up and shaking. 

"What happened?!" asked Tiger. 

Dog explained, "The Vingananee! He came walking up the path demanding stew and I wouldn't give it to him. So he tied me up out here and ate all the stew."

Tiger and Mouse were impressed that Dog had also stood up to the Vingananee but they would not allow this to happen so Tiger, bigger and fiercer, decided to stay home the next day and cook and clean so when the Vingananee returned he would have something much bigger to face than Mouse and Dog. They all slept better knowing Tiger would be prepared and the fell asleep listening to tree toad singing in the branches, "KA WA WA WA WAA! KA WA WA WA WAA!"



So the next day Dog and Mouse set out to the fields wishing Tiger good luck. As Tiger was preparing a delicious stew he heard a pounding and then a deep, deep voice, "I'm the Vingananee and I am hungry. Give me your stew or I will eat you!!" 

Tiger cowered in the corner of the kitchen but he gathered up his courage and opened the door and looked all the way up to the sky to see the Vingananee. He demanded stew. Tiger refused and lunged to fight but when Tiger and Mouse returned from work they found the house a mess and when they came to the fire and looked in the pot they soon discovered, "NO STEW!" and after a time, "NO TIGER!" They called for Tiger until they heard a low mew in the backyard. There was Tiger all tied up and shaking. 

"What happened?!" asked Mouse. 

Tiger explained, "The Vingananee! He came walking up the path demanding stew and I wouldn't give it to him. So he tied me up out here and ate all the stew."

They were all at a loss. How would they eat? The Vingananee kept eating their stew. They would have to move! They were discussing the move when Tree Toad called to them, "Excuse me, but might I try fighting the Vingananee tomorrow?" Tiger, Dog and Mouse all burst out laughing. How could tiny Tree Toad possibly take on the might Vingananee? But they figured they didn't have a lot to lose by letting Tree toad try. They all slept quite poorly that night knowing that Tree Toad would probably meet his demise the next day. But they eventually fell asleep listening to tree toad singing in the branches, "KA WA WA WA WAA! KA WA WA WA WAA!"


So the next day Tiger, Dog and Mouse all set out for the fields waving goodbye to Tree Toad for they knew it was the last they would see of him. As Tree Toad set about preparing the stew for the day he heard a pounding and then a deep, deep voice, "I'm the Vingananee and I am hungry. Give me your stew or I will eat you!!" 

Tree Toad cowered but quickly straightened up and went to meet the Vingananee on the path. Tree Toad commanded the Vingananee to stop, and the Vingananee had no idea who had spoken so he stopped.  Trembling, Tree Toad said in loudest Tree Toad voice, "You cannot have my friends stew today or any other day!" 

The Vingananee laughed, for he could now see little Tree Toad. He bent down picked him and tossed him high into the sky. The Vingananee looked to see where Tree Toad had landed and as he looked up Tree Toad landed with a firm swift kick and knocked the Vingananee out. 

When Tiger, Dog and Mouse returned and saw the Vingananee tied up on the path to their house they were dumbfounded. How did Tree Toad do it? They begged him to tell them but Tree Toad never revealed his secret. But Tree Toad earned their respect and was invited to dine with them every night for stew. 

And of course they always fell asleep listening to tree toad singing in the branches, "KA WA WA WA WAA! KA WA WA WA WAA!"

Story Climaxes/High Points: Tree toad is picked up by the Vingananee and thrown so high up in the sky that the Vingananee can't see him and when he lands and the Vingananee's head he knocks him out.

Special Chants/Phrases: 
I'm the Vingananee and I am hungry.
Give me your stew or I will eat you!!

Tree Toad's song: Ka wa wa wa waa! Ka wa wa wa waa!

Bibliographic Information:

Aardema, Verna. (1983). The Vingananee and the Tree Toad. New York: F. Warne.

The Storytelling Stone

Cultural origins: This is a Native American tale from the Seneca tribe. It is like a creation story, but not quite. This story is about all the stories of the world. It's about how stories came to the Seneca. It mentions, animal tales, creation stories and all the tales told in their culture, but this story places importance on the oral tradition, and why passing on stories is a gift.

