Why not inspire others to be champions - whether it be to stand up and ask questions, help out someone in need, work as a team to create something great for others, or to build confidence to make a new friend. Read a few of these tales or tell your version of Zorro and have the kids make their marks!
"Every Hero Has A Story." My Blogging From A to Z theme bridges the summer library reading programs throughout the U.S. with storytelling opportunities, ideas, and activities. Who wouldn't want to wear a cape, black mask, and handle the coolest, sharpest sword in the world - one that he easily carves his trademark Z into any surface? Zorro is the village of Los Angeles' Robin Hood - steals from the rich and gives to the poor. The setting of Johnston McCulley's story of Zorro is in old California where oppression rules. Native peasants are abused and innocent bystanders are persecuted by corrupt rulers and their army. Diego Vega has no choice but to disguise himself as Zorro by night to be the champion of freedom for those in need of his services. Why not inspire others to be champions - whether it be to stand up and ask questions, help out someone in need, work as a team to create something great for others, or to build confidence to make a new friend. Read a few of these tales or tell your version of Zorro and have the kids make their marks! It's been a fantastic month of theme blogging. I'd like to thank all of you who have visited my posts and those that left comments. It's always such a boost to read what you have to say! Please pass my blog on to teachers, librarians, families who would benefit from stories of bravery. We're all heroes - tell your tales!
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"Every Hero Has A Story." My Blogging From A to Z theme bridges the summer library reading programs throughout the U.S. with storytelling opportunities, ideas, and activities. Tip your cowboy hats to our heroine today - San Antonio Sue. Yes sir, she sure proved herself in my rendition of a fun, total participation, western vaudeville. She turns the sleepy little Western town of Yawning Gulch into a rip roaring adventure! There's good guys, bad guys, and everything in-between. Gather as many folks as you can, assign parts to your audience, practice them there parts and then off you go, narrating this Western tale. Guaranteed to get some belly laughs while your audience acts it out! this is a story no one will forget! I think it would be pretty easy to change the setting of this tale to just about anywhere. Where do you live? How would the characters change in your town, state, country? I'd love to hear from you! "Every Hero Has A Story." My Blogging From A to Z theme bridges the summer library reading programs throughout the U.S. with storytelling opportunities, ideas, and activities. I've invited my good friend and storyteller extraordinaire, Mary Grace Ketner, from San Antonio, TX to be my guest blogger for today's letter. She successfully completed the A-Z Blog Challenge 2014 and did a marvelous job convincing us to find treasures in the 398.2 section of our library (Dewey Decimal for Folktales and Fairytales). This is her "X" is for Xmen Post: Even teachers are sometimes surprised at how long primary students will sit fully engaged in a good story. One such tale which I love is my 25-minute version of “The Fool of the World and the Flying Ship.” Meeting all seven “mutant heroes" and singing “Otchi Tchornya” after each one, then seeing how each uses his special power to achieve the fool’s goal keeps kids sitting on the edge of their seats, singing along and laughing at the strange and wonderful characters. The story has many fringe benefits, too, such as appreciation of differences and the role of kindness and respect in advancing one’s goals. I’m looking forward to getting to tell it at Library Summer Reading Programs for this year’s theme, “Every Hero Has A Story.”
Before there was Stan Lee, there were X-men, mutant heroes. Storytellers call them “magical friends” for, with their mutant capabilities and unnatural powers, they befriend the hero in his quest. When I tell “The Fool of the World and the Flying Ship,” I call the seven heroes Hearsalot, Runsalot, Shootsalot, Eatsalot, and—by the time the last three arrive, kids are joining in: “Drinksalot!” “Strawsalot!” “Sticksalot!” Without them, the Fool of the World could never have brought back the water of life from the well at the world’s end or foiled the Tsar’s tricks or married the Tsarevna! Hooray for X-men! ResourcesYour quest for mutant heroes ends here: a picture book, a Classic Russian Collection, and a beloved Andrew Lang:
Ransome, Arthur. The Fool of the World and the Flying Ship, illustrated by Uri Schulevitz. Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 1968. Ransome, Arthur. Old Peter’s Russian Tales. Mellon Press, 2008. Lang, Andrew. The Yellow Fairy Book, illustrated by H. J. Ford. Reprinted by Flying Chipmunk Publishing, 2009. (Also available for Kindle and on the Gutenberg Project.) Create your own flying ships Mary Grace's Story Activities that support the curriculum "Every Hero Has A Story." My Blogging From A to Z theme bridges the summer library reading programs throughout the U.S. with storytelling opportunities, ideas, and activities. Worry never robs tomorrow of its sorrow, it only saps today of its joy. The story I've chosen for "W" is a wonderful Jewish folktale from Afghanistan about an unlikely hero - a poor cobler who lives each day to its fullest, always counting his blessings and having faith that God will provide. The title of this tale is "The Wooden Sword." It truly speaks to me because I believe there must be a worry gene in me of which I can't seem to get rid of. This tale reminds me to just take each day with a smile, with faith, and with a little help from my friends! The A-Z Blog challenge had me worried and yet here I am with the rest of you, enjoying every single morsel of blog post visits! Have faith my friends, we are almost victorious. Thank you to Heather Forest, a fabulous, internationally known storyteller and author, for allowing me to post her wonderful rendition of "The Wooden Sword." Credit: "The Wooden Sword, A Tale from Afghanistan" retold by Heather Forest from Wisdom Tales from Around the World, August House Publishers. I am a self professed worrier! Stories like this remind me to stop, take a deep breath, and believe that faith will get me through. Are you a worrier? What do you do to help remedy that impulse? I'd love to hear from you.
