IF, as a Storyteller,
I continue to tell the same stories in the same way without occasionally checking to see if they are still relevant to me and more importantly to my listeners
I fail to encourage or spark the Storyteller that is in all of us
My storytelling becomes more about me than about those I tell to
I ever forget that I have an obligation to the Listener and to the Story
I forget that one of the roles of the Storyteller is to pass on the lessons from the past
I stop wanting and needing to pass on stories and experiences to others
I do not actively seek feedback from listeners and other tellers
I do not LISTEN to the feedback that I receive from others
I no longer find the joy and the laughter in the stories and in life
I fail to realize the importance of The Storytellers Role as a Leader in Society
I cease to feel just a "wee bit" of nerves before I tell
I ever lose the ability to feel the magic in the words "Once upon a time...."
THEN,
I have absolutely no way to become better as a Storyteller.
Many of you may have seen this lecture long before I did.
But for those who haven't or if it has been awhile please watch it again.
It is obviously very popular judging by the 4,221,441 hits it has had on Youtube.
I loved what Randy Pausch had to say.
It may not be new (yes, others have said the same or something similar) but it never hurts to hear these things again.
Randy Pausch died yesterday, July 25, 2008, and he has obviously left a wonderful legacy.
For his family and friends.
Here are some of the things that he said that hit me when I watched this vid.
"Experience is what you get when you don't get what you want."
"The Brick Walls are not there to keep us out. The Brick Walls are there to give us a chance to show how badly we want something."
"Get a feedback loop and listen to it."
"Show gratitude."
"Be good at something. It makes you valuable."
"Find the best in everybody; no matter how long you have to wait for them to show it."
"Be prepared: "Luck" is where preparation meets opportunity."
"What am I doing to Enable the childhood dreams of others?"
Yeah, yeah, yeah.....I know you are saying to yourself,
"What does this have to do with storytelling?"
Well, it depends on how you look at it.
You can ask the questions or apply the statements above to anyone or any profession.
So, yes this does relate to storytelling!
Please enjoy this vid!
Once upon a time when pigs spoke rhyme
And monkeys chewed tobacco,
And hens took snuff to make them tough,
And ducks went quack, quack, quack, O!
The Three Little Cajun Pigs By Berthe Amoss 
Alaska's Three Pigs By Arlene Laverde
Three Little Wolves and the Big Bad Pig by Eugene Trivizas 
The Fourth Little Pig (Ready Set Read)by Teresa Celsi 
Three Little Hawaiian Pigs and the Magic Shark by Donivee Laird
Yo, Hungry Wolf!: A Nursery Rap By David Vozar
The Three Little Fish and the Big Bad Shark By Will Grace, Ken Geist, Julia GortonTHE STORY OF THE THREE LITTLE PIGS
Once upon a time when pigs spoke rhyme
And monkeys chewed tobacco,
And hens took snuff to make them tough,
And ducks went quack, quack, quack, O!
There was an old sow with three little pigs, and as she had not enough to keep them, she sent them out to seek their fortune.
The first that went off met a man with a bundle of straw, and said to him:
"Please, man, give me that straw to build me a house."
Which the man did, and the little pig built a house with it.
Presently came along a wolf, and knocked at the door, and said:
"Little pig, little pig, let me come in."
To which the pig answered:
"No, no, by the hair of my chiny chin chin."
The wolf then answered to that:
"Then I'll huff, and I'll puff, and I'll blow your house in."
So he huffed, and he puffed, and he blew his house in, and ate up the little pig.
The second little pig met a man with a bundle of furze, and said:
"Please, man, give me that furze to build a house."
Which the man did, and the pig built his house. Then along came the wolf, and said:
"Little pig, little pig, let me come in."
"No, no, by the hair of my chiny chin chin."
"Then I'll puff, and I'll huff, and I'll blow your house in."
So he huffed, and he puffed, and he puffed, and he huffed, and at last he blew the house down, and he ate up the little pig.
The third little pig met a man with a load of bricks, and said:
"Please, man, give me those bricks to build a house with."