Intended audience: All ages (Pre-K and up)

Why this audience?: This story is great to incorporate into a social studies curriculum when students are studying Native Americans. The importance many Native American tribes place on oral tradition is a relevant aspect of these cultures and one that should not go overlooked. This story is also a great opener when talking to any audience about the importance of storytellers. To begin a storytelling performance with a story like this is to immediately capture an audience's attention.

Characters:  Foster Mother
                        Son
                        Story Stone
                        Boy
                        

Scenes/Settings: Seneca village home of a foster mother and her son 
                                 A clearing deep in the forrest where a great stone sits

Synopsis: Long, long ago in a Seneca there lived a young boy. Both of his parents had died and he was sent to live with a woman who had no children of her own. In time they began to enjoy each other's company and she taught him many things. Most importantly, she taught him to hunt so he could one day provide them with food. 

That day came, and the boy's foster mother sent him out to the forrest with a new bow and an ear of parched corn for lunch. He was to return with as many birds as possible. The boy did this with great success for many weeks and his foster mother was so proud. 

One day, the boy was not having too much luck at the edge of the woods where usually hunted so ventured further into the woods and found many birds. At lunch time he found a clearing with a large stone in the center. So he climbed up on the stone and began to munch on his parched corn when he heard a voice, "Shall I tell you stories?" 

The boy looked around the clearing, but there was no one there. He slowly went back to munch his corn. The voice came again, "Shall I tell you stories?"

The boy suddenly realized there was no person in the clearing, this was the stone speaking. He had never heard of a talking stone but he responded anyway, "What does this mean - to tell stories?" 

For this was a time when there were no stories. "It is to tell of things that happened a long time ago."

The boy thought and quickly decided, "I think I would like that."

And so the stone told the boy stories. It told stories from the time when people lived up in the sky. It told stories of the earth's creation. It told stories of long, long ago, when then animals could talk to each other. The boy was enchanted, he couldn't get enough. But when the sun went down he knew it was time to return home to his village. He asked the stone if he could return again the next day and the stone said, "Only if you promise not to tell anyone what you have heard." The boy quickly agreed.

When he returned home with less birds than usual his mother was confused but decided that you cannot be lucky every day. The following day she watched him run into the forrest at top speed, and she hoped that this meant he would be returning with many birds. 

Instead of hunting though, the boy immediately returned to the clearing and sat on the stone, closed his eyes and listened to stories. On his way back home at sunset he shot a few lingering birds and returned to a now upset foster mother. Something bad was happening to the boy in the woods and she was determined to find out.

So, she sent another boy from the village to follow her foster son into the forrest. When the boy reached the clearing and saw the other boy sitting on the stone he confronted him, "What are you doing? Why aren't you hunting for your family?"

"I am listening to the stone tell stories. Would you like to listen?"


"What does this mean - to tell stories?" the boy asked.

"It is to tell of things that happened a long time ago." 

So the boy jumped onto the stone, they closed their eyes and spent the day caught up in every word of the stones. They returned every day to hear the stones stories, and still the foster mother had no answers. So she sent two men, hunters in fact, into the woods to discover what her foster son was up to. When the men saw the two boys sitting on the stone in silence they confronted them, "What are you doing? Why aren't you hunting for your family?"

"We are listening to the stone tell stories. Would you like to listen?"


"What does this mean - to tell stories?" the men asked.

"It is to tell of things that happened a long time ago." 

The men cautiously agreed but when they too sat on the stone they were whisked away to magical lands in the sky, and to times where animals could talk. They could not get enough. When the last story was told and the sun was setting in the sky the stone spoke to all four of them, "You must bring all of your people to hear my stories tomorrow. Everyone must come and everyone must listen."

And when the entire village arrived the next day the storytelling stone told all of its stories.  It told stories from the time when people lived up in the sky. It told stories of the earth's creation. It told stories of long, long ago, when then animals could talk to each other. The people were overwhelmed and undone. They had never heard anything so beautiful. They had never been so transported and when the sun began to set the stone spoke its final words, "You must keep these stories until the end of time. Tell them to your children and your children's children, for I am now done." 