"Every Hero Has A Story." My Blogging From A to Z theme bridges the summer library reading programs throughout the U.S. with storytelling opportunities, ideas, and activities. Vasilisa the Brave is a Russian folktale filled with Cinderella-like circumstances but ever so much more adventuresome. Vasilisa proves herself brave , courageous, and kind in the midst of jealous and mean step mother and step sisters, along with walking in the dark woods, by herself to the witche's house on chicken feet to retrieve light. Are you kidding - no way would I even consider taking on those tasks. Well, unless I had the coolest doll EVER! A doll Vasilisa's mother gave her right before dying. Her mother instructed her "Remember and heed my last words. I am dying, and together with my maternal blessing i leave you this dool. Always keep it with you and do not show it to anyone. If you get into trouble, give the doll food, and ask its advice. When it has ate it will tell you what to do in your trouble." I had a Chatty Cathy doll in second grade. I took her with me everywhere but she would only say a few sentences when I pulled her string - don't think I received the advice needed as Vasilisa did. Kids will love this tale of heroism in danger - and how fortunate to have a doll who talks to you and helps to solve all the problems that Vasilisa confronts. There are several versions of the Russian folktale of Vasilisa. One is found in Favorite Folktales from around the World, edited by Jane Yolen. A few more are text found on the internet: Myths and Legends The Annotated Baba Yaga Vasilisa the Brave Marianna Mayer's version of Vasilisa is amazing! The illustrations by K.Y. Craft will make you feel you're walking into those dark woods with Vasilisa - pretty scary! "Every Hero Has A Story." My Blogging From A to Z theme bridges the summer library reading programs throughout the U.S. with storytelling opportunities, ideas, and activities. I found this lovely Australian myth in the book entitled Fearless Girls, Wise Women & Beloved Sisters, edited by Kathleen Ragan. It, along with several other Australian treasures can also be found in the full text of "Myths and Legends of the Torres Strait" - wonderful tales! Asou Thaiday told this story on July 6, 1966 on Yam Island in the Torres Strait. Yam island is about a mile in length and half a mile in width with a population of around 340. The Torres Straits include reefs, rocks, and islands located between the northern most tip of Australia and New Guinea. Uzu, the White Dogai, is an unlikely heroine because most dogais are evil tricksters, always looking to snatch a man to grab as a husband or even children, as told in other dogai tales. Uzu was a good dogai, kind to all who might be in trouble. I've included the entire text of "Uzu, the White Dogai" below. Enjoy! "Every Hero Has A Story." My Blogging From A to Z theme bridges the summer library reading programs throughout the U.S. with storytelling opportunities, ideas, and activities. Howdy folks. This here Texas tall tale stands up to the best of them, like Pecos Bill, Paul Bunyan, Mike Fink, and Davy Crockett. I figure fourth graders on up to eighth graders will certainly enjoy this picture book. Thunder Rose is filled with exaggerations and live action, bigger than life situations that gotta be solved, and our heroine comes out smellin' like a rose. I also tip my Stetson cowboy hat to illustrator, Kadir Nelson - her pictures are amazing. Summary: A feisty baby girl was born on a dark and thunder storm night and with her adoring parents looking on, she grabbed the lightning and thunder above her and with her first breath declared that she was partial to the name Rose, so Thunder Rose stuck. Rose grew up not knowing failure. Why, on day two, she lifted a cow to drink its milk dry, two years, she played with scrap iron, and at the ripe old age of twelve, wrestled a stampeding herd of wild longhorn steer and tamed the monster steer with a song-a song her parents' love had graced her with. She conquered all who stood in her way which included a gang of desperadoes she tied up in iron and dropped in jail. Thunder Rose tackled a cloud with her lasso, squeezing it for water to halt the drought (which must have been perty fierce 'cause even the rocks were crying out in thirst. Problem was her efforts resulted in two tornadoes comin' at her. Full of determination, bravery, and confidence, Rose knew she needed a plan first so she sat back and thought it out. Thunder Rose used her talent of singin' and calmed those tornadoes. As Rose journeyed back to Abilene, TX, she realized the gentle power of music in her heart. Rose was a hero that changed her world through kindness, determined focus, thoughtfulness, and song. Thunder Rose's stories of her amazing, almost impossible feats spread all over the West and now you're hearing about them too! I'm hoping to adapt Jerdine Nolan's original tall tale of Thunder Rose to storytell in the schools and libraries but I'll need to ask for permission from her first. Emailing begins tomorrow! ResourcesHobby Horse, cowboy hat, some boots, and chaps: all you need to role play this tall tale! Text of Thunder Rose Below is a wonderful guide with writing and reading activities suited more for a classroom:
