Tell Me a Fact…Indian Proverb

Tell me a fact, and I’ll learn. Tell me a truth, and I’ll believe, but tell me a story and it will live in my heart forever. Indian Proverb  

Unknown artist (Arghan Div Brings the Chest of Armor to Hamza

This afternoon I told stories to a large group of grade 2 – 6 students.  As I introduced the Indian folktale, “The Boy Who Wanted a Drum,” a spontaneous gasp erupted in the middle of the assembled.  One of the astonished students said, “Miss, we know that story!  Our teacher  read it to us!”

I’ve experienced this reaction before.  When children hear someone else tell  a familiar story , they respond as we all do when unexpectedly running into a dear friend.  They delight in hearing the story again and feel connected.  Familiar with the plot, they can sit back and enjoy the subtleties without encountering jarring surprises along the way.

Afterwards, the whole class told me that their favourite story was “The Boy Who Wanted a Drum.”  I love kids.

Happy Storytelling!

Cheryl Thornton

It Is Important to Listen to Advice

After telling the story, The Boy Who Loved to Paint Cats, from Japan to a gym full of grades 1 – 5 classes this morning, I asked what lessons they thought the story might be telling us.  Usually, I get general answers like, “The story is telling us to be brave,” or “The story is telling us to be creative.”  Today, one little boy answered, “The story is telling us that it is important to listen to advice from people you trust because they can really help you.”  Sometimes, I have the feeling that the stories speak deeply to individual children, meeting them right where they are in that moment in time.  Perhaps that little boy needed to listen to someone he trusted and the story helped him to see that.

Maybe that is just my wild imagination talking, but I can always hope.

Happy Storytelling!

Cheryl Thornton

Painting by Kunivoshi Utagawa

Experience Is…Another Little Story

Experience is the mother of wisdom.  A Chinese Proverb

Art by Amedeo Modigliani

May As Well Be Here…Another Little Story

May as well be here; we are where we are.  Australian Aboriginal saying.

Aboriginal Rock Art, Anbangbang Rock Shelter, Kakadu National Park, Australia

One who sits between two chairs may easily fall down.  A Russian Proverb

If You Are Afraid…Another Little Story

If you are afraid, don’t do it.  If you do it, don’t be afraid.  A Mongolian Proverb

Painting by Charles Walter Simpson

 

When Alone… Another Little Story

When alone, watch your thoughts; when with others, watch your words.  A Mongolian proverb

A Captive Horse…Another Little Story

A captive horse, if it is let go, can be caught again.  A spoken word can never be caught and unsaid.  a Mongolian proverb

Failure is not falling down…Another Little Story

Failure is not falling down, but refusing to get up. 

Another Little Story

A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. –Confucius