And the stone fell silent and the people returned home recounting the stories they had heard sharing them again and again. Ever since the time that stone brought all the stories into the world the people of the world have been less lonely, less cold and much, much happier.

Story Climaxes/High Points: The final day of the storytelling stone's stories is the day of highest excitement and energy. All the people from the village come with gifts and sit mesmerized by the stone's tales. 

Special Chants/Phrases: 
The first time the stone tells the boy a story: It told stories from the time when people lived up in the sky. It told stories of the earth's creation. It told stories of long, long ago, when then animals could talk to each other.

Every time a new person approaches the stone:"Shall I tell you stories?"
"What does this mean - to tell stories?"
"It is to tell of things that happened a long time ago."

Bibliographic Information:

Baltuck, Naomi. (1995). The Storytelling Stone. In Apples From Heaven (pp. 101-104). North Haven, CT: Linnet Books.

Bruchac, Joseph. (1990). The Storytelling Stone. In Return of the Sun: Native American Tales from the Northeast Woodlands (pp.35-37). Freedom, CA: Crossing Press.

Curtin, Jeremiah. (1923). The Storytelling Stone. In Seneca Indian Myths. New York: E.P. Dutton.

The Golden Lamb

Cultural origins: This is a folktale from Iraq. This is an interesting tale, where there is a dispute to be resolved. As is the case in tales from this region the Caliph, the judge, is the character thought to be wisest, capable of settling any problem.

Intended audience: Early Middle School (11-13)

Why this audience?: This is a longer story that requires more focus than some. It can also be paired with a book talk for other books from the middle east or stories about storytellers. Middle schoolers will be able to ask themselves the right questions and put themselves in the position of the Caliph, determining whether he was right in his judgement.

Characters:  The Oldest Shepherd
                         The Middle Shepherd
                         The Youngest Shepherd
                         The Old Widow
                         Caliph Harun-al-Rashid
                         The Audience
                        

Scenes/Settings: The fields and mountains outside the home of the widow. 
                                  The court of the Caliph Harun-al-Rashid

Synopsis: During the days of Caliph Harun-al-Rashid there lived three young men who wished to seek their fortune in this world. They wished to travel far and return with heaps of gold and treasure. Before they left on this great adventure though they had to make a little money so they agreed to spend the winter working for an old widow who had a flock of sheep. In the spring it was agreed that each shepherd would take one lamb and sell it in order to seek his fortune elsewhere.

When lambing season came in the spring the most extraordinary thing happened. The last lamb born was the color of pure gold. He was the finest lamb any of them had ever seen. Now, of course, each shepherd wanted this lamb for himself for surely he could make a great deal by selling this lamb. They begged and pleaded with the old widow until she threw up her arms, "I've had enough. This won't be settled until we see the caliph." Now, a caliph is what we would call a judge. And Harun-al-Rashid was said to be one of the best judges in all the land. He knew how to see straight into your soul and find out exactly what you were made of. The shepherds knew of the Caliph's reputation and decided that this was the fairest way to settle this dispute so they came before the court of the Caliph in Baghdad and explained their problem.

Each shepherd spoke with much passion about why he deserved the golden lamb. The eldest shepherd defended his right to possess the lamb for he was older and respect should be paid to elders. The middle shepherd proposed that he should get the golden lamb for he was very clever and could put the money to the best use. The youngest shepherd put forth that he deserved the fortune from the sale of the golden lamb for he had lost his father and his mother had many children to care for. 

The Caliph considered these three men and concluded that the only fair way to decide who would get the gold lamb was for them to use their powerful talents for speech and tell the court a story. The man with the best story would win the golden lamb and amass a great fortune.

The eldest shepherd began his story, "Your Magnificence, if it please you I shall tell the first tale." And he began to tell the most terrific tale of a hero and his brave and daring feats. There were, "OOOHs!" and "AAAHs!" from the enraptured court and they burst into applause as the hero triumphed in the end. 