"Every Hero Has A Story." My Blogging From A to Z theme bridges the summer library reading programs throughout the U.S. with storytelling opportunities, ideas, and activities. I've had a storytelling club in most of the schools I've taught in for over 20 years and came to realize about seven years ago that there are some fun apps out there that certainly support the craft of storytelling. Story Wheel has been a huge favorite of my storytelling students. Ranging from 3rd to 5th grade, one of my student groups of 4 created a hero myth on the Story Wheel app titled "Posidon's Son." You can listen and watch the tale HERE. Please feel free to "like" the story and leave a comment for the kids - they would get a kick out of it. Thanks in advance. Description of the Story Wheel App:This app cost $2.99 and it's well worth it. One ipad can be shared with up to 6 kids. Stay away from the "Story Wheel Lite," which is free, but you create two stories with it and that's it. Enter each student's first name, spin the wheel and land on an image. You'll have up to 30 seconds to record your part of the story using the image. The next person's turn. He/she knows what the previous students had recorded and spins to the next image. Record the continuation of the tale incorporating this new image. As each student progresses, the previous images are displayed on the side so each can keep track of the storyline. I certainly allow collaboration when needed. Record and Listen to Your Stories On the wheel, you have the choice to click on "Listen to Stories." This is where you'll find the stories recorded by your family, friends, or students. Click on the story title. Your voice is played back with the images you spun. The cool part is that each page of the story shares the person's name, the animated image used, and of course, his/her voice. This is a great confidence booster for the tellers. They are their own worst critics and only become better tellers with each story told. Share Your Stories Once you have created your story, you can share it online, or publish it as an iBook. You can post it to their website for the world to listen. I'm hoping you'll try it out! "Every Hero Has A Story." My Blogging From A to Z theme bridges the summer library reading programs throughout the U.S. with storytelling opportunities, ideas, and activities. When it comes to storytelling and the reading of stories, heroes come in all forms, including birds. How often have I gone for a morning jog or walking my dog and noticed at least 30 birds at one time sitting on the telephone lines along my street just talking away. You can't tell me that they aren't storytelling - they're not bird brains. Here's a wonderful Native American creation myth from the Lenape Tribe, also known as the Delaware Indians. Rainbow Crow (Lenni Lenape Tribe): This legend from the Lenape Indian tribe, is about a crow who bravely rescues forest animals from the snow storm that promised to bury them. Wise Owl chose Rainbow Crow for this arduous journey. He's voice was enchanting and his feathers were of all colors glistening in the sun's rays. With his voice, Rainbow Crow summoned the Creator out to solve this freezing delemma. A blazing, glowing fire burned on a stick given to Crow. This fire stick was to be flown to Earth quickly before the stick burned up. This journey caused Rainbow's feathers to catch on fire and turn black and the smoke strangled his beautiful singing voice. Rainbow Crow did save the animals of the earth and warmed them with the fire but sacrificed much. The Creator and animals never forgot and honor crow - the hoarse voice prevents man from putting him into a cage to sing and men won't eat crow because the creator made his flesh taste of smoke. He would always be free. Added bonus: I couldn't leave this post without mentioning another winged hero tale: Raven Brings Fresh Water, retold by Fran Martin in From Sea to Shining Sea: A Treasury of American Folklore and Folk Songs, compiled by Amy L. Cohn. Another creation story from the Pacific Northwest. Raven, who is more times than not, a trickster, but in this tale, he saves the people from dying of thirst. Resources
