Storytelling Festival

I took Grace to an amazing festival--the Weber State University Storytelling Festival. She sat very nicely on Wednesday evening as we heard all 4 storytellers each tell 2 stories. When it was over, she said that she would like to be a storyteller when she grows up. Her very favorite story was "Baby Hawk Learns to Fly," told by Bobby Norfolk. We bought his CD and she's listened to it many times in two days--calling it "Cuckoo Bird" or "Baby Bird" or "Little Bird" instead of "Baby Hawk." He also retells the story on CD of "Why Mosquitoes Buzz in People's Ears", which was one of my favorite stories. I had the privilege of meeting the author of that book, Verna Aardema, when I was Grace's age. It's been fun to hear him tell the story with all the different registers of his voice.

I don't know that I can pick a favorite from the evening. Each storyteller was so different in form, voice and story. I've been listening to Elizabeth Ellis' cd, "Mothers and Daughters," and been very touched. She has so much wisdom.

Dovie Thomason, a Native American, had beautiful stories also. One story talked about a young boy whose parents died, and so he went to live with an "uncle." No one knew it but the uncle had a "crooked mind" and was cruel to the boy. As she began to talk about this, I became nervous that it would be inappropriate for Grace. Of course, it wasn't--and I'm glad we stayed to hear the story. Afterwards, she said that she saw people get nervous in the audience and pull their children closer to them. She wanted to go around and tell us all, "It will be all right. I promise." But of course, we had to sit and stay until the story was finished to find out how everything was resolved. Dovie said that children already know about darker things in life, and then she shared with me something someone told her: "We don't tell fairy tales to teach children about dragons. We tell fairy tales to teach them that dragons can be defeated." I love that.

And of course, Willy Claflin. What can I say? He was very funny, and the voices he does with his Maynard Moose puppet were amazing. He has a very funny story called "I Hate Music." I highly recommend it.

I spent way too much money on CDs and books, but I am determined to be a storyteller for my children. My daughter called it "Story Giving." I think that's the perfect name. I want my children to hear my stories, fairy tales, funny stories, Bible "stories", stories about long ago, and I want them to learn to tell their own. What is life without stories?