"Most excellent!" declared the Caliph, "That is a difficult story to match."

Next came the middle shepherd, "Oh Omnipotent one, if it please you I shall tell the next story." And being clever he told the most hilarious story of two lovers, and mistaken identities, missing each other in the night. There was lots of laughter and a great amount of tears at the tragic and bittersweet ending. The court again clapped with much fervor, for here was another great story.

"Impressive!" cried the Caliph, "The last story has much to live up to."

So the youngest shepherd stepped forward, "Magnanimous one, if it please you I shall tell the last story." And quickly and quietly he wove the most mysterious tale. His voice was like a silk thread weaving in and out of different anomily's until the mystery was solved and the audience breathed a sigh of relief. There was much cheering and clapping for this was a fantastic story, different from the others, but just as good.

The Caliph stood and considered the three shepherds. He smiled and announced, "Your stories were all mesmerizing and of equal value so I have decided to take the lamb myself and divide your fortunes equally so you will each have what you need."

Though the shepherds were disappointed, as each had imagined a grand fortune with which to start a successful business they could not argue with the Caliph and so they nodded in agreement. Caliph Harun-al-Rashid snapped his fingers and his servants produced three sets of warm robes, three pairs of sturdy sandals and three loaves of warm, fresh bread. The shepherds were dumbfounded and immediately protested.

"This is all that you need," Caliph stopped their protests immediately. "You were not meant for business and great fortune, and you were certainly not meant for sheep herding. No, your talents will take you far and you will always have all that you need."

"What talent?" the older brother demanded.

***Possible aside to the audience. What was their talent?***

"Why your marvelous gift. Your ability to tell the most wonderful, captivating stories! This gift will keep you fed, and take you all over this land. For there always people in need of a good tale."

And Harun-al-Rashid was right. These storytellers travelled far and wide. There was always a warm hearth waiting for them and a story to tell and they made people happy. And they in turn were happy.

Story Climaxes/High Points: Caliph Harun-al-Rashid comes to a decision about who is most worthy of the golden lamb. The fate of the three friends is on the verge of changing forever: fortune or ruin.  

Special Chants/Phrases: Addressing the Caliph: Your Magnicence, Omnipotent one, Magnanimous one

Bibliographic Information:

Baltuck, Naomi. (1995). The Golden Lamb. In Apples From Heaven (pp. 3-7). North Haven, CT: Linnet Books.

Larson, Jean R. (1966). The Golden Lamb. In Palace in Bagdad. New York: Scribner.

Tatterhood

Cultural origins: This is a Norwegian folktale collected by the Grimm brothers of the north, Asbjornsen and Moe. There are trolls at work in this story, which is typical of Scandinavian tales. The part that doesn't really fit is that this is a story featuring a female heroine. She saves her sister, and her future husband. She does what she likes and is good at it.

Intended audience: Early Middle School (11-13)

Why this audience?: This is a great story for students who think they have heard all there is when it comes to folktales. It begins like any other tale with a Queen wanting a child and witch telling her how to conceive. After that though, this long story takes many twists and turns with the title character, Tatterhood, nicknamed after her rough clothes and her tendency to ride on a goat. Middle school students won't know what to do with her, but it will spark some interesting conversation after and discussion of why there aren't more characters like Tatterhood in folklore.

Characters:  Tatterhood
                         Tatterhood's younger twin sister
                         The Queen
                         The King
                         The Witch
                         The Trolls
                         The Prince
                         The Younger Prince
                        

Scenes/Settings: The castle and gardens of the King and Queen
                                  The ship
                                  The road to the Princes' castle from the dock

Synopsis: There once was a King and a Queen who wanted children very much could not conceive. The Queen spent her days roaming the castle grounds bemoaning her situation until one day she saw a little girl playing in the castle fountain. She chased the child out and chided her for trespassing on the King's property. The little girl chided back, "You would not chase me as you do if you knew the powers my mother has." 