"Every Hero Has A Story." My Blogging From A to Z theme bridges the summer library reading programs throughout the U.S. with storytelling opportunities, ideas, and activities. I panicked finding a letter "Q" hero for this post until I decided to search through Grimm's Complete Fairy Tales , praying for a lead and lo and behold, a wonderful tale unearthed itself - The Queen Bee. I've never heard this fairytale before but after reading it several times, I've grown quite fond of it. The hero is Witling, the youngest prince, who is sneered at by his two older brothers who seem to think they are much more clever than he will ever be. What I find in this young brother is empathy, an emotion taught well in this tale. By understanding that all living things have a purpose and must be treated gently, he is rewarded for his wisdom and compassion. Here is "The Queen Bee" in a nut shell: 1. King's two older sons go off into the world seeking adventure but are reckless and thoughtless and decide they better not ever go home. 2. Witling, youngest brother, ventures out to find his brothers. Once found, brothers ridicule him and pronounce him a "loser" compared to their "cleverness." 3. The three set off and come across an ant hill in which the older princes would like to step on and cause havoc. Witling speaks up and says "leave the creatures alone, I won't suffer them to be killed." 4. All come up to some ducks swimming in a lake. Brothers want to kill them for dinner but Witling stops them - "I will not suffer them to be killed." 5. Eventually they come to a bee's nest with loads of dripping, sweet honey that overflowed and ran down the tree trunk. Older brothers want to smoke out the bees for the honey but Witling saves the day and says NO, Leave the little creatures alone, I will not suffer them to be stifled." 6. Brothers aren't happy but the 3 of them finally reach a castle with stone horses by a stable. Brothers search through the rooms until they see a gray-haired man sitting at a table through a small opening of a locked door. They call 3 times before the old man turns, stands, walks to open the door. Man leads them to a table filled with foods to eat. Once eaten, the man walks each to their bed chambers. 7. Next morning, old man beckons the oldest brother to a stone table where there were 3 tasks written down to break the enchantment spell. #1: 1000 pearls belonging to the princess must be gathered from under the moss in the woods - all must be gathered and returned by sunset - Oldest brother failed and was turned to stone. 2nd brother goes out to gather the pearls and fails - turned to stone. 8. Witling's turn - quite tedious but gets help from those ants he saved earlier-all pearls were gathered. 9. #2 task ordered by the table of stone was to retrieve the key to the Princess's room at the bottom of the lake. Witling was assisted by the ducks he saved earlier and the key was delivered. 10. #3 task ordered by the table of stone was most difficult - Witling had to choose out the youngest and loveliest of the three Princesses with only these clues: oldest had eaten a piece of sugar, the middle had eaten a little syrup, and the youngest had a spoonful of honey. The Queen Bee comes to the rescue and trying the lips of all three, settles on the one that had eaten honey. Witling, the King's son, thus choose the correct Princess, the spell was broken and everyone woke up. Witling married the youngest, ruled the kingdom after his father's death, and the brothers were none the wiser. Julie Moss, one of our own Storytelling A-Z Bloggers has a wonderful post today on Clever and Wise Queens. Please check her post out here. Resources"Every Hero Has A Story." My Blogging From A to Z theme bridges the summer library reading programs throughout the U.S. with storytelling opportunities, ideas, and activities. Sergei Prokofiev was commissioned by the USSR to write a composition for children in 1936. The purpose was to introduce children at an early age to music so they can learn to appreciate it in its many forms. Prokofiev knew that kids loved listening to folk tales so why not have a story narrated within the music itself. Thank goodness orchestras all over the world continue to entice children and their families to listen to this wonderful tale of a young hero and his animal friends - each portrayed by different instruments in the orchestra. The audience is given the unique chance to listen to the narration of this tale while the music enriches each piece of the plot. You decide what the moral is to the story - weather it is to take risks by relying on your wits or possibly to challenge established beliefs. Prokofiev's original storyline is found here. I'm a flute player in the Helotes Community Band (Helotes, TX) but was given the opportunity to lay my flute down and narrate a shorter version of Peter and the Wolf this past Sunday arranged by Jim Curnow. While the original composition takes about 30 minutes to play, ours was about 13 minutes - easier for all age groups to enjoy. I thought it