So the man gave him the bricks, and he built his house with them.
So the wolf came, as he did to the other little pigs, and said:
"Little pig, little pig, let me come in."
"No, no, by the hair of my chiny chin chin."
"Then I'll huff, and I'll puff, and I'll blow your house in."
Well, he huffed, and he puffed, and he huffed and he puffed, and he puffed and huffed; but he could not get the house down.
When he found that he could not, with all his huffing and puffing, blow the house down, he said:
"Little pig, I know where there is a nice field of turnips."
"Where?" said the little pig.
"Oh, in Mr. Smith's Home-field, and if you will be ready tomorrow
morning I will call for you, and we will go together, and get some for dinner."
"Very well," said the little pig, "I will be ready. What time do you mean to go?"
"Oh, at six o'clock."
Well, the little pig got up at five, and got the turnips before the wolf came (which he did about six) and who said:
"Little Pig, are you ready?"
The little pig said: "Ready! I have been and come back again, and got a nice potful for dinner."
The wolf felt very angry at this, but thought that he would be up to
the little pig somehow or other, so he said:
"Little pig, I know where there is a nice apple-tree."
"Where?" said the pig.
"Down at Merry-garden," replied the wolf, "and if you will not deceive me I will come for you, at five o'clock tomorrow and get some apples."
Well, the little pig bustled up the next morning at four o'clock, and
went off for the apples, hoping to get back before the wolf came; but
he had further to go, and had to climb the tree, so that just as he was coming down from it, he saw the wolf coming, which, as you may suppose, frightened him very much.
When the wolf came up he said:
"Little pig, what! are you here before me? Are they nice apples?"
"Yes, very," said the little pig. "I will throw you down one."
And he threw it so far, that, while the wolf was gone to pick it up,
the little pig jumped down and ran home.
The next day the wolf came again, and said to the little pig:
"Little pig, there is a fair at Shanklin this afternoon, will you go?"
"Oh yes," said the pig, "I will go; what time shall you be ready?"
"At three," said the wolf. So the little pig went off before the time
as usual, and got to the fair, and bought a butter-churn, which he was going home with, when he saw the wolf coming.
Then he could not tell what to do.
So he got into the churn to hide, and by so doing turned it round, and it rolled down the hill with the pig in it, which frightened the wolf so much, that he ran home without going to the fair.
He went to the little pig's house, and told him how frightened he had been by a great round thing which came down the hill past him.
Then the little pig said:
"Hah, I frightened you, then.
I had been to the fair and bought a butter-churn, and when I saw you, I got into it, and rolled down the hill."
Then the wolf was very angry indeed, and declared he would eat up the little pig, and that he would get down the chimney after him.
When the little pig saw what he was about, he hung on the pot full of water, and made up a blazing fire, and, just as the wolf was coming down, took off the cover, and in fell the wolf; so the little pig puton the cover again in an instant, boiled him up, and ate him for supper, and lived happy ever afterwards.
more cat pictures
I admit it. I wrote this blog just so I could use this picture.
What can I say? I love these silly cat pics!
Fortunately, Head and Shoulders is a great kids song.
I should say that both Head and Shoulders songs are great.
There is the standard "Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes" song and there is "Head and Shoulders, Baby (1,2,3)". Both wonderful songs which encourage movement and teach the names of body parts.
(There are also a few books based on the song)
"Head and Shoulders Baby" is a good song to use when teaching babies and toddlers the names of body parts.
Touch each body part named or perform the action named (clapping, kiss etc).
Use your fingers or the babies fingers to count off the numbers.
The first 2 verses are traditional, the rest of the verses are movements I like to use.
Make up more of your own. You can have your baby kick his legs, clap her feet or touch his nose.
As children get older you can add more difficult movements.
Turn around/ Jump up and down...etc.