This peaked the Queen's interest and she sent for the girls mother who happened to be a witch. When the Queen told the witch of her desperate desire to have a child the witch told her what she must do: bathe in two pails of water, throw the water under her bed before went to sleep, and then eat the the two flowers that blossom there overnight. 

Indeed, the spell worked and before long the Queen was pregnant with twins. The day the Queen gave birth her first child who was born with a wooden spoon and rode upon a goat. The second child born just after was fair and sweet. Two twins could not have been more different, but they were as close as any sisters could be. The first sister, whom all in the kingdom called Tatterhood for her wild ways and rough cloak, spent most of her days getting dirty and running around. The second sister, mild mannered and beautiful, spent her days like any good princess, inside with her mother. 

One night however, a pack of trolls broke into the castle and the Queen rushed to hide her children, although they were almost grown. Tatterhood pushed her mother aside and took her wooden spoon to fight off the trolls. She wacked their noses and fought for hours so the palace was filled with shrieks and squeals. When Tatterhood did not return her sister became so worried she also pushed her mother aside and left the safety of her bedchamber to go find Tatterhood. Immediately, she was set upon by to trolls who whipped off her head and replaced it with a calf's head. The younger princess began to run around the castle on all fours and moo like a calf. 

When Tatterhood discovered her sister she was very upset, but she knew she knew where the trolls lived so she commissioned a ship from her father, the King, and sailed off with her sister to recapture her sister's beautiful head. When they reached the palace of the trolls. Tatterhood swiftly and silently alighted onto the dock with her goat in tow and made her way to the great hall of the trolls who had passed out from so much merriment at Tatterhood's castle the night before. Tatterhood spied her sister's head mounted on the wall and so she snatched it and stole out the front door with a BANG. This woke the trolls up and they chased Tatterhood but her goat began to but them all and she battered them with her wooden spoon until they were all so bruised the fell back and allowed Tatterhood to escape. 

When Tatterhood had fixed her sister's head she suggested they use this opportunity to see the world and have an adventure. They sailed to many cities and saw much until they came to a city where two Princes lived. When the sister's docked a messenger was sent from the castle inviting both Tatterhood and her sister to the castle to dine with the Princes. Tatterhood refused and told the messengers that if the Princes wanted to meet with them they should come to the ship themselves. 

And so they did. The princes arrived a short while later and when the younger sister met the older prince Tatterhood knew what had happened. Her sister was in love. Her younger sister pleaded with her sister to accompany her to the castle with the two princes and so she did. The younger prince was not excited by his luck to accompany the mud covered, rough cloaked Tatterhood but he did so anyway for the sake of hospitality. 

As they rode up the long hill to the castle, the two princes on horses, the younger princess on a small horse and Tatterhood on a goat, the younger prince was flummoxed as to what to say. Here was the strangest looking girl he'd ever seen, casually riding a goat as if it was no big deal. "Why do you ride on that goat instead of a horse?" he asked finally.

"I can ride on a horse if I choose," said Tatterhood carelessly. And before the prince's very eyes Tatterhood's goat transformed into magnificent white horse.

Flabbergasted the prince turned to Tatterhood in amazement, "But then why do you wear a rough and dirty cloak?"

"Is it a dirty cloak? I can change it if I choose," she retorted with a smile. And again, her robes magically began to transform into a decadent velvet green robe, fit for a queen. "Will you not ask me why my face is marred in mud?" she asked.

The prince responded, smiling now too, "That too shall be as you choose." And as soon as he had said the mud began to wash away from Tatterhood's face and it shone as bright as the sun.  

But whether she was as beautiful as her sister or plain we will not know, because it did not matter to the prince who trusted Tatterhood to live exactly as she chose. And that night there was a great party at the castle and the two sisters and the two brothers lived happily ever after, which was their choice.

Story Climaxes/High Points: The younger prince realizes that Tatterhood is not as rough as she might seem. Every time he gives her the benefit of the doubt and trusts in her judgement she surprises him with her rare beauty and magic. She changes her rough cloak to a magnificent robe and her goat to a horse. This realization that Tatterhood's good judgement should be trusted above all is how the younger prince falls in love with Tatterhood.