would be fun to share our concert piece here on my blog. resources"Every Hero Has A Story." My Blogging From A to Z theme bridges the summer library reading programs throughout the U.S. with storytelling opportunities, ideas, and activities. Tall tale heroes that I primarily know come from Texas such as Pecos Bill, Slu Foot Sue, and Davy Crockett's wild tales of adventures. Nice to know that this tall, handsome folk hero of a man comes from Massachusetts during the days of adventuring sails on the ocean. Legend has it that Alfred Bulltop Stormalong was beached as a baby, but no worries about drowning, because he was 3 fathoms tall (18feet). He was assigned to his first ship when he was 12 years young and seems to be responsible for the term "able-bodied" by signing his name on his first employment as "Stormalong, A.B." He certainly lived up to that because he was 30 feet tall. He sailed the largest ship out there at the time, the Tuscarora (a.k.a. the Courser). This ship was similar to our huge ocean liners, only better. It had a stable of Arabian horses to be ridden from one side of the boat to the other, and the humongous masts had to be hinged in fear of them running into the moon! Stormalong was a hero to all the sailors and coastal folks for his heroic acts of protecting everyone from his greatest nemesis: the Kraken. Below is just one of his tall tales of bravery on the seas: Resources
These are my Matryoshka nesting dolls sitting atop our piano, awaiting to be stacked one within the other to tell tales of motherly and sisterly love for each other. Russia is known for creating the most beautiful, unique nesting dolls in all the world but having done a bit of research, the idea of nesting dolls goes all the way back to ancient China and Japan (1000 AD) where they depicted mythological and religious figures such as The Seven Lucky Gods. Savva Mamontov, a wealthy Russian patron of the arts noticed these stacking dolls and wanted to revive the Russian folk art in his country so he worked with an artist , Sergei Maliutin, and a craftsman, Vassily Zyiozdochkin and created the first Russian set of Matryoshkas. I chose two tales of heroism originally written down for children to enjoy and read over and over using the nesting dolls. Amazon's Summary of this tale: Katya's grandmother took a little matryoshka, a nesting doll, out of a small box. "If your need is great, open the doll and help will come. But you may only do so three times. After that the magic will be gone." A wicked spell has changed a handsome young prince to a pale glassy figure made of "living ice," and his kingdom to a frozen landscape of night without moon, darkness without dawn. Katya knows that it's up to her to rescue the prince and undo the evil spell that has banished the sun. Armed with only the magic nesting doll and her own valiant heart, she is determined to succeed. But will the combined effort of her courage and the mysterious nesting doll be strong enough to prevail? Laurel Long's radiant paintings and Jacqueline K. Ogburn's enchanting original tale were inspired by Russian folk art and stories. This talented duo has created a modern classic that honors its folklore heritage while depicting a world in which a girl can be anything, including a hero. Library Journal's Summary: Kindergarten-Grade 2-Created by a doll maker in Old Russia, a set of six nesting dolls travels to America and finds its way into a toy shop. When Nina, the littlest "sister," is accidentally brushed off a table, she begins a journey that rivals the Perils of Pauline. She is lost in a pile of snow, survives a waterfall, is threatened by a blue heron, gathered up by a squirrel, jostled down a drainpipe, and played with by a cat before she is discovered by Jessie, the young girl who had purchased the incomplete set. Bliss's story and text are most successful when they incorporate elements of traditional folklore: Although the narrative tends to be long-winded, it nevertheless makes for an effective read-aloud. Brown adopts a representational style and a palette consisting mostly of soft shades of blue, brown, and green. Against this pastel background, the nesting dolls-with their traditional bold red and yellow coloring-become the focus of each picture. The art does a credible job of capturing the action of the text but is less successful in establishing a consistent sense of time and place. Still, the adventure has definite appeal. A note on the history of these dolls is included. Denise Anton Wright, Alliance Library System, Bloomington, IL Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc. ResourcesPlease visit my blog post titled:
Nesting Dolls and Storytelling: Adding Detail to our Bare bones.
Resources
In this You Tube, Birte Harksen and her Icelandic pre-schoolers are role playing the march into the forest.
