ENERGY |
 |
 |
ENERGY Stories, Folktales, Folklore, Fairy Tales, Legends, Myths, History, Nursery Rhymes, Fantasy & Facts Scroll down or click on your choice below • SOS: Searching Out Stories /Info about Energy Advice, Comments and References from Storytellers, Teachers and Librarians |
SOS: SEARCHING OUT STORIES AND INFORMATION ABOUT ENERGY
Advice, Comments and References from Storytellers, Teachers and Librarians
(excerpts from Storytell posts plus original research)
Book titles and online links are in blue and underlined. Click on them to get more stories and information.
Story titles are in quotation marks.
To retell any stories, get permission from the copyright holder if the material is not in the public domain.
Alphabetized for your convenience with short descriptions to save you research time.
Posts are added chronologically as they are received by Story Lovers World.
1) Query:
Can any of you suggest stories that might help me with an "energy" theme of a museum where I am telling. There are numerous sun more powerful than water, cloud more powerful than sun, wind mor powerful than cloud type stoires that I have, so I don't need any more of those. However I need to find other forms of "energy" stories- perhaps including coal, or transformation stoires that would go with the trees-carbon-coal-fuel theme. I'll probabaly use Jack and the beanstalk, and needing "energy" from good foods to climb the beanstalk, but anything else would be welcome.
Janet D.
Responses:
a) Someone had a wonderful story involving the four elements and restoring the earth with the gift of water, fire, earth, and wing (song?). I thought I would find it in with my Shakespeare stuff . . . . aha! the wonder of the "Sherlock" feature -- found it! You would have to have Terry's permission to tell, but since it is already somewhere in Storytell archives, I would think it's o.k. to re-send, and it is a lovely story.
Mary G.
"Terry's Tale"
staffordj01@HOME.COM
[Unnamed Story by Terry Stafford]
Story:
There was once a land where the people had fought many long wars. The earth was dry and little grew. The sun seemed to have left the land and every day was grey and cold. Life was a sad, joyless search for a meagre subsistence. People did not reach out to each other and even the children had forgotten how to play.
There were no happy sounds, no laughter, no birdsong, no music. The only sounds were of quarrelling or complaining... and a constant weeping that no one knew the source of. It was as if the very earth wept.
In this land there lived a little girl whose parents had died in the last war. She slept in a barn and every day she went door to door and asked for crumbs to eat. Some people asked her to work in exchange for the crumbs, but the little girl was willing. This little girl wondered about the weeping.
"Who is it who weeps without stopping?" she asked.
People had ceased to care. "It is Life weeping." they told her. "Life is sad. Pay no attention." But the little girl wondered still.
One night she awoke. The weeping was loud in the night. She crawled out from the hay that kept her warm. Following the sound of the weeping, she came to a dry and rutted field. In the field there was the ragged stump of a tree that had been damaged in the war. The weeping was coming from the stump. Cautiously the girl went up to the stump and looked inside.
A strange green glow lit the inside of the stump and there was a tiny woman. She was thin and brown and her body and arms and legs looked like the roots of trees. Her hair was a pale green and flowed around her like silky leaves.
When the tiny woman looked up at her, the girl caught her breath. The woman had the most unusual eyes; as blue as a summer sky. Looking into them the girl felt as if she could see everything and everywhere on earth. She could not look away from those incredible eyes.
"Why do you weep?" she whispered.
"I weep for what is lost; for life, for joy, for the earth." and the tiny woman began to weep loudly.
"Can I help?" asked the little girl. The tiny woman stopped weeping and once again caught the girl in the depths of her eyes.
"Are you willing?" she asked.
The girl could only stare into the woman's eyes and nod. She felt a flutter of a feeling she didn't remember feeling before. A flutter of hope. The tiny woman reached out and caught the girl's hand in her small root-like hand.
"You are willing." she said softly. "Good. You must be willing to reach out."
"To reach out?" the girl was puzzled.
"Yes," continued the woman. "You must go to every person in the village and from each one gather the four elements: Earth, Water, Fire and Air. Bring them back here." The glow faded and the girl could no longer see the tiny woman. She stumbled back across the dark field to her barn.
The next morning the little girl carried a bucket from door to door. Instead of asking for crumbs, she asked "Please, could you give me a spoonful of earth?"
Though they thought she had lost her senses, this was an easy request, and people spooned a bit of the dry earth from their yard into her bucket. Some people asked her to work in exchange for the bit of earth, but the girl was willing. By the end of the day she dragged a bucket full of earth to the field and spread it around the stump. There was no sign of the tiny woman, but when the girl crawled into the hay to sleep that night, the weeping was not quite as loud as it had been.
The next day the little girl set off again with her bucket. This time she asked each person for a drop of water.