Special Chants/Phrases: Tatterhood: "I can change it if I choose..."

Bibliographic Information:

Phelps, E. J. (Ed.). (1978). Tatterhood. In Tatterhood and Other Tales. New York: Feminist Press. 

The Magic Mortar

Cultural origins: This is a Japanese folktale explaining how the salt got into the sea. It is also known as "The Magic Listening Cap" in other Japanese variants (146). However, every country by the sea has a version of this story: a magical item that produces the owner's desire, making its way to the sea, making salt and never stopping.

Intended audience: Late elementary (8-11)

Why this audience?: This is a fun story that asks many questions: What would you do if you had a magic mortar that would give you anything you desired? Would you be greedy? If you had all that you wanted would you leave your family? All these questions wouldn't necessarily come up in a follow up discussion, but they could. 

Characters:  Younger Brother
                         Younger Brother's Wife
                         Older Brother
                         Old Man
                         Little Magic People
                        

Scenes/Settings: The shack of the younger brother. 
                                 The house of the older brother.
                                 A back alleyway hidden behind a hole.
                                 The bay

Synopsis: It was once New Years day in Japan and a poor man didn't have a single grain of rice with which to celebrate. He goes to his older brother's big house to beg for some rice, with the promise of repayment. His brother swats him away like a pesky fly saying that he has no rice. The younger brother, alone and depressed, walks home slowly and bumps into a wizened old man. "What's wrong, my son?" he asks. When he tells him about his own brother denying him food on New Years the old man offers him a rice cake with a bead of honey. He instructs him to climb through the hole in the wall to the alleyway. There he should negotiate with the men there for a mortar.

Once through the hole the younger brother is shocked to see dozens of tiny men running around. He almost squishes one of them. He apologizes and offers them the rice cake with honey. The tiny men are ecstatic and offer him gold in return. The younger brother refuses and asks for something else. Then they produce a mortar. They instruct him to turn it to the right and ask for whatever he wishes. The mortar will produce whatever he wishes until he turns it to the left and says, "stop." The younger brother quickly trades his rice cake for the mortar and leaps home in triumph.

His wife is disappointed he has not returned with rice. "Who cares about rice when we can have anything we want." He turns the mortar to the right, "Cake, cake, let us have cake!" And as soon as the words have left his lips cake appears on the table until he turns the mortar left and cries, "Stop!" This goes on for quite some time. The younger brother asks for wine, a mansion and a banquet for a party. 

His neighbors quickly arrive to share in his good fortune as well as his brother. The neighbors do not ask where this new found wealth is from. That is not polite. The children ask, but the younger brother swats them away and goes to the kitchen get the mortar to make him some bean candy for them. Eying his younger brother, the older brother follows him into the kitchen to uncover his brother's secret. As soon as he sees his brother create the bean candy he is determined to possess this magic mortar himself and become the most powerful man in Japan.

The older brother swipes the magic mortar and climbs into a boat back to row back to his house. In his haste to leave the party with the magic mortar he forgot to eat anything so he scrounges up a rice cake from the bottom of the boat. He decides it's too dry and needs salt so he turn the magic mortar to the right, "Salt, salt, let me have salt." Immediately salt comes pouring out of the mortar and onto the rice cake. Delicious! But as the older brother continued to row to his house, the salt continued to pour out of the mortar until the boat became so heavy it sank to the bottom of the bay. 

And that is where salt comes from in the ocean.

Story Climaxes/High Points: The younger brother is having a party and his older brother spies how the magic mortar gives him whatever his chants for: "Bean candy, bean candy, let us have bean candy." With this, the older brother is determined to possess the magic mortar and become the most powerful man in Japan.

Special Chants/Phrases: Chant to the magic mortar: "Rice, rice, let us have rice." 

Bibliographic Information:

O'Callahan, Jay. (1994). The Magic Mortar. In Ready-To-Tell Tales (pp. 146-150). Little Rock, AK: August House.