The Lion and the Rabbit is a tale from The Panchatantra (or five books created around 200 B.C.E. in Kashmir, India. The Rabbit is the intelligent, wise hero who plans to save the day. Bare bones of The Lion and the Rabbit: 1. Once upon a time, a long time ago in India, there lived a thoughtless, yet ferocious lion who for game, hunted more animals than he could ever eat. He would flex his muscles, roar his loud roar, and then proceed to do the same each day. 2. Animals of the jungle were terrified knowing that eventually there would be no animals left. They gathered together and agreed to meet with the lion and offer an animal a day to the lion to stop his greedy, unnecessary hunting. The meeting took place. 3. "I accept your offer," said the lion. From that moment on, one animal would go to the lion's den each day to be eaten. 4. It was eventually the rabbits' turn to choose one from their group to walk to the lion's den. The old, wise one immediately volunteered. He told stories to the baby rabbits first, said his goodbyes to his family and friends, and hopped off. 5. This rabbit took his time to get to the lion's den - he dawdled here, nibbled there, and conversed with any animals he came upon. He finally arrived quite late to the lion's den. 6. Lion was beside himself with anger - "Why are you so late? I'm starving." 7. The wise old rabbit explained that he would have been there earlier but was stopped by another ferocious, evil lion with knarly teeth, sharp claws, and a large mouth - "He looked quite like you," commented the rabbit. 8. The lion went bazerk with rage - "Another lion has invaded my territory? Well, we'll see about that. Where is he now rabbit?" 9. "Oh, I know exactly where he is," and rabbit led the lion to a deep well filled with crystal clear water. "He is in there King Lion. Look for yourself." 10. The ferocious lion peered into the well, saw his reflection in the water and roared his terrible roar. That roar vibrated off the water in the well and echoed back to him with an even louder raging roar! 11. "Who are you?" shouted the lion. The echo sounded right back - Who are you? "Why, I am the KING of the jungle!" roared the lion. The echo roared right back the same. The lion was so crazy with hate that he responded "How dare you call yourself a King." Of course the echo shouted back with an even louder conviction ; How dare you call YOURSELF a King! This was all the lion could take. He thrust his sharp claws out and showed his teeth and jumped squarely into the deep well - SPLASH! 12. The wise old rabbit hopped back to the animals of the jungle to tell them the ferocious lion fought against his own reflection and lost. 13. Moral: Cleverness is superior to brawn! Resources
Abbie Burgess was a true heroine of her day at the young age of 17. She was born in 1839 and died 1892. Many books have been written about her courage, her spirit, and her bravery to maintain and keep the lights burning in the two lighthouses and saving her invalid mother and two sisters from the horendous storms and starvation. Kids of all ages should hear the her story told or read for she was a real teenage heroine! Bare bones story: 1. Lighthouses were important back in the days and nights where ships and boats needed guidance to where the shorelines and reefs were. Light house keepers had 24-7 jobs of maintaining the lights to make sure they burned bright after sunset. Samuel Burgess was appointed the lighthouse keeper of Matinicus Rock Light twin towers in 1856, located off the Maine Coast. 2. He moved his invalid wife, son, and 3 daughters to their home - rocky outpost 3. Abbie, at age 14, learned how to run the light while father fished for lobsters - she got quite good at being a lightkeeper's assistant and took pride in keeping the sailors safe. 4. When she was 17 years old in January, 1856, while her brother was off fishing, and her father sailed to the mainland to retrieve oil for the lamps and food supplies, winds picked up in no time at all which turned into raging nor'easter. Her father was stranded 5. Danger was all around, so Abbie quickly moved her sisters and invalid mother into the granite lighthouse. She realized the chickens were running around and would soon drown, and not taking the advice of her mother, she had to at least try to save them - all but 1 she gathered to safety in the lighthouse. 6. Moments after the hens were rescued, but huge, slamming waves hit their rocky shore and destroyed their old dwelling. 7. Three weeks of this raging storm - Abbie portioned out a cup of cornmeal and an egg during this time to her mother and sisters daily. 8. Abbie kept those lights buring in the lighthouses for all the ships and boats caught in that raging storm. 9. Abbie Burgess found inner strength and courage to carry on what had to be done to save the lives of all who were affected by that storm. She will long be remembered. Resources