"Only a drop?" people asked. Thinking she had lost her senses, but caring little, they each flicked a drop of water into her bucket. Some people asked her to work in exchange for the water, but the little girl was willing. By the end of the day she dragged a bucket full of water to the field and poured it over the earth around the stump. Again there was no sign of the tiny woman, and again the weeping was quieter than the night before.
The following day the little girl carried a tin pail from door to door. At each house she asked for an ember from the fire. Now the people were sure she had lost her senses, but they each gave her a tiny glowing ember from the fire. Some people asked her to work in exchange for the ember, but the little girl was willing. By the end of the day she dragged the smoking pail to the stump in the field. She wasn't sure just what to do with the pail of fire, but when she put it down by the stump the pail began to glow red and redder and then the pail and the embers melted into the cold earth. As the little girl watched, the earth around the stump began to come to life. Out of the dry, cracked earth grew fresh, green grass. The broken stump began to grow new branches that reached up high into the sky and tiny green leaves and delicate pink blossoms unfolded from every branch. Joyfully the little girl danced on the soft grass around the beautiful tree until it was dark and then she went back to sleep in her barn.
That night she didn't hear weeping at all.
The next morning the little girl ran first to the field to be sure that it was still as beautiful as it has been the night before. Yes. It was beautiful. The tree was covered in blossoms and fresh dew was in the grass. The little girl felt such joy that once again she just had to dance in the soft grass. Then she turned and looked around. The grass and the beautiful tree still stood in the middle of a dry and rutted field. The rest of the land was still cold and grey and sad.
"I still must bring air, " said the little girl. She had no idea how she was to bring air from every person back to the tree. All day she sat under the tree and thought. As night fell, she went to sleep in the grass beneath the beautiful tree. Early the next morning a bird began to sing in the branches above her head. Waking up to the bird's song, the little girl remembered another song, one her mother used to sing. She stood under the tree and sang her song, then once again she wondered how she could bring air to the tree in the field. The tiny woman's words echoed in her mind, "You must be willing to reach out," and she knew what she must do.
Once again she went door to door. At every house she sang her song. The sweet music reached out to the people and they came out of their houses to listen. "Come!" called the little girl. "Come with me and sing!" and singing, she led the people toward the field. Some people needed help to get across the rough ground, but the other people were willing to help them.
Soon everyone was gathered around the beautiful tree. At the sight of the green grass and the blossoming tree, their amazement and joy were so great that the people took hands and began to sing the little girl's song.
As the air filled with song, something amazing happened. The grey sky turned as blue as the tiny woman's eyes and the sun began to shine. As the people watched, green began to spread from the tree and across the field. The land was beautiful and warm and green. The people clasped hands and sang and were filled with joy.
The little girl looked up into the tree and there in the branches was the tiny woman. "Oh! Thank you!" she whispered. "You have brought us joy and life!"
"Thanks to you too," said the little woman. "You were willing. You brought the people back together.
Life needs Earth, Water, Fire and Air, and it also needs community."
As she spoke, the tiny woman seemed to blend into the tree until the little girl could no longer see her. The little girl felt the warmth of the sun and the warmth of the hands holding hers and she joined in the joyful song.
Life was good.
Mary G.
b) There are several stories in Michael J. Caduto's Earth Tales from Around the Worldthat might be worked into the theme. Particularly the section on Fire which has "The Coming of Fire - Australian aboriginal"; "Hippoo Befriends Fire (Ghana)" and "Pele's Wrath of Fire (Hawaii)". How about the American legend of "John Henry" in which John Henry has a contest with a steam drill - which he wins, but which also kills him.
Judy S.
2) Paper Flower - someone help me with a source for this one. It is a Cinderella variant. Young Japanese girl works as a servant. Employer will let her go home only if she can bring her 3 things: water in paper, wind in paper and fire in paper. The girl makes a paper cup to hold water, a paper lantern to put a candle in and a fan to make wind. (You do origami as you tell the story). So that takes care of fire, water, wind. The girl begins to sell origami figures and changes her name to paper flower. (Perhaps she did this because flowers are so beautiful and if she returns things to the earth, flowers will grow? That would incorporate one more thing)
Response: What a nice application for this little story! When I wrote The Story of Paper Flower, many years ago, I warned the editors that it was NOT an authentic folktale -- but it has taken on a life of its own. The motifs came from Korea and China. The paperfolds are not real origami but seem to be almost universal. The plot is my contribution. The paperfolds have been used to decorate holiday trees (Lo -- a holiday story!), and to decorate classrooms for spring (Lo -- a spring story!), even to decorate the bridge for a Brownie-Girl Scout bridging ceremony. I would be delighted to see it extended to the Four Elements as suggested above!!
Fran S.
Responses:
a) " Little Rooster and the Turkish Sultan" - rooster finds a diamond button. A diamond is formed from coal.
