Ancient Storytelling Tip...

Long, long ago in a galaxy far, far away.....

Recall that opening line? At that point you were ready to suspend critical thinking and accept the tale ready to be told.

This introduction is a traditional and ancient method of transmitting a story, often an oral tradition or morality tale. I introduce my retelling of an ancient Yokut Native-American tribal story in this way because that was the way it was told to me, and thus I remember and pass it along. My retelling of The Woman Who Was Greedy (a spooky, yet moralistic tale) is currently published in the December issue of Art & Prose ezine.

During my stint as a scoutmaster I always tried to work in this story around the campfire, along with the Old Grizzly Story, and the true stories from camp about The Fast Track, (tracking that pesky raccoon and a gigantic 'gator,) Smokey's Lesson, (I think the bear was learning faster than the scoutmaster,) and Buzz Cut, the camp counselor's very necessary hair cut.

I hope you will check these out. A comment on each would be appreciated, but more importantly - your promise to retell these around your campfires!