The Jack Tales came from the oral tradition - not books. These tales are alive and well today. The Jack I'm talking about is the same Jack that climbed the beanstalk. The great news is that there are so many more tales of Jack seeking his fortune, taking care of him mom, and trying to better himself and his family. Jack is kind and clever (yet naïve , always completes his tasks - usually three, receives some type of magic to help him out along the way, and is always rewarded in one way or another. Author, Richard Chase, discovered Jack Tales in the spring of 1935 through Marshall Ward, a young man at the time who heard Chase speak in North Carolina about folksongs to a group of teachers. Here's the dialog: "I don't know whether you'd be interested or not," he said to me afterward, "but my folks know a lot of old stories that have been handed down from generation to generation like you were saying about the old songs." Quote source: The Jack Tales by Richard Chase, 1943. (pp. vii-viii) Favorite Jack Tales? I thought I knew my favorites but then I began reading them over again and I've got to say I love them all. Right now, my favorites are: 1. Hardy Hard Head found in Richard Chase's The Jack Tales 2. Jack and the North West Wind 3. Jack and the Haunted House (recording) 4. Jack and the Beanstalk 5. Jack and the Varmits ResourcesThe Folklore Tradition of Jack Tales- interesting information about the Jack Tales Creative animated story of Jack and the Beanstalk Anndrena Belcher telling the tale of Hardy Hard Head (Jack Tale) The Fool of the World and the Flying Ship (A Russian tale quite similar to Hardy Hard Head) - Robin Williams narrates a version of this tale below:
Issun BoshiHere are the barebones of the folktale in which Issun Boshi, "Little One Inch" proves to be the hero. I've included my longer version of the tale as a PDF document in the resources. 1. Husband and wife pray for a baby at a nearby shrine and are granted a sweet baby boy, no bigger than an inch. They called his Issun Boshi or "Little One Inch" and they showered him with love. 2. I. B. asks questions about where the river flows and finds out it runs to Kyoto, the capitol of Japan where the Samurai live. 3. In time, he grows up and tells his parents he would like to become a Samurai and find adventure. Parents are upset but let him leave with the help of a rice bowl for his boat, a chopstick for his paddle, and a needle for his sword. (What more could a boy want?) 4. Task of travelling by water was difficult - had to survive slams into rocks, rapids, and falling over waterfalls - but he does because he never gives up, stays determined, and has a goal in mind! 5. Reaches Kyoto and persuades a famous samurai warrior to work for him as a guard and playmate to the Lord's daughter, Princess Haruhime. 6. Time passes and they are the best of friends - reading books, telling stories, playing drums and the koto, and writing haiku. 7. Princess wants to pray at the Kiyomizu Temple in the spring so father grants that as long as she brings warriors and Issum Boshi to protect her from oni (rumored demon kidnapping young ladies) 8. All is fine until dark when they begin journey back home. Oni demon jumps from brush - warriors run away like scared babies. 9. Issun jumps up to the rescue but once the demon sees how small he is, he swallows him whole. 10. Hero time: Issun Boshi pulls out his needle and continues to stab the Oni until the demon swears he'll be good. The Oni spits out Boshi and runs away. 11. Princess notices a magic hammer, left by the Oni and asks Issun Boshi to make any wish. I.B. wishes for…..drum roll….to be 6 feet tall - YES! 12. Wish comes true. He fulfills his dreams and becomes a reknown samurai, marries the princess, and they live happily ever after. ResourcesThe PDF below is my version of Issun Boshi:
This is a wonderful Kamishibai story of Issun-Boshi. I love the illustrations:
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"Every Hero Has A Story." My Blogging From A to Z theme bridges the summer library reading programs throughout the U.S. with storytelling opportunities, ideas, and activities. Aloha from the beautiful islands of Hawaii. Turn on your Pandora radio station and select some tropical music to listen to; slip your flip flops on, and imagine pristine blue ocean water, luscious green valleys and mountains, waterfalls with rainbows hanging above, the smell of plumaria trees, and palm trees swaying. These islands are filled with myths and legends. Maui is our hero for this tale called "Hina and the Wailuku River." I've included a pronunciation chart below to help you out a bit with the beautiful Hawaiian language. Stressed vowels a - ah, as in car: aloha e - a, as in may: nene i - ee, as in bee: honi o - oh, as in so: mahalo u - oo, as in spoon: kapuUnstressed vowels a - a, as in about: ali`i e - eh, as in met: kane Source: Popular Hawaiian Words and Phrases Hina, the moon goddess of the Polynesians, lived in a large cave, hidden by a wondrous waterfall with a rainbow veil near Hilo, Hawaii. The Wailuku River flows through this basin of Rainbow Falls. Hina's son, the mighty demigod Maui, owned this land and also had his home situated here. But, far above the cave dwelt the evil dragon, Kuna. Kuna would annoy Hina to no ends! He would dam up the river and fill it with dirt. He would throw logs and huge rolling stones into the stream in hopes they would be carried over the waterfall and push Hina from her home in the cave. Hina feared nothing that Kuna could do and would use her chants to ward off his misdoings. Kuna, the dragon, became quite impatient and hatred swelled in him this last time. He uttered great curses causing dark, dangerous clouds and storms to appear and then called on all the magical forces he could muster and hurled a great stone