Head and shoulders baby
1, 2, 3
Head and shoulders baby
1, 2, 3
Head and shoulders
head and shoulders
head and shoulders baby 1, 2, 3
Knees and ankles baby
1, 2, 3
Knees and ankles baby
1, 2, 3
Knees and ankles,
Knees and ankles,
Knees and ankles baby 1, 2, 3
Touch your toes baby
1, 2, 3
Touch your toes baby
1, 2, 3
Touch your toes,
Touch your toes,
Touch your toes baby 1, 2, 3
Clap your hands baby
1, 2, 3
Clap your hands baby
1, 2, 3
Clap your hands,
Clap your hands,
Clap your hands baby 1, 2, 3
BLow a Kiss baby
1, 2, 3
Blow a kiss baby
1, 2, 3
Blow a kiss,
Blow a kiss,
Blow a kiss, baby 1, 2, 3
(the end)
Head, Shoulders, Knees and ToesSay what you will about the Wiggles (and folks will) but they do a great job with getting the kids excited and participating.
Knees and toes,
Head,shoulders, knees and toes,
Knees and toes
Eyes and Ears and Mouth and Nose,
Head, shoulders, knees and toes,
Knees and toes!
"The Twa Sisters" is a murder ballad that tells the story of a younger drowned by her older sister because of jealousy.
The song is said to have first appeared on a broadside in 1656 as "The Miller and the King's Daughter." There are at least 21 English variants of "The Twa Sisters" under numerous names including "Minnorie" or "Binnorie", "The Cruel Sister", "The Wind and Rain", "Two Sisters", and the "Bonnie Bows of London".
"Twa Sisters" can also be found in fairytale form under a number of names.
I believe the best known version maybe the Brothers Grimm's "The Singing Bones" (which uses 2 or 3 brothers instead of sisters) but similar stories can also be found under the names The Griffin (Italy),The Dead Girl's Bone (Switzerland), The Little Bone (Switzerland), Binnorie (England), The Silver Plate and the Transparent Apple. (Russia), The Magic Fiddle (India) and The Twin Brothers (Nigeria).
Here is a lovely version of "The Cruel Sister".
Another very nice version of The Twa Sisters is available on youtube (Drat it! I could not embed it here).
Binnorie
Once upon a time there were two king's daughters who lived in a bower near the bonny mill dams of Binnorie. And Sir William came wooing the eldest and won her love, and plighted troth with glove and with ring. But after a time he looked upon the youngest, with her cherry cheeks and golden hair, and his love went out to her until he cared no longer for the eldest one. So she hated her sister for taking away Sir William's love, and day by day her hate grew and grew and she plotted and she planned how to get rid of her.
So one fine morning, fair and clear, she said to her sister, "Let us go and see our father's boats come in at the bonny mill stream of Binnorie." So they went there hand in hand. And when they came to the river's bank the youngest got upon a stone to watch for the beaching of the boats. And her sister, coming behind her, caught her round the waist and dashed her into the rushing mill stream of Binnorie.
"Oh sister, sister, reach me your hand!" she cried, as she floated away, "and you shall have half of all I've got or shall get."
"No, sister, I'll reach you no hand of mine, for I am the heir to all your land. Shame on me if I touch her hand that has come 'twixt me and my own heart's love."
"Oh sister, oh sister, then reach me your glove!" she cried, as she floated further away, "and you shall have your William again."
"Sink on," cried the cruel princess, "no hand or glove of mine you'll touch. Sweet William will be all mine when you are sunk beneath the bonny mill stream of Binnorie." And she turned and went home to the king's castle.
And the princess floated down the mill stream, sometimes swimming and sometimes sinking, until she came near the mill. Now the miller's daughter was cooking that day, and needed water for her cooking. And as she went to draw it from the stream, she saw something floating towards the mill dam, and she called out, "Father! father! draw your dam. There's something white -- a merrymaid or a milk white swan -- coming down the stream." So the miller hastened to the dam and stopped the heavy cruel mill wheels. And then they took out the princess and laid her on the bank.
Fair and beautiful she looked as she lay there. In her golden hair were pearls and precious stones; you could not see her waist for her golden girdle, and the golden fringe of her white dress came down over her lily feet. But she was drowned, drowned!