Greek/Roman gods - those legends include some gods who might add to your program. (Thor and his hammer which causes thunder, etc.)
"Snow Child"
"Snow Queen"
"Jack and the Northwest Wind" - Scandinavian story, also part of Jack tales.
"Billy Goats Gruff" - a previous thread from Storytell contained the idea that when the third goat knocked the troll off the bridge, he flew into the air to become a toronado. Here is the email I posted at that time."Thunder and Lightning" - There was a story posted some time ago that explained thunder and lightning but I can't find a reference to it. Maybe someone else can remember it.
"The Leak" - Story about a man who says he is afraid of a leak. Wolf who is preparing to jump through window and eat him hears. Thief who is on roof and is planning to rob him hears. Thief falls off the roof onto back of wolf. Wolf runs in terror. Thief hangs on in terror. Branch knocks thief off wolf's back. Both have terrible story to tell about the Terrible Leak and never know truth. Man fixes his roof and doesn't have to fear a leak again.
Cathy was feeling :( because no one had posted the story of the "Billy Goats Gruff." As I finished typing the bones of my version, I realized that current events had given me new insights on this story! What do you all think?There were 3 Billy Goats Gruff who lived in a pasture. Now the grass on the hill on the other side of the bridge looked a lot greener--just like the grass on the other side of the fence! Only problem is that a Troll lives under the bridge. One day the littlest Billy Goat Gruff decides to sneak across the bridge, trip trip, trip trip. The Troll hears him, crawls up on the bridge and threatens to eat him up! The littlest Billy Goat Gruff is a fast thinker. "Mr. Troll, I'm not very big and I would only make a little bite for you. Why don't you wait for my next oldest brother? When he sees me eating all that lovely grass on the hillside, he is sure to come over the bridge to get his share." The troll lets the little goat cross the bridge. Second Billy Goat sees brother on hill, wants his share of the green grass, decides to hurry across the bridge. Trip, Trip. Trip, Trip. Troll confronts him. This Billy Goat is a fast thinker also. Convinces the troll that his older brother will be a better meal. Crosses bridge. Troll goes back under the bridge. Oldest brother decides to get his share of the yummy grass. Marches up to the bridge to cross it. TRIP, TRIP! TRIP, TRIP! Troll threatens him. Largest Billy Goat Gruff tries reasoning with him. Might not taste good, horns are a bother, etc. etc. Troll tells goat not to try to tell him there is a bigger goat coming. He is going to eat the one that is on the bridge RIGHT NOW etc. etc. "Oh, we'll see about that," says the Big Billy Goat Gruff. And he lowers his head and charges on across the bridge. The troll flies up in the air. Now you can either kill the troll off or let him limp away and never bother the Billy Goats again or he can fly off through the air to who knows where? In fact, he might be flying still. Perhaps that is what a tornado is after all--an airborn, angry troll who is having a temper tantrum!
Rose, the Story Lady
b) Here is an email from Richard Martin that has reference to a story that might help you.
Chinese fable from Lois Tzur about farmers who get caught in a storm and think it's because one of them is a sinner.
I wonder if that is the same tale I tell.
This is my skeleton:
One innocent farmer. Chinese, 10 farmers, thunderstorm, shelter in ruined temple. Lightning all around. Fear, one must be a sinner. To find out all put straw hats out of door. One hat away, man thrown out. Storm ends by crashing temple down - he was the only innocent one!
Also from previous thread:
It was so cold that when the farmers milked their cows they got white icicles in their pails.
It was so cold that when the rooster crowed at dawn his voice froze in the air and no one heard him Cock-a-doodle-doo until about 10:00 when the sun thawed out the sound.
It was so cold icicles were hanging from the flames.
It was so cold we stood in front of the open refrigerator to warm up.
It was so cold our words froze and fell to the floor when we talked.
It was so hot the hens laid hard-boiled eggs.
It was so dry the fish were hitch-hiking.
Here are Kate Dudding's directions for making a rainstorm:
This is the way I saw it done: the teller demonstrates each move by sweeping her gaze across the audience, from left to right, for example. The audience doesn't change what they're doing until the sweep comes back to them.First move: everyone taps 1 finger against the other palm.
Second move: everyone taps 2 fingers against the other palm.
Third move: everyone taps 3 fingers against the other palm.
Fourth move: everyone claps.
Fifth move: the teller only looked at part of the audience when she did the thunder by stomping her feet, so you heard heavy rain with the thunder.
Then the storm abated by doing moves 4,3,2 and 1. We were sitting on a wooden floor and the sounds were impressive.
Kate Dudding, Storyteller, Storywoman
from Rose the Story Lady
Created 2002; last update 9/4/09
Story Lovers World ... 707-996-1996 |