into the gorge of the river below Hina's home, flooding the river from bank to bank. Hina quickly became aware of this dire situation she was in as the unrelenting water poured into her cave. Her powers didn't include flying so she called on her son, Maui to come to her aid. Her voice projected out from the cave, piercing through the storms and the clouds, sweeping beside the great mountain of Haleakala. It was this mountain that Maui heard his mother's cry for help while he was trying to lasso the sun's rays to slow it down. Courageous Maui ran down the mountain, into his magical canoe and with 2 powerful strokes of his paddle, he found himself across the sea to the mouth of the Wailuki River. Maui jumped out of his canoe, grabbed his magic club and swung it once around his head and then striking the dam that Kuna had maliciously created, causing the water to flow freely now back into a new channel. Maui's mother was safe. Maui, being the brave demigod, continued to search out Kuna, knowing that Kuna hid himself in deep waters. Maui readied his magical spear and thrust it through the dirt and lava rocks beside the river, creating a long hole through which the waters ran - revealing Kuna's hiding place. This long hole is called Ka-puka-a-Maui (The Door Made by Maui) a.k.a. "the natural bridge of the Wailuku River." Maui persevered and followed Kuna along several deep pools and riverbeds which the Hawaiians accounted for several earthquakes. While Kuna thought he was safe, Maui poured red hot lava and burning stones into the water which boiled . The dragons tough skin wasn't tough enough. Maui pounded him with his weapons until Kuna battle was up - his body hurled over the falls and was swept through the new channel made by Maui's club. A mighty hero was Maui this day. Pau (The End) Story Source is below: Myths and Legends of Hawaii ResourcesHawaiian Myths and Legends website - appropriate tales for kids
The Owl's Gift - A Hawaiian Legend The King of Sharks - Hawaiian Legend "Every Hero Has A Story." My Blogging From A to Z theme bridges the summer library reading programs throughout the U.S. with storytelling opportunities, ideas, and activities. I love urban legends and so do kids - especially a ghostly urban legend that bonds a mother's love to her child, even beyond death. The tale The Ghost of the Grey Lady can be told to fifth graders on up to adults. Your setting can be just about anywhere. I set mine right here in old town Bulverde, TX about 100 years ago: Barebones of The Ghost of the Grey Lady: 1. You all know that Shell Gas Station on Bulverde road - that Shell Station. Well, in the 1920's there was a general store sitting in that exact spot. Other than that, not much has changed. The cemetary is down the road a bit, same homes sit on the street, and you can hear some of the same stories they told back then. 2. Store keeper was sweeping up the floor while the shop was empty, about 4 p.m., when he turned and there she was - sad, worn face of a young woman wearing a grey, long dress. Her eyes were desperate. She walked right past him and pointed at the milk bottles. 3. The store keeper went behind the counter, grabbed two and gave them to the woman. She left without paying. Store keepter figured she didn't have any money because of the depression so let her go. 4. The next day, right about the same time, the lady in grey was standing in the store. Storekeeper never heard the door open - she just seemed to appear. She placed the two empty milk bottles on the counter and looked him in the eyes with her forlorn expression. He immediately replaced those bottles with two filled milk bottles. She left again without saying a word. 5. Like clockwork, she came again without any warning. The storekeeper tried to talk to her but she only waited with her two empty milk bottles, pointing at the fresh milk up on the counter. Once the storekeeper replaced them and handed them to her, she left. But this time, he followed. 6. She was mighty fast - as if she were floating, but the storekeeper ran to keep up and while catching his breath, watched her enter the cemetery and climb the hill. She stopped, turned right toward the shopkeeper and then vanished. 7. He ran on up to where he last saw her - winding around grave sites until he reached the top of the hill. No sign of her except for the freshly laid grave itself. Shaking his head in disbelief, he was ready to head on back, when he heard a cry - a muffled cry of a baby. It took a minute to realize that the sound was coming from the ground - from the burial ground. 8. He ran back to his general store, called the police and in no time at all, there were folks from all over the town meeting the shopkeeper at that grave site with shovels. 9. The casket was brought up from the ground and opened. Inside was that grey woman but dead. Beside her though was a baby, weak, but crying. The storekeeper immediately lifted the baby up noticed two empty milk bottles by her side. 10. The town folk remember reading about her death. This woman and her child had been quite ill and both were thought to be dead. Folks now realized the baby was in a coma state when buried. A mother's love knows no bounds. Here's a link to another blog I just read on defining Ghosts- quite interesting: Precious Monsters Story Resources |
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