And as she lay there in her beauty a famous harper passed by the mill dam of Binnorie, and saw her sweet pale face. And though he traveled on far away he never forgot that face, and after many days he came back to the bonny mill stream of Binnorie. But then all he could find of her where they had put her to rest were her bones and her golden hair. So he made a harp out of her breast bone and her hair, and traveled on up the hill from the mill dam of Binnorie, until he came to the castle of the king her father.
That night they were all gathered in the castle hall to hear the great harper: king and queen, their daughter and son, Sir William, and all their court. And first the harper sang to his old harp, making them joy and be glad, or sorrow and weep just as he liked. But while he sang he put the harp he had made that day on a stone in the hall. And presently it began to sing by itself, low and clear, and the harper stopped and all were hushed.
And this was what the harp sung:
Oh yonder sits my father, the king,
Binnorie, oh Binnorie;
And yonder sits my mother, the queen;
By the bony mill dams o' Binnorie.
And yonder stands my brother Hugh,
Binnorie, oh Binnorie;
And by him, my William, false and true;
By the bonny mill dams o' Binnorie.
Then they all wondered, and the harper told them how he had seen the princess lying drowned on the bank near the bonny mill dams o' Binnorie, and how he had afterwards made this harp out of her hair and breast bone. Just then the harp began singing again, and this was what it sang out loud and clear:
And there sits my sister who drownèd me
By the bonny mill dams o' Binnorie.
And the harp snapped and broke, and never sang more.
Source: Joseph Jacobs, English Fairy Tales
The Twa Sistersfrom Glasgow Guide: Glasgow Songs & Scottish Music
Melody - Seq. by John Renfro Davis
Traditional Ballad, Child Ballad #10
There liv'd twa sisters in a bower,
Hey Edinbruch, how Edinbruch.
There liv'd twa sisters in a bower,
Stirling for aye:
The youngest o' them, O, she was a flower!
Bonny Sanct Johnstonne that stands upon Tay.
2. There came a squire frae the west,
Hey Edinbruch, how Edinbruch.
There cam a squire frae the west,
Stirling for aye:
He lo'ed them baith, but the youngest best,
Bonny Sanct Johnstonne that stands upon Tay.
3. He gied the eldest a gay gold ring,
Hey Edinbruch, how Edinbruch.
He gied the eldest a gay gold ring,
Stirling for aye:
But he lo'ed the youngest aboon a' thing,
Bonny Sanct Johnstonne that stands upon Tay.
4. Oh sister, sister, will ye go to the sea?
Hey Edinbruch, how Edinbruch.
Oh sister, sister, will ye go to the sea?
Stirling for aye:
Our father's ships sail bonnilie,
Bonny Sanct Johnstonne that stands upon Tay.
5. The youngest sat down upon a stane,
Hey Edinbruch, how Edinbruch.
The youngest sat down upon a stane,
Stirling for aye:
The eldest shot the youngest in,
Bonny Sanct Johnstonne that stands upon Tay.
6. Oh sister, sister, lend me your hand,
Hey Edinbruch, how Edinbruch.
Oh, sister, sister, lend me your hand,
Stirling for aye:
And you shall hae my gouden fan,
Bonny Sanct Johnstonne that stands upon Tay.
7. Oh, sister, sister, save my life,
Hey Edinbruch, how Edinbruch.
Oh sister, sister, save my life,
Stirling for aye:
And ye shall be the squire's wife,
Bonny Sweet Johnstonne that stands upon Tay.
8. First she sank, and then she swam,
Hey Edinbruch, how Edinbruch.
First she sank, and then she swam,
Stirling for aye:
Until she cam to Tweed mill dam,
Bonny Sanct Johnstonne that stands upon Tay.
9. The millar's daughter was baking bread,
Hey Edinbruch, how Edinbruch.
The millar's daughter was baking bread,
Stirling for aye:
She went for water, as she had need,
Bonny Sanct Johnstonne that stands upon Tay.
10. Oh father, father, in our mill dam,
Hey Edinbruch, how Edinbruch,
Oh father, father, in our mill dam,
Stirling for aye:
There's either a lady, or a milk-white swan,
Bonny Sanct Johnstonne that stands upon Tay.
11. They could nae see her fingers small,
Hey Edinbruch, how Edinbruch.
They could nae see her fingers small,
Stirling for aye:
Wi' diamond rings they were cover'd all,
Bonny Sanct Johnstonne that stands upon Tay.
12. They could nae see her yellow hair,
Hey Edinbruch, how Edinbruch.
They could nae see her yellow hair,
Stirling for aye:
Sae mony knots and platts war there,
Bonny Sanct Johnstonne that stands upon Tay.
13. Bye there cam a fiddler fair,
Hey Edinbruch, how Edinbruch.
Bye there cam a fiddler fair,
Stirling for aye:
And he's ta'en three tails o' her yellow hair,
Bonny Sanct Johnstonne that stands upon Tay.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
From Sharpe's Ballad Book, No. X., p. 30. A version of "Binnorie." The ballad here ends abruptly; doubtless the fiddler made fiddle-strings of the lady's hair, and a fiddle of her breast-bone, while the instrument probably revealed the cruelty of the sister. Other extant versions are composite or interpolated, so this fragment (Sharpe's) has been preferred in this place.
Thi ballad first appeared on a broadside in 1656 as The Miller and the King's Daughter.
Old Mother Hubbard is a Nursery Rhyme classic.
I'm sure that you will find some verses you remember and others that seem very odd. Like most stories or poems that were originally in the oral tradition, the poem has changed through the years.
The history of the poem can be found at the end of this post.
OLD MOTHER HUBBARD
Old Mother Hubbard
Went to the cupboard
To get her poor Dog a bone;
But when she came there
The cupboard was bare,
And so the poor Dog had none.
She went to the baker's
To buy him some bread,
But when she came back
The poor Dog looked dead.
She went to the hatter's
To buy him a hat,
But when she came back
He was feeding the cat.
She went to the barber's
To buy him a wig,
But when she came back
He was dancing a jig.
She went to the joiner's
To buy him a coffin,
But when she came back
The poor Dog was laughing.
She took a clean dish
To get him some tripe,
But when she came back
He was smoking a pipe.
She went to the ale-house
To get him some beer,
But when she came back
The Dog sat in a chair.
She went to the tavern
For white wine and red,
But when she came back
The Dog stood on his head.
She went to the fruiterer's
To buy him some fruit,
But when she came back
He was playing the flute.
She went to the tailor's,
To buy him a coat,
But when she came back
He was riding a goat.
She went to the sempstress
To buy him some linen,
But when she came back
The Dog was a-spinning.
She went to the hosier's
To buy him some hose,
But when she came back
He was dressed in his clothes.
She went to the cobbler's
To buy him some shoes,
But when she came back
He was reading the news.
The Dame made a curtsey,
The Dog made a bow;
The Dame said, “Your servant;”
The Dog said, “Bow-wow!”
This wonderful Dog
Was Dame Hubbard's delight;
He could sing, he could dance,
He could read, he could write.
So she gave him rich dainties
Whenever he fed,
And erected a monument
When he was dead.
Origins of Old Mother Hubbard lyrics in British history (from: http://www.rhymes.org.uk/old_mother_hubbard.htm)
The Old Mother Hubbard referred to in this rhyme's words allude to the famous Cardinal Wolsey. Cardinal Thomas Wolsey was the most important statesman and churchman of the Tudor history period in 16th century England. Cardinal Wolsey proved to be a faithful servant but displeased the King, Henry VIII, by failing to facilitate the King's divorce from Queen Katherine of Aragon who had been his queen of many years. The reason for seeking the divorce and hence the creation of the Old Mother Hubbard poem was to enable him to marry Anne Boleyn with whom he was passionately in love. In the Old Mother Hubbard song King Henry was the "doggie" and the "bone" refers to the divorce (and not money as many believe) The cupboard relates to the Catholic Church although the subsequent divorce arranged by Thomas Cramner resulted in the break with Rome and the formation of the English Protestant church and the demise of Old Mother Hubbard - Cardinal Wolsey.
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